I Kissed A Boy.

08.

**Ziggy**

When the morning came.
My face ached more than I wanted it to.
And when I saw my reflection.
I wanted to cry.
My right eye was black and my cheek was still a dark red.
When my uncle hit me.
He hit me like I was a grown man, and not some kid who was only one hundred twenty pounds.

I went to touch my face but only hissed before sighing softly.
There was no way I could cover this up.
And I knew my uncle Mitchell would only feel responsible the moment he saw me.
It was my fault for letting him go in.
For having hopes that I was going to escape this place with no issues.

Changing into a gray shirt and black jeans, I slid my shoes on and stepped out of the room.
The house was quiet.
But then again, it was also quiet when that family realized I was moving around.

Already feeling sick, I made my way into the kitchen.
But my aunt was nowhere to be seen.

It was my uncle and cousins, plus Bryce's guests who stayed the night.
And that included Zeke.

"Damn dad, you did a number on his face." Bryce was the first to comment as I stood there in silence, frowning as my uncle looked up at me but there was no regret in his eyes.
He only shrugged and went back to looking at the newspaper.

"Where is aunt-"
"At work, she left early. Bryce is taking you to school." My uncle told me and I felt my blood run cold.
The guys seemed to take amusement in that but kept quiet.

"Ziggy."
I paused from following my cousin outside, I turned to my uncle.
"Yes?"
My uncle glared softly at me.
"If any of those teachers question what happened to your face, you tell them you got into it with another student from your old school. Got it?" He told me as my brows knitted.
I just forced a nod before walking outside.
--------
The whole ride to school was awkward.
I was unfortunate and had to sit between Zeke and Abel on the way to my school.
I could only hope that Rocky and the others were not outside waiting on me.
I wasn't sure how they would react.
Or if they would even react.

"Hey Zeke, is there a reason you wanted to tag along with me bringing this fag to school?" Bryce questioned behind the wheel.
It made my brows furrow as I just stared at my lap in silence.

Zeke glanced to me before smirking softly.
"I wanna size up the guy who talked to me yesterday on the phone, he talked like a big shot." Zeke shrugged.
Bryce looked into the mirror at the other.
"Why pick a fight with him, when my cousin is right beside you? He's the perfect little punching bag." He grinned.

Zeke smirked at me.
"I may actually take you up on that suggestion." He replied and I felt myself shrinking before my school came into view.

"Alright, where are the fags from yesterday?" Kylo asked, looking around.
I glared softly.
"Stop calling them that." I told him.
"What was that?" Kylo turned around fast, glaring at me.
My brows furrowed.
"They did nothing wrong, so stop calling them that." I said as my whole body trembled.

"Well now, that's some major guts, look at you trying to defend your little gay friends." Zeke's hand cupped the back of my neck, grinning deviously as he brought his lips dangerously close to my ear.
"You almost impressed me, but don't forget, the four of us can beat your ass like nothing." He told me.

"Call one of your pals." Zeke sat back now.
"I wanna see what they look like." He told me.

My brows furrowed.
"But-"
"Do it." Zeke looked right at me and growled.

My mind went blank for a moment before I was looking through my contacts and hesitated, no way was I calling Kaiser.
But was Rocky even here yet?
Sucking in some air, my brows knitted before I dialed the other teens number.

I listened to it ring, hoping the other wouldn't pick up.

{"Zigzag?"}
I felt my heart racing as I sat there.
"H-Hey... Are you here yet?" I asked him.
{"Unfortunately, wait, why are you calling me?"}
I frowned softly.
"I need you to come outside, meet me at the door." I told him.
{"Sure, let me tell Stetson and I'll be out there."} He replied and I frowned but nodded.
"Okay." I responded before the other hung up.

"Such a good boy." Zeke smirked as my face grew warm.
"Is he the one who talked to me yesterday?" Zeke asked.
I shook my head.
"No, it was another student." I frowned.
"Who?"
"I don't know his name-"
I cried out when he grabbed the back of my hair and brought my face close to his.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're lying to me?" He asked.
My brows knitted.
"I-I'm not." I told him.
Zeke glared softly before letting go.

I felt this relief once Rocky stepped outside of the building, looking around confused.

"Rocky." I said his name so carelessly as Zeke watched before rolling his eyes as he stepped out of the car.
"I'm not impressed." He sighed as I got out of the car.

I looked to the brunet with a frown before freezing when he grabbed the side of my belt loop, holding me back.
"One more thing before I let you go to your fag friend." Zeke smirked as my expression fell.
"What-"
"Don't forget to remind them, not to fuck with the students at Silver Falls. I mean, you will be the one paying the price." He told me before letting me go.

"See you later." Zeke grinned getting back in the car as I hurried over to Rocky.

"What the fuck happened to your face?" Rocky demanded before glaring at the car as the guys inside all locked eyes with Rocky.
"Did they do this?" He went to storm forward, but I placed both my hands on the others chest.
"N-No, it's fine, don't." I told him.
Rocky's eyes were wide with rage.
"It's not fine, Ziggy! Your face is badly bruised. Who the hell did this?" He asked me.

That feeling from before appeared as my mind went blank for a moment.
"My uncle-"
"OUR TEACHER?!"
"N-No." My face was on fire before Bryce's car finally drove off.

Rocky's brows were furrowed.
"What uncle and were the cops called?" He questioned.
Tears were burning my eyes.
"The one I live with... and no, the cops weren't called." I told him.
Rocky stood there with this angry expression on his face.
"Ziggy-"

"It's fine." I stepped back from him with a sad smile.
"This only happened because I was careless and being selfish." I rubbed the side of my neck.
"I probably deserved it." I said now.
"Like fucking hell you did, is that cousin of yours also violent? Or are his friends?" Rocky asked.

"Rocky-"
"Just answer me!" Rocky looked sad as he stood there, his eyes locked with mine as tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Yeah." I answered shortly.
"They use me as a human punching bag." I told him.
"Fuck that, I'm getting you out of that house-"

"How? My uncle Mitchell already tried-"
"He was too polite about it." Rocky growled.
"Don't worry, I'll figure something out." He was careful before cupping my cheek with sad eyes.
"No kid deserves to be treated like this." He told me.
-------
I was scared to go into homeroom.
Not only was my uncle there, but so was Kaiser.
But I couldn't avoid either of them.

Sighing softly, I walked into the classroom.

"Holy shit, what happened to the new kids face?" I felt my blood run cold when everyone looked in my direction.
That voice belonged to Jackie, who was sitting there with a concerned look on his face.

"Ziggy." Uncle Mitchell came up to me as I looked up at him.
"It's fine, uncle-"
"No, this is not okay kiddo. What happened last night was my fault, but Tony had no right hitting you like a grown man. There's going to be a court hearing, I don't want you living in that house." He told me.
I frowned at him.
"But-"
"Not but's, this has to happen or this abuse will keep happening." My uncle frowned softly at me.
I looked away frowning.
"What if the court decides against it? Aunt Shay is the blood relative to my dad-"

"Blood does not over power abuse, even the court will agree with me on that. Children should be in a safe loving home, not one where you're abused both mentally and physically." My uncle told me.

I looked at him before nodding.
My uncle sighed softly.
"Go take your seat." He told me as I nodded, turning from the other but froze at who stood at the door.

Kaiser.

He stood there with wide eyes looking right at my face.
His brows furrowed as he approached me.
"Who-"

"Kaiser, go to your desk." My uncle told him now.
Kaiser frowned at the other.
"But teach-"
"I'm dealing with it, go sit down, now Kaiser." My uncle frowned at the other.

I walked past the students who all looked concerned but kept their mouths closed as I went to my desk.

Kaiser was quick to join me as he frowned.
"Who did this?" He reached for my face but I flinched and pulled away.
It made his brows knit.
"Ziggy-"
"My uncles dealing with it, I.. I don't want to get anyone else involved, please understand." I told him.
Kaiser studied me before frowning softly.
"Okay." He replied before taking out his notes for class.

I sat there for the longest.
Tears burning my eyes as I thought about last night and this morning.
I was terrified of that home.
It wasn't even a home anymore.
It was hell but with walls surrounding it.
I didn't feel safe there.

When the bell rang announcing that first period was over with.
I stood to my feet but paused as I looked to Kaiser who sat there with a troubled look on his face, like he was trying to figure something out.

"Kaiser..?"
He looked up when I called out to him before he approached me.
"What are your plans for after school?" He asked.
I blinked.
"O-Oh um.. I don't have any-"
"Good, let me take you out to eat." He told me.
I stared.
"You.. You want to take me out to eat?" I questioned, confused.

Kaiser blinked before finally managing to smile softly as he walked up to me.
"I do, is that okay with you?" He asked me.
I felt my face getting warm.
"I.."
"Just say yes." Kaiser told me as I looked at him with a red face now.
My brows knitted before nodding.
"Yes." I told him as he smiled softly.
"Good, I'll see you in third period." He told me as I followed the other out of the classroom.

I tried my best to ignore the looks I was given when I walked through the hall, there were eyes all on my face and I hated the attention.

"Holy shit, you weren't joking when you said his face was bruised." Joshua commented as I walked into math class.
My eyes were on the twins as Jayce walked up to me, frowning softly.

"Rocky won't share the details and I won't ask you to either, but are you going to be okay?" He asked me.
I blinked, it was so weird having others be worried about me.
Back at Silver Falls, any time I showed up bruised or anything like that, they ignored me or I was mocked for it.

I just nodded.
"I'll be okay." I forced a smile and I knew it didn't convince the trio.
Because their expressions told me otherwise.
-------
When school was finally over, I made sure to send my aunt a message to let her know I had plans after school.
I wasn't going to say that another student wanted to take me out to eat, because it would sound like a date.
And there was no way Kaiser would ever want to date someone like me.
Plus.
I was still with Lexi.

I walked out of the building to find Kaiser waiting on me.
But Stetson and Dorian were with him.

It made me nervous but I walked over to the other.

"Damn kid, that looks painful." Dorian commented as I frowned softly at the other.
"It's not." I lied, I didn't want to keep looking weak in front of other guys.
It was pathetic.
I wanted to get better so no one would use me as a punching bag anymore.
I was tired of being this tragic character who needed others to fight his battles.

"Alright, we're heading to Deans to eat, I'll see you two tomorrow." Kaiser told them before opening the passenger door, letting me get in.

"Behave yourself, Kaiser." Stetson teased as Kaiser blinked before smirking softly.
"I'm better at behaving myself compared to you." He replied.

Dorian nodded.
"He's not wrong Stetson, you and Rocky are constantly going at it-"
"Well that's easy, I like his ass and he likes my di-"

"Alright, bye." Kaiser shut my door as he rubbed his temples.

I sat there feeling awkward after Kaiser joined me in the car.
I didn't know what to say to the other.
I've only known him for three days, and he's been nothing but kind to me this whole time.

"Ready?" Kaiser smiled softly at me as I looked at the other.
My heart was racing but I just nodded.
He smiled before pulling out and driving towards the restaurant.

Was it possible Kaiser liked me in that way?
And if he did, how was I supposed to respond?
I wouldn't lie to myself about this, he was a very attractive guy.
So I was confused on why he would waste his time with me.

It made me nervous to think about.
But.
It also made me feel excited.

Just to know someone like him, may actually be interested in someone like me.
And maybe.
Just maybe.

I would finally get to be happy with someone I really liked.