Match Your Weakness With A Name

Eleven? This Should Never Have Happened.

Well, fuck.

The two guys spring apart and turn to face me. Derek's face is strawberry red, and the other person scowls at me. I take the opportunity to get a look at him: he is slightly shorter than Derek, has light brown hair that goes past his shoulders, and wears glasses. Cute, if he smiled, or at least dropped the dirty look.

"Geoff, I can explain-" begins Derek, but I cut him off.

"Uh, I heard everything," I say. "Paper thin walls, man."

Derek's face somehow gets redder. "I..."

"I won't say anything," I say.

"Good," says the other person. "I swear to god, if you tell anyone-"

"Shut the fuck up, Ryan," says Derek. "This is sweet, innocent Geoff. Be nice to him."

"I'm not that innocent," I say.

"Yeah, you are," says Derek.

"No, I'm really not," I insist.

"Fuck you," says Derek. "But you heard all that shit, right?"

"Uh, most of it," I say.

"Well...um...fuck," he says. "I'm sorry about Ryan, he's a dick. I swear, he's the only thing stopping me from telling people."

I want to agree with Derek, that yes, I shouldn't be blamed, that Ryan deserves to have the world know. But something in the back of my mind says he doesn't. It wouldn't be fair to out him, no matter how much of a dick he is. Fuck, I shouldn't be able to empathize with him.

"What, don't have anything to say? What are you, eight?" taunts Ryan, and I quickly glance down at my feet.

"Stop being such a fucking dick!" exclaims Derek. He wheels on Ryan, practically glowing like a red Christmas light. "Since the party, you've been nothing but an asshole to me, and Geoff, and pretty much everyone who wasn't one of your bitchy little friends. I thought you weren't like them, I really did."

"I'm not like them," pleads Ryan.

"Think about it," says Derek.

"Okay, fine, I fucked up!" shouts Ryan. "But you're no better than me, you want to ruin my life! I'd be fucking destroyed if any of this got out, any of it! Geoff what's-his-face can keep right on being blamed for it as far as I care."

"You fucking snake!"

"I'm not a damn snake!"

"No, you are!" yells Derek. "You little weak, pathetic, tiny-dicked c-"

"Stop it!"

I don't know where that came from, but it sure surprises Derek and Ryan. They turn their heads to look at me, and I'm uncertain what I look like to them, but it's probably not good. At least I'm not as red as Derek.

"I swear to God, if you keep on arguing, I'm gonna tear my fucking hair out!" I declare. "And I've got really nice hair, come on!"

"Geoff, I was-" Derek begins, but oh my god shut the fuck up.

"Ryan," I say, "you don't care about anyone but yourself, and no wonder! If you were less of a selfish prick, we wouldn't be here, and whether you wanted to or not, it's your fault those rumors started about me. It's your fault I'm even involved in any of this." 

Derek smirks. "See, that's what I've been trying to-"

"What, like you're right either?" I apparently have lost any sort of filters I once had. "He screwed you over, I get that! I've been down that fucking road!" My voice cracks, and I take a breath before continuing. "But it's not okay to out someone, ever! I've been down that road too."