The Brains and The Rebel

Chapter II

When the last bell school rang, I head to the back of the school where I found Owen. He was smoking a cigarette with his friends and with confidence I went over to him.

"Owen!" I yelled. 

He turned around, the cigarette still in his mouth. He had a dazed look on him, and his buddies were standing up thinking there was another brawl coming on. 

He yelled back at me, "What do you want Shrimp!? Can't you see I'm busy!?" 

"I wanted to ask you something in private!" 

He looked at his friends and went over, putting out the cigarette.

"Damn it Shrimp, what is it?" He asked me.

Even though I was terrified, I needed to be brave.

"Why didn't you want to write about your family?" I said quietly so his friends wouldn't hear.

There was a pause, I wanted to look away but I didn't I looked right at him. He scoffed and looked away.

"You know, you got a lot of guts to come ask me that."

"I...I worried about you."

"You?You worry about ME?!" He laughed and looked at me with a mischievous grin.

"If you want to punch or kick or whatever, fine. That won't make me run away from you! Even if we aren't friends, we used to be and it doesn't change how I still care for you."

There was another pause, we both looked at each other, not looking away.

"You wanna know that badly, Jon?" He said, looking at me.

It was the first time he called me by my name. I nodded and looked at him.

He chuckled, "You know, the way your face is now...Reminds me of how you stood up for me from that idiot." 

He took a deep breath and sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. My family pretty much disowned me about something I was or am and this was during Middle school as well. That's why I stopped being friends with you and why I've been a bully to you."

"But what made them disown you so quickly?!" I said, wanting it to be a yell.

"... I can't tell you that." He turned around and before he could leave I grabbed his shoulder.

"Is it... your sexuality?" 

There was another long pause. I waited for a response, but he shrugged off my shoulder.

"Just go home, Jonathan. It's not like you can under-"

"Of course I can understand!" I yelled. 

He looked back at me, I felt my cheeks burning. 

"I...I question my sexuality a lot. Then I was for certain... I like men." I said quietly.

He looked at me as I looked at him, " That's why I can understand because I'm afraid to tell my mother."

He had a dulled expression on his face and sighed, "Then I guess you can...Yeah, I like guys too. My parents disowned me after I came out. I haven't told anyone else at school about this because if they did I lose my rep."

"So...you've been using me as a punching bag for your own problems?!Because you didn't want to lose your reputation?!"

I felt my hands curl into fists and small streams going down my face.

"Jon, no it's-"

"No, it's EXACTLY like that! Why couldn't you talk to me about it!? I thought the reason you left me was that you hated me!"