Slapshots {BOYXBOY}✔

Chapter Eighteen {Bro}

It was too late. By the time Henry and I jumped apart the bathroom door was swung closed and Night was standing there with wide eyes and his mouth hung open like he had just walked in on two boys kissing in the bathroom.

Which was totally fair because he did.

Henry was pressed tight against the sink now with his face beet red, I could only imagine mine looked about the same as I looked back and forth between Henry and Night. We stood in silence until Anothy let how a chuckle, locking the door and stepping into the bathroom. "I'm going to lock the door because we obviously need a moment."

"Anthony listen it's not what it looks like." I tried to convince him, and myself.

"Matt, bro. I respect you. I don't care that you're kissing boys in the bathroom. Little weird, think you'd aim for something more private. But who am I to judge? Like, I don't care who you fuck, where you fuck, or how you fuck. I just don't want to see you fuck."

I couldn't help the small smile on my face. But it was true, he really couldn't judge us.  Night was once caught getting a blow job in a stairwell after hockey practice two years ago. Thought it was his girlfriend Barbie that he was with and it was another male teammate who had found him. And I'm sure the shame that was piling up in my chest was pride in Night's.

I looked at Henry who still looked pale and a little out of it. "Look," I said turning back to Night. "You can't tell anyone."

"Who've I gotta tell? I'm not gonna out you man. Plus if I tell Barbie she'd lose her mind. She loves gay boys. It's kinda creepy." He laughed, leaning his back on the white stone wall. " You all good now? We good to unlock the door?"

I was going to answer but Hery beat me to it. "Yeah. We're good." He brushed past me and Night, unlocking the door and leaving the bathroom. Night looked at me with a raised brown and a shrug before going to the bathroom stall.

I left the bathroom just as the final bell rang, letting out a curse as I raised back to my locker and grabbing my books for math class trying not to worry about Henry too much.

"Henry stop. Henry!" I was running through the field at the back of the school, it was empty but a few other students walking home. I could see Henry walking across the field and to the nearest bus stop. He's skipped out tutor session and if it wasn't for the fact I had seen him leaving while I went to my car to grab my French book I wouldn't have known. "Henry!" Finally, he stopped, turning around and looking at me from the other side of the ball diamond.

I jogged towards him, stopping a few inches from him. "Hey. We had a study session."

"Matt I can't."

"What, what do you mean?"

He looked down for a second before sighing and lifting his bag up higher on his shoulder. "I was going to text you. Glenda called moms on a rampage. I gotta get home."

"You're right you should have texted me. Come on." I grabbed his wrist pulling him back towards the school.

"What are you doing?"

"The bus doesn't come for another ten minutes, then you're riding for the fifteen minutes. I could walk you home faster than that. Where's your car?"

"You don't have to..."

"Shut up Henry. So where's the car?"

"My dad has it. Needs the brakes fixed. Matt, really I can take the bus."

I opened the car door for him, tapping my foot and waiting for him to get in. It took him a second before he finally gave in and got in. I hopped in the driver side and drove off towards our complex, trying to avoid every light that I could.

We were just by my house when my cell phone started to ring, the Bluetooth in the car cutting in as Harmony's name lit up across the screen. I let out a huff, not thinking as I answered the phone.

"Matty. I wanted to surprise you. But you're not in the library. Where are you?" Harmony's voice cut through the quiet car ride. She sounded annoyed, and I could see Henry tense beside me.

"We're studying at his place. It's nothing Harm. I'll text you when I'm home."

"His house? Why?"

"It's easier to concentrate there."

"I don't get why you hang out with him. I could easily be teaching you."

"We talked about this already Harm."

"Whatever. Text me. Just like. Remember you'd actually pass with me."

"No, I wouldn't. Bye Harmony."

Instead of saying bye, Harmony huffed and hung up the call, leaving Henry and I awkwardly sitting in his driveway behind his Benz and beside his moms GMC.

"I thought you said your dad had the car?"

"He did," Henry said as he quickly unclipped his belt and jumped from the car. I was quick to follow him, Henry didn't say anything as I followed him into the house, before we even opened the door I could hear his mom yelling, his dad trying to speak to her in a calming voice. I hadn't seen either of his parents in years. But from what I could remember the two had a nasty custody battle for Henry when he was five. But then his dad was offered a big job in Holywood and he had to take it. But he wouldn't be home enough to care for him so he hired Glenda to stay at Henry's mom's house and checked in when he could. It wasn't enough and I'm sure if Henry was a normal teenager he'd be rebelling like crazy. But he was a good kid who just let things happen.

Cynthia Oswald was stood in the center of the living room of the two-story home with a knife to her wrist as Jamison Oswald spoke to her while Glenda was on the phone with, who I hoped was the police. But as soon as Cynthia had seen Henry and me at the door, she dropped to the floor in tears and Jamison rushed towards her throwing the knife towards the kitchen wrapping his ex-wife into his arms just as sirens blared behind us and I was left standing there next to Henry just wondering what the fuck just happened?