New Boy (A Javid Story)

Protest

The boys didn't go back to class. Instead, Davey took Jack outside and sat him down in the school garden, which wasn't looking too great. 

"Jackie, it's alright." Davey reassured him, rubbing his boyfriend's back. 

"No, Dave, it's not!" Jack insisted. "You know Pulitzer isn't suspending us for talking back. You know it!" 

"There's not really much we can do about it." Davey reasoned. 

"There has to be something! We could...we could try to get Pulitzer fired! We could..." Jack shook his head collapsing into Davey's arms. He buried his head in Davey's neck as the taller boy continued to rub his back. "I just don't know what I'm gonna do. How am I supposed to tell Medda? She'll be so disappointed." 

"Oh no." Davey realized. "My parents. Oh my god, my parents! They don't, they don't even know we're dating!" Jack looked up at him. "Oh no, and college. I'm never going to be accepted to anything. And Les, oh, I'm supposed to be a good role model for Les!" Davey fell back into the almost dead flowers. "Oh, this is not how I pictured coming out to my parents. I mean, Sarah and Les already know but..." He shook his head. "Hey mom, hey dad. Jack and I are dating. Oh, yeah, and we got suspended for kissing in the halls." 

"Dave, calm down." Jack reassured him. 

"I can't calm down! I'm going to be killed!" Davey groaned. "And I'm never getting into college. Not after this." 

"I ain't either." Jack added. "Did I ever tell you about my plans for college?" 

"I don't know!" Davey ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Well, I either wanted to go to Pratt Institute or School of Visual Arts." Jack tried to distract Davey. "Medda said she'd help pay, but I really wanted a scholarship." Then, the boys heard yelling echoing off the building. 

"Jack! Dave! You out here?" The voice called out. Davey sat up, and Jack plucked the dead leaves out of his hair. They watched as Race and Crutchie rounded the corner. 

"Yeah, we is here." Jack waved them over. 

"What happened?" Crutchie asked. "I saw you guys out here through my classroom window." 

"Pulitzer suspended us." Jack grumbled. 

"For what?" Race asked, a lollipop hanging out of the corner of his mouth. 

"He claims for talking back." Davey answered. 

"I think he's just bitter." Jack added, looking up at Crutchie. "He's telling mom." 

"Just explain it to her." Crutchie reasoned. "She'll understand." 

"Yeah, I know." Jack nodded. "She's still gonna be disappointed, though." 

"Well, there's gotta be something we can do to fix this, right?" Race spoke up. 

"That's what we was just saying." Jack nodded. 

"So, what is we gonna do?" Race asked. 

Jack looked at Crutchie, then at Davey. "Tell the boys to meet us at Medda's theater tonight." 

That night, Jack, Davey, Crutchie, Race, Albert, Romeo, Specs, Jojo, Elmer, and Henry were crowded around a whiteboard in Medda's theater. Medda sat with the boys, listening intently to every idea they had and suggesting new ones as well. 

"I just feel like we haven't hit the big one yet." Romeo complained. 

"We're gettin' there." Henry insisted. 

"The best thing we have so far is gettin' Pulitzer fired, an' that could take weeks!" Race pointed out. 

"We'll get one eventually." Davey rubbed his eyes. He hadn't gone home that day, too scared to face his parents. 

"What about Kath?" Crutchie spoke up. "We could get her to help." 

"I don't wanna make her turn against her dad." Jack ran his fingers through his hair. 

"But she could seriously help us!" Albert agreed with Crutchie. 

"But it's her father we is fighting." Henry sided with Jack. 

"Jack, you remember that time we had her over for dinner?" Medda spoke up. "She doesn't really seem to like her father." 

"Yeah, I know." Jack shook his head. "She complained about him all the time. But still, it's her family. I don't wanna make her turn." 

"What about a lawsuit?" Jojo suggested. 

"No." Davey shook his head. "That costs too much." 

"Why don't we just talk to the BOE?" Elmer asked. 

"Cause that ain't gonna do anything!" Jack sighed. 

"What about a protest?" Davey spoke up. "We can make signs and protest in front of the school." 

"Like a strike?" Romeo asked. 

"No exactly." Davey admitted. "You can't strike against a school, I don't think, but we can get a bunch of students together and protest." 

"What of we don't show up to school?" Henry asked. 

"Nah, they'll just hold us back if we miss too much." Jack dismissed the idea. 

"But Jack, you could make really cool signs, right?" Elmer asked enthusiastically. 

"Probably." Jack nodded. 

"And we can march outside the school, like Dave said!" Albert grinned. 

"I'm sure I can get Spot and the Brooklyn boys to help us." Race added. 

"Well then," Jack stood up on a chair. "We're on strike!" 

"Protest." Davey corrected. 

"We're having ourselves a protest!" Jack announced. The boys erupted into cheers, and Jack grinned. 

"Get off the chair!" Medda scolded. 

"Sorry." Jack got off the chair. 

"So, Race, you ask Spot to help. Al, let the rest of the boys know." Davey ordered. 

"And get the word out to as many people as possible." Jack added. "We're gonna need all the help we can get. Mom, do you think-" Jack turned to Medda, who cut them off. 

"Just let me know what you need." Medda smiled, nodding. The boys gathered back around the whiteboard, beginning to plan out their protest. One by one, each of them left until it was only Jack and Davey left in the theater. 

"Jack," Davey reached out for a hug, which Jack happily gave him. "I don't wanna go home tonight." He confessed. "Can I stay here?" 

"Dave, your parents are gonna get worried. I think you should go home." Jack whispered. 

"But their gonna be mad at me." Davey admitted. 

"Then explain to them what happened." Jack reasoned. "Is Sarah home?" 

"Yeah." Davey nodded. 

"She'll support you. I know she will. From what you've told me, she's great." Jack smiled at him. "Now, go home." He kissed Davey quickly, and the taller boy left. 

All through the walk home, Davey was dreading his arrival. He knew his parents would kill him, or at least be close. He texted Sarah and Les in advance, warning them. He took a deep breath before opening the door to his apartment. Of course, the first thing he saw was his mom and dad sitting on the couch. 

"Hey mom, hey dad."