m a r s h a l l *
I was in a good mood until I walked into my second-period class. Our teacher, Mrs. Covan, was on maternity leave but they had yet to find a substitute teacher that was able to be there every day until she comes back...until this one. I walk into second period Spanish to find myself face to face with my ex-best friend, Kane Richards; after graduation, and I literally mean after graduation, something happened between the two of us. I don't exactly know all of the details, but I know that he was there. He and his friends decided to plaster posters of my name and the fact that I was a *homophobic slur that I refuse to say* all over the school. But apparently, he doesn't know I'm mad at him because he looks up at me and smiles sweetly. I feel anger rise in my chest and stomp away to my seat. Kane graduated last year and is now, apparently, a college substitute teacher. But he knows nothing about Spanish, and I, know this for a fact because I had to help him pass the dang class last year so he could graduate!
"Alright, hi! Good morning everybody! As you all know, Mrs. Covan is on maternity leave. I'm only here because they couldn't find anyone else. Um, she didn't leave an assignment, to my knowledge, so you all have a free period. If you need anything just ask and I'll try my best to help you." He says, sitting back down at Mrs. Covan's desk and pulling out a thick journal, opening it, and beginning to write.
"Isn't that-" Kaylin starts.
"Yes," I reply, cutting her off.
"You really should talk to him again, you know. What happened was not his fault."
"And what proof do you have of that?"
"I know he wasn't there, alright?"
"But how, Kay? How?"
"Because he was with me."
"Why!?"
"We were talking about something. He had a question, and asked me about it because he knew I'd be able to help him."
Luckily, I make it through Spanish without having to talk to him or look at him again. But throughout the whole day, all I think about is him. It happens during our sixth period, Trigonometry. Kane bursts into the classroom.
"May I borrow Marshall Griffiths, please?" he says. My heart drops and I beg that today is a day where Mrs. Lenkin isn't feeling generous.
"Of course! Marshall, you're needed." She says. Everyone turns around to face me and I shoot a glance at Kaylin, who now that I'm looking at, looks a little guilty about something. I grab my stuff and walk to the front of the room.
"Can I at least put my stuff up first?" I ask tersely.
He nods and follows me to my locker and stands by as I put my stuff up.
"You don't have to stand there. I'm not going to run away." I snap angrily.
He doesn't say anything, but nods. As soon as I've shut my locker, he grabs my hand and jerks me down the hallway, leading me to his 'classroom'.
"What is so important that you had to pull me out of class?" I ask, angrily, yet again, sitting on a desk in the front row as he walks toward me.
"Why did you stop talking to me?" he asks, and I can hear the hurt in his voice.
"Don't act like you don't know!" I snap.
"Marshall, I don't! Okay, I know something happened after graduation because that's when you stopped talking to me, but I wasn't there! I was with Kaylin!"
"Why?! Why were you with my best friend?!"
"I was asking her something,"
"Asking her what, Kane? This isn't looking good for you!"
"I was asking her about you, Marshall!" He snaps, looking at me.
"Why?!" I snap back.
"Because I like you!" It goes silent; I look up at him, not knowing what to say.
Then he pulls me into his arms and places his lips on mine softly, pulling back almost immediately. His hands are on my face and before I realize, I've moved my hands to settle overtop of his, and lean my head against his. Neither of us moves or says anything for a long time. The one to speak up first is me, and my voice is high and raspy. I only say three words, short ones, at that:
"Kiss me again."
He tilts my chin up and presses his lips to mine, in a longer kiss this time. Our lips start moving in sync against each other, and I move closer and then he pulls away.
"I-I can't do this to you." He whispers sadly.
"Wh-why? I want you to kiss me..." I reply, whispering too.
"Marshall, I just...wanted to know what happened, and then--then I was going to tell you goodbye..."
"Why?"
"I'm leaving soon,"
"What? Where? When? Why? I'll come with you!"
"No, no, Marshall. You need to graduate."
"I will! I graduate in less than three weeks. Stay until then, please! And then I'll come with you!"
"I can't, Marshall. I can't." I realize he's trying to hold back tears, as am I.
"Why not? Kane, I already lost you and I can't lose you again! Don't leave me!"
He doesn't say anything this time, just smiles sadly at me. He makes a move to try to kiss me again but I jerk back.
"Don't touch me!" I say in a low voice, trying not to cry, turning and running out of the classroom.
I wipe away tears and nearly run into Kaylin who's at her locker.
"What-?" she starts.
"I don't want to talk about it." I snap as I breeze past her and walk into the bathroom and locking myself in a stall.
I'm leaving soon. Oh, of course, you are, because the universe just doesn't want me to be happy. I skip the rest of my classes that day and go home as soon as the bell rings.
