The Little Things [Book 1]

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Penalty kick

"Are we going to the diner after school?" Rachel asked as she looked at the cafeteria food with a disgusted expression. "I mean... after practice?" she corrected herself and turned to her friends.

The boys shared looks and Bryan wrapped his arm around his new girlfriend's waist.

"Sure," he answered for all of them, and Thomas took in a deep breath.

"I can't..." he started, hoping that for once his friends wouldn't pressure him to say anything more. No such luck.

"Why not? What's up?" Bryan asked back immediately.

"Nothing... I just..." Thomas quickly thought up of an excuse and the first thing that came into his mind, he blurted out. "My sister has a doctor's appointment and I'm going with her".

"Since when do you go to the doctor with Abi?" Rachel asked, holding her breath for a moment.

"Killian can't go with her today, so I am," Thomas explained. They seemed to buy that, well, all but Dean. Dean was left looking at Thomas with an expression of disbelief until Thomas met his gaze and gave him a shake of his head. It took a moment for Dean to understand what was really going on.

"You're going to talk again?" Dean asked, leaning in so only Thomas could hear him, as they sat down by their table.

"Something along those lines..." Thomas muttered back. Dean let out a short bark of laughter and shook his head softly.

After lunch, Thomas found Mark resting against his locker with his phone in his hand, typing something.

"Hey," Thomas greeted him and leaned against the lockers next to Mark. Mark greeted him back, not taking his eyes from his phone. "Could you... after practice, could you pick me up from my house?" Thomas asked, pulling Mark's gaze to him.

Clouded in confusion, gray eyes focused on Thomas and Mark put his phone away. "Yeah, but did something happen?"

"Eh... nothing serious, I just told my friends I couldn't meet up with them today because I have to do something with my sister... and I don't want them to see me leave with you after practice," Thomas explained, not holding Mark's gaze and touching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"If you want to go out with your friends, we can reschedule. You don't have to lie to them," Mark said, sitting up and turning his whole body towards Thomas.

"I know... I just-" Thomas paused and moved closer to Mark to speak in a lower volume- "I just already said it, and lying to them again feels weird, you know..." Mark nodded in understanding and started walking to his next class -one they shared-.

"This is why I don't like secret relationships..." Mark muttered and Thomas frowned at him.

"This is not a relationship," Thomas said almost immediately.

"Well, yeah, it isn't... I mean, being with someone in secret –even if not actually dating- it just forces lie after lie and it's easy to make a mess," Mark replied.

"Did that happen with Jack?"

The question left Thomas's lips before he could think it through and his hand immediately moved up to stop himself, but it was too late. Mark stayed silent for a moment before sighing.

"You don't have to- I'm sorry," Thomas started, but Mark cut him off.

"It's okay. I- we lied a lot... but we didn't- that wasn't why it got messy with me and Jack," Mark explained. Thomas nodded in silence. He felt as if whatever he said wouldn't help at this point.

They stopped speaking since they got into class and Mr. Charles –their Home Management teacher- hit his desk to achieve silence. On the board, with a bright red marker, were the words 'Parenting and Child Development'. Thomas, as usual, sat with Rachel, but he shed a look at Mark, who once again sat in the back desk alone.

"Everyone, for the next few weeks, we will be talking about the struggles of being a parent and managing a house while supporting a child," Mr. Charles started. He paused to look at his students, who didn't seem excited about the current subject, and let out a huff of air. "I'd like everyone to form boy-girl pairs," he noted, sitting down and looking at his students sit up and form pairs.

"Single parents do exist," a voice from the back of the class echoed, and everyone turned to Mark, who was sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed before his chest.

"I am aware, Mr. McGregor, but this exercise will be done in pairs," Mr. Charles replied, staring at Mark with a squint. The man wasn't old, around thirty years old, with curly hair and a preppy look. Mark could practically smell his conservativeness.

"And what about same-sex parents?" The satisfaction Mark felt as he saw Mr. Charles's jaw clench almost made him smile.

"In this class we don't glorify illnesses," the man said through gritted teeth.

Thomas's eyes snapped to Mark, as his heart pounded in his chest. The look Mark was giving the teacher was hard enough to kill someone. Grabbing his bag, Mark stood up, his chair protesting against the tiled floor, and he started to walk out of class.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mr. Charles asked Mark, also standing up and trying to stop Mark.

"According to your diagnosis, I'm sick; so home. We wouldn't want anyone to get 'the Gay', am I right?" Mark yelled at him and faked a cough. Without leaving the teacher any room to respond, he left the room and slammed the door close.

Sudden silence engulfed the classroom and Thomas tried to hide a small smile.

***

Thomas: I loved what you did at Charles's class.

Mark: You did?

Thomas: Before you came to this school nobody said anything like that to him. Nobody dared.

Mark: Well, I fucking hate homophobes. Are we still on for later?

Thomas: Yeah... is that okay?

Mark: Yeah.

Thomas smiled at his phone and shoved it in his duffle bag, right before running out to the field. He was glad he wasn't the only one late, but he did feel bad when Coach gave him a disapproving glare.

"Rach said Mark spoke out against Charles at Home Management..." Dean started in a questioning tone.

"Yeah, Charles was being homophobic," Thomas replied as they started stretching out.

"What's new?" Dean muttered with a bitter smile. "Are you okay?" he went on, with a serious expression.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Thomas asked him back with a frown. Dean shrugged, biting his own lip.

"It's okay if you aren't," he muttered as he started doing sit-ups.

"I know... I just didn't even notice the homophobia until Mark pointed it out," Thomas said with a huff.

"Well, you are used to it," Dean noted.

"I don't want to be," Thomas replied and stood up, stretching out his abs.

"I don't know... will that be better? I mean, you'll get more offended," Dean thought out loud.

"Yes, but hearing Mark stand up to him like that..." Thomas's voice faded and shook his head, being at loss of words.

"Felt really nice?" Dean finished for him. A faint hint of a smile danced on Thomas's face and he nodded in agreement.

"Maybe if I'm not used to it, I can make someone else feel the way I felt today, you know," Thomas said after a few moments as they went to run a few more laps.

"Yeah, I think I can understand that..." Dean agreed and picked up his pace. "Come on, Heissmann, try and catch up," he went on with a soft laugh and he passed Thomas.

"I've got better stamina that you!" Thomas replied and also picked up his pace.

"Uh huh, definitely," Dean mocked, even though he knew that Thomas did have better stamina. Thomas laughed at his friend, the previous subject fading from his memory quickly.