MELROSE

CHAPTER 17

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Living the life of a celebrity is very difficult. My parents are living examples. And now, another one is in front of me.

Meghan Trainor decided to pay Arcadia High a visit and putting it mildly, she's been surrounded by an excited mob of teenagers who wanted something signed. She had a do - anything - for - the - fans smile but I could see the fatigue in her eyes. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Celebs.

"What up girl?" Finn suddenly appeared, startling me. He gestured to the mob. "What's going on?"

"Meghan Trainor."

"Well her songs are okay." He frowned. "Wait. You love her. Don't you want her to sign something?"

I snorted. "And get trampled on by that swarm? Nah to the ah to the no no no."

Whatever comment he had remained unsaid as his phone buzzed.

"Hey man. Yeah she's with me. Is everything all right?" Pause. "K. We'll be there."

He pocketed his phone. "Zuke wants us to meet at the park. Something is wrong with Ster."

I grabbed his hand. "Come on."

He was a sorry sight. His clothes were ragged, torn and his hair was disheveled. That was saying something because Sterling treasured his hair. Zuke was emptying beer bottles, muttering to himself.

Uneasiness coursed through me. "What the hell is going on here?"

Zuke snapped up at my voice. Ster didn't move. Finn pointed at him. "He's not dead so he's either unconscious or sleeping. Which one?"

Zuke looked at him. "I'll let him do all the talking."

"Him? As in he can talk? Halle - fucking - luyah." I raced over to his side. "Ster, Ster its Aura. Are you okay? I mean that's a stupid question because you don't look okay but ..."

"I'm gay."

Silence.

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Finn and I blurted out in unison.

Ster stared at us with one eye. "I'm. Gay. I know that now and I don't like it."

Rage burst through my veins. "Hold the fuck up. Is that why you look like rat's shit? Because you've been drinking away a new disliked discovery of yourself?"

I didn't miss Zuke move backwards and his slow nod.

"ARE YOU SHITTING ME? Fuck I thought something really bad had happened! All this because you're gay?"

I felt pain in my chest as tears welled up in his eyes. Pain that increased when he said. "No. It's because I'm fucking scared to tell my parents."

Turns out he didn't need to be scared after all. At first, I was scared for him because Mr and Mrs Jones were the most conservative and unpredictable parents I've ever met. Which is why Ster had to drink before facing them with his news.

When he told his dad, the man simply stared at him for a moment, before patting his back and leaving. His mother's reaction was more surprising, she just shrugged and kept on cooking.

We carried him up to his room, his two younger brothers who were surprisingly skipping school today trailing behind. Stephen, the youngest and thirteen, arched a brow. "What's with him?"

Zuke bit his lip. "Putting it mildly, I'll say he found out he belongs to the other team."

"So he's a faggot. Interesting."

I nudged him. "Dude that's offensive."

He flashed a sheepish smile. "Oops."

Fifteen year old Stanley looked confused. "What's a faggot?"

Stephen snorted. "Of course you don't know. You're too dumb to know anything. What a failure."

"Just because I'm not a nerd like you doesn't mean I'm a failure."

"I'm not a nerd!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are ..."

And so the argument continued, without our interference until it got too heated both boys were ready to attack.

"Stop it!" Ster commanded, an order that was immediately obeyed.
He turned to us. "Guys do you see what I've had to deal with for fifteen years of my life?"

***

People were shouting.

Punches were being thrown.

A fight was going on and I couldn't see who was involved.

A body was flung across the room, stopping at my feet. I gasped as Dennis, one of the guys in the soccer team looked up at me with helpless eyes. "Stop your brother before he commits murder."

Fletch was fighting? He never fights.

Without thinking, I threw myself in the middle of the watching audience and began pushing my way through till I got to the front. My mouth hung open. Fletch wasn't just fighting, he was fighting a bloody nosed Don who was just dodging him. Ethan and Finn were trying to hold both boys back as Fletch screamed at his friend.

"Asshole! Fucking bastard! I can't fucking believe I fucking call you my best friend! I hate you! I fucking hate you!"

I ran to my twin. "Hey, hey calm down. I need you to calm down okay? Deep breaths, come on."

"I AM NOT CALMING DOWN." He screeched, trying to lunge himself at Don again. Finn held him back, thank God. I tried another tactic. "Fletch, bro, listen to me. He's your best friend. I don't know what he did but ..."

He cut me off. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE DID? FINE! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HE DID! HE KISSED HER! HE KNOWS MORE THAN ANYONE WHAT I FEEL FOR HER YET HE FUCKING KISSED HER!" His rants were followed by angry pants.

Oh no. Don, what have you done?

As if he read my mind, he said. "I swear it was an honest mistake."

For some reason, I believed him with every bone in my body. His slow nod let me know he knew I did.

"All right everybody, show's over. Go do things that are actually our business shall we?" I said to the crowd that slowly started to disperse.

"Ethan, can you do me a favor and get your cousin home?"

He sighed. "Was already planning to. Come on Don."

I turned to Fletch. "Come on. Let's go."

The car ride was silent, if you count out the noise Fletch's hand made as he clenched and unclenched it and his occasional mumbles. When it got too much, I had to talk. "Bro, if you're planning to punch something, wait till we leave this car. It is more important to me than you are."

He grunted as response, a sign that he knew I was bluffing.

"Tell me, what exactly happened?" I asked after I had applied first aid on him.

The answer I received was silence.

"Fletch?"

"Don kissed Courtney."

"That part has already been figured out. When?"

"On Halloween."

I blinked. "And you're just getting mad about it now?"

He closed his eyes. "I just found out today. Worse part, he didn't tell me. She did."

Oh.

"Is Samantha mad too?"

Hr scoffed. "She's the least important person in this story."

~~~~~~~~~~

Ever tried being an African? We go through the same shit everyone else does. Some people be making us look like peasants.