𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞 ; 𝘉𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘳 ✓

𝟐𝟎.

Big Ben's Pizza | Sat 4:29 PM
Troy Walsh

It was about time for their lunch break and Troy was starving at that point. He and Greta had their break at around the same time, so they usually ate together at the back of the building, sitting on some fold up chairs. Since Troy had been working there for a couple weeks, Greta had warmed up to him and no matter how much she wanted to admit it, they were friends.

Today was like any other. Troy was eating some leftover KFC while Greta had McDonald's. They ate and chatted like usual until Troy randomly looked at her and said, "I really like your lipstick today. That's a pretty color."

She had misunderstood what he said. He didn't say the color looked good on her, he said it looked pretty in general. However, since Greta didn't hear him correctly, she thought he was attempting to flirt with her, and it had worked.
She stopped eating for a moment and paused to look at him. Troy didn't notice her after first, but when he looked up and saw her staring he asked, "What?"

Just then, she grabbed his face and kissed him roughly, causing him to internally and externally freak out. He dropped his food and stood up to get out of her grip. "I-I'm sorry. I just don't l-like y-you like that."

"Why!?" She said, starting to get angry. "Am I not pretty enough for you Troy!?"

"No..." he said quietly.

"Did I do something? Are you mad at me?"

"Greta No!"

"Then what is the reason!" She yelled. This statement brought Troy into a sudden flashback.

"What is the reason!" Troy's mother yelled. Her son had come home with bruises all over his body again from being bullied by the kids at school. "Why do they pick on you and not any other kid? Did you do something?"

"No..." he said with his head down, withholding the information from his mother.

"I know you know mijo! Tell me!"

A single tear ran down his cheek as he looked up and said two words that would change his life forever. "I'm gay."

"I'm gay." He said while thinking out loud, immediately covering his mouth after saying it.

"You're gay?" Greta repeated with a disgusted look on her face.

Troy had two options in this moment, he could either deny it or confirm it. He instead ran away of course, like he did all those years ago. As he ran his thoughts ran wild, and he was both relieved and frightened that he actually said the words out loud. Relieved because a weight was lifted off of him and he finally had something to explain everything he'd been feeling. Frightened because now that he's said them for a second time, they had to be true.

Troy took a bus home and thought some more on the ride. How could he ever face Greta again now that she knows his secret? Where else would he work that was better than Big Ben's? What if Greta told people and he would be bullied like he was at his old school? His anxiety continued to rise with the thought of telling his father that he quit his job, knowing he'd have to explain himself even if he lied and said he was fired.

When he got home, Troy closed the door as quietly as possible, but was still heard by his father who was in the other room. "Anthony, is that you?" Tom Walsh asked. The use of the name Anthony heavily reminded him of his old school where his nickname was 'Faggy Anty', which sounded stupid now but back then used to really get on his nerves.

"Dad, I go by Troy now." He said while entering the room.

"Whatever boy, guess what? I got my job back!" His father said excitedly.

Troy was also very excited because now he had a good excuse to quit. The two drank celebratory beers, Tom finishing his drink in under a minute while Troy barely got in two sips before succumbing to the bitter taste.

***

More now that ever, Troy needed something to take his anger out on and feel dominant again. Ever since Will stood up to him the other day, he had lost the 'bully who know one messes with' reputation that he tried so hard to build up. He feared that his victim was no longer scared of him, so he felt the need to put Will in his place. He saw the shorter boy walk into the bathroom and he followed after him. Will had a big black spiral notebook in his hand, and Troy had snatched it from him as soon as he got in there.  Troy held up the book out of Will's reach and Will struggled to take it from him.

"Hey! Give that back!" Will pleaded, not being able to reach that high even on his tippy toes.

"Why don't you come up here and get it? Fairies fly right?" Troy teased. "Ya know what, let's see what you've been writing in here."

As Troy opened the book, Will's eyes widened. He didn't want Troy to know about Mike, knowing Troy he'd probably tell everyone, just like he told everyone Will was a queer in the ninth grade. Instead, Troy read the first page and his facial expressions changed drastically from a maniacal smile to an angry frown. He threw the book on the ground and said, "I'm not reading this gay shit."

Troy then lifted Will by the shirt and pinned him against the wall. "Listen, if you ever disrespect me again, I won't hesitate to give you conversion therapy. Got it fag?" He said with a stern tone and a glare.

Will didn't respond, partly due to the fact that Troy was slightly choking him with his collar. The other reason was because Troy was starting to sound a lot like his father, even though Lonnie wouldn't know what conversion therapy was. If he did, he would've been took Will to try and have at least one normal child.

When Troy let Will go, he fell to the ground and caught his breath. Before Troy walked out of the bathroom, Will called his name. "Troy?" He paused for a second to hear what Will had to say. "What happened to us?" Will asked, sounding a little choked up. Troy scoffed at his question and left, going to his next class, which he had with Mike and Lucas.

***

The following day, Troy went back to Big Ben's with his uniform in his hands, ready to turn it in and quit his job for good. After putting it on the counter, he was ready to leave but was stopped by Greta who had entered the front doors to start her shift.

"Troy!" She said, surprised to see him. "I thought you were gone for good."

"I just turned in my uniform." He said while his eyes went everywhere but her face.

"Umm about the other day, it's ok, I still want to work with you. Sorry how I reacted." She apologized.

"Thanks but I don't need to work anymore." Troy said before walking out and never going back there again.

To be continued...
[7/9/20 | 1223 words]