To Learn to Let Go | ✔

Chapter 15

*CONTENT WARNING!* This chapter contains an attempted sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers. 

By the time lunch rolled around that Monday Trent and I were the talk of the school. Everyone was looking at me in all of my classes, whispering to their friends next to them and pointing as if I couldn't see them. I just put up my hood, pulled my sleeves down past my hands, and curled up into a ball, hoping if I could just make myself small enough I would disappear. I also had a lot of people coming up and congratulating me, and then there were the angry people, accusing me of turning Trent gay, asking how I did it. The comments were honestly preferred to the snickering behind my back, well it was more like in front of my face but, you get it. I was so relieved when I got to the cafeteria and Trent was already there, sitting with Nat and Brayden, he noticed me walk in and his eyes lit up. I quickly began to make my way over to him, so quickly that I didn't notice Kyle at one of the tables along the way. I also didn't notice as he stuck his foot out in the middle of the walkway until I was already falling. I tripped and would've landed face first on the linoleum if Trent hadn't caught me. He had noticed Kyle stick his foot out and ran over to me instantly, making it just in time to catch me. A roar of laughter erupted around us as Trent stood me upright, then turned to face Kyle. The laughter stopped when Trent's fist collided with Kyle's face, turning into a chorus of gasps.

"You fucking faggot," Kyle spat, wiping the blood from his lip.

"I may be a faggot, but I can still kick your ass. Don't fucking try me Kyle," Trent warned. Out of the corner of my eye I saw teachers start to enter the cafeteria for lunch duty. I tugged on Trent's sleeve, trying to pull him away from Kyle as the teachers eyed the situation suspiciously.

"Trent, l-let it go," I begged. He looked around the cafeteria, noticing the eyes on us, the teachers ready to break up a brawl, and he backed down, grabbing my hand and walking to our table.

"Are you okay, Gray?" Nat asked, worry in her voice.

"I'm fine," I said.

"I can't believe Kyle gets away with that bullshit," Brayden seethed.

"Well, when your daddy is on the school board you can get away with murder," Trent said, staring daggers at Kyle and his friends.

"It's really f-fine guys," I tried to reassure.

"Gray, you might not see it, but it so is a big deal. You don't deserve to be treated that way, and it breaks my heart that you think you do." Trent said, taking my hand in his. There was sadness in his eyes as he spoke, no doubt because he understood why I felt that way.

"I just don't want you to get in trouble again for defending me," I explained.

"I would get expelled for you," he joked with a smile.

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that," I laughed.

We ate lunch in peace for the rest of the period, talking and laughing with each other. It felt normal, I felt normal. For the first time in my life I felt like a normal teenager, just sitting at the lunch table with their friends talking about all of the stupid things that high schoolers talk about. I never wanted that lunch period to end honestly. I knew that once it was over the normalcy would cease. I would go about the rest of my day, go home to a house where I wasn't safe, and I wouldn't be a normal teenager anymore, I would just be this damaged and sad boy.

At the end of the day I met up with Trent, who was waiting for me outside of my history class, and we quickly made our way out of the school, hand in hand. "How did you do today?" He asked.

"Okay," I admitted.

"I can only imagine the harassment you got. People were asking what turned me gay, laughing behind my back, congratulating me, it was so weird. Why do people care so much about who people are fucking? Not that we're fucking... or will be any time soon. Not that I don't want to though!" I started laughing hysterically at Trent as he just put his foot farther into his mouth.