I ran my fingers of the keyboard cover on my laptop as I finished revising the conclusion of my essay. Catherine was serving customers behind the counter as coffee orders came in, calling out their names as the loudest voice in the place. When there was a lull in business she wandered her way over to me.
"So how are you feeling?" Catherine asked.
"You were right. I need to apologize to Shane. I know what he's going through is tough and I don't want to add to the turmoil." I looked over my screen as she pretended to be talking to me like I was a random customer. The manager was in today so she had to be on a semblance of good behavior.
"I always am. So when are you gonna do it?"
"I figured I would go after this. I just had to finish this." I shuty my laptop and slid it into my bag. The strap was still hanging on, but the tears were growing.
"Oh good. I have to get back to work. 'Big Brother' is watching." She pointed behind her and I could see her manager looking over in our direction. I picked up my things and waved to her as I walked out of café. Once the sun hit my face I felt a shoulder ram itself into my chest, knocking me over.
"Fucking faggot. Watch where you're walking." Max glared at me, his little posse behind him pretending to be tough. I rubbed my chest and turned away, trying to avoid a fight, but Max had other plans.
"Get back here, pussy!" He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, making me trip over myself and fall. The impact with the ground sent my backpack flying and I heard the strap finally detach itself.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I pushed myself up, noticing the bruise just under his eye.
"Oh, now he wants to be big and bad." Max shoved me back down to the ground and I felt my palms scrape along the brick pathway.
"Leave him alone." I heard Shane's voice and picked myself up again. I started picking up some of the papers that slipped out of my bag, stuffing them back inside. Max spat at me and then started walking into the Café.
"Whatever, enjoy fucking each other on the weekends, fags." The door swung closed behind the group and I turned to Shane.
"What is he talking about?" I asked.
"Everyone knows."
"Knows what?" I looked around and I could see people staring at us. Some of them snickered to their friends and others just averted their eyes to then whisper. "I didn't tell anyone, I swear." I touched his arm and he pulled away.
"I think we should only see each other in class." He looked down at the ground, purposefully trying to avoid eye contact. I felt lost.
"Oh. I see." I held on to the only shoulder strap that was attached while the other dangled behind me. "I guess I'll see you in class then."
"Yeah." He still wasn't looking at me and walked away. When he got far enough, he stopped, turned back towards me, and then kept walking. His face was filled with disappointment and even more so I could see that he was afraid. It crushed me.
I wanted to cry but a slap kept me from doing so and my glasses knocked off my face. "Fucking gay home-wrecker!" Kate's face was so puffy and red from the anger that it looked like she was about to burst. People continued to stare as I seemed to be a magnet for the drama this morning. I finally made eye contact with Kate and if she wasn't such a doll she would have been foaming at the mouth.
"I didn't mean to - I just - " I stuttered as I looked for my glasses and then I heard a crunch as Max's foot found them before I could. I stood up, barely able to see anyone's face and stood my ground. Shane was standing in the back staring over at me. I started to tear up.
"You're going to cry?" Max shoved my shoulder again, but I caught myself. Another shove and I was back on the ground, the figure of Shane no longer there. Max straddled me and threw the first punch. His knuckles felt like a ton of bricks. I pressed my hands against the ground and took the beating as everyone watched, doing nothing. I deserved it for how I made Shane feel and for everything that was causing him pain. Then I started to fill with anger as I could see Max smiling through a bloody haze. His fist pulled back and my blood dripped from his knuckles. My fingers were clawing at the ground and as I pressed them into it the earth below the brick path started to shake. Max stopped punching and crowd around me went silent. I couldn't see anything except for a ball of mud above me and Max's limbs desperately trying to escape it. His arm would appear and then it would get swallowed by the mud. I couldn't stop myself as I stared up at the ball suffocating my bully. It all came crashing down as Mrs. Sheer stopped me, yelling at the crowd and me with Shane trailing behind her. He had gone to get help. The mud sank back into the ground leaving Max virtually spotless while he spit out muddy saliva.
"What the hell happend?" Mrs. Sheer was helping me up while other faculty members were assisting Max to the nurses office. Shane picked me up and I felt my forehead where the first punches landed. Mrs. Sheer gave me a towel and we walked back to the Skills classroom where she locked the door behind her.
"Grayson. I'm so sorry." Shane was helping clean up my face. It wasn't too bad, just a cut on my forehead and a bruise already forming around one of my eyes.
"You don't need to be sorry. I'm sorry. I never should have said those things to you. I know what you're going through and I don't want to make it worse." I put my hand on his.
"You could never." He said with a smile. Mrs. Sheer joined us on in a rolling chair with her arms crossed.
"Never in my time here have I seen something like that. When did you start being able to manipulate the world like that?" She didn't sound angry anymore. Instead it was replaced with fascination. Even Shane was intrigued.
"This is the first time. I passed out the other day when we were practicing. Maybe that has something to do with it?" I shrugged, letting Shane put a bandaid over the cut.
"Practicing?" Mrs. Sheer smiled. "You need to be guided from now on. I'll be in contact with your parents and you will recieve a class change. Your new schedules will be printed out and you can start tomorrow. For now, take a free period. Max and his goons are taken care of and they will be punished. Don't forget about the field trip this week. I think you both with enjoy it." She reassured me, checking on the injuries one last time before we left. We stood outside the door to the building waiting for the other to break the silence.
"I didn't say anything to anyone who would tell anybody. I swear." I admitted.
"I know. Max followed you to my place. After you left me and my parents went inside he confronted me about it." I looked down at his knuckles and they were slightly bruised.
"I never intended to cause you any pain, I was just sad and angry and lashed out." I was looking down at the ground, feeling guilty for being caught.
"I know. I never wanted to hurt you either. I didn't know what to do and I was feeling trapped so I wanted to stick to the only things that I knew." He pulled me into his arms and I let myself be wrapped up in his arms. When we parted, he kissed me. Over his shoulder I noticed something black darting from the field to the wood shop and I gasped.
"What?" Shane looked over his shoulder, but it was already gone.
"Nothing. I should go. A lot has happened in a short amount of time and I think I just need to be left with my thoughts." What I really wanted was to push him down into the grass and roll around for a bit, but I needed to let my mind settle and my head to stop throbbing.
"Yeah. No problem. I'll text you, alright? Plus, I can always work on my sculpture." I nodded and we parted ways.
Shane opened up the wood shop garage and walked over to his statue. When he switched the light on he gasped. The wooden and metal piece was destroyed. Shane could feel the anger bubbling and kicked a piece of wood that was on the ground.
"I wonder who did that." Max appeared out of the corner with a bat and snapped his fingers. His goons quickly came around the corner and grabbed Shane, keeping him constrained.
"What is going on?" Shane tried pulling away, but he couldn't.
"You're going to help me get revenge. Since your boyfriend got me kicked off the school trip I guess I am just going to have to go as you." Max tossed the bat to the side and punched Shane in the stomach only it didn't collide. His hand passed right through and he screamed as Max climbed inside of his body while he was held down. His figure disappeared inside and Shane collapsed on the ground, struggling for control. He heaved and gasped, but he couldn't fight it anymore. He moved over to a saw dust covered mirror, lifting his head up to look the fine details of Shane's face with a finger sliding along his jawline.
"You will do just fine." Max said with Shane's voice, snapping at his cronies.
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