Page 10 of Footlights and Forever

I roll my eyes at Hailey hard. The unoriginal nature of his insults hadn’t achieved the aim of devastating us like he so wished it would, but instead subjecting us to his low-rent bullshit which at best was a minor irritation. The one thing I had not done was clock that Garrett was watching me do it.

“Dude, do you have a fucking problem?” Garrett moved quickly from his seat to stand next to mine, looming large over me.

“No, I don’t have a problem Garrett,” I managed to stutter out between clenched teeth, the fear creeping along my arms and legs, my toes and fingers going numb as my muscles contracted and froze.

“’Cause it looks like you’re disrespecting me in front of my boys.” His palms slammed down on the table in front of me. I looked around the lunchroom to see half the people avoiding the unfolding scene, pretending that it wasn’t happening While the other half watched on with rapturous fascination.

“Garrett, why don’t you just…” Hailey started before Garrett pinned her with a glare.

“If I wanted your opinion… Actually, I never want your opinion, so keep it to your fucking self,” he bit out.

“I didn’t mean…”

“You fucking losers never do mean anything,” he laughed cruelly, “you just sit here day after day, taking up space that belongs to people who matter, and news flash, you don’t fucking matter. You are nothing. You are dirt under my shoe. You are parasites that steal the oxygen from around us. Fags like you…”

“Hey!” My spine stiffened as a deep voice boomed from behind me. I glanced up at Garrett, whose face was etched with an equal mixture of confusion and irritation. “I think you owe Dylan an apology.”

I turned slowly in my seat. Austin looked pissed. His normally serene features were twisted into something not quite ugly, but an expression that I prayed would never be aimed at me.

“What the fuck?” Garrett laughed. “You’re kidding right?”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” This could only end poorly for me. Sure, Austin might be able to calm the situation now, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once. Garrett would surely make me pay for whatever savior thing Austin was doing at the moment.

“Austin…”

“No Dylan,” Austin pinned me with his glare, “he doesn’t get to talk to you like that.”

“What are you, his fucking boyfriend?”

In a flash, Austin moved forward, gripping Garrett by the shirt and pushing him backwards until he hit the stone column behind. His arm was pressed across his chest, holding him in place. “What the fuck did you just say?” Anger radiated from Austin like water bursting from flooded riverbanks, flows and waves pouring off him, making those around him take a quick step back. “Say that again, I fucking dare you.”

My insides went cold. Garrett calling me the same old stupid insults that he always has didn’t and hadn’t bothered me for a while. They buzzed against the consciousness like a blue bottle trapped in a room. Austin reacting to being labelled along with me, like his whole world was about to end, felt like a thousand frozen blades piercing my heart. No, I was under no illusion that Austin was anything but straight. Did I think we were friends? Not exactly, but I thought we were at least at a place where neither of us would currently be choking the life out of another senior because he had the audacity to even contemplate that we might be more than friends.

I caught Hailey’s gaze, the look of pity on her face too much for me to deal with at that moment. I trained my stare to the floor.

“Man, I was just joking!” Garrett choked around Austin’s forearm.

“No, you fucking weren’t.” Austin scoffed. “Now I said apologize.” Not even bothering to spare me an over-the-shoulder glance, Austin gestured towards me with his free arm.

I stared around the room once more, the shocked faces staring between me and Austin. The rumor mill was powering its engines, stoking the fires that would surely be ablaze by the end of the day. I saw the incredulous looks on some that said, ‘Ofcourse Austin wouldn’t lower himself to the likes of him’ without ever having to say a single word.

Garrett pulled free from Austin’s grip, piercing me with a withering gaze. “Okay, fuck I’m sorry okay,” he bit out, his stare flitting between me and Austin. He mumbled a few choice words under his breath before picking up his backpack from his table and left, his minions following closely behind.

Before I had a chance to do anything, Austin moved to stand in front of me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine.” Hailey placed a hand on my arm and squeezed gently. “Seriously, both of you, I’m good.”

“I told those guys to leave you alone, I honestly didn’t think…” He placed his hand on my shoulder. For a moment, the warmth was comforting, before I remembered his words. I shrugged my shoulder and pulled away from him.

The phrase ‘this will hurt me more than it hurts you’ could not be truer in this very moment. “Listen, friend, I think you are good to go when it comes to finals. I don’t think we need to have any more study sessions, okay?”

“Dylan.” His deep voice sounded scratchy as it forced its way from his throat. “I don’t know what just happened but…”

“No, it’s all good, Austin.” I plastered a big smile. “We wouldn’t want anyone thinking that we are any more than just friends. You have your reputation to think of. So let’s just call it a day on this.”

I started to move away but he reached out and snagged my arm. “What if I don’t want to? What if I enjoy spending time with you?”

My heart pounded in my chest and the thrum of energy underneath my skin demanded that I swooned and gave in to whatever he desired. The small buzz in the back of my head, however, became an all-consuming roar. He hadn’t thought of spending time with me when he’d flown off the handle when itcame to someone misjudging our relationship. I had never and would never need that type of toxicity in my life, and I didn’t intend to start now. Once more I pulled my arm away from him.

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