Page 72 of Bend Him, Break Him
“Getting fucked!” Devon said with a bit too much enthusiasm for Colton’s pain.
“That’s what I was looking for,” Leon said with a smug smile.
“I will kill you for this,” Colton said, seething rage.
“I didn’t have anything to do with your little gay porno. Whatever you and your freaky boyfriend get into is on you.”
“I’m not a fucking idiot,” Colton snapped.
“No, of course not.” Leon nodded. “Just a bottom bitch.”
“I know you did this!”
Leon leaned in close to whisper, to taunt, “Prove it, fag.”
Colton flipped out, swinging a fist faster than he could think. His anger barreled forward, and he launched himself at Leon, attacking with a ferocity unlike he’d ever felt before. He had a hand at Leon’s throat, his body pressed against the lockers, and his fist slamming into him again and again with furious punches.
Before he could break Leon’s nose, bash in his smug face, other players intervened. Hands were snatching at Colton from every direction. A sharp pain hit his ribs and his back. People were punching him. Not Leon. No. Leon fell to the ground, gasping like a dying fish once Colton was ripped off him. Other players had swarmed in the mass that was meant to break up the fight and used the chaos to strike Colton without anyone noticing. By the time Colton shook himself free and shoved everyone away from him, he was panting from the pain and confusion and unbridled rage. His torso ached like he’d been stomped on.
“Lennox,” Coach Wilson snapped, calling out Colton and waving him over. “Office, now!”
Before anyone could start anything else up by mocking or laughing at Colton, Coach Wilson cursed up a storm and sent everyone off to the field for laps.
“Not a fucking word,” he demanded. “Every word is another lap. Let me catch you whispering.”
Colton exited the locker room and followed his coach to an office where he sat with all the team leaders. It didn’t take long for Colton to sink into the chair offered, awaiting the uncomfortable conversation he knew was about to unfold.
Coach Wilson was an older guy with a never-ending sunburnt farmer’s tan and a fat gut made all the bigger by his pencil thin pasty legs. Despite his initial unease with Colton’s coming out exposé last year, he proved an overall supportive coach. Colton didn’t imagine this video incident turning out the same way.
Despite his best efforts, Colton tuned out almost all the considerate words, the tiptoeing topics, but when the worst part of the discussion started, Colton perked back up.
“It’s probably best that you sit on the bench until this blows over,” Coach Wilson said. “A few games at most. We’re going to evaluate the PR situation—”
“I’m being punished because someone recorded me?”
“No, but we have to take everything and everyone into account.” His coach frowned, the hard-pressed face of a man who didn’t expect to weather this particular storm. “What happened, the video… It’s awful. You’re a victim, but I don’t think the press is going to care about that half as much as riling up our team, you, the fans, the school. It’s a circus right now, and they’ll be an investigation, so during that, it’s best for you to sit on the sidelines, breathe, and try not to get overwhelmed.”
“An investigation?” Colton seethed. “I know who did this!”
But he didn’t know how. He just knew in his bones Leon was behind this. And it worked out perfectly. With Colton benched, Leon would be starting pitcher in his absence.
“Not a word.” Coach Wilson raised his hand. “Nothing informal right now. Everything needs to go through proper channels. I want this by the book.”
“Proper channels? Like police?” Colton’s heart raced. Did they even handle stuff like this?
“Lord, no,” Coach Wilson said.
“Unless of course, you feel this needs legal documentation,” Assistant Coach Adams added. “They can at least look—”
“It’s better for you, for your team, for everyone if we keep this incident on campus,” Coach Wilson interrupted, glaring daggers at Adams who dared suggest Colton take action. “Something like this, you don’t want it dragged out in a courtroom for months or years or anything, right?”
“No,” Colton said with a shaky voice.
“Good,” Coach Wilson said. “Now, just keep to yourself until we can handle this properly. I don’t want you to say something that’ll breach your contract.”
“My contract?” Colton quivered. “I’m at risk of losing my scholarship, my place on the team because of what someone else did?” Colton stood, panting heavily and furiously. “That’s fucking bullshit!”
“No, you’re not,” Coach Wilson corrected. “Only if it turned out you were involved in it knowingly, intentionally—”
