Kevin sat beside Brian and held the phone pressed
firmly to his ear. Brian kept his eyes downcast, refusing to make eye contact
with him during this phone conversation.
“Yeah?” Nick’s angry voice answered the phone.
“Nick it’s Kevin.” Kevin answered remembering
he had to keep his anger in check. Brian had made him promise to.
“Oh hey Kev.” Nick’s voice lightened. “I
thought you were someone else.”
Kevin’s blood boiled. Nick was going to snub
Brian if he had called. It wasn’t right that he was doing this to his best
friend, but there wasn’t a thing Kevin could do but hope he would open his
eyes.
“I know.” He forced his voice to remain calm.
“You thought I was Brian.”
There was a pause and Kevin was almost sure
Nick was going to hang the phone up on him. Finally he answered.
“So you know too.” He growled. “Do AJ and Howie
know? Does everybody know the little fag has a crush on his best friend?”
“Nick!” Kevin snapped. “Stop talking like that.
He knew he could never have you but he thought he owed it to you to know. He
just wanted you as a friend. And he’s devastated that he lost that.”
Nick laughed. “Oh listen to that bullshit.” He
chuckled. “That little queer has his big bad cousin wrapped around his little
finger.” His tone then grew serious. “I’m sorry that you think that way Kevin.
Brian wants more than a friend out of me. He wants someone to fuck. And I’ll be
damned if I become some boy toy to a fucking fag!”
There was a loud bang as Nick slammed the phone
down on the hook. Kevin did the same with an angry growl. He looked over to see
Brian had curled up in a ball, afraid of the turn that that conversation had
taken. He looked at Kevin with sad but grateful eyes.
“Thanks for trying.” He said before Kevin had a
chance to tell him anything. “I knew he wouldn’t come around. Nick’s always
been stubborn, you know that.”
Kevin nodded. “Maybe AJ and Howie can go down
and talk to him later.” He sighed. “Pretend they are just looking for a good
time to get into his room. AJ’s just as stubborn as Nick. Neither one will
leave until the other cracks. And AJ’s got the temper to cause Nick to crack.”
“I heard that!” AJ shouted walking back into
the room from the bathroom. “But yeah. Me and D will go down there later and
talk to him. And your right Kev, I will win.”
Brian smiled at his friends. They were bent on
helping him, and that’s what he needed right then. That shoulder to cry on. But
he was through crying. He was now going to be strong, and damn anybody who
didn’t think he could be. He would prove others wrong.
But at the moment he needed to think, away from
his friends. Away from their concerned eyes. He loved them as brothers, and
felt bad for thinking that way. But he needed air.
“Guys.” He spoke up. “I’m going to go get a
drink from the vending machines. Want anything?”
Kevin looked at him with concern etched into
his features. Even AJ seemed a little wary of the idea and he was usually the
let-loose rebel of the group. Brian gave them a true smile and stood up.
“I’m thirsty and I don’t feel like anything
that room service has.” He answered the question Kevin didn’t have to ask. “Now
do you guys want anything?”
“No thanks Rok.” AJ said, regaining his title
as carefree. “Just don’t take to long. Kevin might have a heart attack if you
do.”
Brian nodded and ran out the door. Kevin
watched him go and then turned to AJ.
“Maybe you and Howie should go see Nick now.”
He told him. “Do any damage that is going to be done while Brian’s not around.”
AJ looked at Kevin before answering. “Yeah.
I’ll go get Howie now. I hope Nick will listen.”
Kevin patted AJ’s back as headed towards the
door.
“Don’t hope he listens,” Kevin told him, “Make
him listen.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Brian leaned his head up against the machine as
it made a whirring sound deep inside the gears. His soda popped out, but he
made no move to get it. He just stood there thinking.
He’d lost Nick, but he probably made his
friendship with the others stronger.
He’d never forget the good times he and Nick had had, but he wasn’t sure
he’d ever be able to forgive him. Nick had called him such hateful things and
walked away from him, telling him never to come near him again.
Brian shook his head. Of course he would
forgive him. He still loved him. God, he was pathetic. It was hard to love
someone that would never love you back. Worse to love someone who wouldn’t even
look at you.
He felt a sudden presence behind him and
figured it was one of his friends. Bending down, he reached for his soda.
“No don’t stop thinking because I’m here.” A deep and unfamiliar
male voice spoke, sending shivers down his back. “Keep thinking of men you
fag.”
Brian stiffened. Who was behind him? He slowly
turned and came face to face with two men.
“W-what are you talking about?” He tried to
sound tough but his voice wavered.
The man who spoke chuckled. “I’m Matt and
that’s my brother Steve.” Matt pointed to the second man. “And we over heard
your argument with you buddy Nick. Brian, Brian, Brian. We know you’re a
queer.”
Brian’s breaths came in short gasps. His heart
was pounding against his rib cage. He didn’t know these people but they knew.
They knew all about his darkest secret.
“So?” He kept trying to be strong. “What have I
done to you?”
Steve chuckled and came up closer to Brian.
Brian shrunk away, betraying his stand.
“So tough for such a little guy.” Steve said,
poking him in this chest. “We are going to take care of you, that’s what we’re
going to do. And you made us sick, that’s what you did.”
Brian’s knees betrayed him as they buckled. He
feel and landed hard on his knees. Matt and Steve grabbed him by his arms and
slammed him up against the soda machine. He gasped in pain as Steve slammed a
fist into his stomach. They let him go and he crashed to the ground.
“P-please…” Brian rasped. “Please s-stop.”
“I don’t think so.” Matt shook his head. “We
are going to take care of business here.”
Matt and Steve continued to rain blows down on
the helpless Brian. He began crying. Tears of pain and shock ran down his pale
cheeks. It was the end for him, he knew it. But he never thought it was going
to end like this.
Suddenly the beating stopped. He looked up with
fuzzy eyes to see Matt and Steve staring down at him with an evil grin. Matt
reached into his coats pocket and pulled out a tiny silver hand pistol. He
aimed it at Brian’s chest. Brian hung his head. With out a word being spoken,
Matt pulled the trigger.