Walking in Memphis in the Pouring Rain

Finally. The end of the day. The thing I treasure most about weekdays. Unfortunately, I’ve got four more days of waiting for the last bell to ring before I get to the weekend. And, also unfortunately, I have gym last period. And we’re playing basketball. So, not only do I get to look ugly in the gym uniform (that’s the problem with being gay, you really care about how you look!), I have to sweat off all my eyeliner, trash my hair, and (half of the time) loose one of my piercings. They always come back to me, but it’s annoying not to have one of my lip rings in, or not to have my septum in, it just annoys the hell out of me.

But anyway, let’s move on. I slowly organized my locker, waiting for Jamie to show up. This is a routine. Throughout the day, I just throw my shit into my locker, and shove it back in if it all falls out on me. Then, at the end of the day, I put everything away or into my backpack while Jamie puts his books in his backpack and comes to get me. Then we walk home. It’s great living so close to the school, because you never have to wait for any buses to show up (I know for a fact that the one Cathy rides doesn’t come until a half-hour after school lets out), you just go home right away.

I pull out my iPod and start to listen to some old Tokio Hotel. You know, their German stuff. It sounded really strange to me at first, but now sounds much more natural. It might have something to do with the fact that I’m taking German as another language. That’s right, not a second, but another. I obviously know English, and I’m taking Spanish and American Sign Language, as well. It’s tough to juggle, and I give up my open period to take ASL, but I think it’s going to be worth it someday. My days are pretty long, with Choir before school and third period, English in first, Spanish second, History fourth (reading comes in between there), Science, ASL, Math, and P.E, with German after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Jamie also takes German, so I never have to walk home alone. It’s a pretty good gig I’ve got going on at school, but it wears me out terribly on Mondays. And sometimes Tuesdays, depending on whether Cathy or Jamie texted me all night long or just left me alone after 10.

Glancing at my watch, I notice that it’s 3:45, six minutes after school gets out. I wonder where Jamie is. He’s usually here by now…

“ZACKY!” I turned to my right to see him running down the hall towards me, messenger bag held up in front of him, jacket flying back. He looked quite the dork, but that’s okay. I love him anyway. Much more than he’ll ever know…

I waited for him to reach me, then put my hands on my hips. “You know, you’re late, mister. I could have walked home without you by now!” I pushed my lips out to emphasize how I “felt”.

“Oh, you would have waited, Zacky. You love me too much to leave without me. I know it!!” He laughed slightly and pulled his hood up. “I looked out the window. It’s pouring again, and I think there might be some hail, but I was running too fast to notice.”

I slammed my locker shut, shouldering my (very light) bag and putting my hood up, as well. “Why were you running to see me? It’s not like I’m that important.”

“But you are. And I need help on my math…” No matter how hard Jamie tries, he could not get math through his head. So I went over after school every day and help him out. In fact, I often helped him with his English and German homework, too. And then he asked me to stay for dinner, or just to hang out until I have to leave. Which I never had a problem with. I didn’t really like going home.

“Okay, just like every day, right?” I smirked up at my much-taller friend, and almost got lost in his eyes. Dang, those eyes…

He laughs. “Yeah, just like every day. But you don’t mind, right?” He looked at me seriously.

“Nah, I don’t mind at all whatsoever.” We reached the front doors, and I sighed at what I saw. It was raining and windy. And it was still daylight outside. Rain is only fun when there’s either no wind, or when it’s pitch black outside. The best is when both things occur. But that only happens every once in a while. And when I say every once in a while, I mean almost never.

“I know, we never have good rain.” Jamie pouted with me, and we started the trek to his house.

I felt my phone vibrate, and pulled it out of my pocket. I groaned when I glanced at the Caller ID. Home.

“Hello?” I flipped open my phone and answered.

“Zacky, are you planning on coming home today, honey? Your father’s on a business trip, and he won’t be home for a few days, he said. Have your darling boyfriend Jamie come, too. I miss him,” I heard my mom coo. I love my mom to death. It’s my dad I don’t like. He often beat both of us, her more than me. She got out and about as often as she could, and we escaped most of his drunken fury. Ever since I can remember, my father’s been addicted to the alcohol. But my mom said he wasn’t always like that. In fact, he used to be really nice. The only reason my mom and dad are still together is because she keeps on hoping he’ll stop drinking someday soon. She hopes. I’ve given up hope, and look forward to the day when I can move out. For now, I’ll just stick around Jamie’s place.

“Mom, he’s not my boyfriend,” I mumbled into the phone. Jamie snickered. “I’ll tell him, though.”

“Okay, honey, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom, bye.” I snapped my phone shut.

Jamie looked at me expectedly. “Your house?”

I grinned. “Yep. Dad’s on another “business trip”. I swear, he’s going to get one of those whores he goes off with pregnant someday, and Mom’s gonna be mad…” I laughed at the thought. How sweet.