Smile.

I don’t know what it was on Monday morning, but something was off. There just seemed to be something in the air that made things chill me down to the bone. And those stairs, I got them constantly, but they seemed different today. Slightly worried, I make my way to my locker. A yellow sticky note with the word “Faggot” written in bold black marker is there, but I rip it to shreds and send it to the floor, because honestly after all this time of hearing it, it doesn’t bother me.

I don’t know why they think it would. Idiots.

Sighing, I twist the knob, typing in the correct combination. After ripping the locker open and getting my things I make way to first period. As expected, Sage is right by my side the moment he sets his eyes on me.

The boy smiles and greets me with his usual cheerful, “Hello!”

I roll my eyes. “Hey.”

Sage and I walk side by side down the hallway and once again, it feels strange. I can feel eyes on the two of us and I know something is up. Biting my lip, I walk into the classroom and regret it immediately. Dale, the biggest asshole ever, and his posse of wanna-be’s make their way towards us.

Sage looks at Dale with a confusing look, because Sage after all is friends with him, but by the look on Dale’s face he doesn’t feel the same way. The boy stops in front of us and glares at the both of us before spitting, “You’re both faggots. You make me sick.”

“Excuse me?” Sage asks and his brain must be too small to understand, but I do. My eyes widen considerably from shock and I stare at Dale who is smirking, because he knows. Shit, he knows!

How did he find out? It can’t be…Friday…no, no one else was in the library. It was just Sage and I. No one comes to the school after hours. That couldn’t have been it! But it was the only time…shit.

“Don’t play stupid with me, Sage! I can’t believe you’d betray me, us, everyone for that worthless bitch!” He points accusingly at me and I flinch. It isn’t because what he said hurt me, no I’m use it and honestly if anyone is the worthless bitch it’s him. What I flinched for is because now that everyone knows Sage is…he’s going to be like me.

I’ll never admit it aloud but I don’t want that.

“I saw you two Friday! You were kissing! It was fucking disgusting I couldn’t believe it so I ran off, but you Sa-”

“It’s not his fault.”

All eyes turn to me. Sage looks at me and I can tell he’s confused, but I give him no time to ask or respond to anything and I do the one thing that I know will save him, but get me a hell of a beat down. “It’s my fault. I was tutoring him, all he was doing was listening. I was the one who kissed him. He pushed me away.”

Just as I expected Dale and his gang was on me in a second. Sage shouted, claiming that I was lying, but Dale glared back at the kid and spat, “Don’t lie Sage. I know you’re a nice guy and you’d try to save this kid, but he kissed you. This fag kissed you! It’s wrong.”

Sage flinches away and two goons grab a hold of him. Dale throws me against the wall. He must like a motionless target because two of his goons pins me to the wall while he throws one fist after the other into my stomach. I bite my lip, because there is no way I am making a sound. I won’t give him that satisfaction.

I don’t know how long I stand there, Dale making sure that I stay black and blue for days, but it was a while before the teacher finally came in, screaming. Dale replied with a cold, “He’s a faggot. He jumped on Sage, he deserved it.”

The teacher, as expected, sent the boys to the office and me to the nurse. I groan the entire way there, because I’ll never admit it, but Dale had one hell of an arm. I can feel my cheek already swelling and my stomach suddenly became very uneasy.

“Cameron, what happened?” The nurse, Mrs. Haylor, gasps and runs to me quickly. I manage to croak out something, which she nodded to and handed me the garbage can just in time for me to cough up the contents of my stomach.

She sighs and starts attending to me. I groan and lie back onto the bed, an ice pack over my left eye and stomach. Mrs. Haylor gives me a pill for the head ache and I sigh, my head lolling to the side where my eyes flutter shut and I fall into a deep sleep.

And when my eyes re-open I hear arguing. One voice is Mrs. Haylor, the other is…

“Damn it, Mrs. Haylor just let me see him!” Sage.

“I can’t let that happen. He’s still-”

“Mrs. Haylor,” I call and in moments she’s next to my side. The curtain separating me from the room opens slightly to show a rather disheveled Sage. His eyes are slightly red and I frown, because it’s obvious he’s been crying and I know what I’m about to do is only going to make it worse. “Let me talk to him alone.”

She sighs, obviously not wanting to, but nods. When we both hear the clicking of her heels disappear and the door close, Sage runs to my side. He looks at my battered form and I can see the water works in his eyes. “I’m so sorry Cameron I…t-they held me back. I should h-have fought harder and I just c-couldn’t help I’m so sorry.”

“Forget about it.” I say rather coldly. Sage notices the tone in my voice, because I haven’t been using it with him lately. But that’s going to change. Sighing, I close my eyes and prepare myself because I know what I’m about to see is going to slowly kill me.

My eyes open and I glare at the boy who is now standing as still as a statue. Chocolate eyes that are blood shot from tears previously shed stare at me, almost pleadingly, because I’m sure he also knows what I’m going to do.

Putting on a stone face I say as coldly as I can muster, which for all of you are curious is enough to make Sage start crying again. “It’s over Sage. Don’t talk to me. Don’t come near me. I don’t want you to even fucking look or think about me.”

“But-”

“You’re nothing but trouble. Leave me alone.”

And just like that I shattered every chance of ever laughing, ever living, ever smiling again.