Status: Fresh out of the oven

One of the Boys

Chapter Twenty Two

I am Advanced level rank in Muay Thai Kickboxing and I hold a red belt in Tae Kwon Do. I am someone to be feared when I play my opponents as the left wing on the football field. Drunk, however, I am about as fearsome as a dandelion, but I still got my strength.

I clutched my aching waist, pressing my hand against the bruise forming on my upper hip and leaned against the wall staring at the scene before me. I felt the hot heat of my own breath surrounding my face and grimaced at the pungent smell of alcohol and vomit that was infused within it. I had thrown up when George kneed me in the stomach, spoiling my shirt and the the rug on the floor with liquid residue of neon beverages and what I could identify to be a lime pip. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and dug into my other pocket for a spearmint to chew on and get rid of the disgusting odor that burned the back of my throat. George was groaning and curled into fetal position on the floor, nursing his groin, head and stomach simultaneously.

In my hands was the infamous phone Leo had requested I acquire to prove my right to be part of Holderns and a friend of Cameron. I held it to my chest, which was surging upwards and downwards like a storm brewed wave, appreciating the coolness of the metal exterior against my burning skin. I shoved the small communication device into my jean pocket, next to my own; I never had the opportunity of exchanging numbers with him in the end. I buttoned up my navy shirt after checking that my bindings were still in tack and fixed my wig back on. George and I had already been fighting when my disguise started to disintegrate, but the revealing of my female features added fuel to his fire.

"What's this?" he had hollered slapping me across the face, "My brother's petty attempt to turn me straight?"

"He should be focusing on turning you way from being a pedophile instead." I spat shoving my knee into his groin, hoping to do some permanent damage and aid the human race.

"I am not a pedophile. People think boys that are thirteen to fourteen are so innocent. Half the time they make the moves on me during the photo shoots," He had tried to claw at my face will I pinned him down bellow my arm. I couldn't let his mouth continue speaking such utter stupid crap, so I lifted my elbow back and let it rip. Target locked on. Broken nose and a wobbly teeth, score!

Being a badass is far from glamorous and as I noticed my bruised knuckles and that the area under my eyes was bruising I truly wondered why I couldn't be more like your typical girl. Docile and rational. Composed and pragmatic. Cheery and sweet. Knocking boys out with a swish of my hair and swing of my hips instead of my fists. I was the type of girl that by passed the Seventeen, Vogue, or Hello magazines and when straight for the newspaper of the day, flipped it around and looked at the sports pages. I was a girl that has done paintballing more than manicures. I was the type of girl that more successes with boy friends than boyfriends. Apparently that was true even when I was pretending to be a gay guy.

When it was obvious that he would be passed out for a while I clambered off him and grabbed the phone to look through it. I was trying to see what sort of text or e-mail he might have gotten that be any use to Castello. What I found was disturbing.

I ran out of the room, scaring three couples, and a group of friends who had escaped the cacophony of the ground floor, and come up here to, nurse their stilettos bruised feet, reapply their makeup, make out, or have appetizers before their one night stand dinner. They stared perplex at my appearance and darted out of my way scare by wild movements, bloody face, swollen cheek and ripped collar. Oh, and the vomit.

“Oh G-od!” a short women on pillar tall heels cried presenting me a disgusted sneer. “Oh G-od! Seems like Tirller lets everyone in here these days. He is absolutely wasted and looks like he’s just taken part in a fight. Is that vomit?”

“Oh G-od,” agreed her friend who had frozen her hand that was holding her lipstick in mid air. “George has lost his taste for quality, letting people like that in here,” her voice lower trying not to let her insults be heard. "He is so not presentable it's almost criminal. He is probably a criminal."

"Oh G-od! Do you really think so," her friend panicked.

“No, no,” a girl from a couple near them inputted, detaching herself from the boy she had been in the process of ravishing, “He came here tonight, with Cameron Reynolds,"

“Eh? Reynolds? Not possible. ”

“It’s true, it’s true. I say them hanging out together downstairs earlier,”

“Oh G-od,” The killer heels girl cried in dismay, “You must be wrong, Cam-Cam doesn’t get involved with drugs, or dirty people like that. I go to Holderns' sister school and I've seen him a lot, at inter school socials and things. Not possible Cameron would be associate with a weird guy like him,”

“Hey! That dress looks lovely with your complexion. What race are you? Carrot?” I screamed whirling around to face them all. Did I mention before that I couldn’t stand girls? “Lower your voice when you have the audacity to talk trash about me,“ And I lobbed the packet of Cadbury chocolate at her knocking out the fuchsia cocktail that was in her hand and watched with satisfaction as it spilled down her dress.

I didn’t stay to watch their shocked reactions and further screams of “Oh G-od” as I rushed down the stairs looking wildly for “Cam-Cam” or any other familiar faces. My anger was greater than it had been a while and I knew we had to get out of the clubs before someone found the birthday boy, or he found me.

I caught my breath as I found them, all cluttered in a more crowded section of the club around a large floor to ceiling 'lava lamp' sort of column with a meter wide diameter. It pulsed vibrantly to the beat that the DJ was delivering. Gathering my wits I approached them slowly, anxiously combing my wig hairs into place and tried to work out what I would say about being MIA for so long.

They hadn’t noticed me yet, my frame to small to pick out in a crowd of high heels and men. "Hey party people," was my awkward greeting. "I am really drunk right now. I just got into a fight with this guy and he is kind of knocked out now. Then I shouted at these hot babes, who irked me. I ruined on of their dresses. Probably cost more than their going rate for the night so they'll be pissed at me. We better... bounce," I stared humming Calvin Harris tune that came on and inspired my phrasing.

Cam's concern became visual once more, as worry sat on his darkened brow. I had been trying to avoid his eyes because I didn't know how loose my tongue could be when drunk, and if I could handle a grilling of questions. I had already been too up front about my feeling for him earlier. I didn't want to dig myself further into a whole.

"Lucas, what did that guy want with you?" He asked anyway, hushing the rest of the boys. "Do you know him? He maybe the birthday boy," he paused to throw an irritated look in Leo's direction who just blinked it away, "but I don't think he is bad news."

"Him? Uhh..." I turned to Leo for the answer. 'Don't tell' he mouthed quickly. "I told him I wasn't interested in becoming a model. So he tried to buy me a drink but I saw him sneak something in it. I didn't... um... appreciate it. I guess." It was impossible for me to lie convincingly and Leo and Marcus sent me quizzical looks.

"And you went upstairs because?" Marcus pressed on before Leo could nudge him into silence.

"He wanted to talk about modeling in a quite space. But like I said I need to go. He's not going to stay like that for long."

"We've got to go." Agreed Leo taking control of the situation. He threw me a few napkins to clean myself up with and I embarrassingly remembered to wipe away the seeping blood and vomit stains.

“Ah Man, Lucas really owes me," Marcus was moaning. "These two chicks were promising me this duet of a lap dance that they learned to do in their gap year in Thailand. They even mentioned something about a backroom and-"

"Enough, Marcus, we get it." Teased Nate.

"Just because you've had your girlfriend to snog all night. Privileged prick," Moaned Marcus.

"Drop it Marcus," Leo told him once more finishing a confusing exchange of looks with Marcus above my head.

"Now?" whined Marcus who was staring with the eyes of a hungry tiger at a perky girl at a table. "Right now?"

"No, now as ten minutes ago. Nathan's penis may have a reserved sign hanging on it but yours has a McDonald's drive through Open 24/7 sign hanging on it. You'll get an other opportunity. Now let's go!" Growled Leo. "We either have the choice of leaving in our own terms, or on our asses. " And with that he rushed towards the end of the bar signaling something to the barman who in response bowed his head and held out his hand. Nate, Ludo, Marcus and Leo each placed one hand on the counter hand leaped over it, placing a fifty pound note in the barmans extended hand in turn once they reached the other side. I stared gobsmacked at their display of dexterity after drinking so much.

Cam smiled playful at me, "Do you think you can make it over or should I give you a boost?"

"I can do it myself thank you very much." I grumbled playfully. Cam's smirk was so contagious you just had to smile in response. I inspected the bar. It was higher than my hip.

"In your own time Lucas," joked Cameron leaping over the bar stool like it was daily thing. "But as I recall, Leonard did say something about having to leave quite quickly." He paid the chuckling barmen both our share of the fifty pounds. "Plus you don't do it soon, the bouncers are bound to notice." He held out a hand to me which I swatted away and instead I walked two meters down to my left and pulled open the bar half door and walked straight through.

"Impressive," praised Cameron running with me out the back door. "In a pole vaulting competition would you just throw the pole over and walk under to catch it on the other side?"

"Hey don't laugh at my height impediment," I scowled him as we ran unsteadily to the cars. I was so drunk that I couldn't even walk a squiggled line let a lone a straight one, Cam steadied me each time I was going way off track bumping me in the right direction. The only help he could give me when he was drunk like me. "The end atones the means in these situations."

"Oh really know. The thing with you is that your bark is way worst than you bite. You just talk big."

"I do not,"

"You do, you are like a chihuahua. Mad little thing.

"Woof woof." Drunken talk.

"I am going to teach you all sorts of tricks. like begging."

"Ha ha very funny. For the fifty pounds though. Do I owe you?"

"Not yet." There was a very ambiguous tone to his voice even though we were laughing hysterically.

We reached the two cars were the boys were waiting for the two of us. Leo was already in the car and chatting with Ludo about his car. Something about how he couldn't let him drive when he has so plastered.

"How are we going to get college?" I asked. "Who's going to drive your car? Leo's not drunk like us, but..."

"No worries Lucas," Marcus said hopping into the driver's seat of Cam's car. "I am riding this lovely lovely car." Moaned Marcus caressing with anticipation the dashboard and the steering wheel.

"How come you aren't drunk, Marcus?"

"Eh? Didn't you know?" He said swinging his big black bag into the boot of the car. "I was DJing part of the time. Can't drink on the job. "

"What really?" I gasped in exaggerated shock, the alcohol making everything seem unbelievable. "That was you?"

"Yeah, it's what I do, I don't get drunk I get awesome" the boys chuckled at my incredulous stare. "Now I can ride this car back to college. Man the things I could do to girls in a car like this." Seeing Cameron's glare he rectified his words to "Man the things I could fantasize in a car like this of doing to girls in car like this?" Which earned him whack on the back of the head by Nate who got in the car as well.

I cast a suspicious glance at Cameron, "Do you ever drive your car?" I asked him?

He nervously chuckled rubbing the back of his neck, "Well my friends like her some much that..."

"So where's the sign up sheet?" I teased, but was shut down by his response of "Can you even reach the pedal. I don't want the police to stop us and check our papers because they think a twelve year old is driving." I rolled my eyes as he snickered on into the car.

"Lucas, get in." Leo called from his car. "We need to leave now, George probably will be looking around at the obvious parking spaces."

"I don't want to get in the car with a sour patch like you." I protested, but when his cold expression didn't even waiver I moved towards him.

"You can't be serious," I said when I was in the confinement of his vehicle. "I am not your minion to boss around."

"Don't worry," he said with a light smile and Turning on the motor. "Once you give me the phone I should have no use for a guy like you. This was a one off thing." Somehow that felt even worse. To not be needed, or worth anything. It was just plain insulting.

"You'll always need some one like me," I argued hating how I felt like one of those people at the club that weren't worth his time or care.

"Oh, yeah." He looked at me from the corner of his eye. The grey specks in his eyes that gave his green eyes a minty color twinkled with tenebrous mirth. "Then you'll just have to prove to me how much." Confidence is a powerful thing, and I must still be intoxicated at this point because that attractive aspect was still there.

"What was the money for?" I asked I resolved to slump in the comfortable leather seat and stare out the dark window. I saw myself in the glass. A pair of swollen lips, dilated pupils framed by a ring of light blue, my complexion flushed a rosy colour. Was I really that unattractive? Maybe for a boy, fair enough, I didn't have that desirable ruggedness or powerful build. But as a girl, how was I? My teeth were braces straightened, and naturally white. I had a strong chin balanced out by full lips, though I've always thought my Cupid's bow was too pronounced, the largeness of the upper lip compared to the lower, made me appear baby faced. There were those two beauty spots that I on my eyelid and opposite cheekbone that I always felt made me look unbalanced. The rest? Well I couldn't describe it as being anything other than just my face. The one I looked out everyday. I pelted it with resentment. It wasn't that ugly.

"The money?" he echoed, "That was the entrance fee."

"You're joking!"

"Yes, you are quite right. I am. It was the exit fee. You might not be aware of this be were weren't exactly on the guest list. And with what you pull... " God could he sound any more upper class? "The phone please."

I grabbed the phone out of my jean pocket and placed it in his hand glad to be rid of one of George's possessions. He took it, and suddenly it felt like a great big weight was removed from his shoulders. His shoulder rose slowly as he inhaled deeply before coming back down with an unbelievably big exhale.

"You really wanted that phone didn't you?" My comment remolded his expression into the usually passive and non-expressive one.

"Of course," the matter of fact tone was also present as always. "I told you we needed this to avenge Cameron."

"Avenge?" My eyebrows peeked with my uncertainty, "Isn't that a bit of a hyperbole, a bit too superhero motive like?"

I managed to make a small smile slip through the iron armor he wore over his emotions. "I wasn' t the one pretending to be someone I am not. You really know how to lie," in front of us was a red light and a near empty road. The redness reflected off the windscreen illuminating the inside of the car with a crimson tint that extenuates the angles of his face and brought forth the blood in his lips. "You had George completely believing you were actually attracted to him up until the moment you went upstairs. When I first saw you I knew you'd be perfect for tonight. George has a ... penchant for boys like you. A sick one at that. Don't know what he sees in guys like you." I sneered reproachfully but he didn't let me defend myself. "Tell me exactly how it went down."

"I-I..." how should explain how confused and intimidated Leo made me feel. To not know what was going to come out of his mouth next was my biggest worry. "Well he took me to one of those private lounges. They were already busy so we went into his brother's office instead. The one by the toilets. After we went inside the perve asked if I'd like a seat. I said yes, but then he placed me on his lap. His lap! like I was some two year old or something. I tried to ask for his phone but then he said he couldn't give his name to strangers, and that before hand he had to ask me a few questions."

I paused in my retelling unsure whether Leo was truly listening. Before I could even rotate my head in his direction he snapped at me to "go on".

"You don't really want to hear all of this."

"Go ON!"

"He asked me what type of ice cream I liked. If I liked to have my photo taken because he was a photographer. If I had always been gay and if I was just as hairless down there as my face was. He said it would be better for the photos if I was. Shows youth and innocent. Apparently he is working on a collection of that name," I heard Leo breath spike and he suddenly pressed down on the accelerator. "And at that point I lobbed him. Properly and thoroughly. The jackass had the nerve to slap me and bit my lip when I made it clear that... that I wasn't interested. I managed to grab the phone from him after I knocked him out. I looked through it and, goodness Castello! It's not good. There were a lot of random pictures but there was also these frequent pictures. All of young boys. Some were posed and done in a studio, but some were spontaneous looking. Done in a normal room or something. A lot of the boys looked high, or drugged. Some weren't though and were openly smiling. Those were the worst. Three of the same boy that were taken earlier today, based on the file date. And there was this other one, a much older photo of a young looking brunette with big honey eyes. He kind of looked, well like-"

"Cameron. Yeah. It was taken five years ago when Cam was in Holderns junior school together and George was in his last year at Holderns." I gasped, frightened when he slammed his fist down on the steering wheel letting out a cry of "The fucking sick minded wanker!"

"So it was really him." It put everything together and it all fit so nice that I can't believe I ever doubted that the fourteen year old in that photo could have been anyone other than Cameron. The intensity Leo had been addressing the manner all night. The hate that filled Leo's eyes every time he looked at George, the fear in Cameron's eyes when he saw me with George. It all made sense even though it was completely crazy.

Once Castello had calmed down and chosen to abide by the speed limited, he pocketed the phone and said through tight lips. "Now listen Lucas and listen close. This matter is only known by Cameron, Teddy, and myself. It is to remain that way. Cameron will decapitate me when we get to our dorm. He didn't know who's birthday the club was celebrating today, only that a lot of our groups of friends from other schools will be here to night. But it had to be done. I had to get that phone off George and though I can't go to the police with these photos, it does mean George won't be trying anything for a while. And the next time he does, I have something to threaten him with. I repeat myself once more. You are not to talk of this with anyone. Cameron still...suffers from what George did to him in the past, what with the drugs and the photos and the.... As his best friends I couldn't let this slide. Now that the matter is settled as far as you are concerned, you will not talk about it, you will not mention it or hint at it. Nothing."

His eyes narrowed towards mine. "Do I make myself clear? You will do nothing to jeopardize Cam's confidence that the matter blew over years ago. When he sobers up and asks you what you did with George you say 'nothing' and lie. He isn't to know that you know."

I solemnly nodded leaning my head against the cold glass window feeling my hangover starting. "I won't say a word as long as you promise to do something about George."

"Don't worry. It you want to stick with the superhero analogy, then I am your worst nightmare when it comes to revenge." The most unnerving thing about that sentence, was that he said it while smiling.
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Next updated is on Monday! For sure.

Sorry this is so late. No good reasons. Thank's for being patient though, I know I suck, I am just hoping you love this chapter. I need harsh criticism. I am working on the spelling and grammar. I already know I really struggle with that.