Protect Me

"C-Come on, Kellin," Alan says, tugging gently on his best friend's hand. "We have to go inside." It was their first day of school for them, their senior year, but Kellin was afraid. With good reason too. They had been bullied sine their freshmen year. And Alan was nervous too. But he managed to convince his best friend to enter and they enter timidly.

They had their heads down, backs hunched over, they didn't make eye- contact with anyone. They knew better. Their eyes would wander a bit to see if they'd bump into anyone, but that's about the only time they did. And even then, people moved out of their way because they didn't want to "catch their gay disease" as their biggest bully, John, said.

They reach their lockers, right beside the other's per request. They put in their combination that they have written down. They gently pull their lockers open and put away whatever materials they don't need for their first class. They had memorized their schedules the moment they got them through the mail. They had every class together, which wasn't a surprise. They were always very much alike.

They put away some of the books, before closing their lockers gently. "Ready?"

"No, not really, Kells." They nod, and walk hand-in-hand to their first class. They weren't dating, it was a source of comfort for them. Through he halls, they got a few shouts of "Fags" or "Homos" or "You'll burn in hell." They take a seat beside each other in the back of the class and take out what they need. Holding everything with the tip of their fingers, as if everything would break if you held them too tightly. Just like themselves, except they didn't notice. Everyone else did, and took advantage of it.

The class begins to fill with other students and as soon as they saw Kellin and Alan, they steered clear of them. Chatter and gossip filled the room. Everyone catching up with friends they hadn't talked to over the summer or barely saw. Finally the teacher walks in. "Good morning, class. I will be your AP Calculus teacher, Mr. Iero." And then he begins going expectations, rules, consequences. Stuff they've heard many times before.

The bell rings telling them their class is over and they begin trecking to their lockers, getting the other notebooks they might need for their next class. And again, a few slurs thrown at them, but they make it to their next class unharmed, just a little heartbroken. They take their usual seats in the back.

Their teachers all went through the same thing - expectations, rules, consequences. And their schedule was farely easy to remember -

1) AP Calculus - Mr. Iero

2) AP Physics - Mr. Perry

Lunch

3) Art - Mr. Way

4) AP English - Mr. Dawson

Lunch was when the real gossip had started. Alan and Kellin were in line to grab the school's lunch when everyone in the building just stopped talking. Kellin and Alan kept going, though, because they were never ones to follow. They had kept talking about what they were excited about for this year. But when they laughed at their inside joke is when they noticed how quiet the cafeteria got.

They looked around and immediately began blushing when they noticed the attention was on them. Everyone stood gaping at them, and they didn't realize why until they turned around. They both gasped as they saw who was behind them.

It was two guys that they had never seen before. One was really tall and he towered over both of them. He was covered in tattoos and his hair spiked up. He had a nose ring, skinny jeans and a ripped tank top, Vans at his feet. Alan found himself blushing at seeing him. He quicly scurried away, pulling Kellin away after Kellin was done scrutinizing the other.

The other was tan, not as tall as the first, but taller than both of them none the less. He had the same outfit as the first, but nose piercing instead of ring. His hair was grown to his shoulders and you could see the muscle in his arms. Kellin felt weak around him, and he let Alan pull him away. The run out of lunch room into a nearby closet.

"That was scary," Alan whispers.

"I know, who were they?"

"I hope not more bullies, we have enough with John."

"I know, but have you noticed he hasn't bothered us today?"

"Yeah. Do you think he's up to something?"

"I hope not."

"Do you think they'd become friends with him?"

"... I don't know. Either way, it doesn't matter, we probably won't see much of them. Now, come on, time for class."

Alan opens the door just a bit and look out. The halls were empty, they walk out quietly and into their next class. And the day went by farely normally after that episode at lunch. They got glares from people, slurs, and a few pushes here and there, but they were fine and they thought that maybe thatbhad survived the day, but then the end of the day came.

Just as they were about to walk out the school doors and walk home together, someone pulls them back. They slammed onto the lockers and they both groan at the pain that shoots up their spines. They look up to see their attacker and see it's - no surprise - John. He smirking down at them and it was enough to give anyone nightmares. "Kelly, Ally, did you really think I'd let you off the hook today?"

They didn't answer, just stared at him terrified. He picks them both up. "Well, I was contemplating it, but decided against it." And he punches Alan in the gut. "Alan," Kellin gasps, trying to get to him. But then one of John's goons get to him and pull him back by his hair. He lands onto back and groans. They step on his chest and it knocks the breath out of him.

They didn't get to do much damage before someone is pulling John off of Alan. Alan gets up on shakey legs and turns to Kellin who was struggling to get up. He walks to him slowly, afraid of collapsing and begings to help him up. "You okay, Kells," he asks, in a small voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what about you?"

"My tummy kind of hurts, but I'll live." They grab their stuff and begin their treck home. They live beside each other, that being how they became friends. Kellin had moved down to California from Michigan when he was about five with his parents. And he was a small, cute kid. But he didn't know anyone.

The Ashby family had decided to invite the new family over for dinner to welcome them. And that's when the two little boys met. They hit it off immediately, getting along quickly. The first line said between them being, "You're hair looks like fire. That's cool." Alan had shown him his room and toys and they played until it was time for dinner. They sat beside each other at the dinner table, talking away.

They sticked together at school, being their own little clique. Their parents adored their friendship and treated both as their own. So both boys had two families. They were always welcome. And when they both came out to their parents, their parents had known along. Having known their boys were far too feminine to be normal. And they were accepted.

"Are sleeping over tonight," Alan asks, stopping in front of his yard.

"I think so. Just let me say hi to my parents and drop off my stuff and I'll be right over." Alan nods walking up to his front door. "Mommy," he calls.

"In the kitchen, sweetie!"

He walks into said room and pecks his mother's cheek. "How was school, Alan?"

"Good."

"And the bullies?"

"He got one punch in before someone pulled him off of me. Kellin and I left before we could find out who."

"Where did they hit you, baby?"

"My tummy."

"Oh, baby, put some ice on it." Alan walks to their fridge and pulls out a bag of ice from the freezer. He lifts his shirt and places it over the bruise. "Is Kellin coming over?"

"Yes. He just went to say hi to his parents."

"Okay. Just making sure on how much dinner I should make."

"I could always cook, Mommy." Which is true, he cooked dinner for the family sometimes. He even taught Kellin. He had learned from watching his mom.

"I know, sweetie, but I haven't done it in a while." Alan nods and then he hears the front door opening. He looks at the hall and sees Kellin walking in with Alan's dad. "Daddy!"

"Hey, bud. How was school?"

"Fine."

"Kellin here was telling me about what happened. I'm just glad your okay. Are you sure you don't want us to call the school?"

"I'm sure, Daddy."

"Ok, buddy. Just let us know if you change your mind."

"Okay." He pulls on Kellin's hand passively and they walk up to his room. In his room, Alan turns on his radio and All Time Low comes on. "Are you excited for the school year?"

"I'm just waiting for it to be over!"

They both laugh, but they both new the hidden message behind that statement. The rest of the night went by like any other, they had dinner, watched movies, and finally went to sleep cuddling.

♪♪♪

"Yo, Vic, get up."

"I'm up, I'm up, fucking Christ. It's so God damn early."

"No shit, and we have school, so get up!"

Vic gets out of bed grumbling, but gets ready none the less and they drive off in their cars. They lived with their parents, but they had spent the night over at each other's house. They had gotten expelled from their last school for beating up a kid - homophobic one who had beat a gay kid - and they had to go to a new one for their last year. Not that they cared.

They reach the new school and ask a random girl where the office was. She obviously started flirting with them, but they just walked off once she told them where the office was. They let themselves in and walked up to a lady behind the desk. "Hi. We're Austin Carlile and Vic Fuentes and we need our schedules," Austin said, coolly.

"Ah, yes. Your last school warned us about you."

"Great," Vic began with obvious fake enthusiasm. "Now give us our stupid schedules."

She scowls, but hands them what they asked for. They walk out and begin stalking towards their first class. They weren't very advanced in school for the simple fact that they couldn't care less about school. It was pointless. So you graduate? Go to college? What about after? You're stuck working for the rest of your life. Did all that school really lead up to that?

The first day of school was a bore, except for lunch. They walked into the cafeteria and everyone stopped talking, well, everyone but two certain boys. They kept chatting away, enjoying their lives until they noticed everyone else had stopped talking. Austin nudges Vic and they walk to stand behind them. The boys didn't notice anything out of thenordinary until later. They had looked around and began blushing.

But Austin was too focused on the ginger. Just something about him drew Austin in. He was small and petite, he held himself curled in with no confidence and fear. He had red feiry hair. Austin can't really see his face because he was turned around, but then he does face him and the ginger gasps.

Austin probably did too, he doesn't know. But the ginger was beautiful. He had big, round brown eyes that stared up at him in fear. His tiny mouth opened a bit, gaping at him. A cute little button nose, round cheeks, eye-lashes that went on forever. He was perfect. But before Austin could say anything, he was pulling his friend away with him. They ran out of the cafeteria.

For the rest of the day, the ginger was on his mind. He couldn't - didn't want to - focus on the school work. His mind kept going to back to the ginger looking up at him. And Austin found he liked the way he looked from that angle. Yes, he was having dirty thoughts. But something told him, the ginger wouldn't be up for that. At least not with someone he just met. And either way, Austin was fine with that.

It was finally time to leave that hell hole and just as Austin and Vic were leaving, they see the ginger and his friend getting beat up. Austin drops his bag and walks over there, pulling the idiot off of the ginger before throwing a punch. He beat up the guy and whispered in his ear, "If I ever see you bothering them again, I'll do much worse." Then he turns to Vic and they both begin walking in the direction the boys were in before realizing they were no longer there.

Austin didn't even get his name.