Chapter
7
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.
***
