Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2021 07:47:46 -0500 From: Keith Yates Subject: Devyn's Struggle V2 45 This is a fictional story involving sexual acts between two or more men. If this offends you, why are you here? If you are under the legal age to read sexually explicit material then do not read any further. This story in no way represents any person living or dead. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and no copying or posting to any other website is permitted without the author's written consent. Please help keep Nifty going by making a donation to the awesome service. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture. Thomas Paine Devyn's Struggle V2 Chapter 45 Edited by Skyborn A few days had passed since Devyn's dunking in the men's room. The angry looks and frequent fag comments from Dewayne, Dale, and Ted continued. But Terry seemed to have calmed down some. And it appeared most of the other kids had accepted the idea of having an openly gay classmate. Devyn was relieved he was no longer the focus of everyone's attention. He preferred to fly under the radar. Things were good with Charlie and Sam, and Julie and Stacy were being cool. Stacy was still trying to get him to join the drama club. She claimed they needed more boys in the group. "You would be perfect for the play," she told Devyn during lunch. "You filled out so much over the summer. You've got the perfect look." "What does that mean, the perfect look?" Sam asked. "It means he's hot," Julie grinned. Devyn felt a blush creeping up his neck. "I can't act or sing. I'd run the audience out of the auditorium." "We'd put you in a role that doesn't require singing," Stacy persisted. "She isn't going to give up until you give in," Sam said. Devyn stood up. "I'll think about it," he said. "I've got to get to Ag. I told Mr. Hanks I'd help him before class." Devyn hurried from the lunchroom. He really didn't like being pressured. "That was a mistake," Sam said to himself as he watched Devyn leave. "He's going to be in that play before much longer." Devyn turned a corner and saw Mindy coming down the hall. He wanted to avoid her but she had already seen him. "Hi Devyn," she said as she stepped in front of him. "How are you?" Devyn glanced around, luckily Dale wasn't anywhere in sight. He let out a little sigh of relief. He didn't want any trouble and he knew Mindy was nothing but. "Um, fine Mindy," he said, clearly uncomfortable. There's this rumor going around that you dumped me because you're... well, gay. Is that true?" She looked at him with her pouty lips. "Yes Mindy, it's true," Devyn began. "I'm sorry, but I am gay." "You were so good when we were together," Mindy said. "It's never been that good for me with anyone else." 'TMI,' Devyn thought, looking for an escape route. "Look Mindy, I need to get to class. Mr. Hanks is waiting on me." "I don't mind sharing you Devyn," she said, grabbing his arm. "If you want to be with a guy, it's fine. Hell, we can do a threesome. I think that would be hot." "Um, Mindy," Devyn said, trying to pull away from her. "Aren't you seeing Dale?" "Dale is such a little boy when it comes to sex. You're a man." 'Crap,' Devyn thought, getting more anxious by the second. 'TMI, TMI.' He just wanted to go to class. "Dale cums in about thirty seconds every time," she continued. "If I am lucky, he gets inside before he shoots." Devyn blushed as he scanned the hallway. He needed to get away. "Um, sorry. Have him wear two condoms. Maybe he'll last longer. Now I gotta go." Devyn pulled away from her and hurried down the hall. He didn't feel safe until he was inside the Ag room. Why had he ever had sex with her? What was he thinking? "You were stupid," he told himself. # # # The final bell rang and Devyn headed to his locker. He had just started opening it when someone hit the back of his head and slammed his face into the metal door. He was stunned for a minute but heard laughter as Dewayne and Dale slapped each other on the back. He knew he was going to have a big lump on his forehead. He spun around to confront them and saw Mr. Tanner standing there. "Is there a problem Mr. Roberts?" Devyn knew from the look in the man's eyes that he'd seen the whole thing. He had seen it and done nothing. He had watched in approval as one student got picked on and bullied by another. "No Sir!" Devyn snapped and slammed his locker. He headed to his bus to ride home with Travis. Things got worse the next day. It was as if Mr. Tanner had given the green light for Devyn to be tormented. He lost count of how many times he got tripped or 'accidentally' slammed into a locker and how many times he heard the word 'fag'. Most of the harassment was coming from a small group of students but they seemed to be around every corner. "I don't know how you put up with this," Charlie said. "I have no choice," Devyn replied. He felt backed into a corner. He knew without help from the school administration there was little that could be done. Still, Devyn had noticed that Terry tried to hang back. He didn't seem to want any part in the harassment. He only got involved when the other guys pressured him. "I think you should kick their asses," Sam said. "You broke Dewayne's nose after all. I think you can take him." "You're damn right he can take them," Charlie said. "He's got a hell of a right hook." "Knock it off guys," Devyn said. "I don't want to fight them. If I just ignore them, they'll get bored and drop it." The bell rang and the three went their separate ways. Devyn was just turning a corner to go into his class when something hit him. His books went flying and he went sprawling across the floor. "Shit!" he groaned as his body slid. "Oh sorry," Ted smirked. "I didn't see you there." With the way Ted was built, Devyn felt like he'd just been run into by a bull. "Watch the language Mr. Roberts," Mr. Tanner said. "Um sorry sir," Devyn said, a little stunned at the rebuke after having been knocked to the floor. "And you Mr. Adams need to get to your class." Julie had arrived just in time to see Devyn's books go flying as he hit the floor. "Are you all right," she asked. "Yes," Devyn said, as Julie started helping him pick everything up. "That was so not an accident," Julie said as she handed him his books. "Probably not," Devyn said. "Ms. Cassidy," Mr. Tanner said, "if you are done drying Mr. Roberts off, then get to class." Julie glared at Mr. Tanner but said nothing. She just walked with Devyn to their next class. # # # "He called on you a bunch today," Julie said as they walked down the hall towards the cafeteria. As Julie and Devyn were walking past Dewayne and a couple of his buddies, Devyn heard 'fag'. He started to stop. He'd had just about enough from them. He was ready to break Dewayne's nose again. When Julie felt Devyn pause, she pushed him forward. She didn't want him to get in trouble and there were more of them than him. "Chicken," Dewayne called. "Chicken faggot." "Don't," Julie said, holding onto Devyn's arm. She could feel his muscles flex and feel him start to pull away. "I've had enough." Devyn's voice was hard, his hand clenched into a fist as he turned to confront Dewayne. Julie tightened her grip. She knew they were just trying to provoke him. "Let it go for now. He's trying to force you into something. Don't let him." "You're right," Devyn said, still clenching his fist. "But I'd still like to kick his ass." "Not now." Julie gripped his arm tighter. Her soft hand was sliding from his forearm to wrap around his bicep. She could feel the hard muscle from all the work on the farm. "Damn I wish you were straight. You're so cute and damn muscular." She squeezed his bicep. Devyn grinned. "You're funny." "Made you smile," She grinned and caught his eye. "But it's also true. If you were straight... well, who knows." "Why didn't you say something before?" Devyn asked. "Oh, several of us thought you were damn cute," Julie said. "But you started hanging out with Dewayne and his skuzzy friends. Plus, there were all of those rumors about you." Devyn knew Julie was trying to distract him and he appreciated it. "What rumors?" "Oh, stupid stuff," Julie offered. Stuff like you'd been in jail. You'd murdered someone. There was even one that you were in witness protection." "Who comes up with this stuff?" Devyn asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who knows." Julie rolled her eyes. "It's a small town. Everybody talks, and nobody gets anything right." The two made it to class before the bell and the rest of Devyn's day went smoothly. He thought he heard a couple more people mutter 'fag' here and there but he wasn't sure. On the bus ride home Travis filled Devyn in on his day. It sounded pretty easy compare to his and he was incredibly happy about that. When he got home, he changed his clothes and started doing his chores. If Travis wasn't following him around, he was following Joe. The harvest was in full swing and Joe had less time to spend with Travis, so Devyn took up the slack. Joe was there, and Devyn knew he only had to ask, but Devyn didn't want to. He owed Joe for putting up with him while he was screwing off with Dewayne and his crowd. Now that he knew what was important all he wanted to do was help Joe with the farm and Travis. Tonight Joe made it in for an early dinner and they were all able to eat together. "You have a good day at school?" Joe asked. "It was about like any other day," Devyn said. "Are you getting much grief?" Joe knew that Devyn was being harassed. "There's some trash talk," Devyn said. "It doesn't bother me." He was fibbing a bit but he didn't want Joe to know how bad things were at school. He didn't want Tanner to have any reason to call social services. "Mr. Hanks said you were doing great in his class." Joe was studying Devyn closely. He could see the boy wasn't being completely honest but he wanted to give him the chance to handle things on his own. "Mr. Hanks is great," Devyn said honestly. "Where did you run into him?" "In the grain line," Joe answered. "The line was long and we had a chance to talk for a bit." Devyn looked into Joe's eyes. He saw the man's concern for him. "Honestly, there are a few guys that like picking on me. I can handle it." "If I need to talk to..." Devyn cut Joe off. "Joe, really, it's fine." He didn't want Joe getting involved, the man had enough to deal with already. "It's just talk. Words can't hurt me. They're just a couple of pricks." "Just let me know if you need me to do anything," Joe said. "I can talk to Ed Tanner." "It's fine," Devyn said. "If it gets worse, I'll let you know." "You had better," Joe said. "Also, while I was in the line, I talked to the attorney about getting custody of you and Travis." Devyn looked up, ready for some good news. "He thinks it won't be any problem adopting you. Due to your age and the reports from the social worker, the judge is likely to give a lot of weight to what you want ." "That's great." Devyn was hopeful. It would be a relief not having to worry about being taken away from Joe and Travis. "What about Travis?" "Travis will be more tricky," Joe said. "He is gathering the reports and I'm faxing him the will and the documents from Ben and Hannah giving me custody." Devyn glanced over at Travis then looked back to Joe. "I hope that works out. If, um, if my being here hinders it, I, um could go..." "No way in hell," Joe said softly but firmly, stopping Devyn mid sentence. "You're staying right here and so is Travis." "I just mean if it gives you a better outcome for Travis, I could go back to my folks," Devyn said. He hated the idea but if it meant keeping Travis with Joe, he would make the sacrifice. "Or maybe I could live with Grandma. She might be alright with that." "Not happening," Joe said. "I mean, unless you'd rather live with Roberta than me." "I love Grandma, but my home is here with you and Travis. I just want to do what's best for him." "Having his big brother here is what's best for him," Joe said. "I just wanted you to know where things stood. It's really in the hands of the attorney and we'll get his opinion once he's reviewed everything." "Joe," Devyn said, looking at the man across the table. "Yes," Joe said, meeting Devyn's eyes. "I love you." Joe could see the sincerity in the boy's eyes and he could hear it in the boy's words. Joe's lips curved up into a smile. "I love you, too." # # # Devyn didn't have any incidents at school for the next few days. He hoped maybe everyone had gotten it out of their systems. He could still feel people staring at him. He could see the angry glares from Dewayne and his buddies, but they were leaving him alone and that was all he really wanted. Then on Friday things changed. Devyn opened his locker to find the word 'faggot' written on the inside of the door. "What the hell," Sam said, seeing the word before Devyn. "Fuck," Devyn could hear snickering behind him. He wanted to turn and confront whoever it was but resisted. "How the hell did it get on the inside?" Sam asked. "No idea." Devyn heard the laughter again. He was sure it was Dewayne or Dale. He clenched his hand into a fist trying not to turn and punch whichever one of the jerks it was. How did they get into his locker? "Did you give anyone your combination?" Sam asked. "No," Devyn responded. He was still stunned by the bold dark letters that stood out against the light gray of the door. Devyn rubbed at the black letters, they didn't even smear. "What the hell am I going to do?" He didn't want to see 'that' every time he opened his locker. "You'll have to get something from the office to try to clean it off," Sam said. "If Sally doesn't have something, I'm sure one of the janitors will." "Yeah, I guess," Devyn said, slamming the door. He started towards the office. "Looks like the fairy is upset." Devyn turned, unsure of the voice, although he suspected it was Ted. He already knew the guy was a prick. Devyn hadn't realized he'd clenched his hand into a fist. He wanted so badly to punch the smug smile off Ted's face. "They're jerks," Sam said, glaring at Ted and his buddies from the football team. "Oh, are you a fag, too?" Ted asked, looking at Sam. "Fuck off," Sam said. "Is that what you two do, fuck each other," Ted said, sneering at the two. Devyn stepped closer to Ted. He'd had as much abuse as he could stand. "Fuck you." "You're the faggot," Ted said. "You're the one that gets fucked." "Go to hell." Devyn took another step towards Ted. "Devyn," Sam said as he saw Dale and the other guys moving to back Ted. "I bet you'd like to get fucked by all of us," Ted said. Ted slammed his hands into Devyn's chest pushing the other boy back. Devyn wasn't going to be pushed around any longer. He'd tried to overlook all the slurs. He'd tried to be the better man, ignoring Ted and the others. But he wasn't going to be bullied any longer. He knew he could take Ted. He might even be able to take Dale at the same time. Stepping forward he forcefully pushed Ted back. Ted had underestimated Devyn's strength. He stumbled backwards slamming into the lockers with a crash. He could hear a couple of his football buddies laughing at him. "You dirty fag." Hurling himself at Devyn, he slammed him into the lockers on the opposite side of the hall. "Fucking little queer." The loud crash of bodies slamming into lockers sounded up and down the hall and a crowd gathered quickly. Devyn's head slammed against the lockers as he was pinned by the senior. Ted was pressing all his weight against Devyn. "Get the fuck off!" Devyn shoved Ted forcing him back a step. "Oh, I thought you liked having a real man on top of you," Ted said. "A little fag like you likes it rough, right?" Ted spit in Devyn's face. Devyn slammed his fist into Ted and was rewarded with a loud grunt of pain from the larger boy. He pushed Ted back across the hall towards the other bank of lockers. He wanted a little room to maneuver so he could use Ted's bulk against him. "You fucking dirt bag!" Devyn was about to bring his leg up and cause Ted some real pain when a voice cut through the struggle. "Enough!" Mr. Tanner barked. "What's going on?" "The fairy attacked me." Releasing Devyn, Ted backed away sneering. Devyn wiped the spit from his face. He turned to look at Mr. Tanner. "He started it," Devyn tried to explain. Looking at Devyn, Mr. Tanner said, "Go to my office." Turning to Ted, "And you Mr. Adams, get to your class." "What?" Devyn cried out. "You heard me Mr. Roberts," Mr. Tanner said. "Go to my office." Devyn turned and stomped away. He heard Mr. Tanner order everyone back to class. "The freak show is over," Mr. Tanner said. "But Ted...," Sam tried to explain that Ted had started it, but Mr. Tanner wasn't hearing any of it. "You get to class, too," Mr. Tanner told Sam. "But you need to hear...," Sam began again. "Did you not understand me?" Tanner said, looking at Sam. "You need to get to class NOW!" "But Devyn didn't start this," Sam said. "It was Ted." "Do you want to go to the office?" Mr. Tanner asked staring at Sam. "We didn't do anything," Sam said. "If you want to suffer along with Mr. Roberts, I can make that happen," Mr. Tanner said. Stacy had been quietly watching the end of the confrontation after being drawn in by all the commotion. She knew she needed to get Sam out of there before he got himself into trouble. "But you don't...," Sam's words were cut off as Stacy grabbed his arm. "Come on Sam." Stacy pulled Sam away as she was talking. "Leave it. You're going to make it worse." "It isn't fair," Sam muttered. "You'll only get yourself into trouble and it might make things worse for Devyn," Stacy said as she continued to drag Sam down the hall. # # # "Oh, hi Devyn," Sally, the office secretary, said when he came into the office. "What can I do for you?" "Mr. Tanner ordered me here," Devyn explained. "Oh," Sally said, surprised. Mr. Tanner walked in the office door. "Follow me Mr. Roberts." He led Devyn into his office and closed the door behind them. "Sit," Mr. Tanner ordered. Devyn sat in the chair that faced the desk. Mr. Tanner stood looming over the teenager. "I don't know how things worked at your previous school, but I don't allow fighting in MY school," putting extra emphasis on the word `my'. "This is the second time I've found you picking a fight." "I wasn't picking a fight...," Devyn began but was abruptly cut off by Mr. Tanner's hand slamming down on his desk. Devyn jumped. "You, Mr. Roberts, don't seem to understand the school rules." Mr. Tanner began. "In this room, I do the talking. You are here to listen, obey and hopefully learn. Is that clear?" "Yes sir." Devyn wanted to tell the asshole to fuck off but he knew he couldn't. It would only cause more grief for him and Joe. "Good," Mr. Tanner said. "Twice this week I've caught you picking a fight with Mr. Adams. I'm giving you two detentions. One for each instance. You will report here right after school today and again Friday. Perhaps if you spend more time learning the school rules you'll spend less time breaking them." "I can't...," Devyn was once again cut off by Mr. Tanner. "You seem to be confused Mr. Roberts," Mr. Tanner said, glaring. "This is not optional." "But I have to be on the bus with my, um, little brother." Devyn knew that Travis would be confused if he didn't show up. The kid had been through so much and he didn't want to upset him unnecessarily. Mr. Tanner grabbed Devyn forcing the teenager's face up at a painful angle. He held the teen, staring down at him. "That lie just earned you an additional detention. I've checked into you. I know everything about you. And that boy isn't your brother." Mr. Tanner said the word `boy' with such contempt that Devyn wondered what the man could have against Travis. He could only assume that it had to do with Travis being deaf. "I know exactly what kind of filth you are. You're nothing but trash. Your grades from last year prove what a slacker you are. You're a piece of foster care trash that Joe picked up off the street. His judgment has never been right. Oh yeah, I know just what kind of trash you are. You'll be lucky to graduate." Devyn wondered just who this asshole thought he was. Yes, Devyn's grades started out poorly last year, but he was doing great the spring semester. If this man thought he wasn't going to graduate, he would be surprised. Mr. Tanner didn't know just how stubborn Devyn could be. "You're not being fair." Devyn knew he was getting screwed over by this homophobe. He knew all this had to be because he was gay. "I didn't do anything wrong. Ted started both those fights." Devyn winced in pain as Mr. Tanner's fingers dug into his shoulder. "You are worthless just like that pathetic guardian of yours. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt last year. But you proved just what kind of trouble you are. You are a slacker. Your grades from last year prove that. You're nothing but a troublemaker and I will not have that in MY school." "My grades were good by the end of last year," Devyn said, defending himself. "Your issue with me is because I'm gay, which is..." Mr. Tanner's fingers dug deeper into Devyn's shoulder. Devyn gritted his teeth. "It appears you aren't that bright. Did I not tell you in this room I do the talking? If I get much more trouble out of you, I may just have to reach out to my contacts at Family Services. Just think of what might happen if I report how much of a troublemaker you are. Just imagine what might happen if I tell them how you pick on other students and start fights. They would probably be very interested to know about your drinking and drug use." Devyn's heart sank. Just because things went great with Mrs. Grubb the other day didn't mean a report from Tanner couldn't mess things up. He knew Tanner couldn't actually know about the drugs and alcohol at the parties last fall. It wasn't like the man had been there. But then, everyone probably knew what went on at the lake and the old barn. Devyn didn't want anything to mess up the life he had with Joe and Travis. If they ended up in front of a different judge, Joe might lose custody. It was not as though Devyn could use his past to influence a different judge. Even if they were to go before judge Green, the man might still take Travis from Joe. He could tell Tanner didn't like Joe and was just looking for an excuse to mess his life up. He knew he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen. There was no price too high to protect Joe and Travis. "Do we understand each other?" Mr. Tanner asked releasing his hold. Devyn swallowed hard. "Yes sir," he answered hanging his head in defeat. "Good," Mr. Tanner said, again grabbing Devyn's shoulder and digging his fingers painfully into the flesh. "Now get to class. I don't want any more drama out of you. No fights, no yelling contests in the hall. Nothing but proper behavior." "Yes sir," Devyn said. Devyn stomped out, glancing over at Sally. She must have seen something in his eyes. "Everything alright?" she asked. "Um, yes," Devyn paused. "Um, do you happen to have anything to clean my locker?" "Clean your locker?" she asked. "Yes, someone wrote something inside of it," he said. "Wrote something?" she questioned slightly confused. "Something offensive," Devyn added. "Oh, let me look in the supply closet." She got up and left for a couple of minutes. She returned with a spray bottle and a rag. "Try this." "Thanks," Devyn said taking the cleaner and leaving the office. Devyn hurried from the office to his locker. First period had already started and the hallway was deserted. Devyn sprayed the cleaner onto the dark letters and was surprised as they started coming off. It only took him a couple of minutes to remove all the traces of the offensive word. "Thank you," Devyn said after returning to the office and giving Sally the cleaner. "No problem," she said. "Do you need a slip to go back to class?" "Yes please," Devyn replied. "He doesn't get a pass," Mr. Tanner said. Neither of them had heard him come from his office. He stood there in the doorway glaring at them both. "But," Sally began. "No excused absence," Mr. Tanner said. "He made his bed. Now he'll have to lay in it." Devyn could feel the intense, overwhelming hatred in that glare. But he couldn't understand what the issue was. Mr. Tanner had always been a hard ass but never like this. He'd never seemed fond of Devyn, but he'd never been this disdainful to him either. Devyn knew it had to be him coming out. Mr. Tanner must be one of those people that Joe said would never be accepting of them. "You better go to class and hope the teacher is more understanding that I am," Mr. Tanner said as he walked back into his office and slammed the door. "I don't know what his problem is," Sally said. "I'm sorry Devyn." "It's fine, I just don't want any trouble." Devyn said just as the bell started ringing. "Great, I guess I missed the whole period." "Don't be late for your next class," Sally said. "And try to stay out of his way. He, he, well, he's an ass." Devyn smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm figuring that out." Devyn made it through the rest of the morning. He didn't know how he was going to explain things to Joe, or to Travis? Joe had warned him that coming out might cause problems. It looked like he was right. But Devyn could never have guessed it would be this kind of trouble. He expected shit from other students but never the teachers. He headed from his last morning class to the cafeteria. He went through the lunch line and spotted Julie, Charlie, and Sam. He was just about to their table when a foot shot out and tripped him. His tray went flying and he went sprawling. He heard 'clumsy faggot' from someone to his right. He picked himself up and glared in the direction of the voice. He saw Ted and his buddies sitting there laughing at him. The cafeteria had gone silent for a few seconds before the laughter and pointing started. The typical comments could be heard. 'Have a nice fall? Enjoy the trip?' and so on. "You, okay?" Julie asked. "Yes," Devyn said trying to hide his embarrassment. "I can go get you something," Charlie offered. "I'm not really hungry," Devyn said. He saw the janitor already cleaning up the mess. "Sorry Mr. Albert." "Just be more careful," Mr. Albert said. "Yeah," Ted said stepping up next to Devyn. "Be more careful. Try not to be such a flaming queen." "Fuck off Ted," Sam said. "You watch it, too," Ted said. "We have your number." "Oh?" Sam said glaring back. "Yeah, both of yours," Ted said indicating Sam and Charlie. "We know what both of you are." "You don't know shit." The words were out of Charlie's mouth before he even realized it. He bit his lower lip. "Oh, we know," Ted said, "and your big brother will know, too." "You should go," Julie said. "It's just a matter of time before you start to get the same treatment from hanging around with him," Ted warned. Ted sneered as he walked away. Mrs. Jones was watching Ted as she walked up to the table. "Everything alright here?" she asked. "Yes," Devyn said before the others could answer. "You missed my class this morning," she said looking at Devyn. "I, um, was in the office, um, but I didn't get a pass from, um, Mr. Tanner," Devyn explained. "You know normally that would cause you to get a zero on my quiz," she said. "I understand," Devyn said. He couldn't blame Mrs. Jones for what Mr. Tanner had done. He just wished she hadn't chosen today for a pop quiz. "You have study hall last period, correct?" she asked. "Yes Ma'am," Devyn answered. "I'll leave the quiz for you in your study hall," she said. "I'll warn you, it will be harder than what the other students had." "I understand. And thank you." Mrs. Jones nodded as she turned and walked away. "He tripped you," Julie said. "I heard him call you... well... call you, you know," Charlie said. "We should have told her," Sam said. "She's actually kinda cool." "Just let it go guys," Devyn urged. "I can't afford any trouble with Mr. Tanner. He has it in for me. He..., well, I'm screwed if I get into any more trouble." "We won't say anything," Julie said and shot looks at the other two. "But this seems to be getting worse." "It'll blow over," Devyn said. "I understand if you guys don't want to hang out with me anymore. If I were you, I wouldn't want to hang out with me either." "Ted's not going to tell me who I can and can't be friends with," Sam said flatly, defiance in his voice. "Thanks dude," Devyn said. "But I won't take it personal or anything. If you hang around me, he's going to think, well think that you are, um," Devyn's voice got a little softer as he said "gay." "They should be so lucky," Julie said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked. "You two figure it out," Julie said. "I need to hit the girl's room before class." As Julie left, Devyn turned to Sam and Charlie. "It's okay guys. We don't need to hang out at school. I don't want you to have to put up with the shit I am." "It's fine," Sam said. "I can take whatever they dish out. "Thanks," Devyn said. "Are you okay with them thinking you're gay?" "Yeah, sure," Sam said. "I might get more popular with the girls. Hey, that's what she meant. She thinks Devyn is out of our league." They all laughed. "Charlie," Devyn began, looking at his friend. "If you want to put some distance between us, I really do understand." "Screw that," Sam answered for Charlie. "He isn't going to let those pricks decide who his friends are either. Right?" Sam said turning to Charlie. Charlie was glad that his best friend was being supportive of Devyn. But he hesitated because of what Ted had said about his brother, Howard finding out that he was hanging out with Devyn. He knew it was just a matter of time. He really wished Howard had gone back to college instead of taking the year off to learn the family business. "Charlie!" Sam said, surprised at his best friend's delay. "Right," Charlie finally answered. "I'm not going to let them pick my friends either." Devyn couldn't help but be a little hurt by Charlie's hesitation. He had to remind himself that Charlie was struggling with the same issues he was. He had to allow Charlie time to come to terms with himself. He thought Charlie should just tell Sam. He was sure that Sam would understand and be fine with it. But he knew Charlie had to come out at his own pace and in his own way. "Guys, it really is alright with me," Devyn said. "I completely understand." Sam shot Charlie a look before answering. "We will stand by you," he said. "No matter what." Sam glared at Charlie again. "We will," Charlie said after Sam kicked him under the table. "Thanks guys," Devyn said. "I've never had friends like you two before." "We had better get to class," Charlie said. "We don't want to be late." "Yeah, let's get going," Sam said to Charlie. "Later," Devyn said. As they turned the corner, away from Devyn, Sam pulled Charlie aside. "What's up with you?" "What?" Charlie said confused. "You hesitated before you answered," Sam said. "Devyn's a good guy. Does it bother you he's gay?" Charlie felt conflicted. Should he just tell Sam? Should he confess that he was gay and he and Devyn were... well, were they boyfriends? Were they just friends? They hadn't really gone on a date. Would Sam be alright with his best friend being gay? And just that fast Charlie made the decision to come out to Sam. His lips were parting to say the words when... "Well, well, look at this. A couple of little faggots." Dewayne was sneering at Sam and Charlie. "Back off," Sam said. "What, you two enjoying fucking him?" Dewayne said staring at the two younger guys. "Shut the fuck up!" Sam said stepping toe to toe with Dewayne. "Sam," Charlie hissed. "I'll let your brother take care of you." Dewayne was looking at Charlie. "If he can't straighten you out, then you'll get what you deserve." "Shut the fuck up!" Sam said as he clenched his hand into a fist. "Always knew you were a loser." Dewayne said to Sam. "Never thought you were a fag, though." Sam and Dewayne were staring daggers at each other. They were both tensed ready to start slugging it out. Then Mrs. Rogers stepped out of her classroom. "Boys! Is there a problem?" With Dewayne and Sam standing there toe to toe in battle formation, it was pretty obvious there was more than just a problem. "No," they said at the same time. "Then move on," she said. Charlie grabbed Sam and pulled him towards their class. "Let it go. He'll kick your ass." Dewayne was a senior and bigger than both Sam and Charlie. The two sophomores might have been able to handle him together but Charlie knew that would only cause them both more trouble later. "He's a prick," Sam said. "Yeah," Charlie agreed. Sam released Charlie and looked at his best friend in the eye. "You never answered me." "What?" Charlie deflected. "Damn it. Tell me. What is up with you?" "I don't know...," Charlie began. "You do know," Sam said. "Is Devyn being gay a problem for you?" "No," Charlie said. "Then what is it?" "I don't know," Charlie lied. "I know it was a shock," Sam said. "I was surprised. I had no idea, but I like Devyn. He's a cool guy and this shit is wrong." "I agree," Charlie said. "It has to be hard on him and we need to support him," Sam said. "To hell with everyone else. It's only those pricks and they were all fine with him when they thought he was straight and fucking that slut, Mindy. They're all assholes and they don't get to tell me how to run my life." "They're friends with my brother," Charlie said. "Oh," Sam said. "I forgot Howard, the golden child, hung out with them." "He does," Charlie sighed. "You've always worshipped Howard too much," Sam said. "You're too worried about what Howard will think. I know he's your big brother but if he's like Dewayne and Ted, then he's an ass." Howard had never treated Sam very well. He always felt like Howard looked down on him. He'd never said anything to Charlie because he was his best friend and idolized Howard. "Yeah," Charlie said honestly. "Let me ask you this," Sam said. "If I told you I was gay, would you drop me?" "God no," Charlie said. Sam was his best friend. If he were gay, that wouldn't change. "Even if Howard knew?" "No." "Then it shouldn't matter that Devyn is. He's our friend, gay or straight. If you can't stand up for him, then you aren't the guy I thought you were." The bell started ringing and Sam hurried into class not giving Charlie time to answer. Charlie watched Sam disappear into the classroom. He needed to tell him. He would understand. He'd just as much as said so himself. Charlie knew once he told one person, just one, he would feel more relaxed. Sam should be that person. He was his best friend. If he was willing to stand up for Devyn, then he would stand by him, too. Wouldn't he? "Mr. Atwood!" Mr. Parker's voice pulled Charlie from his thoughts. "Are you planning on coming in or do you want to just listen at the door?" Charlie heard other students laughing at the comment. He hurried into the room and took his seat next to Sam. He took out a sheet of paper to write what he wanted to say but the words weren't there. Mr. Parker called on him and he didn't even hear the question. "Stop daydreaming Mr. Atwood and pay attention." # # # "Mr. Roberts," Mrs. Jones said as Devyn started towards his next class. "Yes, Mrs. Jones." "On your way to class?" she asked. "Yes Ma'am." "May I walk with you," she said. "Yes Ma'am." "You know I'm not oblivious to what goes on around here. I know you students sometimes think I am, but I choose to ignore things just to keep everyone guessing. What I'm saying Mr. Roberts is that if you need to talk, I'll be happy to listen and to help. If you have some sort of problem that you need help with?" Devyn heard the question in that last statement. He knew she was opening a door for him. But he didn't know how to walk through it. He needed time to think. "Thank you Mrs. Jones," he said. "I appreciate that. If I need help with stuff, I will, um, let you know." Her lips were curling up into a slight smile as she said, "As you wish. The offer is always there." Devyn realized they had reached his class. He saw that Ted and a couple of his friends were waiting outside the door. "Are you boys afraid to go in?" Mrs. Jones asked. "No," Ted said. She turned to Devyn. "Remember what I said." "Thanks again," Devyn said. He knew that part of her walking him to class was to offer him some help. But he also realized that she was trying to keep Ted and his friends from pushing him around again and he was grateful. She waited for both Devyn and the other boys to go into the classroom before she left. Devyn's last period of the day was study hall. He was relieved that there had been no additional issues during the afternoon. He collected the quiz that Mrs. Jones had left and sat down next to Charlie. He started working on the quiz while Charlie did some homework. Despite Mrs. Jones' warning, Devyn didn't find the quiz that difficult. He wondered if she had actually given him a different one from the rest of the class. He wouldn't put it passed her to keep everyone guessing. Devyn turned the quiz in and whispered to Charlie. He knew the teacher, Mr. Johnson, didn't mind talking if it was soft and didn't disturb anyone. "Um, Charlie, I need a favor," Devyn said. "Would you be able to help me out after school?" Charlie glanced around to see who might be watching or listening. Sam's words echoed in his mind. He knew the right thing to do was to step up. Plus, he was really into Devyn and he wanted them to become more than just friends. He was going to have to stop worrying so much about what Howard thought. His parents were fine with Devyn so he shouldn't care about anyone else. His voice was soft as he answered, "If I can." "Can you ride the bus home with Travis?" "I guess so," Charlie answered. "But I don't know much sign." "I know, but you can write. And, I'll write him a note. I just don't want him to freak out if I'm not there. I can explain to him later in more detail." "Sure." "You won't get into trouble?" Devyn asked. "No, I'll work it out." "Thanks Charlie," Devyn said, relieved that Travis wouldn't have to ride home alone. The final bell rang, and Devyn headed to the office after he paused for a moment to watch as Charlie headed towards the buses. He was still concerned about Travis, but he knew he would be okay with Charlie. The kid was stronger and smarter than most people gave him credit for. "He's on the phone," Sally said as Devyn entered the office. "He wanted me to give you this book." She handed him a binder. "You should probably start reading it. It's the school rules. Like you don't already know them." "He doesn't know them," Mr. Tanner said. The man was like a cat sneaking up on people. "Read them and summarize them in your own words and give me three reasons for each of the rules. If you don't get done today, then you'll finish at your next detention. If you're not done after that, you'll be back here until you're done." Devyn could tell that Mr. Tanner didn't want him to finish. He wanted him to keep coming back for more and more abuse. 'The old fucker doesn't know who he's dealing with,' Devyn thought. This abuse was nothing compared to what Tom had dealt him. Even less compared to the physical punishment caused by several of his customers. Time seemed to drag as Devyn sat there reading and writing. He could feel Mr. Tanner watching him. He could feel the glares and anger coming from the man. After what felt like forever Devyn's detention ended for the day. "See you at the same time Friday," Mr. Tanner said. "Yes sir," Devyn said. He returned the binder to Sally and headed to his locker. He grabbed a couple of books and headed out. He stopped outside an exit trying to decide if he should call Joe or just walk home. The walk would be long and it would make him super late. He thought about calling Lee, but he didn't want to tell Joe about the detention and if he involved Lee, Joe would know. "Need a ride?" Sally asked as she exited the school. "Yes," Devyn said. "But only if it isn't too much trouble." "Not at all," she said. He slid into the passenger seat of her Toyota. Devyn was not sure what to say. He felt a bit awkward, wondering just how much she knew or suspected. "I'm sorry that school has turned into such a hardship," she said after several minutes of silence. Devyn wasn't exactly sure how to respond. He could feel the silence getting more awkward. "Um, thanks." It sounded even more lame being said out loud than it had in his head. "He's always been difficult and a bit of a, um, stern principle but it seems to be worse this year." She glanced at Devyn. "I seem to be bringing it out in him," Devyn said his eyes briefly meeting hers. "For some people, it's hard to break away from childhood issues." She smiled at Devyn as if she knew a little more than she was saying. "I think you just remind him of someone that he had a grudge with." "So is it..." Devyn paused both needing to find out and fearing to make things worse. "Is it the rumor that I am gay?" He added the 'rumor' part to make it easier on them both. "I think that has awakened some old demons for him," she confirmed. "I'm hopeful that he'll get them under control." Devyn wasn't sure the man wanted to get those 'demons' under control. "It feels like he and some of the students are gunning for me." "I've noticed that some of them have been rough on you," she said. "You kids don't think I know what's going on because I'm stuck in the office most of the time but I do see stuff. I'll keep my eye out for trouble and try to do what I can for you." "Thanks," Devyn said. "It's going to be a long year for me." "Just try to avoid them as much as you can," she suggested. "They may lose interest in you." "I hope so," Devyn said. "I always thought it was beautiful out here," she said as they turned down the road to the farm. Devyn had to agree with her. The trees were still a rich color of green. The leaves hadn't started turning yet. The trees blended well into the rolling hills of the green pasture ground and the golden tan of the ripening soybeans. "I'd never considered myself living somewhere like this before," Devyn said. "But now I can't imagine living anywhere else." Sally pulled to a stop in front of the house. "Tell Joe I said hello." "I will," Devyn said. "You could come in and tell him yourself." "No," she said. "I can't today. Maybe some other time." "Thanks again," Devyn said as he slid out of the car. "Anytime you have detention," she said, "I'll be happy to give you a lift." "Thanks," Devyn said. "I appreciate it. I didn't want to bother Joe with this. He's busy this time of year." "Joe will understand," she said. "You should tell him. He might be able to help." "Thanks," Devyn said. "I will... when he's less busy. Like after the harvest." "He'll understand Devyn," she gently pressed. "I know," he said. "He's the most understanding man I know." "Bye," she said as she started around the drive and back down the hill. Devyn knew there would always be jerks in the world but there were more than enough nice people, like Sally, to counteract them. Devyn walked up to the house and into the kitchen. He found Charlie playing cards with Travis. "Oh, am I glad to see you," Charlie said. "Is everything alright?" Devyn asked aloud and signed to Travis. "I've got to learn to sign better," Charlie stated. "Travis says he's been having a blast," Devyn said. "I hope so," Charlie said. "Thanks for doing this for me," Devyn said. He placed his hand on Charlie's shoulder and then, leaning down, he gave Charlie a soft kiss on the lips. Devyn felt Charlie tense up and glance at Travis. "No, um, problem." Charlie could feel his face starting to burn. He didn't know why he was embarrassed by being kissed in front of Travis. "I have another detention on Friday," Devyn said. "I'm sure it will be as bad as this one." "That's so not fair," Charlie said. "You didn't start this. Every time it's been Ted or Dewayne or that jackass Dale picking on you." "I know," Devyn said. "But life isn't fair." "I called my mom and told her where I was," Charlie said. "She's okay with me being here. If I need a ride home, she'll come and get me." "I can give you a ride when Joe gets home," Devyn said. "He has the truck out in the field." "No problem," Charlie said. "If he's too late, I'll just call her." "I need to get to my chores, but there is something else I want first." Devyn made a couple of quick signs to Travis who nodded and ran upstairs. "You want to help me with my chores?" "Sure," Charlie said getting up. "But didn't you say you needed to do something else first." "Yes, this." Devyn pulled Charlie closer. He slid his arms around the boy and moved in for another kiss. His lips pressed to Charlie's, his tongue flicking across Charlie's lips as they parted allowing him inside. The two teenagers' tongues met. Charlie slid his arms around Devyn and held him tight. They kissed long and slow. "I've wanted to do that all day," Devyn said, still holding Charlie. "Hmmm," Charlie said. "I like it." "You know I understand your hesitation at lunch today," Devyn began. "It's alright..." Charlie held up his hand. "It wasn't alright. I should have been more like Sam and jumped to defend you like he did. I'm sorry I'm not..." "I know it is hard," Devyn said pressing a finger to Charlie's lips. "I understand. If you need distance, it's alright." "Thanks," Charlie said. "It'll all work out. I'm glad we get to be here like this." "Me too, and thanks again for taking care of Travis," Devyn said kissing Charlie once more. "Hi guys," Joe said coming in. Charlie jumped back and felt his face turning red, embarrassed like he was caught doing something he shouldn't be. "Hey," Devyn said. "You're in early tonight." "I finished up and didn't want to start on the other field." Joe's lips were twitching as he tried to fight down his amusement at Charlie's reaction to being caught. "I think those beans aren't quite ready. I'm sorry if I interrupted something." "No," Charlie said. "We, um, were just talking." "Yeah," Joe said. "Talking. I've never seen two people talking with their lips pressed together before. When I was in school, we called it kissing." Joe reached out and ruffled Charlie's blonde hair. The boy was so cute when he blushed. Devyn's lips twitched as he glanced over at Charlie. "Yeah, we were kissing." Charlie felt his face burn a little hotter. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed about kissing. Joe was one of the few people that understood. "Have you been doing this every night while I was working late?" Joe asked grinning. "No," Devyn smirked. "Charlie just came out for a while. I told him I'd drive him home, if you don't mind loaning me the truck." "Nope," Joe said tossing Devyn the keys. "It's backed into the shed still hooked to the wagon. I was going to haul the beans off in the morning." "I can unhook it." Devyn put the keys in his pocket. "I'm, um, sorry. I, um, got a little behind tonight. I haven't done my chores or started on dinner." "You slacker," Joe said noticing something pass over Devyn's face. The word reminded Devyn of his lecture from Mr. Tanner. But it stung more coming from Joe. "You know I'm joking," Joe said reaching over to give Devyn's shoulder a squeeze. "I just got behind tonight," Devyn said, looking down at the floor. He didn't want to meet Joe's gaze. "It's not a problem," Joe said, his voice tender realizing he'd struck a nerve. "I was teasing you. You are in no way a slacker. I could never get all the cooking and cleaning and harvesting done without you. Not to mention taking care of Travis. You deserve a little rest." "Thanks," Devyn said. "I'll go get started on my chores." "I'll help," Charlie put in. "I'll throw together dinner," Joe said. # # # "Alright," Charlie said, unnerved by the awkward silence. Devyn had hardly spoken since they started the chores. "What's wrong?" "Nothing," Devyn said, but he didn't meet the soft blue of Charlie's eyes. "Devyn," Charlie said seriously. "Something happened, I'm not sure what, but please talk to me." "That comment Joe made about me being a slacker," Devyn said. "You aren't," Charlie said. "Joe knows that. He was just teasing you." "Tanner said the same thing to me. He called me a slacker." Devyn stared at the bucket he was filling with water. "He's a prick," Charlie said. "Ignore him. It isn't true. You are no slacker." "Thanks," Devyn said lifting the bucket and sitting it in the pin for the calves. Charlie put the empty feed bucket down as he walked toward Devyn, pulling him in and hugging him. "Don't let anything that jerk says get to you. He's an ass. He's being a total dickwad." Devyn's lips curved up into a smile. It felt so good having Charlie hold him and comfort him. It made him feel much better. "Thanks," Devyn said as they briefly kissed again. # # # Devyn drove Charlie home after dinner. "Thanks again," Devyn said as they pulled into Charlie's driveway. Devyn squeezed his friend's leg. "Maybe you should just stay over Friday night. I mean if you don't mind riding the bus home with Travis again while I serve my detention?" "You mean spend the night with you?" Charlie asked. "Yeah," Devyn said. "That's if you want to." "I, um, definitely want to." Charlie could feel his stomach doing flips at the idea of spending the night with Devyn. Charlie couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more. "I'll check with my folks." "Then we can plan on it." Devyn was excited. It had been a long time since he'd slept next to someone he cared about. Well, he'd slept next to Joe a few times but that wasn't the same thing. Devyn might have had sexual feelings for Joe but the feelings for Charlie were different. He wasn't sure exactly how, but they were. "I'll let you know what my folks say but I'm sure it'll be alright." Charlie closed the truck door and headed towards the house. He heard Devyn backing out of the driveway and turned to watch as he pulled into the street and waved goodbye. He waved back and headed into the house. Charlie stepped inside and found Howard blocking his way. "I saw you," he said. "Saw me what?" Charlie felt his stomach drop. What had Howard seen? They hadn't done anything. "I've warned you," Howard said. You need to stop hanging out with that trash." "There's nothing wrong with Devyn," Charlie said. "What were you doing with him?" Howard demanded. "Just hanging out," Charlie said, trying to push passed his brother. "Not so fast little bro." Howard put out a hand stopping Charlie. "We aren't done!" "Look," Charlie said, "We hung out after school. I'm not sure what your problem is." "You need to drop that trash," Howard said. Sam's words from earlier were still fresh in his mind. He knew he needed to stand up for Devyn and this was a good time to start. "Sam and I think Devyn's a good guy." "Sam's a loser," Howard said. "Hanging around with that worthless fag is only going to get you hurt." "You don't get to tell me who I can be friends with," Charlie said defiantly. "I will not have a little brother hanging around with that." Howard thumped Charlie in the chest to punctuate his words. "Stay away from him. I don't want my little brother getting hurt. My buddies will only go so far to keep you out of it. Yeah, I know from Ted and Dewayne that you and that little piece of trash Sam are hanging around with him at school. You need to stay away from both of them." "You don't get to pick my friends," Charlie said angrily. "Sam's my best friend and that isn't going to change. Just back off." Frustrated, he forcefully pushed past his brother. Part of him felt brave for standing up to Howard. Part of him felt sick about not having his brother's approval. Copyright 2021 by Keith yates (keith.96@att.net) all rights reserved. Character is much easier kept than recovered. Thomas Paine A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right. Thomas Paine