Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 22:38:08 -0400 From: Jay Kool Subject: My So Called Life - Chapter Three "My So Called Life" -- Chapter Three by Jay Kool (jaykool74@hotmail.com) The second day of school... Once again I was being awoken by my mother telling me to get up before she drags me out of bed. I think that she may be joking, but I've never tested her on that threat yet. I don't think I've ever really tested my mother on anything for as long as I remember. I've always been the good son that she's wished for, the good straight son, only I know that I'm gay. I crawled out of bed vaguely remembering why I had to get up at this awful hour in the morning; yeah I had to go to school today. Even though yesterday turned out better than I imagined it would, I still didn't want to go to school. It was only a matter of time before everyone discovered what wimpy dork I was, and then the daily hassling and beatings would begin. Most people want to believe that their child is not a victim of a bully, but the school system if full of bullies. Physical and mental abuses abound and thrive in an environment where money and athletic ability determine your status in society. Utopian school systems are myths that parent believe exists. How can a child become a normal adult when they are constantly annoyed and picked on growing up by their peers? It is impossible. I'm surprised more students don't do drugs and succumb to suicide. I know that I'm not normal and will probably turn out to be a lonely college professor or something. Respected but hated by my peers simultaneously. Yes my future is as bleak as my past. I get ready for school following the same routine and head out the door. I would have forgotten my lunch money if my mother hadn't stopped me giving me the money for yesterday and today. She told me to pay back whoever I borrowed from yesterday and to have a nice day at school. My mother was becoming more attentive and motherly now that my father is busy with work and we live in a smaller town. I guess she has nothing better to do. I finally made it out the door and was on my way to the bus stop when I saw my bus pass me by. Shit I was going to miss the bus; boy did I have good luck. I ran as fast as I could to the bus stop, but I still missed the bus. I was living another day in paradise once again with no end in sight for my movie of errors. I started back toward home when my mother passed me on her way to work. I noticed that she stopped the car and backed up to me telling me to get in. I guess she was surprised that I missed the bus, but not disappointed. She talked about her new co-workers as I sat silently half listening to her, nodding my head once in a while. It didn't seem to faze her that she had to drive me to school. We arrived at Bradley Middle and she let me out of the car blowing me a kiss, at least she didn't get out of the car and hug me or something. The blown kiss may go unnoticed by my peers, but as my luck would have it Murphy's Law was in full force and effect. Billy was by the door and started to make fun of me receiving a kiss from my mother. He started to taunt me about missing the bus asking if I was afraid of tripping into Jim's ass again. Today was going to be a tough day. I took Billy's abuse as I tried to enter into the school to get to my homeroom. Billy grabbed me by my shirt and swung me around into the brick façade of the school. "Don't you ever tell me to fuck off you pansy assed mother fucking gay wad! I'll kick your ass and your boyfriends from here to the moon and back. If you aren't careful you'll be eating my fist for lunch today asshole!" he yelled at me before he spit on my face. I guess I was just standing there staring blankly at Billy shaking in my boots when he decided to punch me in the stomach and knee me in my private parts. His punch took my breath away and I had trouble breathing as he went into school. I fell to the ground in pain waiting for it to subside when the last bell rang and I was late to homeroom again. Murphy's Law was still working against me today. I finally stood to my feet still breathless as I entered into the school heading toward homeroom. As I was half-way to homeroom I was hit in the head with an AAA battery. What the heck was going on, as I turned around Billy punched me square in the jaw knocking me on the ground. "By the way if you tell anyone about what happened outside or here I'll beat the living daylights out of you Tinkerbelle." Billy threatened as he walked off to his homeroom. I was still a bit dazed from hitting my head on the ground after Billy hit me when I noticed someone calling my name. It was David asking if I was okay, "Tyler dude, you okay. Did you fall or something? Are you okay you don't look so good?" I think I shook my head yes as David helped me to my feet. We started walking to class when I felt my stomach tumble and I started to puke on the floor. David and I went to the bathroom where he wetted a paper towel to wipe my face off. "Dude maybe you should go to the nurse's office, you look pretty sick." David stated as we started to walk out of the bathroom. David led me to the nurse's station where he filled in the nurse on what he saw. He told her that I fainted twice yesterday which I used as my alibi instead of telling them that Billy basically knocked my block off in the hallway. The nurse called my mother at the high school filling her in on what was happening with me, telling her that she thought that I had a concussion from hitting my head when I fainted in the hallway today. David was sent back to class as I lay in bed closing my eyes for a minute. I awoke to a commotion when the nurse reentered the office. She told me that I needed to stay awake until a doctor verified that I was okay, that I could choke on my vomit in my sleep. The nurse told me not to worry that going to the hospital was a common thing to prevent complications incase of a concussion. I wasn't actually worried as much as I was scared about them guessing that Billy beat me up. My mother came to the school and took me to the hospital as instructed by the nurse. On the way to the hospital my mother asked me what really happened? She didn't believe that I fainted hitting my head hard enough to cause a concussion. I never lied to my parents and I couldn't lie to her now, so I didn't say anything. She chalked up my inability to provide her with an answer to me not feeling well. I dodged the bullet for now, but for how long can hide the truth from my friends and family? How long can I lie about being beat up at school and about being gay? Once we were at the hospital emergency room, I was admitted and my mother notified my father that I had fainted at school and was being checked for a concussion. After being checked out by an Indian doctor, I was told that I would have to spend a night in the hospital for observation. They took me in the elevator to my new room and gave me some medication I took before I drifted out of consciousness. I was stirred awake by my mother and father discussing what was potentially causing me to faint at school. They received the details of yesterday in addition to today from David via the nurse. My mother started to verify David's story concerning me. "Did you faint at school?" I answered yes; it wasn't lying because she didn't ask when I fainted at school. She quit questioning me at this point and apologized for not trusting me, but she was worried I was being tormented by a bully that David had mentioned. It really hurt to lie to my mother about fainting or should I say not specifying when I fainted. I let her draw false conclusions on her own. At this point I couldn't look her in the eye when she was talking so I pretended to fall asleep. It was a dirty trick but I felt less guilt than see her worrying about me. She and her father both kissed me on my forehead before they left the room telling the nurse that they'd be back after work and to not hesitate to call if something happens. The morning and afternoon passed quickly and before I knew it, David was at my bedside telling me that I was the latest school news. He told me that many of the hottest girls were worried about me. I thought he was joking until he produced a card that was signed by five of them. I doubted the signatures until he swore upon his mother's grave that each signature was authentic. How can I be so well liked at this school? I thanked David for coming to see me and helping me to the nurse's office. He joked that he would've tripped on me otherwise and that he was paid a kiss from each girl to deliver the card. I knew it was just banter and left it go at that. I started to ask David why everyone was being so nice to me when he told me to be quiet and to get my rest that I had a lot of homework to do tomorrow. He said that I couldn't slack and pretend to be sick to get a day off school anymore, that he'd let this one incident go since I was a new student. I almost felt as if the principal were talking instead of David. When he was leaving he kissed me on the forehead telling me to get well that he needed me on the football team in gym class. He accused me of being the reason why his team won yesterday and not today. I think I'm falling in love with David, his voice, his manner, his looks, and his eyes all had a hold on my heart. I thought about David until my parents showed up about five minutes before dinner. They noticed that I looked better and seemed to be in a good mood considered where I was. My parents kept me company until the nurse came in and told them that they should go home because I needed my sleep. The nurse took the tray of food that I barely touched shaking her head like I did something wrong because I couldn't eat the slop they tried to pass off as food. My mother never said anything about me skipping the meal and I was surprised, I guess she had other things on her mind. The nurse came back to the room and shooed my parents out of the room after I received a kiss from my parents on the forehead next to where David had kissed me earlier. I fell asleep and sleep the whole night without any incidents. If you like this story series so far, you may want to read my other story series: Gay --> high school --> Music Store Teens Bi --> college --> College Firsts Any non-flamer feedback is welcome, email me at jaykool74@hotmail.com