Sneak Out (4) “Hallo Cyclops” A longhaired boy named Reece said, addressing Blake. “Careful, these boys are obviously here to start trouble, please try not to loose your temper. I didn’t come along today to watch my little brother get beaten up” Gene muttered. Tee nodded slightly. “So how is your bird doing?” Josh asked Rocket. “Josh, birds have feathers women have skin get it right.” Sarah said, Rocket stood up. “Stop him” Gene growled. Tee got to his feet and placed his hand on Rocket’s shoulder. “They are looking for a fight, don’t satisfy them.” He said. “Does that mean we can do anything and you wont fight us?” Josh asked. He beckoned to Reece and walked around the front of one of the benches. He stood in front of Blake and reached his hand down intending to pull aside his fringe. Fast as lightning Blake wiped his hand up and caught Josh’s wrist. Tee felt a hand slide along his shoulders and across the back of his neck, he turned to find Gina standing there. Her school blouse had the top two buttons undone and her skirt resembled a belt. “I haven’t spoken to you in a while” she cooed. “Are you trying to be sexy?” Tee asked. Gina’s eyes widened. “Not if you don’t want me to be.” She said almost innocently. “I don’t want you to be anything” Tee muttered. “Sure? I’ll do anything you want.” “You are Josh’s slut not mine.” Tee said just loud enough for only her to hear. She got to her feet and went to slap him but someone caught her wrist, it was Josh. “Darling, there is no need for that. I have already made arrangements with our Rocket. I’ll expect to see you at the skate park Saturday night, Tee. My brother will be there, I was going to tell you to bring yours but then I remembered…you don’t have one.” Josh said, a flicker of amusement in his voice. Tee smiled at Gene but he didn’t return the smile. Josh’s group walked away just as the bell rang signalling the end of lunch. The next two periods flew by and before he knew it Tee was walking home Gene once again by his side. Gene hadn’t spoken a word all afternoon. His expression had remained serious. He finally spoke “You aren’t going Saturday.” “Why?” Tee asked. “Because there is going to be a fight.” “Well thank you captain obvious” “No I’m serious Tee. “ “I can handle a fight, why are you so worried anyway? It is not like I am going to die!” Tee added “Tee, I am worried because you might!” “Why? No one is going to beat me to death with a metal pole!” “Josh’s brother do you know his name?” “No” “Josh’s brother’s name is Bryan. The reason I am so worried is because Bryan is the one who killed me and Josh…He helped.” Chapter ten Tee stopped and looked up at his brother. “If you think telling me that is going to stop me from going Saturday you couldn’t be more wrong.” He muttered. Gene looked disappointed. “You don’t get it do you? Bryan got me…if he knows that you know…he will get you too. Do you have any idea how that would make me feel? My brother, 15 years old the rest of his life ahead of him killed because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut!” “You are only 17! Your life is over, he took it from you. He deserves to…” Gene grabbed Tee’s hand. “We can talk more about this at home. What would one of your friends think if they walked down here and saw you shouting at air?” They were home within 5 minutes; Tee let himself in and ran up to his room. He slumped on his bed as Gene settled down in the armchair. “I am going Saturday and you aren’t going to stop me. I wont tell Josh or Bryan that I know they killed you. I’ll just make sure I kill them.” Tee growled. “Oh no you don’t. Beat Josh to a pulp but don’t you dare kill him. My brother will not be a murderer!” Just then there was a knock at the door. Tee crossed the room and opened his bedroom door; standing in the hall was Blake. “Um…sorry for coming in like this…your scary butler guy let me in and…sent me up.” Blake said “Every mansion needs a scary butler.” Tee smiled turning around and walking back into his room. Blake followed. Blake was not wearing his school uniform; he was in a pair of green skin-tight trousers and a tight black top. His fringe was neatly straightened over his left eye and he wore green lipstick on his lips and neon orange eye shadow with thick black eyeliner. His eyelashes had been coated in glitter. “You don’t look like your just visiting a friend, you look like your going to some sort of party!” Tee commented. “If I was going to a party I would be wearing face paint” Blake glanced around the room, there was obviously something on his mind. “What’s up?” Tee finally asked him. “Look, Tee I don’t think you should go Saturday…the fight. It is all around you. I don’t know why but they hold a grudge…Josh holds a grudge.” Gene’s eyes widened and he sat bolt upright in the chair he remembered something Bryan had said to Josh the night he was killed. “All Brome family kids are scum. They live in a mansion and still cannot afford decent clothes. First I take down Gene, so he can’t get in the way when you take out his brother.” Gene looked up at Tee and said “He wants to kill you because you are my brother not because you have done anything wrong” “He doesn’t hold a grudge” Tee said revelation filling his voice “He wants to kill me because I am Gene’s brother. “He wants to what?” Blake gaped at Tee. “I am 15 and my life is already in danger.” “Like Josh would kill anyone. He is a harmless twerp!” Blake still managed to keep his voice low and calm. Gene could tell what Tee was going to say next, he waved his hands around. “Don’t you even think about it!” He warned. “He killed my brother” Tee muttered. Blake’s eyes widened. “Which just goes to show. You cannot go Saturday!” Blake’s voice became urgent. “I have to and there is nothing you can say that will stop me. I have come a long way in three days. I have gone from suicidal to happy and now I want revenge. I want to beat Josh so hard. I am going to beat Josh.” Tee’s voice was murderous and something in his eyes stopped Blake from protesting. They looked at each other for a while. “Well, I better be off…no one can say I didn’t try.” Blake sighed and began to walk towards the door. Tee stood up and stopped him. “Thanks…for trying. I will see you tomorrow ok?” Tee smiled. “Ye. Well someone has to try.” Blake walked out of the bedroom. Chapter eleven The next day flew by, Tee spent most of it with Blake. They were becoming increasingly close friends. It was nice to have someone to talk to as well as Gene. Gene sat quietly for most of the day his face serious. He popped off at lunch to visit Alice and there was no trouble from Josh and his friends. Tee sat opposite Blake and next to Sarah laughing and joking. Nearer the end of lunch Blake took Tee aside out of earshot of the others. “ Are you ok?” He asked. “Ye. Why?” “It is just…you have changed so much. Monday you were so upset, you didn’t eat, you didn’t talk much. Then you were grumpy. Now look at you. You are laughing and joking. What happened?” “I got over it” Tee said simply. “I don’t believe you.” “Well you will have to.” “Come on Tee we are mates. I believe we are really close. You can tell me anything” Tee looked Blake in the eye and wondered if he should tell him about Gene. His conclusion was no. He didn’t want to loose such a good mate just after he had found him. “I just got over it” “Tee can I tell you anything and know that you wont tell anyone?” Blake asked. His eyes brightened he had obviously been holding what he was going to say in for a long time. “Course you can. We are mates. As you said.” “I think…I may be…might be…am…”He dropped his gaze and looked at his feet. This was the first time Tee had seen his friend ashamed. He moved closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I wont judge you. What ever it is…I will always be your friend.” Blake looked up and met Tee’s gaze, his eyes were watery but full of gratitude. “I like guys.” He muttered. “Is that it?” Tee asked. “What do you mean is that it? It is pretty god dam important to me!” “I know. Your sexuality isn’t anything to get up tight about because your friends won’t care. You’re still going to be yourself.” Tee said. “Thanks.” He pulled Tee into a hug. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and Tee found himself walking home on his own, Gene must have still been with Alice. Tee reached his house and let himself in he could hear the football playing in the main living room. He had not spoken to his dad properly since Gene’s death. He walked into the living room and sat on the sofa next to his dad. “Hay dad” He said. His dad grunted in reply. Tee got to his feet and walked to the door, before walking into the hallway he muttered, just loud enough for his dad to hear, “ It is nice to know I can always turn to you if I want to chat” He went up the stairs and into his bedroom. He slumped onto his bed and lay flat on his back. “Because that was the best try to make contact I have ever seen!” Tee nearly fell off the bed he looked over to the chair in the corner; Gene was sitting there resting his head in his hands. “It isn’t fair. You were always their favourite son!” Tee moaned. “Maybe. But if you don’t try to talk to them…” “I tried! He grunted! What do you say to a grunt?” Tee protested. Gene dropped the subject. “So, Blake…Gay? I always knew it!” Gene announced. “You were there?” “Afraid so Spock!” “For god sake! You are the most annoying dead person I know!” “I’m the only dead person you know!” “Fair point.” Tee sighed and Gene took a pull from his cigarette. “Why do you have a fag? I didn’t think ghosts could smoke.” “What this?” He held up the fag. “Dead people need nicotine too you know. This thing is amazing. It doesn’t matter how long I have it or how many pulls I take it is ever lasting!” “You lucky sod. You think you could get one of those for me?” “Ha I don’t think so Spock but nice joke” “I wasn’t joking, it would save me a heck load of money!” Gene laughed and so did Tee. They sat and laughed just like they used to. “Now I seem to remember that you got maths and history homework today.” Gene said. Tee sighed and reached for his bag he pulled out his math and flicked on some music. He sat and did trigonometry problems while Gene sang along to the band Aiden. Three hours later Tee went up the stairs to dinner, he walked into the dining room to find it empty with a single plate of food on the table, Tee’s favourite…pizza. He ate slowly and when his mum came bustling in he said hi but she ignored him, as usual, she sat down, 30 seconds later Jazz walked in carrying a plate of salad and set it in front of his mum. Jennifer looked terrible, and she knew it. She had dark rings under her eyes her hair was matted and pulled back into a tight bun, which tugged on her skin. Her skin was pale and small outbreaks of spots dotted it. Her teeth were yellow. “Mum what’s wrong?” Tee asked. “Nothing darling” She tried to re-arrange her face into a pleasant grin. It didn’t work, just crinkled her pasty skin. “Ye because it looks like nothing, mum I don’t like to say it to you but…you look terrible, something is wrong. I can help.” “It is nothing.” “All you eat is salad, you are wasting away!”
Copyright © 2007 Jodie Brown |