Surviving Elite High Read online

  “No I'm not. It's just that…”

  “Just what?”

  I sighed.

  “I never thought that you'd be my tutee.”

  Nick smiled while he continued to look at my schedule. I sat looking at him, but he kept glancing at me every now and then. Each time he did that, I lowered my head. I could clearly see him smiling at my reaction. I began to play with my fingers since I was so nervous. Why was he looking at me like that? Was I a joke to him? After he finished, he turned to me.

  “I see. We could meet every day after 4:30 except on Fridays since those are game nights. Is five okay with you?”

  I simply nodded.

  “Cool,” Nick said handing me back my schedule. He stood up. “I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you,” I murmured.

  I immediately bolted through the door. As I glanced back at Mrs. Carter’s office, I suddenly felt like I’d hit a rock wall and was instantly hurled backwards. Oh, no! It was Matthew and Jacob was standing beside him. He stared down at me like a raging bull on the loose.

  “You're dead, Ames! You're a dead little bitch!”

  I instantly began to crawl down the hallway. Matthew grabbed my legs and spun me around. With a single tug, he pulled me under his feet. He bent down and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. With a single jerk, Matthew lifted me into the air and slammed me into a nearby wall. A malicious smile developed on his face.

  “I'm going to fucking kill you, you little poke!”

  “Let's fuck him up!” Jacob suggested with a mischievous smile. “I bet he'll love to get fucked by two jocks since he's a dirty homo! We can fuck him in the locker room and no one will hear a thing.”

  My heart dropped out of my body. I could not believe what Jacob suggested. They had always made sexual comments, but never that filthy or nasty. Matthew's smile grew as he heard Jacob's idea.

  “Please—”

  “Shut the fuck up, you little fag!”

  Matthew slammed me against the wall again.

  “PUT HIM THE FUCK DOWN!”

  It was Nick. I immediately thanked God! That was the first time that I’d seen him angry. I re-thanked God for the fact that he was not looking at me. Matthew glanced at him and dropped me on the floor. My two tormentors took a few steps back. They looked like they had just seen the ghost of Christmas past! I had never seen such a look on their faces before. For a moment, I experienced the feeling they must have gotten when they tormented me. I loved that look on them. Matthew tried to explain.

  “Sorry Nick…we…we were just playing around.”

  “Two against one? That's one fucking unfair fight. Why don't you two stand up to me like that?” Nick asked as he stepped forward.

  “No man, we don't want any beef with you,” Jacob answered him.

  “Sink this into your heads. You fuck with him, you fuck with me! Understood?”

  “Yes, Nick. Sorry man!” Matthew called out as they ran down the hallway.

  As I stared at them, I didn’t realize when Nick reached my side and squatted in front of me. I turned to him. On impulse, I hugged him. I felt his warm body against me, his protective embrace, and his masculine but gentle hug. As I came to my senses, I quickly pushed him away. He laughed.

  “Sorry!”

  “It's okay. They really scared you,” Nick reassured me with a smile as he stood up. He stretched out his hand and helped me to my feet. “Now listen to me, if those two ever give you shit again, you tell me. I'll deal with them. Understood?”

  I nodded in awe.

  “Come here,” Nick insisted as he placed his left arm over my shoulders. He pulled me into him. “I'll take you home.”

  We walked outside and yes, I was freaking out! I had never been so close to anyone like that before, I mean, besides my mom and my two best friends. What I am trying to say is that I had never been so close to another guy before. I loved the security that his tight embrace offered me since, for the first time in my life, I felt protected. That was the one thing that I wanted most in the world. I wanted protection.

  Nick took me to his new 2009 Shelby Mustang. It seemed like every year he had a new car, but always a Mustang. Nick loved Mustangs. Mustangs, sports, and girls were among his favorite things in the world. And sex. Nick loved hot, wild, animalistic sex. How did I know that? Ask anyone in Elite High. We all knew Nick's life, or at least we thought we knew.

  I quietly sat on the passenger seat and studied him as he drove me home. He was born to look cool and be cool. His aviator sunglasses gave him a cockiness that I envied. After a short stopped at Baskin Robbins, he dropped me home. My house, compared to Nick's luxurious mansion, was a dog kennel. His tree house was probably bigger than my residence. He quietly stared at me from the comfort of his car.

  “Meet me tomorrow at the library. I was going to tell you that, but you dashed out the door. Do you play any sports? You're built for speed.”

  My face got red while I smiled nervously.

  “No, I don't. Thanks for the ride home and for the ice cream.”

  “No problem. See you, kiddo.”

  Nick started his car and sped down the street. I stood there, watching Nick drive down the street for a couple of minutes. He was the opposite of what I originally thought. I imagined him to be an egocentric jock that couldn’t care less about me or anyone else. Surprisingly, he was not selfish. He was Nick Wild Hawk: the hero, the lover, the friend, and athlete extraordinaire. I could go on and on, but on that day, I saw a side of him I had never seen before. I saw his compassionate side. I turned around and walked back into my world. For a few seconds, I had been inside his world, but now, I had to face my own reality.

  I stepped into my house. It was dark. I tried to turn on the light, but the bulb was burnt out. I walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the refrigerator. It was empty as usual. I honestly did not know why I bothered to check each time I got home. I guess that I always wanted to find something inside. I found a few stale bagels and a jar of jam on top of the kitchen counter (or in other words, my dinner for the night). I walked into my room and locked the door. As I plopped on top of my bed, I observed my almost empty room. At least I had a bed, a closet, and a small black and white television, although cable was off limits. I did have a thin wire that I attached to the window from my television set. With that technological innovation, I managed to get a few local channels. It was better than nothing.

  I began to remember my day, my sexual tormentors, my friends, and Nick. My heart pounded at the thought of Nick standing in front of me. He was perfect and completely out of reach. Nick would never see me as anything more than his shy tutor. He deserved better, much better. With these and many more thoughts, I dozed off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Two

  It’s not like I don’t know that I am gay. I’ve been aware of that since pretty early on. Yes, I am gay, but I would never have the courage to say it out loud. First, there’s my mom. What would she say? Would she still love me? Would she understand me? Would she hate me? Would she disown me as her one and only son? As for my father, I never once met the guy! And honestly, I did not want to meet him. I never once asked my mom about him and, in reality, I do not even know his name. He abandoned me when I was born. He simply left. He didn’t want the responsibility of raising a child. I was a complicated birth. I was born at seven months weighing only two and a half pounds. I was her miracle baby and therefore I did not want to disappoint her.

  Then, there are my friends. I think that they would understand and love me. Finally, there’s society. Let’s face it; society hates everyone that does not fit into their perfect little standards. They instantly discard them as social outcasts. I, for one, did not want to be the poor gay guy. It was bad enough being the poor guy only.

  I got up early the next day and went straight into the shower. It was freezing cold. Hot water was a luxury rather than a necessity. After I took my cold shower, I searched for something presentable to wear. I found an outfit that Kitty gave me for my birthday last year. After putting it on, I ran downstairs to find something to eat. To my surprise, I found a note from my mom on the kitchen counter. She congratulated me for my tutor position and said that things were going to change for the better. My mom also left a plate of waffles behind; it showed her appreciation for my getting a new job. The fact that I was getting paid to tutor took a huge weight off her shoulders. Making the waffles also showed her genuine love towards me. Yes, she worked three jobs and we barely had something to eat, but she did all of that for me. Paying for the most expensive school in the region was not easy. It took a lot of work and sacrifice. My mom knew that a good education was the key to a brighter future.

  I ate my food and stepped outside. I hated that part of the day. I had to walk three miles because Elite High didn’t offer public transportation. Against my will, I began my long journey to school.

  I stood at the entrance once again. As I walked down the hallway, I spotted Matthew and Jacob. I froze and immediately turned away. I prayed to the dear Lord in the highest that neither of them would spot me. While I stood in front of the first locker, I glanced down the hall. Shit! They were staring at me. I panicked and headed towards the entrance. Suddenly, I bumped into Madison, who wore her usual vibrant smile.

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning, Madison.”

  My shaky voice sold me out. Madison stared at me and followed my fears like a dotted line. She also spotted Matthew and Jacob. As she hugged me, she whispered into my ear:

  “It's okay.”

  Against my will, Madison dragged me down the hallway while Matthew and Jacob stared at us. They were definitely angry about yesterday and I could tell they wanted revenge. A smirk developed on Matthew's face when we passed in f
ront of him.

  “Bye, little friend.”

  Madison scowled at him. When we were at a safe distance, I turned to them. They were making their way towards another corridor.

  “Assholes,” Madison murmured. “You need to report them.”

  “I can't, Madison. They'll have it out for me even more and the school won't do anything to them because of their parents. I don't want to die young, you know.”

  She gave me a comforting smile and examined my outfit.

  “You look cute.”

  “Thanks.”

  I blushed. Suddenly, we bumped into Kitty.

  “There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you two.”

  “We just got here,” Madison answered.

  “Cool, let's head to class.”

  We walked to Mr. Peterson's Literature class and sat down in our usual seating arrangement. They quickly turned to me. Kitty was the one that spoke this time.

  “So, who's the kid you're tutoring?”

  “No one important.”

  Kitty immediately glanced at Madison, who quickly leaned towards me.

  “Tell us, Johnny Boy. We'll find out eventually.”

  “I know, but I wanted anyone else but him.”

  “Oh, no! It's Matthew! That's why he called you little friend a minute ago.”

  “Say what!?” Kitty asked immediately.

  “Hell no! Thank God! Anyone but those two freaks.”

  “Then who is it?” Kitty asked eagerly.

  I sighed.

  “Nick Wild Hawk…”

  Their mouths dropped open and remained that way until Madison spoke up.

  “Shut the fuck up! Nick Wild Hawk?!”

  “How comes?” Kitty asked me.

  “I don't know. I'm guessing that he needs a tutor.”

  “You need to get a naked picture of him!” Madison blurted out with a smile.

  We scowled at her while we shook our heads.

  “What? Do you guys have any idea how much a naked picture of Nick would cost in the porn industry? We could sell that shit and make enough money to survive for years.”

  Kitty laughed, but quickly turned to me.

  “What are you going to do? You hate that guy. As far as I know, he's a huge dick.”

  “Kitty's right. Many girls say that he's huge,” Madison added with a smirk.

  I had to laugh. Madison turned everything sexual funny.

  “I don't have a choice. He seems like a cool and down to earth guy.”

  They glanced at each other. Madison turned to me.

  “Why do you like him all of a sudden?”

  “I don't! It's just that…”

  “What?” Kitty asked smiling.

  “He…saved me.”

  “Saved you? From whom or what?”

  After a long sigh, I recounted to them the events that transpired the previous day. I left out the sexual harassment part. I don’t know why I was so embarrassed to tell them that. After all, it wasn’t my fault.

  “That's so heroic,” Madison sighed, smiling. “That's why Matthew called you little friend.”

  “Yea—”

  At that moment, Nick came into the room. He nodded at me as he walked by. I instantly became nervous and my stomach twirled. I hated the feeling of little butterflies flapping around your guts to the point of nauseousness. Madison and Kitty smiled. They suspected that I liked him and that I was gay. They just never said anything to me. The teacher came in after him and our conversation ended. I thanked God again.

  * * *

  It was the dreaded third period, or Physical Education. Do not get me wrong. I maintained an A, but what I hated was the locker room. I had to change in front of everyone including Matthew and Jacob. I was extremely vulnerable here since my two best friends were far away. One time, Matthew and Jacob found it so funny to place their jockstraps around my neck. But you know what was worse? It was at the end of the class! I bathed at least fifty times that day. Another time, they locked me inside one of the lockers and left me inside for the entire period. One time, I only had my towel on and they yanked it away from me! I was naked in front of everyone while they laughed merrily! I was their little fun target. I would have loved to trade places with Madison since she always wanted to see naked jocks.

  Anyway, here I was again, standing at the entrance of the male locker room. I sighed while I pushed the door open.

  Many students were stripping off their clothes or walking around naked. I simply lowered my head and made my way to my locker. I quickly opened it and threw my bag inside. I retrieved my gym clothing, which consisted of a white shirt and blue knitted cotton pants with the school's initials on the right leg, and stripped to my boxers. Suddenly, two voices startled me.

  “Hey little friend.”

  “My cock missed you.”

  Fuck! It was Jacob and Matthew. I gulped as Matthew's hand touched my right shoulder and spun me around. Matthew was butt naked and a blue jockstrap covered Jacob's family jewels.

  “What's the matter, little bitch? You like my big dick?” Matthew taunted as he leaned towards me. I shook my head. “You want it, don't you little fag? Kneel down and put that thing in your mouth. Please your man. You'll fucking love it, faggot.”

  I walked backwards until I bumped into my locker. Matthew smiled evilly. Suddenly, someone cleared his throat and they quickly glanced to their right. As Matthew turned to me, his face went pale.

  “See you around little guy!”

  “Remember, we've got your back,” Jacob added as they headed towards the opposite end.

  I sighed. As my heart rate slowed down, I turned to see their worst nightmare, Nick. He was standing at the other end with his gym bag in his right hand. When he stopped beside me, Nick dropped the bag on the bench and turned to me with a serious face.

  “Were they bothering you again?”

  I shook my head.

  “You sure?”

  I nodded. I have no idea why I lied to him. Well, I think I do. I just wanted to put them behind me and move on with my life without any violent confrontation. I knew that if Nick found out the truth, he would hunt them down. He was that kind of guy. Everyone respected Nick Wild Hawk since he fought like a professional. Many of his victims ended up in the hospital while he just got a few cuts and bruises. I once heard that he beat up three guys who were bigger and stronger than him at the same time. Nick won easily. Personally, I thought people exaggerated, but later in life, I found these rumors to be true.

  “Good. I'm going to change here since my locker is too far away. I switched gym group.”

  “Really?” I asked him shyly as I put on my shirt.

  “Yeah, most of my friends are in this group anyway.”

  Nick took off his shirt. Holy shit! Nick's body was the living statue of a Greek god. He was not buff like many other athletes, but he was almost there. Bottom line, his body was perfect. He proceeded to take off his pants and alleluia! The guy looked spectacular in his jocks.

  “Aren't you going to finish changing?” Nick asked me as he sat down to put on his sneakers.

  I nodded. I quickly stepped into my gym pants and put on my sneakers. He smiled at my initial reaction. I was so nervous in front of him and I didn’t know why. After we finished dressing, Nick led me to the football field where I met Kitty and Madison. I joined them while Nick joined his jock friends. We had to wait for some other students, but as soon as they arrived, we began to stretch.

  “Looks like Nick is in our gym class,” Madison noted as she stretched her legs on the grass.

  “Yeah, and I bumped into my two best friends a minute ago.”

  “What? Does Nick know?” Kitty asked me as she stretched her arms.

  “No. As soon as they saw him, they walked away.”

  “You should have told him.”

  “Nick isn't my dad. I shouldn't be answering to him. He's my tutee. Besides, I don't know what his real intentions are.”

  “He's right, Kitty. Why is he being friendly towards him all of a sudden? Jocks like him use people all the time, you know.”

  “Okay, just keep your guard up.”

  “I will.”

  “Now that we settled that…did you see him naked?” Madison asked with a mischievous grin.

  “No, but I saw him with his jock only.”

  “Oh my God! Details!”