Trouble (5 page)

“
By saying ‘No’? Well at least hear me out.”

“
So many things have happened lately and I just need to think
things through.”

“
That’s just fine with me. I want you to let me drive you to
school for about two weeks. No other dating. Just driving and
talking. If we get along after that we become friends. If I don’t
measure up, I’ll never hassle you again.”

“
I’ll see you later.”

He
smiled.

She had
given him an opening.

Matt had
girlfriends in middle school and as a freshman but they never
lasted. He had so many personal issues and couldn’t handle the
dynamics of having girlfriends. He had difficulty being loved and
loving someone in return. Natalie touched him in a profound way.
With her, he knew he could be himself. They were like birds plucked
from the same feather. They could relate to each other on an
emotional level. He just hoped that she would reciprocate his
affections.

Chapter 7: Confrontation

A group
of students were milling round Russ and his friends. He was holding
on to the collar of Quentin’s shirt.

“
I don’t like your face. It doesn’t look straight.”

Quentin
looked downcast. He could have spoken up for himself and defended
himself but he wanted the students to show their support by coming
to his aid. He wanted them to speak out rather than just being
silent onlookers frightened to commit themselves. Was there not
even one student who could stand her / his ground?

“
Let him go Russ,” Byron said coldly.

Quentin
felt a positive tingling sensation when he heard his voice. Byron
intrigued him because he looked so delicate and would never be able
to beat Russ if they had a fight. But there was inner strength
inside him that seemed to be built on strong values. He had always
wanted to get to know Byron better but found that he was always
uneasy with him. Quentin just wanted to know him because he admired
him and wanted some of that inner moral strength to rub off on him.
Unfortunately things sometimes got misconstrued. Although Byron was
at great pains never to show it, he was uneasy because he thought
Quentin wanted something more.

Russ
looked at him with contempt. He was much taller and muscular than
Byron and could knock him out cold if he wanted to.

“
You shouldn’t be bullying. He hasn’t done anything to deserve
this?”

“
Are you going to defend his kind?” Russ asked waving his hand
contemptuously at Quentin. “His parents aren’t
straight.”

“
I don’t care one way or the other if someone is vertical or
horizontal. It makes no difference. I just care about people not
being bullied. What’s uncool about that?”

“
A rebel with a cause,” Russ spat out the words.

“
We’ve got to have some values. We can’t just go on in life
hassling people.”

“
So you’re going to fight for him?”

“
You’re too big for me. But yes I’m going to defend him even if
I get hurt in the process because I think your phobia is wrong.”
Byron’s face clouded.

Russ’s
was rattled by this line of reasoned arguments. He knew he could
beat Byron to pulp but he wanted to do so with students’ support.
At that moment there was a murmur of support for Byron from the
crowd that was gradually growing bigger.

Abruptly
he waved Quentin away and looked directly at Byron. “We haven’t
finished this yet,” he said darkly. “I know how your devious mind
works.”

“
She’s like a sis to me and it pained me to see the way you
treated her. I’ve nothing personal against you. I just hate to see
girls being beaten up. Get help.”

“
You need to be taught a lesson. It’s going to come in your
Iphone,” Russ whispered cryptically.

Byron was
about to say that these kinds of hacking could backfire but kept
quiet. It would be good for Russ to learn his lesson in a practical
way. He couldn’t tolerate Russ and was surprised that students let
him do whatever he wanted without showing their dislike or
contempt.

Russ and
his gang had spray painted a school wall. Byron had used
fluorescent paint to write, “Russ you’re a bully. Stop all this and
grow up. Get help.”

He knew
that Byron had written over his graffiti and was waiting for the
right time to pay him back. He was frantically working on trying to
hack Byron’s facebook password. He was planning on writing some
very embarrassing ‘admissions’ under Byron’s file. These hacked
posts would put out to the world that Byron was rabidly gay. These
thoughts gave him a very pleasant feeling.

He had a
strong feeling that Byron had advised Natalie to get rid of him. He
thought that Byron was infatuated with her and was always looking
for an opening to create a barrier between them. They could have
worked out their differences but with Byron pulling the strings, he
sensed that he had steered her in Matt’s way. He would later
maneuver his way to her. Byron was a brash gamer, he thought as he
swore under his breath. The pleasant feelings evaporated quickly,
replaced by bitterness and anger.

What Russ
didn’t know was that Byron had already seen the fake message Russ
was going to post in his timeline. He had hacked into Russ’s
account and was going to place it on his timeline instead. He had
also added, “I will stop being a bully and stop hitting
girls.”

Russ
walked away abruptly.

The crowd
cheered and clapped.

Quentin
lingered back looking at Byron with admiration. He decided against
thanking him at this point. He would have to choose an appropriate
time later when Byron was more relaxed and alone.

Chapter 8: Natalie and Quentin

As
Natalie moved up the stairs Quentin came by.

Natalie
looked quizzically at him.

“
Thanks.”

“
Was glad to help.”

“
You’re my hero.”

“
Anyone could have stepped in. I was just there at the right
time as the drama unfolded.”

Quentin
did not say that he felt remorseful that he had not stayed to
defend her especially as Russ had slapped her. He had resolved that
if another incident like this happened he would stay and fight to
the end.

“
I’m just thankful it was you. Didn’t realize they’d followed
me from school.”

“
These things happen.”

“
For a moment i thought I was mince meat.”

“
I think they just wanted to frighten you. Not to hurt you.
They were going to let you go.”

“
I’m taking up martial arts so I can defend myself.”

“
Good for you. Bullies will always be around, I
guess.”

“
I know I shouldn’t be saying this.”

“
Say it anyway. I won’t be insulted.”

“
You really deserve better than that goon.”

“
I’ve moved on.”

‘
That’s great. You have an interesting friend,” Quentin began
hesitantly.

“
You mean Byron?”

“
He has a sensitive face?”

“
You mean you like him?”

“
Not in a romantic sort of a way,” he smiled uneasily. “He has
an unusual name.”

“
I think his mum was a romantic who named him after the English
poet.”

“
That’s cool.”

“
Whenever I want to irritate him I call him Lord
Byron.”

“
Irritated?”

“
Although Byron was a great poet he had so many affairs and
even one with his half sister. “ Natalie paused and looked at
Quentin. “We’re not having this conversation because you want to
hear about history,” Natalie said.

“
No I just find him an interesting character and you hang out a
lot with him. I just found it odd that I haven’t got to know him as
closely as others.”

‘
You were saying that he has a sensitive face?”

“
Kind of?”

“
Which is another way of asking if he is gay or
bisexual?”

“
You’re so upfront?” he laughed.

“
I’ll ask him.”

“
No please!” Quentin screamed and laughed.

“
Oh he’s very open. That’s what I like about him.”

“
I don’t want him to feel I’m coming on to him.”

“
You don’t want a relationship with him. You just want to know
him better. That’s okay. This is the 21st century. He can come out,
remain in the closet or just tell you politely that he is
straight.”

“
Or tell me it’s none of my business.”

“
That’s cool.”

“
Can you believe it? He just defended me back there against
Russ. He could have got hurt really badly.”

“
That’s Byron for you. He hates prejudices of any kind and will
do anything once it gets on his nerves.”

“
That’s why I want to meet him and get to know him better. I’d
like some of that feeling to rub off on me. I hate being a wimp
suffering silently while people abuse me.” Quentin was not smiling
when he said this.

Natalie
liked what he was saying. Lately she had been thinking of Byron.
She was very close to him but the relationship was very brotherly /
sisterly. He never had a sister and was protective of her. She just
could not bring herself to be linked romantically to him. She had
discussed this with him indirectly and knew that he would raise it
again before the day ended. What she liked about him was that he
was very understanding and would accept the situation once it was
clearly explained.

Chapter 9: Byron and Matt

The
locker area in the hallway was a busy hive of activity like a fish
market as students rushed in to pick up texts or throw in stuff
they didn’t need immediately. There was a terrible din of clanging
and banging that sounded like an army of raw recruits hurriedly on
the move. Above the clanging one could hear students talking,
shouting, screaming, laughing and arguing.

In the
midst of these commotion and gentle crash of young bodies Byron saw
Matt.

“
Hi,” he smiled. “I was expecting you.”

Matt
didn’t look too pleased. “I can manage on my own.”

“
Please let me help,” Byron said as he followed him down the
hall.

“
Look I’ll level with you. I was so hurt at the things you said
at the station. So move on and leave me alone.”

Noticing
that Byron was still following him, he stopped abruptly and turned
back to him. “Didn’t I make myself clear?”

“
I heard you clearly but I want you to at least hear me
out.”

Matt went
into the bathroom and washed his face.

Byron
leaned on the wall and watched him.

“
I just want you to hear me out and then I won’t get in your
way again if you don’t want to see me.”

Matt
concentrated on his face.

“
Okay have it your way. I guess I’ll have to post that you
hugged me and called me your brother.”

Matt’s
irritation evaporated and he burst out laughing, “Are you usually
this irritating?”

“
I’m really sorry. I was so rude and hurtful that evening and I
feel bad about it. I apologize.”

He held
out his hand.

Matt
relaxed and shook his hand.

“
Come I’ll take you to Mr Chang’s Office. I think we’re in the
same home room.”

“
With Natalie?”

Byron
felt slightly tense, “With Natalie” he said guardedly.

Matt had
barely come into the school and was already staking out the best
looking girl. Byron really liked her but if she was lukewarm to him
and preferred this teen hunk with the body of an adult, there was
little he could do. He sighed. Although he weight lifted and was on
a special diet he’d probably need to be on steroids to compete.
Some teens had the right genes, ate the right foods or had a
combination of these to account for their hunky bodies. He had to
work at it and he wasn’t even half way there. Oh well, it all
depended on Natalie. She didn’t want to pre-empt her choice but
Matt with his good looks and easy going nature seemed miles ahead
of him in the competition. But he was not going to let go that
easily. Oh no, he wasn’t, he resolved!

“
You have a great sports car out there.” (The fast car
certainly helps, he thought as he tried hard not to feel
bitter.)

“
But I didn’t see you looking around when the secret service
brought you in that SUV,” Matt teased good-naturedly.

This guy
has a blunt sense of humor which I’ll have to get used to since
I’ll be the brunt of jokes, he thought drily. “I put on an act,”
Byron laughed. “I see everything. Next week I’m not being driven to
school.”

“
What’s happening?”

“
My dad has bought me a motorbike. And if I behave myself a car
later.”