Good Luck Charm (Completed)

Teasing and Pleasing

*6 years earlier

       Vincent walked home from school in a frustrated huff. Middle school was proving to be far more difficult than elementary school and he wasn't happy about it. Vincent always loved school, he had a hunger to learn and a drive to succeed, but lately things... or people had been ruining it for him. They made it a chore and something to dread.

He wandered into his home and got himself a snack; he wasn't hungry, but he needed something to take his mind of it. Having a bad day really sucked, he thought, because there just didn't seem to be any way to make it better.

"Alright Vincent, I'm off to work now-" His mother came down the stairs dressed in a black pant suit and patent leather heels. She was on her way to work, just missing Vincent as she often did in her shuffle to achieve. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Vinny lied.

"Well I can see it's not nothing." His mother moved to sit down next to him. "Won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I said nothing." Vinny furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"Did someone say something?" His mother asked, and he remained silent. "Was it one of the girls at school?"

"No."

"A teacher?"

"No."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"No!"

"Okay." His mom smiled. "That's a relief. Was it one of the boys?" Vincent remained silent. "It was, huh? Okay... one of the boys from your class?"

Vincent shook his head.

"The older boys? Are the older boys picking on you?"

Vincent remained silent.

"Which one?" His mother paused. "Which one, Vinny this is serious."

"It was nobody! Nobody said anything. I'm just upset." Vinny insisted.

"Did Lucas say something?"

His mother's words froze in the air like icicles off the side of the roof. Vincent knew she was waiting for him to say it wasn't Lucas. He knew she was waiting for him to say it was never Lucas, it could never be Lucas.

But it was Lucas.

"Did Lucas say something to to?" His mothers voice softened. "Oh... Vinny.. I'm sorry... I know sometimes it hurts the worst when it comes from a friend."

"He isn't my friend... not anymore."

"Don't say that Vinny, you two have been friends for years... that doesn't just disappear. Look, you can't... take it personally, Lucas' well Lucas is going through a lot right now, and he's learning about himself... he's older than you, so he's going through it first, but you will too."

"But that doesn't-" Vincent argued.

"I know... and I'm not going to excuse that behavior, I'm just telling you to give Lucas another chance.. he's going through a lot at home and a lot of changes with himself. You know he's at an age where he's starting to show interest in girls, and that can be stressful, especially for a sweet boy like Lucas." Vincent's mother explained. "Now is it bullying? Or more teasing?"

"It's teasing.. always teasing. He used to do it a little when we were kids. But it's gotten much worse.." Vincent cried.

"Oh.. now that's.. that's a little different... how do I explain this? You know Vincent-" His mother paused. "Lucas' mother warned me this might happen. I thought she was just being silly, but she really seemed to think he was... well he was... oh and not that there's anything wrong with it, but she thinks there is, so she warned me. I don't think anybody ought to be ashamed. Sometimes boys who are insecure like to take out their insecurities on other students. It isn't right, but you just have to stand up and tell a teacher... now sometimes, Vinny and this is just between us, boys tease in different way... a playful way that isn't quite like.. well it just isn't quite rooted in insecurity, but it's rooted in something else, do you understand?"

Vincent shook his head.

"Boys, like Lucas, come to a certain age where they start to show... interest in other students.. sometimes they don't really know how to process those feelings... does it.. does it ever feel like Lucas is just trying to get a rise out of you? Not like he really means to upset you, but that he just wants your attention?

Vincent nodded.

"Oh okay.. You see boys don't know how to process these new feelings, so they try and get a rise out of people, they try to get people to look at them, to pay attention to them... and the reason sometimes boys will do this is because they like the person they're teasing. They like them and have no other way to express it, but they know they want that person to look at them," Vinny's mom explained.

"You think Lucas likes me? But he's a boy? Boys can't like boys."

"I didn't say I think Lucas likes you... I think he's a growing boy with confusing feelings. I'm just suggesting it as one possible explanation, besides why can't a boy like another boy?"

"I don't.. I don't know?" Vinny mumbled.

"If two people are in love, and they want to be together, why should it matter what gender they are? Now I don't know if Lucas likes you. I know some boys like girls, and some boys like boys and either is fine." Vinny's mother explained. "You ought not let anyone tell you otherwise Vincent, because people try to get involved where they aren't wanted."

"Okay."

"Now Lucas loves you. He doesn't want to hurt you. Okay? Maybe he's insecure, maybe he's confused, but he never means anything by it, he doesn't mean you any harm. But if things get worse you just tell him to stop and you tell him you don't like it. If sees you setting the boundary like that, I'm sure he'll get the message. He's a good kid, Vincent, and he needs us, so sometimes we have to give him extra chances.. do you think you can do that, for me?"

"I do."

"Good." Vincent's mother smiled, "Now you go along and do your homework, I'll see you for dinner."

Vinny wasn't really sure what his mother meant. He'd never heard of two boys liking each other, though he didn't see what would make it wrong. Still, he knew Lucas, and he just didn't see the idea that Lucas was teasing him because he liked him. It just didn't seem plausible.