Shimmer (boyxboy/alien)

Chapter 11: Protector

"You shouldn't say things like that."

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Joe sighs heavily as he pulls open his locker. His heavy textbooks staring back at him, ready to be taken out and hauled into class. He reaches out a hand to grab his chemistry book, when a sudden force is pushed into the back of his head. Too quick to comprehend, Joe is unable to avoid it as he feels his skull smack against the metal door, making him feel dizzy.

"Wanna be a hero?" ...A voice speaks low, only for Joe's ears, before the unwelcome presence disappears, leaving Joe dazed and confused as to what just happened. He finally looks up at his locker, then to the left, then right, to then see someone walking away. A guy, even familiar from behind. The same guy who was behind Micheal's misery. Was this why he had been hit just now? Had he inadvertently made himself a target, just for helping out someone in need? Did he now have a mark on his back? 

He looks back into his locker, pulling out his needed books, but he can't quite focus on them. He feels a sudden lightheadedness wash over him as his vision turns white, his legs go weak as they give way at the knees and he collapses to the floor...

***

"Hey...Joe....

Joe could hear the soft call of his name in his head. He slowly opens his eyes to see a bright light surrounding an angelic face of white hair. "Am I dead?" He mumbles as he takes in the figure looking over him, believing him to be an angel.

"No." Comes the reply with an amused chuckle. "You are in the nurse's office." 

Joe attempts to sit up a little to help him focus and realizes it is Austin standing by his bed. "Austin...what you...why are you here?"

"Hey, just rest." Austin replies as he encourages a slightly confused Joe to lay back down. "You passed out in the corridor." He adds, pulling a chair towards the bed to sit on. 

Joe reaches around the front of his head to feel a tender lump protruding from his hairline. He hisses a little at the pain. "I got hit." He mumbles under his breath. 

"Hit?" Austin leans forward a little in surprise. "Hit by who?" 

"Micheal's tormentor. I helped Micheal when...well, it doesn't matter now. He's gone and his bully needs a new target it seems.

"I'm sorry." Austin says, looking down with guilt. 

"Why are you sorry?" Joe looks at Austin with slight confusion. "It's not your fault."

Austin glances back up at Joe, forcing a smile. If only he could tell him the truth. All this was his fault. Joe had been dragged into his experiment and now he was paying a heavy price. "I'll take care of you from now on. I'll be your protector." Austin suddenly confesses.

"You don't have to do that." Joe begins but is halted by a finger being pressed against his lips. 

"Shhh! I insist!" Austin says, his voice portraying more conviction this time around. With Joe in shock at the soft finger being pressed against his lips, which for some reason he wanted to kiss. Instead he chooses to pull his lips into his mouth.

"Ok." He says suddenly feeling uncharacteristically smitten with this guy, who had taken a shine to him.

The moment is suddenly distracted by the door opening with a rather concerned Alan stepping though. He sees the finger being pressed against Joe's lips and for a split second an awkwardness fills the space. Austin lowers his finger as Joe clears his throat and sits up slightly. "Uuh...is.everything ok? I heard you passed out." Alan asks, not sure if he had inadvertently interrupted an important moment. 

"Yep." Joe replies, trying to play down the assault. "I'm ok now." 

"What exactly happened?" Alan asks as he approaches his friend and Austin, who had shuffled back a little on the seat to make room for him.

"It's nothing. Wrong place, wrong time, that's all!" Joe tries his best to dismiss the event. Making a fuss would only lead to more abuse. He just wanted to forget it happened. 

"What do you mean wrong place wrong time?" Alan questions. 

"He got hit by a bully!" Austin interrupts.

"Well that really narrows it down." Alan says a little sarcastically.

"Hey! Leave him be!" Joe says, defending Austin, even with his head protesting. "He's just looking out for me...and if you must know, it was Micheal's bully." 

"Ok ok!" Alan raises his hands up in defence. He could tell that something unspoken was occurring between Austin and Joe or was it with Joe and Micheal? "So what now? Are you gonna report it?"

"Yeah! Like that works!" Joe snorts out a laugh. 

"I will protect him." Austin says, looking at Alan with conviction. "I believe if he stays with me, he will be left alone. People like my face you see." 

"Well good for you!" Alan rolls his eyes, with the sarcasm once again not being able to resist an appearance. 

"You shouldn't say things like that." Joe says, looking at Austin. 

"But it's true!" Austin says with confusion. 

"Your looks will only get you so far in life. They will eventually fade, it's what inside that counts. The person's soul." 

"But I thought it was all about the looks! Especially in high school." Austin wonders. 

"If you wanna think that then you're as shallow as the rest of them." Joe continues. "Do you think Micheal deserved those punches and kicks, just because he was classed as substandard?" 

Austin looks down a little guilty. "No one should.be put through that pain....no one!" 

"Exactly!" Joe puts a hand on Austin's arm, making him look up. "I knew it!" 

"Knew what?" Austin asks a little nervously. 

"You are not the shallow kind. I can tell. You have empathy. That's a good quality!" 

Austin forces a smile back at Joe. It was at this point that he realised that he still had so much to learn, but knew that he had at least found the perfect teacher. Joe could show him how.