Feelings are Over-Rated (KyleXZac)

CHAPTER NINE

Zacs POV-

I sit on my bed later that night, alone. I wish more than anything that Kyle could be sitting with me right now. He couldn't come over today because his mum needed him to be home to help her with something. I wasn't really paying attention enough to know what Kyle said. I was too busy deciding if I felt more sorry for Kyle  or myself. I felt sorry for Kyle because he had been through this before and none of it was his fault. I felt sorry for myself because of, well, the obvious reasons. In the end, I decided that I'm not worth enough to feel sorry for myself and that Kyle probably doesn't want his boyfriend's pity. So I just left it at that.

In my head, all I can see is Kyle. Kyle's face when Mikell was beating him up. Kyle's face when I told him to run. Kyle's  face when he saw how badly I was hurt. I want to fix that. I want Kyle to have no worries about anything. I want Kyle to get far away from here. I want Kyle to be okay with the fact that I want to protect him. That I will protect him, no matter what. But, as much as I don't want him to be hurt, he doesn't want me to be hurt. But I'd much rather have it be me than him.

As I think about all of this, I sigh and lay back on my bed, curling up in a ball, willing for everything to just... Stop. It has only been a day, and I'm sick of everything already. The name calling, the taunting, the beating, the judgmental stares. All of it. But if that's the price I have to pay to stay together with Kyle, then so be it.

Just as I pick up my phone to text Kyle, I get interrupted by a knock on my door. The door opens slowly, revealing my mum.

"Mum? Why are you home?" I ask, starting to sit up. I then remember the black eye that Mikell gave me, so I lay back down, praying she won't see it.

"It's almost 10:30." She says, stepping inside, closing my door. I look at my alarm clock and see that she's right. I've spent my whole afternoon thinking about school. I turn on my side so she can't see me.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I lie. Why did she have to choose today to talk to me?

"Okay. Just making sure. How was your day?"

"Fine." Shitty. "How was yours?"

"Good." Awkward silence. "Honey, why won't you look at me?"

"I uh-"

"Is something wrong?"

"No." Another lie.

"Honey, look at me." Slowly, I sit up and turn around. She gasps and makes her way to my bed from her spot at the door.

"Mum, don't freak out."

"Of course I'm going to freak out! Who did this?" She demands.

"It's no big deal."

"Answer me, Zachary! Who did this?" I nod and she sits down on my bed next to me.

"Okay, okay! Just let me talk."

"I'm listening." She says, no longer angry, but anxious and upset.

"So there's this guy at school who's mean to everyone. He's just big and tough and rude." Before I know it, lies are spilling out of my mouth so I won't worry her. "It's not like he targets me, he just got like really mad today and I was in the way, so he punched me. It's nothing serious, I swear." Man, I'm on fire with these lies today.

"So this has never happened before?"

"No." Yes.

"And you're certain this will never happen again?"

"Yes." No.

"Okay. But I'm calling the school and having theme expel this kid!"

"No, mum. Please don't." I beg. Even if they expel Mikell, Kyle and I would still get ridiculed. Not only would we be the faggots, but we'd be those pricks who told on Mikell as if we were still five years old. No thanks. Mum hesitates for a second, seeming to understand.