Incurable

Thirty Five

(A/N)

#PrayForOrlando

********

Mitch wished lunch would have dragged on longer. He wished he could've spent a little more time with Scott, before sending him away.

He remembers watching Scott walk with Avi in his specific lunch line, not wanting Avi to be alone, and then walking him back to the table.

He remembers watching Scott observe the others, making mental notes of all their behavior so he could be their friend and understand them more.

He remembers Scott standing up to throw away a few people's garbage, and then sitting down again next to Mitch to put his arm around Mitch's waist.

Mitch had leaned into him, and looked up into his eyes. And he remembers thinking about the beautiful abyss of blue he was staring into...

He remembers wondering how many words were swimming through Scott's mind, which that exact same mind wouldn't allow him to say.

Mitch finally said something to him, keeping his voice down to keep the conversation in their world only. "I don't want you to go."

Scott leaned down a little to kiss his forehead in apology.

"I told you from the very beginning that I didn't want you to go. But you're going anyway, and you know you're going to worry me terribly, and--"

Scott kissed him to make him stop, but he could practically feel the others' eyes on him, and it scared him enough to convince him to pull away.

Scott glanced at the others quickly, and looked down to his lap with an intense blush.

Mitch moved closer to him, and traced his fingernail along Scott's jaw, before pulling his chin so Scott would look at him. "Do it again."

Scott, though he was terrified, decided he would try, just for Mitch. So he leaned over and kissed him once, but pulled away again, unable to do it.

Mitch smiled at him, wanting to give him credit for at least trying. "Thank you."

He remembered the blush that took over Scott's cheeks, and how bright Scott's eyes looked when he smiled at Mitch.

Mitch remembered all of these things, as he now paced outside Mr. Riley's door, his friends all standing near him.

Scott had kissed him once, before walking into the room behind Alex. And Alex had walked over and promised that he'd protect Scott, moments earlier.

In the room, Mr. Riley smiled at Alex as he spoke. "Really? Hollywood? Well, I suppose it's nice to have dreams."

Alex tilted his head a little. "Excuse me? Are you suggesting that I'm not capable?"

"Well you are in a mental hospital."

"I am aware of that, thank you." Alex snapped.

Mr. Riley sat up a little in his seat. "I don't think you should be giving me attitude right now, young man."

"Well I don't think you should've come onto me, you bastar--"

Mr. Riley looked to Alex in a rush, and then stood from his desk. "Shut your mouth!"

"Make me."

The counselor looked to Scott. "Did he tell you that? That I did something to him? Because that is the furthest thing from true."

Scott just stared at him, not moving a single muscle or uttering a single word.

Alex rolled his eyes at Mr. Riley. "I only told them the truth."

Mr. Riley walked around his desk, to stand in front of Alex. "Them?! Who did you tell?!"

Alex smirked at him, not showing any fear. "Who did I tell what? Nothing happened, right?"

He squinted at Alex, and then walked over to Scott, leaning over him. "Tell me what he said to you."

Alex laughed once. "He won't talk to you. You're stuck with me."

Mr. Riley leaned down even more, eyes locked with Scott's. "Speak! You piece of--"

"Don't talk to him like that!"

Finally the counselor snapped, and his hand shot out to grab Scott's neck, squeezing his throat as he yelled at the boy. "I said talk to me! What kind of worthless--?!"

Alex jumped up immediately, and pushed Mr. Riley away. "Oh my God!" He exclaimed, not sure what else to say.

Mr. Riley ignored him, pushing him away, and into the desk. This knocked the wind out of Alex, though he still tried to stand to help.

Scott's eyes were wide, as Mr. Riley continued to grip his throat. Scott tried to stand, tried to push him away... But this only resulted in Mr. Riley shoving him to the ground.

Mr. Riley then turned to Alex, and shoved him back into the desk. "You couldn't just take it?! Like a man?! You had to run your filthy mouth, and let everyone know what we did!"

Alex had cried out after the desk hit one of his vertebrae bones dead on, but Mr. Riley slapped a hand over his mouth quickly.

Alex pushed him back to force his hand away from Alex's mouth, though he knew he was bruised now after being pushed into the wooden desk. "We didn't do anything! You did it! You!"

"Shut the Hell up, you abnormality! It wasn't enough that you had a mental disorder, but now you're gay right on top of it!"

"Neither of those two things were my choice! I didn't ask for this but I'm sure as shit not ungrateful for it! Now get off of me!"

Mr. Riley, now unsure where to put his anger, grabbed Alex's shirt and pushed him in the opposite direction.

He then walked over to Scott. "And you're gay too, huh? Disgusting."

Scott held his hands up in surrender, still on the ground where Mr. Riley had left him.

Mr. Riley suddenly smirked, and glanced over at Alex, who was trying to catch his breath on the other side of the room, his hand on his back as he tried to dull the pain.

The counselor then looked back to Scott and grabbed him by the arms, picking him up and pushing him back into his desk where Alex was moments before. "I should've started with you. You wouldn't have run your mouth. In fact..." He leaned to Scott's ear, pushing Scott into the desk even more. "You wouldn't say a word, would you?"

Alex groaned, taking a step forward and then groaning again. "I'm standing right here, you dumbass."

Scott's eyes widened, and he pushed on Mr. Riley's chest, shaking his head wildly.

The counselor misunderstood. "That's what I thought. You wouldn't tell anyone." He grabbed Scott's throat one more time, before attempting to kiss him.

Scott held both hands in front of himself, and spoke his first words of the day. "Mitch... Mitch!"

Alex finally fell into one of the chairs, his eyes squeezed shut out of pain. "Mitch, get your ass--!"

Mitch threw the door open, and gasped loudly, before marching over to Mr. Riley and pushing him, though Mr. Riley didn't move at all. "Get your hands off of him!"

Jen rushed into the room then, and gasped as well.

Kirstie rushed to Scott's aid as well, pushing Mr. Riley and succeeding in moving him away from Scott. Scott, who immediately ran to Mitch with eyes full of tears.

Jen marched over and grabbed Mr. Riley's arm. "You are absolutely sick, do you know that?" She dragged him out of the room, but his eyes never left Scott.

****