Along Came Ari (boyxboy; Open Novella Contest 2019)(Complete)✅

Chapter 17

John collected Danny's school work, packed up some of Danny's clothes and dropped them off at my house. Danny slept almost all the time. When he was awake, we'd cuddle and watch TV together (if he could tolerate it), but that was it. Even though Danny sneaked into my bed at night in his underwear, we didn't do anything but sleep.

Danny's parents called and texted as we expected, but Danny wouldn't return any of their calls or texts. The no trespass order still stood, but my parents allowed visits from John. My parents wouldn't allow any visits from their parents, not like they tried to come over.

Finally, I bit the bullet and decided to go back to school. The doctor allowed Danny to go back, too, but he had permission to leave if he couldn't hack a full day of school.

As if nothing had changed, I picked John up at his house. There was no way in hell I'd drive Caitlyn. I wanted nothing to do with that girl. Instead of her taking the bus, their mother drove her to school. Danny sat in the passenger's side while John sat in the back.

"You guys are like the talk of the school," John said. "You know that, right?"

I laughed to myself as Danny shot his twin brother the middle finger.

"Hey, I'm just giving you the head's up," John said.

"Don't you think we know that?" Danny said, leaning against the door, closing his eyes.

"Are you all right?" I asked Danny. "You don't have to go, you know."

"I'm fine," Danny insisted. "I'll be fine."

"Seriously, man, if you..." John started, genuinely concerned for his brother.

"Shut the fuck up, Johnnie," Danny said with his eyes, still closed.

"Hey," I snapped at Danny. "Stop being an ass. John's worried like everyone else."

"No one else is worried about me," Danny said.

"Forget it, Ari," John said. "You can't talk to him when he's like this."

As I walked down the hall at school, students stopped, stared, and whispered. Not only did I have to deal with the accusation, but now the entire school knew Ari Loew was gay. In today's world, being gay wasn't such a big deal, but it seemed to be a big deal in this school. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Danny Collins was Ari Loew's boyfriend. It wasn't easy being both Jewish and gay in this predominantly white, Christian town.

Once everyone got wind of what Caitlyn did to me, she was shunned and ousted. She was like a pariah.

Caitlyn Collins was the most hated girl in school, maybe in the school's history, maybe even the town's.

My first reaction was, "good, she deserves it" and I somehow felt vindicated.

Caitlyn couldn't even walk down the hall without someone stopping and staring. People would whisper "crazy bitch" as she walked by. Her head was always purposely tilted down. She had every reason to be ashamed and she had her own sick, twisted reasons for why she did what she did.

Call me crazy, but I felt sorry for her. I wasn't as vengeful as some people would have been. She must have felt so alone. If I were her, I would have asked to change schools.

Still, not ready to forgive her, I wasn't about to go up to her and talk to her. I just hoped she wouldn't do anything to hurt herself like Danny did to himself.

"Is Caitlyn okay?" I asked John one morning on the way to school.

"What do you think?" he replied. "No, she's not okay."