GAY PANIC (STRANGER THINGS!) [✓]

CHAPTER NINETEEN : PROTECTIVE MODE ACTIVATED

CHAPTER NINETEEN
PROTECTIVE MODE
ACTIVATED

OCTOBER 28TH, 1983

School had been dreadful for Angelo and his sisters Monday morning. He knew Vera had been just as exhausted as he was, but didn't know why Donna was so tired. Usually, she was the one getting everyone up when the alarm wouldn't. All of them were practically dragging. Even their mother.

Alessandra was practically banging on the door to get Angelo up. He knew something was up when he didn't get up right away after the first knock.

"Angelo Antonio Rossi if you don't get up right now, I'm breaking down your door and dragging you out of your bed!" Alessandra yelled.

You could hear Angelo's groan from outside, and he opened the door. Vera and Donna stood at the door with their mother. But they were ready to go.

She turned to the girls and said, "You two use the motorcycle, I'm taking Angelo to school," She sighed. A mother always knew there was something wrong. And there definitely was something up with her son.

"Okay then. Bye ma! Love you!" Donna said to her, before pulling her down to give her a kiss on her forehead.

"Love you, too, sweetie! Learn something!" Alessandra replied back, and the two girls walked away after that.

"Angelo! I'm comin' in there!" She shouted, and she came in to see her son, who was still buried under the covers.

His mother looked down at his dresser to see his Blackbird record on it. Which meant that he was in his feels again.

"Oh no. . ." His mother mumbled, "Angie. . . What's wrong?"

"Go away, I don't wanna talk about it. . ." Angelo replied, "Just let me be."

"Angelo, you have to go to school," Alessandra told him.

"I can't," The boy said, turning away from his mother, "I can't face him."

"Face who ─" She then stopped herself, knowing who he was talking about now, "Why can't you face him? What happened at homecoming? Cause you wouldn't tell me."

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Angelo told her, "Leave me alone!"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on!" Alessandra shouted back.

The boy then sat up on his bed, covers still wrapped around him. "You wanna know? Then fine! I'll tell ya! Link confessed to me at homecoming!"

"Well honey, that's great!" She told him, sitting down in the bed next to him.

The raven-haired boy shook his head. "No! It's not great!" He said to her, "I might have just ruined a friendship."

"What did you tell him?" Shr asked him, running a hand through her hair.

"I-I told him I would think about it. . ." He answered quietly, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Well, what was his response?" Alessandra questioned.

"He told me to take as much time as I need. . ." Angelo says to her.

"Honey, look at me. . ." Alessandra said, turning Angelo's face so that he could look at her, "That means that he really loves you. He's willing to wait for you."

"But that's the thing!" Angelo blurted out, "How could someone so sweet, so kind, so charming possibly love a guy like me? Son of mafia gang leader who's good at nothing but causing trouble."

"Because he sees right through that. He likes you for you. To him, you are a very sweet and very sensitive guy. You might act like a tough guy, but in reality, you have a cute personality," His mother explained to him, "With him, you're yourself. I've noticed that."

Angelo was quiet. He didn't know what to say after that. All he could do was smile. Link actually like him for him, and not like Theo, who treated him like a toy.

"Now, you're gonna go to school and hang out with your best friend," Alessandra told him, "So you better be ready in five because school starts in ten minutes."

Angelo hugged his mother afterward, which made her hug him back.

"Thanks, ma. . ." He said to her, " I don't say it a lot, but I love you."

"I love you, too, Angie," His mother replied back, "And don't tell the girls, but you're my favorite." She chuckled, winking at him.

───

Angelo had made it just in time for the first class to start. The teacher hadn't been in yet, so he really wasn't considered late. He walked in to see Steve, practically hovering over Link.

He walked over to the both of them, since they were both near his desk. He knew  that Steve had to be stirring up some trouble.

"What's goin' on?" Angelo asked a very annoyed Link. He could tell that he was irritated at Steve.

"Oh look, gay boy number two decided to show up," Steve teased, running his fingers through his brown hair, "Hear to protect your boyfriend?"

"You get the hell away from him, right now," Angelo said sternly, "Or I'm gonna beat you so hard that you won't even have a face."

"Oh my! I'm soooo scared!" Steve replied sarcastically, an evil smirk appearing on his face, "I'm not letting you beat me this time, pasta boy."

That's when Angelo lost it, and socked him in his face afterward. He couldn't stand Steve. He was so fucking annoying.

"You're gonna regret that, you maniac," Steve replied, before punching the Italian boy in the nose.

A bunch of oooohs scattered across the classroom after it happened. The boy covered his hands with his nose, and looked down at it to see that there was blood.

After that, Angelo had punched him once again, and then he kicked him to the ground. The boy put his foot on his back, practically smashing him.

"You mess with my friend again, and you'll end up in the hospital, got it?" Angelo growled.

Steve tried to get up, but with Angelo's foot being stronger than him, he couldn't get up.

"I said, got it?" Angelo repeated, his voice laced with angry and annoyed.

"Yes! I get it!" Steve cried out. After Angelo lifted his foot up, he scrambled up and went to find his seat afterwards.

He sat down in his seat, not even worrying about his bloody nose.

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Link asked him when he sat down, "That looked like it hurt!"

"I've witnessed worse. I'm okay," Angelo answered, getting Kleenex out of his pocket and wiping his nose.

"Thanks, by the way. I didn't know if I was gonna make it through the day," Link told him.

Angelo shrugged. "It's no problem. Honestly, Steve is suck a prick," He said back.

"I guess I could say you're my night in shining armor," The blonde said to him.

"And I guess you're my prince. . ." The Italian chuckled.

And he didn't mind it being that way.