“What?” Em turned from reaching out to Noa, a look of surprise on his face as he questioned Trevor. “What the hell?”

“Oh-ho, you didn’t know? So much for being open, that genetic freak.” Trevor was genuinely laughing, his eyes lit up. His joy was cut short when Marceau’s right fist connected with his left cheek, slamming him into the lockers. “WHAT THE HELL!?” he roared looking up in time to see Em grab him by the collar of his shirt and slam him into the lockers again.

“Don’t you fucking mess with Noa!” Em’s angry red face was only centimeters from Trevor’s. His voice came as a thick growl, a promise of more violence. He shoved one more time before scooping up Noa’s dropped bag and stalking off, whatever conversation he’d had with Trevor long forgotten.

He stopped in the afternoon sun on his way to NBH only to message Ciel.

Em: Hey, I found Noa’s bag. Can you give it back to them?

Ciel: They left it?

Em: They seemed to be distracted.

Ciel: Yeh, gimme a few.

Em waited patiently outside NBH’s security doors. He felt he understood a little better about why they were locked like this. Mindlessly he caressed the worn leather straps of Noa’s bag as his heart rate returned to normal. He couldn’t hold back the flood of memories.

Freshman year was hard enough for most teenagers. Em was coming to terms with his own sexuality and juggling a new school. They’d moved over the summer to a small town, everyone knew everyone, except Em. He tried to maintain a long-distance relationship with someone from his old school, old town, but at 14 it was a heavy weight to have a six hour drive between them, especially since neither boy was “out” to their parents. When Hayden broke it off just two weeks into the school year, Em was pretty lost emotionally, but he tried.

He threw himself into schoolwork, and helping his parents at their coffee shop, and, of course, taking care of his little sister. Sarah was the bright spot in his life as he was learning to move on. Things were going pretty good. At the end of ninth grade, Em even found someone he liked. Jaxon moved to the town in the last quarter, he had a delicate frame and wore his long hair pulled into a ponytail. Em was taken right away by his bright brown eyes, pale skin, and dark hair. A smattering of freckles similar to Sarah’s was all it took to hook Marceau.

That spring everything bloomed for Marceau. He made friends with Jaxon, and Jaxon got along with his family, and by the end of the year, they were secretly cuddling and kissing the few times they could arrange a sleepover. Summer was better, until Em came out to his parents.

They weren’t the problem, but Jaxon followed suit, and his parents weren’t ok with it. They dragged Jaxon to their church, trying to cure him. The church, the largest one in this small town. Now everyone knew Marceau was gay, and no one was happy about it. The coffee shop lost business, Sarah was pushed away by her friends, and Em, hid away in his room. By fall, they were already looking to move again, but they had no choice and had to attend the same school to start.

The bullying went uncontrolled as the adults turned a blind eye at best, and encouraged it at worst. There wasn’t a day that Em didn’t come home with new bruises. His grades dropped dramatically as he couldn’t even count on the teachers to actually accept his work.

After the first semester Em and Sarah’s parents put them into the state’s cyber school. They struggled financially as the coffee shop closed and they couldn’t find work. By the end of tenth grade they were moving again to live with their mother’s parents. Marceau was lectured several times that he was not to “come out” while living with them. They couldn’t even pack everything, leaving the majority of their things in the house because they could only afford a small trailer to pack.

Ciel broke Em’s memories as they opened the door to NBH and invited him in. He accepted the invite quietly, but refused to be the one to give Noa their bag, choosing instead to sit in Ciel’s room and wait. Ciel had just finished a shower and had things lying all over so Em occupied himself with cleaning up. Before Ciel even returned Em received a text from his roommate.

Kris: You’ve got a summons from the vice principal.

Em: Thanks.

Em left Ciel’s room without saying anything, passing by Noa’s closed door. Of course, he would be the one in trouble. He was the one who hit Trevor. If there were witnesses, there’s no way they could have known what provoked him. He sighed making his way to the office, he could still feel the throb in his hand from punching that bastard’s face. He refused to feel bad about it. Whatever the punishment would be worth it.

The secretary sent him in immediately. The VP’s office was moderately sized, holding a desk that did not dominate the room but actually fit rather well, seating along one wall and four chairs directly in front of the desk. Three of those four were already filled with Trevor, one of the security guards, and the junior year guidance counselor, Miss Elliot. Em took his place in the last seat, resigned to whatever fate was waiting for him.

“Welcome, Mr. Woods.” The VP started, his elbows on the desk and his hands together with his fingers tangled. “Now that we’re all here, let’s figure this out together. Mr Simmons has brought a complaint saying that you attacked him, is that right, Mr. Woods?” he looked expectantly at Em.

“Yes, I hit him.” Marceau tried to stay calm. He wanted to lash out and say why, to point out that Trevor deserved it and more, but he held back. He reminded himself that getting emotional wasn’t going to prove anything.

The VP seemed relieved, “I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Woods. Can you tell us why you hit him?”

Em looked over at Trevor who held a bag of ice to his face. “We’d been talking when someone else ran into me. Trevor started calling them names and laughing at them. I don’t think I thought about it, but I punched him for making fun of them.”

“Fuckin’ fags,” Trevor tried to say it quietly and under his breath but completely missed his mark with his volume.

“Excuse me, Mr. Simmons? Would you like to repeat that?”

“Uh, no, sir,” Trevor’s eyes were wide with surprise, a hint of fear.

“I’ve reviewed the footage from the CCTV with Miss Elliot,” the VP gestured to the counselor. “We have assigned you both a week of detention…” he was interrupted by Trevor.

“I’m the one that was hit! I’m the victim!” He raised his voice and even stood from his chair leaning over the desk and getting into the VP’s face. The guard pulled the young man back to his seat by his arm and told him to remain seated.

“Two weeks for you, Mr. Simmons. After your detention assignments are over you will both join the student staff for DI. I expect no more problems between you two?”

Em nodded quietly, grateful punishment wasn’t worse. “Miss Elliot please go over the procedures for detention with Mr. Woods. You are excused.”

Trevor stood to leave but was pulled back again by the guard as Em and Miss Elliot left the office. “You,” the VP pointed to Trevor and narrowed his gaze. “This is not your first time bullying, I expect better from you. Next incident will result in suspension, do you understand me?”

Trevor nodded quietly even as his face flooded with anger. “You’re excused.” The guard tugged on Trevor’s arm and escorted him from the office.