The next morning Ken went to school.

Along the way he came across a familiar figure.

Ken’s lip curled in disgust as he sneered down at Mustang, half-asleep on a bench and blinking blearily up at him, dribbling.

‘Oooozat?’

‘You're a disgrace’ Ken spat down at him.

Mustang’s vision must have cleared somewhat then, because his face suddenly lit up.

‘Kenneth! My man!’

He tried to rise, instead his hand slipped and he face planted the bench, before rolling off the side and onto the floor.

He rolled onto his back, gazing up at Ken.

‘You're hung over’ Ken told him.

‘No’ Mustang slurred. ‘I'm still drink.’

‘You mean drunk.’

Ken watched as Mustang struggled to his feet, flailing about on his back for several seconds like a tortoise flipped over, before using the bench as support and finally standing.

‘Shouldn’t you be going to school?’ Ken asked him.

‘I only go when I feel like it’ Mustang grumbled, clutching his head with a hand. ‘And today…I just don’t feel up to it.’

‘You make me sick’ Ken spat at him. ‘Don’t you care about your future?’

Mustang stared at him in shock, suddenly frozen, still holding onto the bench for support.

Ken turned on his heel, walking away. He left Mustang behind.

He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about him that got under his skin. He had seen delinquents before, but this…

His mood brightened only when he reached the school gates and found Alyssa waiting for him.

When she saw him she broke into a smile, looking ever more beautiful.

Ken smiled at her in turn.

The rest of that day was normal.

‘Bowling?’ Ken asked. ‘Tonight?’

‘Now’ Chris grinned at him. ‘You're not doing anything are you?’

‘Um’ Ken hesitated. ‘No?’ he smiled. ‘Let me just call home…I don’t want my family to worry.’

‘Do it on the way’ Chris said taking a step back and beaconing him to follow. ‘Come on. Anthony and Neil are coming too, and Sue…oh and Lisa is coming too.’

‘Oh right’ Ken mumbled, pulling his mobile out and dialling for home.

Chris fell silent as Ken spoke to his mother, telling her he will be home late.

‘I love you too mum’ Ken sighed happily at her. ‘Bye now.

‘Why don’t you invite Alyssa?’ Chris asked him, as Ken put his phone back in his pocket.

‘No she’s busy’ Ken said to him, ‘she’s got other plans.’

‘Aww, that’s a shame.’

Chris grabbed onto a lamppost as they went, swinging around it once before walking ahead again.

‘So are you any good at bowling?’

Ken grinned at him.

‘Not really…sorry. I haven’t played since I was a kid. I bet I’ll be rubbish.’

‘Nah’ Chris waved away at him. ‘I’m probably more rubbish than you are. So was it a birthday party last time you played?’

‘Yeah’ Ken said. ‘My own.’

‘At least this time you can drink, just be careful on the way home ok?’

‘Sure whatever’ Ken smirked. ‘I could say the same back to you.’

They reached the brightly coloured building in the shopping centre, Chris jogging in through the doors to meet Lisa, lifting her in his arms and planting a kiss on her lips.

‘Looks like we’re all here’ Neil said as Ken approached them.

‘Hey Ken’ Sue smiled sweetly at him, ‘how are you doing?’

‘Great’ he nodded with a smile.

‘Aw?’ Sue whined. ‘Alyssa couldn’t make it?’

‘Sorry she’s got other plans’ Ken replied.

‘It doesn’t matter’ Neil said, ‘there’s always next time right? Come on sis’ he said to Sue. ‘The food there is delicious and I'm hungry. Let’s go.’

They spent hours that evening at the bowling alley, playing several games, talking and eating at the café nearby.

Life was normal, and Ken was happy.

It was dark by the time they left. Ken said his goodbyes, and made his way home alone.

It was quiet in the town, so still and peaceful. When he got home he found his mother waiting for him.

‘You're back’ she smiled at him.

‘Of course I'm back’ Ken laughed. ‘Why wouldn’t I be back?’

‘I was just worrying for you’ she said hugging him.

‘Mum I'm fine’ Ken told her flatly, frowning at her in amusement. ‘I'm not a kid anymore.’

‘You’ll always be my baby’ she gleamed happily.

Ken groaned loudly at that.

‘Alright. I'm going to bed now’ she said to him letting him go. ‘Goodnight my dear.’

‘Night mum’ he said, smiling at her.

He watched her go, listened to her footsteps up the stairs, then silence.

Ken stayed in the kitchen, making himself a bowl of cereal before going to bed.

The next day, Ken saw Mustang again. Not in the streets, but in his classroom.

Ken turned to glance behind him, seeing Mustang sitting a few seats back from him. The moment Mustang noticed Ken watching him, he flashed him a grin and a wink.

Ken glared at him, turning back around to face his desk.

That’s it Ken thought bitterly. I remember him now. He’s the one who asked in sex ed. a few years ago why sperm tastes salty.

A look of revulsion crossed his expression.

Disgusting. He is an abomination. For being gay, for being so crude…and having no self respect. He doesn’t even bother coming to school at all on most days. Ken turned back to glance at Mustang. Why did he come now? I haven’t seen him in years.

After class finished, Ken went to one of the fountains in the corridor to drink. When he straightened again, he saw Mustang before him.

He gritted his teeth angrily, turning away from him sharply and storming off.

It was several seconds later, when Ken realised there were footsteps following him.

He paused, turning around he saw Mustang was following him.

‘Go away!’

‘But I want to talk to you’ Mustang said innocently.

‘About what?’

‘I was wondering why you wanted me to come to school. You know…the other day when we spoke. I was wondering…’ he paused. ‘Were you worried about me?’

I shouldn’t even be talking to him.

‘Of course you have to go to school. Have you no care for the future?’

‘Actually’ Mustang said shrugging, ‘not really. I live for the now.’

‘Your life is full of sin’ Ken glowered. ‘Is this how you want to live? Being hung over in the streets, the heavy drinking…the things you do with other men…’

Mustang narrowed his eyes.

‘Does the fact that I'm gay bother you?’

‘It’s wrong.’

‘Why? How can love be wrong? It’s not like any of the people I fuck are underage.’

Ken spluttered at that, utterly revolted. ‘The way you talk is disgusting!’

‘Why?’

‘It’s wrong to use such words.’

‘Why?’

‘My parents taught me how to behave properly. We follow god’s word.’

Mustang pursed his lips, frowning at him.

After a long pause he spoke.

‘Soooooo…..god says it’s wrong to be gay….and to swear.’

‘It’s wrong to be gay’ Ken told him curtly.

‘Tell me’ Mustang said. ‘Do you always let people tell you what to think?’

Ken hesitated suddenly, caught off-guard.

‘I believe that we are all god’s children’ Mustang continued. ‘He loves us all, and made me who I am.’

Mustang turned on his heel then, and walked away without another word, leaving Ken staring after him.

I don’t let people tell me what to think. Ken thought, surprised to hear such words coming from Mustang.

Do I?

Ken met Alyssa later that day, after his classes had finished, he rushed over to her college, waiting for her outside the gates.

Her expression lit up when she saw him waiting there for her; she came bounding over to him.

‘I missed you so much!’ she squealed excitedly, hugging him as tight as she could and laughing happily. ‘My handsome man.’

‘Hey Alyssa’ he smiled down at her.

She tilted her head back, kissing him.

Ken closed his eyes, holding her in a firm embrace for a few moments, until they broke apart.

She leant back on her heels again, smiling up at him, looking so beautiful.

As he gazed down at her, a thought cut into his mind like a knife.

‘Tell me, do you always let people tell you what to think?’

Ken furrowed his brow then, suddenly angry at himself.

Why am I thinking of Mustang now?

‘Ken?’ Alyssa faltered, her smile fading from her lips. ‘What's wrong?’

‘Nothing’ Ken said hastily, ‘I just…’ he frowned to himself. ‘Do you think I let people tell me what to think?’

‘What?’ Alyssa blinked at him. ‘No. Why would you say that?’

‘It’s nothing’ Ken shook his head. ‘It’s just something someone at school said to me.’

‘Don’t let anyone make you feel negative about yourself’ Alyssa told him. ‘There will always be people out there who will wrongly judge you or try to make you feel bad about yourself.’

‘Yeah’ Ken mumbled, dipping his head. ‘I guess you're right.’

‘Come on’ Alyssa beamed at him, taking his hand. ‘Let’s go to the park, I want to share an ice cream with you.’

They stayed together for hours after that, walking hand in hand through the park. Everything just as it had always been, and yet to Ken it felt different.

‘Tell me, do you always let people tell you what to think?’

He couldn’t shake Mustang’s words from his mind, no matter how hard he tried.

At last it began to grow dark, and Ken walked Alyssa home, kissing her goodbye, before leaving her.

That night, Ken went home, and began to see fault in his life.

He sat down for a meal with his ‘perfect’ family. He was expected to say Amen before the meal, told off for putting his elbows on the table, pushed to finish his food when he said he was full, ignored when he tried to talk about school.

‘What's gotten into you today?’ his mother asked him after a time. ‘I don’t like this new you. You're making me feel like you're testing your boundaries, and testing my patience.’

After that he helped clear the table silently, going to bed early after washing the dishes and putting them away.

He lay in bed, hugging the sheets to him, and feeling thoroughly miserable.

What is happening to me? Why am I changing, why do I suddenly feel like this?

He gradually succumbed to sleep, waking the next morning, with the same guilt at the night before.

He went downstairs to find his family around the table having breakfast, they were already all awake before him.

‘Morning sleepy’ his sister called out. ‘You're up later than usual.’

‘Morning Sue’ Ken smiled warmly at her, ‘listen…’ he began, addressing his family now. ‘I'm sorry…I…wasn’t in my right state of mind last night.’

‘It’s alright’ his mother spoke warmly to him. ‘We’re just glad you're better now.’

‘Yeah’ Ken mumbled, ‘I am…I'm fine now.’

Sue ran up to him then, hugging him tightly.

‘I'm so glad!’ she cried happily, ‘I missed the old you…I'm glad you are you again!’

‘Yeah’ Walter grinned at him from across the table as they ate their cereal. ‘We’re all glad you're ok.’

Ken smiled genuinely then, hugging his sister back.

‘My family’ he sighed, ‘that’s all that really matters…’

Later that morning Ken left for college, meeting Alyssa at the front gates. They talked briefly as Ken walked with her to her own school, a little further away, parting with a kiss. Ken returned to his own college in good time.

He felt generally good about things, happy even as he made his way across the grounds to registration. In fact, he was in such a good mood, that he began to think thoughts he never had before, as his mind began to wander to Mustang.

Mustang was strangely understanding the other day when he said we are all god’s children he pondered. Damit why am I thinking of him again? Why can’t I get him out of my head? He frowned then. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. Maybe he isn’t such a bad guy after all.

And then he saw him. Mustang was lying on the grass of the school ground, on top of another man. The two wrapped were up in each other’s arms and kissing passionately, in plain view of everyone.

I take that back Ken thought turning away sharply, his mood instantly souring. The guy’s a total jerk!

Ken went to registration, waiting outside in the corridor for the teacher to arrive.

Minutes later Mustang came strolling along. Ken glared at the wall opposite him, ignoring the quiet murmur of the class around him as they waited for the door of the classroom to be opened.

‘Oh hey Ken!’ Mustang sang. ‘You alright?’

Ken’s heart sunk in his chest, and he closed his eyes in anguish, wishing Mustang would not have spoken to him, wishing he had just ignored him.

He opened his eyes, and turned slowly to face him.

‘Why the long face?’ Mustang asked him.

‘Why won’t you just leave me alone?’ Ken snapped.

‘Is it your time of the month?’ Mustang asked in a sympathetic tone.

Ken’s blood pressure instantly shot up, and he was consumed by a strong desire to smack him in the face.

‘You're disgusting. I hate you so much’ he said through gritted teeth, in a voice low enough so that only he could hear. ‘My life is perfect. You are the one who is wrong. Why do you even come to school? You’d be doing everyone a favour by just staying away. You’d be doing everyone a favour by dying.’

Ken knew he had struck a nerve. For an instant Mustang’s cocky and bold demeanour broke, and for an instant Ken regretted his words.

Mustang stared at him, mouth open in shock and eye wide. Ken could see that he was hurt.

He closed his mouth, speaking at last.

‘I thought for a moment….’ Mustang said, ‘that you actually cared for me….when you asked why I don’t come to school.’

‘No’ Ken shook his head. ‘I couldn’t care less for you.’

He turned his back on him then as the teacher arrived to open the door, filing into the classroom and taking his seat. He kept his eyes down from then on, ignoring everything around him, and speaking only to confirm his name, as the teacher read out the register.

He didn’t know if Mustang had entered the class, didn’t even notice whether or not he answered when his name was called out.

He was too angry, consumed in his own silent rage.