Chapter Ten
Adam spent a lot of time thinking about Ru. He sent a few texts but got no reply. Without track or Ru, Adam really didn’t know what to do with himself.
In class the teachers never called on him, though he almost always knew the answer. Ru said he never got to experience a classroom. When he asked questions, it was via e-mail or a text message. He never got face-to-face interactions. That bothered Adam a lot, especially since Ru seemed to be a somewhat extroverted guy. He spoke with his body through gestures and facial expressions that Adam had only had a single date to memorize. Maybe soon they would have more time together so he could learn more about the mechanics that made up Ru Nakimura.
Over that Thursday and Friday, Adam did something unthinkable: he raised his hand to ask and answer questions. It was a bit of social suicide to draw attention to himself, and it felt strange, like everyone was looking at him.
Sometimes even a heated discussion would come up, and normally he would back away, but now he was getting involved, wanting to interact if only to be able to tell Ru about it later. When it came to his French exam, Adam flew through the written portion and when Mademoiselle Rochelle sat him down for the oral, he wasn’t even nervous. He talked about sports he liked and what he thought he would do over the holiday break that would come in a few weeks, but he didn’t once stumble or find himself lost for words. He owed Bas a huge thank-you for all his help.
Adam kept notes his interactions and his feelings about them. He added pages and pages of content to his rambling notebooks or typed them into his computer. So much was devoted to Ru and Adam’s attempt to live actively for him that he ended up texting the man for his e-mail, received a short reply with the information and a:
R:Sorry, super busy with work. Talk soon
Adam sent Ru the folder he’d created since meeting Ru, unedited. Adam worried only a little. He figured Ru would probably glance at the ramblings and ignore it. He just wanted Ru to know what it felt like to be in school—the good, the bad, and the horrible.
After French class, Adam was on his way to study hall when he was stopped by Nate’s jockstrap friends. “Yo, Corbin, you should stop hanging so hard on Nate. He’s not like you and your fairy friend Sebastian.”
Adam blinked a few times, trying to sort through the words, all while fear crept into his brain.Did they know? And how could they?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nate just wanted help with his running. He’s trying for a scholarship from the U of M,” Adam replied.
The guy known as Hank the Tank shoved Adam into the wall of lockers. “He’s not a brain-case like you.”
“Obviously,” Adam snarled, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t going to let these oversized morons bully him. Once they thought you were weak, they attacked in hordes. “Or he wouldn’t have to try to get a scholarship with his poor track skills. And if Nate can’t get one, the rest of you are sure up a creek sans paddle.”
Hank made a move to hit him, but Nate appeared and grabbed his hand. “What the hell, man?”
“Just warning yourfriendto keep his distance.” The two squared off like they were going to fight.
“Seriously,” Adam said. “Are you really stupid, or what? It’s the middle of the school day. You’ll be suspended for fighting. Homecoming is in few weeks. Suspension means neither of you will be playing for homecoming. Think about it, Hank. Home on suspense or playing for all the girls to drool over?”
Hank glared, but Adam shrugged.
“Your choice, man.” Adam walked away, holding his head up, though he was quaking down to his toenails. He’d just faced down Hank the Tank. Almost got beat too. As Adam headed to study hall, praying no one would follow him, he dug through his backpack for his laptop and planned to use the free time to write about bullying at Northern High.
As much as he wanted to deny it happened. He saw it all the time. And like every other kid who wasn’t either on the top of the popularity game or the bottom being bullied, he tried to ignore it. Maybe that made it worse?
He remembered back to when Bas had first been attacked. It had been after Homecoming last year. Adam found him in one of the stalls of the boys’ bathroom.
Adam remembered standing there for a minute or so, just blinking at the sight. Trying to understand, though his brain couldn’t register what actually. happened.
Now thinking back on it, it looked as though Bas had not only been beaten; something more had happened. The images wouldn’t come together in Adam’s mind: blood, the bruises, the memory of Bas’s mostly nude body. Adding that into the context of Northern High’s bullying made his heart leap in fear. Bas never talked about it, but he also avoided the bathrooms and the locker room like they were Nazgu^l death camps fromLord of the Rings.
What was it that Bas did to offend people?
He wore makeup, but not as much as most of the girls, and his was usually better applied. He had a pretty good sense of style, wearing things mostly only seen in magazines, and he was super smart. Bas would likely graduate valedictorian. He probably had a scholarship lined up for some Ivy League school. Why was any of that offensive? Why would that even matter? It wasn’t like a guy wearing makeup would stop the world from spinning.
Adam recalled something from history class. A presentation about fashion in the past. Men had worn heels first, makeup, wigs, the whole deal, while women hadn’t until the last hundred years or so. The presentation had been about shifting social norms. He hoped the girl who did it got an A, even though some of the guys in the class had laughed over the pictures. Adam found it fascinating. He added a note to himself to ask the girl about her sources. Part of her presentation had been about dress codes, and how sometimes girls were sent home for stupid things to not distract the guys.
Wouldn’t that be the guy’s fault for being distracted? School was learning how to focus, and sort through information. There were things to memorize, equations that made up algorithms in their brains to help them understand the world. But it wasn’t all two plus two equals four. Some of it was reading the Great Gatsby and understanding why it was considered a classic when all of the characters were self-absorbed and a bit monstrous.
Gatsby would have worn makeup. The 1920s were all about that sort of glitter style, weren’t they? Adam watched the movie in lit class after they’d finished the book. Not his thing, but he understood it. He hadn’t slept through the movie, and he had aced that test, much like he did most every test he took.
Adam was smart, he just hid it well. Like Gatsby hid behind a mask of wealth and power. Manipulating others to believe only what he showed. A lie really. Maybe Bas’s makeup was part of his mask? Was Bas’s makeup distracting? Adam didn’t think so, and helikedguys. He wondered if it were Ru wearing makeup, would he be distracted?
Probably. But more because it was Ru than because of anything he put on his face.
Adam didn’t really spend much time with Bas and had never done anything to seek him out for fear of what others would say. In not standing up for one of the only guys he considered a friend, he was essentially saying it was okay for everyone else to bully, not only Bas, but anyone. Adam sighed and glared at his computer screen.
He opened his browser and discovered his mother had bookmarked some things for him, including the Rainbow Dash, which was a run at the Pride fest in downtown Minneapolis next June. The Pride was also looking for volunteers, and the Dash would require him to find sponsors. He’d have to come out to do those things. But maybe, now that he wasn’t alone since he had Ru, he could find the strength to stand out just a little.
