“You’re the one who butted in. We’ve been working out for weeks. Something Adam needs to do well in school and stay the happy-go-lucky guy you know him as. Don’t be getting up in our faces when you’re the one intruding,” Ru snapped back.
“And before you came along, he was running everyday with me.”
Was it some sort of contest? Adam was confused. “But I quit football ’cause Hank kept bugging me.”
“And where wereyouthen, pal?” Ru asked Nate. “When your friend was shoving him into lockers just for running with you?”
“I stopped Hank from hitting him!”
“But not from spreading rumors, which I’ve heard all about, by the way. It also didn’t stop you from bullying other kids, did it? Like Adam’s friend, Bas?” They were now inches away from each other, face-to-face, both looking angry enough to kill.
“Hey, guys. Let’s calm down a little, okay?” Adam tried.
“I am fucking calm. Iseewhat’s been going on with you,” Nate said. “Do you?” He fished his phone out of his pocket and began looking for something on the screen. “You know, I saw you with him a couple of weeks ago, coming out of the bargain theater. I thought it was weird, that maybe it wasn’t really you. But it was, wasn’t it?”
Adam felt his stomach flip over.
“Don’t you recognize this guy? He’s all over Twitter right now. His boyfriend making a big stink to the press. Ryunoski Nakimura, kicked out of Vocal Growth for being a pervert. I thought all you boy-band types were fags anyway.”
“Fuck you,” Ru said.
“In your dreams, homo. You’re here doing what, trying to get into Adam’s pants? He’s straight, you know, not your type. Go back to faggotland.”
Ru reacted before the words could sink in for Adam by smashing his fist into Nate’s face. Blood burst from Nate’s nose like a ripe melon exploding. Adam should have moved, done something. Nate didn’t try to retaliate; he was too blinded by pain and shock, even teetered on his feet for a moment. Ru took a step back and looked at his fist, as if unsure of what he’d just done.
“Look it up, Adam. All you have to do is Google his name,” Nate grumbled, sounding funny since his nose was pouring blood. He ripped a towel off the rack and stuck it to his nose. “He’s going to be hosting the fucking Diva awards. What kind of guy does that?”
Adam glanced at Ru, who wouldn’t look at him. A thousand questions flooded his mind which was already overstressed.
“And your point to all this, Nate?” Adam finally asked. “If Ru is who you say he is, even if he’s gay, why does it matter? Why all the in-your-face crap? What did he do to you? How doesanyof this affect you?”
Nate held up his phone, showing Adam a picture. The photo was of Ru locked in a very intimate embrace with another guy. The kiss looked pretty deep. “How about what he’s doing to you? Do you know he’s with this other guy?”
“I’m not,” Ru protested.
Nate continued, “Did you know he’s all over the news hanging off his bandmate, Tommy Foster? The media says they’re lovers, him and a bunch of other guys. Apparently this guy gets around. And now he’s pretending to be what, your workout buddy? I hate fakers.”
Adam’s world swirled around him a minute or two. He could hardly process the words Nate said because he was still focused on that picture. Was itthepicture? Not even outed to his family and friends, but to the world? And the guy in the picture looked like some sort of star, not the average guy like Adam was.
Was Ru a celebrity? How was that possible? Sure he had an amazing voice, and was sort of too pretty to be real, but why would some famous guy want him? Adam Corbin, untethered high school student who rambled on the best of days?
His head throbbed, and his gut churned, not with fear but with jealousy. Was Ru seeing someone else? This Tommy guy?
Sure, Adam knew Ru had been with another guy before. Why did it hurt so much to actually see it? Was any of the rest true? The bandmate? Other guys? Maybe Ru’s fast trips were to visit other lovers? Or even the loft he stayed at downtown. What if he was going home to someone else every night?
But why? Why spend so much time with Adam if there was someone else? It was all too much. Adam needed air and maybe someone else to talk to. He realized then that he really didn’t care what Nate thought, because as Ru had said before, Nate wasn’t one of those people who mattered in Adam’s life.
“Well, I pretty much hate idiots, but we are all that sometimes. Do you hate fags too? Think they are all whores and believe whatever the media or your jock buddies tell you?” Adam couldn’t believe the word came from his mouth. It tasted bad when he said it.
“You have a right to know that the guy you’re working out with is checking you out. He might even attack you in the locker room!” Nate said.
“Do you hate fags? Gay people?” Adam demanded. “Me? Cause that’s me. I’m gay. And I’m done.” With everything. Hiding. Letting everyone else control what he said and did. Everything. The last month of his life had been magical. Self discovery not always sweet, but he’d really begun to like himself for the first time he could ever recall.
Nate glared at him, refusing to answer.
“You can go. I won’t be running with you anymore since I’m one of those things you hate so much.” When the words left his mouth, Adam suddenly felt freed. Like the repercussions didn’t matter. It just felt good to tell someone. Even if everyone found out. He was so tired of hiding who he was. Tired of being afraid of what others thought. Others he cared nothing at all for. Was this why Bas had done it? Why he walked around with his head high even when other students made fun of him?
“You’re telling me you’re gay.” Nate’s eyes almost bugged out of his head.
