“Look who we have here…”
Noah hadn’t seen him yet, but his entire body shut down. After putting up with his constant abuse for months until Kaj came into the picture, he would recognize that voice even in the dark.
“Never thought we’d see you again,” he continued.
“This explains everything. You were agirlall along, eh, bastard Jap?” one of his minions said.
“It’s worse. He’s gay.”
“What was your name again? Asmu... As-motherfucker-sen?” Kaj countered, stepping in front of Noah.
Val snorted. “Good one.”
Cold and fear tangled in his nerves, completely paralyzing Noah.
He thought he was over this. He hadn’t thought about what this guy and his friends had put him through in years. But now, all of a sudden, it was like he was eleven all over again. Locked in the bathroom stall. Down on his knees in the back alley of the library, his rib cage and stomach covered in bruises. Pusheddown the stairs. Sometimes, there were only three guys, but other times, there had been six of them, just like now.
The room felt so small, he couldn’t breathe.
“What are you, hisboyfriend?”
The sardonic tone didn’t go unnoticed.
“Judging by the matching rash, he must be.” Another guy gestured to his own mouth, clearly referring to the redness of theirs.
“Yeah. You have a problem with that?”
“Seems like you’re not completely useless if you can deceive someone like that.”
“Say that again, you piece of shit.” Kaj clenched his fists. “I dare you.”
“What’s going on?” Theo asked, approaching them with some of the basketball players from their school on his tail.
“What are you doing here?” Lukas, one of the jocks and the little brother of the other band’s drummer, asked.
“A friend invited us.”
“No, I mean, what the fuck are you doing?”
“Just catching up with an old friend.”
“It looked like you were starting a fight withmyfriends. Didn’t you have enough with the beating you took on the court last weekend?”
“Shut the fuck up, asshole.”
Noah and the guys had seen his bullies around Fredericia before, but they went to rival schools and hadn’t acknowledged each other’s existence in years, so he didn’t understand why they were doing this. He’d never understood why before, either, but now of all times? Why couldn’t they just continue with their lives and have fun like everyone else here?
Alcohol and big egos did bring out the worst in people.
“You know this is my house, right?”
“Areyougonna drag me out?”
“Maybe.”
“I’d like to see that.”
In a flash, a storm of punches, kicks, and screams broke out in the middle of the living room. The ones who wanted nothing to do with it and had nothing to prove ran away. A few stayed for fun, cheering them on. It was everyone against everyone. A T-shirt yank. A spit on the face. Blood. Glasses breaking. It was pure mayhem.
