9. Social War

Chris was looking at Callum over the car and said, "I'll wait here for you, if you finish before me, wait for me."

~~

Chris parked his car on the far end of the parking lot where the jocks parked their cars and since it was still early in the morning most of the pupils were still gathered there and were currently looking at the two of them. Chris's girlfriend arrived with Ashton's girlfriend and the other cheerleaders. They were all gathered besides Ashton and two other jocks cars when they spotted Chris coming in.

Seeing Chris get out of the car Ashton was just about to yell his name out but then stopped because the passenger door opened and out came Callum. Dillon was also amongst the group and saw this - he frowned. They saw him speak to Callum then he nodded.

Samantha, Chris's girlfriend asked, "Why are they together?" A few of the cheerleaders behind her cover their mouths hiding away their evil grins, laughing at her miserable expression because they knew that Chris was bisexual and open about it. Terry, Ashton's girlfriend glared at those girls making them stop their evil intentions. Most of them were wishing they could read lips.

The jocks and cheerleaders weren't the only ones who were surprised, some of the others who were still hanging around also wanted to know when did those two suddenly get close.

Samantha walked over as the two stopped in front of Chris's car about to say their goodbyes. Behind her, Terry, Ashton, Simon, Dillon and a few cheerleaders and jocks walked up to them. Chris sat down on the hood of his car looking at all of them heading his way. He looked to the side and caught Callum rolling his eyes at the group.

He bit the inside of his left cheek trying to hold back his laugh and swallow it. Samantha was the first to arrive and immediately she threw her arms around Chris's neck and kissed him. "Dog food," Callum thought to himself.

Ashton moved closer to Callum and sat his bum down on Chris's car hood too and looked at Callum. Simon greeted him, "Good morning," With a wave and a smile. "Yo," he greeted back.

Dillon came to his side and hugged Callum wrapping his arms around his waist tightly, giving him a hug, confusing everyone who was looking and infuriating Chris who pulled away from the kiss and held onto Samantha.

Ashton, "Woah, woah, woah! Did you move onto your girls best friend now and here I thought he was a saint!"

Dillon, "Cally, Chelsea didn't answer my calls yesterday." He complained while ignoring Ashton's bull shit.

Callum raised his hands and patted him on the back. "It's because she was searching for a new Dillon, you should search for a new Chelsea too." Dillon's legs almost turned to jelly hearing this. He looked at Ashton who was behind Callum, holding up his middle finger to him he said, "She has her own unique taste in guys, and I will kill the motherfucker who thinks he has a chance with her."

Ashton, "Why?"

Dillon, "Just!"

Callum, "Dillon, if you don't remove your weight, we will both die."

He reluctantly pulled away and looked at Callum, frowning he asked, "Why isn't Chelsea here yet?" Callum tried coming up with a good lie but was caught by him, "And don't think of lying!"

Chris laughed then looked down, shaking his head he looked away. Ashton raised a brow and looked at him, Samantha looked at him from the side of her eye and crossed her arms.

Callum, "I wasn't going to lie."

Dillon, "Look there, you're already lying."

Shaking his head he said, "I'm leaving now."

As he was about to walk off Ashton grabbed his wrist. Callum looked at him with a glare. Trying to shake him off he squeezed tighter. "What do you want?" Callum asked irritated. Aston looked over at Chris that was glaring at him and let go. Scratching his ear he said, "Why are you leaving so early, school doesn't start for another twenty minutes."

"What makes you think I want to stand here with you people?"

Terry, "Why are you so rude, any other person would love to hang out with us or even be in our presence."

Callum looked at this girl. Squeezing himself between Ashton and Chris, he put his bag down next to his feet on the ground, folded his arms and said while staring straight at her, "Last time I check, none of you are royalty so why should I stay here and look at your faces?" Sweeping his gaze over them all waiting for an answer.

Ashton on the side couldn't be bothered about Terry and Callum's bickering but he could see that what he just said angered the jocks and cheerleaders. Because Callum was half leaning against the car he couldn't see Chris's face. He leaned back placing his hand on the hood for support and looked at him. Their eyes met and Ashton could see his nervousness.

Squinting his eyes he looked back at Callum turning his attention back to the argument that is about to start.

Terry, "Didn't your mother teach you manners?"

"What my mother taught me has nothing to do with this conversation."

Terry was flustered and couldn't retort. Samantha, "You whatever your name is. You are a junior and we are your seniors, you can leave if you want to but you must know that you need to show us respect whether you like it or not..."

Turning his head he interrupted, "Or what, what can you all do to me if I don't show you respect. And I don't know if you know this or not but respect is earned not demanded. Why would I respect you all who jump between each other like its a necessity? You all are idiots if you think that us juniors should show you respect. You all that don't respect your own images much less - yourselves. You don't even respect the school that you represent setting bad examples for all of us juniors to see. Every year it's the same shit, you bully the new kids, make them do humiliating shit and think its funny. Well excuse me for looking down on you, but you are not someone I think should be respected."

Fearless as he may seem on the outside, inside he was screaming, he was scared, he wanted to cry but he had to be strong. Callum's argument was true, this is what these people did but they did not want to hear it coming from him. Yesterday they saw how rude he was, today he was spitting facts in their faces.

The guys and the girls grew sour. The bell rang and Callum was the first to leave. The group was quiet and for some reason, Simon had a bad feeling. He knew these people pretty well to know that they wouldn't just leave him be. Callum disrespected all of them and they would most likely do something in order to teach him a lesson. He may not care but the rest do.

~~

Callum was furious. Unable to concentrate in all his classes, the day passed by slowly. Break time arrived and he wished that Chelsea was here, he hated being alone and especially now after this bullshit happened, he too could feel that something bad was going to happen and wasn't looking forward to it.

Arriving at the back of the school he sat under the bleachers, Callum took out his lunch and sighed, he wanted to go home. After eating the first slice of bread, he saw three girls walking towards his direction, laughing and talking. Callum recognized one of the girls thanks to Chelsea. This group of girls were like him and Chelsea who stayed away mostly hidden, but the one she recognized was according to Chelsea a lesbian who was in a hidden relationship with a cheerleader named Melody.

Apparently, Chelsea caught them kissing behind the stage one day at school but they don't know that ಠﭛಠ. Callum thanked his best friend in his heart and started packing away his lunch. Lazily sitting with a book he borrowed from the central library. Thinking to himself, "Here it starts."

One of the girls bent down minding the steel poles. Looking down at Callum she asked, "Are you Callum?" Looking up at her he smiled and said, "Why?"

The girl smiled, reached her hand out and grabbed Callum by his hair. She pulled him out from under the bleachers. The pain from his hair being pulled was torturess but he endured it not fighting back. They pulled him back towards the pathway that led from the field to the lockers.

Pushing him against the cold cement walls, the one who pulled him by the hair said, "You shouldn't have provoked the wrong people." Scoffing he answered, "What about you? You are just as shitty as them doing what they say, don't you know what's right or wrong?"

The second girl smacked Callum across his face. Grabbed him by the neck and started choking Callum with her left hand. Callum lifts his right leg and kicked her in the stomach making her let go of his throat. The one who pulled on his hair and pushed him against the wall and hit him in his stomach. "You little bitch!" she said through gritted teeth.

Callum bent forward holding his stomach. The pain was excruciating and caught him off guard, luckily he had something to eat or else he would have lost all the air in his body and fainted. She grabbed onto the back of Callum's hoodie, lifting her leg up she kneed him in the stomach three times making him lose his balance and drop to the floor holding his stomach.

Callum started coughing and his cough became a fit. The second girl got up from the floor, pushed her friend away and kicked Callum across his face making him fall over and hold onto his face. With his stomach freed, she then kicked his stomach hard three times before Melody's girlfriend jumped in to stop them. "Stop! Stop! You're going overboard, we're just supposed to scare him!"

The three of them looked at him and after a moment ran away towards the lockers. Callum glared at them. He struggled to sit up but managed. Leaning against the wall he raised his hands to look at the blood inside it.

Turning his tongue in his mouth he spat the saliva into his hands then wiped it on his hoodie. Lifting it to his face he wiped the blood off and looked at it. His face hurt, his jaw hurt and his nose. His stomach hurt while his legs felt weak.

The bell for the sixth period rang indicating that break time was over.

~~

Flipping through his phone he opened the group chats reading the messages in class. After the sixth period ended he was walking through the halls and stopped by his locker to change his books. Someone tapped him on his shoulder.

"Senior?"

Chris, "Mn?" he looked at the junior who he has never seen before.

"The boy you brought to school he's been missing since break time."

Slamming his locker shut he looked at the junior wide-eyed. "What do you mean?"

"He was dragged away by three girls to the lockers behind the field..."

Not letting him finish, Chris ran off alarming Ashton and Simon who was heading his way from the opposite direction. The junior walked away shaking his head and attended the next class.

Chris ran so fast that it felt like he was on edge. Running through the locker room he called but no one answered him. Hearing the ruckus he caused the football coach came out of his office and stopped Chris. But Chris wasn't having any of this. He pushed his coach out of the way and ran towards the exit planning to search for Callum outside since there was no one inside.

As he was running through the path that was dimly lit he saw a silhouette of a crouched body leaning against the wall. Running up to him he crouched down. His blood ran dry when he saw that Callum was unconscious. He shook Callum a couple of times but he didn't respond.

As he was running through the path that was dimly lit he saw a silhouette of a crouched body leaning against the wall. Running up to him he crouched down. His blood ran dry when he saw that Callum was unconscious. He shook Callum a couple of times but he didn't respond.

His body started trembling as he thought of all things that could be wrong with Callum. Taking off his jacket he covered him with it then picked him up and carried him back to the lockers. Yelling for his coach, the man came out ready to berate him for being so loud but froze when he saw Callum's bloody face.

"W-what happened to him?"

Chris, "I don't know, phone the ambulance he's unconscious!"

His coach flinched. This was the first time he has seen the calm and collected Chris so scared and hysterical. Running back to his office he dialled for the main office and told the secretary to phone the ambulance and get the schools' nurse to come down and check up on him.

Chris sat down on the ground with Callum in his arms and took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the blood on his face with his trembling hands. Throwing it down he felt for his pulse by his neck and by his wrist. Slightly relieved that his heart was still beating, he moved the hair stuck to Callum's face.

He saw that his hand was trembling and closed them into a fist. Wrapping both of his arms tightly around Callum he leaned his head down against his and the tears started streaming down, whispering into his ear, "I'm so sorry I wasn't with you. If I never picked you up we wouldn't have bumped into them, you wouldn't have gotten into an argument with them. I should have stopped them but I didn't. I'm such an idiot, I'm so sorry Callum."

His coach came out of the office to tell him that they were on the way but stopped when he saw the scene before him. Callum's face was now clean and he could see him clearly but didn't know who he was. For Chris to hold him so close to him, they couldn't be strangers and he knew Chris's girlfriend so what was going on especially since Chris was so open about his sexuality?"

~~

The nurse came rushing into the locker room and dropped down beside Chris and Callum. Feeling his pulse and positioning his head properly on his shoulder, she said, "Don't worry, he's still alive." Chris glared at her with his red eyes.

Not long after the nurse arrived the principal and the security guard came. They saw Callum unconscious in Chris's arms then turned to the coach and asked what happened. The coach told him about Chris's strange behaviour before he found Callum then told him it seems that the two were close and that Chris shouldn't be close to another because he has his girlfriend.

The principal walked over to Chris and asked him who he was and what happened. Telling him his name and the boy who told him that Callum was taken by the three girls. When the principal asked him who the junior was he couldn't recall the boys face in mind.

The ambulance arrived on the field and they brought a stretcher into the locker room and gently took him from Chris but he didn't want to let Callum go. The principal then told him he should go with him because he couldn't leave and still had to phone his parents and the police.

Inside the ambulance, he held onto Callum's hand praying for his well being. Arriving at the hospital he had to stay outside in the waiting room as they examined him and treated him. Thirty minutes later they were done and he was allowed to go see Callum.

Sitting by Callum's side he brushed his hair away from his face then took out his phone and took a picture of him as a keepsake. Just as he was about to fell asleep while holding onto his hand a man stormed into the hospital.

He headed for the reception desk and asked where Callum's room was. After being shown the way he walked in and stood there frozen. His son was laying on his back with a drip attached to his arm. He slowly walked in stopping at the bed while balling his hands into a fist.

After staring at his son for a moment he quickly caught the tear about to drip down his cheek and wiped it away. Opening his eyes he saw Chris sitting next to Callum asleep.

His eyes widened with anger but quickly calmed down remembering that his mother said he had a friend with him. He thought it would be Chelsea but it wasn't her it was a male friend instead.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that this boy was holding hands with his son. It almost took everything of him to keep himself from waking Chris up and choking him.

~~

Walking out of the room he went to find the doctor in charge of Callum to ask about his condition. Learning about the damage done to his son's body his heart dropped. Seated outside the room he waited for his ex to arrive.

Chris's phone rang him awake, it was Simon.

"Mn?"

Simon, "Chris dude where are you, the police are here questioning us all, they said I must call you to come and answer questions too."

"What's it about?"

Simon, "I don't know but I overheard them say that one of the boys were beat up pretty badly and taken to the hospital."

"The one that got beaten up is Callum."

Simon, "Huh?"

"Yeah, I'm here with him at the hospital."

Simon, "..."

"..."

Simon, "How is he doing?"

"I don't know but he was in a pretty bad condition when I found him."

Simon, "Do you think it's about what happened this morning?"

"That's what I've been thinking this entire time, I don't know who it was but it can only be someone that was present this morning."

Simon, "Fuck man, what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean what are we going to do, whoever did this is going to pay for what they did."

Simon, "No shit, alright, since the principal didn't mention who it was I'll stay silent too for now but if I am questioned then I'll speak the truth."

"Yeah, see you."

~~

Her father quietly stepped into the room and looked down at Chris who had his lips pressed against Callum's hand and his eyes closed.

Raising a brow he said in his deep and mature voice asked, "Who are you?"

Chris's heart dropped as he jumped up in fright. He looked at the man standing at the door in shock. His handsomeness was overwhelming. The fierce eyes looking down at him bore a hole through his chest. "I… My name is Chris, w-who are you-u?"

"I'm his father. What's your relationship with my son?"

Chris, "uh... An acquaintance."

"Oh… Well, this is the first time I am seeing an acquaintance kiss the others hand and falls asleep while holding hands. I am going to ask you again and you better not lie to me… what is your relationship with my son?"

Feeling like hiding under a rock Chris gave in, "I-i'm in love with your son sir," he ended in a whisper.

~~~

"Where's my son?" Yelled Ms Stride in the hall. Her ex, Mr Shrade Daniels, looked at Chris once more before placing his coat on the bed and walked out. When she saw him come out of the room she immediately went to him with tears in her eyes. "W-where is my baby, where is he?"

Holding onto her he said to her, "Genevieve, calm down first, Cay's asleep, your yelling will just wake him up." Ms Stride tried pushing him away but couldn't, his grip was too strong. Collapsing in his arms she gave up. The nurses came over with water to give her.

After calming down, Mr Daniels walked with her into the room. She was so shocked that she fainted.

Moving away from the only chair in the room, Chris told Mr Daniels that he could put her there. Looking at Chris after putting his ex down, Mr Daniels said, "Why don't you go home?"

Chris, "I can't, I left my car at school."

Sighing Mr Dainels said, "Come let me take you back to school and in exchange, you tell me what happened at school this morning."

Leaving, Mr Daniels told the nurses to look after his ex and that he would be back soon.

In the car, Chris told him what happened then told him about the junior who told him about Callum. On the outside, he seemed calm but on the inside, Mr Daniels was swimming in rage. He realised that he did not know his own son, he did not know that he had a sharp tongue.

"So, how long have you been interested in my son."

Looking at Mr Daniels, Chris felt frustrated, why was this man cross-questioning him about this topic again.

Chris, "Since the beginning of this year."

"Why?"

Chris, "I-i don't know, I just started liking him."

"Does he like you?"

Chris, "I don't think so."

"Why?"

Chris, "Because he likes my friend."

"..."

~~

Arriving at the school the principal and police were outside, on their way to return to the police station. Seeing Mr Daniels and Chris, the principal informed the police that Chris was the one who found Callum and they went to question him. They asked him the same questions as Mr Daniels and Chris went on further telling them about the conflict between Callum and the girls from the cheerleading team.

At this moment the final bell for the end of the school day rang. Chris felt so tired from the stress and was a little jumpy, he wanted to head home shower up then head to the hospital.

Mr Daniels was talking with police and the principal while he walked into the school building to his locker. The pupils in the hallway separated in two groups lining up against the walls as they watched him walked down the hallway. Confused he looked around but too lazy to ask what's wrong.

They started whispering amongst each other and pointed fingers at him. The group of friends he was part of walked over and seeing the strange atmosphere they looked at Chris's whose back was facing them, busy in his locker.

Ashton, "Chris, you're back?"

Turning around and looking at them they stopped in their steps, looking at him in shock. Frowning he asked, "What?"

Simon pointed to his own neck and said, "You have blood on you."

Rubbing his neck, Chris couldn't feel anything, pulling his hand back and looking at it he saw red dirt on his hands. Sighing he closed his eyes and rubbed them, they were burning.

Simon walked up to him and passed Callum's bag to him. Looking down he asked, "Whose is this?"

Simon, "The one in hospital."

"Oh..." He took it and held it in his hands. Ashton's eyes squinted, "You know who it is?"

Simon looked the other way not answering him then Ashton turned his gaze to Chris who was looking down at his phone. Dillon walked up to them with a smile on his face, "Yo, what are we waiting for?"

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, he ignored them thinking it was something trivial. He was about to head out when he spotted the bag in Chris's hand and asked, "What are you doing with Cay's bag?"

Putting his phone away Chris picked up his pace and left them behind. Ashton looked at Dillon, "Cay's?"

Dillon, "Callum."

Ashton, "Huh?"

~~

Arriving at home, Chris's phone was ringing nonstop. Dillon heard from Ashton and Simon what happened and started panicking. He phoned Chelsea and told her what happened. Samantha, Terry, Ashton, Dillon and Simon were all trying to get hold of Chris but he ignored their calls.

Taking a shower and telling his parents what happened at school he felt depressed. He ended up telling them that he was planning on leaving Samantha for Callum but the whole situation got complicated. Mr and Mrs Zander were shocked that something like this actually happened at their sons' school and that it might have something to do with Samantha, the girl that they saw as a daughter.

Feeling repulsed Mrs Zander and Chrystal Zander, Chris's younger sister told him to leave Samantha this instant, they couldn't have someone like her apart of their family. Mr Zander could see the conflicted expression that his son wore but did not say anything. It was his future and he had to decide what was wrong and what was correct.

Chrystal urged Chris to break up today with Samantha and that she would go with him to her house now but Chris didn't. He told them he was too tired and wanted to go back to the hospital instead. Frustrated, Chrystal gave in on the condition that he would let her go with him.

Chuckling, he shook his head and agreed. Mrs Zander wanted to go too but Mr Zander told her that its best if they didn't crowd the hospital. Reluctantly agreeing she let her son and daughter leave but told Chris that by the end of this week he better break up with Samantha.

~~

Arriving at the hospital, he saw that Dillon and Chelsea were there. Chelsea's eyes were red from crying. Ms Stride was awake and had reddish eyes while Mr Daniels was conversing with the doctors.

Greeting Dillon and Chelsea, he walked into the room and saw that Callum's eyes were open. Seeing Chris enter the room he tried smiling but his face was still sore.

With the help of his mother, he sat up properly with a pained expression. Panicking Chris rushed to his side and helped him saying, "Why don't you rest some more?"

Shaking his head Callum said, "I want to leave but my parents are forcing me to stay here."

Chuckling he asked, "Why are you so stubborn?"

"It's in me."

Chrystal walked in slowly like a thief and stood behind Chris. He introduced her to Ms Stride, Chelsea, Dillon and Callum. Smiling to herself she whispered into Chris's ear, "He's pretty."

Turning his face he said, "I know, hush before they hear you."

Rolling her eyes she pushed him aside and stood beside Callum grinning at him. Looking at this strange girl he asked, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

Chrystal, "My brother says he fell in love with you, are you going to be my sister-in-law, well brother-in-law in this case?"

Chris, (つ﹏⊂) [This idiot!!]

Dillon, "No wonder you were acting so strange!"

Chris wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. Callum saw how embarrassed he was getting and shook his head. Never has he ever heard of such nonsense.

Chrystal, "My mother was going to come with but my father said she must not be forward."

Looking at her with surprise written on his face Callum said, "I'm glad she didn't come, it would have been weird!"

Chrystal, "Why?"

Callum, "I'm not dating your brother so why must she come, if she did I would rather die!"