CHAPTER 11

[trigger warning!! This chapter contains content that some readers may find upsetting. Viewers descretion is advised.]

The guy querying him seemed to be more closer to Henry that the rest of the friends there as Glen recalled seeing them together most of the times his eyes caught them.

"Hey, why do you keep looking at Henry like that?" One of the girl enquired tauntingly to get a reaction out of Glen. "Wait!" She gasped dramatically like in shock. "Don't tell me you're gay?"

They all bursted out laughing.

Glen's was dumbstruck and his heart thumped. He narrowed his eyes aggreived. Sweat beads trickiling down his face as he lowers his head.

"What's your name again? Glen?" The guy who pulled him there asked contemptiously and continued. "Is it true? What Lydia said?"

Lydia…so that's her name. They girl who put me in the position in the first place.

Glen winced miserably still unable to speak up. His heart pounded nonstop. He thought the time where everyone found out about his sexuality has come. His lips quivered silently and he shakily shut his eyes. He imagined how hellish his life would become if he admitted that he liked men.

"Are you sure this is a guy? Look at his overgrown bangs." Another guy jeered grazing his fingers through his bangs.

"At least he looks better than you ugly mother fucker, even if he isn't manly enough." On of the females there jeered at him.

"Shut it bitch." He became chagrined as she poured his scorn on him and returned his taunting gaze to Glen. "Let's check if he's got a dick." He sneered.

They all laughed out loud tauntingly as the guy approached to harrass him.

Glen slowly moved backwards as the guy approached him in a hunch position like he wanted to pull his pants down for real. The other students in the hall soon gathered around to witness the commotion with Henry's crew.

"Enough Rick." The guy who pulled him there in the first place—patted the guy Rick and stopped him from approaching Glen.

"Lebron?" The guy Rick paused his approach discontent. "I was just getting started." He grumbled and returned to the rest of their friends to watch.

Lebron approached Glen and continued. "Enough chitchatting fag. I asked you a question and I need an answer. Do you like Henry or not?" He parroted once more after much patience.

He yanked Glen's bag from his back violently—making his to stagger and unzipped it cascading the contents out of his bag—including his phone with loud thuds as they reached the ground.

He hurled the bag to the floor and continued. "If you don't answer in the next three count. I'm going to smack the answer out of your darn mouths." He said in an omnious tone pressing his icy glare on Glen.

Henry did not interfere, he just sat and watched them intently with a wicked grin of content on his face. Watching people bully and ridicule others was an entertainment for him.

Glen trembled clenching his shirt and lowering his head still unable to speak because of the lump that was emerging through his throat from fright. He began to question his life as he recalled the unfortunate incidents that have plagued him and is only repeating itself over again.

The guy Lebron sucked his teeth ticked. "You're testing me aren't you?" He slowly raised his hand to hit him.

Glen shrunk and clench his teeth, lowering his head—waiting for Lebron's hand to land on his face.

Lebron got startled as his hand came to an abrupt pause. He turned beside him and it was Williams still holding his hands pressing him an icy glare.

"What are you doing?" Williams asked enraged as he thwacked the guy's hand out of his and hurried to Glen concerned as he put his hands on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Glen blinked baffled that Williams unexpectedly came to his rescue. Tears began to pile up around his eyes as he felt a sense of relief. "Senior Williams…"

"Who the fuck are you?" Lebron ask extremely peeved, cocking an eye brow. "Don't tell me you two are like that…." He inquired perplexed—with a scowl.

Williams approached Lebron with a nettled expression towering over him. "Even if I am, the last time I checked. It is not your job to be to concerned. How about you all start by minding your businesses and let people be?"

He responded slightly ticked off and returned to help Glen pick up his stuffing it in his bag.

Henry's eyes widened with a grin. The situation was amusing enough, but William's response made it more amusing for him. As he watched.

Williams assisted Glen by his shoulder to the door. He sneakily turned around to glimpse at Henry who was amused and grinning contemptuously. His eyes turned cold for a few seconds before he shifted his gaze to the door as they walked off.

Glen kept trembling nonstop and Williams took him to the infirmary to help him calm down.

He sat on one of the bed wrinkling his shirt tensed. Sweating profusely.

Williams handed him a cup of cold water and he took it clasping it with both his hands hunched over. He hurriedly drank it and exhaled loudly to relief his thumping heart. His lips quivered momentarily before it came to a stop easing the tension in his body.

"S-Senior Williams…I'm sorry for causing you trouble…" he said in a low tone fidling with the cup, boring hole inside it in an aggreived expression.

Williams shoot him a short glare. "Glen…don't let people treat you like that. You should speak for yourself and stand up for yourself when you need to. The outcome might still be the same…but at least you you know you tried."

"Ah…that…I…" he clutched his arm nervously. "I wish I could…" he wiped the bubble of tears wetting his long lashes."

Williams let out an exasperated sigh—taking the cup from him and place it in a small fridge in the space between the bed and the cabinet. He stood there momentarily and pondered for a few seconds.

Glen nervously glanced at his back fiddling his hands in a slouched position.

Is he mad at me?

Williams abruptly turned towards him and he flinched deterring his gaze to the floor.

William paused momentarily before approaching him. He hunched over him trying to get their eyes to meet but Glen kept awkwardly averting his eyes to avoid looking at Williams in the eyes.

Williams let out another exasperated sigh and straightened his body crossed arm. "Why do you always avoid my eyes? It hurts me you know?"

He jolted. "N…no!" As soon as his eyes met Williams, he averted them again. "It's….it's just hard for me…"

Williams chortled out a short laugh. "Glen, you really are a tough wall to climb." He sat down close to him placing his hand over his back. "Look, if anything is bothering you, you can tell me. I'm here if you need to borrow an ear…we are friends aren't we?"

Senior Williams consider someone like me as a friend? This feeling…my heart is fluttering.

His face flushed from embarrassment. He nodded slowly before responding. "Y-yes…"

"Glen…don't listen to what anyone says." He halted and turned away slightly covering his mouth. He continued with a mumble. "you're really cute…not only your face but your eyes especially…"

Glen's eyes widened as he caught some words. He immediately became abashed slouching more than he was. "T-thank you…for trying to make me feel b-better."

Williams face flushed as he shifted his gaze towards Glen. His eyes weakened from embarrassment and he leaned forward to Glen. "I'm serious Glen. You're cute."

Glen deterred his gaze immensely abashed and covered his face. It was as if his whole body was burning from the Shame.

— —

Glen arrived to his apartment late and hitched when he saw the shadow of someone crouched down in front of his door step. The figure stood up and trudged out of the shadows approaching him; it was Charlotte.

She clutched her phone in her hands. Her eyes were all red and puffy with dried up tears. She looked liked she has been suffering emotionally and mentally.

"Charlotte?!"

His eyes widened in aghast and he approached her.

Her eyes have been devoid of emotion and she responded in a hoarse voice. "I called a lot…but you didn't pick one call."

He hastily rummaged through his bag and brought out his phone. The screen had been damaged from the time that guy lebron, hurled it to the floor.

"My phone is damaged…I'm sorry." He said in a grimaced expression. His heart thumped when he realized what might be going on with Charlotte. He gulped and continued. "Don't… tell me…"

Charlotte stood in a daze for a few seconds biting her lips bitterly. She responded in an agonizing voice. "She left me. My grandmother left me."

Soon she began to sob uncontrollably masking her face with his hands as she stood in front of him. Glen's Foot step felt heavy as he stepped forward to hugged her with his small body tightly to console her.

Her crying became even more louder.