Reaching Out

Chapter 15: Old School, New Love

By Grant Bentley

“Well, we’ll see you guys at school tomorrow,” Pete said, looking directly at Trevor. You could see Trevor’s mood change instantly.

“I wish,” he replied.

Aaron clapped his hands, rubbed them together, stepped forward and placed them on Trevor’s forehead as he announced in a loud voice, “In my new role as the Western High School wish fairy, I grant you your wish, young knight.”

Trevor looked over at me and I smiled at him. “No way,” he responded. “Are you serious?”

“We’re serious,” I told him. “Ian and I talked to Mr. Thiessen and you’re back in Western.”

“I don’t know what to say,” he said as the tears began to flow once more. “I can’t believe that you guys are doing all of this for me. Nobody has ever given a shit about me before–well, except for my Dad. ‘Thank you’ just doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Well, it is enough,” Jason said. “You deserve to be happy, just like anyone else. No one should have to hide and lie to feel safe. John and I did it for way too long until we found out we didn’t need to.”

“I know that now, too, but how am I going to face everyone after what I did? What am I going to tell everyone?” he asked.

“If you’re worried about your phone call to the help line, no one knows except these guys, Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Thiessen, so you don’t have to worry about that,” I told him.

Trevor visibly relaxed when I told him that. “Thank God,“ he said. “I don’t know if I could face everyone if they all knew I had been about to commit suicide.”

“You won’t have to deal with that, but seeing you back is going to raise a lot of curiosity. Most of the questions you are going to get will be about how you got back into Western,” Ian warned him.

“And why you’re hanging out with us,” Pete said, laughing.

“I already thought about that, he replied, “and I’m going to tell the truth–leaving out the suicide bit, of course. I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m going to come out. If anyone doesn’t like it, tough shit. I have all the real friends I need with you guys…and I know I’ll meet lots of people through the GSA. The right kind of people.”

“Just remember, we’ve all got your back,” Evan told him.

“Thanks,” he replied.

“We’d better get out of here or we’re all going to be in deep shit for being late,” Scott announced.

With that, everyone said goodnight and they were off for their homes.

Everyone got up early the next morning. The boys were excited that Trevor was going to school with them. As soon as breakfast was finished, they rushed out the door. Trevor had to report to the office to get his schedule and set up his transfer back from Central to Western. They met up with Pete and Ross as they entered the school gates. Almost no one was at the school that early, so they didn’t run into anyone as they made their way to the office. Within half an hour, everything was sorted out and they were on their way to homeroom.

After leaving the office, they could almost feel the stares they got as they walked down the hall. Not only was Trevor back at Western, but he was walking down the hall laughing and joking with John, the boy he had been expelled for attacking. If that didn’t attract enough attention, Jason, Pete and Ross were also with him. The homophobe and four totally ‘out’ gay guys acting like the best of friends was just too weird. Conversations would stop and it would become quiet as they moved past groups of students. Then the conversations would restart, twice as animated as before.

Jason nudged Trevor, laughing as he said, ”I think they’ve noticed you’re back.”

“No shit,” Trevor replied with a chuckle.

They got to homeroom without any hassles and sat near the back of the room. Within minutes, Scott and Evan showed up, along with Chrissie, Josie and Cary. They all said hi and sat down.

Chrissie leaned over to Trevor and said, “It’s good to have you back,” and lifted her hand to give him a high five.

“Thanks,” Trevor replied as he gave her hand a slap. ”I’m so glad to be back.”

As it happened, the day went on without incident. Trevor fielded a number of questions from curious students, but, for the most part, it was like he had never left. At the end of the day, he joined up with Scott and Evan and they headed for the GSA meeting in the conference room. As they were going up the stairs, a couple of boys from the rugby team approached them. The boys stopped to talk to them.

One of the boys grabbed Trevor’s arm and pulled him off to the side. “What the fuck?” he asked. “You’ve been hanging with these guys all day. You go queer on us or somethin’?”

Trevor grabbed the kid’s hand and removed it from his arm, looked the kid in the eyes, smiled and replied, “Actually, according to the most recent studies, I was born queer.”

“Fuck off,” the kid responded. “You serious?”

“Yeah, very,” Trevor said, still with a smile on his face.

The kid stood there for few seconds before grinning at Trevor and then laughing.

“What?” Trevor asked.

“My brother thinks you’re the hottest thing on the planet,” he replied, still laughing. “I told him you were one of the biggest homophobes in school and he didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with you. I’d better get home and give him the good news…oh, hey, never mind, there he is now.”

Trevor turned to look and saw what had to be the cutest guy in school. He was about five feet tall and looked to weigh about ninety pounds. He had long blond hair down to his shoulders and the bluest eyes Trevor had ever seen. When he smiled, he had the deepest dimples imaginable.

He looked at Scott and Evan, smiled and said, “Hi.” Then he looked nervously at Trevor, his brother and his friend. He was sure there was going to be trouble, if what his brother had told him was true.

Trevor reached his hand out to him, smiled and said, “Hi, I’m Trevor.”

He flinched and almost stepped back before tentatively reaching out to shake Trevor’s hand.

“Hi, I’m Chase,” he responded nervously. He looked at his brother with a puzzled expression as if to say, ‘What the hell?’

His brother grinned at him and said, “I guess it’s colder in hell than I figured.”

Chase still looked totally confused as he replied, “Okay…”

He then looked at Scott and Evan who were now grinning at him and asked them if they were on their way to the meeting, to which they replied, “Yeah, we are.”

Chase’s brother then said, “See ya,” and he and his friend headed off down the hall.

The four boys started off towards the conference room. Chase was still looking at Trevor out of the corner of his eye, wondering what was going on. As well as his brother warning him that Trevor was the biggest homophobe in school, he had heard about the incident with John and knew that Trevor had been expelled. So what was he doing back at Western? What was he doing hanging out with two of the most well-known gay guys in school? And what was up with him going to a GSA meeting?

When they got to the conference room, Jason and John spotted them and ran over to give them a quick hug. When they both hugged Trevor and John gave him a peck on the cheek, Chase couldn’t hold his curiosity any longer.

“Okay, this is weirding me out here,” he stated.

“What is?” John asked.

“Let me,” Trevor said to John. “You got a few minutes?” he asked Chase.

“Yeah, I guess,” Chase replied.

Trevor led Chase over to a table and the two of them sat down. After about twenty minutes, they rejoined the others. This time they both had huge smiles on their faces.

“Speaking of being weirded out,” Scott said, looking at the two of them, “what’s going on?”

Chase couldn’t hold in his excitement in any longer. “Trevor asked me out,” he almost shouted.

“That didn’t take long. But you’ve gotta watch out for these fast-movin’, smooth-talkin’ gigolo types,” Scott laughed as he punched Trevor’s arm.

A couple of hours later, the apartment door opened and in walked eight boys. This time, however, the excitement level was a little higher and there was a new face in the crowd. A drop dead gorgeous little guy with a smile and dimples to die for–that, and he couldn’t take his eyes off a certain rugby player.

As soon as they made it into the kitchen, Trevor introduced the young man to Ian and me as Chase. He introduced us as his new dads and explained that he was living with us now. We all shook hands and Ian and I welcomed Chase into our home and let him know he was welcome any time. He asked if it would be okay if he used the phone to let his Mom know where he was. We nodded and a few minutes later he announced that he could stay until 11:30.

“Okay, homework first,” Pete announced.

Then he looked at Chase, leaned over and whispered, “You have to take your eyes off Trevor to do your homework.” He burst out laughing as Chase turned several shades of red. Pete got a good thump on the arm from Trevor for his remark, but watching Chase blush made it worth it.

An hour later, homework was done and the boys headed for Jason and John’s room. In no time, the familiar sounds of boys playing the Xbox came floating down the hall.

When it was time for the boys to leave, Trevor and Chase disappeared into Trevor’s room for a couple of minutes. When they came out, they both looked a little flushed but extremely happy. We said goodnight to the boys, and as they left, Pete and Ross offered to give Chase a ride home.

“So Romeo,” Ian laughed, “that didn’t take long.”

Trevor blushed as he smiled and replied, “Nope,” then quickly disappeared into his room.

Jason and John filled us in on the fact that Chase had been in love with Trevor for a long time, but, based on Trevor’s reputation, had pretty much given up any hope. When they had met in the hallway on the way to the GSA meeting, it had been a dream come true for Chase, and apparently love at first sight for Trevor.

Once they had caught us up to speed, the boys said goodnight and headed off to bed themselves. Ian and I didn’t wait too long before heading to our own room, either.

Chapter 16