Portrait of a Friend
"C'mon, you're never gonna beat someone like that!" Bo shouted as Dale Withers, new guy on the team, tried to take down Kyle. "Don't try knockin' him by his stomach, you need a grip on him, throw him sideways and down."
Dale did as told, and managed to get Kyle to the floor, unfortunately, he seemed so pleased by that he lost concentration, and Kyle had all the time he needed to flip him and pin him down.
Bo groaned, running a hand down his face. "God damn Dale, that's the third time this week! You've got to remember to pin him or you're gonna lose."
Dale sent him a sheepish grin. "Sorry Bo, I guess I need more practise."
"Hell yeah you do, my sister could take you, and the only sport she does is ridding a horse twice a week." He shook his head. "Still, I guess I'll cut you some slack, you've only been on the team two weeks. Next time though, you'd better not get flipped, or I'll let Ali have a go with you."
Dale cast a wide eyed look at Alistair Western, who stood at about six foot six and was build like a body builder. Despite his scary person and tough look, Bo was one of the few people who new Ali was really rather a softy at heart, and always did his best to avoid any confrontation. Of course, new guys on the team didn't need to know that, it sure helped them focus when they knew the consequence of not doing so was facing off with the giant muscle man.
"I'll do better next time; I guess I just get carried away."
Bo nodded. "Ok guys, may as well leave it here today. Anyone up for pizza?" He wasn't hunger, but nowadays, he'd always come up with reasons to avoid going home for as long as he could.
"Count me in; I'm starved, missed lunch." Joe said as the group headed for the locker room.
"Pizza sounds good right about now, beats physics homework." Ali snorted as he pulled open the door.
A few more agreements came as most of the team went to hit the showers. Bo merely had to change his t-shirt and pull on his grey hoody. He'd only coached today, not willing to risk banging up his damaged ribs and tender flesh.
He waited around for his team mates and friends, diverting his gaze when they wondered out of the shower one by one with only a towel around their waists.
He wondered how they'd react if they found out he bat for the other team, if they'd be disgusted and refuse to change in front of him, or even be in the same room as him.
Shaking his head to himself, Bo put it out of mind; he had no interest in coming out to anyone else. Jimmy, Brooke, his dad, his brother and his sister knew, no one else, and his brother and sister - both of who were older and already at collage - had only found out second-hand from their father. Bo wasn't to sure how they felt about it, he didn't get to talk to them much, but he hoped that they'd understand.
Occupying himself with his thoughts, Bo waited for everyone to finish dressing, before leading the way out and heading for the parking lot, some people catching a ride with another, Bo ended up taking Dale with him.
"Nice ride," he commented once seated inside, gazing round the car with sharp green eyes.
"Thanks, it was a present from my uncle last year." Bo said as he left the school grounds. "He runs some big car dealership in Texas."
"Cool, I've got some family in Texas, s'where my mom's from." Dale grinned, running a hand threw his spiked hair.
The rest of the drive was spent just making small talk and when they pulled up outside the pizza place, some of the guys where already there.
The evening went by quickly, everyone joking about and relaxing. The time was filled with of loud talking, naming of many girls the team members would love to sleep with (in a rather un-civilised way), talk of the latest wrestling matches on telly, and arguing over pizza slices. Before everyone even realised, the sun was sinking behind the trees, and slowly the group broke apart.
Dale took a ride with someone else, and Bo found himself giving Ali, and Chad, a blonde team mate who Bo had known since freshman, a ride home. Both lived close to him. Chad was gone first, then Bo pulled up outside Ali's.
Before opening the door and stepping out, Ali turned to him. "You alright man? You seem sort of tense."
Giving him a forced grin, Bo nodded, looking as reassuring as he could. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all."
Ali frowned, not looking convinced. "I don't know, you seem kind of off these last few weeks."
"Seriously man, I'm fine. You worry too much." Bo laughed it off. "Now get your fat ass out of my car before you damage it."
Giving him a friendly punch on the arm, Ali opened the door and stepped out. He shut it, waved, and headed for his house.
As soon as he'd disappeared from view, Bo let his head fall against the steering wheel. He really didn't want to go home. He banged his head a few times against the wheel lightly. "Come on man, stop being such a pussy." He muttered to himself. Taking a breath, he put his car into drive, and headed home.
Two minutes later, Bo was looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. A pale full moon was just visible behind wispy clouds, taking his mind back to that night which seemed to mess up everything. If it weren't for that damn animal attraction shit of Jimmy's he'd have never had to admit anything to himself, and right now he wouldn't be stood outside his own home in the cold wind trying to build up the courage to go in, instead he'd be in the living room, having a beer and watching the game with his dad, cracking rude comments and shouting at the telly.
He looked away from the moon, and pulled out his key. There were no lights on in the house, for that Bo was grateful, it meant he was alone. Not bothering to flip them on, he darted up the stairs, heading straight for his room. He opened his closet door, and gently took out his hardly-ever-used guitar. His mom had bought it for him before she went out for a pint of milk one day and wasn't heard from again for fourteen months, only to randomly get in contact with her new life, boyfriend and kid included.
Shaking his head, Bo settled down on his bed, strumming the strings to no particular rhythm, just making one up as he went along. It was oddly soothing, as though the music was the only thing in the world, wrapping around him in a fake scene of security. He aloud himself to relax and fall into it, forgetting about the rest of the world.
He sat and played for twenty minutes, and would have continued if not for hearing the phone ring. The set the guitar aside on the bed and stood. He made his way downstairs and picked up the cordless phone in the living room. "Hello?"
"Hey Bo."
Bo blinked when he heard his brother's voice on the other end of the line. It was a very rare thing indeed that he rung. "Hey Leo. Not that it isn't good to hear from you man, but what's up?"
"I'm looking for dad; I really need to talk to him about something. He around?"
"No, I don't know wh-"
"Never mind, ask him to ring me." And the line went dead.
Taking the phone away from his ear, Bo frowned at it, as though it where the phones fault his brother had hung up on him.
Setting the phone back in its rightful place, Bo returned to his room, hoping the reason Leo hadn't took the time out to speak to him was because he was busy, not about what their father had told him about Bo. He assured himself it was the former, after all, Leo was getting married soon and he seemed to permanently be dashing about, not stopping unless he had to, trying to get everything ready and sorted.
Returning to his room, his picked back up his guitar and played into the night, falling asleep long before his father stumbled in early the next morning.
"Kim?"
"Yep."
"…And is there a reason you suddenly asked her out?" Brooke asked; text books in hand as she stood facing Bo, who was sat on a wall outside school.
"Someone new to hang with." Bo shrugged, not showing any interest in the conversation.
Brooke frowned. "You don't even know her, and you obviously don't find her attractive. I understand you might not want to come out Bo, but you're hardly helping yourself here."
"Whatever. I'm not exactly doing any damage."
"But what if Kim started to like you?"
Bo shrugged. "I'll dump her before she ever got attached."
Brooke scowled, not at all pleased with that answer. "Oh yeah, that's real nice Bo. If you don't want to come out, then don't just pick up any girl. You'll only complicate things in the long run."
"What the hell do you know?" Bo answered back, hopping off the wall. "If I want you're opinion, I'll ask for it, otherwise, keep out of my business."
The bell signalling the start of school sounded, and Bo turned to leave, but Brooke grabbed a hold of his arm. "What's wrong with you Bo? You've been really short tempered lately, and you're not acting like yourself."
He pulled his arm from her grip. "Shouldn't you be looking for Jimbo?" Not saying anymore, he turned away from the school and crossed the street, heading away.
Brooke sighed as she watched him go. She knew he'd not return to school today. Turning to head into the building, she promised herself she'd find out just what was going on with her friend.
"We could always follow him?" Jimmy suggested over lunch, having brought his own, as the cafeteria food wasn't something suitable for even a starving man.
"Spying on a friend would hardly seem right." Brooke sighed. "Maybe we should talk to his dad. He must have noticed any change in Bo's behaviour."
"I don't know Brooke." Jimmy said, looking very unsure. "Something about that guy creeps me out."
"Well, Bo won't talk to us, and he's the only family he has around here." She said reasonably.
Jimmy still didn't look to happy with the idea. He looked down at his food, trying to think of a way to get around this. Honestly, he had no idea why he didn't like Bo's father, he'd only met him just the once, but since being bitten by a werewolf he'd become something of a good judge of character. "Maybe we could find out his mom's number."
"Would Bo even give it to us?"
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not. If not, we'll just pick pocket his phone, her number must be in his contacts."
Brooke raised her eyebrows. "You can't spy on your friend, so now you want to steal from him?"
"It's not stealing! We'd put it right back, besides, it's for his own good." Jimmy defended.
Brooke sighed. "Fine. But we'll ask him first. If and only if he doesn't agree we'll take his cell."
Jimmy grinned a rather wolfish grin and finished his lunch.
