Fall Out

By:

Me

I own nothing, but sure would like to own Atticus Mitchell. Just saying.

Chapter Four

Ethan walked through the halls of Whitechapel High in a pretty good mood. Benny had kept the Seer company while he was getting ready for school and inundated his boyfriend with a list of his movie "must haves." Ethan had been happy to see that his lover was talkative and had a good appetite for breakfast. Benny had even agreed to take half of one dose of his pain medication.

"I'm only doing this for you, E," the spell master said after he swallowed the pill, "Happy?"

"I am happy," Ethan agreed as he pulled on his jacket and grabbed his bag before noticing the pout on his boyfriend's face, "B, don't look like that. It's kills me when you look unhappy."

"I'm going to miss you," Benny whined before grinning, "I'll see you this afternoon. Bring popcorn. I want a movie marathon after you're done with your homework."

Ethan smiled to himself. Benny had most certainly felt better this morning. The teen didn't notice the odd looks and sneers that were being aimed in his direction until the captain of the football team put his foot out and tripped the Seer.

"Oopsie, Morgan," Kurt boomed as his other jock friends laughed out loud, "Did I cause the fag to fall? My bad."

Ethan sat up with a frown before he noticed that most of the students were looking at him. It wasn't until then that the word Kurt had used dawned on him.

"What did you call me?" the Seer asked as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Fag. Or do you like queer or pansy better?" the jock grinned out with an evil smile on his face, "They all mean the same thing gay boy."

Ethan had known that one day he would face this type of prejudice, but not so soon. How had Kurt figured it out?

"What made you call me that?" the smaller teen gritted out as he raised his chin in defiance.

"Didn't notice two nights ago, did you?" Kurt chuckled out as he circled Ethan, "I was in the waiting room of the ER when your mom talked about your little relationship with Benny Rabbit. My little brother was there needing to get stitches. Quite an interesting conversation that I overheard that night, don't you think?"

Ethan kept his outside strong while he panicked on the inside. This wasn't good. Benny would be coming back to school soon and he couldn't walk into such hostility. Not when his health was so delicate. The Seer wasn't going to allow anything to hurt his lover.

"Benny's and my relationship is none of your business," Ethan stated which made the whole hallway grow silent.

"So you're not going to deny that I heard that you have been screwing Benny good and hard?" Kurt laughed out, "I always knew that you and Weir-do had to be gay for one another. You've been attached at the hip since you were old enough to walk. Freak!"

"Who I love is none of your business, Kurt," Ethan hissed, "Yes. I am gay and Benny and I are in a relationship. What is it to you?"

Kurt spluttered as the rest of the school listened intently. Ethan Morgan had never stood up to a bully like this before.

"It's sick! It's wrong!" Kurt exclaimed as he grabbed Ethan by his shirt and hauled him up on his toes, "You're disgusting and so is that other loser you call your 'boyfriend.'"

"What I find disgusting is that you are so narrow-minded," Ethan growled out as he looked up in defiance at his tormentor, "I'm not the only gay student here and neither is Benny. I find it funny that you've noticed that Benny and I have been 'attached at the hip' as you so bluntly stated. Maybe you're jealous? Want to swing our way a little? Can't blame you my Benny is hot."

Kurt shoved the Seer away from him in disgust. This was not going the way he planned.

"I'm gay," Ethan declared while he stared down the watching students as Sarah, Rory, and Erica appeared on the scene, "I love Benjamin Weir. I nearly lost the love of my life a few weeks ago. Benny nearly died. He is coming back to school this coming Monday. I don't want him to be upset. His health is still delicate. You want to hate. Hate me. You want to taunt the "gay freak." Then taunt me. Leave Benny alone. I am begging you."

The other students shifted uncomfortably. Some were in agreement with Kurt. Some were in agreement with Ethan. Others couldn't decide. Overall the whole situation felt wrong. The bell ringing made all the students hurry to homeroom. Ethan was shoved harshly from behind by Kurt, but Sarah caught him and walked him to his class with Rory and Erica close by.

"We'll handle this," the vampiress snapped out as Erica and Rory nodded their heads in determination.

"No," Ethan denied, "This is something that I need to handle. Benny and I knew that if word got out then a lot of students here would show their homophobia. I just wish this had waited to come out until after Benny was fully healed. I'm scared for my Baby."

"We'll protect Benny," Rory stated grimly, "We won't let anything happen to either of you.

Ethan nodded before heading into his class. The rest of the morning was a nightmare of hissed name calling and physical bullying. The Seer was glad when lunched arrived and he could go sit with his friends. Unfortunately, Kurt and his goons were waiting for Ethan in the cafeteria.

"Leave me alone, Kurt," Ethan snapped as he tried to walk around the other teen before grimacing when the football captain grabbed his arm and jerked him back around, "Cut it out!"

"Ah, is the queer going to cry?" Kurt laughed out, "Maybe you need your boyfriend's ass warming your cock to feel better. You and Weir are such losers."

Ethan shrugged out of Kurt's grip as the rest of the student body watched on.

"You have called Benny and I losers for most of our life even before you knew that we were gay," the Seer growled out, "It just seems to me that you are trying to find something to throw in our face. Are the rest of you guys here at Whitechapel High so insecure that you have to pick on someone that is different to feel good about yourselves? That's pathetic!"

"Like anybody here is going to listen to you," Kurt grinned out before stepping back when Erica was suddenly in his face.

"I like big, but I don't like stupid. You better leave both Ethan and Benny alone," Erica warned as Sarah and Rory backed her up.

"Or what?" Kurt inquired with a smirk.

"Stop it, Kurt," a familiar voice called out making the captain turn around in surprise.

Tony Watson the other star player of the football team was glaring at his teammate as he arrived on the scene.

"Back off, Dude. What the hell are you playing at? One of my cousins is gay and he is a good person," Tony stated as he stalked over, "It's stupid to hate people for being who they are. Morgan and Weir haven't done anything to you or anybody else here. What gives, man?"

Kurt spluttered for the second time in the day as the student body began to buzz around him. Tony stepped up and addressed the other students.

"I heard about what Morgan said this morning. He's right. We all saw when Weir was taken away in that ambulance after he passed out and we all heard about how close he came to dying. I knew that Morgan and he were a couple the minute Jaws here took a chunk out of the principle to get to his side," Tony called out which made the student body laugh.

Ethan looked around in surprise as some of the students began to nod in agreement at Tony's words.

"I think that as long as Morgan and Weir keep their physical relationship in the privacy of their own homes then nobody should have a complaint," Tony announced, "Leave Weir and Morgan alone. You got a problem with any student that is gay then you've got a problem with me. Got it?"

Most of the students backed off quickly once the show was over. Tony was huge and many didn't want to be on the receiving end of his anger. The crowd dispersed to finish their lunches. Ethan was shocked to feel some people pat him on the back as they passed.

"You'll have to be strong," Tony added as he walked by the Seer, "You're going to have a lot of people like Kurt to deal with."

"Been dealing with bullies my whole life," Ethan agreed, "A bully will find anything to pick on someone about and it doesn't matter if I was gay or the color orange. I can handle it and so will Benny when he is strong enough, but thank you, Tony. I think that Benny will be safe in school because of you. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your words."

"Really?" Tony asked as he turned around and wiggled his eyebrows, "Do you appreciate my words enough to tutor me for my next geometry test? Got to keep my grades up to play ball, man."

"Sure," Ethan gushed as he grinned, "I can meet you early at the school library tomorrow. Thanks, Tony."

Erica began to trail after the football player with an intrigued look on her face while Rory and Sarah pulled Ethan over to eat his lunch.

"I think Erica has another one of her crushes," Sarah pointed out as the pretty blonde began chatting up to Tony.

"As long as she keeps her fangs to herself then let her have fun," Ethan said as he opened the lunch bag that Benny's grandmother had made for him, "Cool. Ms. Weir packed some of her cookies."

"Dude, you were so cool to stand up to Kurt," Rory cheered after he was done scowling in Erica's direction, "You were all like Yoda with your words of wisdom. Awesome."

"That was pretty cool, Ethan," Sarah agreed.

"Do you think Tony and I have headed off any problems? Benny can't come back to a bully war," the Seer fretted, "I don't want my boyfriend to be upset on his first day back to school."

"I think that a lot of would-be tormentors will be too scared to be seen bullying anyone who is gay thanks to Tony," Sarah admitted, "I bet a lot of students who are gay don't have anyone to stand up for them at all. You and Benny were lucky that a popular jock took the time to defend you."

"I know," Ethan agreed, "I also know that you, Rory, and Erica would have kept us safe as well. I thank you as well. When Benny is all better I plan on starting a blog that may be able to educate and reach out to young people who are going through tough times after discovering their sexuality. I guess it's my way of thanking God for sending someone like Tony to help me protect my Baby."

The friends went through the rest of their day uneventfully and Ethan was glad to be back at the Weir residence with a bag full of movies and snacks after school. Benny cheerfully greeted his boyfriend with a kiss and snuggle.

"Have a good day at school today?" the spell master asked as he studied his boyfriend while Ethan settled at the kitchen table.

"It was fine, B," Ethan lied as he pulled his lover down on his lap and cradled the cast, "How is your arm? Has it hurt you today?"

"My arm just feels sore if I move it," Benny answered before he tilted Ethan's chin up, "What really happened today, E? I've known when you're lying to me since we were little. Spill."

The Seer breathed out a sigh. Leave it to Benny to figure out there was something going on so quickly. As Ethan explained everything that had occurred his lover's face went pale as he got upset.

"Did Kurt hurt you?" the spell master demanded as his temper rose, "I'll hit him with a spell that will give him a mouse pecker!"

"Calm down, Baby," Ethan soothed as his shoulders shook in silent laughter at the thought of Kurt's reaction to that type of spell, "I'm not hurt and more importantly nobody else will dare to hurt either of us or any other student who is gay thanks to Tony."

"Why did you try to lie to me?" Benny inquired as he checked his boyfriend for any hidden injury.

"Didn't want you to get upset, Baby," Ethan cooed as he pulled his lover down for a tender kiss, "I wanted you to heal before you have to deal with something like this."

"I'm not made of glass, Ethan," Benny breathed out as he began to calm down, "You are protective of me, but that does not make me any less protective of you. Don't keep things from me, okay?"

"I promise that I won't in the future," Ethan agreed as he cuddled his lover close, "Does it bother you that the whole school knows about us now?"

"No," Benny denied with a shake of his head, "It was bound to come out eventually. It is what it is now and you and I will deal with whatever gets thrown our way like we always do. Ethan, did you really bite the principle when I passed out?"

Ethan's flaming cheeks gave the taller the teen the answer he wanted and he burst into laughter at the thought. The Seer smiled at his boyfriend's delight and shooed Benny away so that he could get his homework done.

"I'm going to watch one of the movies," Benny called out as he grabbed the rentals, "I'll choose one that you have already seen before."

Ethan had very little work to do and finished up in no time. Ms. Weir came over to sit beside the teen with a concerned look on her face before he could go join his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, but I overheard your conversation earlier," the Earth Priestess confessed, "Will Benny truly be okay going back to school on Monday?"

"He'll be fine," Ethan assured in full confidence, "Tony has put out a formidable threat and a lot of students are starting to recognize that Sarah, Rory, and Erica are not a force to trifle with. Plus, I will start using my abilities to get blackmail information if I need to. Benny will be safe no matter what."

"I'm glad he has you," Ms. Weir smiled out as she stood to get some of her own chores done.

"You don't know how glad I am to have him," Ethan whispered as he stood and peeked at his boyfriend from the kitchen door and smiled as Benny cheered Luke Skywalker on, "He is my world and nobody will ever touch my world."

The end.

I have observed people who were a "Tony" type. These individuals are a blessing to humanity. Ethan and Benny were lucky in the story I wrote to have a "Tony" to defend them. It would be nice if more individuals could stand up and defend individuals who are being bullied for any reason. I challenge you to be a "Tony" and help those in need. I also challenge you to be a "Benny" or "Ethan" who is strong in their ability to be who they are and love wholeheartedly without reservations.

Be happy within your own skin no matter who you are.

Love,

Me