Chapter Eleven
Lee waited on the tips of his toes for the bell to ring while still trying to listen and copy every word Mr. Umino said down into his notebook. Yes, there would be a homework assignment tonight as there was and will be every night. They would complete and then show it to him tomorrow.
The bell rang on that note and Lee, third row over, seventh seat down, was the first one out the door. Two feet from the class, he stopped and forced himself to breathe. He was being a coward! Running from his fears as a child would! His uncle would be ashamed!
Besides, he had his friends now and even if something did go terribly wrong, they would stick by him…
He gulped, suddenly not so certain of that. Tenten and Neji had been with him for years but they had abandoned him in days when everyone had realized what a freak Lee was. He had only been in the gang for two months, so what could he honestly expect of them? Would he actually put them through the shame of being stuck with him while everyone began laughing and mocking and threatening him?
He thought about it too long. When he looked up from where he had stared at the ground, watching shoes, sandals, boots, and flip flops alike pass by, Tenten stood tautly in front of him, not even looking at him but close enough that anyone aside from them would not know the difference.
"Hi, Lee…" Her voice was quiet, reluctant. Lee ducked his head formally.
"Hello, Tenten… How are you?" He felt the hairs on the back of his head prickling and a sense of déjà vu came over him. No, they wouldn't…
But they would. Tenten looked at him, finally met his eyes, and let loose a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Lee."
At that moment, his hands did not fly to the waist of his skirt fast enough to keep them up- even after flinging his books to the ground to do so. They zipped down his legs and he could feel hot air on his shoulder as silence descended in the hall and everyone stopped milling about to stare and gawk… and some glare.
"You don't learn, do you, Lee?" Lee choked on tears, trying to pull the hem of his multi-colored edmund top down low enough to cover his panties and what was hidden in them. The shirt would not reach. "No one appreciates a freak." Neji walked away from him just like that, grabbing Tenten's wrist and pulling.
Tenten could no longer look at him.
The whispers began and not one person stood up for him. He pulled his skirt up as fast as he could with shaking hands and grabbed his books through blurry eyes, his fingers trembling as he pulled them to his chest. The whispers got louder.
"Wait… that's a guy?"
"What a freak!"
"Hey, put some damn pants on, dude!"
"He must be another gay wad."
"FAG!"
'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'. It was an amazing saying, and his uncle had tried to hard to get him to live by it. Lee had wanted to too… But then someone came forward and kicked the books out of his arms, catching the limbs in the crossfire. He said nothing as he just picked his books up again and tried to stand on unsteady legs.
Someone grabbed his braid and pulled. "Anyone got scissors?" Cruel laughter rang out and Lee dropped his elbow into the offender's gut, making a fast retreat… somewhere. Anywhere but there.
He could hear Mr. Umino calling after him, but he didn't look back.