Gavin didn't attend school for an entire week, he would arrive at the hospital before visiting hours started and would stay until they finished. People came and went, his parents were there sometimes but they were busy so they came for a scheduled hour everyday. Ray, Lindsay and Josh would be there after school but always left early. No-one could stay in there when Gavin was there for very long, he exuded and intense feeling that made everyone else uncomfortable. In any case it was rather boring to sit there doing nothing, but Gavin didn't do nothing he would watch T.V or look at magazines but mostly he would watch videos on his phone.

After a week of being lenient Geoff and Griffon decided to convince Gavin to start going to school again, it wasn't as much of a battle as they presumed it to be. They were hesitant at first, fearing his reaction in his current mental state. Through their eyes he was unstable and irritable but when they confronted him about school he didn't fight back. He just said "Okay" and the next Monday morning he was up early had breakfast and went.

In truth Gavin didn't want to go but it wasn't worth the effort to fight back so he went. Throughout the day he was subjected to the same hushed whispers that Michael had experienced just a few days ago. It annoyed him and even worse it reminded him of the single happy day that they had gone to school as a secret couple, the day Michael had been... . He Didn't want to think about it.

"Hey, It's Gavin right?" A bottle-blonde girl said softly. Gavin recognised her immediately, she was Missy Jackson head cheerleader and boyfriend to the person that had nearly beaten Michael to death.

He nodded, cynically wondering if she was here to defend his actions "Yeah, that's me"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, she peered around at the crowd then added "somewhere more private"

"Umm okay"

She led him to a more desolate space of the school and appearing rather nervous she looked up at Gavin and said "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what Brett did" she began to rub at her eyes "I knew I'd cry, anyway, I was his girlfriend and I'm sorry for what he did, I don't believe it" She sniffed hard and took a deep breath "I just wanted to tell you because you were -are, sorry- his best friend" she nodded, like she'd completed her job.

Gavin sighed "Thank you, but he wasn't just my best friend, He was my boyfriend"

At that moment, much to the surprise of Gavin, she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry it turned out like this, I really am" They parted a little awkwardly then she asked "Is your relationship still a secret or?"

Gavin smiled at her consideration "Nah" he said "I don't mind, Michael didn't want it public because he was afraid of what would happen to me" Gavin gave a weak laugh "Guess he should've been more careful about himself, huh?" he took a deep breath "anyway could you do me a favour please?"

She smiled widely then said "of course, whatever you need"

"Alright then,can you please ask your friends not to talk about us, Lindsay, Ray and me I mean, because it's really irritating to be whispered about all the time"

"I'll do my best"

And that was it no-one bothered them. She had a great influence on the entire school population and by Friday the whispers had ceased entirely, though they still got an occasional sympathetic look or an apology from one of the teachers. These annoyed Gavin, it made him ask why hadn't they done anything before, when it counted?, why didn't the teachers confront the Jocks when their stupid rumours were floating about. But the worst thing came at the end of the Day when the home bell had rung. He was alone with Ray walking solemnly down a hallway when he noticed a new poster. It had three boys on it with the heading "He's gay and that's Okay".Gavin stopped it front of it and all his feelings of resentment bubbled up.

"This is bullshit"He muttered

"What is?"

"Do you see this, what the fuck kind of difference is this going to make?" he shouted gesturing wildly at the three smiling boys "It's done now, he's in a coma and they decide that now is the time that shit like this should be done"

"At least some type of good is coming out of it"

"Is that what it took?, Michael to be beaten half to death!" he glared at it , ripped it off the billboard and tore it into four large pieces and let them flutter to the floor. He leaned against the wall and let himself slide slowly down. Then he brought his knees in tight and buried his head into them "It's just so fucking ridiculous"

Ray crouched down beside him silently and sat next to him until he had calmed down a little then he asked "What is this all really about?"

Gavin thought about this question for a minute. Was this about something else?, wasn't he just angry that nobody had helped Michael when he needed it the most. Then he realised, he lifted his head and whispered "I should've been there, I- why did I leave him alone?, it's my fault Ray, I shouldn't have ever left him alone in that stupid fucking alley... It's all my fault"

"Oh god Gavin, no" Ray said reaching his arms out and hugging the other boy "It's not your fault, Lindsay and I we feel the same guilt, and I know it'll never be as bad as yours, but we're in the same boat and it's okay but you have to know it wasn't your fault in any way, It wasn't you that beat him, it was that ass-hole Brett, you couldn't have stopped it, understand?"

"Yeah" he said "I understand"

They got up slowly and walked out the together "Thanks Ray"

"Any time"