What's Love got to do with it?

Marco Del Rossi looked eagerly down the hallway, in search of the 11th grader Dylan Michlachuck. He tried not to seem so obvious, but how couldn't he? When Marco met Dylan for the very first time, he was sure that he was the One. Even though everyone now knew about Marco being gay, and select few people knew he had a thing for Dylan, nobody ever knew about the time Dylan had confronted Marco on the rocks that day on the beach. Marco could remember it now-
Marco had been sitting on the rocks for a couple of minutes when he heard someone's footsteps coming down the rocks. He hadn't bothered to look, what difference did it make anyways? Dylan sat down next to Marco and looked at him.
"You okay?" Marco couldn't manage anything but a simple shake. He was far from okay. "Look, I know that we just met only a couple of hours ago, but I need to ask you a question. And if you can, I'd like you to answer me straight out."
"What? It's not like anything's a secret anymore."
"Well, what's to be kept secret?"
"Oh, please Dylan. Cut the act. You probably already guessed by now."
"I might have a good idea, but you're the only one who can confirm my suspicions."
"And what suspicions would that be? Huh?"
"That you're gay." Marco's focus on the beach turned rock-solid and he didn't even blink. He thought that there was a possibility that Dylan might know, but he never really believed that Dylan could really suspect it. "Well, am I right? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to Marco, but if you would just tell me the truth I can help you. I can't do anything if you don't tell me anything." Marco's rage, from Ellie blurting out to everyone that the only thing that screened Marco from any suspicions was a fake, to Dylan just guessing out of the blue that he was gay, boiled up to it's mark. He couldn't take it anymore. If he couldn't be honest with Dylan, who was pretty much a stranger until now, who could he tell? Marco jumped up from where he was sitting as a tear rolled down his eye,
"And why would you care if I was or not?" Dylan also got up from where he was sitting and faced Marco, who was about five inches shorter than he.
"Well, if you tell me the truth, I'll tell you." Dylan's and Marco's faces were inches apart by now. "And what do you have to tell me?" "Just answer the question and you'll find out. Please, Marco." Marco turned away and gave a small 'yes' in reply. "What?" Marco turned around to Dylan again, as even more tears gathered in his eyes.
"Yes! Okay? Yes! Alright, I have told you the truth, and now you're happy, right? You should be just as happy and gay as I am, right?"
"Yes. I am." Marco's face turned from frustration to confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"The only reason I was asking you if you were gay or not was because I am too. I'm surprised you don't know by now. Paige advertises it like it's a big thing to talk about."
"So you're gay too?" Dylan's face had a look of concern on it, which gave it a little quirk that Marco just couldn't stop looking at. Dylan put his hands on Marco's shoulders.
"Yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you. It just didn't seem worth it to tell you if you weren't. All I wanted to tell you was that there are people out there looking out for you. And I'm here for you. Twenty-four seven. And I meant that literally." Marco sat back down and Dylan followed. All of this was coming at him so fast, it was all so hard to take in.
"Did you pretend too?" Marco asked him.
"Of course. What gay guy hasn't? We all pretend at one point or another."
"But did you use your best friend? I feel terrible about what I did to Ellie. All I was thinking about was myself."
"Well now all you can do is think about yourself. If people either find out or guess, let me just tell you now and save you the brain cramps- life will be hell from here on out. Bashers will do anything. Graffiti your locker, trip you in the halls, make horrible remarks, and when they can get alone with you, you don't even want to know what they'll do. All I can say is that you'll show up at school the next morning with a good black eye and some scrapes. Hopefully just that."
"And what is that supposed to mean? You're certainly not making this any easier, Dylan. It's been hard enough," Marco yelled in exasperation, "Now you're telling me what I have to look forward to? Great."
"Yeah, it sucks. But listen Marco, at least you have something I didn't."
"What?"
"Someone to help you through it." Marco looked down at his shoulder to find Dylan's hand on it, and he smiled. He knew, right then, that Dylan was definitely the One.
Marco had finally caught Dylan's blonde mess of curly hair near the grade 9 lockers, talking to a fellow player on the hockey team. Degrassi's boys' hockey team had a tournament that night and the next morning, and Marco, Jimmy, Craig, Spinner, and Paige all had tickets. Marco kept the ticket near him all the time- he couldn't wait. Even though everything about that hockey stadium had an eerie feeling to it, he would do it for Dylan. This time Marco was going in with the group and out with them. No more of this "walking alone through the gay village for the first time at night" stuff. Marco didn't make the same mistakes twice. And after that talk that he had with Dylan the day after- he always knew what to do and what not to do. Marco replayed those moments in his mind while Dylan waved to him a couple a yards down the hall.
Marco had just walked up to the double doors to get to his next class, when Dylan looked at him through the glass, and pushed open the door.
"Wow, they really got you good." Dylan touched Marco on a cut at the top of his forehead when Marco pushed him away.
"Look, I'm fine, okay? So just leave me alone." Marco pushed open the door and walked to the other side of the door.
"Marco.." Dylan half-whined. He watched Marco walk a couple of feet away and stop, as if he was waiting for Dylan to chase after him. Dylan pushed open the door and grabbed Marco's hand. "Just follow me, okay? Forget about your afternoon classes."
"What? I just can't do that, Dylan. I have an English test."
"Alright, fine. Out here." Dylan took Marco down the hallway and out the School doors. Dylan sat Marco down on one of the steps and started looking over all of the cuts on his face. "What class do you have next?"
"I'm supposed to be in theater. But, obviously, I'm not." Dylan moved away from Marco's face and gave him a stern look.
"If you want to go, be my guest." Dylan gave a motion to the doors with his hands.
"Dylan, I didn't mean it like that."
"Of course you did! What else would you mean? All I am doing is what I promised you I would do, Marco. Look out for you. If you don't want my help, be my guest and do without me and see how far you get. Lord knows I barely survived."
"You weren't there last night, Dylan!" Marco jumped to his feet and raised his voice.
"Of course I wasn't there Marco! Because if I was, those guys wouldn't have laid a finger on you!"
"Why not Dylan?"
"Because I would have protected you!"
"Why?"
"Because I care about you too much to see you get hurt!" Dylan's voice was louder than ever and Marco and he were inches apart. Marco's facial expression changed from mad to stunned. He backed away from Dylan and just stared at him. "What do you think I would have done, Marco? Just sat there and rooted for them? Never, ever, go in the gay village alone! Especially at night! What were you thinking?" Marco was at a loss for words, and his mind was still on the first thing Dylan had said. Marco bowed his head and replied barely at a whisper.
"Oh, God, Dylan. I don't know what I would have done if the cops hadn't come. All they did was beat me and call me names.." Marco's voice trailed off and started to cry. "I.I really don't know what I was thinking," Marco slightly raised his head, "This is all still new to me, Dylan." Dylan walked over to Marco and put his hand under his head, and raised it to look at him.
"You don't think I know that? I understand everything you're going through better than anyone else. Neither Paige, Jimmy, Spinner, or Craig has any idea what you're going through. Not even Ellie has a clue, although you two are very close, she can't help you here. I'm what you've got, and you're gonna have to deal with that. I would risk myself to save you from your friends, family, or bashers. You name it and I'll deal with it. That I swear to you with all my heart. I'm so sorry they hurt you." Dylan let go of Marco's face and put his back against the wall, waiting for Marco's reply.
"I don't know what I would ever do without you," Marco said. Marco had more tears in his eyes, Dylan smiled and stepped away from the wall.
"I'm not sure what I would do without you. Probably just waste away with mindless ideas of what love feels like. But I'm lucky enough to have the real deal right in front of me." Marco's face grew a smile as wide as a rainbow, and Dylan walked over to him. Marco embraced him and Dylan did the same, and Marco muttered something that Dylan couldn't hear. He pulled away from Marco with still a hand on his shoulder and asked, "What did you say?"
"I really like you, Dylan." Dylan looked at Marco with the weirdest eyes a person could ever have. They were indescribable, just like someone who had just fallen off of a jungle gym but just made an A on their math test. Tears formed in his eyes, and he just stared at Marco with his bright blue eyes. "Did I say the wrong thing?"
"No. You definitely said the right thing." He embraced Marco a second time, and Marco looked up as if to kiss Dylan, but Dylan put a finger to Marco's lips. "That, my boy, will be saved for another time. Especially when we're not on the school steps skipping class." Marco laughed, and Dylan started looking at the scrapes on his head again. "Dang, they couldn't have gotten you better in the amount of time they had you. I don't want to think about what would have happened if the cops hadn't shown."
"How do you know about all of this?" Marco asked.
"About what?"
"About what happened to me last night. You were playing when I was out there."
"Jimmy told Paige, Paige told me. Simple passing on of information."

The bell rang, and Marco and Dylan jumped at something that loud.
"Dang, I have an English test. I've got to go. Can we talk later?" Marco asked.
"Just say the time and place and I'll be there."
"Your hockey game?"
"Well I'll definitely be there. I won't be missing that for the world."
"Okay, I'll see you tonight if not sooner. Bye."
Dylan's eyes darted around to make sure no one could be looking, and he pecked Marco on the cheek. Marco smiled at him and Dylan smiled back.
"Bye." Marco ran into the doors, bumping into the last person he could ever want to see at the moment. Spinner was standing right by the door, and that was way too convenient, even for Spinner.
"Uh, hey, Spin. What's up?"
"So, got a boyfriend, do you? Have fun being a fag, Marco. I'm sure Dylan's used to it by now." Rage boiled up in Marco's face. How could Spinner, his should-be-best-friend, be so horrible to him? And how dare he insult Dylan like that in front of him?
"I swear Spin, go one step further and I will make you pay."
"Ohh, I'm shaking. What are you going to do? Try to hump me?" Marco acted on his reflexes, and just slapped Spinner's face.
"How dare you? Never, ever, talk about me or Dylan that way ever again! I don't see what Paige sees in you, but whatever it is, when it comes to guys, she has horrible taste!" Marco started to run down the hall, oblivious to the fact that Dylan had been listening to each word he and Spinner had said, and his face was beaming with pride right that second.
That had been three days ago. Marco and Dylan never got to really talk after that day, Dylan had gotten really tied up with his tournament, and when they won, there was a big party and everything. Well it was Monday morning, and the festivities were over. Dylan walked over to Marco, and offered his hand out to Marco. He took it just for a second, but then they let go.
"Hey, how've you been?" Dylan asked.
"Pretty good. You've been quiet ever since Friday afternoon."
"I wish we didn't have to be separated over the weekend, but so many games and victory parties galore. Marco, a lot of these people don't even know about me. Bringing you along would give them a shock they wouldn't be able to handle. Sorry."
"Nah, I'm cool. I just wish we could have talked more liked we were going to on Friday."
"Well, we certainly have similar wishes," Dylan paused and lifted up Marco's chin and said, "I head you confront Spinner on Friday. Very, very good job. I see I've taught you well."
"I most certainly learned from the best. I couldn't let Spinner offend you like that. I'm used to taking crap from him, but when he brought you into it, that was stepping over the line."
"You shouldn't have been taking crap from him in the first place. He shouldn't have to bring me into it to be stepping over the line. Even hinting at saying mean things to you should be what's stepping over the line."
"You're right. Thanks Dylan." Everyone was in class by now, but they didn't care. They both looked left, right, behind them and in front to make sure there was no one looking. Then Dylan put his larger arms around Marco and the two stayed like that for some time.
"No PDA please." Paige startled Dylan and Marco and they quickly let go and stared at her.
"And what should you care? You should see yourself and Spinner sometime." Dylan remarked to his younger sister. A smile crept on his face, even though Marco was still frowning. "Why are you even in the hallway? Class began minutes ago."
"Well what about you? You have to go study for a math test, and you're out here making out with Marco?" Marco's cheeks turned bright red, and he looked away.
"Marco, she was just kidding. And we're not making out Paige, we're just friends."
"Whatever. I was innocently on my way to the washroom. I'll just continue along my way." She smiled and continued down the hall. Dylan laughed at Marco, who was still as red as a cherry.
"That was nothing to be embarrassed about, Marco. It was just my sister. She's the least of our worries."
"But what you said. Are we really just friends?"
"Oh, Marco. I didn't mean it like that. It was just to get my sister off our backs. To me, you're way more than a friend. I thought you felt the same way."
"I do. I definitely feel the same way. But she's right. PDAs aren't the right thing for us right now. Somewhere not out in the open for everyone to see. I'm just glad it was Paige and not somebody else."
"Like who? Who do we have to hide from?"
"People like Jay and his gang." Marco looked down at his shoes, and just waited for Dylan to say something.
"What do they do to you? Why are you afraid of them?" Dylan looked at Marco, very concerned.
"They. they call me names, and they do things like trip me and push me."
"What? Marco why didn't you tell me before?"
"I thought they would go away with time." Dylan's eyes grew a crazy look on them, and he grabbed Marco's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.
"When it comes to bashers, Marco, you never ever make assumptions like that. Bashers don't "go away with time". All they do is hawk you and drain you of your spirit until there's nothing left of you. They're not called bashers for nothing. When they tease you or do something to you," Dylan shook Marco to make sure that he was looking at him, "You've got to say something. Hopefully you'll come to me. But that's your choice."
"What do you mean, hopefully? Of course I will come to you. Who else do I have that cares about me as much as you do? Spinner?" Dylan laughed, and Marco smiled.
"The bells gonna ring soon." Dylan let go of Marco, and he pushed back a strand of hair on Marco's head. "Do you want to talk after school? I know the perfect place to take you."
"Sure. I'd. I would love to."
"Why are you so stiff? Did I say, do something wrong?"
"No.. that's far from it."
"Then what?"
"How.." Marco was interrupted by the bell, and they stepped a couple of feet away from each other.
"Save that thought. I'll be waiting on the bench outside after school."
"I can't wait."