When we get to Joey's house, my mom drags both of us to his front door. Joey's mother is just as horrified when she sees our bloody faces. She immediately pulls us inside and rushes for ice and first aid supplies. Joey's parents are asking a million questions about how this happened and who did this. His seven sisters begin filing in as they hear the commotion. I'm so embarrassed this is how I'm meeting his family.
I avoid answering any of their hundred questions, hoping Joey will take the lead and boy does he. He admits right away that it was Brett. His one sister, who I can safely assume is Brett's girlfriend is greatly offended by this accusation. Arguing ensues and I stay silent the entire time. Joey is laying out everything, revealing about my entire year with Brett. I haven't looked over at my own mom, but I can see her expression when she walks over to Joey's mom, Gloria, looking overwhelmed and crushed at all this information.
"Gloria, we need to go to the office and tell them to call Brett as well," my mother insists.
"One hundred percent agree. This needs to be figured out," Gloria concours.
The rest of the night feels like a blur, my mother takes me home. I barely sleep knowing I will have to not only face Brett but rat him out to the principle. He may actually kill me.
We're in the principle's office. Me, Joey, Brett and all of our parents. It's a cramped room.
It's a frustrating meeting.
Once my mom accuses Brett of bullying me and starting everything, Brett's parents offensively fight back, saying they've never heard any of this before. That's when the principle turns to me and asks me directly.
"Chandler, is it true Brett has been harassing you?" he asks.
I look at Joey who is urging me to tell the truth with his eyes.
"Yes," I state.
"And what does he do exactly?" he asks me.
"Chase me, hit me, insult me..." I trail off so nervous when I see Brett glaring at me.
"I don't believe it," Brett's father claims.
"Brett, is this true?" the principal questions Brett.
"Absolutely not," Brett states.
"What?" Joey growls, but the principal interrupts with another question.
"Who would like to tell me what started this last fight?" he asks and all our parents wait for us to answer since we never explained that part.
We all hesitate.
"Anyone?" the principal emphasizes.
"Brett stole the janitor's key to lock Chandler in there and made him miss class," Joey tells him finally.
"And he stole it back and they've been skipping class by hiding out in there," Brett claims.
"We haven't skipped class!" Joey yells back. His mother puts a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Well first thing, who ever has the key, hand it to me right now," the principle demands and holds his hand out.
Joey begrudgingly fetches it from his backpack and hands it over.
"That's an offense on all of you," the principal notes.
"Principal Bennett, what are you going to do to stop this? I refuse to see my son come home with a bloody face one more time," Gloria demands.
"Maybe that's his fault," Brett's father mumbles, but everyone hears.
"Maybe that's where he gets it from," Gloria bites back at the dad.
"There is nothing wrong with our son!" Brett's mother instantly argues.
"Alright, everyone calm down," Principle Bennett warns.
"Principle Bennett, our son has only been an all-star quarterback, focusing on his grades and school. We have never seen aggression in our son otherwise and the Tribbiani's should know, he's over their house for dinner all the time!" Brett's mother speaks.
"Yes, the problem is we haven't heard about any of this until now. This school does not stand for bullying of any kind. Yet, I have three injured students which means you all had a hand in this. You must learn that even if confronted, you need to report it - not fight back," Principal Bennett declares.
"Principal Bennett, my son has been suffering for months, he's had two black eyes," my mother announces.
Annabelle must have told her after the fact, I think to myself.
"I'm sorry Ms. Bing, but we have no reports of that. And since we weren't made aware, we can only deal with the situation at hand - unless Brett confesses that he has hit or harassed Chandler in the past," Principal Bennett explains and then looks to Brett for a confession.
"I barely know the guy," Brett blatantly lies.
"Are you kidding!" Joey nearly explodes, but again his parents calm him down.
"You all have detention for the rest of the week, but if I hear of anymore reports or see anymore black eyes there will be much more severe consequences," the principal warns.
Our parents aren't happy with this outcome and start arguing again, so the principal tells us to wait in the hall.
Joey, Brett and I walk into the hallway.
Joey immediately shoves Brett when the door closes.
"What is your problem!" Joey lashes out.
Brett looks angered by this, but doesn't shove him back.
"You're the one with the fucking problem," Brett spits.
"I don't know how Mary Teresa could ever like you," Joey spits back, clearly speaking about his sister.
"Well, she does - in fact she loves me," Brett throws back in his face.
The door opens again and our parents file out, not looking any happier.
The drive home is even more awkward, my mother actually apologizes.
"I'm sorry Chandler," she says softly.
"For what?"
"For not always being there for you, for making you feel like you couldn't tell me about this," she says, surprising me.
"It's not your fault," I tell her.
"I want to be better, honey and I will try," she assures me.
I don't respond and we drive the rest of the way home in silence.
The next day, my mom drops me off at school. I tell her she doesn't have to, but this must be apart of her "trying to be better and get closer with me". I doubt it will last.
I get out of the car and she calls to me.
"Honey, if anything happens, you tell someone right away or I will come get you," she expresses seriously.
"Okay, mom bye," I mumble quickly hoping no one heard her.
I shut the car door and hurry inside.
I go to my locker, even though I'm not sure if I should avoid it. I open my locker and there are no hate notes. I pull out a textbook when I feel a hand on my shoulder, the book drops out of my hand and I spin around so quick, I can barely breathe when I let out a huge sigh of relief that it's Joey.
"Sorry, just me," he says glumly after seeing how scared I got.
"Joey, I'm nervous. I think Brett really might kill us," I whisper to him.
"Don't think like that, he wouldn't ruin his football career over us. He might come after us, but then we fight back."
"We're not supposed to," I remind him.
"Fuck that, I'm not gonna lay down and take it," he argues bitterly.
I sigh, feeling hopeless that nothing is going to get better.
"Look, I have your back - as long as I'm there, I won't let him hurt you. And check this out, I made a copy of the key so you still have a hiding place," Joey reveals another janitor's key in his hand and places it in mine.
I shake my head. Joey can see I'm not feeling any better.
"Hey, look at me. We can get through this. He's just an asshole who won't be in our lives forever," he tells me.
I try to smile to show him I appreciate him trying, but it's difficult.
We don't see Brett until gym class.
He shockingly, completely ignores us. He doesn't say a word and doesn't even chase us. He barely participates at all, in fact, which even confuses Chase and the coach.
"Why do you think he's ignoring us?" I whisper to Joey as we're all headed back inside to the locker room.
"I don't know."
It makes me more nervous. Maybe he's playing nice in front of the teachers, but he's saving up all his anger for after school.
We get to the locker room and I hesitantly walk to my locker where I expect Brett to turn around and jump at me, but he doesn't. He ignores us again and walks out. Chase leaves without a word as well.
I look at Joey who just shrugs his shoulders.
"Maybe his parents said something?" Joey attempts to find a reason.
I doubt this, but simply shrug back at him.
The day finally comes to an end, but now we have to sit in detention with Brett for the rest of the week.
We get to detention and Brett is already there, sitting by himself. He doesn't look up and he doesn't talk to us the entire hour. Joey and I are genuinely lost at what is happening.
When the teacher dismisses us, Joey follows Brett out so I quickly catch up to them.
Joey grabs Brett's shoulder and forces him to turn around.
"What's going on? You suddenly a different person?" Joey confronts him immediately.
"Fuck off okay," Brett states tiredly.
He begins walking away. Joey and I share another look, unsure of what to think of this.
Brett stops and turns back to us, he moves closer again and my body stiffens as a response.
"Mary Teresa broke up with me," he shares more to Joey.
We both blink in surprise at this new information.
"So, you win," Brett states blankly.
Brett turns to leave again, but Joey stops him.
"Hey Brett," Joey calls.
Brett looks back.
"Sorry," Joey says.
Brett nods and then leaves.
I look at Joey, he looks back at me.
I lunge forward and kiss him. When I pull back, he looks surprised but happy.
"I guess it's over," Joey shrugs, while wrapping his arms around me.
I kiss him again, realizing how much I never want to be without him.
He kisses me back until a teacher walks by.
"Hey, no PDA kids," the teacher notes and we break away from each as we watch the teacher turn the corner. The second they're out of sight, Joey pulls me back to his lips and I laugh under his delicious kisses.
Joey and I walk to my house. Joey moves to the stairs like we always do.
"I'll meet you up there okay?" I say to him.
He nods and heads upstairs.
I walk into the kitchen where I find my mom and Annabelle. They both look at me.
"Hi, how was school?" my mom asks nervously.
I walk around the kitchen island to her and she stands up even more anxiously.
I hug her, tightly. She's surprised and it takes her a moment to hug me back, but she does.
"Great," I answer her.
"Oh thank god," she breathes.
I let her go and step back again.
"And you're right, Joey and I are dating," I tell them both.
They both smile widely.
I continue in a whisper.
"And I think... I love him," I reveal to them secretly.
They both look surprised and thrilled. I leave them in their shock and join Joey upstairs.
I walk into my room and see him lounging on my bed, flipping through one of my comic books.
"Hey, everything okay?" he asks.
I walk over to the bed and jump on top of him.
He lets the comic book fall and smiles at me.
"Better than okay," I tell him.
I lean down and kiss him, finally truly believing everything is going to be okay.
The End.