Liberty High School

11:00 AM

After Ben and Michael returned to the library with five cans of Coca-Cola, Mr. Horner permitted them all time for lunch and promptly rushed back to his office to catch his television show.

Brian sat between but slightly behind Justin and Ben, straddling the back of his chair and leaning over the high back while watching them pull their respective lunches out of backpacks. Justin's lunch was stored in a recycled shopping bag from an upscale grocery store chain and was further contained in a fancy cooler contraption. Ben's lunch, on the other hand, was in a large wrinkled paper sac from the Kroger's. Brian smirked at the contrast that so perfectly symbolized the differences between the two. Even Justin's lunch was pristine and overly complex.

"What's that?" Brian asked referring to the fancy contraption.

"Lunch" Justin replied with a hint of 'duh' in his voice, "Where's yours?

Brian didn't want to elaborate on how there wasn't much lunch worthy food in his house because once again his dad had drank away the majority of his paycheck before his mom had a chance to go grocery shopping. He leaned into Justin, "You wouldn't want to trade yours for something high in protein, would ya now?" Brian whispered seductively.

"You're nauseating" Justin replied after a few seconds when it sank in exactly what Brian was offering him. Despite his outward offense to the comment he rocked his body back and forth slightly to adjust himself when he felt the sudden stiffness in his crotch thinking of Brian's cock in his mouth.

Justin proceeded to take out his container and poured soy sauce into the small ramekin he had brought to accompany his lunch. He opened and placed each item carefully as if he were setting the table at a fancy country club. He first opened the Coke setting it carefully at 10 o'clock and set out his chop sticks at 3 o'clock before placing a cloth napkin in his lap.

Brian watched perplexed by the elaborate ritual, "What is that?" he motioned to the colorful small bites of food contained in the cooler contraption displayed fancifully on a sheet of bamboo.

"Sushi" Justin replied as if it was an obvious answer again.

"Sushi?" Brian repeated in disbelief, what kind of kid has sushi for lunch at school outside of Japan.

Justin laughed thinking Brian didn't know what sushi was, "its rice, raw fish and seaweed" Justin clarified condescendingly.

"I know what sushi is!" Brian spouted indignantly rolling his eyes at the pretentiousness. "I can't believe you'd eat that but you won't suck…." Brian trailed off thinking it might not be a good idea to let people know he offered to let Justin suck his cock. "Nevermind" Brian mumbled but it was too late. The other boys were well aware of what he intended to end his sentence with. Michael's ears perked up to the conversation.

Justin crinkled his nose and his drew his lips downward in utter disdain, "can I eat in peace, please?" he asked Brian holding his chop sticks poised to take his first bite.

"I don't know" Brian laughed wrinkling his nose at the thought of raw fish thinking it must taste like eating pussy which he had the unfortunate experience of tasting just once, "You can try" he muttered.

As Justin took his first bite a loud crumpling noise distracted Brian to Ben unveiling his own lunch. He first pulled an entire family size bag of potato chips from his sack, followed by three thick sandwiches each contained within separate plastic baggies and a large bag of cookies still in the store packaging. Just that part of Ben's lunch could easily have fed them all and Brian's stomach grumbled thinking maybe he might share. However, Ben continued removing additional items one at a time including a pint of whole milk, an apple and a banana before stopping to examine the contents of his lunch and eating his first sandwich.

Michael looked back down forcefully ungluing his eyes from Ben's arms and back muscles. His stomach growled and he needed to eat even if he was embarrassed to pull out his lunch. Not that his mom's homemade chicken noodle soup and Ritz crackers were humiliating but the soup was in a less-than-appropriate for high school container. Michael attempted to move his backpack to block the other boys' view of the Partridge Family thermos which heavily featured David Cassidy as he ate his soup.

Ted noticed the thermos but didn't want to say anything to embarrass Michael. He thought it was kind of sweet actually. Clearly Michael's mother packed his lunch based on the look of absolute humiliation evident on Michael's normally angelic face. Ted's interest had been on Justin all morning but he considered after seeing the slight red flush over his clear, olive-toned skin that Michael was actually very attractive in his own way.

Ted's bag contained the lunch he had enjoyed for years; so routine was this particular lunch that he made up five of them every Sunday night, one for each day of the school week. It consisted of a tuna fish sandwich on wheat bread, a small baggie of Lay's potato chips, a fruit cup, and a small box of apple juice. Ted pulled the plastic enclosed straw from his juice box and stabbed the pre-determined foil-covered hole to insert the straw. He squeezed just slightly too hard as a stream of apple juice arched through the air and hit Brian on his face. Ted couldn't help but giggle at Brian's surprised reaction to the sweet, sticky juice splashing him.

Brian hopped up at Ted's juice assault and took two menacing steps over to his table. Ted recoiled as Brian approached quite certain he was going to be pummeled by the intimidating thug. Although Brian had no intention of picking on a kid roughly 2/3rd his size; he couldn't help toying with him simply out of boredom and as a distraction from his hunger.

"Let's see what we have here" Brian sat next to Ted and hooked his arm around his neck.

"Just your standard regular lunch I guess" Ted responded nodding his head downplaying the tension.

Brian picked up the offending juice box, which Ted attempted to grab back from him until Brian firmly slapped his hands away. "It's apple juice" he explained.

"I can read" Brian protested. He was quickly growing annoyed that everyone thought he was an idiot. In fact he was just tired of everyone thinking he was something he wasn't.

"This is a very wholesome, nutritious lunch Theodore" Brian said sarcastically, "All the food groups are represented. Is your mom Mrs. Cleaver?"

"No" Ted responded missing the reference, "Elizabeth Schmidt" he clarified clueless.

Brian leaped out his chair. Sick to death of the inequity of it all; tired of everyone having it so easy and giving him shit when he didn't have anything.

"This is my impression at life at Theodore's house" Brian exclaimed standing in front of the tables as if he was on stage. He began acting out the scene he imagined was a common occurrence in Ted's house.

"Hi Son" Brian shouted with feigned enthusiasm

"Yeah Dad" He raised the pitch of his voice and twisted his fingers into his face mocking dimples when speaking as Ted.

"How about we go fishing this weekend?"

"Oh boy Dad, can we?"

"Sure son"

"I love you dad"

"l love you too son"

Ted's fought back tears as Brian continued to reenact a conversation that he had never experienced. Ted's father wasn't the fishing type; he was the shut yourself in his office and scream at his mother to quiet his siblings down type. Ted wanted to defend himself; admit that his life was far from the picturesque scene Brian imagined but he couldn't help but notice that as Brian spoke his own pain became evident. He was growing more and more uncharacteristically emotional and his guard began to crumble. Ted looked at the other boy's to see if anyone planned to stop him but they silently agreed to let him continue his rant.

Ben noticed the concerned look on Ted's face as well and an unexplained rage set in again. He detested Brian and his cruelty towards the weaker boys. Justin first, now Ted, seemed Michael would be next. His fury ignited a passion deep within thinking of Michael taking Brian's abuse. "Well what about your house?" he demanded, grabbing Brian by the shirt collar and holding him with a clenched fist.

"My house?" Brian answered breaking free. "You want to know what my house is like."

"Yeah, I bet this is all an act" Ben insisted disregarding the obvious anger and pain evident on Brian's face. "You dad ever take you fishing?" he pushed.

Brian huffed at the thought and searched his inner core to shore up his defensive walls. He was wrecked; they were all failing him. "My dad?" he started and then stopped himself. "Here's the last conversation I had with my dad"

"You worthless, no-good, son of a bitch. Never should have been a family man" Brian muttered imitating his inebriated father rant the night before and placing a mock blow to his jaw.

Ben cringed at the breakdown his challenge had triggered and he glanced at Justin for support. Justin, however, was mesmerized by the real Brian he was seeing for the first time; this Brian was raw and beautifully damaged.

"That's all bullshit" Ben decreed.

"Bullshit?" Brian spurted, "Is this bullshit?" he asked as he lifted his shirt revealing the large purple and blue marks that covered his torso from his dad's blows.

Brian wasn't holding anything back anymore. He wasn't afraid anymore. He wasn't making an excuse for his shitty home life. He didn't choose his parents and he didn't choose to be gay, so what the fuck did he have to hide?

"My dad gets drunk and beats the shit out of me because he hates being stuck with a wife and kids that he never wanted. He resents us all, but me, lucky me, he hates the most because deep down he knows…." Brian confessed swallowing hard before saying it out loud for the first time, "….because deep down he knows he can't change that he has a faggot for a son"

Brian's acknowledgment left him spent and broken in emotional pieces. He looked at Justin with a lump in his throat and witnessed Justin's eyes grow heavy with what? Was that surprise, concern, lust….he couldn't tell and he couldn't look any longer not knowing.

He turned and burst out the double doors exhilarated at finally finding his voice which overshadowed his thoughts of how terrifying the repercussions might be. He slumped against the lockers and sucked in air as he fell trembling on the floor. He had never felt quite like this before, he searched his vocabulary for the word the described what overpowering emotion washed over him until he arrived at the correct term.

Pride

He felt pride.

He had faced his fear and there was no turning back.

Only one choice now….

Own it.

He was going to be the best fucking homosexual this school had ever seen.

No excuses, no apologies and no regrets.

A/N: Sorry the updates have slowed a bit but I am in the middle of a cross-country move. Should still see updates every week at least.