Camille started to pick me up when me jumped back up on his feet, grasping my arm tighter than before and shooting a terrifying snarl at her. It was like he was an animal, the way he looked when you got him upset, and I genuinely started to think that he would hurt her too. He'd kill her and then me and no one would ever know. He could blame it on anyone in this God forsaken town who showed up to the party and the police would be on his side. Even if he was caught, he could claim a mental break because he was technically a 'gay rape' victim. It forced me to realize that no matter what, the law wasn't on my side here. And it may never be. But, as I became muddled in my own thoughts, Camille punched Kendall in the gut before knee-ing him in the balls taking him down to the ground. She grabbed my hand and ran me down the stairs.

"We have to go. We have to get out of here now. The police are about to bust the place." She said roughly, running for the door.

I turned to her still hazed. "But what about Jo, she's the one who brought me."

"We don't have time for her. They're serving alcohol in the back and if we're caught, we will both go to jail. Screw Jo." Camille responded hastily, still dashing for the door. I shook my hand loose of hers before getting re-lost in the crowd. Camille gave up on me and just left, but I wasn't losing Jo. And the alcohol from the Vodka and the punch was wearing off quickly, so I'd have to find her soon. I ran through, searching, calling her name. Finally, I got past the throwns that James had disappeared from before I got outside and saw what was happening. James was in the corner of the massive back yard, rocking Jo and cleaning her with a towel. Her costume was ripped to shreds, so James was covering her with his thriller coat, treating her like a small hurt child. I rushed over in the boxers, Go Go's and jacket with the long mascara lines running down my face to my hurt friend. James looked at me with dead eyes, turning me pale as a ghost when I saw what else was gone. Or what was written across her for-head. Or the blood and dirt that stained her knees. And I was scared to guess what happened because all the times that it had been threatened of me, it was a ploy out. This wasn't. I threw my hands to my mouth in horror as James began quickly, "idon'tknowwhathappened," his voice was high-pitched, "onesecond she'sfrenchin withsomechick,nextshe's-"

"James, slow down so I can understand," I pleaded as I got down on my knees with the girl that had become so much to me.

"I had kept my eye on Jo because unlike you, she had purpose to come here," he said, "She has a girlfriend who is a freshman in college, and I had decided to do her a favor by inviting her and a few freshmen I knew to the party, trying to follow your advice of becoming friends with her," I nodded. "So I saw they were heavily makin out in the backyard when a few seniors from here came up to them." I didn't want to hear it, because I could guess were James was going, but then I heard the sirens. "I'll tell you the rest in the car Logan," he stated firmly, picking up Joe and rushing her out the back fence, "I parked on the side of the block in case shit like this went down." We ran to the car and I climbed in the back and held a still unconscious Jo while James started the car and stepped on the pedal. We started speeding from the party as people started fleeing the house in droves.

"Now tell me what the hell happened, now," I screeched when Jo spit up a little bit of white, sticky substance.

James gave a strange grimace before starting up again, "The seniors from the football team came up and started to taunt them. They were throwing money and shit when Jo got fed up and told her girl friend to go home where she would call her later. She started to yell at the seniors when the first one punched her in the stomach. Another one kicked her in the knees, knocking her to the ground while the others started to tear her costume to bits. I'm so sorry I didn't do anything, I was scared, but I-"

"James," I said firm, "I don't blame you, but I need you to tell me anything you know so I can help her." He nodded hesitantly before continuing a confused tone.

"I got distracted for a while because Camille left to look for you and I was searching the crowd for were you might be, but when I turned to look out of the window again, they had her … her panties off and were raping her. They were gang raping her like she was an animal. I ran out as soon as I saw that, but it was to late. They were just finishing up and one of them started to hit me. After they had all – finished – they hit her and me a few times before walking away. Then I saw this on her head." He was referring to the slur on her head that said simply, 'DYKE.' "Then You showed up." He had finally finished and it was my turn to figure out what to say.

"There were a million drunk, floozy girls at that party that would have had a willing gang bang with them," I was starting to sob when I forced myself to spit out the next line, "did they choose her because she's a … a …. Lesbian."

James nodded his head. "I've been over it a million times and don't even begin to understand it yet. But after your stunt ton-"

"Don't you dare put this on me," I shouted a little too loudly.

"Logan, you have to realize that not everyone in this town is as accepting as you, I mean Jo has been moving place to place after she came out because her parent's kicked her out. You were a lucky one. You are the one that we all want to be. You loving yourself enough to wear a tight, white dress and makeup and drive people over the edge," He looked at me with sympathy, "I'm telling you this because I'm worried about you Logan. Jo was used as a message. There is gonna be a major gay panic and lashing after this."I stared blankely in fear. This couldn't be real. Losing Jo like this. Even if she hadn't died, I knew that things could never be the same. And that scares me. Who am I to willingly give up my Virginity to a homophobe while she is raped by them. It's just become to much for me to take any longer. I started to cry and then I knew what I had to do.

"The jigs up, we have to call the police," I stated simply, "Me and you can't fix this together. We have to find those bastards."

"But they won't help us."

"What do you mean," I retorted.

"You don't get it. Gay panic is a real fuckin defense in this ass-backward town. You could get Jo and yourself in trouble for just existing. We have to do this ourselves." James yelled back.

Then the phone buzzed with the text alerter.

'TExt this 2 ur hOle contact list if JAmEs DiamONd is a fag.' Under that was a picture of James and Me running with Jo to the car. A homophobic bully with the two gay kids. You couldn't write this shit. He saw it before he could say it was nothing, and what he said next is what shocked me most.

"Send a message from my phone that simply says 'Gay James Diamond hearts Kendall Knight'." He threw the phone to me and continued to zoom through the streets. I looked into his eyes and asked him why. He quickly responded with this, "Your right, the jig is up, but not for helping Jo, but for me. And I'm ready to give it up to. Why not share two secrets for one." I smiled a little before cleaning Jo up again and typing it and sending it to all his contacts. We pulled into my house quickly and rushed Jo in when Camille turned to us suddenly, reading her phone steadily while in the process of keeping her calm.

"James," she said, caringly watching while throwing the phone onto the couch were we had planned to put jo, "Are you sure you're ready for the shit that will be thrown at you for this." He nodded, giving her his best impression of a smile, before putting Jo down finally before running to the kitchen with Camille in tow. How could there even be a glimmer of happiness after what happened to her. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but I didn't have the nerve to stand up right now. I owed pretty much everyone everything. I didn't have the right to be a bitch now. I was just kinds taking a backseat to what was happening when Jo started to wake up.

"La … Lo …. Logg ….. Lo," I ran over to her, putting my hand over her mouth before she tried to choke up another word or sound for that matter.

"Yeah honey, what's wrong," I said, trying to hide my concern.

She stared harshly this time, "You …. Know …. What …. Happened ….. Bambi." She coughed a little before closing her eyes again.

"I know, but I just don't know how to respond," I started towards her, but when my hand approached she shivered. I stepped back before trying again, but this time she shrieked and so I stood off, not wanting to put anyone else through anymore pain. I just wanted to disappear because in the few months I had been here, I had simultaneously ruined everyone I loved lives.

She looked back to me again, "it's not your fault …. We shouldn't .. have .. gone .. even if … you … looked .. amazing." She tried to fake a smile, but ended up smoking on her bile. She had a certain hatred for me right now that I barely understood because it wasn't specific. It was a hatred of men in general and I was one of them. To her at that moment, I was just one of the – things – that hurt her. And that hurt me most of all.

"If you don't want to see me right now, I can go away, I mean, I won't be angry if you ask me to go. Prommnm….."

"NO! You can't leave me right now," she croaked, "You're my only friend," and as she said it, she began to sob and cry, the blood glistening even more when she twisted and twitched. I couldn't handle it anymore so I just held her. I picked her up and held her tight, even if she jerked at first when our skin collided.

"It's okay, it's okay girly," I rocked her in my arms as tears and blood stained my shirt, "I'm here now and I swear to any God that's there, this shit won't go unpunished." Then I started to sing, and for God knows what reason, she sang to. We both sang and the weirdest part was, it was a song that didn't immediately strike me as one that we should or would both know. But somehow, we seemed to both know the country song vibrating through our chests, "wrapped up in that tarp, Earl." We harmonized and sang together the best we could to the Dixie Chicks song, and it was nice, even though the situation around it was horrifying. It was a man hating song, and at the moment, we both hated men. We both hated straight men. Because homophobia shouldn't be like this. Beat the crap out of me, but don't rape me. It was savage. It was cruel. And it was unforgivable. And then it came to me. The reason Jo was being stronger than me right now was because she was used to it. She was used to abuse and disturbed slurs. How messed up is that. I mean this was normality to her, the hate and intolerance and the worst part was, I'm sure she's not the first lesbian in this town. And so all the other lesbians and gay men and transgendered people were treated like this. The bisexual men and women and the queer were all treated like this. Some kind of weird entertainment to get your jollies off to. I was a muddled puddle of anger and thoughts when Camille and James rushed in with towels and bowls filled with water. Immediately, they started cleaning wounds while I continued to rock us both back and forth. Then the questioning ensued: "So what happened?"