brooks & hale - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

"HEY," ADAM SAID, REACHING out to turn down the radio that had been blasting overplayed and sucky pop songs. "What did you do to Reed?"
Those six words were sufficient to wake Brooks out his early morning stupor and almost send him into an asthma attack. As it was, he settled for choking on the pancakes he had been happily eating - he'd had to take them on the go, because Adam never gave him a chance to eat them at the house. At least, he had been happily eating them until Adam's question sent him into a panic and sent food down the wrong way.
He grabbed the drink from the cupholder and gulped without even knowing what it was. It only was only when he could breathe again did he splutter on the bitter taste on his tongue. "That's gross," Brooks gagged, shoving the cup and it's nasty contents back where they belonged. "What the hell is that?"
"Oh, have you finally finished dying?" Adam flicked him an impatient look. "It's called coffee, you idiot."
Brooks eyed the cup warily. "Are you sure?"
"Shut up," Adam replied. Brooks might have pointed out that that response didn't even make sense, but Adam hadn't finished with the original topic that had almost killed Brooks. "You didn't answer my question. What did you do to Reed?"
Of course, the one time Adam broke his "I can't be bothered to talk in the morning" rule was to ask Brooks trick questions he didn't know how to answer. Ever since getting lifts to and from school had become a regular thing - Brooks didn't know why or how, but he certainly wasn't complaining - they usually spent the ride in silence. It was the simpler option that both of them preferred and Brooks didn't want to change that now.
"W-what did I do?" Brooks wasn't sure whether he was repeating the question or asking Adam himself. "Um, what do you mean?" Was Adam onto him? Reed wouldn't have said anything; he was the one who threatened Brooks to keep his mouth shut. "I didn't do anything. Reed hates me. We don't interact. Why would I have done something?"
Shut up, Brooks told himself, and bit his tongue just in case. He really needed to learn the appropriate times to talk and shut up.
"Because he refuses to come around anymore," Adam said. "And I know it has something to do with you."
Brooks felt his eyes widen. "Why?"
Adam drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "He won't say why he can't come around, but his foul mood whenever I mention you is indication enough. What did you say to him?"
"Nothing," Brooks said. It wasn't technically a lie. It was nothing Brooks had said that was keeping Reed away, and quite frankly, Brooks was thankful. He was happy to avoid Reed for the rest of his life - or at least until he went to university in September. "I try not to talk to him as much as possible, remember? Wait. Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Brooks snapped his head to stare out of the window as a terrible thought occurred to him, but the scenery outside was an indistinguishable blur. Adam had a habit of driving too fast "We're not...picking him up, are we?"
When Adam didn't reply, Brooks yanked on the door handle. "What the hell are you doing?" Adam demanded, almost swerving off the road when he turned to scowl at Brooks. "Have you lost your mind?"
"I'm not staying in this car if he's coming in it," Brooks retorted, all subtlety flying out of the window. Crammed in a car with Adam and Reed, for the entire ride to school? He couldn't possibly think up a more awkward situation even if he wanted to. He'd marry Donald Trump before he let that happen. "I'll walk to school. Seriously, Adam. Stop the car or I'll just jump out of it."
Okay, he definitely wouldn't, but Brooks could sure as hell bluff all he liked.
"Stop it," Adam snapped, grabbing his arm and yanking it away from the door. He almost swerved into a tree at the distraction this time and it was only when Brooks grabbed the wheel, yanking it back, that they managed to avoid it. "Now look what you've done!"
"Me?" Brooks said incredulously. "I just saved our lives!"
"You tried to jump out of my car!"
"You nearly drove into a tree!"
"Because I was too busy trying to stop you jumping out of my car!"
"Why don't you stop going back to that one?" Brooks said defensively. "We both knew I wasn't going to actually do it."
Adam's glare could have melted holes in his head. "Really? Because you're stupid enough to do it."
Adam slammed down on the brakes with enough sudden force that Brooks would have gone crashing through the window if not for his seatbelt. As it was, he almost ended up choking a second time when the seatbelt almost strangled him. "Jeez," Brooks muttered, touching his neck to check it was still intact. "You drive like a crazy person."
"Get out of my car," Adam ordered.
Brooks was rethinking the whole walking to school thing when he glanced out of the window and saw they were outside Lexus. "You weren't picking up Reed?" Brooks asked sheepishly, glancing at Adam's unimpressed expression.
"Obviously not," Adam said. "Talking to you is giving me a headache. Get out before I reconsider not running you over for nearly making me crash my car."
Brooks got out of that car as quickly as possible, not wanting to test that bluff. Alongside the gradual calming down of his heart at the near death experience was relief, that he hadn't had to face Reed or that Adam's suspicions had come anywhere near the truth. If Reed was really trying to avoid him too, maybe he'd actually make it without having to face what happened between them? He could only hope so.
Brooks had just passed through the school gates when someone said his name. He turned, hoping it was Hale, but saw it was Hassan approaching him. Ah, well. He had chemistry first period so he'd see Hale then.
"Hey, Has," Brooks smiled, as Hassan fell into step next to him. "What's up?"
"I should tell you something," he replied, straight to the point as always. "Something I probably should have mentioned a while ago."
Brooks was suddenly nervous. "Um...okay?"
"I know about you and Hale," he said.
Brooks stopped in his tracks. What now? Deny, deny, deny? How could he possibly know? "You...what?" Brooks clutched the books in his arms a little tighter for comfort. "I don't know what..."
Hassan raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to bother denying it. Hale practically handed the evidence over to me."
"Now I'm genuinely confused," Brooks admitted. "How?"
"Remember when you were ill, and he wanted to know where you lived?" Brooks nodded slowly, still baffled. "He gave me his phone to write down the address. It opened up straight to his texts, but more specifically, his texts with you. I figured it out pretty easily from that."
Brooks felt his face burning at the fact Hassan had read their texts, even if he didn't know which exact ones. If he'd managed to figure out what was going on between Brooks and Hale from them, it was pretty obvious what they must have contained. "Jeez," Brooks muttered, resisting the urge to hide his face behind his books. "He's such an idiot."
"I'm not disagreeing," Hassan smirked.
Hassan started walking again, and after a moment, Brooks followed him into the school building. The hallways were filling up with students heading to first period, chatting with friends and stopping at their lockers. "Does Calla know?" Brooks asked.
"I don't know," Hassan said. "If you're asking whether I told her, then no. It's your business to tell. But let's be honest, there's not a chance Calla could have hidden it if she knew the truth, so I'm guessing she doesn't have a clue."
Brooks chewed his lip. "I feel bad. She had a crush on him. I don't even know if she still does."
"Yeah, about that," Hassan said, unable to completely suppress the curiosity in his voice. "How exactly did you end up hooking up with Calla's crush?"
"I don't know," Brooks said honestly. He really didn't understand how he'd managed to attract Hale's attention, and even more shocking, hold it for as long as he had. "I guess it just...happened."
"How romantic."
"Very," Brooks chuckled.
"I do have one question," Hassan said, and Brooks glanced at him curiously. "Couldn't have picked someone who hasn't slept with half the female population in Manchester? Emphasis on the female part."
Brooks was considering whether he was allowed to tell Hassan that contrary to popular belief, Hale hadn't actually slept with anyone (well, maybe he had now, but certainly not with any girls) when someone brushed past him and shouldered him so roughly it was impossible for it to have been anything but purposeful. It was hard enough to knock the books from his arms, which hit the floor with a loud enough crash for all heads in the hallway to turn in his direction.
"Oops," Elliot smirked, glancing down at the fallen books. "Should have watched where you were going, gayboy."
Brooks flinched and the remaining book he had managed to hold on to slipped from his hands. Elliot hadn't just said that. Brooks refused to believe he'd said that, because if he had...the thought had his heart dropping into his stomach. Elliot was the worst possible person to know about the the truth because if he knew, the whole school was guaranteed to know.
Brooks had frozen up in his panic, but Hassan answered for him. "What the fuck did you just say?" he demanded.
"I told him to watch it," Elliot said, loudly enough that all the curious spectators who had paused in the hallway to watch them could hear. The cold gleam in Elliot's eyes turned Brooks' blood to ice. He knew. "Don't need fags getting in my way."
Murmurs and hushed whispers passed over the crowd of onlookers, which was gradually filling up as more students gathered at the prospect of something entertaining. Brooks could feel their gazes on him, intent and scrutinising, making his skin crawl. He hated attention, but this was the worst kind he could imagine. Knowing the reason why they were all staring at him only made it worse.
Elliot made as if to turn away but Hassan grabbed his shoulder before he could. "Hey, you asshole - "
"Don't touch me, freak." Elliot jerked away from Hassan as if his touch was poisonous. "What, are you his boyfriend or something? Is he incapable of speaking for himself?" The last part was directed at Brooks, who wanted nothing more than to shrivel up and disappear into the ground.
"What do you want me to say?" Brooks said, his voice surprisingly steady despite his trembling hands. He curled his fingers into his sleeves to hide the tremors. "Confirm it?"
"You don't need to," Elliot said, his lip curling nastily. "It's obvious. It also makes sense why Hale's suddenly so fond of faggots, doesn't it? You're his new favourite pet and for some reason, he likes you. Guess I can blame you for the reason he's been acting like such a pussy lately."
"Of course," Hassan said, his voice dripping with so much sarcasm it was withering. "Not being a homophonic piece of shit equates to being a pussy. Tell me, are you putting on the small-minded ignorance to seem cool or you naturally this stupid? Because they're both excuses almost as pathetic as you are."
Elliot gave him a shove to the shoulders. "Why don't you mind your own fucking business? This has nothing to do with you."
"It has nothing to do with you either," Hassan retorted, and Brooks' eyes widened when he returned the shove, only far harder and with enough force to send Elliot stumbling back into the lockers with a loud crash. "How does someone else's sexuality have anything to do with you, asshole?"
"Hassan, it's fine," Brooks said hastily, yanking on his sleeve in an attempt to pull him away. "I don't mind. Let's just go."
Far too many people were surrounding them in eager whispers at the prospect of a fight, and Brooks was worried about the exact same thing. Maybe Hassan had managed to catch Elliot in a moment of surprise earlier, but neither of them stood a chance physically against Elliot under normal circumstances. He had at least three inches on Hassan, and even if Brooks matched him in terms of height, sports had given Elliot far more muscle than the two of them combined.
And even if there was the slightest chance Brooks could win this fight, he wouldn't want to. He just wanted to pretend this had never happened. Fighting was only going to draw more attention, and make it impossible for anyone to not know Brooks was gay.
"You don't mind?" Hassan didn't budge at Brooks' frantic tugging. "Well, I mind. I know everyone in this school lacks the normal number of brain cells," a series of indignant murmurs passed over the crowd at the blatant insult, "but this is too fucking much. Letting this dumb fuck think anything that comes out of his mouth isn't shit is a disaster for everyone."
Elliot grabbed Hassan by the collar and slammed him against the lockers. "You piece of shit," he hissed, "say that again. I fucking dare you to say that again."
Hassan didn't even bat an eyelid. "I'd say it a million times if I thought it would ever get through your thick head."
The snickers and sniggers from the onlookers were enough to rile Elliot up even further, and his face twisted with anger as he raised a fist. Brooks didn't know what would have happened next - most likely Hassan was going to suffer damage to his face and Brooks would have felt guilty about it for the rest of his life - when a teacher stormed forward, flapping his hands to break apart the huge crowd and barking at Elliot to stop.
"What on earth is going on here?" The teacher glared between Hassan and Elliot, and included Brooks in the accusatory look.
"I'm teaching this prick a lesson," Elliot growled.
Hassan rolled his eyes. "Terrifying."
"For Gods sake, let him go," the teacher demanded, waiting until Elliot finally released his hold on Hassan before turning to face the crowd that had assembled. "Okay, show's over! All of you get back to class! Now!"
The horde of students looked disappointed at the interruption, but reluctantly dispersed under the teacher's expectant gaze, still stealing curious glances and muttering to each other as they went. Brooks' heart sank. There wasn't a doubt that this would have made it's way around the entire school by the end of first period, and along with it, the secret Brooks had been planning on keeping to himself all the way to graduation.
"You three," the teacher said angrily, jabbing a finger at them. "Get to the headteachers office. Now."
"But I didn't even do anything," Brooks protested, bewildered.
"Does it look like I care? Now get out of my sight. I don't get paid enough for this job," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he marched past them.
*
"Okay, so let me get this straight." Mr Mikhailov steepled his hands and heaved a long sigh. "I had to cancel a meeting with the Board of Education to address three teenagers who seemed to think it would be a good idea to start up a fight on a Thursday morning."
Hassan shrugged. "Apparently."
Brooks resisted the urge to groan and glanced up at the clock. They were fifteen minutes into period one, and Brooks was certain he would have been learning far more sat in his chemistry rather than sat in front of Mr Mikhailov's desk for something he technically had nothing to do with. Elliot and Hassan were sat on either side of him, seeing as Brooks had quickly figured out letting them sit next to each other would probably lead to spilt blood on Mr Mikhailov's carpet.
Elliot was slumped in his chair with a scowl that had been fixed in place from the moment they'd been sent down here. Hassan, on the other hand, looked as bored as if he was stuck in a school lecture and couldn't wait to get out of there. And Brooks? Well, he was regretting the decision to come to school today and his existence in general. As if it wasn't bad enough that a potential phone call might be sent home from school, incurring the wrath of his parents, he was officially out now.
Elliot had made sure of that one.
And as nauseating as that thought made Brooks, that the entire school now knew he was gay, he had a more pressing question: how did Elliot know? The only people who knew the truth were Calla and Hassan, and the almost-fight this morning was proof enough that it wasn't the latter. Brooks was also certain Calla had nothing to do with this. Even though she had a habit of spilling things a little too easily, Elliot Jones was the last person she would spill anything to.
There was only one other person who knew the truth. Hale.
No, Brooks told himself, dismissing the thought. Hale wouldn't do that. Brooks knew he wouldn't...right?
"Mr Montgomery?" Brooks blinked and realised everyone was looking at him, including Mr Mikhailov, who seemed impatient as well as irritated now. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Oh, um, yes," Brooks said quickly. "Definitely."
"Mr Khan was just telling me that you weren't actually involved in this, ah, altercation," Mr Mikhailov continued, looking wearily between the three of them. Brooks could only imagine how sick and tired he was of dealing with aggressive and confrontational teenagers. "Is that true?"
"I guess."
"Then can you give me an account of what happened?"
Brooks shifted uncomfortably, not too keen on explaining the basis of the problem was that he was gay and essentially coming out to Mr Mikhailov, but Elliot interjected before he could answer. "Bullshit," Elliot snapped. "Of course he's going to stick up for that shithead!"
"Watch your mouth," Mr Mikhailov warned. "And I was asking Mr Montgomery for an explanation."
"I've already given you an explanation," Hassan said with narrowed eyes. "He was being his usual disgustingly homophobic self, and because I'm a decent human, I did something about it. Not my fault I'm the only one in the school who did."
"And you were the one who initiated a physical fight?"
"No," Brooks interjected. "Elliot was the one who was going to throw a punch. And he was the one who provoked Hassan. And started the argument in the first place. Basically, what I'm trying to say is," Brooks said, beginning to warm up to his explanation now, "it's Elliot's fault."
He returned the glare Elliot directed at him with a flat look of his own. Brooks wasn't feeling particularly sympathetic or friendly towards Elliot right now; as if insulting and calling him out as gay in public wasn't bad enough, he seriously expected Brooks to defend him?
Hassan was right. Elliot really was a dumb fuck.
Mr Mikhailov glanced at his watch and sighed. "Look, boys, I really don't have time for this. This is high school and we all know what high school is like. People say mean things and no one gets along and that's just life. I don't care what happens in this school until things get physical and violent, and then I'm dragged into this mess. So how about we all agree this won't happen again, you three head on back to class and I can finally get to that meeting."
"So you're just going to pretend Elliot didn't say any of those things to Brooks?" Hassan demanded. "He isn't getting any punishment for it?"
Mr Mikhailov shrugged. "Mr Khan, if I punished every student who made an offensive comment, the whole school would be facing suspension."
"It's fine," Brooks said, before Hassan could pursue his sense of justice any further into an argument. He was fine with leaving this room without a detention, even if it meant Elliot got away without one too. "We'll be leaving now, Mr Mikhailov."
"You're a good kid, Mr Montgomery," he replied. "Try and stay out of here, okay? You've got a good future ahead of you."
Brooks nodded awkwardly and got out of that office as fast as possible, with Elliot and Hassan following him out. "What a pathetic excuse for a teacher," Hassan said with derision, the second the door closed behind them. "Caring more about his meetings than his students. Exactly what I want in a teacher."
Brooks shrugged. Lexus was hardly renowned for it's excellent education system or top notch teaching staff. It was the kind of high school you attended because it was local and accessible, rather than even remotely high in ranking or standards. Woodway High School was the place you went to for that kind of thing, and everyone knew you could only afford a place there if you were rich enough to pay tuition. Or if your parents were willing to pay it, in Brooks case.
Hassan had to go a separate way to get his lesson, leaving Brooks with the awkward and unfavourable situation of walking with Elliot to their chemistry class. He braced himself for the scathing remarks and accusations, but for whatever reason, Elliot kept his mouth shut. Maybe he'd run out of things to say - he'd already made his opinions pretty clear - or maybe he just didn't want Brooks running back to report him to Mr Mikhailov.
Still, Brooks wasn't stupid enough to think that meant Elliot had experienced a sudden revelation of acceptance. He scowled fiercely when Brooks glanced at him and kept a good five feet between them, as if homosexuality was a contagious disease he might catch. Brooks didn't care. He could think whatever the hell he wanted as long as he left Brooks alone. He'd already ruined his life enough as it was.
Elliot roughly shoved open the door to their chemistry lab, and stalked to his usual seat at the back of the classroom without a word to Mrs Mulligan. Brooks paused in the doorway and barely heard her inquiry as to why they were late, because Hale was staring at him with an questioning gaze that was impossible to ignore. Brooks glanced away from him before he could read what happened in his face.
"Sorry we're late," Brooks mumbled, well aware that half the people in this class would have seen what happened this morning. "We had to speak to Mr Mikhailov."
"Oh. Well, okay," she said, clearly surprised. "Take a seat. I was just going over bond strengths with the class."
She resumed her speech as Brooks dropped into his seat, pretending he couldn't feel Hale's gaze with enough intensity to burn holes in his head. He busied himself getting his stuff out to hide the fact his face was growing hot at Hale's attention. Hale could only wait for a grand total of four seconds before leaning towards him and whispering, "What the hell was that about? Brooks?" he prompted, when he didn't reply.
Brooks feigned confusion. "What?"
"Oh, I don't know," Hale said in disbelief. "Maybe the fact that you were twenty minutes late to chemistry with Elliot Jones, of all people?"
"Hale," Mrs Mulligan said, shooting him an irritated look. "Save your conversations for after class."
Hale didn't even glance at her. "Whatever."
Brooks knew that Hale wasn't about to drop his interrogation that easily, but he really didn't want to talk about it. It would only be a matter of time before the news of what happened reached Hale, and besides, a chemistry class with Elliot was the last place they should be discussing it. Hale would only get pissed off  and do something stupid, like confront Elliot right here. They were far more matched than Hassan had been and Brooks didn't doubt the potential for things to become physical.
It was bad enough Brooks had been forced out of the closet before he was ready. He didn't want Hale to bring the same fate on himself by acting rashly.
"Brooks, come on," Hale murmured, a furrow appearing between his eyebrows. Brooks resisted the urge to reach out and smooth away the crease with his fingertips. "What happened?"
"Nothing," he lied.
"Fine, then. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he lied again.
"Liar."
"I'm not lying, Hale." Just another lie.
"I can tell when you're lying."
Brooks frowned. "No...you can't."
"Oh really? Your nose doesn't twitch and you don't start fidgeting?"
Brooks dropped the pen he had been unknowingly twisting between his fingers and automatically reached up to cover his nose, his face turning hot all over again. Hale smirked in triumph but didn't get a chance to respond. "I won't tell you you both again," Mrs Mulligan frowned. "This is a lesson, not your free period. Stop talking and pay attention."
Brooks nodded sheepishly, aware that they were earning more than a few intrigued glances, but Hale was undeterred. "I'm not going to stop bugging you until you tell me what the hell is going on, Brooks," Hale said, completely ignoring Mrs Mulligan. "Why - "
"Right, that's enough!" Mrs Mulligan looked uncharacteristically angry as she slammed down her whiteboard pen. "Hale, move. Swap seats with Mason."
Hale finally snapped his head up to stare incredulously at her. "What?"
"I won't have you interrupting my class any further," Mrs Mulligan snapped. "Swap seats with Mason right now or you're getting a weeks worth of detention."
For a moment, Brooks thought Hale was just going to ignore her again and take the detentions, but then he finally stood up with a scowl. "Fine," Hale muttered, and turned around to scan the class with an impatient look. "Which one of you is Mason?"
Brooks just about restrained from dropping his face into his hand. Hale really hadn't been joking when he'd said he didn't know who Mason was.
After Mason identified himself, and reclaimed his old seat with little more than a curious look at Brooks, Mrs Mulligan returned to boring the class with whatever the hell she was talking about. If someone had asked Brooks after the lesson what it had been about, he wouldn't have been able to tell them because, for the first time since he'd started going to school, he didn't have a clue. He was far too distracted to even think about chemistry, forget write anything chemistry related down.
Brooks began stuffing his things into his bag the moment the bell went off, but he wasn't quite fast enough. Someone slammed a hand down on his textbook before he could pack it away and Brooks wasn't even slightly surprised when he looked up to find Hale standing in front of his desk. He was surprised, however, at the scowl on his lips.
"We're having a talk," Hale said. "Now."