The Outside Lines (boyxboy) - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Noah's POV
My finger hovered over the call button for a solid minute before I finally went and did it. I shelved my fears, tired of avoiding the situation.
She picked up... but there was no response. I assume she was waiting for me to speak.
"Hey Taylor..." I choked, my tears getting the better of me.
"Hi... Noah." She responded, her voice low.
"Can we talk?" I asked with another sniffle following.
"...That's pretty ironic coming from you." I could almost hear her eyes rolling.
"I know." "I'm sorry." I apologized, curling up into a ball beneath the sheets.
"What's going on, what's wrong?" A little more emotion colored her previously cold tone.
"I don't know. Life's just really crappy right now."
"...You know I wanted to be there to help you through this after that whole situation at school, right?" "Why did you turn me away? Why do you assume I outed you?" She inquired, notably irritated.
"You're the only person I've ever told." I answered, simply.
"So? That not the only way for someone to find out." She retorted. "Are you sure someone didn't just catch you watching gay porn in the library?" Taylor jeered humorously, pulling a smile onto my frowned lips. I've missed her wise cracks.
"There was the whole thing with Chad too..." My voice went so quite it was almost a mumble.
"Yeah, you're right I suppose." She sighed. "It's likely someone just overheard us talking about it or something." She suspected.
"You mean someone might have overheard you talking about it. I'm always super quiet when I talk about those kinds of things." I made the correction.
"Yeah... maybe." Another sigh escaped her. "This is such a stupid situation. Our school is such a mess. Why do they care about an individual's sexuality so much. They should just mind their own damn business." She sounded like she was about to pull the hair from her scalp out of frustration. It felt relieving to know Taylor was still on my side. Putting all of my emotions and self pity aside I could tell she really did care.
"Hey Taylor?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry." I apologized again. "For everything."
"Me too." Her reply was soft spoken. "Though I haven't really done anything." She followed up, ruining the moment. Her oncoming laughter had already infected me. We chuckled for a good minute.
"Where are you? Why's your voice so quiet?" She asked after our laughter had calmed.
"In my room. I'm grounded." I explained.
"What for?" Taylor asked, worry wearing in her tone.
"My parents confronted me about all of the bruises I've been getting, but I refused to answer honestly, so they took my phone." I said, shifting a little in the sheets.
"It's really that bad... huh?" I could hear the guilt eating at her voice. She probably blames it on herself deep down.
"I'm going to be your bodyguard. I'll watch over you when we're at school, even if it means taking a couple punches myself." She proposed a silly idea, though I really appreciated it.
"Guess what?" I spoke.
"...What?" She responded, her curiosity translating through the phone.
"While I was sneaking my phone out of my parents room I found out my dad's been cheating on mom." My voice cracked mid sentence.
"Wait... Mr. Orman?" She questioned.
"Yeah, Mr. Orman." I confirmed.
"The kind Mr. Orman that invited my family to their Christmas dinner years back?" She continued questioning. "The same guy who's always preaching gospel every time I come over?"
"Yep, that's the one." I sighed, it hurt just thinking about it.
"Does your mom know?" She asked.
"Nope. I doubt it. She'd be an emotional wreck." "Being here is so stressful. I just want to find a somewhere I can go to clear my head, somewhere I can be myself." I admitted, my body going limp, sinking into the mattress.
Taylor went quiet for a moment. "Let's make school your safe space."
"What? That's like trying to make home in the middle of a nest of fire ants." I was dumbfounded by the idea.
"We can live in the middle of it, and we can bend the nest to our will. Let's just live, let's not care what the world thinks of us. We can go back to how it was before, just with the thorns cut from our lives." She got excited. Her enthusiasm almost contagious.
"We can just make new friends, heck you've already met Nathan, haven't you?" She asked. I was a little confused by how she knew this. Maybe he told her.
"Yeah... He's kinda the reason why I decided to call you." I hesitantly admitted.
"Really? Nathan did?" She sounded surprised.
"Yeah, he's kind of annoying though to be honest." I frowned, thinking about him.
"Are we talking about the same Nathan here?" She questioned. "Nathan's one of the coolest people I know." She insisted, tugging on my jealousy string.
"There's just... something about him. I don't know." I rolled over in my bed, frustrated thinking about it.
"I'm sure you'll grow to like him when we all hang out." The idea made me nervous, I don't know why though. "Maybe you'll even develop a crush on him" She teased. I just rolled my eyes.
"Does he know I'm gay?" I reluctantly asked. "It's just, he seemed comfortable around me."
"Trust me, I'm sure he's more than okay with it." She assured. Well at least now he's one less person I have to worry about giving me a black eye.
"Well okay..." I trailed off. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'll see tomorrow." A light chimed in her relatively calm voice.
"I almost don't want to hang up... today's been such a mess I don't want to have to deal with reality." I admitted in my tiring voice.
"You managed to face me, right?" She replied. "In all of the years I've know you you've always been strong, so I'm sure you can handle this." Her encouragement was pretty reassuring.
I thought for a moment. "You're right... I can do this."
"Thank you, Taylor."
"You're welcome, Noah"
"Night." I said, though the sun was still setting. The purples and oranges of the sky painted my room in a comfortable light.
"Night Noah." She ended.
I sat the phone beside me and watched the roof as the room faded into a calm darkness.
I was on the verge of falling asleep, but I figured I'd kept my mom waiting long enough. I sat up from the sheets and snagged my crutch before stepping out into the hall lit by the bright lights lining the wall. I trudged of to and down the stairs. Mom quickly stood from her arm chair with the sight of me stepping into view. She placed the book she was reading down and hastily made her way over to my side.
"Noah, what happened to you?" She questioned, lifting my arm and studying my face, looking over the damage.
I averted my gaze, hesitant to speak. "I got into a fight with some guys at school over differing opinions." I was honest, while being as vague as possible.
"Noah, I taught you better than to get in fights." She scolded, very disappointed.
"Well... they kind of attacked me, so I didn't have much of a choice." I clarified a little. I never fought back but I kinda just went with it.
"Give me their names." She demanded, her face going dark.
"I don't really know them, plus the school staff have already stepped in so there's no need to worry." I assured her, hoping she would let it go.
"Is this why you've been coming home so bruised up." She asked, still checking over my face.
"Yeah." I answered hesitant.
"I'm going to call their mothers, give me their numbers." She didn't drop it even when I told her I barely knew them.
"Mom." I whined. "The school said they'll call you in if it gets to that point." I informed her. That seemed to ease her nerves a bit, but she was still on edge.
"I told your father something was up with, but he seemed a little preoccupied." She pulled back and touched her chin.
"It's fine, I'm fine. I'm sure he's just busy." I stuck up for him, I wasn't ready to drop this on her. She's going to have to know eventually though...
"Well alright." She went quiet. "I would offer you candy, but dinner should be ready in a few." She noted, hesitantly dragging herself away from my side.
I stepped out onto the front porch to be greeted by the chilly air of the looming fall weather. I held a beam and watched the shifting clouds in the now calmed sky.
"Tomorrow huh?" I said to myself, a little sigh escaping, one of both nerves, and relief.
Nathan's POV
I woke up to a buzzing phone which was almost alien to me. I peeled the covers from my partially exposed body and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
"Sorry Nathan, I won't be able to pick you up today. Let's meet up in the cafeteria during lunch period, Noah will be there."
This caught me by surprise. This wasn't news I expected to wake up to. Did they finally make up?  D-did Noah actually take my advice?
(Play the song)
I stumbled out of bed in excitement, trying to find something to wear. I threw on an old pair of sports shorts, brushed my teeth and grabbed a bowl of cereal for breakfast before heading out for a jog. I had plenty of time before I needed to go to school. I stuffed my phone into my shorts and listened to music as I jogged through the desolate, dingy neighborhood. The cool air rushing against my face and bare chest was an amazing feeling. It made we want to run until my legs wore out like a used eraser. But of course, I had to be ready for school, so I made sure not to get carried away.
I waved to all of the passing faces I'd become familiar with around the neighborhood, wearing a bright smile. They waved back as they usually do, but some of them didn't recognize me.
One thing this town was known for were the powerful gusts of wind that would occasionally collect from the many corners and fill the streets all at once. I jumped in the middle of the road taking the forceful gale head on. I assumed a sturdy stance, not wanting to be thrown off balance. There were no cars on the road, but it still felt like Taylor's craziness was beginning to rub off on me.
When I got back to the apartment I took a steamy shower. I dried myself with one of the towels placed on the bathroom counter and headed for my room, wrapping it around my waist. I went through my closet once again looking for something to wear to school. I pulled out a dark green long sleeve shirt with a little chef stegosaurus on the front, and a pair of dark blue slim jeans. I left the house and made my way over to the bus stop. Not before fixing my hair though. That's something I wanted to get in the habit of doing now that I don't look like a swamp monster.
I sat on the curb listening to my playlist. I'd really grown to love a lot of bands over the last couple of months. I've accumulated hundreds of songs to accompany me on my morning runs. It inspired me to pursue music further. I still didn't know whether to have it as a class or an after school activity. Though it would probably be unnecessary to change my school schedule since I'll be graduating soon.
The bus pulled from around the corner. I sat up brushing the loose stones and dust from my pants before stepping inside. This would be the first time I rode the bus to school since I had my long hair cut. The reminder was all of the attention I was receiving as I trekked to my seat. They were used to me, "the old me", getting on at this stop, so I'd assume they were pretty confused.
The bus pulled in and everyone flowed out as usual. Today felt oddly different though. On my way to the entrance I observed several groups of people loitering about in the parking lot. Some were sitting on their cars, some playing instruments, and others just standing around talking. I suppose the partially cloudy weather made outdoors the perfect hang out area.
My classes passed. I was able to pay much more attention than usual today, even with Noah on my mind. I'd be able to see and maybe talk to him in just a short few minutes. Taylor too. I was pretty happy she didn't set me aside now that her and Noah's relationship seemed to be mended. I swiped the books from my desk and stuffed them into my bag, journeying off to the cafeteria. I stepped into the humid room full of scents, scoping the place out. I spotted Taylor about to sit down, holding a large tray of food. I went up to the food line to grab something for myself.
"Hey Kassandra." I met with a small wave as I leaned against the counter.
"Hi there." She looked back and forth, almost puzzled. I don't think she realized it was me until she saw what I was putting on my plate; bread, cheese, water and an apple. The usual.
"Nathan?" Suspecting, she called out.
"Yeah?" I turned back to meet her stare, waiting for her to continue.
"Oh my word, it is you!" She almost didn't believe it.
"Oh right, yeah, I cleaned up a little." I responded, bashfully playing with my hair.
"I didn't think miracles existed until now." She said forwardly. "Oh and when you helped me out behind the counter the other day, I was so lucky."
"... don't know whether I should be offended or not." I replied, an awkward smile reaching my face. It took her a moment to reflect on what she'd just said, surprise immediately following.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-... I just meant-" She stumbled over her words, trying to find a way to dig herself out of the word hole she buried herself in. Her movements were very expressive and sharp as she shook her hands back and forth.
"It's fine, I know you didn't mean anything by it." I brushed it off, offering a smile. A calmness washed over her and her hands came to a standstill.
"Ahem, excuse me." A frustrated looking student cleared their throat, hoping I'd move away from the counter and stop holding up the line.
"Sorry guys." I stepped back and apologized noticing all of the people waiting for our bantering to come to an end. A select few looked like they wanted to eat my heart out, while the rest seemed relatively okay.
"See you later Kassandra." I threw up a little wave as I walked backwards off to Taylor's table. She did the same, offering a bright smile.
"Hey Taylor. Where's Noah?" I greeted as I reached her side. I was a little disappointed he might not show up.
"Hey yourself." She replied, taking what appeared to be bags of junk food off her tray.
"Looks like you're feeding an army." I teased, throwing a leg over the bench of the table, taking a seat next to her.
"I might as well be. I knew you'd cheap out again." She pointed to contents sitting atop the blue tray I set on the table. "And I don't know if know if Noah will show up before the good stuff is cleaned out, so I just went ahead and got stuff for all of us." She explained.
"So he is coming then?" I proceeded to ask.
"Yes love monkey, he should be here, calm your horses." She rolled her eyes.
"That was an interesting sentence." A smile crept onto my appearance. Just as I leaned over on the table I spotted none other than Noah himself walking in through the east door. He wore a dark gray tank top and a pair of blue shorts. He still had his crutch with him, but he appeared to be doing better than yesterday.
"Speak of the devil." Taylor said, getting up from her seat, going over to meet him half way. She enveloped him in a big hug. He looked hesitant to complete it, taken by surprise. I think he was more so expecting a slap to the face than a bear hug. After a moment he finally placed his free arm around her. And to no one's surprise as soon as the hug broke she delivered a punch straight to his shoulder. It wasn't very heavy, but it had enough force to make the poor guy take a few steps back.
"There, now we're even." Taylor frowned. A small smile appeared on Noah's face before he went back for a second hug.
"I'm sorry." He apologized.
"Me too." She followed.
After their little moment Taylor returned to the table with Noah trailing close behind.
"You two have already met." Taylor stated, gesturing to me.
"Hey." I greeted with a smile. I scooted over to make space for him in between Taylor and I.
"Um... hi." He greeted back, hesitantly accepting the open seat. He appeared to be a little nervous. So was I, but I don't think it showed, thankfully.
He sat with his hands clasped together in between his thighs. Conversation between the three of us was pretty standard and tame. I could tell Noah was still feeling a bit uneasy, but I'm sure he'd get used to it in time.
Just sitting there chatting with Taylor and Noah was something I'd always longed for, something I've dreamed of, and now, it's a reality. It made me beyond happy. While I'm still an outsider, I now had friends on the outside lines.
I sat with my head in my hand, propped up by my elbow, just listening to them. Every word they spoke could be gibberish and I'd still find it interesting. Every time Noah struggled to converse with me whenever I was included in their conversation I'd offer him a smile. He was just as cute as ever.
My dazed fixation on Noah was suddenly shattered when the table shook. Our attention was redirected to the table top in front of us, or rather the person standing on it, towering above us.