When I Met Him In The Summer

Twenty two

TRIGGER WARNING: HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE

I should have left through the window.

"You said you just wanted to talk. Let me go, Jake," I plead as he drags me down the hall, throws me into his room, and closes the door behind him.

I'm stupid. I'm so fucking stupid for believing him. I know Jake, and he's a fucking homophobe. I don't know what Austin has told him about me, but I'm sure I dug my grave earlier when I ran away from him.

"You want to talk, right?" Jake snarls, bringing me back, and I nod frantically.

"Okay, let's talk. And I need you to tell me the truth, and nothing but the truth. You hear? I'm already fucking pissed off, don't make me do something you'll regret," he says, and I nod, my mouth unable to form real words.

"This friend of yours...how long has it been going on?" he asks, air quoting friend, and I pretend to be confused as I knit my eyebrows together and shake my head.

"No...no, Jake... you're misunderstanding things. Why are you air quoting friend? It's just Kyra from work, I swear," I say weakly, and he looks at me and laughs.

"You really think I'm stupid, don't you?"

Yes. Yes, I do. We would not be having this conversation if you weren't. I'm your brother, and despite your beliefs, you would be supporting me, instead of interrogating me.

"No, Jake...I'm telling the truth," I say instead.

"Okay. What about the boy from the beach? The one who kissed you?"

I feign confusion again. "What are you talking about? Who told you that?"

He turns around, and slaps his palm against the door. "Damnit, Danny. Stop lying to me!" he yells, and I flinch.

"I'm not lying, Jake. I don't know what you're talking about," I say back, and he turns around and clears his throat.

"Give me your phone," he orders, and no matter how scared I am...this is getting fucking ridiculous.

"It's my phone, Jake. As in, my private property...you have no right to go through it, even regarding whatever the hell this is," I say, and push my hands in my pocket. He is going to have to force my phone off of me if he wants it so bad.

"Austin, get in here," Jake yells, and again, right on cue, Austin opens the door and walks in.

I do not even try to hide the disgust on my face as I look him up and down, but if he cared about my opinion before, he definitely does not give two fucks now. The same manic smile is still plastered across his face—he is clearly enjoying himself too much with this.

I crane my neck and try to see what he's hiding behind his back, and his eyebrows shoot up when he notices. I have to try and salvage the situation. I raise a shaking hand to Jake's shoulder, and he immediately shrugs me off.

That's okay. He is going to want to hear this. I keep my eyes on Austin the entire time...I want to see the exact second when his face will change from triumph to priceless shock.

"Jake... what did Austin tell you? Whatever it is, he lied, Jake. He's only angry because this morning—"

Before I can say anything, Austin clears his throat and thrusts the shoe box in front of Jake. My heart stops, and the room starts to spin. I feel hot and cold all at once, and the blood drains from literally everywhere. I grab the bed for support as my legs buckle under me.

If Jake had any doubts, now they have been confirmed.

"Danny, what's that? The things in that box...are they yours?"

"Yes, but Jake I can explain." I whisper, the last bits of strength leaving my body.

"Are you gay, Danny?" he hisses, and I look up at Austin again. I still cannot believe that he did this to me.

"I...look, I wanted to, I'm sorry, it's just that I...," I stutter, again, unable to say any real words.

"ARE. YOU. GAY?" I whimper helplessly and raise my hands over my head as he yells and clenches his fists as his sides, and my chest starts to heave with sobs. He steps closer to me, his face in his hands, his body shaking with rage.

Oh hell no...I'm not going to make it that easy for him. When he's not paying attention, I run towards the open door, and I wince when Austin grabs me by my hair and hurls me, like I'm completely weightless, at the bed.

It is so sudden, and I'm grabbing at air before I lose my balance and fall, hitting my forehead on the bed post. I turn around and find Jake standing over me, his entire face twisted with anger.

"Look, Jake...who I fuck—"

He does not let me finish my sentence. He gets on his knees and punches me in the cheek, and I instinctively raise my hands to shield my face. He has no trouble getting them out of the way and he hits me another four or so times, before doing the same with my stomach.

I'm screaming for him to stop, but he doesn't listen, and I feel the thick warmth of blood flowing down the side of my face and from my nostrils. Every breathe comes out as a forced, painful heave, and I stop screaming.

I give up and just lie there—I'm going to die if I keep screaming—, everything hurting like hell as he punches his feelings out on my body. Austin grabs him after a while and tries to drag him, but he kicks me as he wriggles against Austin's body.

"No brother of mine is going to be a fucking homo," he says breathlessly, and then storms out of the room.

I gasp for air as Austin drops to his knees next to me, grabs my face in his palm and squeezes my jaw. I meet his eyes, and I don't even flinch, even if it hurts like hell.

"Don't mess with me again, you little fag." he seethes and then spits in my face.

"That's not what I meant when I said I liked it when guys spat on me. You don't understand, but Sora definitely does," I shoot back defiantly, and he throws my head back, stands up and kicks me in the stomach.

He kicks the box in front of me, and that is the last thing I see before I pass out.