Stranded 16

I’m not really sure how to lead you into this story.
Again, it’s one I gotta tell you.
Because what happened at its end is very important to me.
It’s something I lived by for so many years of my life.
It took so much to break it. But until I did, I couldn’t move on.
Nothing new, nothing else could happen.

My name is Luke Gray and I’ll meet you at the playground.

1043 Days before the crash

Boy – Fairy! Fairy! Luke and Derek are fairies!
Derek – What are you talking about?
Boy – You know what I’m talking about.
Luke – Shut up and go away.
Boy – Why, so you two can go kiss?
Luke – No...
Boy – Everyone knows it.
Derek – Knows what?
Boy – You two fairies like cock.
Derek – No we don’t.
Boy – Then why don’t you have girlfriends yet?
Derek – Because.
Boy – Because you two must do each other.
Luke – It’s not true.
Boy – Hey, Jess, you hear these two like to suck each other off?
Boy2 – Ew. Faggots.
Derek – Shut up. It’s not true.
Boy – Then why are you always together?
Derek – Because we are friends.
Boy – Yeah, boyfriends.
Luke – What? No...
Boy2 – Then prove it. Tell everyone you hate each other.
Derek – I’d never do that!
Boy – Then you are fairies. You have to stand up in front of the entire class and punch each other right in the face.
Derek – That’s stupid.
Boy2 – It’s only stupid if you are afraid. Do it right now. Push your boyfriend into the grass.
Luke – Let’s go, Derek. These idiots don’t know what they are talking about.
Boy – Excuse me?
Luke – You heard me. You are an idiot.
Boy – That’s it.
He grabbed me and held me so I couldn’t escape.
Derek tried to run, but was quickly stopped by the second boy.
Boy – You are just asking for the whole school to know.
Luke – Get off me. I don’t know what you are talking about.
He walked me far away from Derek.
Boy – You have to prove to everyone you aren’t a fairy.
Luke – How do I do that?
Boy – You have to fight your boyfriend and kiss a girl.
Luke – He’s not my boyfriend!
Boy – Everyone thinks you are. Don’t you like girls?
Luke – Get off me! I do like girls, who doesn’t?
Boy – Well that’s a surprise.
By this time the entire recess was surrounding me.
I hated it.
I was so embarrassed.
I only wanted to be alone.
I wanted to be far away from the staring.
Boy – Hey everyone, Luke here says he kisses Derek.
There were jeers and laughter from everywhere.
I broke down in tears.
A teacher finally started approaching the crowd.
The bully released me and whispered into my ear.
Boy – That’ll happen everyday until you do what I say.

I didn’t see Derek for the rest of the day.
I didn’t particularly look for him either. I got on the bus and sat by myself. He never got on. I guessed he walked home.
I went right to my room without talking to anyone.
I didn’t want to see anyone.
It was the worst day of my life.
I mean I’m not gonna say I was cool. I did get teased a little here and there. But nothing was ever as bad as this.
I was never ridiculed in front of the entire class.
I made it to my bed and put my head into my pillow.
I cried.
Because I was scared of what to think.
I only wanted to see one person.
I wanted Derek to be in my room.
But I didn’t know what to say about us being called fairies and boyfriends.
I wondered what he was thinking.
I wanted to know if he was as scared as me.
I wanted to tell him I didn’t care what anyone thought.
I only wanted him to be with me.

Kyle – Luke.
Luke – Go away!
It was later that night. I hadn’t left my room since coming home.
I didn’t go downstairs for dinner.
I didn’t want to see anyone.
I heard the doorknob turn.
Luke – I said go away!
Kyle – I heard what happened.
Luke – So leave me alone.
Kyle – You know I can’t do that.
I waited to hear what he had to say.
Kyle – I found someone who is in the same shape as you.
I turned my head from the pillow towards the door.
Derek was standing there awkwardly.
Kyle pushed him all the way in and shut the door.
I rolled onto my side and looked into Derek’s eyes.
He didn’t say anything but only stood there.
Luke – Hi.
Derek – Your brother made me come.
I didn’t say anything back.
Figures Kyle would get the one and only person I was craving.
He wandered to my desk chair and sat down.
Luke – That sucked.
Derek – Is that what they really think?
Luke – I don’t care what they think.
Derek – But why would they make such a big deal?
Luke – I dunno.
Derek – Why did they keep calling us boyfriends?
Luke – Does it matter?
Derek – Maybe we do hang out too much.
It was the worst thing I could imagine him saying.
Derek – Maybe it’s time we found girlfriends and some new friends.
Luke – Is that what you really want?
Derek – It seems like that is what we should do.
I wanted to scream no. I wanted to tell him to come to my bed and give me a hug. I wanted him to say he didn’t care what anyone thought and that him and I would always be together.
But he didn’t.
He didn’t look at me.
Derek – So I guess this is goodbye for now.
He stood up.
Luke – Wait.
He turned back to me with a bit of light in his eyes.
Luke – For how long?
Derek – What do you mean?
Luke – I don’t want to stop being friends with you.
Derek – I don’t want to stop either. But what other choices do we have?
Luke – I dunno.
Derek – So I guess I’ll see you around?
I put my head back into my pillow.
I sensed him remaining still for a few seconds.
I prayed he would say something else.
But I heard the floor creak as he walked to the door.
The doorknob jiggled but it didn’t open.
Derek – Is your door locked?
I lifted my head and looked back at him.
Luke – No? It locks from the inside.
Derek – Well it’s stuck.
I looked down to the crack between the base and floor. I saw two shadows which meant only one thing.
Luke – Kyle!! Let go of the door!
Kyle – No! You two make up and resolve this!
I climbed out of bed and went to the door.
Derek stepped out of the way as I attempted to turn the doorknob and pull it open.
It was a match between my desire to get Derek out of my sight and Kyle’s to keep us together.
Because I couldn’t imagine what else to say to him.
He basically told me he didn’t want to hang out anymore.
And I was crying in my mind.
I only wanted to go back to my bed to let the tears surface.
Luke – Let go!
Kyle – No way!
But my desire was turning to adrenaline and Kyle’s was only from muscle strength.
I won the tug of war.
The door swung open.
Kyle stood in the doorframe as I glared at him before turning back to my bed.
Derek attempted to walk past Kyle.
Kyle – No!
Luke – Jesus, Kyle! Let him go.
Kyle – No. You two are better friends than this. I can’t let you two be upset with each other.
He was like my savior. He was doing what I couldn’t do. What I didn’t have the strength to do.
He kept Derek with me.
Kyle – Now figure out how you two are going to remain friends and then I’ll let you guys out.
He swung the door closed.

Derek went back to the chair and I sat on my bed.
Again there was a very awkward silence.
He said to me he wanted to stop seeing me.
But now he was forced to retract it.
So I knew I had to start the conversation or else we’d sit there forever.
Luke – I still want to hang out with you.
Derek – Yeah, I want to hang out with you too.
He looked scared about it.
Derek – But I can’t be ridiculed like that.
Luke – It’s not all that bad.
Derek – Are you kidding me?
Luke – Hey, it made us get locked in a room together.
A smile poked through his fear as he looked away from me.
Luke – Kyle is right, we can’t be like this. We are better friends than to let insults get in the way.
Derek – But they are calling us such horrible names.
Luke – Who cares? Only you and I know the truth. We are just really good friends. Why do we need their approval?
Derek – But what do we say when they call us boyfriends.
Luke – I dunno.
Derek – Because we do kind of seem like it.
Luke – Nah, we just hang out a lot, what’s the big deal?
He shrugged.
Luke – I know that I always want to be friends with you, no matter what.
Derek – Yeah, I feel the same way.
Luke – So we should just stay friends and ignore them.
Derek – Yeah. Because I hate the feeling of not being able to talk to you.
Luke – I know it sucks.
Derek – So let’s make a vow right here, right now. Let’s agree to be together for the rest of our lives. No matter what we face. It’ll be you and me, friends forever.
I stood up and walked towards him.
I put out my hand.
He carefully put his in mind.
We sealed the vow.