Array
(
[text] =>

"Thank you for joining us Mrs. Denver," the dean starts with Mackie and his mom sitting right in front of him. "There has been a picture of your son circulating around the school. We just wanted to bring it to your attention, and assure you we will find everyone involved."

"What picture?" Mackie's mom looks at him, pulling out a printed out copy the dean hands it to her "how?" She looks at Mackie and Mackie shrugs "this isn't anyone's business" she says to the dean.

"I understand believe me and Mackenzie has always done his best to keep that stuff private, I'm not sure why he was targeted but this has happened before and-"

"You need to get a handle on your students,"

"Yes, we're working on that."

After the meeting, Mackie's mom walks out of the office with him "why would someone go dig this up about you?"

"I don't know high school kids are assholes."

"You could say that again" she sighs, "I have to head back to the shop, are you gonna be ok?"

Mackie nods "why didn't dad come? I know they called him too"

"He couldn't find someone to watch the range for him" she lies.

"Or he doesn't want to see me" Mackie comes to a conclusion.

"Of course he does Ken stop it"

"It's been a month mom, if he wanted to he would've tried."

"You mean like you've been?" She stares at him and he looks away "I'll talk to him"

"Ok"

"Bye honey"  they hug and she leaves the school.

Everyone is staring, Mackie's life is practically an open book now. They're all going to dig until they find out that he went to East Shore, and because of feuds that lead to fights he went to juvie, and that'll cause them to hate him even more.

Walking up to his locker Mackie sees the janitor, "give me a few I'll have it cleaned for ya."

"Actually that's ok" he smiles, "I like it." Go back to jail, you dirty thug! Is what is written on his locker. The janitor walks away and he opens it grabbing his books. Turning when he's done with his bag on his shoulder, helmet in his hand, and leather jacket in the other Mackie walks away not caring one bit.

During lunch setting his eyes on exactly who he's looking for, Mackie walks over to Jeremy tapping him to turn around. The smile on Jeremy's face disappears as soon as his eyes land on Mackie, "fuck do you want?" His friend stand backing him up

"Because you don't know me I guess you think that gives you a reason to fuck with me, but I'm warning you that it doesn't."

"You don't scare me, Dirty Denver"

"I don't give a fuck I'm not here to scare you, just here to tell you to stay away from Ben."

"Or what?"

"Or that eye will be a whole lot worse, and your pussy posse won't be able to help you. Figure out who I am before you fuck with me again." Turning away Mackie leaves and they watch him walk, Jeremy may take everything he said as a threat but to Mackie, it was a promise. He'll do anything to protect the things he cares about, and Jeremy was going to figure that out the hard way.

Everything's changed for Ben, he's not the same person he was months ago and he has Mackie Denver to thank for that. Ben wants to be a good person, and he didn't even know what that meant until Mackie did that selfless act for him. "Do you guys think I'm a good person?" He asks his parents during dinner

"What do you mean, honey?"

"I mean you and dad are good people and I'd like to think you raised me to be the same but I'm not. Sometimes I like it when bad things happen to people I don't like, for example when Jenny Field got exposed I didn't feel bad for her because she slept with Jeremy. Remember Evan Thomas?" Ben's best friend from middle school, "when I came out and he stopped being my friend that really hurt. Then when he got to high school and no one wanted to be his friend he tried to be my friend again, but I just laughed and snubbed him. I'm a sociopath, right?"

"Ben not liking people who've hurt you doesn't make you a sociopath" his dad answers.

"Ok then explain this, before I got to know him I believed what everyone had to say about Mackie, how they'd call him dirty and make fun of his appearance. I could've known him a lot longer but I chose to participate with everyone else instead."

"If you didn't believe any of the things people were saying about him, why didn't you form your own opinions?"

"I don't know," Ben sighs dropping his fork "everyone else-"

"There's your first problem, Ben" his dad stops him, "you're worried about everyone else when you shouldn't be. If you like this boy then that's all that matters."

"It's probably too late for that" Ben uses his fork to push his food around, "I did something stupid."

"What'd you do?" His mom asks

Ben's always been able to tell his parents anything without worrying about them judging him, and he really needed to share this with someone other than his friends whose advices weren't holding up anymore. "I kissed Jeremy"

"While you're with the other boy?" His mom asks and Ben nods, "do you still have feelings for Jeremy?"

"That's the thing I don't, when I got back to school after the accident everyone kept asking if I was ok, and coddling me so I got annoyed. He was the only person that didn't try to do anything for me, he spoke to me like I was still normal-"

"Having the sling doesn't make you not normal, Ben."

"Dad I know but it's not just that, when I was with Jeremy I felt like I had some control if that makes any sense. I didn't mean to kiss him it was just a weird moment"

"Ben honey if you feel like you're not in control in this relationship, then something has to change."

"I think that being with Mackie is changing me, I was not a good person when I was with Jeremy."

"Is it changing you for better or worse?"

Thinking about his dad's question Ben answers what he truly believes, "better."

"Then there's your answer, be with the person who makes you better, Ben"

"Ok," he replies knowing it's not as simple as that, his feelings for Mackie are growing stronger and now he doesn't even know if the boy wants him back. "Thanks for the talk guys" he gets up

"No problem" his mom answers.

"When we finally meet this kid I'm calling him Mackenzie, not a fan of Mackie it sounds like..."

"He sells cars!" Ben's mom finishes and Ben chuckles

"I literally said the same thing, but you guys can call him whatever he doesn't care. I'm gonna go lay down" he walks away. Going to his room Ben picks up his phone and contemplates, that talk really revealed some things for him, and right now there's no one else he wants to talk to more.

Laying on his back after dialing Ben lays his injured arm on his chest, and waits as the phone rings. Picking up on the last ring, "hello?" Mackie finally answers

"I thought you weren't going to answer,"

"What's up, Ben?" the boy's voice makes Ben feel so many things, it warms his heart, it makes him smile, and it turns him on especially when they're over the phone and he wants nothing more than to get to him. "Everything ok?"

"No" Ben replies, "my arm itches in this stupid cast, I've been wearing slip-on vans the past week, and if all of that doesn't make you feel bad then you should know I fell earlier."

"Did you really?"

"No, I wanted you to feel bad for me."

"That's manipulative, Ben,"

Sighing "fine then I'll be honest" he takes a second. "I miss you, Mackie Denver, and I know that you miss me too."

"Yeah, how do you figure?"

"I heard a little rumor today"

"Which is..."

"You threatening to hurt Jeremy for me" he smiles, "is that true?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Benjamin Quinn."

"Mackie I can't stop thinking about what you did for me, what you keep doing for me. I'm so sorry I hurt you but you were wrong, I have zero ties with Jeremy all my ties are with you, I'm in love with you." Ben knew he wanted to end the sentence with that but Mackie was not expecting it.

"You're what?" He asks after the awkward silence that came with the confession

"I can explain..." he sits up, "I spent all day trying to figure out what was wrong with me, why I couldn't stop thinking about who I've been and who I'm becoming. Every time I hear your voice it reminds me that I don't need anything else just you. These past few days have sucked so much without you, so I'm putting it all out there. You are it for me and you don't have to say it back or even take me back, but please take me back" he chuckles nervously.

"Can I pick you up tomorrow?"

"That's it?" Ben asks expecting more after pouring his heart out

"I'll see you in the morning, Ben, good night."

"Whatever," getting upset Ben hangs up the phone chucking it to the floor.

Confessing your love never gets you anywhere.

[text_hash] => 3c0d7744
)