Skyler nodded and waved. “Thanks. Looking forward to it.” Lawrence nodded and returned his gaze to the burger in his fingers, trying to figure out where to take his next bite.
Skyler turned back to his friends and rested his hands on the table, absentmindedly staring at the half-eaten burger in his plate. I can’t believe where I am right now. I never thought something like this was possible, something so inviting, so inclusive, so…non-judgmental.
“Something wrong?” Kalin asked. CK leaned in and looked at Skyler, waiting for his response.
“No,” he said softly. “It’s just that, wow, well, I mean, this whole event would never have happened back at the Academy. I’m stunned, but in a good way, that’s all. And, wait, now you’re telling me that Lawrence is transa…transamal…” Shit, what is the right word? I know it’s not transformer…
“Transgender,” Kalin said softly.
“Right. Transgender. Thanks.” He winked at Kalin. “Someone who came out as transgender at my old high school would have been expelled on the spot. I would have been expelled or at least become a social outcast for being gay. So, this is all very new to me, and it’s kind of awesome. Kind of makes my struggles seem so small in comparison to hers…I mean his. Sorry.”
“That’s not the point, though,” Cody said. “Everyone here has their own struggles, and those struggles are very real to them.”
“That’s right,” Tracy said, adding her two cents. “Your struggles are different from Lawrence’s struggles. It’s not about who has the worst struggles or the least struggles. It’s about having a safe place to be who you are and not fear judgment or bullying.”
“Speaking of bullies,” Tommy said with trepidation in his voice. Everyone looked at him with quiet surprise. Tommy shrugged and nodded his head toward the path that lead to the athletic fields. “Guess who’s coming to dinner,” he said in a Chekov-inspired staccato tone.
25 | The Thorn in His Paw
SKYLER FOLLOWED TOMMY’S GAZE TOWARD the athletic fields and saw a familiar face sandwiched between football armor shoulder pads and a jersey half shirt. A blue Temple High gym bag was slung over his left shoulder.
“At least his abs are nice to look at,” Tommy said sarcastically.
Daren stared at the ground as he walked up the path toward the school.
“Since when does Daren play football?” Skyler asked.
“He just joined,” Cody said. “Might be why he looks a little ragged. Practice must have wiped him out.”
“Wait, if there was football practice, why didn’t you go?” CK asked him.
“This was more important. Coach understood.”
“Thanks, Cody,” Skyler said, smiling. He turned his gaze back to Daren, who scowled at Skyler. His smile faded as he felt the anger and animosity of Daren’s glare. He also sensed hurt from Daren, but not the hurt of sore muscles from practice…a deep, cutting hurt within Daren that Skyler hadn’t sensed from him before. There’s something going on with him tonight.
“Something’s wrong,” Skyler said, trusting his intuition.
“Probably an off day,” Tommy said. “He deserves one every so often.”
“Be nice,” Tracy said, gently punching Tommy in the shoulder.
“It’s not easy when he’s such an ass,” Tommy snapped back.
“Truth,” Kyle said.
As Daren approached, he shifted his gym bag to his right shoulder and stared at them. His eyes spat hate at the barbecue’s participants and at Skyler’s group of friends.
Daren flipped Skyler the bird and mouthed, “Faggots!" Skyler saw rage blaze across Daren’s face. What the hell is going on in his head?
“What a jerk!” Tommy said.
“Are you kidding me?” Cody asked in disbelief. He stood up.
“I’ve got this,” Skyler said, standing up. “This time the Wookie isn't going to win." He left the table and walked toward Daren.
CK, Kalin, Kyle, and Tracy, looked at each other. “The Wookie?” Tracy asked as Tommy giggled. They rose from their seats and cautiously followed Skyler. Cody and Tommy joined them, but they hung back, close enough to hear what was going on.
With a quickness in his step and his fists balled at his side, Skyler intercepted Daren. "What is your problem, Daren?” he asked, his voice punctuated with anger. Though no one near the barbecue tent could hear them, GSA attendees began to watch Daren and Skyler. Out of the corner of his eye, behind Daren, Skyler noticed an older man stumbling up the path toward them.
"Get out of my face, Phoenix,” Daren said brusquely. “Run back to your pathetic friends and get lost.”
“No,” Skyler snapped. “I’m not running away from you ever again. Besides, I could outrun you any day.” I can’t back down, not now.
Daren stopped and shifted his gym bag. He checked behind him and then snapped at Skyler. “This really isn’t the day to piss me off. So, fuck off.”
“Why not? You insulted us! Why is it okay for you to pick on me and Tommy now or in the locker room or at track practice? Why is it okay to bully me in front of the library with Annika? Why is it okay for you to pretend to be nice at a pool party and insult me at my own house? So now that it’s not convenient for you, you expect me to back off? Why should I when you bully us every chance you get? The answer is NO. I'm not some little freshman you can push around all year. I’ve dealt with more shit in my life than you know, and some pissed off insignificant little bullying is hardly the worst thing that’s happened to me. And you know what? With all the shit I’ve had to deal with, I came out victorious. It’s you who needs to back off, Tarquin.”
“What in the fucking queer hell is this faggoty bullshit?” the older man yelled at them when he was about thirty feet away.
Daren snarled and dropped his gym bag to the ground. “Fuck off you little faggot, I told you I don’t need this today!” His football armor made clicking sounds as he growled and pulled his left arm back quickly.
Oh shit, he’s gonna hit me. Duck left!
Skyler reacted defensively to Daren’s incoming fist. He stepped left and spun himself around to the right as Daren’s arm sprung forward and his fist grazed the left side of Skyler’s jaw.
Not this time.
Skyler balled his right hand into a fist. As his momentum spun him around, he nailed the side of Daren’s face with a powerful backhand strike. The sound of flesh smacking flesh cracked through the air. Daren howled with surprise and fell to the ground, clutching the right side of his face.
“The fuck?” the man behind Daren yelled.
Skyler stood tall and rubbed the side of his jaw where Daren had managed to connect. "That wasn't necessary. Nobody needed to get hit today. Why did you do that? You don't have to be such an ass."
Cody stepped behind Skyler and put a hand on his shoulder in silent support and caution. Skyler relaxed and finished. “I will not be beaten back by a bully, and you will not bully my friends. Not anymore. Do you understand?”
Daren crossed his legs and slouched as he sat on the ground. He put his face in his hands as tears flowed from his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the school teachers watching from the barbecue and then up at Skyler. Skyler stepped back as the school principal made her way toward them.
“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, fighting back tears.
Defeated.
Daren is defeated?
By one punch?
“Are you gonna sit there and let this sissy queer pervert whoop your ass?” the older man slurred, gesturing wildly between Daren and Skyler. Skyler’s mind jumped back to the Tinsdale’s kitchen table at the word pervert.
“Don’t you lecture me about how big a deal this is, Stephen.” Rebecca glared at him and stamped her foot. Then she pointed upward, punctuating each word with a jab toward the heavens. “I am fully aware of how horrible this perverseness is in the eyes of our Lord Jesus! Homosexuals are nothing less than perverts!”
I’m not a pervert. I’m gay. There’s a big dif
ference, asshole.
The smell of stale booze reached Skyler’s nose. Skyler noticed the older man oddly clutching a brown paper bag. Of course. He’s drunk.
“Well, well, would you look at this? My son got beat up by some sissy pants queer kid in front of all these, these…” he belched and gestured to the festive barbecue, “Rainbow fuckers.” Students at the barbecue gawked as the situation escalated.
So, this is Daren’s dad?
"What's with all the little sissy tears, did a little queer kid punch your queer sissy face?"
"Aw fuck,” Daren said. He buried his face in his hands.
"Who the hell is that?" Tracy asked, anger bubbling in her voice.
"My drunken father," Daren answered, lifting his head up slightly.
“Get up and punch him back, Daren. Get up and beat the queer out of him,” Mr. Tarquin said, struggling to keep himself upright. “Get up and teach all these rainbow weirdos a lesson.” He staggered backwards a step and almost fell over, but he regained his balance at the last moment.
Daren didn’t move. He stared at his father. Skyler noticed that Daren’s face looked empty. I wonder what that’s all about.
Mr. Tarquin yelled at Daren one more time. “Get up and show him what it is to be a man.”
“No!” Daren screamed. “Fuck you!” He sprung up from the ground and lunged at his father, his fists tearing through the air.
“Holy shit,” Cody said, still standing behind Skyler.
With the momentary skill of a trained and sober ninja, Daren’s father deflected his son’s attack and walloped him on the back of the head. Then he grabbed his son’s football armor, swung Daren around with force, and threw him to the ground. Daren slammed on to the dusty earth with a thud and a cry of pain.
“Don’t you fucking think you can touch me! I ain’t no sissy queer. Now get up and punch the faggot back.”
“No,” Daren yelled.
“I said get up!” Mr. Tarquin yelled. He pulled his right foot back and kicked Daren in the stomach. Daren grunted with pain, curled into a tight ball, and gasped for air.
“Call 911,” someone at the barbecue yelled.
* * *
Skyler’s head snapped to the right and he jumped back. He brought his hands up defensively to deflect Sean McMahon’s fist.
Wait, what? Where am I? Oh shit, not this again.
It was three in the afternoon on Saturday. Skyler had backed off and evaded Sean’s fist. Sean yelled at him, “I told you to get lost, you little bastard.” He waved his fist at Skyler again. “Or else.”
Skyler swallowed hard and stood his ground in the kitchen. If I leave now, he’s going to hurt her. I won’t make it to the phone in time to call the police.
“Leave him alone,” Patty wheezed, frantically clawing at Sean’s right arm and shoulder. The fingers of his hand were wrapped around her throat. “Don’t hurt him, Sean,” she gasped, struggling for air. She clutched the hand at her throat.
“Shut up, bitch,” Sean shouted.
“You’re hurting her,” Skyler defiantly yelled. What the hell am I going to do? He’s a lot bigger and stronger than me. And almost fall-down drunk.
Sean had started early that day and had managed to drink his way through the last thirty-rack of beer in the house. Patty hadn’t done the groceries yet and when she refused to stop what she was doing to get him more beer, Sean went ballistic and started screaming. He tore his way through the kitchen and knocked the neatly stacked dishes and cups off the sink. They shattered and spread sharp shards of ceramic all over the floor. Skyler, having heard dishes shattering in the house and believing Patty had fallen, ran downstairs from his bedroom to see what was wrong.
Sean growled and threw Patty against the wall next to the refrigerator. Though her body absorbed most of the impact, Skyler heard her head thud against the painted sheetrock. A nearby picture frame jumped off the wall and crashed to the ground. She grabbed the back of her head and slumped to the floor, tears flowing from her eyes. She looked at Skyler with eyes that betrayed her helplessness and sheer terror.
“Don’t hurt him,” she begged. “You can hit me, but don’t hurt him.” Tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed, holding her head and her throat.
Shit, shit, shit, she looks like she’s really hurt.
“I thought I told you to shut up,” Sean slurred angrily. He threw his hands up and kicked his wife. She barely blocked the kick with her knees.
Patty cried out in pain and curled her body into a defensive ball.
Skyler yelled out in his strongest voice, “Stop it, Sean!”
“I told you to fuck off, you little fuckwad piece of shit,” Sean yelled. He turned and reached for Skyler.
Oh boy, what do I do now? He panicked and tried to think of how he could defend himself from the drunken man’s impending assault.
Three seconds. You’ve got one chance. No weapons. Nothing’s in reach. There’s nothing to grab. Two seconds. Shit. He’s gonna hit you. He’s gonna throw you against the wall like he did to Patty. He’s drunk. Did he just stumble? Can I trip him? Can I get out of the way? Can I back up? One second. You know what you should do. Everyone will understand. You have to do it. You have to stop him. Stop him, now!
Skyler inhaled as his body surged with anger. As Sean’s hand came down on Skyler’s shoulder and the fingers began to tighten, Skyler focused his fury and shifted his weight on to his left leg. Then he aimed and kicked Sean squarely in the balls with all his might.
Time froze.
The fingers on Sean’s hand spread wide open and jolted off Skyler’s shoulder with surprise as the expression on his face shifted from rage, to shock, and then to misery. A split second later, Sean cried out in sheer agony and collapsed on the kitchen floor, clutching his groin. As Sean’s body hit the floor, Skyler heard the sound of cracking ceramic. He cried out as ceramic shards pierced the left side of his body in many places. Sean grunted and coughed as his body involuntarily convulsed from resulting pain of Skyler’s well-aimed kick. He rolled on to his back and more ceramic cracked and perforated Sean’s back. He gasped and coughed before passing out.
Help Patty.
Skyler grabbed the paper towels off the kitchen counter and carefully tip-toed through the minefield of sharp ceramic pieces and knelt next to Patty.
“I’m calling the police,” Skyler said.
“Please don’t,” Patty asked.
“Patty, we have to. This isn’t good. Your neck looks really bad and he…” Skyler pointed to Sean, who’s face had turned bright red. Blood pooled under him in several places. “He needs to go to the hospital. Or, he at least needs an ambulance.”
Skyler hopped back across the kitchen floor and grabbed the portable phone. He dialed 911.
“Please don’t,” Patty whispered, struggling to speak.
“Sorry,” Skyler said. After seeing his mom struggle with her illness in the last year of her life, Skyler knew the right thing to do was call 911.
* * *
“Shit just got real,” Cody said, stepping forward.
Daren struggled to breathe after his father’s assault. Skyler could tell the wind had been knocked out of him. Unable to retreat, Daren desperately scrambled to protect himself with his arms. No one needs to go through this. I had no idea things were this horrible for Daren.
“Don’t you touch him,” Skyler yelled, stepping toward Daren. Cody stepped up with him. This is similar to Sean and Patty. This is the cycle of violence that never ends until something drastic happens. I could have ended up like Daren.
Mr. Tarquin staggered backward and flipped Skyler the bird. He took a swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist. He belched and then yelled at his son. “I told you to get up.”
Is he getting drunker?
Holy crap! Daren’s father is the thorn in his paw. This makes so much sense now! All the rage and anger Daren spat toward me and Tommy reflects his father’s abusiveness.
“No f
aggot’s gonna tell me what to do.”
Skyler stood his ground. No way. I’ve always defended the people I’ve loved, or the people who need help. And right now Daren needs my help.
“I said get up!” Mr. Tarquin yelled. He looked like he was going to kick Daren again. “Everyone will know you’re one of these queer-ass sissies if you don’t hit him back. Then you stay the fuck away from these faggots, you hear me? No one will ever want to be your friend if you’re one of them.”
This is the cycle of violence from father to son, from Sean McMahon to his wife, to the kids, and to me. This is the cycle of hate that beats people down and prevents them from being who they are.
Mr. Tarquin staggered back and tried to kick Daren but he lost his balance and stumbled. Cody reacted and stepped between Daren and his father. He put his hands up in front of him, gesturing defense but no intention to strike.
“Get out of my fucking way, you queer lover,”
Cody didn’t flinch. “You need to back off and tone it down right now. Then you need to leave."
"No queer lover is going to tell me what to do. If you were my son, I'd beat the queer of you."
“Like you try to do all the time? Beat the queer out of me?" Daren croaked.
Mr. Tarquin, clearly annoyed, stumbled and pointed through Cody at his son. "Pick up your shit and get moving. We are going home, now!”
"Why so you can beat me again, because I’m…”
Mr. Tarquin interrupted him. “Get your shit, faggot, and get up. We’re leaving.”
"No!” Tommy yelled from a safe distance. His sharp voice snagged everyone’s attention away from Daren for a moment. Even Mr. Tarquin stared at him with disbelief written across his face. Tommy’s sudden boldness surprised Skyler. Tommy marched up to Daren and stood near him. "He's not going with you. Just because you can't love him for who he is doesn’t give you the right to beat him up. You’re wrong. Daren can have friends and people will like him for who he is.”
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