“Are you okay, Lyle?” Leif questioned.
“I got a shiver, that’s all.” Jasper squeezed my hand; was he learning the language of touch, too? I took his pressure to mean he wanted to say something but was hesitant. “What is it, Jasper?”
He cleared his throat. “Grandma Wallace used to say if you got the shivers then someone’s walked over your grave.”
“What does that mean?” Ben asked. “Because it sure sounds way freaky to me, buddy.”
Jasper looked at me, and I nodded…slowly.
Edwin offered, “I think it means that something bad is gonna happen. Am I right, guys?”
Leif now squeezed my hand. I didn’t need to think about what he meant by that. He distracted my thoughts from spiralling, though. Which was good. Very good. “Yeah, it does mean that, Edwin.”
My stomach knotted. I wasn’t superstitious, but the timing of that chill sure was ominous. Especially as we were about to confront the biggest knuckle dragger in school.
Leif saved me again when he suggested, “It doesn’t matter if Owen didn’t have anything to do with those ransom notes, he knows something. So we have to talk to him.”
“Yeah, he was bragging about it in the toilets the other day,” Jasper offered, backing up Leif’s suggestion.
Ben shrugged. “Then we’re coming with you when you do. Isn’t that right, Sparkles?”
Edwin swallowed so hard his Adam’s Apple bobbed. “Only if I’m standing behind you, baby.”
“Aww, I love it when you call me that.” Ben crashed Edwin in a bear hug. “But I’ll be there to protect you.”
Of course, they both kissed. Jasper’s mouth dropped open. I forgot he hadn’t seen the show that was Edwin and Ben. If my brother reacted like that when they kissed, if he’d seen them when they were in Edwin’s loungeroom, half naked and leaving little doubt about what they were going to do, I’m sure his eyes would have fallen out.
I squeezed both Leif and Jasper’s hands; my signal to move on.
We walked in silence for the rest of the way. Soon, the school’s main entrance building loomed. Before we got there, we had to cross the football oval the Preston Tigers used for training. And a good thing, too, as there was Owen, the boy we wanted to see. Unfortunately, he probably wouldn’t have time to talk to us before the first bell went.
The knuckle dragger was busy pushing around another boy. No prizes for guessing who was spending their time eating the grass behind the equipment shed.
“Jeez, no!” Jasper screamed, yanking his hand out of mine and running towards Owen and his latest victim.
“Jasper, wait!”
“That’s Austin being beaten up!”
“What?!” Jasper was right. It was Austin; the boy looked scared out of his mind, crying out for help as Owen pulled him up by his shirtfront to throw him back down again.
Without thinking, I ran after my brother. Leif ran with me, holding my hand tightly—I was thankful for that, because together we approached Owen.
The sight wasn’t a pretty one when we got there.
Austin’s school shirt was torn and dirty with mud and grass stains. But worst of all, there was blood dribbling from his lips. His face was a mask of fear. He was crying, unable to control his shuddering breathing.
I didn’t even know Austin and I felt for him.
What was worse was Owen’s grin, one filled with malicious joy. That scared me. He clearly enjoyed tormenting and beating up those weaker than himself, laughing at the pain he caused.
“Leave him alone!” Jasper screamed.
Owen’s eyes widened as he spun around to face Jasper after throwing Austin back onto the ground; Austin yelped. “And what the…is that make-up you’re wearing? Jeez, you really are a dirty freak, aren’t you, fag? Just like your brother and all the other gays in this school. The place is damn well infested.”
I saw red.
Leif’s grip solidified in mine. He charged forward, but I just didn’t go along for the ride that time. I went with him intentionally, Owen our target. Sure, my stomach ached as fear stabbed at me like blunt knives, but Owen needed to know he couldn’t push us around.
Any of us.
Ever again.
From the corner of my eye I saw Jasper tending to Austin, helping him to his feet and moving him away from Owen before the knuckle dragger paid him anymore attention. The boy was still crying.
Leif and I let go of each other to push Owen as hard as we could and to divert his attention. It worked. But what I didn’t know was that hitting him would be like trying to move a brick wall. The guy didn’t even flinch from our impact. My hands ached after pain shot up my arms.
“What you gonna do now, fags?” Owen sneered, grabbing Leif and I by our shirt fronts, one hand each. God, he was strong, his hold like a vice. I couldn’t move; all I could think about was how mum would kill me if my shirt got torn, and to make that thought worse, I had no clue how I was going to get out of this. I couldn’t exactly beat Owen in any physical contest.
I gulped.
Leif struggled in Owen’s hold as well. “Give me Mister Metaxas back, Owen! That’s why we’re here.” Tears slid down his cheeks, his voice breaking as he spat out those words; I was no longer worried about what Owen was doing, I wanted to reach out to Leif. I tried, but clearly Leif had other things on his mind. “We all know you’ve got him. Give him to me!”
“I don’t have your stupid dog, fag.”
“Yeah, you do,” I retorted.
“No, I don’t.” Owen spat—really spat; his saliva sprayed all over my face. I recoiled, sick to my stomach.
Leif then said something that was not only profound, as always, but was also baiting: “That’s not what Lucy told us.”
Owen snorted. “What does she know? She only pasted the letters onto the paper, ‘cause if she didn’t she would have got more detention and that would have spoiled her perfect school record. She’s such a suck up. Plus, she made me go all the way to her place to get that last one ‘cause she was sick. But it serves her right, stupid fag lover that she is.”
Ah, so Lucy wasn’t telling the whole truth, as Leif suspected.
I knew it wasn’t Owen, either.
But that still left the question. Who took Mister Metaxas if it wasn’t Owen or Lucy? But something Owen said rang a bell at the back of my mind.
This all had something to do with…
Before I could coalesce my thoughts into something coherent or even understandable, the knuckle dragger pushed us. I had no choice but to go down, my butt hitting the turf with a painful jolt. Leif yelped, and I was flat on my back. Quickly, I tried to scramble up.
Owen came over us. “And you’ll never find out who took your dog now, fags. Not unless you can guess who my uncle is, seeing as you all think you’re so smart.”
Another thought entered my mind as my stomach lurched and I got that all too familiar tightening everywhere. Owen made me cringe on so many levels, but I had to press on. Before my thoughts solidified and my resolve had a chance to match that, Owen reached down, about to pull us back up before we could scramble away. Ben, however, was on it. He grabbed Owen from behind, spinning him around.
Now it was the knuckle dragger’s turn to see what it felt like to eat grass. I could have almost cheered.
Ben said, “Get up and I’ll knock you down again, Owen. And you know I’ll do it.” Ben was nowhere near as built as Owen, but he was fast, nimble, and far more intelligent. Owen’s brawn didn’t stand a chance and no doubt even Owen knew that.
Edwin came by Ben’s side.
I stood, dusting off my pants; Leif did the same. That was a close call and if Leif and my friends weren’t by my side, it could have been a terrible situation for poor Austin.
The four of us stood against the knuckle dragger together, side by side, unified, and proud of who we were.
Owen looked at us in turn, muttered some foul profanity, then turned and ran towards the school’s main red-brick building.
And I have to say, I’ve never breathed such a huge sigh of relief in my life. My heart was in my throat, I was that stressed. Wowsers, it was good to do that, though.
I stood up to Owen and won!
But now, the seeds that had been planted in my head by what Owen said, germinated. “I know who took Mister Metaxas,” I declared.
Leif put his hand in mine, our grip as solid and sure as we were. “You do?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then tell us,” Edwin chimed in.
Ben was kissing Edwin on his cheek, saying, “See, I told you I’d protect you, Sparkles.”
“You did,” Edwin giggled.
I wanted to tell them who I suspected, I really did, but first I had to make sure Austin was all right—and Jasper, too, for that matter. From the way Jasper ran his hand tenderly over Austin’s lip to wipe away the blood and how he held his hand, there was no doubt they had feelings for each other. That made my heart sing after the ugliness Owen caused to Austin and the rest of us, to be honest.
Besides, a few more minutes wouldn’t make much of a difference, anyway. Mainly because I’d need to call mum and tell her to come to the school if my suspicion was correct.
Chapter Thirteen
Getting Back Mister Metaxas
Jasper was whispering to Austin when Leif and I approached, their foreheads touching as if they were in their own world—which they were, I supposed. Jasper’s eyeliner was bleeding, or whatever it was called when make-up ran after being emotional. But I was sure he had more in his backpack to fix it; Mum would have made sure of it.
I leant down and touched Austin’s arm gently; Leif did the same. You okay?” I asked.
Austin tore his attention away from Jasper and nodded but didn’t answer. His eyes were red-rimmed and watery. He sniffled. I hoped he would feel better soon and wasn’t hurt in any permanent way. Although, a broken smile quivered across his lips. I had a feeling Austin would be all right. The only thing damaged beyond his pride was his school uniform.
Jasper replied for Austin, “He’ll be okay, but I’m going to take him to the nurse’s office just to make sure.”
“You worry about him, don’t you, Jasper?”
Jasper nodded. “I do.” And with that, Austin and Jasper embraced before they got up, arm in arm, towards their goal.
Leif, watching them walk away, mused, “They’ll make a cute couple.”
“If that’s what happens between them, I’m sure they will.”
Edwin came over, his eyes filled with his emotions and his lips redder than usual—as were Ben’s. No prizes for guessing what they’d been doing. “So, Lyle. Who took Mister Metaxas?”
I pulled out my phone from my pants pocket, opening it with the thumb ID. I clicked on the green phone icon. “Owen’s uncle, of course.”
“And who’s that?” Ben asked.
I explained, “Remember when we had to do that lunch time detention the other day?” They all nodded, but their expressions were impatient. I couldn’t blame them. “Well, do you recall what Owen said when he was told off for flicking those spit-wadded pieces of paper at us?”
“Yeah, I sure remember that,” Ben huffed, as he rubbed the back of his head in memory. “The jerk.”
“I don’t recall, no,” Edwin admitted. I knew why he didn’t remember; Ben was next to him, taking all his attention. For that, I certainly couldn’t blame Edwin for not being observant.
Leif’s brow furrowed, obviously deep in thought. He wasn’t the only one who could get an epiphany and now it was my turn. Thankfully, I had all my clothing on and wasn’t streaking in front of my parents because of it. I still smiled at that thought. Leif’s butt was a nice sight, that’s for sure.
I continued, “And do you remember what Coach Williams did when he busted Owen? I mean, after Owen said ‘But, Un—’ and Coach cut him off by slamming his hand down onto his desk.”
Leif’s eyes widened, the penny dropping for him as it had for me. “You mean, Coach Williams is Owen’s uncle?”
“Exactly!”
“Oh, my God, Lyle! This means…this means…”
“Wait, what?” Ben asked, his face a twist of confusion. “What does it mean?”
Edwin interjected, “It means that Coach Williams is Owen’s uncle, and he’s the one who took Mister Metaxas after getting Owen and Lucy to help him. That’s what it means. Am I right, guys?”
But as I’d spoken my thoughts, I remembered Lucy.
No wonder she was nervous and sick, not coming to school since we confronted her. She’d been forced to paste the letters of the ransom notes onto the paper by Coach Williams. Did he do that because he was threatening her with detention, something that would go against her A-Grade reputation? Perhaps he had. But that’s why the notes read how she talked, why the word lamington was used as well. Maybe Coach Williams wanted to throw us of the trail by doing that, make us think it was her. Lucy getting nervous and that fingernail flicking noise was still loud in my head.
I shuddered. Poor Lucy. We’d have to go see her and tell her it was all right. But for now, I had to get on with things. Leif needed Mister Metaxas back and I needed to make sure that happened.
“It also means that I have to call my mum so we can confront the coach, that’s what it means.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Leif blurted. “Call her!”
I pressed “Mum” on my phone’s app to dial her.
Principal Arkwright gestured for all of us to enter his office with a concerned expression, his mood sombre. Mum was already sitting down on a chair near his desk, arms folded but looking calm.
Leif and I had talked to Principal Arkwright earlier, now he wanted to speak to everyone together once he’d heard Coach Williams’ side and my mum had arrived. It sure felt strange being in his office for the second time without being in trouble.
The principal wasn’t happy about what we’d told him and promised he’d get to the bottom of it about why Mister Metaxas was kidnapped in the first place. In another chair, Coach Williams sat, his eyes intense and lips pressed together; the look he gave us could have curdled milk. I didn’t feel sorry for him.
Actually, I lied. I did. How could someone go to such great lengths to kidnap Mister Metaxas? And for what purpose?
“All of you, please squeeze in as best you can,” Principal Arkwright offered with another sweeping gesture.
We shuffled as best we could into his office, one that smelt of his Old Spice aftershave. Leif—as always—held my hand, squeezing me tightly. He was nervous and anxious, I knew it. I had to admit, I was, too. I wanted Mister Metaxas back so this whole thing could be put behind us and we could move on.
Edwin and Ben were also holding hands. Jasper and Austin stood together; my brother had reapplied his makeup while his friend was adorned with a Band-Aid on his bottom lip, but other than that he looked okay.
Principal’s Arkwright’s office sure was crowded by the time all of us were stuffed in there, even if it was rather barren of furniture, a potted plant in one corner and a desk the only thing of note. A few certificates and a photo of a trip he’d taken in Switzerland or somewhere like that hung on the wall behind his desk.
“It has come to my attention,” Principal Arkwright began after he sat in his chair, the leather creaking, “that Coach Williams, as a member of my faculty, has breached the school’s codes of practice and caused a lot of suffering to members of the student body in the process.”
If you called kidnapping someone’s pet, forcing other students to do his dirty work, and being and all-round jerk a suffering, then yeah, the principal was right. But I kept my mouth shut, even though Leif let me know through his hold that what I thought matched his.
Everyone else remained silent, too.
“For the here and now,” Principal Arkwright continued, “just know that Coach Williams will be suspended with pay while the allegations against him are investigated.” At that, the coach stood, his face bright red, veins bulging
. Principal Arkwright gestured for him to sit. The man sat, even if reluctantly. “And with Coach William’s permission, I have asked the local police to go to his house to retrieve Leif’s dog—Mister Metaxas is it?” We all nodded. “If he’s there, that is.”
Coach Williams harrumphed. “These damn irritating gay kids are everywhere. Bloody nuisance to society, if you ask me.”
“What was that, John?” the Principal raised his hand to his ear, cupping it. “I didn’t quite catch what you said.”
My mum came to life. “I believe he said that the gay kids annoy him and are threatening the cis white society he believes should oppress anyone who’s different to them.” She did her best I’m not impressed face as she glared at the coach. “But I couldn’t be sure because of the haze of homophobia that surrounds him.”
Coach Williams scowled at my mum’s brilliant retort; I suppressed a smile but failed. Leif let me know all too well about how he felt. I’m so glad mum was on our side, because making an enemy of her would be scary for anyone. Ben almost snorted in laughter and Edwin had to nudge him. Jasper and Austin stood silent, mouths agape.
“Yes, that’s what I thought I heard, too.” Principal Arkwright leaned back in his chair, again it creaked. “Why’d you do it, John? Because from the evidence Lyle and Leif offered after their investigation,” he produced the ransom notes from his top drawer, waving them, “and with Lucy backing up their story after I spoke with her, I’m pretty sure the dog is indeed in your custody.”
Coach Williams shrugged. “Things have to change around here, that’s why. And yeah, I took the dog because I wanted to get evidence about how corrupt this school has become. Let you all see what these…kids…are up to. How the school lets them in is beyond me.”
My mum was about to speak, but Principal raised his hand gently. “It’s all right, Mrs. Wallace.” He turned his attention back to the coach. “Oh, you’re right, John. Things do have to change around here. Starting with your dismissal once the investigation is complete. It’s not okay for any member of this faculty to do what you did to any child—gay, straight, or otherwise. And I know you’ve been a consistent voice against our progressive school policies, but I didn’t think you’d go that low to achieve your goals. Kidnapping a family pet, John. Really?”
The Fabulous Adventures of Leif & Lyle Page 9