Page 60 of Voices

“I’ve got you, baby.”

Benji?

I peek out from my hiding spot and see the back of my brother’s head. He has a blonde up against my tree, kissing. He pins her hands above her head and grinds on her hip.

I turn around and sit with my back against a tree, not wanting to see that. Soon the kissing sounds turn into annoying moans and fake pleas. I roll my eyes as I doodle in the dirt, getting lost in the image as they do their thing.

“I saw Shane with a guy the other day.” I hear the girl say sometime later. I turn my head and lean over so I can see them. They’re rearranging clothes, thankfully finished.

Hopefully, they’ll leave soon so I can get up.

“Oh yeah? Was he making out with him?” Benji puts his hands on his hips making the muscles in his bare back bunch.

She hands him his shirt as she steps away from the tree and I realize it’s that cashier from Sip ‘n Go.

“No, but he had that look in his eye,” she says in a disgusted tone. “He’s going to ruin the team’s reputation, Benny. We’ll be known as the team with gay players and then everyone will have a target on their back because ofhim.” She now has her hands on her hips too.

Benji bunches his shirt in his hand before roughly pulling it on. “I’ll take care of it. I don’t care that he’s the captain. A faggot shouldneverbe in a position of power like that.”

Ice floods my veins. What’s he going to do to Shane? I have to tell him.

I’m so stuck in my head that I don’t notice that they’re walking my way until it’s too late. I look up as my brother’s shoes stop a foot away from me. His eyes go wide when he spots me but quickly schools his features when the girl looks back when she notices Benji isn’t next to her. She walks back over to him and follows his line of sight.

“Oh. My. God. That’s him! That’s the guy Shane was with!” She pointed to me like Benji didn’t know who she was talking about. “Wait, were you just watching us? Oh my God, you perv!” She shrieks.

Benji stands there, looking down at me with no emotion on his face. I look up at him and hope our twin telepathy works as I plead for him to just leave me.

“Let’s go, Katie. He doesn’t mean anything.” He grabs her elbow and starts walking away.

“You better not say anything to Shane or someone’s going to get hurt.” She spits as she walks away.

I watch as they walk away then continue staring until it’s so dark that the trees start to blend together.

He doesn’t mean anything.

A faggot should never be in a position of power like that.

‘You're a disgrace to your father's name.’

‘I will ruin you.’

‘You will pay for looking at him like that.’

I’m dead if Benji tells our father I was seen with Shane.

Chapter Eighteen

Shane

Idon’t know if Charlie is busy or ignoring me, but something isn’t right. I texted him around seven to see if his class was over, but he didn’t respond. It’s now after nine-thirty and the message is still unread.

I press call on his number and wait as it rings and rings, until it goes to his voicemail. Blowing out a defeated breath, I hang up after leaving him a message asking him to call me.

I don’t know if I should let him be since we spent the whole weekend together or if I should go check on him. He doesn’t strike me as a very sociable person and I have noticed how often he seems to retreat into his head, dissociating. I don’t like how he lives alone when he’s going through something and needs support. I’ve seen the number of blankets he has not only on his couch but in his room as well.

My aunt used to have blankets all over her house after my uncle passed. She once told me that the weight of five blankets reminded her of being wrapped in my uncle’s arms and that it helped when she was feeling lonely.

Maybe Charlie needs to be comforted more and he’s using the blankets to escape being lonely. Maybe it’s a sensory thing. Or maybe he just likes having a shit load of blankets around.

---