"Here's the worksheet and the reading he'll need."
"Thanks, Miss Braderic." Chris said, nodding.
"If he's not too sick to handle, show him how to do these."
Chris rolled his eyes, while Miss Braderic thumbed through a few pages. "I'll try."
"Well, there you go," She hands over the last of the work. "Don't forget to tell Brandon we all are hoping he gets better soon."
"I will." Chris nods again.
Miss Braderic pats Chris' shoulder. "Thanks for volunteering. If I had to wait another second, I would have had to volunteer someone myself."
Chris smiles, "I don't think it works that way. They'd be more an appointee then a volunteer."
"Oof," Miss Braderic plants her hands on her hips, "They're a volunteer if I say so." She laughs.
----------------
Chris takes the back doors out, avoiding the crowds that inevitably hang by the main entrance. Even with his wide path, he manages to catch a few insults along the tone of homo. He keeps his eyes down, pressing up the rims occasionally from their sliding. He manages a few blocks from school and gradually lets his head turn upwards. A perk works into his step, becoming almost a skip. He won a visit to Brandon's. Brandon wasn't just a good looking guy, but a nice one. He even went out of his way to help Chris on a few occassion, breaking up bullying and bruising a few of those assholes when they deserved it. Chris knew it wasn't any personal favor, just one of the alternative kids not putting up with the jock clicks, but he was happy to help out a decent human, and, if he caught a glimpse of Brandon in half clothed in bed, well... bonus!
"Eh faggot!" barked a passing voice.
Chris looks up at the assailant, eliciting a round of roaring laughter. A convertable with four men and a giggling loosely dressed girl rolls up beside, luckily not bothering to stop.
"He looked!" They laugh.
The man in the passenger seat stands, lobing a soda from the moving car. The top detaches and an arch of grape catches Chris.
"Bull's eye." The man calls, followed by the cackling of his friends as the car speeds away.
Under his breath, Chris whispers, "fuck heads," and continues towards Brandon's.
-----------------
Brandon opens the front door, his shirt hastely drawn up over his bulky upper torso, his midrif still exposed because the clumping of cloth. Chris' eyes fall immediately down, catching the smooth fuzzy trail leading down from the navel. His mouth drops lightly. Brandon blushes and draws his shirt down. He looks back up at Chris, immediately seeing purple. He points at the large stain swath, "what happened?"
"Eh, Brandon." Chris fidgets, his eyes glancing down to where the bare skin had been. "Nothing." He says shyly, looking down towards the ground. "Jeff Sterling thought it'd be funny..."
Brandon interrupts. "Aw fuck, Chris. I'm sorry. That bastard needs some humility kicked into his temple."
Chris smiles, "Yeah, maybe some day." He looks back up towards Brandon's face, seeing the familiar selfless concern on it. There was a moment of silence, and Brandon's brow twitches a hint of curiousity. Before Brandon could ask, Chris begins fumbling through his backpack, handing over books and worksheets.
"Oh!" Brandon says, realizing why Chris was visiting. He thumbs through his work load. A sarcastic smirk works up his cheek, "thanks."
Chris hands over the last sheets. "And, Mr. Schtickmen said you could take the test when you returned, but it would be marked down ten percent."
"Not a big test anyways." Brandon nods.
Chris smiles friendly and turns to leave.
"Eh, Chris!"
Chris turns back curiously.
"Why don't you come in." Brandon motions with his left hand. "You can wash off some of that stuff. I could give you a shirt or something."
Chris slowly approaches the house. "I wouldn't want to..."
Brandon shakes his head. "It's no problem. A lot of my old clothes aren't fitting me right now anyways."
Chris bobs his head and moves past Brandon into the house. He looks back at Brandon, who stands tall by the shutting door. "You don't look very sick?"
Brandon spins and starts up his stairs, motioning with a nod for Chris to follow. "Oh, I've got something bad. Be glad you don't see the symptoms."