Best And Worst of Me - 4. Chapter 4

Quinn forced his eyes open to a faint light drifting into his hotel room. The bedside clock read eight as he threw his legs over the side and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He stifled a yawn and shuffled into the bathroom to shower.

He felt somewhat human after that, though had the habitual need to brush his teeth. He’d have to go home to do that. He turned on his cell phone, surprised to see only one voicemail from his house number… probably his father. And another voicemail from Lizzie, accompanied by a few text messages.

Quinn started packing his workout clothes that he had changed out of and called his house.

His mother answered on the dime after one ring—she’d been waiting, just to make sure. “Good to hear from you.” She greeted happily. “How’s dad?” Quinn asked and fumbled to zip his bag closed with one hand.

“Not too happy you missed school today, but I think you needed it. He’ll be over it by tomorrow, once he knows your home,” She promised.

“Alright, I’m going to check out here soon, just getting out of my room.” Quinn said and swung the bag over his shoulder. “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes or so.”

“Feeling better?” She asked.

Quinn sighed. “Better but not great.” Having his time had been nice, and he really didn’t want to go back to anything. And thinking about it from time to time, he still felt guilty over Cameron. Had he missed school that day, too? Or had he had more of a backbone than Quinn and toughed it out?

Quinn didn’t know if it would be weird to text Zach after school and ask if Cameron had shown up.

“Well I’ll start some breakfast, so don’t take too long, okay? And let me know how much it cost to stay there so I can expect it on the bills,” His mother chirped. Quinn finished up with her and shuffled out the door of his room.

He turned in his room key at the hotel front desk and nodded goodbye to the attendant. The one the previous night had given him a weird look—a teenage boy showing up distressed to rent a hotel room? Had it been a sleazy place, she might have called the cops out of suspicion. Quinn chuckled at the thought and loaded back into his car.

Getting home his mother was waiting with breakfast, while his sister was at school and dad was at work. “Did you take the day off too?” Quinn asked, dropping his bag haphazardly by the door.

“Yeah, I figured it was better. I had some vacation days anyways.” She slid a filled plate across the table, reminding Quinn he hadn’t eaten since the day before.

He sat down at the table and inhaled his breakfast while his mother ate lightly. She had already eaten and was joining just for company. She tapped her fork thoughtfully on the table, face resting in the palm of her other hand as she studied Quinn.

“You wanna talk about it?” She asked, green eyes nailing him down. Quinn slowed on his second helping of scrambled eggs. “I mean, was it something with Lizzie? Your friends?”

Quinn shrugged. He could tell her what he did to Cameron, without the fact he was gay, right?

“No. Kind of a friend thing,” Quinn mumbled. “There’s… this kid named Cameron at school. He’s in my seventh period weight training with me, Zach and a few others.” Quinn paused. “He’s gay.”

His mother cocked an eyebrow up. “Did he ask you out?”

“No, he… Cameron has a boyfriend. He keeps to himself anyways. He’s always on the other side of the locker room and everything. But Zach still has a problem with him.”

His mother sighed. She wasn’t very fond of Zach herself. “What did he do?”

Quinn swallowed hard. It wasn’t so much what Zach had done, but what he himself had done, too. “Zach had some cans of pink silly string in his duffle bag yesterday. Handed them out.” Quinn looked down at his plate in dismay. “I took one.”

“Quinn, you didn't!”

“I didn’t! Well, not as bad as what the other did—Zach sprayed it down into Cameron’s shorts and he was crying and…” Quinn sucked in a breath. “I just felt like shit for doing it. I tried helping him after, but Cameron wouldn't let me touch him.”

“Jeez, Quinn, I thought we taught you better than to bully?” She exasperated and locked her fingers into her hair. Quinn faltered. “But he’s… gay. And Zach is always ranting about how disgusting it is, you know, how two guys do it.” Quinn sent her a pleading look. Would she think it was disgusting too? Or be fine with it as long as it wasn’t her son that was gay?

She didn't say anything, fingers massaging her scalp and eyes closed as she thought. “You shouldn’t just do what everyone else does like that. If he thinks one way, and you think something else, don’t side with Zach so easily. If you thought it was wrong, then you shouldn’t have done it.” She stood up from her chair. “So Zach, and who else?”

“Uh… Cory and Travis. Why?”

“Ramone? The twins?” His mother pressed.

“Yeah,” Quinn answered again. “Why?”

“And what’s Cameron’s last name?” She asked, sauntering over to the phone. What she doing? Calling the other’s parents about what they had done? Reporting it to the school?

“Willows,” Quinn forced out. “He’s a sophomore…”

She nodded and picked up the landline phone. “Why don’t you go upstairs, sweetie?”

“What are you doing?” Quinn asked more desperately. Zach would be pissed if he got into trouble.

“I’m calling the school.” She announced and keyed in the number. Quinn groaned and sunk down into his seat, refusing to go upstairs for the sake of keeping an ear to the conversation.

The only number she had was the attendance office—it’s not like she made calls to the vice principals regularly. She got transferred into the main office, and to one of the vice principals that worked with student discipline.

Quinn listened as she first told the story, and then repeated the names of those involved. She even mentioned Quinn, and that she was his mother. She spent another few minutes on the phone with the repetition of yes’s and no’s for something Quinn was desperate to know.

Once she hung up, she turned on Quinn. “Vice Principal Brewer says he’s going to call them all in tomorrow, Cameron was absent today.”

Quinn lowered his head.

“You had your day. Now, you’re grounded. Give me your cell phone, and no laptop for a week.” She held out her hand, demanding his cell. Quinn gave it over, almost willingly, as now Lizzie had no way to contact him. “Room. Go.” She pointed up the stairs. Quinn obeyed and curled up in his bed. Tomorrow was going to be a hell storm. Would he get called in right away? Would it be one at a time, or would he have to face them all at once? Would he have to face Cameron?

***

The pass came down to Quinn’s third period. It demanded that he see Vice Principal Brewer, with the word immediate circled. The reason specified was “Monday’s incident”. Quinn took his bag with him and trudged up to the front office.

Brewer was a tall, skinny man with a balding head and wire rim glasses. He was the disciplinary for the senior class, and the athletic director. He was probably not happy that varsity players were involved in this… their punishment might even go beyond the school day, and filter down into their athletics.

Quinn sent apprehensive looks at Zach, Cory, and Travis, all gathered on one side of the room. Cameron wasn’t there, at least not yet.

“Now that I have you all here,” Brewer leaned back in his chair, one brown slack leg crossed over the other. “I got a call yesterday, from who I won’t say. Anyone care to tell me what happened Monday at the end of seventh period in the locker room?” He was good. He didn’t send Quinn a look when mentioning the call, and just looked down at the incident report in his hand.

Zach swore and shifted in his seat. “That faggot—“

“I don’t allow for that language in here,” Brewer snapped coolly, He handed a paper and pen to each of the teens, locked onto a clipboard. “Incident reports. Fill them out as your story goes. No talking.”

Quinn stood against the wall, holding the clipboard down against one thigh. All the other chairs were taken up by Zach, Cory and Travis. He made sure to mention that Cameron had been keeping to himself, for whatever justification Zach might try to have.

Brewer took the completed incident reports back, and read over each one. He turned to his computer, and Quinn watched him pull up Cameron’s schedule. He picked up his phone and dialed in an extension. “Debra, will you send a pass to Cameron Willows, in the tenth grade. Send him to Rita first, since she works with the tenth graders, and have him fill out an incident report.” He paused. “Yes, immediate.” He hung up the phone and left his chair. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He announced and closed the office door behind him.

“That little twerp called it in!” Zach snarled angrily. Quinn bit his lip back, keeping quiet. Brewer’s office, as did all the vice principal offices, had a wall of windows that looked out over the library and the entrance to the school.

Quinn could see Cameron in the hall, entering the office. He went out of sight, and nothing happened for a good twenty minutes. Brewer still hadn’t come back. When he did, an Asian woman at came up to his shoulder followed and then came Cameron. He already to knew what this was about, safely keeping his eyes down.

Cameron kept close to the desk and vice principal’s. Brewer set a forth clipboard of Cameron’s incident report with the others.

“I’m not calling out names or numbers. I have the majority claiming that Cameron kept to himself. All four of you participated. One used excessive force.” Brewer paused. “I’ll be talking to all your coaches, they can give out their own discipline on that front. Each one of you will be getting a different suspension, I’ll hand those out individually. I think all of you owe Cameron an apology.”

“Sorry,” Quinn grumbled. Cory and Travis followed, and Zach’s was the least believing. Brewer took out sticky notes and scribbled something down. He handed one to Quinn first, the number 1 written on it.

“The number of days your suspensions, effective today. Today counts.” Brewer announced. Quinn pocketed his paper quickly. “I’ll contact all of your parents and explain the reason for your suspensions.”

Brewer showed them all out, holding Cameron back.

“I can’t believe this! This is so stupid. He was so looking back at us. Which… how many of you said he wasn’t?” Zach turned in the hall outside, fuming mad. No one spoke up. “Whatever.” Zach stormed off.

Cory and Travis glanced over at Quinn. Quinn shrugged and looked down. “My mom called it in. I told her.”

“Figured. You weren’t here yesterday,” Travis muttered.

“Sorry,” Quinn added.

Cory shrugged. “He did go a little too far. We aren’t too happy we just got a four-day suspension… Zach probably got more.”

“Coach is going to kill us.” Quinn forced a smile.

“We don’t play until spring… you and Zach are the ones that are probably screwed,” Travis teased.

“Anyways, I need to grab some text books before I’m out of here. Come on, Cory.” The two twins left, and Quinn fumbled for his cell phone.

He called his mother outside of the office. “I got suspended for a day,” He informed. “But Travis and Cory got four days and I don’t know about Zach.”

“I expect you to be at home in ten minutes. I’m not there, but you better. Got it?” She warned.

“Yeah, I know.” Quinn sighed. He finished the phone call, stumbling forward as the office door opened behind him.

Cameron stalled before looking away from Quinn. “Sorry for getting you in trouble… I swear I didn’t tell anyone.”

“I know.” Quinn stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I told my mom and she called the school.”

Cameron frowned. “Well… uh, thanks, then. Have fun with your suspension.”

Quinn could hear the resentment in his voice. Quinn just nodded and left the school. Again, it’s not like Cameron was going to give him a fucking medal. Hell, Zach was probably going to be on Cameron’s case as soon as his suspension was over.

Quinn drove home, music blaring in the car again. The house was empty, and he relished in it. He changed into his sweats and turned on the air-conditioning. He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Upside was, no Lizzie for the day. No way she could contact him. He was alone for a little bit, and he put his music on. His sister would be home after three, and then his father at four, and lastly his mother at five. Until then, Quinn locked himself in his room just to be safe. He sang along quietly with his music, laid out on his bed and worked on homework from his first two classes. After that was done, his mind drifted.

He probably had no chance with Cameron. Even if Quinn had gotten himself and others punished for what they had done, he had still done it. He had said other mean things. Cameron still had a boyfriend. Quinn had a girlfriend.

Quinn sighed and buried his face into his pillows. It was hopeless. Cameron would probably out him for revenge if Quinn even tried. And Zach and the others would do the same to him. Travis and Cory had done it because they wanted to, even if they believed Zach went too far in the end.

Quinn’s chest got that tight feeling again, strong and painful. He hated the feeling. Frustrated tears started to leak from his eyes, but he wiped them with the back of his hands. He hadn’t even been able to get his mother’s views on homosexuality, and now if he asked, it would be questioned why he was bringing it up.

He choked out a pitiful laugh at himself.