This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

We played dodgeball. A classic Englishman game, and Shane was quare18 good at it, too. Like an Englishman should be. Thank God I was on his team. I'd be dead if I wasn't. When I say Shane was good at dodgeball, he was good. He knocked out half of the other team before any one of ours was hit.

But his luck didn't last long. Soon, he and I were the only ones left on the field against Murray (who turned out to be quare good at dodgeball, too) and Fionola, the girl Riagán had liked before she'd started shifting Kyran.

Fionola spun the volleyball around in her hands, glaring at the two of us. I tried not to look at Shane, but his hair was like a lighthouse in the dark. It shone so bright that I couldn't help but be drawn to it. Shane was like that too.

"Gooo, Shane!" Girls were yelling on the sidelines, doing dances and chanting.

He yelled, making a guttural sound from deep inside, and threw the volleyball, and it smacked Murray in the legs as he was dodging.

Some of the girls in the stands fainted. I felt shitty. Why did I feel so--- so disgusting? I wanted to quit right now and cry in a stall, but I couldn't.

Now, we only had to knock out Fionola. I waved at Fionola, and she waved back. She had all the volleyballs, but she wasn't using them. She was watching Shane. It made me nervous. I shifted my feet a bit as Fionola picked up a volleyball. We were at a standstill.

Never once did she take her eyes off of Shane, even as she lifted the ball--- And threw it right into Shane's open arms. He caught it, and she was out.

That was it. It was over. Our side had won.

No one celebrated. Everyone just stared at the girl who'd botched the whole thing on purpose. She walked over to the bench, picked up her things, and went to the toilet to change, presumably.

"What..." I muttered, confused.

Shane turned to look at me, also confused.

"Well, that was a right shame, wasn't it?"

I just nodded. Shane walked up to me, reached down, and touched my bicep.

"Do you want to talk now or later? Now, as in in the restroom," he said, whispering in my ear, intertwining his fingers lightly with mine.

"What's a restroom?" I asked, like an eejit.

"I don't know," He answered, laughing and stepping away from me. I was scarlet.

"I guess we're going to the jacks, then, huh?" He nodded and beckoned toward me. I followed like a dog begging for scraps.

We were some of the first to leave the gym, and therefore got to the jacks before the others. Shane led me to a stall, and locked it behind him.

"Look, Shane, I'm so, so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to say that–" He cut me off.

"But you did. And that's that,"

"Yeah, but–"

"Don't worry about it. Everything's hunky-dory now."

"You sound like a seanáthair," I said, putting the seat down and sitting on it.

"I don't know what that is," he said, leaning on the door.

"It means "old father" in Irish Gaelic. My mam taught me it."

"And you said it because...?"

"I wanted to sound smart," I said, tapping my foot against his.

"And why's that?" He said, leaning towards me.

"Just... Cuz... Hey!" His face was almost on top of mine. I stuck my hands over his lips.

"Mmf?"

"I've known you for two days!"

"Mmrfg...?"

"A–and I– I don't think I'm gay," I said, my face scarlet again. I looked away, and he reached up and gently removed my hands from his face. And reached out towards me. I flinched away. Why was it so hot in there? I was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and yet... His knee was leaning on the seat, right between mine, and his face was so close...

"Look, Shane, I'm sorry, but–" He cut me off again. He moved my sweaty hair from my forehead and shifted it.

"Adhfhdjghk," I screeched and fell off the jack seat. "Ow, crap..." I said. There was something soft and squishy under my head, I looked to the side and saw Shane's side.

He was holding me. He'd protected me from hitting my head.

"Damn it, I'm sorry," I said, fussing over him. "Are you okay?" I said, putting my hand on his chest.

"Yeah," he winced. "Just stay there."

"Okay," I whispered. 

It felt like we could've stayed there forever, but eventually, reality came a-knockin'.

"Where did Conan go?" I heard Furgus say.

"Did you see him leave?" Riagán asked. No one said anything.

"His stuff is still here," Murray noted.

"I don't think he's in here, Man," Furgus said. "We should go check the lunchroom."

"Oh, good idea," Riagán said, and I saw his feet leave the room with Murray at his heels.

I heard a bit of shuffling and then Furgus' voice saying: "I know you're in here, Conan, but don't bother coming out. I'll keep watch for you."

"How'd you know?" I whispered, because Shane had fallen asleep.

"I can see you guys' feet, for Christ's sake," he said, with a hint of laughter in his voice, "You'd have to be real thick not to notice. Which most of the guys here are, so you two are lucky."

"Is– Is it wrong, Furgus? Is there something wrong with me?" I asked, on the verge of tears again.

"No, absolutely nothing is wrong with you, Conan. Honestly, I'm gay. It's not something that I'll advertise, but I've known for a while. That girlfriend that I had? She was a cover for me. Mam wouldn't approve."

"You could've told me, you know. I'd have supported you," I said, my voice breaking.

I heard his clothes rustle as if he was shaking his head. "Are you so sure of that? See the way you're acting now. How would you have acted if I'd told you before you'd had your own revelation? You would've thought I was a freak. Anyway, have fun. I'm going out for lunch. I'll see you later."

I wanted to stop him. To say that I would've accepted him whether he was gay or not, but would I actually have a few months ago? Who knows how long he'd known that he was gay, would I have accepted him when we were in primary? Wouldn't I have sworn at him? Called him dirty, made fun of him?

I felt sick. He's probably known for donkey's19, and didn't say anything for fear of being ostracised. I lent down and shook Shane awake.

"Hey, we gotta get to lunch, if you can get up."

"Huh?"

"You just spent ten minutes lying on the floor of the men's jacks. You're gonna get an ear infection."

Our legs were still intertwined, and I didn't want to get up, but I had to. I tried to stand up, but Shane grabbed my arm.

"I like you," he whispered.

I faltered.

"Will you date me?" He asked.

"I– I don't know. Um... Sorry, I– I just– I need a bit to think about this, you know? I need some time, and I'll— Um, I'll get back to you about that." I untangled my legs, and left the stall. I was shaking and breathing hard. I walked over to the sinks and washed my hands and face.

It's okay. Everything will be okay. One day at a time. I got dressed, and left the jacks to go join my friends for lunch, all without seeing Shane.

My lunch consisted of a day-old ham sandwich with cheese and some broccoli. Quare nutritious. I grabbed a tray and walked to our usual table. I sat down beside Murray and lifted up the sandwich.

"Where were you?" Riagán asked, upset.

"Classroom."

"What were yer doing in the classroom?" Murray asked, surprised.

"Finishing up some homework," I said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I saw him in there," Furgus spoke up.

"And you said shitehawk?" Riagán was quare, quare, pissed.

"I didn't think it was important enough, your lordship."

"Feck you," he said, flipping Furgus off with both hands.

"Feck yer Mammy, too," Furgus said, eating the sandwich his had packed for him.

"Both of you can feck each other for all we care," Murray said, rolling his eyes.

"Naw, not my type," Furgus said.

How had I not noticed before. He's said things that for years, and none of us noticed? Or was I the only one?

I stayed after school to get homework from the teachers of the classes that I'd missed that morning. It feels like a lifetime since I'd woken up this morning.

"The next time you come to school late, you won't be allowed in at all," my homeroom teacher said, handing me my maths work for the day.

"I'm quare sorry. Really. It won't happen again, I promise," I said, bowing.

"It better not. You only have a week and a half before you graduate. Make the best of it."

"Yes, sir." I bowed again and left the teacher's office.

Once I'd left the school, I remembered I'd gotten a text that morning, so I checked my phone. It was a DM from Nyx.

Nyx: "Hey, I'm in Boyle, too. Wanna meet up?"

How--? Then, I got another DM from them, saying:

Nyx: "Ooh, wait a second, I think I see you!"

I jumped and looked up from my phone. I glanced around nervously, but I didn't see anyone. Another one:

Nyx: "Oh, wait, that was a tree. Whoops. It's just so dark here."

They were freaking me the fuck out, so I ran as fast as I could. The sky was growing dark, and my anxiousness only got worse with it. And then, I stumbled. I tripped over a rock I couldn't see and landed in a shuck.

I rolled. Briars wrapped around me, and nettles dug themselves into my skin.

"Ow, ow, ow..." I gasped out. "Dang it." I tried to get up, but my leg was stuck in some briars. Who could I text to help me? There's so much of my own blood everywhere. Phone. I needed my phone, but it wasn't in my pocket.

Where did my phone go?

I was panicking by that point.

Shit, shit, shit.

I tried to yell for help, but nothing came out of my throat. I was too hot. I couldn't breathe. Help me. Someone, anyone.

"Is anyone there?" Someone called out from above me.

I tried to say 'here'. They must've heard my gurgling, because someone's face appeared over the shuck I was stuck in.

"Are you okay?" They yelled down.

"Help," I said, weakly.

"I'll be right down."

They came back with a torch and what looked like a machete from where I was laying. They started working their way down the shuck. When they reached me, they started hacking at the brambles.

"I've got you. You'll be okay, I promise." They had an accent that I couldn't place, but sounded a bit familiar.

Soon, my legs were free, but I was bleeding like nobody's business. The person lifted me up by my armpits and started carrying me up the shuck.

"Thank... you..." I whispered.

"You're welcome, stranger," they said, a smile tainting their words. And I blacked out. 

18: Quare- Used as a replacement for "very."

19: Donkeys/Donkeys years- A long amount of time.