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priscaFirst of all, I want to wish all of you a nice, relaxing (advent)Sunday. And because it's also Cazekiel-Day, today we will have a Casey&Zeke story again.
When Zeke passed the bleachers on his way to the school's parking lot he could hear muffled voices. He shrugged; whatever was going on there, he didn't care much. He never stuck his nose into other people's life. All he wanted was to get some stuff out of his trunk, magazines, stupid porn vids and some pens of scat; it had been a good stroke of business this lunch break and he needed some adequate supply for later.
"Why don't you stay out of this?"
Michael Brewster, one of the seniors, new-rich family, a preppie with designer clothes. For sure there was a good reason why he finally had ended up here at Herrington High instead of going to an exclusive private school. None of Zeke's business, though.
"Better get you gone before I change my mind."
"And what next? You will hit the shit out of me? Believe me, you wouldn't be the first fucker who did this.“
Surprised, Zeke stopped. Casey? Casey Connor? Thoughtfully, he scratched his head. That was weird, wasn't it? He was one of the nerds, the geeks at school who didn't fit in anywhere. In the best case, they were ignored by the others, in the worst case, they came under fire from one of the popular groups.
Michael had gathered some students around him, the high society from school; convinced that the world only turned around them. The players from the football team were another group; they were demigods not only on the field; the girls were crazy about them, even the teachers overlooked most of their escapades because the team was the public face of the school. Both groups were not best friends, but they generally agreed that it was best for all to respect the terrain of the others.
Casey was the favorite victim of the jocks, they offended and bullied him whenever their ways crossed. Michael usually had nothing but a contempt smile for him when he rushed through the halls in the hopeless try to stay out of sight of the jocks. Mostly in vain, at the end of the day, he would most likely end thrown into the flag pole once again or in the boy's washroom with a bloody nose. Since Zeke could remember the boy had never tried to stand up for himself; for sure he was not a fighter.
Even more astonishing his behavior today. Zeke couldn't help it but wonder what was going on between him and Michael under the bleachers.
"How did you call me?"
Michael's voice surprisingly calm and low; Zeke's inner alarm clock started to ring. This could only end badly for Casey if he didn't finally come to senses, took his heels and run. Literally.
"Only stupid homophobes behave like you do. He did nothing wrong, so why do you bother him?“
The silence was forbidding. Zeke cursed slightly. His inner voice tried to tell him that this was for sure not his business. He had always gotten well with just everyone at school, the preppies, the jocks, even the nerds needed his service now and then. All of them respected him because he never overstepped their lines.
This time, though, he wasn't able just to turn away and ignore what was going on. Unnoticed he stepped closer. In the dim light under the bleachers, he could make out two figures. Michael, tall and strong, Zeke could feel the barely hidden rage he send out even before he noticed the small but sharp penknife in his hand, aimed at Casey's face.
The boy's jeans, as ever, much too wide and the stupid checkered shirt made him look even smaller than he was. Zeke noticed some tension in his body, but he didn't flinch back but stared at Michael steadfastly. What a stubborn, little idiot.
A light noise in the half light drew off Zeke's attention for a moment. He needed to look twice before he recognized a third boy, cowering on the ground as if he tried to vanish into it. Jason ... James ... Zeke couldn't even remember his name. He was new at the school since some weeks, and from the very first moment, Zeke had known the inevitable truth.
He was a bit shy; not the best student, but willing to learn; he loved literature and hated gym. And he was obviously gay. Could it be even worse at a Highschool in Ohio? It had been only a matter of time that things got out of control; the one or the other group would make him pay for it sooner or later. Probably not the first time that something like this happened to him. And it wouldn't be the last.
Zeke felt the eyes of the guy resting on him, rather resigned than scared. For a split of a moment, he felt somehow uneasy. It wasn't fair what was going on here, what happened again and again, and not only at school. But what could he do against it? He couldn't change the closemindedness in the world. The boy had to learn finally to stand up for himself or to hide what he was. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time that he would come apart at his seams.
Zeke himself had had to go through some rough times, too, before he finally had been ready to take his life into his own hands. And he wasn't willing to get caught in the crossfire now and to risk all he had worked so hard for, for someone he barely knew.
His eyes wandered back to Casey and Michael; they were still standing there, staring at each other like two bull terrier, none of them willing to give in. Casey. This little fucker. Suddenly Zeke felt anger rising up. Day-in, day-out he got bullied by the jocks, and he had never ever made the try to fight back. What the hell had gotten into him that he had decided to take sides with this guy? What connected them?
A thought crossed his mind. Was Casey gay, like James, Jason, whatever his name was? He had never shown much interest in girls, but does this mean that he was interested in guys? Hard to say. Usually, Zeke had good instincts and he knew to read other people's behavior right. But Casey was different from anyone else Zeke had ever met. Almost against his will, he had aroused his curiosity, secretly he was watching him already for quite a while. And maybe this was the reason why he still was here, under the bleachers.
The sudden move of Michael when he stepped even closer to Casey tore Zeke out of his thoughts. The boy automatically moved backward when the knife almost touched his skin now. Until the steel barns of the bleachers stopped him. A satisfied grin was shimmering on Michaels' face when he noticed that Casey had maneuvered himself into a dead end.
Shit. Zeke cursed inwardly while he finally stepped forward.
„Hey, Mike, here you are. What's going on,“ he asked in a faked cheery voice.
Michael stiffened in every movement; then he turned half around, hiding the knife with his body. When he recognized Zeke he relaxed visibly.
„Oh, hey, Zeke, what are you doing here?“
He shrugged, pretending to ignore the knife, Casey, the whole situation.
„I was looking for you.“
„For me? Why?“
„Got some pretty nice vids yesterday. You know, big tits, tight ass, the hot stuff. Interested? I would make you a special price.“
Even in the dim light, Zeke could notice the slight flickering in Michael's eyes. The knife vanished in his pocket; at least for the moment, he had lost every interest in Casey.
„You have some pens, too?“
Zeke grinned.
„Sure. Everything you need for the party. A grant for the whole shebang.“
Michael smirked.
„You call this a special price?“
„You can look for another dealer any time.“
Hastily Michael shook his head.
„No. No, fifty is okay if you add some bottles of beer. Heineken.“
Inwardly Zeke snorted. It was so easy to see through these stupid dumbheads; you just needed to find out their marked preferences and they were willing to pay almost every price.
„Deal,“ he said.
„Meet me at the usual place in one hour. Dead on time. Others have already shown interest in the vids, too, but you know, you are my favorite customer.“
A quick glance at his watch, a short moment of indecision, a fleeting glance at Casey who was cowering on the ground aside from the other boy now. Finally, Michael shrugged.
„I will be there,“ he said.
Then he was gone. Zeke followed him with his eyes while he was hurrying over to the schools parking lot, where he finally got into his Toyota. Good. It would need some time until he would be back with the money.
When he turned back to the boys, James-Jason or whatever had already left the bleachers behind in a hurry; only Casey was still standing there, watching him thoughtfully.
„You okay,“ Zeke asked.
The deep blue eyes of the boy narrowed slightly.
„Why do you care?“
Great, still in a fighting mode.
„Hey, I've just saved your stupid ass, okay. No need to be so feisty.“
Casey kept quiet for a moment, finally, he shrugged.
„I didn't ask you for help. So don't expect more than a 'Thank you'. I don't have any money.“
Zeke stared at him dumbfound. Was it that what Casey thought: that he tried to make money out of his awkward situation? For whatever reason, he felt slightly offended.
„For sure I don't need your money, Casey,“ he huffed.
„So, what do you want? You never do anything without a good reason.“
Zeke shook his head and smirked.
„If I wouldn't know better I would wonder what kind of drugs you have taken this morning. What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have enough on your plate with the team? Do you want to turn the whole school against you? Then maybe we should better inform Sister Harper beforehand. Next time you call Michael a stupid prick you won't get off so cheaply again.“
Casey pulled the face.
„Well. Someone needs to show some courage and stop these homophobic assholes.“
Zeke snorted with disbelieve.
„And this is you of all people? Casey, come to reason. You can't even fight back the jocks. And Mike is much more dangerous when he feels offended.“
Now Casey stared at him with eyes full of disdain.
„It was so quite plain that you wouldn't understand,“ he hissed.
„You are the most selfish asshole at school.“
He grabbed his backpack and rushed away without looking back. Zeke stared after him and huffed. What the hell … How could he dare it? But what had he actually expected? He should have known better. The boy outright begged for it to get into even more trouble. Fine! This was none of his business. For sure not. He wouldn't make this mistake again and step in for him.
But why on earth did he feel so queasy at this thought? Why couldn't he stop thinking about it what could have happened if he wouldn't have been around? If Michael had used the knife. And what would happen next time? Who would be there to help Casey?
Zeke knew the answer. There were not many Caseys around at school who were ready to stand up against the jocks or the preppies for someone they actually didn't care much about. It was either that they looked up to them, willing to do all to get their attention. Or they were intimidated and glad when they didn't get any attention. No, Casey would be all alone; he knew it, but nevertheless he wouldn't give in so easily. Not this time. Zeke only needed to think at the determination in his voice when he had confronted Michael, to know this. The boy was wildly resolved to play the hero this time. No matter what this meant for him.
„Shit,“ Zeke cursed loudly.
"What a stubborn, little geek."
Then he turned around to follow Casey. It was none of his business. But he knew, he would never forgive himself when something serious happened to him.
THE END
Title:Standing up
Fandom: The Faculty
Character: Casey / Zeke
Rating: PG13 - R (for language)
Word Count: 2071
Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own The Faculty nor the character :( - I'm just borrowing them for a while
When Zeke passed the bleachers on his way to the school's parking lot he could hear muffled voices. He shrugged; whatever was going on there, he didn't care much. He never stuck his nose into other people's life. All he wanted was to get some stuff out of his trunk, magazines, stupid porn vids and some pens of scat; it had been a good stroke of business this lunch break and he needed some adequate supply for later.
"Why don't you stay out of this?"
Michael Brewster, one of the seniors, new-rich family, a preppie with designer clothes. For sure there was a good reason why he finally had ended up here at Herrington High instead of going to an exclusive private school. None of Zeke's business, though.
"Better get you gone before I change my mind."
"And what next? You will hit the shit out of me? Believe me, you wouldn't be the first fucker who did this.“
Surprised, Zeke stopped. Casey? Casey Connor? Thoughtfully, he scratched his head. That was weird, wasn't it? He was one of the nerds, the geeks at school who didn't fit in anywhere. In the best case, they were ignored by the others, in the worst case, they came under fire from one of the popular groups.
Michael had gathered some students around him, the high society from school; convinced that the world only turned around them. The players from the football team were another group; they were demigods not only on the field; the girls were crazy about them, even the teachers overlooked most of their escapades because the team was the public face of the school. Both groups were not best friends, but they generally agreed that it was best for all to respect the terrain of the others.
Casey was the favorite victim of the jocks, they offended and bullied him whenever their ways crossed. Michael usually had nothing but a contempt smile for him when he rushed through the halls in the hopeless try to stay out of sight of the jocks. Mostly in vain, at the end of the day, he would most likely end thrown into the flag pole once again or in the boy's washroom with a bloody nose. Since Zeke could remember the boy had never tried to stand up for himself; for sure he was not a fighter.
Even more astonishing his behavior today. Zeke couldn't help it but wonder what was going on between him and Michael under the bleachers.
"How did you call me?"
Michael's voice surprisingly calm and low; Zeke's inner alarm clock started to ring. This could only end badly for Casey if he didn't finally come to senses, took his heels and run. Literally.
"Only stupid homophobes behave like you do. He did nothing wrong, so why do you bother him?“
The silence was forbidding. Zeke cursed slightly. His inner voice tried to tell him that this was for sure not his business. He had always gotten well with just everyone at school, the preppies, the jocks, even the nerds needed his service now and then. All of them respected him because he never overstepped their lines.
This time, though, he wasn't able just to turn away and ignore what was going on. Unnoticed he stepped closer. In the dim light under the bleachers, he could make out two figures. Michael, tall and strong, Zeke could feel the barely hidden rage he send out even before he noticed the small but sharp penknife in his hand, aimed at Casey's face.
The boy's jeans, as ever, much too wide and the stupid checkered shirt made him look even smaller than he was. Zeke noticed some tension in his body, but he didn't flinch back but stared at Michael steadfastly. What a stubborn, little idiot.
A light noise in the half light drew off Zeke's attention for a moment. He needed to look twice before he recognized a third boy, cowering on the ground as if he tried to vanish into it. Jason ... James ... Zeke couldn't even remember his name. He was new at the school since some weeks, and from the very first moment, Zeke had known the inevitable truth.
He was a bit shy; not the best student, but willing to learn; he loved literature and hated gym. And he was obviously gay. Could it be even worse at a Highschool in Ohio? It had been only a matter of time that things got out of control; the one or the other group would make him pay for it sooner or later. Probably not the first time that something like this happened to him. And it wouldn't be the last.
Zeke felt the eyes of the guy resting on him, rather resigned than scared. For a split of a moment, he felt somehow uneasy. It wasn't fair what was going on here, what happened again and again, and not only at school. But what could he do against it? He couldn't change the closemindedness in the world. The boy had to learn finally to stand up for himself or to hide what he was. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time that he would come apart at his seams.
Zeke himself had had to go through some rough times, too, before he finally had been ready to take his life into his own hands. And he wasn't willing to get caught in the crossfire now and to risk all he had worked so hard for, for someone he barely knew.
His eyes wandered back to Casey and Michael; they were still standing there, staring at each other like two bull terrier, none of them willing to give in. Casey. This little fucker. Suddenly Zeke felt anger rising up. Day-in, day-out he got bullied by the jocks, and he had never ever made the try to fight back. What the hell had gotten into him that he had decided to take sides with this guy? What connected them?
A thought crossed his mind. Was Casey gay, like James, Jason, whatever his name was? He had never shown much interest in girls, but does this mean that he was interested in guys? Hard to say. Usually, Zeke had good instincts and he knew to read other people's behavior right. But Casey was different from anyone else Zeke had ever met. Almost against his will, he had aroused his curiosity, secretly he was watching him already for quite a while. And maybe this was the reason why he still was here, under the bleachers.
The sudden move of Michael when he stepped even closer to Casey tore Zeke out of his thoughts. The boy automatically moved backward when the knife almost touched his skin now. Until the steel barns of the bleachers stopped him. A satisfied grin was shimmering on Michaels' face when he noticed that Casey had maneuvered himself into a dead end.
Shit. Zeke cursed inwardly while he finally stepped forward.
„Hey, Mike, here you are. What's going on,“ he asked in a faked cheery voice.
Michael stiffened in every movement; then he turned half around, hiding the knife with his body. When he recognized Zeke he relaxed visibly.
„Oh, hey, Zeke, what are you doing here?“
He shrugged, pretending to ignore the knife, Casey, the whole situation.
„I was looking for you.“
„For me? Why?“
„Got some pretty nice vids yesterday. You know, big tits, tight ass, the hot stuff. Interested? I would make you a special price.“
Even in the dim light, Zeke could notice the slight flickering in Michael's eyes. The knife vanished in his pocket; at least for the moment, he had lost every interest in Casey.
„You have some pens, too?“
Zeke grinned.
„Sure. Everything you need for the party. A grant for the whole shebang.“
Michael smirked.
„You call this a special price?“
„You can look for another dealer any time.“
Hastily Michael shook his head.
„No. No, fifty is okay if you add some bottles of beer. Heineken.“
Inwardly Zeke snorted. It was so easy to see through these stupid dumbheads; you just needed to find out their marked preferences and they were willing to pay almost every price.
„Deal,“ he said.
„Meet me at the usual place in one hour. Dead on time. Others have already shown interest in the vids, too, but you know, you are my favorite customer.“
A quick glance at his watch, a short moment of indecision, a fleeting glance at Casey who was cowering on the ground aside from the other boy now. Finally, Michael shrugged.
„I will be there,“ he said.
Then he was gone. Zeke followed him with his eyes while he was hurrying over to the schools parking lot, where he finally got into his Toyota. Good. It would need some time until he would be back with the money.
When he turned back to the boys, James-Jason or whatever had already left the bleachers behind in a hurry; only Casey was still standing there, watching him thoughtfully.
„You okay,“ Zeke asked.
The deep blue eyes of the boy narrowed slightly.
„Why do you care?“
Great, still in a fighting mode.
„Hey, I've just saved your stupid ass, okay. No need to be so feisty.“
Casey kept quiet for a moment, finally, he shrugged.
„I didn't ask you for help. So don't expect more than a 'Thank you'. I don't have any money.“
Zeke stared at him dumbfound. Was it that what Casey thought: that he tried to make money out of his awkward situation? For whatever reason, he felt slightly offended.
„For sure I don't need your money, Casey,“ he huffed.
„So, what do you want? You never do anything without a good reason.“
Zeke shook his head and smirked.
„If I wouldn't know better I would wonder what kind of drugs you have taken this morning. What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have enough on your plate with the team? Do you want to turn the whole school against you? Then maybe we should better inform Sister Harper beforehand. Next time you call Michael a stupid prick you won't get off so cheaply again.“
Casey pulled the face.
„Well. Someone needs to show some courage and stop these homophobic assholes.“
Zeke snorted with disbelieve.
„And this is you of all people? Casey, come to reason. You can't even fight back the jocks. And Mike is much more dangerous when he feels offended.“
Now Casey stared at him with eyes full of disdain.
„It was so quite plain that you wouldn't understand,“ he hissed.
„You are the most selfish asshole at school.“
He grabbed his backpack and rushed away without looking back. Zeke stared after him and huffed. What the hell … How could he dare it? But what had he actually expected? He should have known better. The boy outright begged for it to get into even more trouble. Fine! This was none of his business. For sure not. He wouldn't make this mistake again and step in for him.
But why on earth did he feel so queasy at this thought? Why couldn't he stop thinking about it what could have happened if he wouldn't have been around? If Michael had used the knife. And what would happen next time? Who would be there to help Casey?
Zeke knew the answer. There were not many Caseys around at school who were ready to stand up against the jocks or the preppies for someone they actually didn't care much about. It was either that they looked up to them, willing to do all to get their attention. Or they were intimidated and glad when they didn't get any attention. No, Casey would be all alone; he knew it, but nevertheless he wouldn't give in so easily. Not this time. Zeke only needed to think at the determination in his voice when he had confronted Michael, to know this. The boy was wildly resolved to play the hero this time. No matter what this meant for him.
„Shit,“ Zeke cursed loudly.
"What a stubborn, little geek."
Then he turned around to follow Casey. It was none of his business. But he knew, he would never forgive himself when something serious happened to him.
THE END
