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I wished these kids didn’t have to, that they could live their lives happily and fearlessly, like they were supposed to. But our world was full of assholes, and at the end of the day it was better to know how to protect yourself than not.
“Do you know any self-defense?” I asked Charlie as we reached our destination. They shook their head, brows scrunching up in thought.
“No, not really. Will you teach me?”
I smiled at the eagerness in their voice. “Of course I will. Let’s go before Angie comes out here and drags me out of the car.”
Charlie chuckled as they got out, and I followed suit. Together, we walked into the building, and I led the way to the classroom. Angie was already there, directing the kids as they stretched.
“Thank god. I thought you’d never show up. Hey Charlie, good to see you again,” Angie said, voice brightening when she talked to my partner.
“Hey, Angie, you too.”
As the two of them chatted, I walked around the room, directing people who needed help and just saying hello to the others. I frowned when my eyes fell on Jo, catching sight of his blue bracelet when he ran his fingers through his hair. He looked troubled, and it was slightly disconcerting to see him without his smile. I felt like Charlie must’ve felt when they saw me without makeup and bright clothes this morning. Something was missing.
“Hey, Jo! You okay?”
Jo looked up at me and gave me a smile so fake it made me cringe. Without waiting for his reply, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into a corner where the other kids wouldn’t overhear and said, “Spill.”
Jo chewed his lower lip, looking anywhere but at me, and I took a moment to look him over. Jo was a few years younger than me, twenty-three if I remembered correctly. He was currently dressed in one of his gym outfits, though he usually preferred to wear dresses. With his short black hair, a few eyebrow piercings, and the tongue piercing that peeked out once in a while, Jo might have seemed a bit gothic if it weren’t for the contrasting smile that lit up his face most of the time. A smile missing at the moment.
“What’s wrong? And don’t bullshit me. I can see something is up, and you better tell me without me having to torture it out of you.”
Jo’s brows reached into his hairline as he gave me a disbelieving look, and I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned forward. My hands shot out before he could realize what I was up to, and then I was tickling him. A surprised giggle shot out of him before he started laughing in earnest.
“Stop! Stop, I’ll tell you! Please!” He gasped through tears, and I finally let go, crossing my arms as I waited him out.
Once he’d stopped laughing, he reverted back to being serious and sighed loudly. “I spotted my brothers lurking outside my campus a few days ago.”
“A few days ago? Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded, and the anger was clear in my voice. Jo’s brothers were assholes who just couldn’t accept that Jo wasn’t who they wanted him to be. I had seen them before, right in the beginning when Jo had first come to Voice Out, and I knew they’d abused Jo when he’d lived with them.
Jo shrugged, looking anywhere but at me. “You’ve been so happy the past few weeks since you met Charlie. I didn’t want to bother you with my shit.”
I was tempted to either punch the idiot or pull him into a hug, and I couldn’t decide on one. So I ruffled his hair and glared at him. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re my family. If you have a problem, you come to me. Understand? I don’t care if I’m in the middle of having sex with Charlie. I will be there if you need me, okay?”
A choking sound made me turn to see Charlie there, blushing with embarrassment even though I could see the amusement shining in their eyes. “Charlie was hoping to join you in the support group tomorrow.”
“Hey! You have my bracelet! I didn’t notice that before,” Jo said, and I was glad to see his smile firmly back in place. While they chattered, I pulled out my phone and texted Mama D, not wanting to forget about something so important.
Me: Hey Ma, I was just talking to Jo Warren, and he said he spotted those a-hole brothers of his around his dorm.
Mama D: Those bastards. I’ll talk to the dorm and campus security. Tell Jo to send me details/pics of his brothers so I can let security know. And tell him to let us know if he ever feel unsafe.
Me: Will do. Gotta go, class to take.
Mama D:Take care and remember, don’t work too much.
Me: Yes, Mom.
Putting my phone away, I focused on my partner, loving the wide smile gracing their face. I had a feeling Charlie and Jo would soon be best friends, and I was glad. Everyone needed a best friend.
“Come on, you sap. Stop staring at your person and help me out,” Angie called out across the room. Forget what I said. You don’t need a best friend to survive. No need at all.
I glared at the woman I considered my best friend, or best female friend, I suppose since I couldn’t forget Luke, as I walked across the room. If I didn’t throw her on the mat at least a few times, I wouldn’t be satisfied.
After three hours of teaching—where I managed to throw Angie down on the mat thrice—I was glad to be home and in desperate need of a shower. Charlie had partnered up with Jo and practiced along with us, so they were just as sweaty, and I wondered if they would want to shower together. But before I could ask, they were walking across the room and picking something up from the couch. They turned to me with a sheepish smile as they held out a package to me.
“I completely forgot, but I brought this for you yesterday. I got distracted before I could give it to you.” Charlie’s face flushed as they spoke, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as I remembered last night. Oh, they’d been distracted all right.
