Hello everyone! I'm truly sorry for the delay! Thank you to all the readers -hugs- you guys keep me alive! Also, thank you to my editor LaRascasse for the ideas that ended my writer's block and for looking over my work. Please enjoy.
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Max took his seat across the aisle of Cameron's desk. The only good thing about history class was they actually got to sit near each other. Cameron denied it, but they sometimes passed notes like girls. The last thing he wanted or needed was something that made him look more girly. Max seemed back to his usual self since what happened with Alex and Leon. Cameron worried that Max might overact and he knew of Max's past actions to people who did rude things to Alex. However, he had to understand Leon never meant to scare Alex.
"Is he okay?" Cameron stood next to Max's desk.
"Yeah, he just freaked out for a moment, but Alex is fine." Max sighed with exasperation.
"You sound tired." Cameron kneeled with his head and arms on the desk.
"I just don't want him to deal with the crap from home at school. This is the one place he could escape and I don't want him to have anxiety attacks here."
"Max... I know you want to protect him but..."
"Enough about that shit. Alex is okay now, so let's stop talking about it." Max waved his hand as if trying to get rid of the situation.
"So how are you and your new lover boy?" Max changed the subject and glanced at Leon, a few seats ahead of him, talking to some friends.
"Me and my lover 'man', because he's all man, are doing great," Cameron's eyes shifted down, "But..." Max waited for him to finish.
"But?"
"You should've seen when John came up to us. He didn't say much, but he royally pissed off Leon. When we went to another hallway, he punched a locker; he even left a dent."
"So are you saying he's crazy like the Hulk?" Max laughed.
"No, you jerk! I'm saying has a secret side to him..."
"Are you scared of that side? What if he does something to you?" Max's face turned serious.
Cameron didn't respond; he didn't know what he should say. In truth, he was scared of Leon's hidden temper. He saw the look and hatred in Leon's eyes for John, and Cameron shuttered remembering. However, Cameron knew that his boyfriend would never hurt him.
"Yeah, you don't want to be close to me. I could seriously hurt you."
Cameron and Max lifted their heads to see Leon standing with his arms crossed. Cameron stood.
"I-I didn't mean it that way at all, Leon!" Cameron stuttered. Leon glanced at Max.
"Don't look at me for an apology." Max said, calmly as ever, with his head in his hand.
"Max!"
"What? Cameron, you want me to say sorry for worrying about your well-being? Yeah, right."
Max stood and moved in front of Leon. Their soon-to-be confrontation did not go unnoticed by the others in the room. Some of the other students in the classroom turned their heads to see what could happen. Both Leon and Max were well-known in the school. That being said, they were also known for not backing down from fights. Though Leon and Max were far from delinquents, their tough guy exteriors were backed by their bodies and strength.
"You guys, please..." Cameron's concern showed clearly on his face.
"Leon." One of Leon's friends, Jamie, walked over to the guys. "Don't."
Jamie looked like the prime example of a frat boy: short hair that was spiked in the front, a good sized build, and dark brown eyes. His older brother and Leon's older brother knew each other in high school, and as a result, they became very good friends.
Leon's hands clenched tightly. Max looked determine to return anything Leon threw at him.
"Fight! Fight!" Someone in the class yelled.
"Come on!" Another egged on.
Max and Leon continued to stare in each other's eyes, clearly waiting for the other to make a move. Everyone (with their full attention toward Leon and Max) could see the dangerous feeling passing between them. Cameron felt a cold shiver run down his spine and wished he never said anything.
"Leon, control yourself. Do you think it's ok to start something here? Especially with Max?"
Jamie's voice of reason seemed to get through to him. Leon broke eye contact with Max and finally realized the situation he started. Just then, the teacher entered the classroom, oblivious to what happened.
"Why is everyone standing? Take your seats, students."
The students groaned and sat begrudgingly into their seats. Leon mumbled some sort of apology and quickly moved back to his desk. Jamie shook his head and gave a sympathetic smile to Max before walking away. Cameron felt lost during the whole confrontation; what made him feel terrible was that he didn't know how to calm Leon down or how to apologize.
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"I can't believe that happened." Cameron opened his locker.
"I wish he would've hit me." Max leaned against the lockers, disappointed. "That was my perfect chance to hit the pretty boy."
"Max! Stop, please. I don't want my best friend and boyfriend to fight!" Cameron slammed his locker.
"Hey, I can't control what he starts, but I can damn well finish it. I don't mind beating his face." Max smiled at the though, while Cameron rolled his eyes.
"Max—" Cameron began to scold his friend.
"What's going on?" Alex stepped to the side of Max.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it, Alex." Max slid his arm around Alex's shoulders and slightly shook Alex side to side.
"Oh no, I don't think so. Alex," Cameron grabbed Alex's arm, pulling him away from Max, "You need to hear what your great friend did right in the middle of class." Cameron pulled Alex and started walking to class.
"What do you mean Cameron?" Alex looked back at Max following them. "Maxi?" Alex looked at Max with confusion.
"Don't listen to him, Alex! He's insane!"
When they got to class, Cameron headed straight to their usual table. He gratefully eyed the same substitute from yesterday, playing on his phone and yelling about some red bird. Cameron stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Leon and Jamie sat across from Kat and Kim. The red head giggled from what Jamie said, moving her head in Cameron's direction. She waved Cameron, Alex, and Max over with enthusiasm. Max pushed Cameron forward.
