Call Me Milo

Chapter 2

Xapt Caliber-that's what they're called. Also known as; Chance's band of five morons according to Tucker. And at the end of the school day, they stop by a little town close by where they meet up with the other unpleasant students of the area. They'll likely pass around some cigarettes or some alcohol and an unlucky fellow will stumble upon them.

It's inevitable, he's on his way home. But at the very end of this all, two of the boys will return home- to the same place.

They're stepbrothers. And nobody knows.

Anyway, every student at Dewey High is a male. It's an all-boys' school; Tucker's worst nightmare. Before entering high school, his friends were mostly girls. Until that horrible day when his mother remarried and moved in with her new husband, dragging Tucker along with her and forcing him to attend the same school as the man's son, landing him where he is today; in an environment where a homosexual male is easily dominated by the swarm of unaccepting snobs.

And now his glasses are broken for no other reason than wearing an old uniform like so many other students. But this boy cannot afford to replace them and must rely on his part-time job to rack up some money for the payment. He goes later tonight and will work into the early morning, grateful that there are no classes tomorrow.

Tucker begins his long walk home after club activities, silently dragging his feet along the sidewalk as he watches the ground beneath his feet move behind him. He nears the area downtown notorious for Xapt Caliber's activities and picks up his pace, even though in the back of his mind, he knows he's going to get trapped.

He spots Dizzy leaning against a brick wall on the opposite side of the street, a baseball cap covering his brown hair, but his curls stick out underneath. He holds a cigarette to his mouth and breathes out a puff of smoke that distorts Tucker's view of his face for a few brief moments until it disappears into the air.

Chance stands next to him, his hands shoved into the pockets of his grey uniform pants and his arm is noticeably red. As Tucker walks closer, he can't stop his eyes from wandering to that arm, discovering that Chance had just gotten another tattoo. That makes six in total now. And another thing that catches Tucker's attention is that Dizzy's eyes are trained on Chance, though he does not take much time pondering on that.

The three other guys stand in close proximity, also holding cigarettes in between their fingers. Tucker hangs his head down as he usually does when he walks and feels his heart speed up in his chest as he passes them. Of course, he doesn't get very far.

One of the guys sticks his foot out in the way of the path Tucker currently walks on, and Tucker, ever so clumsily, accidentally kicks the outstretched foot and trips over it. His eyes instantly close shut tightly as he braces for the impact of the hard ground.

But it never comes. And instead, he feels the warmness of another body pressed against his own, and two strong hands gripping onto his shoulders, holding him upright. Tucker slowly opens his eyes to peek at the person he had landed on and catches a glimpse of beautiful emerald eyes before a puff of smoke is breathed right into his face.

Tucker coughs and fans at the smoke with his hands as the body pushes him away. Tucker stumbles to regain his balance as he hears, "Get out of here."

He looks over at who had broken his fall and feels his heart fall in his chest as he realizes it was Dizzy who had just saved him. Dizzy's arms are now crossed over his chest and he has one foot on the brick wall, looking relaxed as he breathes out again. Tucker steals a glance at Chance who returns his icy blue eyes to Tucker and seemingly paralyzes him.

"Well?" Dizzy says to Tucker. "Get out of here. You're the last person I want to see in my escape from reality."

Tucker doesn't need to be told twice to get out of Dizzy's sight. Hell, he was trying to get away the first time he was told to leave but his body wouldn't let him after he took one look in Chance's eyes.

Tucker finds enough strength to turn away and leave Xapt Caliber to continue their reality escape. Though, he overhears one last conversation before he completely leaves.

"You didn't have to trip him," Tucker hears Dizzy say.

"Someone's gone soft," a guy snickers.

"I told Diz not to do anything," Chance replies. "Just leave the kid alone."

Tucker walks in silence the whole way, not even bothering to stuff headphones into his ears as he sometimes does to block out the world around him. But his mind is elsewhere and he just wants to be home. Away from Xapt Caliber.

Even though he knows that it is impossible.

Tucker unlocks the front door to his new step-father's home and kicks off his shoes as he enters. Without a word to anyone, he walks upstairs and plops his backpack down on the floor of his new bedroom. Collapsing on his bed, Tucker breathes out and curses. A million things are bothering him now.

He needs new glasses. He detests his new school. He has a new father and a new job.

The front door opens again and Tucker groans.

"Welcome home, Chance."

And he cannot stand his new step-brother.