(no subject)
Title: Geek Out: Recommendation
Pairing: C/Z
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Don't own!
Synopsis: The school talks, while Casey won't let things slide.
Author's Note: I've never built a telescope myself, so I've had to rely on some wonderful sites in order to at LEAST try to capture the painstaking process of mirror grinding in order to make this venture C&Z take believable. Any mistakes are everyone else's fault come from my inexperience.
Previous Parts: Central Force/ Solar Radii/ Magnification/ Nebula/ Pale Blue Dot/ Orbital Path/ Rosette/ Moonlight/ Interstellar/ M57/ Maria/ The Uncertainty Principle/ Black Hole/ Rings/ Gemini/ Deeds/ Dobsonian/ Mirror/ Grind/ Focal Length/ Baby Universes
Casey narrowed his eyes at Zeke as they walked to the front of the school. “Yea? And what did someone make YOU? Oh, look, nothing,” Casey said, poking Zeke’s wrist.
“I don’t want a bracelet.”
“Good, cos’ you’re not getting one. You’re not as special as I am. Plus, she hates your ass for turning me gay.”
Zeke laughed and shook his head. “Oh, shut up. I’m just teasing--it’s cute.”
“Uh huh,” Casey said. He had to smile as he looked down at Sky’s gift. Now that it’d been worn for a day and gone through a shower, the rough edges were smoother and the beads seemed to glow. He never thought he’d enjoy a piece of jewelry so much.
Just as they’d reached the stairs, Delilah shuffled up to them from the lawn. “How’re you… geez, you look fine,” she interrupted herself as she gazed at Casey’s face. “With the stories that went around, I was expecting your nose to be the size of a grapefruit.”
Casey rolled his eyes, which made his face ache. “I’m fine. Just busted up a bit.”
“Good. Did Zekie-boy take good care of you last night?” she asked in a teasing voice. “I heard that he drove all the way across town to the country store for you.”
“Uh…?” Zeke said as they walked into the building. “I didn’t tell you that.”
“No, you didn’t. But Rose Mason and Alice LaMountain work there, and they saw you buying apple-wraps.”
“Yea, I did--but how the hell would they know if I got ‘em for Casey or not?” Zeke asked.
An all-knowing smile spread over Delilah’s lips. “Honey, everything you do is because Casey’s your boyfriend. Every time you set foot in a store, whether it’s a flower shop or the ‘Tobacco Barn’, you’re getting Casey a dozen roses or a cigar,” she said. “And the girls are creaming themselves over it. You won’t believe the stories I’ve heard about that bracelet you’re wearing. Everyone thinks that Zeke is a master hemp-jeweler.”
“I didn’t… oh my god.” Zeke groaned.
“A freshman girl with a crush on me made it for me,” Casey replied, unable to hide a few chuckles. They stopped at Zeke’s locker; Casey leaned on the one next to his and sighed. “If I’d known that being gay meant that I’d be Mr. Popular, I’d have figured myself out years ago.”
“It comes with a price, believe me. Still--you’ll enjoy it,” Delilah said. She nudged Zeke aside to look into his mirror and fiddled with her bangs. “You both need haircuts.”
The two boys exchanged looks, then turned back to her. “I’m not cutting my hair,” Zeke firmly stated.
“No, you’re not. You tried that this past fall, and you’re no Vidal. I mean that someone other than yourself needs to give you a haircut,” Delilah said. “Casey’s is getting some serious split-ends, and Zeke--god, I’ve never seen it so long.”
“I like it long!” Casey interjected.
“Of course you do, sweetie. Here.” Delilah reached into her purse, drew out a business card and handed it to Zeke. “This is the number for my stylist. His name is Georgie, and he’s gayer than both of you put together. He’ll make you two beautiful. Gotta run.”
The girl was a whirlwind as always. Both boys watched her go, blinking wildly. Zeke then looked at the card, scoffed and threw it into his locker. “I ordered one of those haircut-machines a few months ago. I don’t need--”
“A Flowbee?” Casey gasped. At Zeke’s shrug and nod, Casey widened his eyes and shook his head. “No. No, you’re not using that. No way.”
“Why not? I read the directions, seems easy…?”
Casey let out a lone, exasperated chuckle and leaned in closer. “My mom’s a hairdresser, remember? If she hears that you desecrated your head with one of those things…” Casey drifted off and snorted. “She’ll do our hair. But you’re keeping it long, boy.”
“I am, huh? Who says, you?” Zeke said with a sly grin.
“I like it long. I want it to your shoulders,” Casey said. He tugged a strand by Zeke’s ear and got on tiptoe to give him a light kiss. “Put it back in a ponytail and hold on.”
“Keep talking like that and we’ll have to go to the boy’s room and confirm the gossip running around,” Zeke cooed into his ear. Casey shuddered; this wasn’t the best idea, not at the very beginning of the day. Zeke smiled and pushed Casey’s glasses up higher to avoid touching the reddened part of his nose. “Don’t these hurt?”
“Eh, the contacts hurt more, trying to put ‘em in. Anyway, I took a look in the mirror--I’m not so bad in ‘em. Almost as hot as you all geeked-out, but not quite.”
“Riiight,” Zeke said.
Casey put his arm around Zeke’s waist and went to walk off with him; before he could go on talking, he saw three girls huddled by a nearby locker, watching them intently. They turned away quick and giggled mercilessly, taking glances to the boys as they passed. “We’re hot shit, Zeke,” Casey hissed to him. Zeke smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
~*~
With Casey’s art class consisting mostly of girls--again--he found himself sitting at his usual table, his ears starting to ring as his tablemates Andrea, Jocelyn and Marie cooed and chattered at him.
“That looks like it’s painful. Whatta jerk,” Jocelyn said as she looked at Casey’s nose.
“It’s… okay…” Casey replied while digging into his portfolio, looking for his gum erasers.
“I heard Neil almost got expelled. I wish he did. He’s such an asshole,” Andrea said.
“Where… Andy, do you have an extra hard pencil? I can’t find mine…” Marie said with frustration.
“Uhh… shoot, no… I only have one,” Andrea replied after searching in her pencil bag.
“Here,” Casey said, handing one of his extras to Marie. Her face brightened and her smile went dream-like.
“Wow… thanks.”
Casey nodded slowly and sat back. “Can, uh… I ask you guys something?”
“Sure!” Andrea and Jocelyn said in unison.
As the three girls sat at attention, Casey blinked and went to speak. “I’m just gonna--ask. What’s going on?”
“With what?” Jocelyn asked.
“Uh, wellll…” Casey drawled. He rubbed the back of his neck and eyed them carefully. “Okay, ever since me and Zeke came out, it’s like there’s some secret fan club going on. I keep getting tons of girls fawning all over me and… it’s really weird.”
The girls blushed and looked to each other; Marie turned back to Casey and shrugged. “I dunno. It’s just… neat.”
“Neat?” Casey echoed.
“Yea. It’s different,” Jocelyn added.
“Like, okay--everyone in school dates, right? Girl-guy, girl-guy, blah, blah, blah. Two guys, dating? It’s just…” Andrea drifted off.
“Neat,” Marie finished for her.
“You said that, yea, but what’s so neat about it?” Casey asked.
“We… can’t describe it. It just is,” Marie said.
Casey nodded slowly, deciding to let it go rather than become more confused by their overly-generic replies. He returned to getting his assignment out and start working on it, when Andrea cleared her throat and leaned in. “Have you two, um… done it yet?” she asked.
“Andy! Did you just ask--!?”
“It’s just a question, Joce!”
Casey sat very, very still and watched the girls hissing to each other. He’d never been faced with this kind of curiosity. Under normal circumstances, he’d be throwing his things back into his bag and portfolio then running out at top speed. With Mrs. Divine helping another group of students on their work, he could, but… “Y’mean, sex?” he asked, his voice cracking a little. The three of them turned to him with big, inquiring eyes.
“Yea,” Andrea said.
There’d never really been a time where Casey felt he could confide in anyone--not like this. Stan was a great friend, but Casey couldn’t picture himself talking about sex with him. Stokely was the only one he felt comfortable enough with so far, perhaps, but… and Delilah? Casey made a secret smile and sighed. Perhaps a bit of kiss-and-tell with a gaggle of girls would be refreshing, even fun. “A little. But… no. I dunno,” he said in a rush.
“Like, you tried, or… something?” Andrea asked. When Casey shrugged and nodded, the girls cooed with delight.
“Who did who?” Jocelyn shamelessly asked while twirling a long strand of her purple hair. Casey could only imagine how red his face was getting.
“He did me, I guess.”
“Dumb question, Zeke’s a total top,” Marie said, nudging Jocelyn.
“Um, excuse me… we’ve discussed this. Taller does not equal top,” Jocelyn said. “You heard Deb. She met those guys at the club, with that one really tiny one being tops… so Casey could deliver.”
This was ridiculous, but it was making Casey feel giddy. “Guys, seriously…” he chuckled. “I don’t really talk about this… stuff.”
“What position was it?” Andrea dared to ask.
“Andy!!” both Marie and Jocelyn hissed.
“What??”
Casey covered his face and chuckled harder. “Why?”
“It goes better when you’re laying on your side, and he’s behind you,” Andrea said, undaunted by her friends reactions.
“How do YOU know that?” Marie asked.
“I read it in a magazine.”
“Which one, ‘Gay Monthly’?”
“Guys, okay, we’re making Casey die,” Jocelyn said. “Poor boy.”
“I’ll, uh… have to try that. Thanks,” Casey said.
“I heard you guys are building a telescope, too. A really big one,” Marie said.
“Oh… yea,” Casey said. Here was a subject he was more comfortable with. “It’s a Dobsonian, thirty-inches. Zeke put all the stuff together and turned his garage into a big workplace for it. We’re psyched.”
“That’s, like… god. So romantic,” Andrea said with a long sigh.
“Hmm, busy table.”
Everyone looked over to Mrs. Divine, who was cocking her eyebrow at them and smirking. “Oh… yea,” Jocelyn said and coughed as she pulled out her sketchbook. The teacher stood by as they all began working on drawing the bowl of fruit in front of them. When she finally moved on, the four of them glanced to each other and giggled quietly.
~*~
“That’s tame, compared to what Sue Gutt asked me.”
Casey raised his eyebrows as he and Zeke settled down at their lab table. “What did she ask?”
“Dude, I’m not even gonna repeat it. I just disappointed her with a ‘no’ and we went back to our assignment. We got paired together, so she’ll probably keep asking more shit as we go along,” Zeke said.
“Oh, c’mon. Gimmee a hint, at least. I told you about what they were asking ME,” Casey whined.
Zeke rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. “It had to do with bondage. That’s all’s that I’m sayin’.”
“Ooh…” Casey said. Before he could ask for more, Furlong entered the room and started their lesson immediately. Casey was forced to stare at the board, where the teacher began jotting down diagrams and information.
In between taking notes, Casey would give Zeke knowing smiles; Zeke was trying his best not to return them and keep up with Furlong at the same time. Casey couldn’t help himself; when Furlong’s attention was on trying to make the defunct overhead projector work, he slid his foot over to Zeke’s leg and stroked his calf. The older boy stiffened and looked at Casey in the corner of his eye. Not wanting to tease too much, Casey clucked his tongue and moved his foot away.
The bell rang, and the usual clatter to get out began. “Test tomorrow! Test tomorrow! Be prepared for it!” Furlong called out over the madness.
Stokely turned to them and nodded at Zeke. “We goin’ to your place after school?”
“Yea, sure. Oh--shit, I gotta get the plans outta my locker. I left ‘em in there yesterday, shit,” Zeke said in a rush. He shuffled past Casey, who was busy fighting his books back into his bag. Zeke tugged the back of Casey’s hair and sighed. “See ya at the car.”
“Uh huh,” Casey said. He watched the two of them leave the room, then stood to leave as well.
“God damn… stupid…”
Casey looked to Furlong, who was slapping the side of the projector. “Uh… is that giving you crap?” Casey asked, amused.
“Always does. Now it won’t shut off,” Furlong replied. Casey smiled and went over to help. After a few slaps and clicks with no results, Casey walked over to the power cord and pulled it out of the wall. Furlong looked over and chuckled. “Why don’t I ever think of doing that?”
“I’m a genius, Sir,” Casey said. “See you later.”
“See you tomorrow, Casey--oh. Wait.”
Casey stopped and turned back around. “What’s up?”
Biting his lip, Furlong straightened and blinked hard. His glass eye always seemed off, but Casey tried keeping his gaze straight anyway as the man began speaking. “I normally don’t pry or talk behind a student with another student, but… I figure you might know what’s going on.”
“With what?”
“With Zeke.”
Casey parted his lips. Zeke? What did Furlong want with… oh no, please god, no. Not the teachers, too… “What do you mean?” Casey dared to ask.
“The other day, I talked with him about the project you two are undertaking. The telescope,” Furlong said. The knot that had formed in Casey’s chest untied.
“Oh, that. Yea.”
“Yea. When I brought up college, Zeke told me he wasn’t going to go for anything--nothing at all,” Furlong said. “I’m just curious as to why. Does he think he can’t get into a good school because of his record?”
Casey sighed and pursed his lips, then went to reply. “His record IS against him. I tried telling him that he could get past that somehow.”
“I did, too. There’s a lot he could go for, and it’d be a shame if he didn’t try,” Furlong said.
“But he won’t. I mean… you know Zeke. He’s brilliant but he won’t apply it unless it’s under his terms. Going up against some education board? That’s a fight he’s not willing to take on,” Casey sadly replied.
“A recommendation would make things easier, though, wouldn’t it?”
“Like, from a teacher, or something?”
Furlong nodded. “Did he try to apply to any schools?”
“I dunno. I think he picked up a couple apps, but he didn’t send ‘em out. Not as far as I know, anyway,” Casey said. He suddenly felt uncomfortable; he chewed his lip a moment before pointing to the door. “It’s not… really my place to talk about it, I dunno. I gotta go…”
“I have friends at a lot of schools in the Ohio area, Ohio State especially. That’s my alma mater. I know for a fact that a recommendation from me would look very good to them--my word carries weight. I could give him that,” Furlong said. When Casey stared at him with a hard gaze, the man let out a sad sigh. “Maybe I’m overstepping here, but he’s a goddamned genius and he needs to own that. I’ve seen too many students waste their brains. It’s sad.”
“Yea. I know,” Casey said. He went into deep thought a moment before nodding. “Maybe I can bring it up, somehow. I’ll just have to pretend that we didn’t talk.”
“No, no, I’d rather he didn’t know, yea,” Furlong rushed out, then smiled. “Give it a try.”
Casey smiled, nodded then made his leave. His stomach twisted a little at the idea of bringing up the subject of education to Zeke again, but there was no way Furlong’s gift could go unwrapped. For Zeke not to take it would be insane, and Casey had to come up with a way for the stubborn young man to see that.
~*~
“That wasn’t hard, was it?”
Stokely looked up from the plaster she’d just helped pour into the mirror’s mold. “I’m still scared that I fucked it up,” she replied.
“You didn’t. It’s perfect,” Zeke said. “’K, now let’s shake this shit for a few days.”
“‘Days’?” Stan echoed, looking perplexed.
“Mostly kidding, but a tile-on-plaster tool is gonna take a while to dry. We gotta help it settle,” Zeke replied; he then took the edge of the plywood tabletop and began shaking it. “It’s not hard, geez. Just shake it.”
“Right,” Stokely said with a snort then joined in shaking the plaster even.
“Get the tiles ready, Case. We got this,” Zeke told the boy.
“’K,” Casey said. He took up the bag of tiles, set them on the other table and began measuring and cutting. They didn’t need to be perfectly symmetrical, but he was too obsessive-compulsive to not give it his all. They had a long, long time to wait for the large plaster cast to dry, anyway.
After some time passed, Zeke instructed the two helpers to stop and help remove the mold. Casey couldn’t help from making an amused smile in seeing the apprehension Stan and Stokely showed, but they stayed precise and extremely careful, allowing the hardened plaster to come into view. Zeke made a quiet count and they removed their new tool from the mirror’s surface to set onto the empty side of the table. Stan let out a breath and stepped back. “Now what--exactly--is this gonna do?” he asked.
“This is the grinding tool. Casey’s cutting out the tiles, which we’re gonna measure, fit onto the plaster then number their positions when we go to glue ‘em on later,” Zeke said. Casey watched him walk over to a bunch of loose boards while telling Stan how he’d have the honor of making the grinding stand. It was easy to hear the enthusiasm in Zeke’s tone, even when he spoke in a stern, determined voice.
Casey sighed as he went to the mold. As he placed the finished tiles on the table and gave Stokely basic instructions on how they’d place them, he couldn’t stop glancing to Zeke. He was in his glasses again, with dots of plaster scattered onto his thin white t-shirt. He was a genius, a scientist, and he wouldn’t ‘own’ it, as Furlong had put it--no matter if he was organizing something as monumental and wonderful as this. Casey had to look away and concentrate on the directions he was giving Stokely, who was luckily catching on, and quick.
“So, when do we start gluing?” Stokely asked him.
“In about a week, maybe more. This shit takes time,” Casey replied.
“Shit.”
“Takes forever, but it’s worth it,” Casey said.
“How long IS it gonna be before we have this whole thing set up?” Stan asked.
“I’m guessing about four months at least--six or seven if we're too slow,” Zeke replied. Stokely blinked hard.
“Damn… hopefully we'll get it done before college. I’m not going outta state, but…” she said.
“I’ll be in town,” Stan said.
“Where are you going to school?” Casey asked; from what he’d gleaned over the last few months, Stan had discussed going to a state school.
“I might not, actually--not formal schooling, anyway,” Stan replied. This caused everyone to look up from their work and stare at him. After blinking and shrugging a few times, Stan crossed his arms. “I was thinking of the police academy.”
“Police… academy? To be a police officer?” Stokely asked. Judging by the sound of her voice, she hadn’t been told about this yet. “Since… when?”
“I’ve told you a little bit about it,” Stan said.
“No--you mentioned going to Herrington Community for something like a detective, but…?” Stokely said.
“Yea, well… I dunno. The last week’s made me think about what I really want. I might STILL go to school, of course, but not like--all academic.”
The girl didn’t look pleased, but she sat back down to rifle through the tiles. “I’m trying for Ohio State. I sent in my app last month.”
Casey tried taking secret glances at Zeke, who was making it a point to stay busy with the manuals. He wanted to say something--anything--to turn the focus to the young man, but Stan beat him to it.
“How about you, Zeke?”
This made Zeke look up, then down at his manual again. “Hmm?”
“School. Where are you applying?” Stan asked.
“Oh. I’m not,” Zeke said. Again, the room fell silent, and it was Zeke’s turn to look up and cock an eyebrow at them. “What?”
“How can you not go to school, when you’re this brilliant?” Stokely blatantly asked.
“Casey’s given me enough crap about that, and he’s given up,” Zeke said. This made Casey look up and almost glare; Zeke looked like he had pride in what he’d just said.
“I haven’t given up, assmunch,” Casey said.
“You will,” Zeke replied, actually daring a cocky smile and a wink. Casey had to look away or he’d explode; Zeke sighed and went over to where Stokely sat. “What’re you gonna go for?”
“Uh…” she went to say, but her reply was muffled by her hand running over her mouth.
“Huh?” Zeke said.
“Writing and literature,” Stan answered for her. He stood behind her and put his arms around her shoulders while wearing a big smile. “She’s gonna be the next famous sci-fi writer.”
“Stan…” Stokely mumbled with annoyance, but she was obviously trying hard not to smile.
“Ooh. I’ll buy your books,” Zeke said.
Casey was able to give Stokely a supportive smile, but was still stuck on his frustration at Zeke. Moments later, he was secretly pleased when Stan looked at his watch and groaned. “I gotta get home. It’s almost dinnertime,” he said.
“Yea, me too,” Stokely said. “So, is there a party tomorrow, or what?”
“Oh, that, no--next week. Casey doesn’t wanna go as Rudolph,” Zeke replied, nudging Casey’s arm. Stokely smiled and nodded.
“Ahh, okay.”
The two of them made their goodbyes and left Casey and Zeke to sit in the garage by themselves. Casey stayed silent until he finished numbering the tiles, then looked up at Zeke, who was inspecting the plaster mold. Knowing he was a crap liar, he opened his mouth anyway. “I’m not giving up, like I said.”
“You will. Like I said.”
Casey folded his arms on the table and flicked a spot of dried plaster with his fingers. “There are just… ways that you could find, Zeke. I mean, what about…” Casey stopped himself from saying ‘recommendation letters’. Not yet… “Just applying?”
“Because my applications would be denied,” Zeke replied in monotone.
“You don’t know that, Zeke.”
“Hmm, I do.”
This was going to be more frustrating than ever. Whether it looked obvious or not, Casey had to bring it up. “Well--the teachers at school and stuff, they’d vouch for you. I dunno, couldn’t you ask for a letter of recommendation from one of ‘em?”
“Oh yea?” Zeke said; his voice was suspicious, worrying Casey. “Like who?”
“I dunno. Burke?”
“She hates me, and she’s an English teacher. Try again.”
Casey blinked furiously. “Huh?”
“Try again.”
“T… Tate?” Casey tried. Zeke stared at him and raised his eyebrows slowly. He knew--fuck, he knew. “Furlong?”
“’Knew it,” Zeke blurted before standing straight and going to the door.
“Zeke,” Casey said, but the young man left the garage and walked out to the driveway. Casey sniffed hard, stood and went to follow him. Zeke was already going through the side door of the house, making Casey run to catch the door before it closed. “Zeke, wait… c’mon, just listen…” the boy said. He climbed up the small set of stairs leading into the kitchen, where he found Zeke digging a beer from the fridge. “Look, okay, I’m sorry. But it wasn’t me who’d brought it up. Furlong asked ME, not the other way around.”
“Great. So all the teachers are against me,” Zeke replied.
“Wha--?” Casey gawked. “‘Against you’? For fuck’s sake, Zeke, that’s not against you, that’s for you.”
“When… are you going to leave me alone?” Zeke asked as he turned to face Casey. He cracked his beer open, took a swig, then put the can on the counter. “I don’t try to tell you how to run your life, Casey, so why the hell do you think it’s your right to run mine?”
“I’m not--Zeke, you’re not listening,” Casey said. “Look, please… you've done everything, the SATs, which you KNOW you aced, along with all of your classes. Why won’t you just apply? Would that kill--”
“Because I don’t WANT to!” Zeke suddenly bellowed; Casey jumped a little then stilled; Zeke hissed in and out of his nose a few times before going on. “So you and Furlong, go ahead, talk all you want. You can both talk about how brilliant I am, what a waste I’m making of myself, whatever you want. Just don’t expect me to get involved.”
Casey felt desperate; upset and desperate, still clinging to whatever he could to get Zeke to see reason. “Zeke, please, just apply. That’s all I’m asking--”
“And it’s too much to ask.”
“After what’s been going on, this is ‘too much to ask’?”
“I’m not applying. Don’t get me fucking angry at you, because I don’t wanna be angry at you. Got it?” Zeke said with finality.
“I…” Casey felt his skin prickle with heat. Zeke was grabbing up his beer and walking to the door leading into the main hall. Casey was desperate. “I’ll tell MIT no.”
This stopped Zeke dead in his tracks. He turned slowly back around and eyed Casey with astonishment. “Um… what?”
Casey nodded in small, quick jerks. “Yea. You’re right, school’s a big waste. Fuck it. If you don’t need school, neither do I.”
“Oh… my fucking god. Just shut up,” Zeke scoffed.
“No, I’m serious. I sent my ‘yes’ letter, but I can take it back. No one can force me to go, not even my parents. It’s too expensive… my dad shouldn’t need to break his back to provide me with an education like that,” Casey rambled.
“You’re going to MIT, Casey, so you can shut that pretty little mouth, like now.”
“No. Not unless you apply to school.”
Zeke was near seething as he walked back into the room. He put his can down with a shaking hand and faced Casey with a stony look. “Blackmail, huh? And here I thought you were a nice boy. Fine,” Zeke said. He took a deep breath then made a strange smile. “If you don’t apply to MIT, I clear out the garage and we end this project we’ve got going on.”
Needing to hug his limbs close to his chest to keep himself from shaking apart, Casey made a quick shrug. “Fine by me,” he replied.
“Yea, right. What is it, Casey? Why can’t you leave well enough alone?” Zeke asked. When Casey only shrugged again, Zeke put his hands in the air and went to the side door. “Guess that’s it, then. Go ahead and call the east coast, I’ll be busy in the garage.”
Casey listened as the door shut behind Zeke and watched Zeke’s shadow disappear beyond the door’s window. ‘He won’t do it,’ he thought. The project was too valuable to him, to both of them. This blackmail-for-blackmail, bluff-to-bluff was making Casey tremble harder. His stomach clenched as he waited for Zeke to come back and give in. He had to.
A few minutes of absolute silence passed; Casey started to worry harder. Images of smashed plaster, scattered tiles and ripped-apart books ran through his mind. Realizing, ‘holy god, he’d do it…’ stirred Casey enough to stand straight and head to the door, but stopped when it flew open and Zeke rushed inside.
“God DAMN it, Casey!” Zeke yelled as he took the set of stairs in one step. Casey backed himself against the counter as Zeke approached. Anger was exploding in his normally-calm brown eyes, and his hands were shaking at his sides. As scared as he was, Casey lifted his head to stare back at him.
“How’s the lab--”
“If you don’t go to MIT, we break the fuck up! How’s that, huh??” Zeke threatened. “Wanna break it off??”
Casey’s lips shuddered open. “N-No.”
“GOOD. Then you’re going.”
“Only if you go--”
“FUCK you, Casey! Okay? Seriously, fuck off and LEAVE it!”
It was as if the world had started spinning off into deep space. Everything in Casey’s mind went dark, his body went numb… his brain whirred to a stop and his eyes stung. His emotions swelling with pain, Casey turned away and went to pass Zeke to get to the door, to escape. He felt a hand fall on his arm before he could get past the kitchen table.
“Casey…”
“No.”
“Stop… please.” The grip on Casey tightened, so he pulled hard to get away. Now freed, he ran for the door but was stopped by two hands now, which fell on his shoulders to turn him around. “Stop, Casey--”
“How fuckin’ DARE you yell at me like that!” Casey knew that he was yelling now, but he didn’t care. He shoved Zeke away and stood still, facing the older boy with a furious expression. “I’m not your father! Furlong isn’t, either, NONE of us are! We actually give a fucking shit about you and want the BEST for you, and what do you do?? You want me to ‘fuck off’??”
“I didn’t mean that.”
“You wanna break up, too?”
“I didn’t MEAN--Casey, Jesus Christ--” Zeke stammered a moment before going on. “I WOULD rather break it off than have you not go to MIT! You got into one of the best school’s in the country, for god’s sake!”
“They didn’t come looking for me, though, did they? No, I went to them, not the other way around!” Casey told him. “And y’know, I was scared shitless sending that fucking app in. There are hundreds of thousands more people that are more qualified than I am--they could’ve used the paperwork I sent in to make paper airplanes with, compared to what others sent in, I’m sure. But FUCK that, I’m not gonna sit around and pretend that I don’t deserve some kind of recognition! I’m a goddamned genius, I LOVE astronomy, science, physics, and I wanna make it my life’s work--what about you, huh?”
Zeke swallowed. “What about me?”
“No, don’t ask me, damn it. Why should I have to answer that? What haven’t I done to show some support? No, my turn is over, okay? Figure your own damned self out for once,” Casey said, and though he didn’t agree with walking out on an unresolved argument, he couldn’t help from turning around to the door and leaving. Zeke didn’t stop him, this time.
~*~
With his father gone to work early and his mother sleeping in until her late morning shift, Casey was able to leave the house without having to answer, “Oh no, did you and Zeke have a fight?” Taking the bus was optimal, considering the argument he and Zeke had been through. If Casey were to be honest, his blood was still boiling.
Perhaps it wasn’t fair, trying to force Zeke into school. But Casey had seen no other choice; for Zeke to waste his brains and talent was not a choice whatsoever. Even if the bullheaded young man won out and he never set foot in a college or university hallway, Casey needed to make his position on the matter known… but he knew how stupid he’d sounded. Still, Zeke had seemed to believe him when he’d said that he would drop MIT over Zeke’s stubbornness. It had all been a bluff--every last word, but it had gotten a rise out of the young man.
Casey stepped off the bus and vowed that he wouldn’t ever get on it again. Being driven to school for so long had spoiled him; he could come to school with a coffee or loud music ringing in his ears when he and Zeke were getting along. He started feeling bad, wondering if Zeke had showed up at his house to pick him up. When he got to the stairs, he swallowed. Sitting upon them was Zeke himself, putting a cigarette out in a patch of dirt by the last step and looking up at him.
“You weren’t at home,” Zeke said in a soft voice.
“I took the bus,” Casey replied, then went to walk past him. Zeke stood with him, so he made his steps quicker, but Zeke had long enough legs to keep up with him.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“After last night, you should’ve known.”
“Yea, sure,” Zeke said. Groaning loudly, he grabbed Casey’s jacket and stilled him at the top step. “I already saw Furlong. Okay? And lo and behold, he already had my rec-letter done up.”
Casey blinked and looked to the envelope in Zeke’s hand. “Yea?”
“He’s sending it out during his lunch; I have my app right now, and I’m sending it out on my way home today. Can we stop being angry now?” Zeke asked. The thrill of this revelation hadn’t hit Casey yet; the ‘Fuck Off’ he’d been given last night was holding him back from smiling and clapping in joy. Zeke sighed and rolled his eyes. “Casey--”
“Do you want me to do cartwheels and stuff, over something that shouldn’t have been a big deal at all?” Casey said. It was unfair to drag this out, but he couldn’t help it. “You told me to fuck off last night, Zeke.”
Zeke blinked slowly and looked down to Casey’s feet. “And I’m a shit for that. You should’ve decked me.”
“Christ. I’m not gonna do that, and you know it.”
“Casey, I’m sorry,” Zeke muttered, his eyes still low. “I’m just scared. Okay?”
He seemed so small and insecure; more than what Casey had ever seen. Biting his lip, Casey looked past the main doors to where the boy’s room sat. He took Zeke’s shirt sleeve and dragged him over to it. Once inside the empty, hollow tiled room, Casey sighed. “Scared of what?” he asked.
“The word ‘no’. I’d rather not ask the question and live with ‘What Ifs’ for the rest of my life than be told that the question was ridiculous in the first place,” Zeke replied. He flapped the envelope back and forth and gave Casey a hard stare. “If they tell me no, I’m done, Casey. I’m not applying anywhere else, and I’m gonna hit a wall like you wouldn’t believe. I’ll be as useless as I’ve always FELT I was. Okay?”
“Not okay.”
“Case… god…”
Casey flared his nostrils and took Zeke’s chin in his hand. “Let me tell you something, Mr. Tyler. You wanna give up looking with just one try? At least you tried, and I won’t give you any more shit about going to school. Got that? Now get this,” Casey flattened his fingers along Zeke’s cheek and gave him an even deeper look. “You aren’t anywhere NEAR done if they say no. You’re never going to be, and you know it. I don’t care if you have to build your own museum in your backyard and gain notoriety that way. You’re more than what you think you are, Zeke Tyler, and I’ll be damned if you never see that. You’re gonna be somebody.”
A small, quirky smile arrived on Zeke’s face. “You sound like a Hallmark card.”
“Damned right I do.” Casey firmed his expression even more. Zeke’s smile dissipated; he sighed and looked back into Casey’s eyes.
“You’re the only one who’s ever cared about me like this,” he said in a murmur. He moved forward and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you for it.”
Casey swallowed, Zeke’s words drowning the frustration he’d carried all night into today. “Just want you to be somebody,” he murmured back.
“I am,” Zeke said before putting his lips on Casey’s. He didn’t make it a quick, ‘We’re In School and Need To Be Careful’ kiss, but he stayed and turned his head to deepen it. Casey let himself forget where they were and sank into the warmth of Zeke’s mouth with his own.
“Yea, it was just stupid, man, the way she…”
“Oh fuck, fuck’s sake…”
Casey didn’t see who had come into the room, but judging by the shocked sounds behind him, whoever they were had seen them. Before he could move away to look, he caught a glimpse of Zeke raising his middle finger while pressing the kiss into Casey harder. Casey sniffed out a chuckle through his nose as he heard the boys shuffle to the urinals, bitch under their breaths (“They gotta do that shit here?”) and leave in a rush. When Zeke moved away and went to Casey’s ear, Casey shuddered.
“Now it’ll be f-fact, ‘stead of rumor.”
“Hate rumors,” Zeke replied, nibbling away.
~*~