His Priority (Boyxboy)

How can you judge a life that you've always lived, and haven't seen anything different?

"Mama?" I place my hand on the door and push it open.

How can you compare a mom that you've always had and didn't know could do better.

The sheets are like waves, swaying around on the bed in the dark room.

"Ma-"

"WHAT!?" She sits up; clenching the cover to her naked body.

"I'm... I need some money."

How do you know that you're in a toxic environment when you've never been in a safe place before?

She shakes her head, trying to understand what I'm talking about. "For what, Tegan?" She snaps, running her hand through her dirty blonde hair.

"I'm hungry...I just need some bread and-"

"Oh my GOD! It's always something with you Tegan. You are literally causing me to go Broke! Do you understand?"

Her boyfriend sits up next to her, the sheet falls into his lap.

"Hey man... don't talk to him that way. He's just a kid." He scolds her as he reaches for his pants.

He digs around in his back pocket and pulls out a few dollars. "Here. Go get you something to eat."

I look over to mama who stares at me with an intense glare.

"No... That's okay."

I slowly turn around and walk out of the room, closing the door behind me. My mom has a rule: don't take nothing from men, because you don't get anything for free.

I guess I can wait until tomorrow.

**********

School. It's okay, I can eat here and I don't really have to worry about my mom catching an attitude with me.

"Hey punk!"

Something hard is thrown at the back of my head. I stand there for a moment and turn around to find a book lying on the floor. I look up to Randy to see him and his friends standing there. It doesn't take a genius to know that Randy is the school Bully.

"Your slutty ass mom is the reason my parents are getting a divorce."

I stare at him.

"What did you say about my mom?" I clench my fists.

"I said she's a slu-"

I run into him, causing him to fall on the tile floor of the hall. I punch him, causing his nose to bleed on impact. His friends grab me. One of them punches me in the mouth and the other slams his fist into my gut causing me to double over. Randy stands up, and grabs my head. Bringing my head down, it crashes into his knee.

I fall to my knees.

"That was for your mom. Pass the message along, won't you?"

I snap my head up and charge at him again, but a male teacher grabs me. "That's enough." His stern voice tells me.

It's always been this way. Since my dad ended up in jail a year ago, my mom has been seeing all these different guys and I've been getting into trouble at school. This isn't the only time I've ended up in the principal's office.

"Your mother isn't answering the phone." Principal Hawks lets out a sigh and shake's her head.

Her brown skin is a few shades darker than mine. Maybe it's because my mom's white. My dad isn't though.

"I'm going to call your Father." She says but I stop her.

"He's in jail."

Principal Hawks lets out a sigh. She types away at her computer. "who is... Tristan Jordan?" She asks looking over at me.

I scrunch up my eyebrows.

"I don't-- oh, wait. I think it's T.J. He's my dad's best friend."

She nods her head as she stares at the computer. "Well, I'm going to call him to see if he can come pick you up. You're suspended for five days starting on Monday."

"Tsk." I lean back and cross my arms. "Is Randy suspended?" I ask.

Principal Hawkins looks over at me.

"No he's not. Because he hasn't been as disruptive as you. Every time I turn around, you're getting into fights and disrespecting class."

"That's not-"

She puts up a finger, cutting me off. After a few moments, her face lights up.

"Hi! This is principal Hawkins down at Centralmoore high School. I have Tegan Walker in my office. His mother is not answering the phone and his father, I've just learned is in jail, and I really need an adult down here in the next 30 minutes. Is there anyway that you're available?"

There's a long pause. I've not seen T.J since my dad went to prison. Even though T.J is a lot younger than my dad, my dad looked out for T.J because apparently they were in the same foster home together.

"Perfect! I'll see you soon. Mkay, bye-bye." She hangs up the phone.

"Alright." She turns to me. "Go wait outside and you can come back in when he gets here."

I stand up and step outside of the door, where a few chairs are lined up against the wall. I sit down and place my hand on my head.

*************

The door opens and T.J walks in. He looks around until he spots me.

His wavy, dirty blonde hair is slightly tousled in a casual manner. His piercing blue eyes stare at me as if he has something to say but don't know how to spit it out.

His sharp facial features, with high cheekbones and a defined jawline pulls the attention of the receptionist that can't keep from staring. 

He walks over to me. "Tegan? What the hell am I doing here?"

"They want to suspend me and Mama's not answering the phone.

He looks up at the ceiling and lets out a sigh. He shakes his head and walks over to the principal's office door. "Come in." We hear her call.

T.J motions his head, telling me to follow him with his gestures.

I slowly stand up and follow him.

"Hello Mr. Jordan. Thank you for coming. Please have a seat."

T.J walks over to the chair, next to the one that I was sitting in and takes a seat. I sit down beside him. This is awkward, I didn't know that my parents put him on my emergency contact list.

"Tegan has been getting into a lot of trouble here recently, and I know that life can get busy, but his mother has not been participating in his education: whether it's not signing important documents to not answering the phone for meetings as such."

T.J nods his head. He pauses, marinating on what principal Hawkins is tell him.

"Well, I'll make sure to pass the message along." He finally replies.

"Please do. Also, be sure to tell her that Tegan cannot come back to school this coming up week. He can return that following Monday."

T.J nods his head. He stands up and looks over at me. "Alright then." Disappointment rests on his face. "Then let's go."

I stand up and follow him.

I look down at my feet until we get to the car. It's a black 2003 Pathfinder with grey trimming. The seats are leather and there's a small sunroof.

"Why are you getting into trouble?" T.J asks as I put on my seatbelt.

I look up at him. I don't know who he thinks he is. I didn't ask him to come down here. He looks over at me. "Hm?" He asks.

"I'll walk home." I say reaching for the handle, but T.J locks the door using the lock button on his side.

"I asked you a simple question, Tegan. There's no need for you to get out of the car.  Piss me off good enough and I'll run your ass over with it. Now, why are you getting in trouble at school?"

I let out a breath.

"I don't know. People are talking about mama." I tell him.

He puts on his shades and starts the car.

"What are they saying about her?" He asks.

"They're calling her a slut." I tell him.

He shakes his head and brings an unlit cigarette to his lips. He lights it up, rolls down the window, and puts the car in drive.

"Baby, people are going to talk about you until you die. They're going to talk to about your mom until she dies. They're going to talk about me until I die. And beating them up is not going to stop them from talking; if anything, it'll give them more to talk about."

Yeah, easy for him to say. He doesn't go to school. He doesn't have to deal with it. I look out of the window and stare at the world that's going by.

***********

We walk into the house and T.J stops and looks around. "What kind of dumpster fire is this?" He asks.

I stare at him.

"What is it not good enough for you? Fine...leave."

"Tegan, there's two roaches humping in the corner." He slides his shades on the top of his head and squints his eyes.

I shake my head. I watch as he walks into the kitchen and I reluctantly follow him. He stops in front to the fridge and opens it.

"There's one yoohoo in here." He says taking out the can. "Where the hell is the rest of the food?"

"Don't touch it. That's for mama." I snatch the can away from him and put it back into the fridge.

He goes looking through the cabinets which annoys me. "You can leave..." I stare at him.

He turns around and walks past me. "Where the hell is Amber?" He asks.

"Probably in her room- but- hey don't go in there!"

I follow him until he gets to Mama's room. Pushing the door open, he slams it shut and I shake my head because had he just minded his business, I wouldn't have seen my mama in a position with a guy that wasn't the guy from last night.

After a few moments, mama comes walking out in her house robe. "T.J? What in the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Getting traumatized... I went down to pick up Tegan because the school called and asked me too."

Mama glares at me. I look down at the floor.

"Why can't you just go to school and do what you're supposed to be doing?" Mama asks.

I clench my jaw. I can't tell her what people are saying about her. It would break her heart.

"Probably because when he gets home he has to watch two coaches have sex!" T.j tells her.

Her mouth drops to the floor.

"I wasn't even talking about you, but if the shoe fits."

"T.J just get out of my house!" Mama fusses.

"I am...but I'm going to take Tegan with me." He threads his arm around my neck and I take a step back.

He snaps his head over to me.

"I'm not going with you." I stare at him.  "I'm going to stay here with mama."

"Like hell." He says. "Come on. I'll buy you some food."

The sound of food makes my stomach growl. I look over to mama and she rolls her eyes.

"Go on." She fans her hand. "But have him home before 9:40. He's got school tomorrow."

T.J shakes his head: "I'll have him home when I get ready. He's suspended."

Mom shakes her head at me. The look in her eye screams that I'm a disappointment.

"Come on baby, I'll get you something to eat." T.J says as he threads his arm around me.

He looks back at mama.

"And start locking your damn door."

"This is my house, T.J." she calls after us.