Steve was reaching into his hall locker when he heard the question. The voice was sort of familiar. When he pulled his head out and moved the locker door out of the way he was puzzled to find one of the co-captains of the wrestling team leaning in close, his shoulder on the locker next to Steve's. The guy looked at him as if what he had to say was really urgent.
"Yeah."
"I'm Andy."
Steve tensed and shut his locker harder and louder than he intended to.
"I know. What's up?"
"I have a question for you, but I don't have time to ask now. Can we meet after school?"
Steve stared at the guy for a couple of seconds. They had never spoken to each other before. Andy was a minor jock celebrity, so Steve knew who he was, but he had no idea why Andy would know his name, much less want to talk to him.
"Okay. What's it about?"
"Uh, I'll let you know. Can you meet me after the last bell on the east end steps?"
Steve's brain bogged down trying to understand what was going on. After an awkward pause he said, "Sure. I guess so."
"We can walk to the River Park. I kinda have something to ask you. Thanks." Andy said while looking very nervous. He rubbed the stubble on his chin with the back of his hand then turned from Steve and walked down the crowded hall.
Steve stared after him and whispered to himself, "What the fuck?!" He snapped the lock on his locker door and headed off to third period.
When Steve came out the east end doors Andy was already there with his backpack on. He looked like he had been pacing. Steve was suspicious as he came down the steps. Andy tried to smile up at him.
"Hey. Thanks for coming. Let's go this way." He motioned for Steve to follow.
Until they got to the edge of the school grounds and crossed the street, neither of them spoke or looked at each other.
Once across the street, again with a nervous smile, Andy said, "Let's head this way."
Steve didn't respond, but he followed Andy three blocks to the River Park entrance. At the gate he stopped and looked Andy in the eye.
"You've gotta tell me what's up. You don't know me so I don't have any idea what this is about."
Andy stood still with his brows were all tensed up, as if he were squinting.
"Let's go sit over there and I'll explain."
Steve didn't budge, but rather just stared at Andy.
"Are you punking me?" he asked.
"I promise I'm not. Come on, just follow me."
They went a block down the path with Steve trailing behind as if they weren't even walking together. Andy had to keep looking over his shoulder to see if Steve was still there.
At the point where the trail curved away from the river a wide grassy area opened up. Andy headed toward a single bench close to the river's edge. He took his backpack off and motioned for Steve to sit. Steve shrugged his pack off too and dropped it in the grass before stepping around the bench and sitting down. He looked up at Andy.
"Okay. So what's up?"
Andy had a bit of an Adam's apple so Steve could see him gulp before asking, "You're gay, right? I mean some folks say you are, and I was just wondering..."
Before he could say anything else, Steve stood up and bent to pick up his bag. Andy was faster and intercepted him with a firm grip on his shoulder.
"Wait! Please."
"Seriously? You're playing me, right? You bring me out here to accuse me of being gay? What the fuck is that? Are your wrestling buddies hiding around somewhere to beat me up?"
Steve made for his bag again, but Andy's hold on his shoulder was strong enough to stop him. Steve's heart beat hard and he was getting scared, but when he look at Andy's face he thought the jock was about to cry.
"Steve. Please. Hold on. I'm not going to hurt you, promise. Sit down a second will you, please?"
"Fuck no! You call me gay then ask me to sit down? You gotta be shitting me!"
There was so much adrenaline in Steve's veins he shook with both anger and fear. This jock was probably here to beat him up or, worse, shake him down and threaten to tell the whole school he was gay. He'd be harassed the rest of his senior year! That made him as mad as it scared him.
"Whoah! I am NOT messing with you and I'm not threatening you!" Andy shouted him down with the intensity that Steve had seen him use in wrestling matches. The veins in Andy's neck were bulging. His eyes looked dry and hot. The grip on Steve's shoulder became painful, and Andy shoved him down hard onto the bench.
"I am not messing with you!", he said again, quieter but with clenched teeth.
"So what the hell are you saying?"
"I..." Andy's face paled noticeably. "I, uh... There is a small rumor going around that you might be... gay."
Then he rushed to say, "Don't worry about it though! Nobody is making a big deal of it. Most people don't particularly care. It's just casual talk."
Steve couldn't say anything. He had worried sometimes that people thought he was that way. Since sophomore year he hadn't dated anyone at all, and he thought people might be thinking he was gay, and, apparently, they really were.