Free Let Love Shine by Melissa Collins

was
the same thing as being friends. We played video games and skateboarded and all
that stuff. One day, I tried to kiss him because, well, that’s what boyfriends
and girlfriends were supposed to do. He wasn’t too keen and we got into a huge
fight. We didn’t talk for a few months after. I was really hurt and just
couldn’t bear to be around him.” Staring up at the ceiling, she huffs out a
frustrated sigh as she swipes away a few more tears. She lets an amused laugh
go and her shoulders sag with relief.
    “I don’t know how I didn’t see it before we dated, but I
guess when you’re best friends with someone you just get so used to who they
are that you don’t question anything about them. They’re always there, no
matter who they are.”
    “What happened, Lizzy?” Even though I’m pretty sure I know
where this is going, I want to hear it from her.
    “I was the first person he ever came out to.” She cries a
little more and slumps down in her seat. “I think he knew for a long time, but
our ‘dating’ forced him to admit it even to himself. He made me promise not to
tell anyone and I never did. Until…”
    More tears and sobs. More pieces fall together. More
ugliness in a world when it’s the last thing any of us needs.
    “A few of the guys on the football team got suspicious.
Something about Cane not wanting to change in the locker room. Apparently when
they approached him about it, they didn’t like the way Cane answered their
questions, so they accused him of being gay. I can only imagine how scared he
felt. His deepest secret was suddenly exposed to the meanest and least
understanding people in the school.”
    “Was this when you started calling us?” I hand her another
tissue, and squeeze her tiny hand offering her some kind of reassurance that
she did the right thing.
    “Yeah. He told me what happened and that he was afraid for
his own safety. He started talking about running away and I didn’t know what to
do. When I saw you and Mr. Hopkins at the school last month, I followed you out
to the parking lot. I saw you get into this Jeep. Then today, I saw the Jeep
drive past my house. I only live down that block.” She points over her shoulder
indicating the road leading down to the college campus. “After this happened,”
she runs her finger over her nearly swollen-shut eye, “I was just sitting on my
front steps, wondering what the hell to do when I saw your car drive past. I
didn’t mean to scare your wife. I didn’t realize it wasn’t you driving. I’m
real sorry.”
    Of all the coincidences, I’ve never been more thrilled to be
stuck with Maddy’s shit car in all my life. Without it, Lizzy and I never would
have crossed paths.
    “So can you tell me about how that happened?” Considering
the damage to her face, I should have called the cops the second I saw her.
    “Those football guys that I told you about…”
    “They didn’t touch you?” Anger bubbles deep in my chest and
I clench my fists until my knuckles are white with tension.
    “No, it was a group of their girlfriends. They said that I
needed to keep my fag in line and stop him from hitting on their boys.” I hear
her cringe on the word “fag” and I can recall the venomous words that fell from
my father’s mouth the last time I saw him.
    “They beat the crap out of me and told me the guys did the
same to Cane. I’ve been trying to call him since after school, but he’s not
picking up his phone. I’m so scared.” Lizzy wraps her arms around her waist, a
vain effort to comfort herself through her returning cries.
    “It’s okay, Lizzy. We’ll figure it out.” Even though I want
to believe the words I’ve just spoken, I’m not so sure about how to fix this.
I’m not sure that it can even be fixed.
    “You stay in here and I’m going to make a few calls. Try
calling Cane again and call your parents to let them know where you are. And
try his parents too. Maybe they’ve heard from him.” She nods and