He was the new kid; everyone was whispering about him as he walked down the hallways of the school. Some were outright laughing and pointing at him; which was very rude, and just downright cruel.
But that was how the world was sometimes; cruel and uncaring.
Nobody cared how much suffering this kid was going through; how much pain. They were all thinking the same things; glad it hadn’t happened to them.
Maybe if they stopped to get to know this poor soul they’d see what a kind, caring person he was; how even though he was sicker then he’d ever been before, he’d still go out of his way to make someone else happy. He’d put aside his own pain, if it meant he could help someone; make them smile.
Yes, fifteen year old Randy “Ryo” Maclean was the new kid; the new kid with Leukemia.
Maybe deep down nobody really knew what was wrong with Ryo. Maybe they just saw the bald head and thin body and left it at that. Maybe they wouldn’t point and laugh if they knew; knew the truth.
---
“Oh, my, God!”
Dee Laytner glanced up, hearing one of his friends talking; it was Diana. He glanced over at the gum chewing girl, watching as she popped a millionth bubble.
Dee was tall, dark and very handsome. He had, what his friends called, charm. He was just fourteen, but had surprisingly enough skipped a year back in grade school, so now he was in the tenth grade. At the moment he, Diana, Drake and JJ were laying in the grass under their favorite shade tree, just killing time during their free period.
“Hmm?” Dee mumbled.
“Did you see that boy?”
“Boy?” Dee shook his head, his eyes closed as he twirled a piece of grass between his fingers.
“Be more specific, there’s a lot of boys around here,” Drake said, rolling his eyes.
Drake Evans(?) (A/N can’t remember if this is his last name) was the oldest in the group at fifteen. He had brown hair, and gold eyes. He was in the tenth grade with Dee, sharing many classes with him.
“Well, I should think that he’s the only bald boy here.” Diana said, crossing her arms. She snapped her gum again, freaking out when she got some in her long blond hair. Diana Wood was fourteen years old. Sometimes she jokes that God put a curse on her making her fall into this group of friends.
‘Of all the friends I could have, I have to be thrown in with the Village People.’ was one thing she was known for saying when she felt she wasn’t being appreciated by her friends.
Dee raised an eyebrow, “Bald?”
“Yeah, he looked sick.” Diana said. She then frowned. “And there were people laughing, making fun of him.”
“Huh…” Dee set up, crossing his arms. “Sometimes, I hate people.”
JJ, or as his parents know him, Jemmy “JJ” Adams cuddled closer to Drake, who was in fact his long term boyfriend… well if you call three months long term.
“That’s mean.” he said, feeling sorry for this kid he hadn’t even met yet.
---
‘Hmm…’ Dee’s eyes went wide when he saw the one Diana had been talking about after school let out. It had to be him. There couldn’t be two bald kids in this school, right? At least not two who looked sick like this teen did.
Dee was about to approach the boy when he noticed out of the corner of his eyes a group of jocks and cheerleader laughing and pointing.
His insides boiled as he made a fist. Trying to keep his cool, Dee started toward the boy, only to have someone grab his arm.
“What are you doing?”
Dee turned around to see one of his least favorite people, Berkeley Rose.
“What’s it look like, nimrod? I’m going to go say hi to the new kid.” Dee pulled his arm away from Berkeley.
“It could be catching,” Berkeley said.
Dee rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot; if it was catching, do you really think he’d be here? And for all we know, he doesn’t have a sickness; he could just be a very skinny kid trying to make a statement by shaving his head.”
“Now piss off, I’m getting angry just looking at you.”
Berkeley shoved Dee, then walked away, “your funereal.” He tossed behind him.
Calming his features to that of a sane person, Dee walked over to the new kid.
The kid had his back to him; he was standing by the school gates, looking through his backpack. At this close range, Dee frowned. He could see every bone in this kid’s body.
Knowing that he hadn’t been noticed yet, Dee let himself look this boy up and down. He stared, interested at his head, having the urge to reach out and see what that fine peach fuzz felt like. He bet it was soft. It was just starting to grow in, but Dee could see that it was a sandy brown.
Having felt like he stood there long enough, Dee cleared his throat to get the other’s attention. The boy in front of him jumped, dropping his bag. Dee felt a pang of guilt when he heard a soft moan of pain coming from the small boy as he turned around.
The boy’s eyes were wide; he actually looked scared.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Dee apologized. He grinned, rubbing a hand through his black hair.
The other still didn’t speak.
“Uhh, well, I’m Dee. Dee Laytner. I thought I’d say hi and welcome you to the school…”
“Ryo Maclean,” the boy finally said.
Dee smiled, bending down to pick up Ryo’s bag.
“Once again, I’m sorry,” Dee said, handing the bag to Ryo.
Ryo wasn’t used to someone being nice to him and Dee caught the mistrust in his eyes. Dee didn’t blame him one bit.
“Well, Ryo, me and my friends are meeting at my house to “Study”” he made air quotes when he said that, “would you like to come over… ahh,” he smiled, “there’s my friends now.” He pointed behind Ryo to Drake, JJ and Diana.
Ryo blinked. ‘Why, all of a sudden is someone inviting me to hang out?’ The teen wondered.
“If you don’t want to, I understand… studying is boring, but… we won’t really be studying…” Dee grinned sheepishly. “Diana rented some movies, and she’s going to be giving us makeovers.” he said that with a straight face.
Ryo’s eyes went wide, then the smallest of smiles quirked at his lips. The smile lit up his brown eyes, making his whole self come alive.
Dee didn’t understand it, but the next thing he knew, he was grinning like an idiot. Seeing that smile really made him happy.
“Really?” Ryo quietly asked.
Dee laughed, “well, no, but I’m sure if we ask nicely, she won’t mind giving us makeovers.” Dee struck a pose, “how do you think I’d look with red lipstick and some of that stuff on my cheeks?”
“You mean blush? And maybe not red; that’s too bold; you’d look nice in light pink.” Ryo said, straight faced.
Dee tilted his head to the side, “really? Pink?”
---
Diana was the first to notice Dee and the boy from earlier; she pointed, “look.”
JJ and Drake looked where Diana was pointing and smiled. They watched as Dee talked to the boy. The boy was shy at first, barely talking, but it seemed he opened up quickly and was joking back and forth with Dee. Both boys were smiling.
“You know, that kid’s very cute.” Diana mused. “Before I didn’t see him up close.”
JJ and Drake had to agree. “It’s like as soon as he smiles, you forget that he’s bald.” Drake muttered, getting a jab in his side.
“Don’t you dare fall for him.” JJ pouted.
“Never, in a million years, baby.” Drake said, kissing JJ on the nose.
Diana rolled her eyes, “get a room.” she said, jokingly.
---
“Really? Pink?”
“So what are you guys talking about?” Diana asked, waking up to Dee and Ryo, JJ and Drake next to her.
“Oddly enough, makeup.” Dee looked at his friends.
“Oh, are we getting tips, Angel?” Diana teased, draping her arms around Dee’s shoulders. She and Dee were good friends and only platonically loved each other; which was a good thing since Dee was gay and all.
Dee mock sighed, “Diana, Diana, Diana, how many times do I have to tell you? I cannot love you back.”
Diana mock pouted, “but Dee, I love you sooo much.”
Drake and JJ rolled their eyes; they were used to the others teasing.
“Would you two grow up and Dee introduce us to your new friend.” Drake said.
“Oh,” Dee glanced over at Ryo. “Everyone, this is my newest friend, Ryo Maclean,” he said, throwing a arm, gently around Ryo’s shoulders.
Ryo blushed brightly, not used at all to someone being this close to him. He glanced at everyone, muttering a shy, “Hello.”
“Ryo, this is the lovely Diana Wood. She’s in love with me, but alas, she’s not my type.” Dee pointed to Diana, who in turn stuck her tongue at him.
“This is Jemmy Adams. He goes by JJ though. The guy next to him is Drake Evans and you might as well know from the start, they’re gay and a couple. Why I’m telling you this now is because they don’t know how to keep their hormones in check.”
“ Ain’t that the truth?” Diana muttered.
Dee watched Ryo out of the corner of his eyes when he told him about JJ and Drake, wondering what his reaction would be. He’d hate it if his new friend turned out to be homophobic.
Ryo’s eyes went wide and that was all. There was no look of disgust most people got on their face when they first learned about something like this. Dee smiled; the wide eyes were to be expected. Of course anyone would be surprised.
“And while we’re on the subject,” Diana said, with a smirk, “I think you should know that I am not in love with Dee, and the one hanging all over you is as gay as Richard Simmons.”
Dee rolled his eyes, pouting. “Richard Simmons is not really gay!”
“Ohh, says you.” Diana said. “He is so gay.”
Dee glanced at Ryo, who had tensed up a little. “And I’m not hanging all over him; I’m just being nice. If I was flirting, he’d know.”
“Uh, but if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll back away.” Dee said, looking down at Ryo.
Ryo glanced up at Dee, his cheeks pink, “no, it’s okay; we’re friends right?”
Dee grinned. “Yeah, we are.”
“Ah oh,” Drake whispered in JJ’s ear, “Dee’s going to fall hard for this guy.”
JJ mutely nodded.
A/N Richard Simmons, in case you don’t know is a guy who made a lot of exercise tapes.(or so that’s what I remember; I was really young at the time) Everyone called him gay because of how he acted, dressed, blah, blah, though I’ve never seen anything to actually prove that he is. Anyone know? Is he?
Diana: He so is.
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