[short fiction] Lonely Morning Haze pt. 2

"You're gay, aren't you?"

Mark choked on his soda, quickly grabbing a wad of table napkins as he coughed, the pain of carbonated liquids assaulting his nasal passages. "What the hell are you talking about?" he rasped, wiping his nose and mouth.

"Dude, you've got to be." Mark's tormentor, Sean, insisted, "There you were, a hot chick in need of some lovin' and all you did was crack a stupid joke to cheer her up? If it were me, man, I'd be all over her, showing her what real men are like."

Mark glared at his classmate. "She wasn't interested in sex. She was depressed."

"Depressed my ass, she was probably horny," Sean smiled, "Then again, that might not have been your thing." he winked.

Mark fought back the urge to punch the bastard. "Look, Sean, I don't know where the hell you draw your conclusions but stop it."

Sean sneered, "Stop it." he mocked, "Dude, you sound like a wimp. You wanna prove that you're not gay? Then shag her. She's ripe for the picking, Mark. She's young, impressionable, depressed and most likely a virgin."

"I don't need to prove anything." Mark's tone was dead serious. No wonder men keep getting a bad rap for being insensitive. This guy's a prick!

"Yes, you do." Sean said smugly, "Or are you admitting that you're a fag?"

Mark emptied his soda in one swig and crushed the can in his hand as he stood up. "Look, Sean." his voice barely containing his anger, "I don't know about you, but all your talk just makes me think that you're trying to cover up for your own fears." Just walk away, Mark... he forced himself to turn around and leave, There's no point in getting into a fight

Sean watched as Mark stood and left, his laughter taking on a nervous tone at Mark's words. "What? What the hell are you talking about?" he called out as Mark walked away, "Hey!"

Another student in an adjoining table put down the book he was reading. He turned to Sean then with a deadpan face, "Dude, that guy was saying you were gay."

----

It was dark already, and Mark found himself on the park bench again with nothing to keep him company save for the lamp post that illuminated the bench with a circle of light.

"Asshole." he swore, "What the hell was that about? What a prick."

"Who's a prick?" a familiar voice called out from the path.

Mark looked up, "Anna," he relaxed then, "Nah, nobody important."

Anna sat beside him then. "Keeping secrets now?" she smiled, pushing up her glasses, "That's not very like you."

Mark sighed as he looked at her. "It's not important." he said, "I almost got into a fight earlier today."

"A fight?" she raised her eyebrow, "Over what?"

oh crap. "Nothing important," Mark assured her, "really!" he forced himself to smile.

"You're a terrible liar, Mark."

Mark gave her a sheepish look.

"Come on, 'fess up." Anna said, "I promise I won't laugh!"

Mark sighed, "Okay, fine... this'll be a little awkward, okay?"

Anna nodded, "Do you have a Non-Discolsure Agreement I have to sign?"

Mark gave her a withering glare.

"We're friends, Mark. Trust me on this."

Mark nodded, "I was having lunch when Sean, and I... uh, I told him about what happened between you and Kerwin."

Anna nodded, "I can't believe you actually went and told other people about that, but I'll reserve your eventual punishment for another time." she grinned, "Continue..."

Mark raised an eyebrow at that statement, "Okay... so anyway, I told him about it, then he goes off on how I must be gay or something."

Anna laughed, "How did he ever come up with that conclusion?"

"Because I didn't... uh, take advantage of the situation."

Anna's laughing stopped, "Excuse me?"

"Sean was insisting I was gay because I didn't take you home and well... have sex with you." Mark said, "Look, it was a bad idea to tell you, he's a chauvanist pig and an insult to my gender."

"I'll kill him!" Anna fumed, "What an insensitive prick! Tell me you kicked his ass, Mark. Because if you didn't I sure as hell will!"

Not again. Mark sighed, "Look, it's fine. I walked away from the whole thing. He's being an ass, and that's below me." he said, stifling a chuckle as he saw Anna's reaction, her brow furrowed, and her lips forming a rather cute pout.

"So that's it? You let him get away with it?" Anna asked, "You've been reading into too much of that buddhism stuff, Mark. Not even Ghandi would stand for that kind of insult!"

Mark laughed at that last line, "Look, Anna. I know that my sexual orientationis still aligned with my physiology." he grinned, "And as for Sean, he's probably projecting his insecurities or something."

"Since when did you shift courses to Psychology?" Anna asked, skeptical.

"I read a lot." Mark replied. "There's nothing to be gained from that argument. I'm more than a little miffed about what he said, but I consider myself the winner." he smiled, "There's more to dignity than name calling and social pressure."

"Wow... That's awful mature of you."

"It is?"

"Yeah." Anna smiled, "It makes sense, in a good way." she checked her watch, "Well, I'd better get going. It's late, and I've got a test to study for tomorrow." she stood.

"Hey..." Mark stood up as well, "Let me walk you there, at least. I don't feel comfortable having you walking home alone at this hour."

"This isn't a ploy to get into my panties is it?"

"Anna!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

----

Obligatory note: Just in case there are those who are affected negatively by the story. The Author does not intent to offend any party with this work, and hopes that this will be taken from an objective point of view.