Thrull Boys

Walk him back? Wouldn't they just be walking together? Did she think she was his chaperone?

Oh, right. That guy was probably still there.

Tony noticed, though, that her offer wasn't exactly enthusiastic. She didn't even look at Tony when she spoke. At least, not until the end. She had been looking at Kael.

Well, Tony knew when he wasn't exactly wanted. He was used to being overlooked. And if she did walk him back, if the guy saw him with her...well, that wouldn't exactly help things. And he didn't have to sleep in the dorms. Did he? Maybe he'd just wander around until everyone was asleep before sneaking back in. Was there a library? Or he could just take his chances. Get beat up again. Let the stupid lug just finish, and Tony might not have to worry about him for a few days. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time he had gotten beat up. His brothers did it to him all the time.

"I'll....I'll be fine..." Tony mumbled, already leaving. "Good...good night..." he said over his shoulder, though he didn't know if they heard.

As he walked, he realized he was annoyed with how she talked to him. Not just her, but the others too. As if he was so much weaker than them. There was a difference in the tone and the vernacular when someone spoke to him, he knew it. Like how you'd talk to a junior. Almost condescending. He shoved his fists into his hoodie pocket, stretching the fabric. He supposed he couldn't really blame them, though. He was weaker. And he looked younger, he knew that. It was difficult for him to get into R-rated films, and a few theaters had even turned him away despite his ID.

Before he knew it, he was in front of the common room. He sighed, and pulled his hood on, wondering if it would make a difference. How late was it again? It was pretty dark outside...Maybe everyone was sleeping? With an anxious breath, Tony finally pushed through the door.

No such luck. Everyone was in the common room. The hood worked for about a minute before someone recognized him. Tony braced himself for impact.

Instead of a punch, something else was thrown at him. "Hey, fag, about time you showed up!" the big blond guy jeered. Apparently he had resorted to other means of attack, "Where's your girlfriend at? Not here to save your sorry ass?" Tony picked up his notebook from the floor, taking in the many crudely scribbled dicks with weary distaste.

"I don't think it's his girlfriend, Lex. Too queer for that," another boy commented.

"Where's your boyfriend at, then?" Lex called as Tony started for the bedroom. "Where your boyfriend at?" Nearly the entire room was thrown into laughter when Tony tripped over a bag on the floor.

"Man, whose purse is that anyways?" was the last thing Tony heard before shutting the door. A few guys were in the room, but they didn't pay any attention to him. He spent the rest of the night unpacking quietly, tuning out the disturbance next to him by listening to the entire Magic Flute opera on his iPod.