Trailer Trash(81)

One other bit of information caught his attention. The state’s law criminalizing same-sex sexual activity and been repealed in June 1976. It wasn’t quite the same as “Hey, gay people, we want you here!” but at least they wouldn’t have to worry about actually being arrested for what happened in their bedroom.

Iowa. He’d never given the place much thought before, but suddenly, it was the only place he wanted to be.

He dropped the books in the return bin just as the bell rang and headed for Nate’s locker, wanting to tell him what he’d found.

But as he rounded the corner, he discovered a circle of people around Nate’s locker, and his heart sank. He pushed through the gathering crowd to find Nate backed against the bank of lockers by Brian Anderson. Brad Williams stood only a step or two behind Brian, obviously working as Brian’s backup.

“I know it was you!” Brian yelled, shoving Nate backward, even though Nate had nowhere to go. “I know you told your dad.”

Nate still had a notebook and his English text in one hand. His cheeks were red, but he was calmer than Cody expected. “I didn’t—”

“You must have. You saw us at that party—”

“But I didn’t tell my dad. I swear it.” He was lying, though. Cody could tell, although he couldn’t quite have said how he knew. There was just something about Nate’s eyes that told him the denial wasn’t entirely honest.

And obviously Brian didn’t believe him either, because he poked Nate hard in the chest. “Then why’d he get arrested?”

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“It was your dad who busted him!”

“My dad doesn’t talk to me about his work. I don’t know anything—”

“Liar!”

Brian grabbed Nate and slammed him against the lockers. Cody moved fast. He hit Brian from the side, shoving him away from Nate, trying to put himself between them. “Leave him alone!”

His attack knocked Brian back a couple of steps, but he recovered quickly, sneering. “Oh, look,” he said over his shoulder to Brad, and to the onlookers. “Nate’s trailer-trash butt-buddy is coming to his rescue.”

Cody squared his shoulders and stepped forward. It wouldn’t be the first time Brian Anderson had punched him, and if it brought the teachers running before they got to Nate, he’d be okay with it.

But the teachers were quicker than he gave them credit for.

“Break it up!” Mrs. Simmons shouted, pushing her way through the gathered students. “That’s enough. Mr. Lawrence, you know better than to fight in the hallways. And Mr. Williams, I think your mom has quite enough to deal with right now without having to come down to the school for a conference with the principal.”

The rest of the students began to shuffle toward the classrooms. Brian took one step toward Cody, but his eyes were on Nate. “I’ll get you, man. You’re gonna pay.”

“Mr. Anderson!”

Brian scowled, but moved away. Nate turned to his locker, and Cody edged closer, noting how Nate’s hands shook as he dialed his combination.

“What the fuck, man? You narced on Brian?”

Nate scowled and yanked the locker door open. “Not really. Not like that. Not the way you make it sound.”

“What, then?”

He tossed his book inside and pulled another one from the shelf. “It was ages ago. At the end of Christmas break. I’d forgotten all about it.”

“So you did narc him out?”

Nate slammed the locker door shut and turned on Cody. “Jesus, can you stop taking his side for one minute and listen to me?”

Cody scrubbed his hands through his hair, trying to calm his racing heart. “I’m not taking his side. I’m just asking—”

“I didn’t really mean to tell my dad anything, but he was hassling me about spending time with you, telling me you’re a bad influence, and I was just trying to tell him it was bullshit. I just wanted him to know those assholes from the Grove aren’t the saints he makes them out to be, that’s all. And I slipped. I said Brian’s name, but I didn’t realize he’d know who I meant. I didn’t think he was going to go after them!”

“But he did?”

“Apparently. I guess. I don’t know.”

Now that the moment had passed and his adrenaline was fading, Cody could almost see the humor in it. “You don’t know?”

“I have no idea, all right? Like I told Brian, my dad doesn’t talk to me about his work. I didn’t know anything about it until Brian slammed me against the locker and started screaming at me.”