Teach Me by Ashleigh Townshend

started recruiting more kids from here to bring into the group. He like manages them or whatnot. And Kade McNamara is the new star. I guess he makes Lucas look like a puppy dog.”
    “Yeah,” interjects Billy Harvey, who is excited apparently to talk to a teacher about this. “And this weekend, Kade was up against some guy from the city who fights for like this badass dude there.” I raise my eyebrows. “Sorry. A tough guy. Anyway, the tough guy sent his best fighter and he challenged Tim to a big payout if Tim’s guy could win. And Lucas was supposed to fight, but Kade wanted the fight. I don’t know what he did-”
    “I heard he sucked Tim’s dick,” Erica interrupts. “Sorry, Miss Lawlor.”
    “Gross,” Billy says. “But whatever he did, Kade stole the fight from Lucas. And this weekend, he almost got killed. I guess the guy was crazy and high or something, because he was bleeding and cut, but he wouldn’t fall down and he just pounded on Kade. Kade’s in the hospital now with like crazy injuries. Guess Lucas is thanking his lucky stars that Kade stole the fight, huh?”
    I nod, thinking about how lucky Lucas really is. If this guy beat Kade that badly, imagine what he would have done to Lucas. Lucas is tough and he’s big, but Kade is a giant and he’s solid like a wall. Lucas could be dead right now, and even after what he did Friday night, I still feel relief that he isn’t.
    “You guys really need to worry about school and not this kind of nonsense,” I say in my best teacher voice and get the class back on track, but after school ends, I am going right to Lucas’s to give him an ultimatum. I feel so happy he’s alive, but I want him alive and present if he wants to keep going with me.
    ****
    Lucas is sleeping on his couch when I arrive, but the door is wide open. Fucking idiot , I think. I kick him a few times and he looks at me, groggy, and then sits up.
    “What time is it?”
    “Like almost four o’clock,” I tell him. “And your door was wide open.”
    “See much to take?” He gestures around the room and he’s right. His only television is about 12” big and is playing in black and white. I didn’t even know they still made black and white TVs.
    “Get up, take a shower, and come back downstairs. We need to talk.”
    “Wanna join me?” He is flirting, but I am not giving in that easily. Not this time.
    “Maybe later. After we talk.”
    He starts to make his way upstairs and I call out, “Oh, and brush your fucking teeth. You smell like shit.”
    He grins and runs upstairs to clean up. I try to pick up around me, but the dinginess seems inherent in the place rather than something that can be scrubbed away. How does he live like this? And what does it say about me that I have been so busy thinking about the size of his cock that I didn’t realize how much trouble Lucas really is in? I start to feel awful about myself, but I try to cover it when he comes back downstairs.
    He sits on the couch and I settle into the chair on the other side of the room. My stupid body can’t help but want to be against his, especially now that he’s freshly showered and smells so good, but we have bigger things to deal with at the moment.
    “Have you heard about Kade?” I ask.
    “No. Why would you come here to fucking talk about Kade?”
    “Lucas, listen to me. Kade’s in the hospital. Because of this weekend. Things got out of control.”
    “That was supposed to be my fight,” he says and I can’t tell if he’s jealous, smug, or scared.
    “I know. Which means it could be you in that hospital bed,” I remind him.
    “Are you saying you would care?”
    “Of course I would care, Lucas.”
    “Would you really? You made me get out and told me you were done.”
    “Look,” I try to explain. “I can’t support the drug thing. I just can’t. I know you claim it’s not an addiction and it helps you fight and whatever, but that shit will kill you, Lucas. And if I fall for you, I can’t