Disarm by June Gray

high school gym.
    My eyes were closed and I was enjoying the sensations of John, when all of a sudden he was ripped away from me. I opened my eyes to find John stumbling backward, Henry standing off to the side with a murderous look on his face.
    â€œWhat the hell, Logan?” John shouted when he regained his balance.
    Henry ignored him and turned to me, his entire face flushed, but before he could say anything, John grabbed him by the arm. Henry pushed him away and John pushed back, neither boy wanting to throw the first punch since two students had been expelled for fighting just the week before.
    A crowd gathered around us, and I swear, I must have blushed ten shades of red.
    â€œYou were practically molesting her in front of the whole school,” Henry shouted.
    â€œIt’s not molesting if she wanted it!” John yelled back.
    Jason pushed his way into the center and that was about the time I decided I’d had enough. I turned away and dove into the crush of people behind me, hoping enough egos were being flung around that nobody would notice I was gone. I made it as far as the hallway before Henry and Jason caught up with me.
    â€œWhat the hell was that about?” Jason asked. He touched my arm and looked me over. “Was he hurting you?”
    â€œNo!” I cried. “We were just dancing when Henry came and ruined the night.”
    Henry shot me an incredulous look. “What? He was fucking manhandling you out there.”
    I stomped my foot. “He was not!”
    Henry’s nostrils flared and his jaw muscles worked as we stared each other down.
    â€œSo let me get this straight,” Jason said, looking at the both of us. “You and John were dancing like horny toads, and Henry put a stop to it. Is that right?”
    Henry gave a curt nod.
    Jason snorted. “You two are ridiculous. Like children,” he said and walked off, shaking his head, leaving Henry and me alone to fight our own battle.
    Henry’s eyes were nearly black in the dim hallway as he glared at me. “You shouldn’t have let him do that.”
    I was fighting back tears when I said, “We were just dancing.”
    â€œNow the whole school will see that you’re easy.”
    My heart stopped and my mouth dropped open. I felt like I’d been slapped.
    I wanted to tell him that his words were hurtful and untrue but I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so I just turned and stomped off toward the exit.
    â€œElsie. I didn’t mean it like that,” he called after me, but I was done. He was dead to me.
    â€œI hate you,” I said and flipped him off over my shoulder.
----
    The ride home from Tapwerks was tense. Henry drove, and even though alcohol usually made me chatty, the night’s events had actually stunned me into silence. I found my words again as soon as we were behind the apartment door, and boy, did I intend to use them. “What the hell was that?” I demanded, rounding on him.
    Henry just gave me a weary look. “He shouldn’t have been kissing on you.”
    â€œThat’s not what happened and you know it.”
    â€œDo I? How do I know you didn’t actually sleep together and you’re just downplaying it?”
    My hands itched to slap him on that jealous face of his but I held my fists at my sides. I’d seen enough violence for one night. “You’d better choose your next words carefully, Henry Mason Logan,” I said in the most even tone I could muster. “Because I don’t appreciate being called a lying whore.”
    â€œI didn’t call you—”
    I fixed him with a glare that could have fried a thousand eggs. I wanted to remind him of that homecoming dance, of his careless words that had almost ended our friendship, but the look on his face told me I didn’t have to.
    â€œThat’s not what I was saying,” he said, looking absolutely wretched.
    â€œThen what
are
you saying?” I asked,