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The morning basketball practice was finally over. I quickly left the training ground, opened my backpack, took a bottle of water to pour torrentially on my face, and shook my sweat-soaked hair. The basketball court echoed with the laughter of the guys on my team. After listening to the P.E. teacher for the last time, I rushed home with the others.

While passing through the school gate to go home, we started chatting.

"It seems that Mr. Louis is determined to win this year's city championship!" One stuck his tongue out.

"Last year, Cannelle High School completely defeated our school team!" I shook my head and continued spinning the ball on my finger, "Other schools are not easy to beat, either!"

"Having a center like you, we can already feel half of the victory. Come on, Fleuve!" Another friend encouraged me.

I laughed, then threw the ball at his chest. Suddenly, another team member whispered: "Hey, that's the pédé!"

I headed up and saw a 10th-grade boy studying alone on the stone bench. His silky hair created soft and inclined bangs on his forehead, which had a few drops of glittering sunlight and obscured his face. He was focusing on his notebook. His small sitting posture seemed as if it was trying to crouch and make him even more isolated from the world.

"How do you know he's gay?" I asked in surprise.

"Have you ever heard his voice? It sounds like a girl!" My friend laughed scornfully, then shouted at that kid, "Hey gay Mer! Are you studying or watching the photos of handsome boys?"

Then the whole group chuckled loudly. Reflexively, I also tried to make a distorted smile. The boy named Mer headed up. His pure eyes looked directly at us, but they did not show a bit of anger or sadness. However, when I glanced back at Mer's deep and cold eyes, my smile suddenly faded away. It was as if there was endless loneliness reflected in that expressionless look.

Showing complete indifference to the tease as if he were too familiar with it, Mer looked back into the notebook.

But my friends still hadn't stopped: "Are you listening to me without answering, pédé boy?"

"Hey, we are handsome! Why don't you look at us for one second, honey? Huh huh..."

The laughter started again. Typically, I would have joined them, but something about Mer made me feel tormentful.

"Stop joking, guys! Poor him..." I waved at my friends, then winked, "Come home quickly. I'll pay for the ice creams."

The crowd cheered in response and rapidly ran to the ice cream shop. I could just turn my head backward to look at Mer one last time and... I was suddenly startled to see his astonishing look at me.