Everyone laughs, the taunting only growing, and Dixon turns red. “Fuck off,” Bates says, and I notice Camden wince. This is the shit he was talking about. The locker-room. The field. When anyone gets into it, the guys make kissing noises or tell them to bang it out like it’s some kind of joke.

As if two guys wanting to fuck each other is a joke. “Knock it off.” I barely recognize my own voice as it booms from my mouth.

Camden winces again and then gives a curt shake of his head, but I don’t care. I should have said something a long time ago. “What the fuck, Wells? You started it,” Dean tries.

I roll my eyes. “I said they’re in trouble. Not that they want to fuck each other.” I finish getting dressed and face my teammates. “If they do, it’s none of our business.”

“Whoa.” Bates puts his hands in the air. “We don’t. What the fuck, Wells?” He looks horrified. Dixon is even more red now, and Camden looks irritated. But I can’t just not say anything.

I try to shrug it off, but glance at Camden for a second, hating that he looks so tense, and then I focus on Bates. “I’m just saying if that’s why you guys were fighting, that’s fine.”

“Kingston, stop,” Camden says it like a warning. But no, fuck this. The more I think about all the shit spewed in here, the madder I get. Words like gay and much worse are tossed around as insults. The guys tease each other about wanting to fuck or being a girl. It’s all demeaning. It’s beyond fucked up.

“Yeah, Kingston. Stop,” Bates says, his deadly glare on me. “I don’t want to fuck that motherfucker. I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Fine.” I say it with a sharp tone, irritated because I’m not really sure what to do. I look around. “But I’m just saying, suggesting that them being gay or wanting to do stuff . . .” I grip the back of my neck, clearly not great with words. “It’s not an insult. We shouldn’t use it like a joke. It’s toxic as fuck to make fun of anyone’s sexuality.”

“Did you hit your head?” Dixon asks me, eyeing me carefully.

“Yeah, seriously. What’s your problem?” Dean asks. “We always joke about this shit. And you sound pretty fucking gay right now.”