Who Stands Behind You? (Disventure High School AU)

by RedEyedShuck

Summary:

Synopsis: Tipiskaw International High School is a small school where everybody knows everybody, but two students are having a particularly hard time. Aiden and Jake are both seemingly from different worlds. Jake’s family is fairly well off, while Aiden’s struggles to get by. Aiden has a loving and supportive family; Jake’s family despises him for who he loves. When the two start to become friends, why do their lives seem so similar? The two boys may need each other more than they know…

This shit will get dark at points, you have been warned. (P.S PLEASE GIVE YOUR COMMENTS I LOVE READING THEM! X :3)

Notes:

Right, my first 'proper' story. This shit will get dark at points, you have been warned. All of the chapter titles are song titles/lyrics, if you get any of them right then you'll win a cookie (maybe). Also, I apologise in advance if you dislike my portrayals of certain characters (mainly Riya), but it's my story and I needed a mean girl and Riya just fits that role if you ask me lol. P.S I'm a British adult trying to write a story set in a Canadian high school setting, the closest thing I've ever seen to that is the American shows on Disney channel I used to watch when I was a kid. Final Note: Please be kind, I'm autistic, I have OCD and as a result, very bad anxiety but I'm pushing through it because I wanted to share this silly little passion project online with others, and make Aiden and Jake suffer lol. (Jk, they are my babies)

Chapter 1: A Lover On The Left, A Sinner On The Right

Summary:

Jake suffers...that's about it...

“Blake…please. You don't mean that.” The words shot like a bullet through Jake's ears. “We're done.” Blake was standing over him after knocking him to the ground when Jake had tried to get closer; the brown-haired teen had the strength and domineering presence of a giant. “Jake I don't even like you anymore; you literally caught me screwing Maxy on my couch. When are you going to get it through your thick skull? I'm. Done. With. You.” Heavy tears blurred Jake's vision, and he stuttered through the sobs that caught in his throat. “I don't care… I forgive you! Just please… Please don't go; you're all I have left…” The blue-haired boy's hands still reached out as if in an attempt to pull Blake back to him, to no avail. Blake was walking into the distance, spitting out a final venomous “You're so fuckin’ pathetic.” He truly was all alone. Splayed out on the grass in the middle of the park, Blake’s car speeding away-

The shrill sound of a beeping alarm clock snapped Jake from the awful memories that plagued his dreams. Most kids can relate in saying, ‘Monday is the worst day of the week.’ but for Jacob Hamilton, every day was the worst day of the week. Monday through Friday was a school day, more akin to a prison camp in his opinion, and the weekends were no better. It was always the same dream. That awful night in late August. The night everything fell apart.

Same routine. Get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, and try to eat something while having your parents pretend that you don't exist the whole time. Fourteen-year-old, bright-eyed freshman Jake would have never believed that this would be his life only two and a half years later. An alien and outcast in his own family home, with no big brother Shawn there to protect him. Mom and dad had made it very clear when he came out to them as gay. ‘You can stay until you're 18; after that, you're out.’ Fortunately, Jake had managed to find himself a little after-school job at a bakery not far away from the school. Run by a sweet but stern lady named Miriam. She ran the place like the military, but she had a heart of gold. The bakery was like a sanctuary for Jake. Do a few hours after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, then all day Saturday and Sunday. It kept him away from the house; the pay wasn't too bad, all things considered, and then when school was over, he could move out and start over again.

Jake found it was always best to keep his head down and get on with things; don't rock the boat at home because that shit will never end well. At least he had a twenty-minute walk to school, which was relatively peaceful; he could crank up his headphones and forget about the rest of the world for a little while. The memories that were brought back up by that dream haunted him as he walked, remembering the aftermath that night had brought. Jake's mother and father expected some kind of explanation when he turned up at the house way past curfew, streaked with dirt and grass stains, crying his eyes out. “It's Blake… He wasn't just my friend. He was my boyfriend. He broke up with me.” Never before had such few words caused such a shock wave. While many parents would've offered hugs and ice cream at that point, Jake's parents offered nothing but vile words and every slur under the sun. There was apparently no greater sin than being gay in that house. He wasn't even their son anymore; he was subhuman. Not to mention it wasn't like Jake could run into the arms of his elder brother, Shawn, who was the golden boy and who obeyed their parents very wish. He'd face the same vile treatment from him without a doubt.

Jake took a deep breath as he climbed the tall steps that led to the school entrance; the anxiety rattled him every time, and the looks he got from people made his stomach churn horribly. Blake hadn’t just broken up with him six months ago; he had truly rubbed salt in an already gaping wound. Jake had done the only thing he could think to do; he rang and messaged Blake over and over again, desperately trying to get some kind of response, but the blue-haired teen never heard anything from him again. The next week, however, when the new school year had started again, Blake had sent screenshots of all of Jake’s messages to a friend and one of the school’s most popular kids, James Costa. Blake was one of the school's most popular kids when he attended; it had made Jake feel like he was dating a celebrity. The brown-haired teen was respected, and people used to hang on his every word when he spoke. James and Blake had played on the school soccer team together before Blake graduated and went to college. James had clearly found Jake pouring his heart out amusing and then in turn shared it with his friends, and eventually the screenshots had made their way around the whole school. Blake’s god-like status had meant that Jake was now enemy number one; everyone despised him. Blake could do no wrong; it must’ve all been Jake. The blue-haired young man had been laughed at and made fun of countless times; James’s friends Riya and Yul especially had made it their goal to make Jake’s life a living hell ever since. But who could he tell? What could he do? His only true friend, Ashley, had graduated early and moved back to the USA. He texted and rang her now and again, but she was always so busy on her family’s farm. Blake was the last ‘good’ thing he had, and he was gone; Jake had truly never felt more alone.

“Just get inside, get to your locker, get to class.” Was the mantra playing like a stuck record in his head over and over again. Upon pushing the door open, it was a blessing to see that the main entrance was fairly quiet today, just the usual faces turning to look Jake up and down with judgemental smirks; he could cope with that. He knew to keep his eyes down and pull his red backpack back over his shoulder, turning the corner and heading down the usual musty hallway. Things were going well so far; usually at this point someone had attempted to trip him up or mockingly asked how Blake was. The optimistic attitude was all but crushed when Jake’s dark eyes met his locker. Someone had decided to cruelly spray a certain homophobic slur beginning with ‘f’ on his locker in red spray paint. His heart suddenly jumped into his throat as he lunged towards his locker and desperately scrubbed at the metal door with his sleeve in an attempt to get the letters off. His face went as red as the paint as stinging tears pricked at the corners of his eyes; his parents had called him that word when he came out to them. “For fuck’s sake...” The seventeen-year-old muttered under his breath, only for a cold shadow to fall over him, coming to realise that there were two figures looming behind him.

“Shit, that’s a little harsh, don’t you think? I’m starting to feel a bit bad for you, Jake.” Riya. A student from India with an insanely rich family, she was drop-dead gorgeous (at least according to the boys in the locker rooms), popular, cunning and the envy of almost any other girl in existence. You could always smell her horrendously strong perfume or hear the clack of her designer shoes before you could actually see her. “Aww, don’t give him too much pity, Ri. He was probably into Blake calling him that.” Yul. He was from South Korea, a dance prodigy, attractive but as cruel as sin. He was horrendously homophobic, although Jake didn’t think that he had even seen someone be so deep in the closet as Yul was. A clear case of projection if there ever was one. Both were master manipulators; Yul would use the fact that his family had defected from North Korea for sympathy whenever the cards were out of his favour, and Riya could destroy your life with her power and influence in a few seconds if she wanted to. It was hard to say who was worse out of the pair; the two had superiority complexes so big they could block out the sun. Jake’s embarrassment quickly turned to rage, snapping around to face them, angry tears threatening to fall. “Did you both do this?” His hands balling into fists. “Us? As if I’d be caught dead using spray paint.” Riya chortled while glancing at her perfectly manicured nails. “We just came to observe the handiwork.”

“Well, who did then?” Yul sprang toward Jake like a coil, shoving him back into the lockers with a thudding clang, a finger pointing in his face and pain blooming in the blue-haired boy's shoulder from being jabbed sharply with a locker handle. “Listen, freakshow, even if we did know, I wouldn’t say. It’s hardly like what was written was inaccurate, was it? You know, if you didn’t have the fact that you’re a desperate, annoying twink as your main personality trait, you wouldn’t be so much of a target.” Jake's eyes shifted from left to right in panic, looking up and down the hallway. James was stood leaning against the wall close to the door that led outside to the courtyard. He was scrolling through his phone as per usual, completely indifferent to what his friends were doing a few yards away. James had made it clear before that he wasn't fond of him. Those tears were now falling hard and heavy down Jake’s pale cheeks, dropping into a pool on the white tiles below. “Please… just leave me alone…” Both Riya and Yul fell into howls of laughter, Jake still pinned between them and the cold metal wall. “Oh, the irony! I thought you were going to beg me to stay; that’s at least half of your vocabulary, isn’t it?” The Korean boy’s shrill and venomous voice sent cold shots up Jake’s spine. “I’m pretty sure the other half is comprised of ‘Oh Blake! Harder!’”

“HEY! Will you just fuckin’ quit it?” A familiar voice boomed down the hall, loud and strong, having just come in from outside. Yul had let go of him momentarily, Jake didn’t think; now was his chance to get away. He just grabbed his bag from the floor and ran. Dashing full speed for the men’s bathroom, hardly being able to see where he was going through the burning hot tears. The door flew open at speed as Jake made a beeline for one of the stalls, locking it behind him and dropping to his knees. Jake immediately vomited into the toilet bowl in front of him, heaving and spluttering as his stomach emptied itself, the bile horribly burning his throat. Too much. Everything was too much. The world was spinning and buzzing. The thoughts of the fact he didn’t want to live like this anymore whirled about his mind like a swarm of insects while he hyperventilated; he knew he had to calm himself down before someone heard. Turning around slightly to lean back against the partition. Head tilting back and looking up at the fluorescent lights above him as he tried to calm his breathing. Just as his mind started to quiet, the bathroom door creaked open. Shit. What if it was Yul? Jake stood as quietly as he could, clutching his bag. Ready to bolt at any moment.

“Jake?…” That wasn’t Yul. This voice was deeper, gentle, concerned. The voice from before. “It’s Tom… from P.E class. I…uh, I hope you’re okay, although… I doubt you are. I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened to you; you don’t deserve it after what happened with Blake… You really didn't deserve that. I’ve been there… If you ever want to talk, I’ll listen…” Jake said nothing, too stunned to speak, his voice and breaths caught in his throat. Tom Reed? One of the school’s top soccer players? He had defended Jake from Yul and Riya? Surely this was some kind of prank that Tom was in on, someone trying to pull the wool over Jake's eyes. Jake knew that James and Tom were friends as they both played on the soccer team together, had he put him up to this?

The blue-haired boy had never taken much notice of Tom; he was considered mysterious and kind of cool due to his scars, but not many people took notice of him. He kept himself to himself despite almost always being the first pick in P.E. Why would he give a shit about Jake? No one else did. “Jake?...” The boy was snapped out of his thoughts again, not entirely sure what to say or if he could even trust the teenager on the other side of the door. “I, uh, t-thank you. I have to get to class, maybe… I’ll catch you later.” Jake’s voice was clearly strained from crying; puking his guts up didn’t help either. “Okay, I’ll see you around.” Jake could almost hear the smile that Tom had through the stall’s walls, he couldn't trust if it was genuine or not. The other boy’s steps drifted away into silence as he left the bathroom. Jake was left there with nothing but his thoughts. What the fuck just happened? The bell for class rang out like a shot; Jake had to hurry and make himself somewhat presentable before any further humiliation in in front of his peers could occur. With all the strength he could muster, the seventeen-year-old dragged himself into the hall to try to find his way to English class.

Chapter 2: It's Alright, We'll Survive

Summary:

Connor is based in this and I'm sorry if you like Lynda, that's it.

“Jacob Hamilton, you're late, AGAIN!” Jake hated all of his classes, but English was particularly torturous. Mrs Anderson seemed to have some kind of personal vendetta against him, but to be fair, she seemed to have one against half of the class. Tipiskaw International High had some unique qualities, one of which was that you could call teachers by their first names. However, if you dared call Mrs Anderson 'Lynda', you would be getting detention every night for a month. She would give out the most monotonous tasks and assignments and peer at the class with her sharp green eyes nastily from behind whatever novel she was reading, rather than actually teaching the class anything useful. Not to mention his desk mate was Ellie Parker, an American girl with a serious problem with shit-talking other people, being constantly pissed off, it seemed. She was an art student and constantly drew in her books when they were supposed to be working; Jake was consistently told to ‘fuck off’ or mind his own business whenever he tried to make conversation by enquiring about her art. She had been nice in the past, but ever since Jake's personal life became the business of the whole school, her attitude had soured towards him. The irony was that she was dating Gabby Nowak, one of the nicest girls in the school. Jake never would've thought those two could've been a compatible pair, although Gabby had a reputation for being slightly unhinged…

Mrs Anderson stood at the front of the class behind her desk, hands on her hips and glaring daggers into Jake. “I'm really sorry; I was just –” “Just sit down!” The whole class was staring now; Jake's face flushed and his mouth became dry. Keeping his eyes to the ground, he tried to ignore everyone around him, giggling from the back of the room pricking at his ears as he found his way to his desk. Ellie didn't so much as give him a glance from where she was drawing in her notebook, probably for the best, all things considered.

Today's task was the usual: read through the sheets that had been passed out and try to fill them in as best you can, then write a small essay on what you've learnt about the characters. It was usually Shakespeare or something similarly eye-wateringly boring; only today's assignment had a twist: work in pairs. Jake and Ellie looked at each other begrudgingly, Ellie then rolling her eyes in annoyance before making a start on the task at hand. The low buzz of chatter in the classroom and the exhaustion of the earlier morning's events caused Jake's mind to wander; his eyes stared down at the desk in front of him. That scrawled word written on his locker stung like a bee sting every time Jake remembered it. It was like Yul said; it was what he was known for. But, Tom…he went out of his way to speak to Jake. Did he want something from him?

“Are you going to help with this then?” Ellie’s voice cut through Jake's thoughts and brought him back to earth. “O-oh shit, yeah, what's the task again?” Ellie’s teal eyes stared at Jake with raised eyebrows, taking in his dishevelled appearance. Even she could tell something was wrong, although she wasn't exactly polite in expressing it. “You look like shit, dude. Something happened?” “Just get off my case, Ellie…” “I was just asking, god…” Jakes stared at the paper hopelessly; none of it was going in. He was too exhausted, and his throat stung from vomiting earlier. “You still aren't helping!” “Oh, shut up; like you don't usually draw all the way through this class.” The red-haired girl folded her arms in defensive annoyance; Jake had struck a nerve. “At least I don't just sit there feeling sorry for myself; you aren't the only one with problems, you know.” He said nothing, biting his lip so hard he was close to drawing blood, but he was furious. What the hell did she know? Just don't engage, Jake; you've already drawn enough attention to yourself today, but Ellie wasn't done. “God, you're annoying; no wonder you got cheated on.” At that moment, something in Jake snapped. That was the final straw. “Oh fuck you, Ellie!”

“THAT'S IT! Get out of my classroom, Hamilton. Triple detention; go to the principal's office.” The classroom erupted into a chorus of laughs and jeers at Jake's expense. It was a relief in a way; the blue-haired teen would rather spend three hours in a stuffy room after school than sit in this hellhole of a classroom any longer. Yanking his bag back over his shoulder, he marched out of the room while being flipped the bird by the ginger-haired girl he had been sitting next to. Slamming the door shut, the feeling of things falling down around him felt more and more crushing. The tears being squeezed out of his eyes and the weight forming in his throat cutting off his oxygen. Jake wasn't sure how much more he could take of this.

Jake didn’t even need to knock when he got to the principal's office; it was already wide open, and Mr Blake was waiting for Jake’s arrival, wordlessly ushering the teen inside and shutting the door behind them. Despite sharing his surname with Jake’s ex, Mr Blake, or ‘Connor’, was incredibly kind and gentle. He treated every student as an individual and tried to help them the best that he could. Jake visiting Connor's office was a common occurrence; Connor clearly knew Jake was going through it. The two had created a friendship of sorts, aided by the fact that Connor was a frequent customer at Miriam’s bakery and a personal friend of hers, always going out of his way to ask how Jake was when he was working. “Take a seat, Jake.” Connor wasn’t the type to shout the place down when you were in trouble; he was more the type to try and get on your level and see what caused the situation. He could relate to the kids that he was in charge of because he still was a kid at heart. Jake sat opposite Connor, eyes fixated on the swirling patterns on the dark blue carpet below him. “Want a drink, son?” Jake gave a small smile in response, still avoiding eye contact with the man who had gotten up from his desk and walked over to a minifridge in the cupboard at the back of the office. “Yeah, preferably alcoholic.” Connor gave a hearty laugh as he pulled two cans of lemonade out of the fridge. “I would if I could, Jake, but I don’t think that’s the answer to your problems.” Jake just shrugged, eyes still on the ground, fearful that if he looked into the eyes of another person, he wouldn’t be able to stop the tears that threatened to spill over. “How are things at home?" - “Great, great!” Jake replied a little too fast and enthusiastically for his liking. Shit. Connor could be oblivious sometimes, but he wasn’t dense. Connor’s expression said it all; Jake sighed in reply. “Things are fine; I manage.” The principal hummed as he passed Jake the cool can of lemonade. The boy’s eyes were glassy and red; he knew things weren’t perfect at home, but he could try to bring up the topic later. He needed Jake to talk, and trying to push the subject too much could just push Jake away.

“C'mon, Jake, we both know something is getting to you. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what's wrong. I heard there was an incident this morning.” Jake’s face snapped towards the older man’s upon hearing him mention the events of this morning. Then looking down again, playing with his fingernails. “How’d you know ‘bout that?” Asked the young man in a quiet voice, ashamed. “I’m the principal; news reaches me fast!” Connor remarked in an attempt to put Jake at ease; his words had backfired. However, Jake’s face was almost as red as his hoodie, and the way his hands trembled was pitiful to see. “I was just jokin’, son. Tom Reed came to tell me; he said that Yul Kim had you pinned against the wall and you ran off. He asked if I would check up on you.” “What? Tom did?” Tom had gone out of his way not only to try to stand up for Jake and attempt to console him but also to tell Connor and ask him to check in on Jake. He really did care, didn’t he? “Yeah…he’s a good kid; I’m fond of him. I used to speak to him a lot about his issues, but that’s apart from the point… We need to talk about you. Tell me what happened earlier, please?"

“Fine… Someone…wrote something on my locker. Something…unkind.” Jake’s hands shook wildly as he tried to bring the metal can to his lips to drink. “Oh yeah, what did it say?” Oh Connor, he was as kind as they came but a bit tactless when trying to go about solving things. “I'd…rather not repeat it. It was… it had something to do with the fact that…you know, I’m gay… Yul and Riya were just rubbing it in.” Connor’s eyes grew wider. “Oh.” Jake was surprised to see how shocked Connor was at the fact someone had written something so backwards on school property; there was one other current case of a student that Connor knew of that had similarly cruel behaviour, but nothing this bad. Connor knew Jake’s sexuality; he was one of the only people that Jake felt comfortable telling. He and Connor had discussed at length his and Blake’s relationship and the awful way it ended. The principal was also aware of Jake’s private messages going around school and some of the fallout from the other students. He had tried to do what he could, giving assemblies on kindness and bullying prevention, but nothing had really worked; there were still the workshops of LGBTQ+ acceptance to come in the coming weeks, prompted by a mother coming to him about the mistreatment of her transgender son. Connor had no idea things had become quite this bad. “Are people singling you out because of it? Your sexuality?” When Jake looked back at Connor, he saw nothing but kindness, concern and sympathy in his eyes. “I don’t think it’s my sexuality, Christ; I think half the kids in my grade are queer. I think it’s the fact it’s me.” Connor said nothing back. Jake had expected a response along the lines of ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ but Connor wouldn’t dismiss him like that; he was too good of a man. He gestured silently, encouraging the teen to continue.

“To everyone, I’m just known as ‘Blake’s annoying ex!’.” Jake started, using his fingers to form quotation marks as he spoke. “Everyone hates me. I get stares and comments all day. We’ve spoken about him before… He was my first crush, my first kiss, my first… my first everything! I still miss him, and everyone knows it. That’s why they call me pathetic, and they’re right.” Connor looked thoughtful for a moment while watching Jake’s face drop and his eyes return to staring at the floor. “Not everyone, Jake; I don’t think that you’re pathetic, and Tom clearly doesn’t hate you.” “But I’ve never spoken to Tom! Ashley left last year, and all of my old friends want nothing to do with me.” Connor smiled for a moment. “Tom said that he offered to let you speak to him, didn’t he? Why don’t you try to get to know him?” Connor suggested optimistically. Jake shrugged with a quiet “I guess…” The older man knew he needed to do something drastic; Jake was falling downhill rapidly, it was clear to see. He desperately tried to get Jake to listen to his words. “Jake, what I see is a young man who’s lonely and hurt; you were betrayed by Blake and also by so many other people. You felt loved by Blake, and that’s what you truly want, I think.” Jake sniffed as he heard Connor’s words, dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve, unable to form words. “You went through some traumatic experiences, son. I’ve told you before that I think that Blake manipulated and used you; he was two years older than you too… We spoke about coercive control before, didn’t we? It’s normal for victims to want to stay with the person they were in a relationship with, even though they’ve been hurt by them so badly.” Connor looked at Jake once more before adding. “I think a good course of action would be to try to reach out to people and make some new friendships.”

Jake still wouldn’t say anything; his eyes were puffy and the redness in his face was clearly visible. Connor knew he was in no state to attend normal lessons today. He had no other cards on the table, so he suggested the only thing he could think of. “I’m going to put you in one of the isolation rooms today. I don’t think being around lots of people is going to do you any good right now.” Jake’s eyes grew wide and worried; he knew his behaviour wasn’t perfect, but the isolation room meant that his parents had to be called. Connor noticed it was quick to put the poor lad at ease. “It’s not as a punishment, son. Just to let you chill out for a while and try to catch up with your work. No parent call required. You can come and go as you please, crank your headphones up and jam out if you want to. We can try it today while I get a few things sorted for you. Also, you can forget about those detentions. I’ll tell Lynda that the isolation room is your punishment. We have to keep her happy somehow, don’t we?” Jake gave a small giggle at that, now more open to the idea of having some alone time. “If all goes well today and you’re open to it, you can stay in there until Thursday. I should have made a few arrangements by then. Sound good?” Finally, for the first time in a long while, Jake truly smiled. “Yeah, thanks, Connor. I can work with that…”

When the conversation came to an end, Connor walked Jake over to the room where he would be staying for the majority of the week. Mr Miller, the P.E. teacher and head coach for the boys' soccer team, (or Richard, as he insisted everyone call him) was sitting behind the desk typing away on his laptop. Jake knew he was a very kind teacher; everyone celebrated if you had a lesson with him. Richard passed Jake some more worksheets to get on with that would help him catch up to his peers. After Connor was sure Jake was settled, he moved away to head to the door, leaving Jake to be observed by the coach. Before the principal could leave, Jake stood and rushed over to him. “Wait, Connor… If you see Tom, would you please tell him I say thank you?” Connor’s gold tooth glinted in the light as he smiled. “Of course I will, you just focus on getting your work done.” After Jake sat back down and had started to write, and Richard was certain Connor had left, he leaned over the desk and half-whispered, “What music do you like, son?” Jake smiled in response while thinking carefully, requesting some Panic! At The Disco. Both men continued working happily to the sound of Brendon Urie’s voice.

Chapter 3: It’s Amazing To Be Young

Summary:

Aiden... I'm so sorry...

Across the school, a split-haired young man was happily chatting to his two dear friends, Lake and Rosa María. Aiden couldn’t help but feel a bit like a third wheel sometimes, with Lake and Rosa being so close. The two girls tried their very best to include him as much as possible, but Lake and Rosa lived together; Lake’s parents had kicked her out after she refused to marry a man they had arranged for her to become engaged with immediately after graduating high school. Lake’s family was very wealthy and had moved to Canada from Germany; her family’s high expectations and academic pressure had put Lake under a lot of strain, affecting her eating and general well-being. Lake knew deep down she could never be the perfect girl they expected; she was a lesbian and didn’t want to obey people who saw her as nothing more than a status symbol. Rosa and Lake were as thick as thieves; Rosa had even introduced Lake to one of her Spanish-speaking friends, Mariana. Mariana and Lake had both hit it off and were now dating happily. Rosa’s family saw Lake like she was their own daughter and took her in without a second thought, despite them not being very well off financially. The fact that Aiden and Rosa had both dealt with poverty in the past is part of what brought them together, bonding over the shared struggles they faced at home. Sadly, the majority of Lake and Rosa’s classes were on the other side of the school; Aiden only saw the two girls in the odd class they might have together, at lunch or in between classes.

The next lesson was a good one, Art. A favourite of Aiden’s and Lake’s. Rosa waved them goodbye as she departed to make her way to her woodwork class. Rosa María was everyone’s friend, thoughtful, kind and affectionate. Despite being the only girl in the class, all the boys in woodwork loved and respected her. She was no pushover, however. You would know if you had ever pissed the Latina girl off; she was able to whip all of the boys in her class back into line within a moment's notice. “I still don’t know how she manages to deal with all those boys!” Lake remarked with her strong accent as they both continued down the buzzing hall, both teens weaving back and forth in an attempt to not bump into people. “Oh, come on, we’re not all that bad, you know.” Aiden joked with a little poke on his friends arm. A voice cut through the conversation, interrupting the two friends; a female form was standing right in the middle of their path, so they couldn’t get past. “How would you know? It’s not like you actually count as a boy.” Riya had appeared from nowhere and stared right into Aiden’s teal eyes, getting off on the pained reaction that her stinging words had brought. Aiden’s mind went blank, rattled by the remark. “Leave it, Riya. No one asked for your opinion.” Living with Rosa had certainly brought Lake out of her shell, taking on more of Rosa’s confidence and attitude. The Indian girl scowled, raising a finger in preparation to spit venomous insults into the German girl’s face when another voice joined the conversation. “Don’t worry about her, Aiden.” Came a deep voice with a strong Brazilian accent that Aiden was all too familiar with. James. “Sure he’s a boy, Riya. A very cute one.” James added with a wink. For some reason the Brazilian loved nothing more than to tease and wind up Aiden whenever he got the opportunity. Aiden knew it was best to ignore it, but it pissed him off to no end. He never bothered anyone; why did people constantly feel the need to get in his business?

Lake was giggling at James's remark, playing along light-heartedly. “He’s not wrong!” Lake’s warm smile never failed to make Aiden feel lighter, rolling his eyes with a sarcastic smile and tugging the German girl’s arm to remind her they needed to get to their next lesson. As they started to step away, Riya’s voice called out again. “Hey, I’m still talking to both of you. Where’s the other one of you girls?” Aiden felt his blood boil at that remark, marching forwards without so much as glancing behind him, shouting out “At least I’ve actually got real friends!” as he flipped Riya off over his shoulder. It was no secret that Riya and Yul were more rivals than friends, constantly bickering and trying to one-up the other. Aiden and Lake could both hear her. James burst into hysterical laughter at the quick-witted remark. “Teu cu! Oh meu Deus, isso é tão caralho engraçado. I have to make a TikTok about that!” Riya ground her teeth together as she watched the pair walk away; she would’ve snapped metal at that moment if she wanted to. She grabbed James harshly by the collar of his t-shirt and dragged him away. “C’mon, dumbass, we’re going.”

The art lessons that Lake and Aiden had were always peaceful and enjoyable. Sitting side by side at a table with two other girls that they both got along well with: Tess Morgan and Ellie Parker. Each student was working on their own project, an important part of their final grade. Lake had made a collage, depicting a princess and a knight. The knight was a young woman who had a strikingly similar appearance to that of Mariana; it was clear to see who the princess was supposed to represent. Ellie's art was a line of mannequins all in the same outfit moving down an assembly line, no doubt some 'deep' commentary on society and its structures. Tess was painting a young woman in a dark void, a string attached to her hands like that of a puppet’s. Finally, there was what Aiden considered his masterpiece. An image of a pink cocoon, the cocoon resembling the distorted image of a little girl. The pink pod was being broken open to reveal a handsome young man breaking free from the confines and growing beautiful blue angel wings, reaching out towards the light and flying away into the sky. Truly something that truly spoke about Aiden’s experiances since starting high school.

It hadn’t been easy telling the people he was close to that he was transgender; by the grace of God, his parents were accepting and encouraging. Other family members hadn’t been so open-minded, however. Lake and Rosa accepted who he was with love and open arms. As long as he was loved by them, he was happy. It was just as his mother said, ‘If people accept you, then those are the people you should love and care about; everyone else is irrelevant.’ It was easier to remember that than to practise what his mother preached. Some family members would still accidentally refer to him as his dead-name, but luckily most students at school had no clue, and if other people did find out, most simply didn't care; he was just ‘Aiden’ here, and he was all the more grateful for it. Riya was the boy's biggest tormenter, and with Yul at her side, they had both made it their mission to remind him constantly that he was born in the ‘wrong body’ or that he 'didn't count as a boy'. Aiden had Rosa and Lake to go to when things felt lonely, but recently he had been hanging out with Ellie, Ellie’s girlfriend, Gabby, and their friend Tom more. The three friends were their own little group, and they had accepted Aiden lovingly into their fold when the other two girls weren’t available to hang out with.

“Aiden, your piece is so beautiful; is it almost done?” Tess enquired, dabbing the navy blue paint out of her brush onto the paper below her. “I think so… I’ve enjoyed doing this, but I can’t lie; I’ll be so grateful when it’s finally finished." Each girl hummed in agreement. “Where do you want to sit at lunch, Lake?” Aiden asked, being reminded of the topic by the growling of his stomach. “Oh, Aiden… Mariana and Rosa are helping me with my Spanish essay; we’re going to be in one of the Spanish classrooms; only the three of us are allowed. Are you going to be okay on your own?” Lake had mentioned it before, but Aiden had completely forgotten, his smile turning into a small frown as he recalled. “Doesn’t that count as cheating, Lake?” Tess asked with a smirk and a hand on her hip. “Doesn’t it count as cheating when you get Ally and Hunter to help you with your computer science and programming assignments?” The red-haired girl responded, tapping her lip and pretending to be in thought. “Touché, Parker.” Tess couldn’t really disagree with that. “Hey, come sit with me and Gabs again.” Ellie suggested kindly, and Aiden smiled and nodded enthusiastically, the boy thanking her wordlessly.

“Hey Ellie, speaking of Ally. She told me you got in a fight with Jake in your English class. What’s that all about?” Lake and Aiden put their pencils down and looked at each other, then at the other two girls upon hearing that. “Ugh, don’t remind me! He wasn’t doing any of the assignment; he was just staring into space and feeling sorry for himself as per usual! Then he decided to throw a tantrum because I called him out on it!” Ellie exclaimed. Aiden recalled something that Tom had mentioned to him earlier in the first lesson of the day in biology class. “Tom told me Jake was really upset today… He saw him crying in the hallway.” “It was really horrible what happened to him. The breakup and the leaked messages…” Lake added, always being sympathetic to the struggles of others. Not to mention, everyone knew that Ellie could be a little bit harsh at times. “Yeah, I know, but we all have our problems. Jake doesn’t help himself at all.” The American girl rebuked. The other three decided not to pursue the topic any further, the conversation going silent and each student quietly resuming their work.

Lunchtime rolled around not long later, and Aiden made his way with Ellie to the cafeteria after saying goodbye to Lake. The room was almost overwhelmingly busy with people talking, eating, and moving from one place to the next with friends. Aiden and Ellie waited in line to get some sustenance for the next couple of hours, chatting about what they were going to be doing after school. Ellie had her job to attend to, while Aiden had promised Tom and Gabby that he was going to come to watch the young man’s soccer game tonight. Tom’s team was playing a rival school with a bit of a reputation for playing dirty; it would most certainly be entertaining if anything, plus Tom always appreciated his friends supporting him. The two found Gabby was sitting alone at a table in the corner of the room, near a door that led down the far hallway, clearly waiting for Ellie to arrive; immediately rushed to give her girlfriend a rib-crushing hug upon spotting her, and Ellie blushed wildly and kissed the brown-skinned girl on the cheek. Aiden smiled as Gabby happily called his name in greeting and squeezed him tightly in a hug. The twin-colour-haired boy couldn’t help but wince in pain at the Polish girl’s strength; there were definitely going to be bruises on his ribs tomorrow. Aiden gasped a little when Gabby let him go, air finally being able to get back into his lungs, then realising that Tom was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Tom, Gabs?” The split-colour-haired boy asked while looking around, wondering if the taller boy was nearby. Tom was Gabby’s best friend; he was always spending time with the two girls. He and Gabs were virtually joined at the hip. Gabby and Tom had a Family Studies class together before lunch, so they usually came to eat lunch together afterwards. “He’s sitting outside with the other soccer boys today; they’re planning tonight’s game, I think.” Aiden nodded in understanding. “It would make sense if they’re talking strategy; tonight’s game isn’t going to be an easy one.” All three of them took a seat; Aiden sat opposite the two girlfriends while they held hands, munching on a red apple he was holding with one hand while scrolling through his phone with the other while muttering away about lessons. Ellie continued drawing in her sketchbook like she always did; it was always fashionable clothes she drew, or Gabby wearing the designs she had created. Gabrysia Nowak always had wild stories to tell. Aiden and Ellie listened in interest as the Polish girl explained how she managed to find out that a neighbour’s dog was the one who kept stealing things from her father’s tool shed, gesturing wildly and making the other two laugh like hyenas. Then Gabby had one of her ‘ideas’, much to the concern of the other two. “What if we help Tom later?” Ellie stopped drawing for a moment to look her girlfriend in the eyes. “What do you mean, Gabs? You know Tom would never cheat.” Gabby’s brown eyes grew wide with excitement. “What if we locked the other team in their changing room? We could jam a chair against the door so they would be late and get disqualified; that way we can make sure our team wins!” Gabby threw her hands up after announcing her idea, clearly proud of her strategy. Aiden stared widely at the brown-haired girl in amazement and disbelief, while the red-haired girl slapped her hand onto her own forehead, praying silently to herself that Gabby wouldn’t actually try to go through with her plan this time.

Meanwhile, outside, Tom sat surrounded by a few of his teammates. Diego and Logan were goofing around with each other while Spencer tried to talk seriously about team formations and strategy for the game that was in a few hours, desperately trying to get the other two to be serious for a moment. James was scrolling through his TikTok with a bored expression, looking up when he realised Tom was staring at him. “You okay, buddy?” James wondered aloud with his thick accent, poking Tom in the side to get his attention. “Yeah… it’s just… What were you doing this morning?” James raised an eyebrow in confusion, his dark brown eyes meeting Tom’s turquoise ones. “I wasn’t doing anything earlier, why?” The taller man rolled his eyes in irritation, his voice taking a more assertive tone with his next sentence. “Don’t give me that shit. This morning, at the lockers. You, Riya and Yul; what were you saying to Jake Hamilton?” James raised his hands in self-defence, trying to plead his innocence. “Seriously, my friend. I was just looking at my phone; I don’t get involved in what Riya and Yul do.” Tom accepted that answer; James was a fair few yards away from the other two; he didn’t seem to be paying attention to them when he came in from the courtyard and spotted the smaller, blue-haired boy being pinned against a locker in clear distress. Tom only came in after hearing the commotion all the way from outside in the first place.

“You could’ve stopped them though, you know.” James just shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly not too bothered either way. “Sim, eu sei, Tom… I’m sorry; I just wasn’t paying attention. I have waaaay better things to focus on.” The Brazilian’s attention went back to his phone, but Tom wasn’t done with the conversation. “He was in a really bad way, crying like that… I’m pretty sure I heard him throwing up before I went into the restroom.” The curly-haired man bit his lip slightly before turning off his phone and propping his elbow up on the picnic table they were sitting at, shifting to face towards his dark-haired friend and asking, “Why do you care?” Despite his tone, Tom could tell James felt a little bit bad about the situation, try as he might to hide it. “Because… I dunno, I see a lot of my younger self in him... He can’t even walk through a hallway without getting remarks. You know that I went through the same type of thing about two years ago. I don’t understand why Blake sent you those screenshots in the first place or why you felt the need to share them around.” Tom’s words had struck something in James; the two young men had known each other since middle school. Back then, Tom was the one to defend James whenever someone teased him about his accent or when he mispronounced something. James hadn’t long moved to Canada from Curitiba when they first met, and Tom had been a true friend and a rock on the worst days. James had seen first-hand the cruelty of people his age once again when Tom arrived back at school after three months of unexplained absence not long after they started high school. His friend had his new scars on full display for anyone and everyone to gawk at and comment on.

“I didn’t share those screenshots! I showed Yul because he was wondering what Blake had sent me before I even had the chance to read through the messages myself! Then when I wasn’t looking, he signed himself into my phone and sent them all to his phone; that’s how they ended up all over the school. Caralho, Tom! I couldn’t have given less of a shit about what Blake sent, to be perfectly honest, let alone wanting to go out of my way just to upset Jake.” Tom said nothing for a few moments, taking a long sip from his water bottle before offering some to his curly-haired friend, James gladly accepting and starting to drink. “I don’t get why you even hang out with those guys. I know they’re popular and all, but they don’t even get along with each other!” James smirked as he handed the water back to Tom. “Entertainment, I suppose. You get a lot of TikTok content out of those two.” James, hands raised in the air, as if to say ‘don’t blame me’, the scarred young man smiled and shook his head at his friends words before suggesting. “You should come and hang out with us; Gabs and Ellie wouldn’t mind, dude.” James stood up from the table, slinging his bag over his left shoulder and starting to make his way back inside as he waved goodbye to the boys, fist-bumping each of them as he passed by. “Yeah, maybe… I’ll think about it.”

Back inside, Yul and Riya were sitting with Grett; the British girl had her eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled through to find something she’d spotted earlier, intending to show the other two. Riya was growing impatient, tapping her foot against the floor. “Have you found it yet?” The brunette gave a sinister smile. “I have now!” Grett passed her phone across the table to the brown-skinned girl. Riya’s eyes scanned the phone as she scrolled down, a devilish smirk spreading across her red painted lips. “Oh, this is good shit; nice work, Grett.” “What were you even looking for?” Yul leant across the table, snatching the phone out of Riya’s hands, clearly unsatisfied with his findings by the look on his face. “Ugh, who the fuck is this chick?” Riya pulled her phone out of her Valentino bag with grace, tapping on the glass quickly, suddenly on a mission to share something online. “It’s Aiden, and it’s just what I need to teach him a lesson.” If there was anything that Riya and Yul had in common, it was their pettiness and lust for revenge. Riya had revealed to the two others sitting at the table that Aiden had gotten a bit too cocky with her earlier that day; she needed something to get even, something to put her back on top and make Aiden think twice about daring to cross her again.

Grett was a master of finding old dirt on people, and Riya was the master of spreading it for all to see. What the two girls had found were old pictures from Aiden’s mother’s and grandmother’s Facebook accounts and a couple from Aiden’s old Instagram account, one he had forgotten to make private. The pictures showed a sweet teenage girl with long, pale brown hair and a cute, toothy smile; the person the photos displayed had little resemblance to Aiden, but it had to be him. He was an only child and didn’t have any cousins as far as Riya and Grett were aware. Before Yul and Grett could even ask what Riya was going to do, the deed was done. The pictures that Aiden so desperately wanted to never be seen by his peers were now sent to every group chat and account that Riya could find. A mocking caption that boldly showed Aiden’s name, as clear as day to see, underlined each image; there was no doubt about who it was in the pictures. Riya dropped her phone on the table and rested her hands behind her head, waiting for the chaos to commence.

Aiden was still sat with the two girls; the topic had changed from wanting to lock the boys that were coming to the school to play soccer later that day in their changing room to Gabby wanting to sabotage their chances by putting sleeping pills in their water bottles. Aiden tried desperately to convince Gabby that it was a horrible idea while Ellie listened with an amused smile. While speaking, Aiden couldn’t help but notice a lot of people turning their heads to look at their table, looking at him specifically and giggling. Perhaps they were just overhearing Gabby’s batshit plans; the e-boy tried to ignore them and just focus on the conversation he was having; however, something in the room felt very wrong. The American girl was checking her notifications while listening to the other two’s ramblings when a very odd message popped up. ‘Aiden Brooks is such an adorable little girl.’ Ellie gasped audibly as she clicked on the notification. Someone had somehow got hold of old pictures of her friend, mocking him and referring to him with some highly unsavoury terms. Without meaning to, Ellie had gotten the attention of the other two.

“Uh, babe? What is it?” Gabby scooted closer to her girlfriend before the redhead had a chance to move her phone away. Gabby caught sight of the images, and her eyes went as wide as saucers as she processed what she had just seen. The Polish girl was at first in shock, her attitude then quickly turning to anger. “Who the FUCK did this?” Aiden was fed up of being left in the dark and grabbed the phone so he could finally see for himself what the fuss was about, quickly coming to regret his decision. Oh no, oh dear god, no. There were pictures from his fourteenth birthday party, his middle school talent show, a picture of him with an Ariel doll he had been gifted when he was eight, and The Little Mermaid was his favourite thing in the world. The comments were disgraceful, too vile to repeat in public. Aiden dropped the phone from his hands, the case hitting the table with a CLANG as a cold sweat descended upon him and chills ran up his spine. It was him; everyone was looking at him, everyone was laughing at him. The young man stood back from the table, starting to shake. He was quite open with people who knew him about being trans. Many people at school knew; many others didn't, but being exposed like this for so many people to see and scrutinise, it was way too much to handle. Clutching his arms and hands to his chest, his heart felt like it was going to burst through his skin and land on the table in front of him. Moving backwards slowly, he bumped into someone. Riya stood towering over Aiden, grinning like the Cheshire Cat and chuckling at the boy’s horrified expression. “At least you’ve got friends, ‘Aiden’…” The Indian girl mocked, gesturing with her fingers on the subject of his name; no one at this school had ever known him by any other name, and he didn’t want them to either. The boy took off like a rocket down the hall, floods of tears leaking down his face hard and heavy as he went.

Yul cackled at the sight; Grett was clearly proud of herself. She was definitely in Yul and Riya’s good books now. A smart move, in her opinion. Riya was satisfied hearing Ellie call the boy’s name as he ran off, the American girl rushing to pack up her things and pick up the bag that Aiden had forgotten in his hasty exit. “You’re a bitch, Riya. Back off, all of you!” Ellie took off down the hall too, desperate to find her friend. Gabby scowled and bared her teeth at the other three. “Jesteś cholernie zły!” rang out from the top of her voice at the tormentors as she went in the opposite direction of her girlfriend, hoping to meet with Rosa María and Lake in aid of finding Aiden and calming him down. As she left the cafeteria, Gabby stormed past James as he came inside; he looked at the Polish girl with a confused expression and then shrugged it off, walking over to where Yul and Riya were gathered. “What was that all about?” The Brazilian questioned, jabbing his thumb in the direction behind him, clearly indicating Gabby stomping past him like a soldier on patrol.

Yul grinned deviously, pointing to the phone in James’s hand. “Have a look for yourself, friend.” James did just that. Clicking on the tidal wave of notifications that kept popping up, it took him a few moments to realise just what he was looking at, but when it sank in, Yul and Riya were more than confused to see James’s disgusted expression. “O que caralhos é isso? What the hell did you do that for?” Yul smiled as he wrapped his arm around James’s wide shoulders. “Because it’s fuckin’ funny and Aiden’s a little shit.” James’s expression grew more and more pissed. “Foda-se! That’s just fucking wrong!” Riya rolled her eyes, and she crossed her arms in annoyance. “Would you just speak fucking English? It’s not that big of a deal, dipshit.” James squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head in disbelief, recalling his earlier conversation with Tom. His hands were becoming fists; he could’ve punched each of them there and then. Turning to walk away, he had final words for the three. “How about you translate this? Vai pro caralho!” The three stood in disbelief before Riya shrugged it off and went back to their table. Just as if nothing had happened at all. Gabby had speed walked her way outside, nearly passing by Spencer, Logan and Diego. The young men had to call out to her to get Gabby’s attention; the three boys were fond of Gabby due to her being Tom’s best friend. When she tried enquiring about Tom’s whereabouts, Logan had explained that Tom had gone inside to meet up with someone. The young Polish woman then quickly explained that something had happened and that she needed to get going quickly. Before she could leave, a familiar, handsome face had seemingly come out from nowhere. It was James. “Let me help you find him, please. What they did was utterly fucked up.” The brown-haired girl started daggers at the Brazilian man after hearing his request; she bumped her shoulder into his side as she moved past him, shoving him out of the way. “Oh, fuck off; you’re part of the problem!”

Chapter 4: Why Can't We Look The Other Way?

Summary:

Tom's a 10/10 guy and Aiden's still suffering.

When the lunch bell rang, Jake was in no hurry to leave. He was quite content; Richard reminded him that he wasn’t in the isolation room as a punishment and that the blue-haired young man was free to come and go as he pleased. “Are you sure you don't want to go out? It might do you some good.” Richard reasoned. The older man switched off his laptop and stretched, then motioned towards the door as he was going to head out for a bit. Jake considered the offer but ultimately rejected it. “No, I'm alright; I brought my own food, plus I'm almost done with this.” Gesturing down to his worksheets as he spoke. “Alright then, if you're sure. I'm going out to try to find some of the knuckleheads on my soccer team.” The teen giggled at Richard’s choice of words, not completely disagreeing with his description of the boys, and continued on with his algebra.

Time ticked on audibly from the loud clock at the front of the room. Jake was done with trying to figure out the seemingly impossible questions on his worksheet soon enough and started to wonder if he should maybe take a walk outside, toying with the idea of getting some fresh air but also petrified of walking into the path of someone he would rather avoid. After finishing the pastry he had bought from Miriam's bakery earlier in the day, the young man wandered to the car corner of the empty room. Disposing of the paper wrapper in the trash can and leaning against the clear glass window, there were multiple lining the back of the room that went all the way up to the ceiling, giving you a full show of outside the room and a clear view of the soccer field. The maroon curtains were usually drawn across to give the room privacy from prying eyes, but today they were wide open to give the room some light. Jake gripped the handle of the sliding door that stood in the centre of the windows and pulled it slightly ajar, inhaling deeply when a gentle gust of wind fluttered into his face.

Jake brought his hands above his forehead and leaned against the glass again, using his arms for support. His mind was still going a million miles per hour. His face was staring down at the gravel path just outside the door, accidentally becoming transfixed on it as his mind drifted to all the things that had happened that day. His locker. Tom. English class. Ellie. The principal's office. Connor. All Jake wanted was peace, to be left alone. Most other people would've wished for happiness and friends, but Jake had given up on those things by this point; but at this moment, things were peaceful. Why couldn't they stay this way?

The blue-haired man's daydreaming was interrupted when he noticed an odd shape on the floor where his eyes had been transfixed. Looking up, he intended to investigate, only to be met with the grinning face of another male student. “HOLY FUCKIN’ CHRIST!” Jake jumped about five feet in the air and nearly fell backwards, smacking his elbow painfully on the desk directly behind him and clattering down onto the carpet below. The boy who had surprised him rushed in quickly. Jake squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for the tirade of cruel laughter and mocking words that were no doubt about to come. Only, they didn't. “Oh my god, Jake, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to!” It was Tom again, and the poor guy couldn't apologise enough. He immediately knelt beside Jake and offered his hand; Jake stared back in disbelief for a moment before realising that Tom was trying to help him. Allowing himself to grasp Tom's hand, he was gently pulled back to his feet while the scarred young man seemingly looked him over for injuries or concussion.

“I…uh, thanks…” Jake rubbed at his sore elbow and blushed in embarrassment, failing to make eye contact with the other teen. “Umm… you're welcome. N-not for knocking you over, for helping you back up, ya know? ...” Tom rambled with a blush of his own; Jake plucked up the courage to look at Tom's face, noticing for the first time that he was really handsome, scars and all; if anything, the marks on his face added to the taller teen’s charm. He also had really pretty greenish-blue eyes… The two men stood there in comfortable silence for a moment, just looking at each other, before Jake broke away from looking at the other boy, and Tom took it as a cue to break the silence. “I had a feeling you might be in here; it's where I always used to go… Not because I was in trouble; it was for, uh, other stuff… ” Gosh, Tom sure sounded cute when he rambled like that. Jake was sure he could feel the blush starting to bloom on his cheeks once more.

“Oh, uh…” Jake wasn't exactly sure how to respond, deciding to ask what he assumed was the only logical question as to why Tom would be in the room with him. “Are you looking for Richard? He just left.” The dark-haired boy just giggled and shook his head. “Nah, I was actually looking for you.” “M-me? Why?” Tom pulled out a seat from where it was tucked under the table Jake had just hit himself on, pulling it round and sitting on it backwards, leaning forwards on the seat and laying his forearms on the backrest and resting his chin on his muscular arms. “Because I wanted to check that you were okay, even though Connor said you were. I just wanted to be sure.” Jake considered Tom's words, taking a seat on the edge of the table and facing the other man. “Thanks… I, umm, look…don't take this the wrong way, but why were you so concerned? We don't…really know each other. This isn't some joke, is it?” Jake's eyes grew sad at the last part of his sentence, but Tom smiled warmly, kindly, genuinely. Not at all fazed by the smaller boy's question. “Because, like I said this morning, I've been in your shoes. No one deserves being treated so unkindly by so many people.” Tom gestured towards the side of his face as he spoke, more specifically, the scars that ran all the way from his cheek down his jaw. Jake could recall there being somewhat of a fuss over Tom's ‘new look’ a couple of years ago, but everyone seemingly moved on within a few weeks. For Jake, the mistreatment was lasting for an eternity. Tom continued. “And yeah, you're right.” Jake's eyes snapped back towards the taller boy, a look of horror on his face. This was all a joke after all. Before Jake could move away, Tom finished his sentence with a simple. “We don't know each other, but I'm hoping to change that.” Tom reached out to Jake with his right hand; noticeable scars caught Jake's eye as he glanced at the appendage. Tom was reaching for a handshake, a friendly gesture, an offer of friendship. Jake could only smile in response and shook his hand gladly.

Jake followed Tom's eyes as he looked around the room, spotting the work that Jake had left abandoned on the desk that he had been working at. Getting up from his chair, the taller boy went to investigate with Jake trailing behind him. Teal eyes scanned the page as he processed the questions. “Having trouble?” “Ugh, yeah. These are fucking impossible.” Tom laughed at the blue-haired man's attitude, sitting back down and grabbing a blueberry-scented pencil from Jake's watermelon-shaped pencil case. “It's not that hard; I've done this before. I've got nowhere to be; I can show you, if you like?” Jake grinned with gratitude, taking a seat next to Tom. “Richard will be back fairly soon, I bet. Won't you get in trouble for being in here without permission?” Tom shrugged, twirling the navy and purple pencil around with his fingers skilfully. “Nah, not Richard. If you play well on his sports teams, then he'll let you get away with anything. Hell, I could probably get away with murder if I wanted to!” Jake chuckled and rolled his eyes; he forgot for a moment that he was speaking to one of the school's top soccer stars. “Aren't teachers supposed to refrain from favouritism?” Tom shrugged again with a sly smile and patiently showed Jake how to solve the paper's questions. The two locked in a comfortable conversation as they worked together in harmony.

Meanwhile, not too far away, the halls of Tipiskaw High were utterly chaotic. Ellie had lost track of Aiden when he ran down a particularly dim corridor. He had dropped his phone on the table in panic and run off without it or his bag; even if he did have it, Ellie thought he would have avoided looking at his phone out of fear of what he might have seen written about himself. The red-haired girl was struggling to rush from hallway to corridor to classroom in her frantic search while carrying not only her own bag but also Aiden’s too. Ellie conceded, deciding that it would be best to try and get some help in finding her friend. Mariana and Rosa María had been helping Lake with her studying quite happily until the peace was shattered by the American bursting through the door and explaining with laboured breaths what had just happened. Rosa was absolutely furious, and Lake looked at her phone and saw the disgusting posts Riya had created about her dear friend. All four girls rushed back into the halls, Lake and Mariana taking one direction and Rosa María and Ellie taking the other, each woman frantically shouting and searching for the boy. Ellie and Rosa had bumped into Gabby a little while later into their search; disappointingly, the Polish girl had no luck in discovering Aiden's location either.

“Fuckin’ Riya, I can't believe I was ever friends with her!” Rosa commented as she peered into an empty classroom; to her defence, it had been at least a year and a half since the two of them were friendly with each other. Gabby tried the room next to where Rosa had looked; still no dice. “I'm going to set that bitch's handbag on fire!” Ellie gave her girlfriend a seriously concerned glance. “Gabs, you can't do that again; you nearly got expelled last time.” “Fine, but Riya, Yul, Grett and James are going to get what's coming to them.” Gabby added. Each girl was still going from one classroom to the next in desperation, concern for Aiden's well-being getting worse and worse with every passing moment. “Wait, Gabs, James wasn't with them.” The red-haired girl remembered as she saw the next classroom, still no Aiden. “I know, but he's always hanging round with them. He came up to me outside to ask if he could help in finding him; I told him he could fuck off. He was probably in on it.” Ellie nodded in silent agreement with her girlfriend, but Rosa paused and thought again. “We can't know that for sure, especially if he did ask to try and help… although it is a possibility he was a part of it.” Rosa didn’t know what to think; worry was causing her to become more and more frantic. “Listen, we can kick their asses or something later. I'm going to try and find Tom so he can check the men's bathrooms. You two keep looking; he can't be that far away.” The Latina girl continued forwards at a breakneck pace, the other two watching as she went, not quite sure where to go next.

Rosa found her way to the front of the school, close to the main entrance. The men's room was just on her right, but it wasn’t like she could just barge on in. Her attempts to find Tom had been fruitless; his soccer friends mentioned he had gone inside to see someone, but they didn’t have any more information than that to offer. She paced around anxiously, unsure of what to do. “Have you found him yet?” The lilac-haired girl didn’t recognise the voice at first. Turning her head, she found that it had come from the curly-haired boy getting a drink from the water fountain. The Latina girl had to do a double take before realising James was talking to her. Rosa gave James a look, head tilted in confusion. The Brazilian stood up and turned to face Rosa, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Aiden...” Oh. “No, we haven’t, not yet.”

“Why would you care?” Rosa sassed back, arms crossed over her chest. She was completely unintimidated, although James’s height caused him to tower over her. James’s expression looked genuine when he replied. “Because what they did was evil.” Rosa could have sworn she had never seen James look so remorseful; usually he was full of himself and had his eyes glued to his phone. James Costa was the school’s ‘it-boy’ of sorts; everyone wanted to be with him – boys, girls, it didn’t matter. He had a sway and a charm that few could ignore; despite hanging out with some absolute shitheads (in Rosa’s opinion at least), he was very well liked and popular, sassy and cheeky, but this James that Rosa was seeing was a very different person. Rosa María wasn’t going to let her guard down that easily, however. “How do I know you weren't in on it?” “Because even I’m not that much of an asshole. They targeted him for his identity; that’s not a joke. I could never support that.” Rosa’s lilac hair swayed as she nodded at James’s heartfelt response. “Look, James, if you really care, you can try and help me find him. Would you go into the men's room and see if he's there?” Without saying a word, the taller boy marched over to the bathroom and swung open the door; she could hear him softly calling out Aiden’s name from the other side of the door. After holding her breath for a few beats in anticipation, James returned alone, throwing his hands up in defeat. Rosa bit her lip, all the more worried now. James rested his large hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “We’ll find him; there's another ten minutes until the bell; let's keep looking.”

It was fair to say that Connor was more than surprised to hear the frantic knocking at his office door was from a very distressed-looking Lake Müller. She had taken it upon herself to run and find the principal after she and Mariana still had no luck finding him even after half an hour, explaining to the older man what had happened as he walked out of the office door to assist in the search for the missing boy. The two made it to the end of the hallway where Connor's office was located, Lake still explaining what she had seen posted online by Riya before Connor stopped her mid-sentence. "Lake, hold on… can you hear that?" The German girl paused and listened carefully; they were standing next to the stationary cupboard which also housed a printer. Lake thought she could hear the muffled sounds of something being printed; the machine was notorious for packing up and breaking, so she just assumed it was nothing more than the machine playing up again. The principal gently pulled the door open, and even in his many years in education, very few times had he seen something so heartbreaking. They had found Aiden; he was tucked into the corner of the cupboard, making himself as small as physically possible, sobbing and shaking violently all the while.

“Oh mein Gott! Aiden!” Lake could have sworn that she could feel her heart shatter into thousands of tiny pieces at the pitiful sight. She wasted no time in climbing into the cupboard and trying to squeeze herself next to her best friend, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace and rubbing his back. Aiden was mumbling something incoherently when Connor focused on the boy's lip movements; it was as clear as day to see he was muttering the words. "I want to die, I want to die, I want to die." Over and over again while sobbing into the German girl's shoulder. "Oh Aiden, you don't mean that. Everything will be okay…" It was pointless in trying to reassure him; Lake was certain that her words all sounded so empty, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. The upsetting sight had made her feel very on edge herself.

Nothing was working for the split-haired boy; he was stuttering and gasping, clutching at his throat with one hand while the other let go of Lake and gripped the side of his own head. "L-Lake, I can't br-breathe." Taking charge, Connor moved himself forward just enough so he could make eye contact with Aiden, but not too much so that he would make the young man feel trapped. "Aiden, you're having a panic attack, and we're going to work through it together." Connor had been trained in how to deal with tricky situations like this. Sadly, panic attacks weren't an uncommon occurrence within the school setting. It took a while, but Connor was a patient man, guiding Aiden through a breathing exercise to bring him back down from the horrible thoughts that had spiralled out of control for the lad. The bell had rung out quite a while ago; it was long past lunchtime now. The three of them still sat there in the musty stationary cupboard for quite a while, until Connor was certain that Aiden was much calmer and more in control. "Lake, I'll write you a note, then you make your way to your lesson; Aiden and I have got this now." Connor said to the girl with a wink, trying to put her at ease. Lake was just relieved to see her friend in a much less sorrowful state. Lake helped Aiden stand; the e-boy's legs were still very wobbly, and his body still had a significant tremble to it as a result of the panic. The older man helped the boy lean against him as they made their way back to Connor’s office to try and talk things through.

Chapter 5: I'm Glad You Came

Summary:

Friendship is magic :)
p.s thank you so much to my dear friend Cris for the picture, you're amazing and inspire me so much mate x

Jake was sitting happily at his desk; all his work was done. The room was completely empty apart from Jake; Richard still hadn’t returned after lunch; perhaps he wouldn’t. Jake was half tempted to sit at the teacher’s desk at the front of the room for a laugh; there was no one there to tell him he couldn’t! With Tom’s help, the rest of those algebra questions were a breeze, so the only thing left to do was to chill out and wait for the day to end. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he recalled his time with Tom during lunch. Although they were sorting through annoying algebraic formulas, they had fun doing it, laughing and joking together. Tom said he would check in on Jake the following day at lunch, offering to sit with him while they both ate and even offering Jake a place at the soccer team's lunch table in the future. Jake was hesitant, but Tom went above and beyond to reassure him that his teammates would be completely cool with it and that there was no pressure if Jake didn't feel up to that yet. The taller boy had also practically begged Jake to attend that evening's soccer game, his reason being that he needed all the support he could get for such a difficult game. Jake was weighing his options; he had no work tonight and nowhere else to be, but he didn't want to risk an incident like this morning's happening again. But Tom did ask him personally…

The blue-haired teen’s thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the door at the front of the room creaking open slowly. Jake didn't expect anyone to open the isolation room's door for the rest of the afternoon, apart from if Richard needed to come back in to collect something he had left behind, much less for Connor to emerge with a boy from his grade in tow. It was Aiden Brooks; Jake shared a couple of classes with him. Aiden was nice enough of a person, not exactly one to follow the crowd. The teen’s e-boy style was distinctive with his dark and light dyed hair and his cross earrings, and he was generally well liked by those who knew him. However, Aiden's usually cheery disposition was vastly different from the teary-eyed boy who hung behind Connor whilst hugging his own arms to his chest. The e-boy was a picture of pure sorrow; the glossy eyes, red face, the tremble in his movements, his eyes avoiding anyone else's – it was like looking in a mirror for Jake.

“Here, Aiden, let's have you stay here for the rest of the day and tomorrow too, just until we've resolved things. I need to head back to my office to wait for your mother to call me back. I'll let you know if she does, okay, buddy?” Jake couldn't help but listen to the other men's conversation, being hit with a major case of déjà vu all the while, especially when Aiden couldn't form any words to reply to Connor, simply nodding his head and clearly trying his hardest not to cry again. Without so much as glancing at Jake, Aiden paced his way down to the very back of the classroom, choosing a desk right in the corner. Aiden dropped his face right onto the desk, resting his head on his crossed arms and closing his eyes tightly. Jake knew the shorter boy wasn't meaning to be rude or dismissive; he had clearly just been through something horrible. Even Connor looked depressed at the sight. Catching Jake's eye, he pleadingly mouthed, 'Keep an eye on him?’ To the taller boy. Jake nodded nervously while turning around once more to glance at the other young man; he couldn't help but feel very out of his depth with the request from the principal.

Ten minutes ticked by with nothing but silence from both boys; well, mostly silence; Aiden was quietly sobbing into his hands for about five minutes after Connor left and then was deathly quiet for the rest of the time afterwards. It was haunting to witness; Jake knew he couldn’t just sit there at his desk and ignore the other lad forever; he had considered just putting on his headphones and pretending to do some more non-existent work. The blue-haired boy knew he wasn’t great in social situations at the best of times, let alone when the only other person in the room was clearly going through a crisis. At least it was quiet now. Oh wait, no it wasn’t. The pitiful sound of Aiden’s cries picked up in Jake's ears again, and now the blue-haired lad was hit with another wave of sympathetic sorrow for the e-boy in the corner.

There had been days where all Jake had done was cry; it had been the only thing he was capable of doing at some points in recent months. His eyes had been so swollen one time it looked like he had suffered an allergic reaction, and the headaches, dear god, they were awful. A pounding ache in the temples from the strain of the tears and dehydration. It was the perfectly miserable icing on an already awful cake of suffering. The memories had the seventeen-year-old physically contort his face with a wince; a tender pinching in his forehead was forming at the thoughts, and he could feel the unease and panic start to set in. It was coming back again, the memories of those awful days, the memories of the last few months, last week, yesterday, this morning – Calm down, Jake; you need to get a grip. Find some water; water was an amazing distraction in a pinch. Jake’s grandmother had taught him that when his anxieties about starting high school had caused him to start having anxiety attacks and resulted in a downward spiral for him mentally a few years ago. His dear grandmother was the kindest, most thoughtful woman anyone could have hoped to have met. She had sadly passed on when Jake was fifteen, but he knew that her lessons would stick with him until the day he joined her in the afterlife.

His grandmother had taught him that when panic and fear tried to take hold, the gentle feeling of cool water running over your wrists was the perfect thing to focus on and help you calm back down. He was thinking of going to the bathroom down the hall, but after briefly scanning the room after standing, his dark eyes fell upon something that worked just as well at such short notice: the water cooler next to the trash can at the back of the classroom, on the opposite side of the room from where Aiden was sitting. He was on autopilot now, striding to the back of the room and pressing down the switch which would allow some icy cool liquid to run over his wrists. Slowly count down, Jake: ten, nine, eight… Although she had been gone for some years by this point, Jake could still hear his grandmother’s voice in his ears as clear as day, directing him, guiding him, and watching over him. Soon enough that awful sensation drifted away… and his wrists were starting to sting from the coolness of the water running over the tops of his forearms. With a pained hiss he pulled his wet arms away and gave them a little shake to rid his skin of the excess water; however, his mouth was desperately dry from the panic that had previously tried to set in. Grabbing a plastic cup, he filled it to the top and downed it in one, then went back to get a refill. Upon filling the white plastic container again, he thought of Aiden; he was going to need something to rehydrate him after all those tears. The answer was simple; Jake picked up a second cup and filled it, cautiously wandering over to where Aiden was still sitting, face down. In his previously panicked state, Jake hadn’t noticed Aiden’s cries becoming silent again…

Standing above the smaller boy, Jake couldn’t think of a single thing to say. He just placed the cup on the table, hesitated for a couple of moments and walked quietly back to where the water cooler was and looked out the window towards the soccer field. Pulling a chair out from under the desk closest to him to take a seat, the room’s silence was broken with a weak murmur. A single “Thanks, Jake…” was croaked out from Aiden’s clearly rough-sounding throat. The blue-haired boy was truly stunned; he wasn’t expecting Aiden to remember his name, let alone say anything to him in his state. “Oh! You’re… welcome! No problem, dude.” Jake had turned around to look at the other boy; his face was a little bit less red, but his eyes still looked like they were glassy. The poor, split-colour-haired boy was clearly so thirsty too, gulping down the cool liquid like he had just run a marathon in a drought. The smaller boy climbed off of his chair to meet Jake at the other side of the room, leaning down to the water cooler’s blue tap to get another drink. “Rough day, huh?” Aiden winced at Jake’s words before shaking his head. “Pssh, yeah. The worst.”

Jake was relieved to finally get a conversation going with the other boy. Feeling much more at ease, he leaned back against the glass window while taking another sip of water. “I don't know what's happened, but if you want to talk about it... I'm all ears.” Aiden smiled slightly at the offer, but his face fell just as fast. “What do you mean you don't know what happened? It's all anyone's talking about…” Aiden came to join Jake, also leaning against the glass but facing the opposite way from the other teen, the split-colour-haired boy gazing outside aimlessly in defeat. The blue-haired teen couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed at Aiden’s statement, although he didn’t mean to. Jake’s temper had become less tolerant and more easily flared in recent months, no thanks to all that had happened to him. ”Well, I don't really go on social media much because usually I get a torrent of abuse from everyone and their grandmother. Plus, I've been in this room most of today because people are incapable of leaving me alone. You aren't that famous, your highness.”

Aiden wasn't quite sure how to respond. He should have been mad at Jake's dig at him, but at the same time, he was talking to someone who had gone through what Aiden had experienced today for the duration of around six months. Noticing the other teens silence, Jake came to the realisation he might have missed the mark. “Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be snappy. You really do have my sympathy.” Aiden looked genuinely surprised by Jake's sincere response. “No, it's fine; I get it. I’d rather not talk about what’s happened to me… But, I know… I know that it really can't be easy to be in your shoes either, Jake.” The two men looked at each other in a kind of sorrowful mutual understanding, as if gazing into the other's soul to see the pain that they both experienced. Holding that silence for a few moments until it was broken by Aiden's little quip of “It sucks to have your privacy violated.” “Agreed. Cheers to that, brother.” Jake moved the hand that was holding his cup of water towards Aiden's. The shorter boy gave a little giggle at the gesture, and the two tapped their plastic cups together in a mock ‘toast’ of sorts. The pleasant sound of laughter fell across the room for the first time in a long while; the two boys were more than glad to hear a cheerful reaction from the other.

Aiden thought to himself momentarily; he had heard some pretty awful things about Jake. Rumours spread like wildfire across the halls of any high school, but the ones about Jake in recent times were particularly horrendous. Aiden had never been one to follow the crowd and tried his best to make his opinions on others based upon his personal experiences, not what he had overheard some girl whispering about in line at lunch. However, when you hear something enough times, you’ll start to believe it whether you want to or not. Aiden was ashamed to admit that he had let some of the gossip dictate his opinions about Jake, but from what he had experienced within the last few minutes, he couldn’t help but feel like he was seeing a double of sorts of himself. “Hey, I heard that something happened to you this morning too. I’m sorry you went through that. Tom told me he saw you crying." Jake's face contorted into an expression of shock. Oh god, was Tom sharing things around with other people about Jake? How many other people had he told? "Tom…told you?" "Yeah, I could tell something was bothering him during our biology lesson this morning, and he told me. He was just really concerned about you; he wasn't sharing anything personal or in detail, I swear. He just wanted someone to talk to, I think; some stuff really affects him, you know?" Aiden was trying his best to put the older boy at ease, sensing his sudden change in attitude. Jake gave a small smile, but the expression on his mouth didn't reach to his eyes. Aiden could tell there was a sadness that lingered there at the mention of someone sharing information about moments that Jake would rather forget. "Tom is a good guy, Jake, I swear it. He's one of the best, a really good friend of mine. He's very fond of you! You've been the topic of his conversations more than once recently… All good stuff, I promise!" Jake giggled in response to Aiden's cute insisting. "Okay, I believe you… I didn’t know you were good friends with Tom, but I can't lie; it's been really hard to trust people recently because of…you know, him…" Aiden didn't need to ask; he knew it was Blake that Jake was talking about, and he couldn't blame the older boy.

Once again the door to the room flung open; it was Richard. The older man gave both boys a bright smile upon seeing them talking to each other. “Oh great, I’m glad to see you two boys getting along. I just saw Connor in the corridor, and I expected this room to be about as cheerful as the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan.” Simultaneously, both boys choked on the water they were drinking, each lad throwing his head forward and making strangled noises, a mix between the sounds of laughter and gagging on the water that had gone down the wrong way as a result of Richard’s blunt statement. After composing himself, Jake turned to face the older man whose face was now painted in worry for the two teens. “I mean, you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming that, Richard. This place isn’t exactly known for its light-hearted delight and whimsy, is it?” Aiden was still in a fit of giggles; both Jake and Richard were glad to hear it after the experience the smaller boy had just endured. "The reason I came back in, boys, is because Connor wanted me to give you both these." Richard dropped a pack of cards onto the desk in front of him, something to keep the two lads entertained, no doubt. When Aiden looked at Richard’s other hand, he noticed the teacher was holding his backpack and phone. “Ellie Parker went to Connor’s office to have these returned to you, Aiden; Connor was going to come to bring you these himself, but he’s a bit preoccupied at the moment. Connor also said that he hadn’t had any luck in contacting your mother.” Richard placed the e-boy’s belongings onto the desk next to the cards as he spoke. Aiden wasn’t surprised; his mother was so busy with her job. He had also been planning to stay after school today to watch Tom’s game with Ellie and Gabby; Aiden and his mother had a mutual understanding that she wouldn’t be available to contact until it was time for him to be picked up after the game. The e-boy looked towards Richard with a grateful smile and gave him a soft “Thank you.”

The coach nodded and then made for the door again. “Really sorry, guys, I've got to rush off again. Have a look at those cards and try to behave yourselves!" The older man was out of the room again in a flash, no doubt late for a P.E. lesson or something; the two teens silently waved him goodbye and went to investigate what he had left for them. Picking up the packet, Aiden turned it over and started to read. “Get to know me cards, huh?” “Clearly one of Connor’s ideas if I’ve ever seen one.” Jake knew that man like the back of his hand; the principal had all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. It was very much like him to chuck two of his students in a room together and literally force them to get to know one another with a children’s game. “Aww, these look fun! Let’s have a try; the questions can’t all be shitty.” Aiden was already sat down, moving his things out of the way and pulling the cards out of the sleeve, turning them over to read what was written. Jake followed his lead and sat beside him, waiting to be asked some of the most stupid things imaginable. What could he say? The other teen’s cheerful enthusiasm was infectious.

“Oh, here’s a good one! Favourite place to go on vacation?” Jake looked thoughtful for a second; he had been to a lot of places thanks to his parents being rather well off. Sadly, he knew his parents weren't going to ‘waste their money’ by taking him anywhere with them the next time they went abroad, but he could deal with that. Jake would rather shove his hand in a blender than be forced in a hotel with his parents ever again. “Hmm... I’d say, Hawaii. That was good when I was young.” The other boy’s eyes were wide and amazed. “You’ve been to Hawaii? You’re so lucky! The farthest we’ve ever been is California; we went to Disneyland when I was really little. It was the best vacation ever, so I’d have to say there. We haven't really had any big vacations since.” Jake nodded, then took the opportunity to pull out another card so he could ask a question. Of course he pulled out a dumb and childish one. “Favourite ice cream flavour? I’d have to say mint-chocolate-chip, personally.” Aiden’s face contorted again, this time in utter disgust. “Ugh, I’m sorry, but that shit is so gross. I’m much less ‘adventurous’. I keep it simple: vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce for me.” “This is important information; I’ll remember that just in case I ever need to blackmail you, Aiden.”

“Okay, my turn again.” Aiden flipped over the small piece of card and grinned with delight. “Ohh, a controversial one. Pineapple on pizza?” “Yes – don’t kill me, please.” The younger boy started to laugh again. “I’m the same; don’t worry. Admitting to it always makes me feel like I’m going to get shot.” It was Jake’s turn to laugh now; he hadn’t known much about Aiden beforehand, but just sitting and talking with him, it was easy to see that the smaller boy was so easygoing and friendly. Why would anyone have a bone to pick with him? Who would dislike him so much as to want to hurt him so badly? “Jake? It’s your turn again.” “Right! Right, sorry…” Aiden gave him a confused look that Jake tried to alleviate with a smile. The blue-haired boy really had to work on not spacing out constantly. Reaching for the next card, the question was surprisingly fun. “Favourite band? Jesus H. Christ, where do I start?” Music was one of the only things he truly found solace and peace in these days; music didn’t judge; it took you to another place. Jake could be truly free when he drowned out the rest of the world. “Tell me yours first, Aiden; I’m having trouble deciding.” The younger boy was almost instant with his answer. “Easy. Mine’s The Neighbourhood.” Jake had to use all of his might to not let a knowing smirk slip through. Of course that was Aiden’s pick; he certainly had that look about him. Aiden wasn’t oblivious, however. “I can see you judging me, Hamilton.” Busted. “I wasn’t judging… but I’m hardly surprised, though. The blue-haired man gave Aiden a wink as the other boy rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. Jake had truly considered his answer carefully. “Okay, don’t judge me either. It’s Panic! At the disco… followed closely by Weathers.” “I KNEW IT!” Aiden had sprung up from his seat with a shout, his finger pointing directly into Jake’s face. The older teen almost fell backwards from the shock of the other boy’s response. Aiden instantly regretted his wild reply and grabbed Jake’s shoulders to steady him before both lads looked at each other with a hearty laugh. “Sorry, Jake, but hey, I’m glad to have found a new friend who likes Panic too.” Friend. Jake hadn’t been called someone’s friend for a long time until that moment. “Yeah… It’s really nice to have you as a friend, Aiden.”

The rest of the school day was spent asking every question the boys found on those cards. What's your favourite colour? Cats or dogs? Favourite food? Once the question cards had run out, the boys just took to making up their own questions, quizzing each other on this or that about themselves. Jake finally asked the question he had been hesitant to speak: “What happened earlier to make you so upset?” to which Aiden gave a brutally honest reply. Explaining how Riya must have wanted to get her own back at him because he dared to stand up to her in the hallway this morning. Jake confided in his new friend about his ordeal this morning too and how Yul and Riya had decided to make him feel even less of a person after finding something so horrendous written on his locker. The two boys seemed to just have this understanding the more that they spoke; they talked and talked and talked, happy in each other's company, until the school bell rang.

Each boy went to grab his belongings. “So… I guess you’re going home now?” Aiden shook his head as he pulled his black bag over his arms and shoulders. “Not quite; I’m going to watch the school soccer game tonight; Tom’s playing. I was going to walk home because my mom is still working and just didn’t feel up to it after everything that happened earlier, but if I did do that, isn’t that letting Riya win? So I’m staying; I’m going to support Tom and have a good time. Do you want to come with?” With all of the fun he had been having with his new friend, Jake had completely forgotten about Tom’s offer of coming to see him play tonight. Jake was still a bit hesitant, but he didn’t want to let the dark-haired boy down. It wasn’t like Jake had work tonight, and the longer he could avoid going back home to the scowling faces of his parents, the better. Connor did say he should try to reach out to Tom more, didn’t he? It was time to bite the bullet and try to put himself out there. “Yeah… yeah, I’d like that, Aiden. Thank you.” It was a relief to the blue-haired teen to know he wouldn’t be sitting alone while watching the game; Aiden was a real gift for putting him at ease. “Tom had asked me earlier to come tonight…but…” “You didn’t want to be alone, right?” Aiden had just taken the words out from Jake’s mouth. How could he know that? “I know the feeling, Jake; my two other best friends can’t hang out after school, and the majority of their lessons are on the other side of the building. Tom, Gabby and Ellie have been a blessing to find. ” Oh shit, Ellie… This evening could get very interesting if Jake wasn’t careful. “Don’t worry; I know you’ve had a fight with Ellie. She can be hard work sometimes but really kind once you get to know her. I promise to try to keep her civil tonight.” With a wink from Aiden and a tug at Jake’s sleeve to direct him towards the backdoor, the two new friends were off to enjoy their evening together.

Chapter 6: Anchored By Your Side

Summary:

Football, football, football... (Or soccer to the rest of you)

As the two newly made friends made their way out the back of the isolation room to walk towards the soccer field, Jake couldn't help but feel his anxiety start to rise in anticipation, not only about who might be there watching the game and what they might say but also the memories of last year had started to come flooding back the closer to the sitting stands they got. Blake had been a real star of last year's team, an excellent defender who would seldom let anyone past him and a great asset in scoring goals; he could faintly remember Tom’s skill in playing on last year's team. Jake hadn't taken all that much notice of him; that was until now. Jake would always be sitting on the side lines and cheering for Blake with his old friends as Blake kept the other team at bay and helped create chances for his fellow teammates. The memories now made him shudder, as they also reminded him of the cutting words those so-called ‘friends’ threw at him once Blake had decided to dump him. Jake's heart was pounding wildly in his chest; he felt as if he were the one about to play in a big game, not Tom. Aiden led the way to the east stand, where the majority of the home supporters stood. In saying that, there weren't many people watching the game tonight. It was a Monday evening; people had jobs, homework and other clubs to attend to, but Jake could not help but feel a little bit sorry for the team, which undoubtedly played their heart out to a very small audience, but Jake also felt slightly relieved at the lack of huge crowds, even if it did mean less support for the team.

“Oh, there they are! Ellie, Gabs!” Two figures suddenly stood up from their seats and waved Aiden towards them; it wasn't difficult to spot the confusion in the faces of both girls upon seeing Jake was tagging along with the smaller e-boy. Upon reuniting with the two young women, each took it in turn to envelop Aiden in a tight, sympathetic hug. “I'm glad to see you. We got all of those posts taken down. Are you doing okay?” The Polish girl brushed her hand against Aiden's face when she saw him starting to tear up again; the young man pushed through it and replied with a slightly choked-up “Yeah. I'm alright.” Ellie peered from behind her girlfriend and sneered at Jake slightly. “What's he doing here?” The blue-haired man stepped back slightly, getting ready to turn around and try to forget about this horrible idea. “M-maybe I should—” “No! No, Jake. Ellie – he's a friend. Jake's really helped me this afternoon. Plus, we're both going to be stuck in the same room for all of tomorrow, so a friendship was going to happen either way.”

Both women looked slightly amazed upon hearing those words come from Aiden's mouth. Ellie had her opinions made quite clear in regards to Jake, but Gabby was about as easygoing as they came, once you got over the initial craziness. “Nice to have you, Mister Hamilton! Thank you for looking after Aiden!” The Polish girl then proceeded to hold his ribs hostage in the world's most painful hug. “Gya-ah! I – uh, you're welcome…” Ellie’s unimpressed face stayed the same. “Gabs, you do remember this is the guy who was refusing to work with me earlier, right?” Before Jake could respond (and possibly dig his own grave), peacemaker Aiden jumped in to make an excuse about how Jake had been really stressed and tired this morning and how he had told Aiden to tell Ellie how sorry he was for the whole ordeal, making Jake promise it would happen again, to which he somewhat reluctantly agreed. Ellie made an unintelligible and likely rather unsavoury remark under her breath in response and, with the encouragement of her happy-go-lucky girlfriend, decided she would bury the hatchet for now. Everyone wanted to focus their attention on supporting Tom and the team.

The school’s rivals from a local private academy were coming, and their reputation preceded them. Last time Tipiskaw High had played them, the soccer team's best striker had been knocked to the floor and broken his wrist from the impact, putting him out of action for a good few months. Jake had been there watching when it happened, and the boy’s screams were mortifying; there was always a chill in the air whenever someone brought up this school’s team ever since that day. No wonder Tom wanted the support of his friends. Jake sat happily to the right of Aiden, while the two girlfriends were seated to the e-boy’s left. The two boys were waiting quietly for the players of both teams to emerge from the changing rooms. The two girls were passionately discussing something; Jake decided to take no notice until he overheard a rather interesting comment from Gabby. “Ellie, you should’ve let me steal those pills from the nurses office; they could’ve been the difference between victory and defeat for Tom!” “Gabs, you don’t even know what they do!” The blue-haired teen tried to keep his eyes forward and ignore the conversation, but curiosity caused him to focus in on the two girls, especially when Ellie mentioned, 'Gabby would probably be expelled if she stole meds to drug people again.’ “Don’t ask; this is all I heard at lunchtime…” Aiden’s nonchalant attitude was astounding in comparison. “Aww, come on, Gabby, have faith in Tom! He’s got this.” Jake’s optimism got a wide smile from Aiden, who proceeded to lightly jab him in the ribs while commenting, “That’s the spirit.” Gabby was less impressed and crossed her arms in defeat and defiance. Jake could've sworn he even saw a small smile from Ellie.

The conversation from the four teens was stopped in its tracks by a loud shout from everyone around them. The teams were finally emerging from a tunnel on the left side of the pitch; the other team came out first and ran to their positions on the other side of the field, then they all came back together in the centre of their half for one final group talk before the game began. The Tipiskaw boys then arrived; Logan was the first one out, the goalkeeper running towards his goal and warming himself up, ‘Bell 1’ showing boldly on his back. All of the other players came after him. Gabby had spotted ‘Olivo 2’ and ‘Lawrence 7’, Diego and Spencer, respectively, and shouted to them; both boys waved back to her in greeting. When ‘Costa 9’ came onto the pitch, everyone roared with cheers and applause, but Aiden’s attitude soured again. The Brazilian emerged; it was clear that he lived for the spotlight, a real showman if there ever was one, doing a run on the outside of the pitch, winking and waving at anyone and everyone who caught his eye, then running to the front of the south stand, flexing the muscles in his arms for a group of girls who gawked at him in delight, flirted unashamedly and took photos. It was more like Neymar himself had arrived! James really felt like he had to put on a show today; God forbid that anyone knew how he was really feeling. Jake just laughed light-heartedly at the sight of the Brazilian’s actions, even if he found them cringy and slightly sickening, mostly due to the fact that James had recognised that James had inherited Blake’s old number; James was just being James, after all; he lived for the attention, it seemed. The Brazilian had moved more towards the east stand; Jake and the other three had front view seats at the front, so James spotted the group quickly; more specifically, he had spotted Aiden quickly.

The dark-skinned young man’s show-off demeanour changed in an instant, him walking to the front of where the four teens were seated and making direct eye contact with the bi-colour-haired boy. “Aiden? Are you okay?” Even Aiden could see that usually boisterous and confident James was being sincere. “Yeah… I’m fine, James.” Jake could've sworn he saw the curly-haired boy's eyes fill with sadness for a short moment. “I’m really sorry about what happened. Look, I—” Aiden wasn’t in the mood; he let out a noise resembling a mix between a growl, a grunt and a small shout, his temper flaring suddenly, making Jake and the girls almost jump in surprise. Aiden’s teal eyes squeezed tightly shut in the realisation that he had lost his temper, gripping the metal bar in front of him so tightly his knuckles had turned white. “James…just drop it. Please.” The man on the pitch looked up at the smaller boy. The change from the two boys' usual height difference made it seem almost like Aiden had taken all the power from James from where he stood above him in the stand. James nodded without saying anything; his mouth moved to say something in reply, only to be cut off with a shout of “Costa! Move it!” from Richard, the coach clearly wanting the curly-haired young man to get into his position rather than messing around with the audience. Jake could clearly see that James looked truly pissed as he sulked away; it was a wild experience to see cocky James Costa like that. Gabby had watched and listened to the two other boys with interest. Rosa had told her something very interesting in their last lesson of the day together. The Latina girl mentioned how keen James was to help in the search for the twin-colour-haired boy towards the end of lunchtime as the two girls spoke while potting plants together in the school greenhouse, then being scolded by their teacher, Lill, for talking too much and not working. James did seem very sincere, which was out of character for him. He had asked Gabby first to let him help in the search, to which she had harshly brushed him off; perhaps there was more to things than what it seemed.

Finally, everyone spotted the man of the hour. ‘Reed 10’ had arrived on the scene to much thunderous applause. Tom and James were the main event when they appeared. He and James were a pair of miracle makers on the pitch, the two working together in sync during the game and bigging each other up before and after play. Two good mates with a deep bond who truly loved doing what they did. Tom gave a few small waves to the people he recognised, spotting Gabby, Ellie and Aiden and giving them a big thumbs-up. The three friends applauded him enthusiastically. Tom kept looking around, as if he was looking for something, and then he found it. His eyes met those of the blue-haired boy, and he gave him the world's biggest grin. “Jake!” Tom waved wildly in hopes of getting his attention; Jake could feel himself blush and waved shyly back at him. Satisfied and overwhelmingly happy, Tom moved on to his position, waiting only for a few moments for the whistle to blow and for play to begin. Even though James was dealing with his own problems, he didn’t miss the way Tom’s eyes lit up around Jake or even just at the mention of the boy’s name. Perhaps that was something to bring up to his friend at a later date.

The game started intensely; neither side was giving an inch today. Each boy from either side was desperate to bask in the glory of giving his team the win. The academy boys were back to their old dirty tricks as per usual. Hard tackles and shirt pulling were the order of the day from the opposing group of boys; Diego could’ve sworn he even felt one of them try to bite his shoulder. Any time one of the Tipiskaw boys shouted to the ref to try to report foul play, they were brushed off. This was truly going to be a difficult match; everyone on the Tipiskaw team knew that well. Tom was captivating to watch; he mastered the ball when it was in his control, getting it through scuffles and struggles with near ease, working well with everyone on his side but especially with James. Jake couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from the muscular young man. At around the twenty-minute mark, Diego had passed the ball back to Logan for it to be thrown back into play. Things were going well until a particularly harsh tackle from a burly player on the other team sent Spencer whirling down into the grass, unfortunately using his forehead as a brake. Then the dark-haired boy was shouting to the referee that he had been fouled while the referee signalled for play to continue. That other school had so much money it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to think they had offered the ref a bit of ‘cash in hand’ to keep things in their favour, especially knowing that the Tipiskaw crew would be truly putting their all into the game after what had happened last time. Ever the miracle worker and saviour, Tom had avenged Spencer by skilfully tackling an academy boy and running off with the ball, ready to create a chance. The centre-forward smacked the ball forward with all his might, willing the ball to go into the back of the net, only for him to have gotten his aim slightly too wide, and the ball was tapped away with the edge of the goalkeeper’s gloves. The disappointed sound of hissing filled the stands, swiftly followed by pleased cheers of Tom’s name for his effort and shouts of encouragement for all of the boys.

Tom was trying his very hardest to keep his eye on the ball, but it was easy to see one of his dearest friends had something else on his mind. James wasn’t his usual self; Tom had spotted him with the others while he was walking out of the tunnel onto the pitch. Something must’ve happened; words had to have been exchanged to get such an attitude out of the Brazilian striker. When the moment arose with the ball being kicked out of play, Tom took the opportunity to get closer to James, shouting across to encourage him. “You keep your head in this game, dude; we need this win.” James was clearly taken aback by the statement, having not noticed himself that he wasn’t focusing on the game, being so distracted by his mind. “Sim...” James’ mind was rushing with the thoughts of his interaction with Aiden; he was so fond of the e-boy. He was funny, cute, and great fun to be around; his attitude and laughter were infectious. The two boys were assigned to be seated together in their Health and Social Care class. James loved those lessons almost as much as his sports lessons due to the great time he had with the other lad; Aiden was always one to try to not let on how he was really feeling when he interacted with James, but in the Brazilian’s opinion, that just made him so much more fun to tease. He cared about him… he hated the idea that Aiden could be mad at him, but he needed to get his head down and focus on getting that ball in the net and shoving it in the faces of these academy boys.

After a skilful tackle on his part, James had the ball, taking it from the other team's left-back. Now charging forward with the soccer ball down the pitch to get it towards the other goal. Two of the other team’s players came bounding right for James; he kept his usual smug smile and cool demeanour. Nothing he couldn't handle. Spencer's voice rang out on the field, coming from the dark-skinned man’s right, “James! Here!” The dark-haired boy did have an opening, but James was in one foul fucking mood on the inside, and making a pass wasn't on his priority list at this moment in time. He continued on, trying to out-skill the opposition, ankles and boots tapping against each other, locked in combat, to no avail; James had the ball stolen from him in an almost embarrassingly desperate struggle, losing his footing and tumbling down, one of his thighs taking the majority of the impact from the ground. “FUCK!” James sat up and punched his balled-up fist into the earth below him with a shout of irritation. Spencer came running up from behind him as James got to his feet. “What the fuck was that, James? I was wide-bloody-open, you utter twat!”

Deciding to ignore his teammate for now, James eyes looked forward to see the two academy boys bombing the ball down the pitch, straight towards Logan. He was trying to defend his goal like his life depended on it. The ball came zooming towards the red-haired boy. Misjudging the aim of the other team’s striker, Logan dove into the wrong corner, the ball cleanly hitting the back of the net as the sound of the other team’s supporters rang out like a hellish choir across the field. The academy players all piled onto one another to give each other hugs and celebrate in front of their supporters, while Tipiskaw supporters held their heads in their hands and groaned. The four teens watching in the east stand sat with a look of utter disbelief. “YOU SHOULD’VE LET ME USE THOSE PILLS, ELLIE!” - “GABS, SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE SOMEONE HEARS YOU!” While the girlfriends bickered, Aiden had one hand covering his mouth in shock at what had just transpired below. Jake caught the younger boy’s attention with a comment. “That’s really out of character for James; I remember him from last year. I never saw him do that before…” Aiden tsked with an annoyed roll of his thin shoulders. “Serves him right…”

Gabrysia’s ears pricked up with Aiden’s statement. “You know he was helping Rosa in looking for you earlier, don’t you?” Aiden just stared at the brown-skinned girl for a little while before what she had just said fully sank in. Aiden turned away from her defensively and hugged his own arms. “He probably just wanted to rub in the fact he has seen pictures of me before I transitioned; it’s perfect ammo for him considering all of the other shit he gets on my ass about.” Gabrysia Nowak was quick to jump to conclusions herself, but she wasn’t oblivious or stupid in the slightest; her ‘pure heart’, as Ellie called it, really helped her see deeply into the actions of others, looking past the surface and deciphering people’s true intentions. The Polish girl shook her head in response, shocking Aiden with her bluntness. “No, Aiden. He was being genuine. Rosa knows it to be true. He wants to make things up to you; he wasn’t involved in what Riya did. He helped Rosa in trying to find you and told her earnestly.” Aiden said nothing in response, too shocked or perhaps not wanting to hear that someone he had dismissed as being nothing but a shallow asshole wanted to now make things right somehow.

The game resumed, and the Tipiskaw boys were desperate to get the ball so they could equalise, but the academy boys were desperately trying to hold onto the ball in order to keep themselves on a roll. If James was angry before, he was fucking furious now. Tom could've sworn he could see steam coming out of the other boy’s ears. “No matter, James. We’ll get this one. Keep yourself disciplined, man.” The advice from his middle school best friend went in one ear and straight back out of the other whenever the ball came his way. James tried with all of his might to keep a hold of it, with mixed results, only passing the ball to his other teammates when he was truly out of all other options. Spencer Lawrence was a great asset to the team; his tactics and logical thinking made him a true weapon on the pitch, but the only downside was the fact that, physically, he didn’t quite match up to that of his opposition in terms of strength, being nowhere as bold and burly as them, making it rather easy to barge him out of the way and take the ball. James spotted this happening once again, and in an attempt to apologise to the dark-haired boy for his earlier blunder, ran after the player who had stolen the ball from Spencer. James was truly seeing red, and he wanted that ball. He wanted to score a goal. He wanted to dedicate his victory to Aiden to apologise to him for ever listening to Yul and Riya. He wanted the E-boy to like him again… he really wanted him to like him again… but why? Why did this one random twink matter so much to James? Out of everyone that he had the approval of, why did this one kid matter so much to him? The thoughts buzzing in his mind only pissed him off further, and he charged full steam right ahead, right into the back of the academy player in front of him, successfully getting a hold of the ball but throwing the other player to the ground. The other lad rolled along the floor before coming to a stop just beyond the white line, directly in front of the west stand, in full view of the away supporters as they watched as the blonde boy on the floor gasped in pain and was struggling to lift himself up from where he lay face down on the floor.

James hadn’t even realised what he had done; he was still running with the ball before realising that everyone else had stopped playing, then turning around to be met with the ugly sight of what he had done. The ref’s whistle blared out as medical staff ran over from the side lines to attend to the pain-stricken boy. Whispers of worry could be heard all around. The Brazilian was frozen in place, unsure if he should go up to the other boy and apologise while helping him up, or if he should simply just walk away and leave them to it. Tom came running up to James and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, knowing it had only been an accident, the harsh action being prompted by whatever it was troubling his friend. James nodded at Tom, appreciating the gesture and breathing a sigh of relief as the other lad was brought back to his feet by his teammates. Then it was time for the referee to come over to James and give his verdict. The whistle was blown once more, and a yellow card was waved in front of James's face; the Brazilian gave an annoyed groan and turned the other way in anger. The academy's supporters made their disagreement with the decision known very loudly, as chants of "OFF! OFF! OFF!" rang in James's already burning ears and mind; they had clearly hoped the Brazilian would've been removed from the game. Trying to calm himself down. “Filho da puta…” Richard half-glared at James from the dugout, hands on his hips in frustration and disappointment. "You are very, very lucky that wasn’t a red, my boy…”

Tom looked towards his friends in the east stand once more, seeing their optimistic faces now looking rather hopeless; they had to get that momentum back and do it fast. Looking at the green LED clock at the top of the west stand, it was clearly displayed that there were five minutes left of game time, plus the added time, which would roughly be about three minutes due to the stoppages and injury time. He needed to get his and everyone else’s asses in gear. “We have at least seven minutes; we can work with this!” The scar-faced young man shouted to his teammates, and he ran his way back up the pitch, rallying everyone seamlessly; everyone fell in line at quick speed. Tom’s control over the other boys rivalled that of the team’s captain. A few more minutes of the game were played on until suddenly, Tom was able to tackle one of the other team's players and get the ball off him; now was that chance they were looking for. Bounding up the pitch, people were coming at him left and right; there was one opening where James was running alongside him. “Passa, Tom!” The dark-haired teen looked at his friend and, in a split-second decision, decided it was worth the risk; kicking the ball towards his dark-skinned friend, James received it and didn’t waste any time in getting it down the line towards the other team’s goal. The boys who had been marking Tom then descended upon James; the Brazilian boy had no other option but to kick the ball onto another player while Tom got himself onto the left side of the penalty box. Diego managed to receive James’s pass and got into the best position he could. He was quickly surrounded; there was no way he would get it into the box from where he was. Suddenly, Tom made his position known, and Diego fired at the dark-haired striker, and Tom received it, bombing the ball into the back of the net, past the other team’s goalie, with a one-touch pass. That thunderous applause rained down on the pitch again as Tom ran along the line with his hands in the air, moving quickly towards the east stand in celebration.

Aiden, Ellie, Gabby and Jake had all sprung to their feet in joy, hugging each other and jumping about wildly. Tom ran over to the group and reached his hands up to them; the two girls and Aiden grabbed onto him without hesitation, but Jake, for whatever reason, stopped himself. It was only when Tom let go of the others and purposefully grasped onto both of Jake’s hands, pulling him forward a fair way so his legs were pressed against the metal bar in front of him, the steel being the only thing keeping them separate. Tom beamed at him like a dog with a bone; Jake didn’t hold back anymore after that and celebrated wildly with his new friend. “Thank you for coming! I knew you would, Jake!” “Of course… with a little encouragement…” Jake shyly looked towards Aiden with a blushing smile; Aiden returned the sentiment and hugged Jake around the waist, squeezing him tightly, as Tom was suddenly bombarded by his fellow teammates jumping on top of him and almost crushing his diaphragm with hugs. The half-time whistle finally blew, and each boy retreated back to the changing room for fifteen minutes of rest and strategizing. As they all walked to the end of the pitch, James and Tom both looked back, each looking at the different one of the two boys who were still locked together in a joyous hug.

Chapter 7: Don't Think That It's Nothing

Summary:

James has rizz.

Each member of the Tipiskaw team marched into the locker room and took a seat on the bench, many of them reaching for their water bottles for a desperately needed drink or the towels to dry the sweat off from their skin. The boys chattered amongst themselves quietly as they waited for Richard to come and give his usual half-time talk. Upon taking a seat, James leaned back against the cool, white-painted wall and let out a tense breath. Looking upwards, he could feel Spencer’s gaze all over him. Spencer was saying nothing vocally but saying everything in the glare he was giving the Brazilian. James stood up from his seat, puffing out his chest and glaring back at the British boy with sass, crossing his arms and readying himself for a possible fight. “What the actual fuck was that shit, James? You hogging the ball the whole time and your little ‘stunt’ almost cost us the first half! If it wasn’t for your best mate getting us out of the shit by equalising, we would’ve been fucked after this break!” James said nothing, admitting with his silence that he knew Spencer was correct, but it didn't change the feeling of unadulterated anger pulsing in his blood. His hands balled into fists and he gritted his teeth. James was more than angry; he was furious at himself and felt truly betrayed by two of his ‘friends’, not to mention he was so disappointed, conflicted, worried, and hurt…

Tom could always tell when his dear friend was hurting; it had been that way ever since middle school. Before anything could escalate, Tom grabbed James by the bicep and pulled him away into the hallway just outside of the changing room and then into a storage cupboard, jamming a broom against the door to guarantee the two men some privacy so that they could talk. “C’mon, man, spit it out. Someone’s said something to you; they must have! I haven’t seen you this pissed since Brazil lost at the World Cup.” The dark-skinned lad saw nothing but red. With a shout, all of a sudden, all of that anger came flooding out of James; he flung his fist against a metal filing cabinet with great might, denting the metal so it now had a void in the shape of a fist. James said nothing for a moment, mainly because his hand was killing him with the pain. Tom looked back at his friend and tilted his head curiously. “Better now?” “Yeah… Ouch, that fucking bites... Thanks for getting me out of the room, Tom.” The scarred man passed James his icy-cool water bottle to put against his hand to soothe the pain a bit, receiving a grateful smile from the Brazilian. “You still haven’t told me about what’s happened, bud.” The curly-haired boy nodded and knew that he needed to speak about how he was feeling inside; Tom had been the one to teach him that a problem shared was a problem halved after all…

The two young men leaned against the wall of the cupboard as James explained everything he knew about what had happened at lunch that day, about the old pictures of Aiden being shared around the whole school on every social media platform and in every group chat. How morally reprehensible he found it that two of the people he had considered his friends thought it was acceptable to even imagine doing such a thing, let alone violating Aiden’s privacy and dignity in such a public manner. Emphasising how, even though he hadn’t had a clue about the intentions of the others, he still felt guilty and almost responsible for some reason. It was clear that the curly-haired boy was more than conflicted about his ‘friends’, but the thing that troubled him the most was the impact on Aiden and his well-being, not to mention the fear that Aiden thought that James was in on Riya and Yul’s scheme or perhaps he even thought that James was the one who had orchestrated it all! Tom listened well and thoroughly, as Tom always did. James had always thought that Tom could maybe take up a job as a councillor after leaving school. Even Tom was amazed to see his friend's usual stoic attitude towards personal affairs come crumbling down in front of his eyes. James truly cared for Aiden; did James have a… No, no. He couldn’t have.

Tom believed what his friend had said, but a small part of him just wanted to double-check James’s honesty. “Are you sure you didn’t have anything to do with it? Not even a little bit?” James looked at Tom in horror, rapidly shaking his head and pleading for Tom to believe him. “Fuck no, I would never do anything that cruel to anyone, let alone to Aiden. I’d sooner rip out my own eyes than do that to him!” Tom gripped his friend's wrist, silently telling him that he believed what James had told him. After some careful thought, Tom spoke. “What I’d say is, speak to Aiden. Honestly, no teasing, no being smug or the ‘cool guy’. Just be honest and genuine; let yourself be vulnerable so he can see that you had nothing to do with it. I can speak to him too when I see him at lunch; hell, maybe you could sit with us? It's not like you're going to be hanging around with Yul and Riya anymore now, is it?” James shook his head again, contemplating Tom’s words. “I’ll try talking to him again. Are you sure you don’t mind speaking to Aiden too when you see him?” Tom gave a true smile to his friend. “It would be my pleasure.” James looked down at the floor, still clutching the bottle of water against his sore hand. “About sitting with you guys… I don’t know just yet; I’ll just stick with Diego, Logan and Spencer, if they don’t hate me too now, that is.” Tom gave a little chuckle at his friend’s unusually sombre state. “They don’t hate you, even if they did. The James Costa I know could easily charm them back onto his side within seconds. Just let them touch your abs or something again; they’ll be bowing down to you like a group of lap dogs in no time! You know they love that shit.” James laughed genuinely for the first time since this morning when Aiden stood up to Riya. With an enthusiastic nod, James picked himself up from against the wall and examined the hand that had landed in the filing cabinet. “This better not affect how I play; we still have a game to win!” “That’s the spirit, man. Now let’s go out and talk to Richard before he thinks we’ve been abducted again.” James almost spat out the water he was drinking from Tom’s bottle at the memory of the time he and Tom had been accidentally separated from the others at an away game at another school when they were both fifteen; the two had gotten hopelessly lost, and then the police were frantically called when Richard couldn’t find either of them.

After Tom and James left the cupboard and rejoined the others, Richard gave them both a harsh verbal lashing for not attending his prior talk, emphasising how important it was for group morale. Both boys kept their heads down; it was never wise to talk back to the coach when he was in one of his bad moods. James also took the opportunity to apologise to the whole team for his selfish behaviour in the prior half, taking the moment as a chance to practise for his eventual apology to Aiden. Everyone forgave him, of course; the team were all like a band of brothers, and it would take more than some shitty decisions to come between them all, and Spencer went out of his way to shake James’s hand in apology for blowing up at him earlier, even though James emphasised that Spencer was justified in doing so. The group discussion that Richard led was simple: work together, create chances, don’t let the other team get to the ball, always be in position and do not let them score! However, James and Tom had a little secret that the others didn’t know. The two friends were going to work together, harder than anyone, to make sure that they got Tipiskaw High back on top of those academy boys.

Everyone came back onto the grass to much applause and cheers from either side of the pitch. The group of four stood anxiously in the east stand as they waited for the second half to begin. James and Tom gave each other a knowing look before the whistle blew. For thirty minutes all twenty-two boys played their hearts out, victory hanging in the balance for all involved. Thirty minutes flew by like a flash; Tom kept checking the clock; time was running out. Miraculously, Diego had gotten a hold of the ball and was moving towards the opposite goal. Tom didn’t need to utter a word to James; a simple signal of his hand forwards and the Brazilian was already flying down the pitch to assist the Colombian man. The two Latin American men worked together to move the ball downwards to the opposition’s goal, with Tom running into a space to assist them when it looked like they were all out of options. Taking the opportunity, James moved himself into the penalty box, screaming for Tom to pass the ball to him. When he spotted an opening, Tom belted the ball to his friend with all his might, only for a taller boy from the other team to get in the way, ruining his chance.

“Fuck that.” James ran towards the taller player and skilfully tackled the ball away from him, moving himself forwards and then jolting his leg slightly, as if he was going to attempt to score. The other team's goalkeeper jolted forward to meet him, and James slid the ball right past him, the ball smacking comfortably into the back of the net. A clean goal, and with no time for disbelief from anyone, as James was immediately crying out in jubilation. “NEM FODENDO! LET’S GOOOOO!” The Brazilian shot off like a rocket, calling out and yelling all the while. Running right in front of the east stand, much like Tom had in the previous half. He stopped right in front of Ellie, Gabby, Jake and Aiden. Pointing both of his index fingers straight up at the sky and then slowly moving them forwards and down, arms fully extended in front of him, pointing straight at Aiden right where the e-boy was sitting in the stand. This was James’s usual celebration, usually taking aim at some hot cheerleader girl that he wanted to make out with after a game. James had dedicated his win to Aiden; Jake wrapped an arm around Aiden’s shoulders and ruffled his hair. Keeping direct eye contact with the e-boy, James mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ and clasped his hands together with a sweet and genuine smile that went all the way up to the Brazilian’s temples. Even stubborn Aiden could really see that James meant it; Gabby had been right, and he couldn’t hold back a smile of his own and the light dusting of a blush that had scattered across his cheeks.

The rest of the game was a cakewalk. All of the Tipiskaw boys kept up the defence and prevented those academy boys from scoring; the game ended 1/2 to Tipiskaw, much to the annoyance of the away players and supporters. The academy’s alumni begrudgingly made their way back to their changing rooms and piled onto the buses that had brought them to Tipiskaw, many students and even parents taking great delight in flipping them off and jeering as the bus pulled away from the school. The Tipiskaw team filed back into the tunnel to make their way to the changing rooms for a well-deserved shower. James was incredibly fast with his usually thorough shower and got himself dressed at the speed of light. The other boys gave each eachother seeingly knowning looks; this usually meant that James had a date to suck the face of some random person he had been flirting with before the game. Although they didn’t say it, Spencer, Diego and Logan had a feeling today’s ‘victim’ would be Aiden; James had dedicated his goal to him after all. James’s pansexuality and unrestrainedly flirty nature were common knowledge amongst all of the boys on the team, and none of them had a problem with it. It wasn’t like Tom, Spencer, Logan or Diego were straight themselves, not to mention that Tom could’ve sworn he saw Spencer and Diego kissing behind the school gym that one time...

James ran out of the tunnel once more, feeling much more fresh after a wash and a change of clothes. Jake, Ellie, Gabby and Aiden were standing around on the pitch in a circle chatting about the game and this or that before James ran up behind Ellie and Aiden, putting a hand on either of their shoulders suddenly and yelling out ‘surprise’! The e-boy and the American girl both jumped about fifty feet in the air with a scream. “What was that for? Dickhead!” Ellie was less than impressed, although her girlfriend had fallen into a fit of hysterical laughter, and Jake couldn’t hold himself back from chuckling alongside her, resting his hand on the Polish girl’s shoulder to steady himself as the laughter threatened to topple them both over. James smiled sheepishly and held his hands up in apology; Aiden was hugging his arms to his chest again, as he did when he was feeling defensive, and James was terrified that his little ‘surprise’ had backfired horribly. “Aiden… I’m so sorry about everything. Can I talk to you privately?” Aiden was more than unimpressed and looked the taller boy dead in the eye. “If you have something to say to me, you can say it here, in front of my friends.” James understood; he had nothing to hide after all; he would just have to swallow his pride for a bit and hope his humility paid off in the end.

“Okay, well…” The sound of the boy’s strong accent paused as he took the time to very carefully consider his words. “What happened earlier? What happened to you? I’m so, so sorry. No one deserves that happening to them. I had no idea what Yul and Riya were up to at lunchtime; I swear on my mother’s life that I had nothing to do with it. I hadn’t seen them until this morning because I was planning for the game with the other boys. It’s fair to say I’m not Riya and Yul’s friend anymore, and I told them as such too; I’d go as far as to say I despise them for what they’ve done to you. However, someone who I’m very fond of is… you. You always make me laugh in our lessons; you’re great to be around. It may be selfish to ask this, but can we be friends? Please?” Everyone looked at James in shock, then to Aiden, then back to James as they tried to wrap their heads around all that they had just heard from the dark-skinned man’s mouth. Aiden sighed and brought his hand to his forehead, as if the question was giving him a headache. "I don’t know right at this moment; I’ll think about it. Let’s just say I don’t despise you like I do with Riya and Yul.” The twin-colour-haired boy gave a little cheeky wink and a smile. James reacted like Aiden had just agreed to marry him, running over to the smaller lad and squeezing his shoulders in a tight embrace, slightly lifting him up off from the ground. “Hey! HEY! Put me down or I’ll reconsider my decision!” Without a second to spare, James did as he was told and returned the smaller boy to the floor, a self-satisfied smile on his lips. “Amazing! Obrigado, thank you!” James reached his hand out towards Aiden for him to shake; the blonde and brunette returned the gesture after a moment of hesitation.

Reaching into his back pocket, James pulled out his phone. “How about a selfie? To celebrate the big win?” Gabby and Jake were keen, enthusiastically getting into position and pulling peace signs in line with the camera's lens. Ellie was about to step beside her girlfriend before stopping herself to look at Aiden; photos had caused him nothing but pain today. However, Aiden was thinking to himself, recalling what he had said to Jake just before they had both left the isolation room. Wasn’t avoiding having his picture taken after such a memorable game letting the bullies win? Shaking any doubt away from his mind, Aiden grabbed the hand of his concerned friend, dragging Ellie along with him as they all filled in for James’s photo. James posted it to his Instagram and tagged everyone; the last person to tag was Jake… And then James remembered. After James put his phone away again, he tapped the blue-haired boy on the shoulder. “Jake, I need to apologise to you too... Although Blake did send me the messages about your breakup, I never shared them with anyone. However, I did let Yul open up the texts before I had even the chance to check what Blake had sent me, and I let Yul log into my phone, although I didn’t know he was going to send all those messages to himself and Riya. I’m not trying to deflect; I am partly to blame for everything that has happened to you. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I’m really, really sorry about everything.” Jake was lost for words; the experience of having someone express sympathy or empathy to him still felt very alien. “I-it’s okay, James… Thank you for your honesty.”

James smiled again while looking at Jake’s nervous demeanour, then remembering Tom… and the way he looked at Jake. A harmless but slightly devious plan crossed his mind. The muscular teen was snapped away from his thoughts by Jake reigniting the conversation. “Hey James, where’s Tom?” Oh, this was perfect; this was meant to be. James’s poker face gave nothing away. “Oh, Tom? He’s in the changing room; he’s waiting to talk to you in there – nothing bad, I promise you. Everyone else has left; why don’t you go and see him?” Jake was a bit taken aback by hearing that Tom was waiting alone for Jake to join him so they could talk. James continued as he put his arms around both Gabby’s and Aiden’s shoulders. In the meantime, while the boys talk, I happen to know a wonderful place very nearby that does great churros. Shall we go, gang?” Gabby was the first to respond with a shout. “I LOVE churros! Yes, yes, yes, yes! Let’s go, come on, Ellie!” Aiden gave a hearty laugh, deciding that a snack was a good idea, especially as he felt his stomach start to growl. “I’m so glad someone mentioned getting food; I’m absolutely starving.” The Polish girl was already bounding down the pitch, girlfriend in tow as they followed James’s lead away from the field. As Jake gave a happy smile and a shout goodbye to everyone, his new gang of mates all turning around to wave back at him, he made his way to the tunnel to find Tom.

Wandering around in the dim light, Jake could definitely tell he was in the right place, based on the smell alone. You could certainly tell that a group of overheated young men had been through the place; the random clothes scattered around on the floor were a good indicator too, with Jake almost slipping over on an old sock as he tried to find Tom. The sound of whistling caught Jake’s attention; that had to be the dark-haired boy. The sound was getting closer and closer, along with footsteps coming towards the room. “Hey, Tom! James said I would find you –OH, SWEET JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!” It was Tom, however… He was in a state of undress. The soccer player had nothing on his body but a towel around his waist and droplets of water on his pale skin, and his dark hair was dishevelled and damp. “GYAH, JAKE! What are you doing here?” “I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU! JAMES SAID YOU WERE WAITING FOR ME! OH MY GOD, I’M SO SORRY!” The smaller young man had his hands tightly clamped over his eyes, more than embarrassed about violating his new friend’s privacy. “God damn it, fuckin’ James…”

The taller teen grabbed his clothes from the bench and went around the corner to another changing area to make himself decent. Despite the other boy being no longer in sight, Jake had turned to face the wall until Tom was fully clothed and had come out again. Although, upon hearing Tom’s reaction to his being there, the realisation hit Jake like a truck. “You don’t have anything to tell me, do you? He just sent me here so I’d see you like…this.” “Yep…” Although he was trying his best at being a better person, James was still James. “Fuck, I knew there was something fishy going on!” With an echoing laugh, Tom reemerged and let Jake know he was decent, no longer requiring him to face the wall. “That’s just James; he wouldn’t have meant anything by it. No need to worry, Jake.” The taller boy moved towards Jake to gently ruffle his blue locks, only it was more tentative, like Tom just wanted to run his fingers through his hair. Tom took a step back from Jake, intending to grab his things, only for the dark-haired man to catch his foot on a discarded t-shirt and trip, stumbling right into Jake. Both boys’ chests collided together, and Jake was pushed back against the cold wall of the changing room, Tom’s arms coming to land either side of him, hands right by his head. Both boys were making direct eye contact now from the accident, faces so close, lips just centimetres apart –

“Holy shit, I’m so sorry, Jake, that’s twice I’ve almost knocked you down now!” Tom stood back and pulled Jake away from the wall, steadying him back onto the tiles below his feet. The shorter boy couldn’t say anything, his face as red as the roses that had been kept in his grandmother’s garden; he was just looking right at Tom. Why couldn’t he say anything? Jake was cut out of his trance by Tom’s voice bringing him back to earth. “Uhh… You don’t live too far away from me, I think. I see you walking to school sometimes… not to sound creepy or anything!” Jake just laughed in reply to Tom’s adorably goofy comment. “Want to walk home together?” So they did, both boys walking side by side all the way back to Jake’s front door, talking happily all the while, continuing discussions from lunchtime as they had walked. After waving Tom goodbye, Jake climbed up the steps to his front door. Feeling oddly optimistic about the day ahead for once. He had to deal with his parents, of course, or deal with their lack of paying attention to him. Neither his mother nor father asked where he had been; they didn’t care too. There was a meal made for Jake but no one to sit and eat it with, the normal routine, but this was so much easier to deal with now because he had something to look forward to. That evening, Jake was able to climb into his bed with a smile and not dread the coming day. Laying his head down on the pillows and turning over, everything felt oddly peaceful. Perhaps things could turn for the better after all…

Chapter 8: You Make Me Feel Homesick

Summary:

Miriam is a queen and Aiden and Jake are little devils lol

Jake's eyes fluttered open as his alarm rang out, signalling the start of a Tuesday morning, the warm sunlight starting to peek through his curtains onto his face. It was at this moment, usually, that Jake’s heart dropped into his stomach, and that sickening feeling of dread swept over him like a dark cloud, but no, not today. He didn’t even have his usual nightmares in the night. That gentle, warm buzz of anticipation and happiness gave him the energy to rise from his bed and get himself ready for the day. There was an energetic skip to his step rather than the dreary slogging he usually moved around with. Yesterday had been the most fun the seventeen-year-old had experienced in a long, long time, but now he had to focus on the task at hand, mainly avoiding his family and getting something to eat.

Upon descending the staircase and turning the corner into the kitchen, Jake was met by the always cold face of his father; the stench of the incredibly strong coffee he drank filled the air. Fuck, he was usually at work by this point in the morning. “M-morning, Dad.” Jake kept his head turned, looking at his father with hopeful eyes while retrieving the milk from the fridge. The older man peered at him from behind his glasses, then looked back down at the newspaper he was reading nonchalantly. “Jacob.” Not so much as a ‘hello’ or even a ‘how are you?’ It was funny to think that his father had actually been half-decent when Jake was younger; now he was just a fucking asshole. Regardless, Jake knew he had to tread on eggshells or face the consequences of overstepping the line in this hellish household. “How come you aren’t at work?” Jake kept that placid smile slapped on his face like it was face paint or a mask; it made him feel subhuman and stupid, but he had no other options. Try to make small talk, keep being polite, and keep the peace. “A cancellation. I’m heading there now.” The older man replied in a carelessly bored tone, then slid his way past his son as Jake poured himself some cereal. Jake’s father was making his way out of the kitchen and towards the front door before snapping himself around and commanding Jake’s attention with his strong voice. “Your mother and I are going out this evening; you have to make your own meal tonight.” Jake nodded in understanding. “Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t mind.” It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened on a weeknight; at least they had bothered to tell him this time.

The middle-aged man said nothing more, grabbing his coat and heading out the door, pulling it shut behind him with a slam. Jake was left there in silence, just him and an empty house. That was the way things usually were, but that didn’t make it hurt any less than it already did. A part of Jake felt that he should’ve been grateful; that was the most he had interacted with his father for the last fortnight. Twirling the silver spoon around in his bowl of cereal, he wondered how things would be when he finally got away from them. He craved their attention and affection, but all hopes of that happening again had died the night he thought he could trust the two people who raised him with the fact he was attracted to men. The thought of it all made the teen’s stomach churn, and suddenly, he wasn’t hungry anymore.

Upon leaving the house, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin made him forget all of those terrible things that happened and were said behind closed doors. Today was going to be a good day; fuck his parents. It was time to be on his way, with the volume in his headphones nearly cranked all the way up as he exited the little cul-de-sac where his family’s home was situated. There was a newfound joyful stride in Jake’s steps as he made his way to the little bakery where he worked part-time, as he did every morning. Jake had only started working there after the big fallout with his family, getting the job at the start of the previous September, when he had been forced by his parents to get a job so he could move out from under their roof as soon as he was legally an adult.

The only person that Jake had told about his whole ordeal with his parents had been Jake’s boss, Miriam; despite her outward attitude, she was as kind and gentle as they came. It was clear that Jake was her favourite employee; he was hard-working and dedicated and always turned up on time without fail. Miriam was also an intelligent woman and found it easy to tell when something wasn’t quite right. Not many seventeen-year-old kids were as diligent as Jake; the majority wanted to get home as quickly as possible to call their friends or play on their Xbox. Not Jake. When Miriam had found him sobbing in the back room only two months after he had started his work, it had all come rushing out. His breakup, his parents, his school life. The elder woman sympathised and hugged him while he wept, confessing that she had been through some terrible things herself. Losing her husband and son many years ago, she pointed to a plaque above the door in her little office; the whole bakery was dedicated to the memory of both men. The two co-workers had held each other and sobbed for the majority of the rest of that night. Miriam had emphasised to Jake that if he ever needed somewhere to go to get away from his parents, her door was always open. Jake had taken her up on that offer a few times now, despite the fact that he always felt guilty for bothering her…

“There he is! My favourite grandson!” Miriam proudly announced to all of her regular customers who also visited the bakery first thing in the morning. Miriam had said that line so frequently that many customers had actually started to believe that Jake and she were biologically related. “You’re never going to stop saying that, huh?” Jake gave Miriam a faux annoyed look which quickly became a smile as he stepped through the door, the little bell above the doorframe chiming as he walked over to the grey-haired woman to give her a big hug. It was weird to think about the fact that a lady he didn’t even know existed only six months ago was now closer to him than Jake was with his biological family. Miriam reached under the counter to give the teenage boy a brown paper bag with a nutritious meal inside. Ever since Jake had told her everything, Miriam had taken it upon herself to provide lunch for Jake every school day. He had tried to deny her offer at first, but Miriam was as stubborn as a mule once she had set her mind to something. After a little while, Jake didn’t mind the lady’s generosity so much; it meant he got to see her every day before school and have something tasty to eat at lunch too. Jake thanked her and pulled the older woman in for another hug before waving goodbye to everyone in the bakery. “I’ll be seeing you at three thirty, Mister Hamilton!”

Jake continued on his way; the school had just come into sight. Before turning the corner that led to the school, Jake had paused and physically braced himself. He knew what stepping through that entrance meant: a wave of anxiety and the eyes of every bastard in the hallway looking him up and down. Christ, he could clearly remember what had happened yesterday, although he wished that he couldn’t. Fuck it, just do it, get it over with. With eyes closed tight, Jake walked around the bend and marched up to those horrible, white double doors. Upon opening his eyes again, he was greeted with the sight of a certain muscular soccer player. “Hey, Jake!” Tom’s beautiful eyes seemed to light up like stars whenever Jake looked into them; Tom was always beaming, it seemed. “H-hey, Tom! What are you up to?” Tom had run over to him from where he had been standing against the school’s front entryway wall, wrapping his warm, strong arm around Jake’s shoulder and squeezing him a bit. Jake blushed bright red at the sensation, but he didn’t want Tom to stop. “I was waiting for you, silly!” Jake blushed even harder, if that was even possible. Tom was waiting just for him to arrive? The black-haired young man continued as he let go of Jake’s shoulder; despite being so strong, Tom was so gentle to him… “We never got to finish our conversation about the best Chinese takeouts in our area! I’ve brought a notepad and pen; I need details.” Laughter rattled through Jake’s frame at seeing how seriously Tom was taking the whole subject; the taller boy never failed to put a smile on his face. It had been too long since Jake had interacted with anyone like that who was his age.

The two boys made their way inside; Jake was having such a good time that he completely forgot to look to see the confused or judgemental stares of his peers. The two new friends then turned left to make their way to their respective lockers, only for Jake to stop. Yesterday morning’s events had left quite the impact; even though they were a fair few feet away from the lockers, Jake could see that there was still a bit of a red smudge on the metal door that had his things behind it. The boy stumbled back a tad, his breathing picking up again. Tom was quick to notice and put a calming hand back onto Jake’s shoulder, feeling the smaller teen shiver a bit under his touch. “It’s okay; I’m here with you. You go and get your things.” Taking a deep breath, just like his grandmother taught him to. Jake walked over to his locker as calmly as he could, Tom at his side. The muscular teen stood over him like a guard dog, turning his head left and right for anyone who may take the opportunity to target Jake. As pure luck (or lack thereof) would have it, Yul and Riya had turned the corner just at that moment. Smiles spreading across their mouths like something out of a horror film. Tom spotted them and glared without saying a word, as if his expression was telling them, “Just you try and do something; see what happens next.” Jake had finished at that point, standing up and spotting the other two. With his heart sinking all at once, Jake grabbed his bag and clutched it to his chest like a shield. Tom wasn’t intimidated, much the opposite of the blue-haired lad. Placing each of his hands on either of the shorter boy’s shoulders, Tom guided him forwards, Jake still hugging his backpack in front of him. The taller boy was planning to take the blue-haired boy to the safety of the isolation room, far away from anyone else. Tom didn’t even so much as give Riya and Yul a chance, and they didn’t say anything to either of the two boys; they knew better than to do that. Challenging Tom Reed was a battle you would always lose; the two popular kids found out as much yesterday.

The black-haired boy opened up the isolation room’s door and ushered Jake inside, the smaller boy uttering a “Thank you” to Tom as he entered. “Those fuckers won’t bother you anymore, trust me.” The blue-haired teen’s expression turned sorrowful as he took a seat where he and Aiden had played their game together the previous day. “I wish I could believe that, Tom; I really do.” The soccer player took a seat next to Jake and looked him right in the eyes, teal orbs sparkling as Jake gazed into them. “Well, you better believe it. You are going to have me with you whenever you need it. I’ll wait for you outside every day if you like.” Jake’s thoughts rushed at a thousand miles per second, tossing his head back and forth and waving his hands wildly, as if trying to get Tom to reconsider. “You really don’t need to do that, Tom! I don’t want to put you out; you’re a busy guy!” Tom turned away for a moment with a low chuckle, bringing both of his hands to grasp Jake’s, stopping them from moving. Tom’s hands were a bit rough, yet soft, and oh so warm. “Don’t be silly; I want to. Okay? I love hanging out with you.” Jake was speechless, only nodding in reply like a total idiot while Tom continued to smile. Tom's touch felt just so… reassuring to the smaller man. “Oh, speaking of hanging out with you, I just remembered something!” Tom’s strong hands left Jake’s again, even though a small part of Jake wanted to keep them there, as Tom reached into his back pockets and pulled back out the notepad and pen, Tom scribbling down something quickly but carefully, ripping off the page from the notepad and handing it over to Jake. It was Tom’s phone number. “This is for you. So that you can ring me whenever you need to. Whether that be in school or if you just want to talk outside of it too. We should meet up outside of school at some point; what do you think?” “Yeah! I’d really like that…” Jake replied earnestly while tapping Tom’s digits into his phone and sending him a quick ‘Hi, it’s Jake’ over text with a smiley face.

The black-haired boy hummed approvingly when he saw the notification pop up on his phone, then tucked it back away into his rucksack. “Are we still on for having lunch together today? I know I’ve got something really tasty today, my-” Jake cut himself to think for a moment before he revealed to the other boy that his boss at work prepares him lunch every day before school. “M-my… grandmother! She makes stuff for me, god bless her.” Tom chuckled with his usual beaming smile. “Aww, she sounds sweet. Hey… I’ll tell you what else is ‘tasty’.” Tom murmured, looking deep into Jake’s eyes and waggling his eyebrows suggestively while emphasising the last word of his sentence. Jake felt his face flush again. Stammering and stuttering. “W-what?” No way, could Tom have meant – “This! Or, well, at least it smells tasty… Just don’t bite into it; that's not a good idea. You like these, don’t you?” Tom had pulled out a watermelon-scented pencil seemingly from nowhere and handed it to Jake. Then explaining to the blue-haired boy that he had been given it by his younger brother, Tony, and that he thought that Jake would appreciate it more than him. Jake graciously accepted the gift and commented that it matched his blueberry one and his watermelon pencil case.

The bell for lessons rang, and Tom walked his way to the door while saying goodbye to Jake. Aiden came in just at that moment and passed by Tom, greeting the much taller young man with a fist bump as he came into the room and took a seat next to his blue-haired friend before both boys gave each other a brief hug in greeting. Jake told Aiden about Tom giving him his number, and Aiden took the opportunity to do the same for Jake, scribbling down his number and passing it to the ponytailed boy. Not too much later, the school’s librarian, Alec Çelik, or just Alec, as he was known to everyone, came in and handed each boy a small pile of worksheets for their science, math and English classes to be handed back to him by the end of the day. Also explaining to the two boys that he would check in on them every now and then throughout the day, as there was no one else available to do so. The thing was, Alec had been known to have some… issues when it came to drinking alcohol and working his job… at the same time. Aiden could swear he could smell booze on him ever so slightly when he spoke. Hell, it was a miracle that Alec was still employed. After his marital problems interfered with his work, it had caused Alec to have no other choice than to bring his biological son, Daniel, and adopted daughter, Fiore, to work with him. The two children had absolutely trashed the library; it was quite impressive considering they were only there for two hours. Much to the amusement of everyone else and the fury of Connor. Alec didn’t seem to care too much, just telling both lads. “You can do what you like, boys. Just don’t mess around too much and try to get your work done, alright?” Jake and Aiden gave each other knowing looks; there was no way in hell that Alec would remember to look in on them.

As soon as Alec shut the door behind him as he left, Jake and Aiden turned to each other with devilish grins. Richard’s laptop was still on the desk, and Jake ran over to it, tapping in the password after Richard had so kindly taught him it yesterday, then going straight onto Spotify and turning up the volume so that both boys could have a little dance party to Panic! At The Disco while they worked. Those worksheets were quick and easy to get through; it helped when you had a partner sitting next to you to work with. Conversation flowed like running water between the two boys, with Jake bringing up his more ‘favourable’ encounter with Riya and Yul this morning. Aiden mentioned that he had been spotted by the pair that morning too, but Lake had pulled him outside before either of them could say anything to him. The two boys bonded over the fact that, for whatever reason, both the Korean boy and the Indian girl hated both of their guts. The topic turned to the subject of James after Aiden told Jake about the fun they had while getting churros after the game; the e-boy even mentioned that he had officially accepted James’s offer of friendship while they ate the sugary snacks together the prior night. Although Aiden felt much better about James, the e-boy still couldn’t understand why the Brazilian was being so nice all of a sudden; James still enjoyed teasing him too. Jake shrugged, with his eyes still fixed on his work. “I think he’s trying to be better. Are you sure he doesn’t just like you? You know, like, really like you?” Aiden almost choked on his own spit at the ludicrous idea that James had any interest in him, almost disgusted at the notion and insisting. “He’s not even my type…” Jake scoffed, turning his head to look at Aiden’s now red-coloured face. “Oh yeah? What is your type, then?” “I dunno… just not him…” Jake raised an eyebrow at the less than convincing response, deciding to drop the topic and continue on with his long divisions as Aiden did the same.

Time continued ticking on to the sound of every indie and alternative rock band the two boys could think of. Lunchtime rolled around, and Tom sat in the isolation room and ate happily with the two boys as they discussed the previous evening’s game again. Aiden then flipped off both of the other boys when they mentioned James dedicating the winning goal to him. While sitting there, Jake came to two conclusions. The first being that this was what he had been looking for; he had two new friends who he could laugh with and who listened to him. They didn’t judge him, and he could relate to them in a way he had never been able to do with any of his old friends or even Blake! In that moment, Jake felt like the luckiest man alive. The second revelation for Jake was that he liked Tom… The muscular lad made him feel things that Jake hadn’t felt for a very long time, like when Blake was first taking notice of him. The scar-faced young man was mesmerising to talk to. Aiden didn’t miss the way that both men interacted together or the way that Jake hung off Tom’s every word. The bi-colour-haired boy kept giving Jake knowing looks whenever Tom wasn’t facing his direction, Jake mouthing at him to “goddamnit dude, stop it!” with a flushed and embarrassed expression, much to Aiden’s amusement. When lunch ended, Tom said goodbye once more, and the blue-haired young man felt a little wave of disappointment come over him at the fact that Tom had to go. Aiden went out to use the bathroom, leaving Jake alone with nothing but his thoughts about Tom. Was this a crush on Tom? Was he in love? Could Tom even feel the same way about someone like him? No, Jake was taking it too fast; just don’t think about it. Don’t ruin this good thing you have right now.

As the afternoon wore on, all of the work the boys had been set was complete at this point; there was nothing to do, not even any corny card games to play to try and pass the time. Aiden was led along three chairs that he had pushed together in a row, turning them into an uncomfortable, makeshift bed. “God, I’m bored.” Jake looked at him from where he was sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room when a masterful plan came into his mind… “Okay, don’t spread it around, but I’m pretty certain I know where Alec keeps his beers.” Aiden sat up quickly with a start, disbelief etched into his features. “No bullshit, just go out of this room and take a right, and you come to that old cupboard with a rusted metal lock? It’s never locked. There’s a mini fridge in there; we should be able to take a few without Alec noticing.” Aiden’s face still held the same expression. “How the fuck did you find this out?” Jake leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, arms resting against the cool metal table below. “I just watched him from afar while ditching class this one time.” The e-boy nodded for a moment and then shook his head at the other teen. “Well, that’s great, but I’m not going. I had a panic attack in a cupboard yesterday, and I don’t exactly feel like having another one today!” Jake relented and got up from his spot, moving towards the door. “Fine, fine, I’ll go. Just watch my back, will you?” Aiden could've sworn he heard Jake jokingly mumble something about the shorter boy being a pussy under his breath as the taller teen grabbed his backpack before starting to make his way towards the front of the room; the e-boy then decided to launch a pencil at the back of Jake's head in retaliation for the cheeky comment. Jake dodged the incoming missile with an unintentionally loud shout of laughter.

It was like something out of a spy film, Aiden looking up and down the hallway while chewing his fingers in anticipation. Jake had grabbed his bag and stepped inside the cupboard, which really was unlocked, just like he had said it would be. Bending down and finding a bountiful amount of alcoholic treasures, shoving a few into his red school bag and then legging it back into the classroom. Both boys beamed with pride at the feat they had just pulled off. Each teen grabbed a green metal can from Jake’s bag, pulling the curtains closed so that no one could see what they were up to, both sitting cross-legged on the floor and cracking open a cold drink together. Tapping their cans together just how they did the previous day with the plastic cups from the water cooler. By the time that the end of the day rolled around, Alec must have suspected that something was off; he had walked in just at the moment that Jake was standing on top of one of the tables, clearly doing an impression of the school librarian with very convincingly slurred speech…

It had been a fittingly funny end to a fun day. Alec wasn’t going to say anything; he had even offered more beers in exchange for the boy’s silence about the alcoholic stash in the cupboard. Both boys walked out to the front of the school's gates together; Jake’s head looked around all the while, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tom. There was no sight of him. Aiden caught onto the fact that Jake was no longer paying attention to their conversation, and it wasn’t as a result of the booze; they had both sobered up a fair bit since then. “Looking for Tom? Prince Charming has got soccer practice tonight. He doesn’t leave school until later.” Jake smiled in understanding, slightly disappointed, then realising what Aiden had called the black-haired boy, lightly jabbing Aiden in the side. “Drop it, will you?” Aiden just chuckled in response. “You like him, don’t you?” Aiden’s eyes narrowed teasingly, then softened again when he saw Jake’s face fall noticeably solemn, the ponytailed boy responding with, “It’s too soon to say that yet; I just want… to see how things go for a while.” Aiden understood the sentiment, quickly turning to give Jake a hug goodbye after he spotted his mother’s car waiting for him along the road, Jake waving at the boy as he went and then turning away from the school to make his way to the bakery for his shift.

Jake was more than grateful that the effects of the beer had worn off by the point he walked through the bakery’s doors to start work. Miriam was very easygoing with him and understood that he wasn’t always going to be on top form due to his personal life, but he didn’t want to push his luck by turning up to his two-hour shift tipsy, but Jake couldn’t miss the way she looked at him, clearly suspecting something with a raised eyebrow after she pulled away from giving him a hug. Jake had made sure to work extra hard that day in the hopes of avoiding the older woman’s wrath. Serving many customers for just under two hours without so much as even taking a break to drink some water, he was enthusiastically chatting to some customers about the building work they were having done on their house until all of a sudden Miriam’s voice caught him off guard with a simple greeting to the young man who had just walked through the bakery’s door. “Oh, hello, Tom! It’s lovely to see you again, son.” Tom? He knew about this place? Jake had never seen him come in before. Why was Miriam calling him son? The only person she ever seemed to call 'son' was Jake. “Hey, Miriam…” Tom sounded exhausted, pulling the old lady in for a hug; the two clearly knew each other well. “I just got off soccer practice, and I’m absolutely famished. Can I have my usual, please?” Miriam patted the tall teen on the shoulder and told him, “Of course you can, son. Go talk to the young man behind the counter; he’ll get it for you.”

The way Tom’s face lit up upon realising that he was going to be served by Jake made the blue-haired boy’s heart soar. “Hey, again… What can I get you?” “Blueberry doughnut, please.” Tom pretended to pout pleadingly, like a puppy asking for a treat. Jake could’ve toppled over from the cuteness. He flushed as he retrieved Tom’s order from the counter and handed it to him. “I really wasn’t expecting you to be one of my customers tonight!” Tom chortled and received the paper bag from Jake graciously; the scarred man’s face then took on a slightly guilty expression. “Okay… I may have found out from Miriam that you worked here; I felt a bit bad that I couldn’t say goodbye to you after school today.” Jake's face grew even more pink, and his eyes filled up with affection for the taller boy; although some may have called it creepy or stalker-like behaviour, Jake found it to be the sweetest thing in the world. “How do you know Miriam, Tom?” “She lives on the next street over from mine; I always grew up seeing her around the neighbourhood.” Jake nodded, gazing deeply into Tom’s ocean eyes again, getting lost in them. “Jake? Why don’t you and Tom take a seat outside so you can continue your little chat?” The blue-haired man shot upright from where he was leaning on the counter and staring at Tom. “Oh gosh, Miriam, I’m so sorry! I’ll get right back to work!” Tom and Miriam both chuckled at the lad’s expression. “I wasn’t being sarcastic, Jake; we’re closing soon. Take a break with Tom; I’m sure he’d appreciate the company.” Tom looked back at Jake with those pleading eyes again. The shorter boy relented with a smile; who was he to say no to a customer?

Both boys were deep in conversation about both of their days, Jake quietly whispering about the booze that he and Aiden had acquired. Tom was in utter disbelief at the revelation and laughed wildly while Jake confessed to the whole thing. Miriam popped her head outside of the door to speak to both boys. “I’ve cashed up the till, Jake. I’ve just got a few things to do in the office, and then we’re done for the day. I tell you what, Tom, I have such a hard-working grandson; we’ve done some good numbers tonight!” The elderly woman commented while gesturing at Jake; she then headed back inside to finish off the rest of her tasks. “Grandson, I didn’t know you were related!” Jake's face filled with blush once more at Tom’s comment; oh boy, how was he going to explain this? “She’s not Tom; she just… calls me that. My real grandmother… is dead; she died when I was fifteen.” Tom’s eyes turned sympathetic, and his scarred hand came to rest on top of Jake’s at the vulnerable revelation. “Oh Jake, I’m so sorry…” Jake’s face grew warm once more; he loved the feeling of the other man’s skin against his. After a brief silence, Tom continued. “So… when you said your grandmother makes you lunch every day, you mean Miriam?” Jake nodded ashamedly, looking down to avoid Tom’s gaze. The taller boy brought his hand under Jake’s chin and tilted his face back up to look at him. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. Miriam’s practically family to me too. She used to babysit me all the time after my dad left and my mom was too busy with her job. I still come by her house sometimes just to try her cooking because, let's be honest, it’s pretty damn incredible, isn’t it?” Jake chuckled a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement, then he apologised to the other boy for lying; Tom wasn’t the slightest bit bothered by the dishonesty, shrugging it off without a care and telling Jake not to worry about it.

Miriam locked the door to the small establishment behind her as she stepped outside, and Tom said goodbye once more. He walked his way over to Miriam to pull her in for one more hug. Then turning around to Jake and pulling him in for one too, hand patting his blue hair as he did so. It felt amazing to be that close to someone like that again… Miriam didn’t fail to notice the way Jake’s face went tomato-coloured again around the scar-faced young man. As they watched Tom walk down the street, Miriam turned to face Jake and gave him a knowing look; Jake looked back at her and muttered a simple “What?” at her incessant staring. “You’re down bad for him, boy; that’s what.” “I AM NOT! God, not you too!” Miriam burst out laughing as she hopped into the driver's side of her car. “So other people have noticed too?” Jake dropped his head into his hands in embarrassment as Miriam’s laughter continued. “Come on, son, hop in; you’re coming to mine tonight for a lasagna.” Jake still looked down, for a different reason now; ashamed that he somewhat relied on this elderly woman to look after him. “You don’t have to do that, Miriam…” The older woman’s voice became sincere. “I want to, Jake; you know I love your company. Plus, I know your asshole parents aren’t home tonight; I saw their cars missing from the front of your house when I had to nip back home to get something. Now get in the car.” Jake smiled up at his elderly friend, reaching over to hug her as he sat in the passenger seat. The two colleagues were more than friends; they were family. They toasted to their kinship over a deliciously made meal that night; things really were looking up for Jake…

Chapter 9: Such A Mess, But I'm Feelin' Alive

Summary:

Tom's backstory is fucked up bro...

Jake arrived at school that warm Wednesday morning with the memories of the previous night still fresh in his mind. Miriam and he had shared a lovely meal, had ice cream and then watched the cheesiest film they could possibly find on Netflix for a laugh. She drove Jake back home, and he snuck inside without having to say a word to his mother or father, an excellent night if there ever was one. As he promised, Tom was waiting at the front steps. The taller boy walked Jake to his locker and then to the isolation room, where he expected to spend the day again. Upon opening the door, they were met by the friendly face of Aiden, who had taken a seat at the front of the room. The three friends sat around and chatted like they had the previous lunchtime until the bell rang, but Tom didn’t leave. “Tom, I know Jake’s told you all about the booze escapades we had yesterday, but you have normal classes to get to; I don’t want you getting in trouble.” Aiden attempted to usher the black-haired boy towards the door, but Tom turned to his bi-colour-haired friend and gave him a teasing smile, letting on that there was something more going on than what met the eye.

Just at the right moment, Connor emerged through the door with a satisfied grin on his face. Although he managed to mask it, Aiden felt his stomach churn at the idea that his principal might have caught onto the fact that sweet little innocent, well-behaved Aiden might have gotten tipsy on school property the previous day. “Don’t worry, boys; no one is in trouble. Take a seat and listen up; I’ve made some class arrangements for you all.” Connor held up two sheets of paper, class schedules, one clearly marked ‘Aiden’ and the other one ‘Jake’. Doing as told, each boy sat and listened with interest at what Connor had planned. “I’m introducing a ‘buddy’ system.” The principal started with a self-satisfied smile. “Aiden and Jake, I’m going to assign you both a friend to go to and from the majority of lessons with you. In order to make this work, I’ve changed your schedules a bit and spoken to all of the relevant teachers to ensure that you’re seated next to your buddy. Aiden looked very pleased with what Connor was suggesting when Jake turned his head towards him, then Jake looked the other way at Tom, who looked back at Jake with his usual beaming smile. “Connor? Quick question; I don’t mean to be rude, but what does it have to do with Tom?” Both the scar-faced young man and the principal chuckled at the blue-haired teen’s comment. “Gosh, Jake, haven’t you caught on yet? Tom’s going to be the one keeping an eye on you. He’s the one who gave me this idea after all.” Jake blushed a bit in embarrassment for being so dense, the new information making everything make a lot more sense. Jake decided then it would be best if he just listened to the principal and refrained from commenting from this point forward.

Aiden then took the moment’s silence to give himself the opportunity to speak, raising his hand politely, Connor then nodding at him to ask his question. “Who’s my buddy going to be?” The older man came, briefly glanced outside the door with a smile, confusing Aiden, then looked back towards the e-boy and started to answer his question. “Well, son. I’m really sorry, but I’m afraid I couldn’t get Rosa María or Lake for the job; their classes are just too different from yours.” Aiden didn’t mean to, but his face formed a slightly disappointed frown, Jake then placing a hand on the shorter boy’s shoulder to comfort him. Aiden hadn’t expected to be paired with either girl, but he still had felt a bit hopeful about the prospect of one of the girls spending her time with him when Connor mentioned the buddy programme. “I was a little bit stuck on who to choose for you, but Tom gave me some ideas, and I had a think… Then I discussed the topic with the special someone that we felt could be well suited for you. Your new ‘buddy’ agreed, and they're going to keep an eye on you in lessons from now on.” Aiden’s face filled with optimism again as his hopeful eyes looked towards the door as Connor opened it for the mystery person who had been assigned to look after Aiden. It was going to Gabby or Ellie, wasn’t it? Maybe Tristan or Benji? Aiden had got along well with them too recently.

The door swung open, and the bright colour of a familiar yellow t-shirt met Aiden’s eyes as all of his hopefulness fell into utter shock and disbelief. “No… way…” The person that Tom and Connor had felt was best suited for the e-boy was none other than James motherfucking Costa, the very person that Aiden had constantly spoken about teasing him. God, Aiden had even despised him two days prior because he thought that James had been involved in Yul and Riya’s targeting of Aiden online. Even Jake was slightly shocked, leaning over to Tom to quickly whisper. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” The taller boy winked at him reassuringly. “Of course, James really cares about Aiden. He swore to take good care of him. Jake, if there’s anyone I trust to look after Aiden, then it’s the guy who looked after me at my lowest. James’s smug smile beamed into the eyes of every man in the room; he held his arms politely behind his back as he waited for the principal to continue. However, before Connor could say anything more, Aiden’s voice broke through the silence again. “Are you freaking kidding me? We’ve only just become friends!” The grey-haired man looked more than surprised upon hearing Aiden’s little outburst. “Is there a problem, Aiden?” Connor asked with a slight tilt of his head and a genuinely concerned look on his face. Aiden paused for a moment, just realising what he had said in front of everyone. He didn’t want to come across as ungrateful to the principal, especially since Conner had worked so hard in putting things together to help him, not just now but many times before. Connor always enthusiastically replied to his mother’s emails if she ever reported any transphobic mistreatment that had been directed towards Aiden and went above and beyond, doing whatever he could do to try and help.

“N-no, sir! Not at all… H-hi, uh, James.” James’s pearly whites peeked out from behind his lips as he flashed a satisfied smile right towards Aiden, then moved to stand next to where the e-boy was sitting. “Don’t worry, Mister Blake; he knows I’m going to take very good care of him…” Connor decided not to delve further into the Brazilian teen’s last comment, then turning to address all of the boys once more. “James and Tom are going to be in charge of being with you in places with lots of people, going between lessons, things like that. If anyone hears any nasty comments or sees anything malicious about someone online, then they are to come to me immediately to report it so it can be dealt with. Does that sound good to everyone?” Each boy nodded in unison; Jake and Tom looked at each other with playful grins while James wrapped an arm around Aiden while the smaller boy sighed and rolled his eyes into the back of his head, then whispered under his breath. “I’m going to need a lobotomy after this…”

For the rest of the week, Jake spent almost every moment by Tom’s side; the two boys were inseparable, whether it was in class, at lunch, before school, or after school. Jake and Tom weren't even apart at Jake’s after-school job because Tom would follow him to the bakery and hang around, not that Miriam minded, of course, and Jake took it upon himself to ask Miriam for the afternoon off to go to Tom’s second after-school soccer practice on the Thursday night that week. She had happily agreed, thankfully. Jake really enjoyed watching all of the young men from the stand and cheering on the black-haired man who kept forgetting to focus on training by waving at Jake. The two young men simply loved each other's company and thrived with it too. While before, the two lads only ever saw each other in P.E., now there wasn’t somewhere one didn’t go without the other. Jake also made sure to frequently see Aiden too, both he and Tom sitting near Aiden and James if they could during lessons and lunch. The four of them had become a little gang, a group of best friends who had all found each other just when they needed to. Getting closer with Aiden had also meant getting closer with Ellie and Gabby too, forming a nice little friendship with the two girls. Jake thought he would never see the day when Ellie Parker not only didn’t despise him but even considered him a friend!

The boost of having Tom by his side had made Jake's mood and temperament improve expeditiously, not to mention his concentration in class. Now that the blue-haired boy knew that he had someone who cared for him by his side, he felt so much less self-conscious about the possibility of dirty stares or jeers from the people around him. Jake’s test scores just seemed to naturally go up with Tom there lending a helping hand in solving questions or studying whenever he needed it. The teachers were impressed with Jake’s newfound dedication to his work and positive attitude, and the previously miserable and hopeless young man who had started to give up on everyone and everything was finally starting to understand what happiness felt like. Those simple days were bliss, and Jake had never adored Tom so much more and more as the days continued on. After school and work were over, Jake got to experience the fun of texting his new friends in group chats and individually, mainly just Aiden and Tom. The two boys were great to speak to when Jake felt so isolated while avoiding his parents at home. While Jake was coming to realise how much he loved Tom, Aiden was like a cheeky little brother and best friend rolled into one. Them both being sent to the isolation room that day must have been fate, he thought. Aiden had even gone out of his way to set up a Discord server just for him, James, Tom, Jake, Ellie and Gabby so they could all spam each other with memes and laugh with each other until the early hours of the morning. One of the best things they had ever discussed was after James had found out that Riya had been given a week's worth of detentions for her little stunt that had targeted Aiden’s identity. Each of the six friends celebrated by chatting together for hours after hearing the great news.

Tom and Jake didn’t stop seeing each other when the weekend rolled around either; Tom spent practically the whole day with Jake while the blue-haired boy tried to work his all-day shift, although it wasn’t ideal. Miriam couldn’t find it in herself to be mad at Tom, especially when his presence made Jake so happy. God knows that lad had suffered so much; he deserved a bit of that simple joy of young love. It was no different on Sunday either; Tom and Jake had stayed together for the whole day yet again. That Sunday evening, Miriam had invited Tom and Jake to hers for an evening meal, which they both graciously accepted; all three of them benefitted from the company and relationships formed with each other. Jake could forget about his horrible home life for a few hours and spend some time with two of the people he loved the most.

Meanwhile, Aiden’s patience with James was starting to wear thin… until it wasn’t anymore. Being forced together with the curly-haired man had made Aiden realise just how funny James could be. In the beginning, people had made comments about Aiden being James’s boyfriend, especially after James had dedicated his winning goal to Aiden, which the bi-colour-haired boy denied strongly. James would simply shrug and reply, ‘Not yet,’ with a teasing smirk. The dark-skinned young man still had his teasing comments, but Aiden had found the confidence to throw his own right back at James, amusing the Brazilian to no end. If anything, the banter they had together just made them grow…closer. While they were studying in class, the e-boy would always notice James looking over his shoulder. At first he thought James was trying to copy his work, but after a while he realised it was just because James was making sure… that Aiden was okay. James scanned his eyes around like a hawk, keeping an eye out for anyone that dared to look at Aiden in an unpleasant way and listening out for nasty comments or mocking laughter. Once that cocky and sassy mask slipped, underneath was a genuinely kind and caring young man. It was easy to see why he was so well liked by those who had gotten to know him. The Brazilian had a charm that you couldn’t resist after a while. Aiden had really started to enjoy and even adore his company, which James reciprocated. The two then actively started to seek each other's company when they weren’t forced together, hanging out in the park after school on a few occasions.

One day while walking between classes, a boy had shouted a comment about Aiden down the hall; something about him being a ‘freak’ and that he ‘better know to use the right locker room’ the next time they had P.E.’ Aiden tried to ignore him, but James, on the other hand, wasn’t having any of it. The muscular Brazilian had walked over to the boy who had made the comment in the middle of the hall, in front of many spectators, and, as bold as brass, placed a hand against the wall where he was leaning and shoved a finger in his face; the Brazilian’s eyes had filled with fire. James had spoken in a low tone, stern, commanding, and threatening – a warning. Aiden could only just make out James saying. “Say anything like that to my friend again, and no one will know who or what the hell you’re supposed to be...” Aiden was amazed at how far James was willing to put his neck out for him; he truly did care about him. Aiden decided to show his appreciation for James’s selfless action by offering him a hand massage for the still tender fist he had been told had gotten on the wrong side of a metal filing cabinet during the break at Monday night’s game. Whenever Aiden spoke to Jake, both boys agreed that their lives had improved very much since their ‘buddies’ had come into their lives.

When the next Monday rolled around, it was the new normal routine again: meet each other at the school gates and go to their lockers together, make their way to class together, attend lessons, eat lunch together and then go and visit Aiden, James, Gabby and Ellie for the rest of lunchtime, attend more lessons and then at the end of the day, both walk to the soccer field together, where they then would finally separate and Jake would go to sit with Aiden, Gabby and Ellie in the east stand while Tom met with James and the rest of his teammates to play against whatever school had come to challenge them that week. For both men, it was a heavenly routine to have, and it would all start again happily the next day. Jake wasn’t the only one getting a boost from the whole ‘buddy’ arrangement; Richard had mentioned to Tom that his playing had improved (when he wasn’t staring at Jake), especially when Tom scored the winning goal at that Monday night’s soccer game. As Jake watched the taller boy run up to him and pull him in for a hug after scoring, Jake knew he couldn’t deny it any longer. He was well and truly in love with Tom, completely enamoured; he wanted nothing more than to be with him 24/7, and that scared the ever-loving shit out of Jake. The last time he had loved someone, it had ended in disaster; could he really risk that again? With Tom? Jake couldn’t decide what he wanted, one side of his mind screaming yes and the other side screaming no.

Another week had passed; each day was so much less boring of a day compared to what it used to be for both Jake and Tom. Watching Monty Python films in history class was so much more fun when you had a friend to laugh alongside you, and Jake was just grateful he no longer had to deal with Lynda Anderson and her bullshit in English class. The day wore on to lunchtime when Jake and Tom were lying together on a grassy embankment, below an old, tall, mighty oak tree, not too far from the soccer field. The two boys’ bodies were side by side as they watched the rolling clouds in the blue sky, letting their stomachs digest the double meal that Miriam had made for the both of them to enjoy together. Suddenly Tom sat up and looked at Jake, saying nothing, deep in thought. Jake didn’t notice at first, as he had closed his eyes, almost being lulled to sleep by the gentle embrace of the sun’s soothing rays. When Jake blinked his eyes open, he could see something was clearly troubling Tom. Jake sat up high and scooted a bit closer to the larger boy. “Everything okay?” Tom said nothing again and looked down, avoiding Jake’s dark eyes. Jake had really come to appreciate everything about Tom: his honesty, his kindness, and his ability to care for those who were struggling. Feeling rather brave, Jake reached his hand out to grasp Tom’s like Tom had done to him many times over the past week. “You can tell me anything, if you want to. I’ll listen…” Tom smiled upon hearing his own words echoed back to him through Jake. The scar-faced man looked up at the sky once more as he finally started to speak, still avoiding Jake’s eyes.

“Okay, I’ve wanted to talk to you about something, but I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up or how to say it, so… Here it goes…” Jake braced himself; just what could Tom possibly say? He wasn’t going to tell him he… “When you accidentally walked in on me when I was in the changing rooms, you would’ve seen my scars… the ones I don’t usually show people. The ones on my shoulder and upper arms… I don’t even show the guys in my team those marks if I can help it, not even James. That’s why I was in the shower after everyone else had gone. I wait for them all to leave before I wash after a game.” Oh, it was a confession, of sorts. Not the one Jake had been anticipating, however. Jake’s heart filled with sorrow for the other boy who had done so much to put him at ease over the last week, unintentionally squeezing Tom’s scarred hand tighter to encourage him to continue. “I dunno what I’ve been thinking, Jake; I’m still so insecure about them sometimes. I got worried that I might… scare you off… they aren’t that nice to look at.” Jake couldn’t hold his tongue anymore and grabbed Tom to pull him in for a crushing hug. Tom then wrapped his arms back around Jake once he realised what the smaller boy was doing. “You could never scare me away, Tom! You’ve been so kind to me; I don’t care what you look like… I care about who you are… I’ve never trusted a person the way I trust you.” Jake looked deep into Tom’s eyes yet again to see him welling up with gratitude, the larger young man willing himself not to cry at Jake’s words.

“Oh, Jake… I-I…” Jake's breath was caught in his throat at the suspense. “I really trust you too.” Goddamnit, if only a word beginning with l had replaced trust, Jake did feel slightly selfish for thinking that after Tom had poured his heart out. “I want to be completely honest with you… I want to tell you what happened to me…” Jake couldn’t help the little gasp that escaped his lungs; regardless, he grasped both of Tom’s hands and looked him dead in the eye. “Only if you feel ready; don’t push yourself. I’m listening…” Tom took another deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut as he retold the horrible tale. “My dad… wasn’t present much when I was a kid, when he was… My mom had no idea what he was up to, and if she ever tried to find out, she would be at the receiving end of his wrath because she wouldn’t let him get to me… I think that shaped how I saw the world, how I saw those who are downtrodden by others. Years went by, and James arrived from Curitiba when I was in middle school. Our teacher told us some Portuguese words because his English wasn’t that great, to make him feel included. So many kids in our class really resented him for that; it’s kind of amazing just how horribly racist middle schoolers can be… They would rather shout the most awful things at James than bother to say the word ‘sim’ for yes or ‘obrigado’ for thank you. I could see he was suffering, not unlike how my mother had. That’s why I stuck by him and why we became friends. Why we’re still friends today… James was a big help in getting through… what happened next….”

Tom took a deep breath and a brief sip of the water that had been lying next to him in his bottle on the grass. The scar-faced boy’s eyes squeezed shut once again as he continued. “I was fifteen… I hadn’t been here for long, and my dad came back into my life, well… kind of… He came back into town, but he never visited. I hadn’t seen him since I was eight, and I haven’t seen him since. One night I was just in bed, dead asleep, and I heard these noises. I thought it was my mom; maybe she couldn't sleep or something. She suffered from insomnia a lot back then. Then there was this… hand; it grabbed me; it dragged me from my bed. Before I knew it, I was having my wrists zip-tied together, and I was thrown into the trunk of a car. Before they closed the trunk, all I remember is looking up and seeing the moon and… and… the feeling of a syringe injecting something into the crook of my arm. My mom hadn’t heard a thing because of the strong sleeping meds she had been prescribed for her insomnia. When I woke up… I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. The room was just so dark… I had all my limbs tied down to this wooden armchair, just cable ties all over my arms and legs, and they… had a knife… I don’t remember that much after that point. Not exactly what they did or how, but I remember the cuts and scrapes of the cold metal against my skin and that… pain… I’ve never known agony like it… The only reason they stopped when they did is because they found my dad… and killed him, shooting him right in the forehead. Turns out the guys who took me were old gangster friends of his; he owed them money, and they thought that the best way to make him pay up was to torture the son he hadn’t seen for seven years… But he didn’t; he didn’t give a shit about me or my mom. He was a selfish coward who died like a dog; he put me and my mother in danger and didn’t give a single fuck. Once they knew my dad was dead, they drugged me again, patched me up a little bit and dumped me on the front doorstep of my mom’s house for her to find in the morning. I had only been gone for three hours. My mom didn’t forgive herself for what happened for a long time; she still hasn’t fully forgiven herself, even now…” At that moment, Tom started to weep, uncontrollably and endlessly; Jake could do nothing but hold him close as Tom clung to him and cried into his chest.

Jake shushed Tom in an attempt to soothe him and rubbed his back, but Tom still had more to tell; his eyes welling up didn’t stop him as he pushed on through the tears, gripping Jake's hand in a vice grip and occasionally choking on his words as he spoke. “I didn’t come back to school for three months. I didn’t leave the house at all for two of them; hell, for just under a year, the only places I would go to were here, home and our local grocery store, if I was having a good day mentally, that is. James rang and texted me every day; he would tell me how much he missed me, and he would go through school work with me over call. Connor got in touch with my mother, and he did everything in his power to make sure I would feel safe when I came back to school, but when I did come back, all anyone saw was the marks on my skin… Only James didn’t; he just saw his friend. He never left me despite what everyone said about me back then. I would run out of lessons all the time. Whenever I had flashbacks because blood was mentioned in science class, or whenever a teacher shouted, I would get so scared I would just run away. Connor was my rock; I always went to his office, and he would calm me down. We would have daily sessions where we would just talk; I preferred speaking to him over any of the other counsellors. Then one day James said he was going to try out for the soccer team. We both really loved playing; because I struggled to leave the house, he would just come over to mine, and we’d play soccer all afternoon in the yard. He convinced me to try out, so we would attend all of the training sessions together, and eventually we both got in; it did wonders for my confidence, and after a while I just focused on the sport; it took me away from everything else. I didn’t realise how much better I was until Connor brought up the fact that I no longer went to see him every day. I’m still so grateful to Connor and to James; I think I would do anything for those guys…”

Tom was still upset but much more put together than he had been before. As soon as Tom felt more in control of his emotions, he looked back up at Jake and thanked him. Jake thanked Tom for trusting him with such sad memories. At that moment Jake felt closer to Tom than he ever had before; their faces were so close together again, just like when Tom had fallen into him in the changing room last week. Jake could feel Tom’s breath hitting gently against his face. God, he wanted to kiss those perfect lips. Jake had imagined it so many times when he was alone in bed – but… no, he couldn’t. What happened to you the last time you let this happen, you idiot? Jake recalled the venom and fire his parents spat at him when it all came out that he liked men. For his own sake, while he was in that household, he couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him. He had to carry on with Tom, just as friends. Whatever Jake did, he couldn’t let his parents know anything about Tom, especially not how much Jake knew that he loved him…

Chapter 10: My Dirty Little Secret, Who Has To Know?

Summary:

It finally happens...

Thursday morning had arrived, finally getting towards the end of yet another week. The weekend was the best; soon enough, Jake would be able to spend all day in the bakery with Miriam and Tom, just talking with two of his favourite people in the world while attempting to get some work done at the same time. Jake had his head in the clouds as he sat in the third lesson of the day, biology. He had been up until the early hours of the morning talking to Tom over the phone while he was lying in bed, all the while wishing that the boy was lying there next to him; as a result, he was so tired he could barely concentrate on anything, well, anything except for Tom. The class hadn’t yet started; Jake was sitting at a small table with three other people, Tom, of course, and sitting on the opposite side were Ally Amber and Hunter Page. The two were the sappiest lovebirds in their whole grade but nice enough people and friendly too. The blue-haired boy didn’t mean to, but he kept looking at Tom’s handsome face while the taller boy read a spy novel; he was seemingly obsessed with them. Jake kept thinking about how Connor had expressed his happiness at the success of the buddy system when he called Aiden and Jake into his office the previous week to see how things were progressing; regardless, the older man emphasised to still come to him if there were any issues or anything else that was worrying either of the boys. The only thing that was worrying Jake was the fear of his parents finding out that he was spending so much time with another gay young man, let alone one he was so madly in love with. The mad chatter in the backroom of the biology classroom further fuelled Jake’s mind-wandering thoughts of Tom’s strong arms, his kissable lips, his beautiful eyes, the ugly words his parents would use to describe him, the hatred in their voices, and them wishing that Jake had never been born—

“Morning, everyone! I’ve got a slightly more interesting lesson for you all today.” The class’s science teacher, Karol Jones, had just stepped into the room carrying many cardboard boxes all stacked one upon the other and completely hiding the woman behind them; if it wasn’t for her slightly annoying voice booming out across the classroom, no one would have a clue who it was carrying all of the packages. She was usually miserable and complaining about anything and everything, but today she seemed rather chipper and enthusiastic. The sudden sound of her voice had snapped Jake out of his daydreaming, only then realising just for how long he had been staring straight at Tom’s face while he was reading; Tom hadn’t noticed, luckily, too absorbed in flicking through the pages of his novel, then grabbing his rucksack to put the book away when the lesson had started to begin. Someone who had noticed the staring was Ally, giving Jake a knowing look from behind her black glasses and a suggestive smirk, then jabbing her boyfriend in the side to whisper something in his ear. Jake’s neutral face fell into being noticeably worried. Oh god, were people catching on? What if someone told his parents they had seen him getting so close with Tom? The smaller boy’s change in demeanour was clearly seen by the muscular lad sitting next to him, who then placed his strong hand over Jake’s shoulder to attempt to soothe what the black-haired boy had thought was a bit of anxiety. Jake showed his appreciation with a doe-eyed smile and by patting Tom’s hand where it sat on top of his shoulder; he could never bring himself to push Tom away. Physical touch was just Tom’s way of showing his support.

“Don’t you both look cosy together?” Ally had emphasised every syllable in her teasing sentence, leaning forward across the table towards the two boys, resting her head on her left hand, the comment making Jake blush wildly. Her tone was insinuating and filled with playfulness. “Shut the fuck up, Ally.” Jake muttered lowly, getting a chuckle out of Hunter, which Ally looked highly unimpressed about when she turned to look at her boyfriend’s laughing face. Tom knew Ally didn’t have any malicious intent and gave a light-hearted laugh at Jake’s defensiveness, pulling the short boy closer into his side. “I mean, we’ve been hanging out so much recently; I guess we are very close.” Oh Tom, so loveable but oh so oblivious sometimes… Jake mentally facepalmed as Ally continued giving him those irritating looks.

Karol barked her instructions across the classroom like an army sergeant. “Okay, there are twenty-four of you, so we’ll split you up into six groups of four. Hannah, Jade, Tristan and Benji, you’re group one; Ally, Hunter, Tom and Jake, you’re group two…” The teacher continued to put the teens into the respective groups and then commanded that one person from each group needed to come to the front of the classroom and grab a box that she had brought in and then take it back to their table and wait for her to bring over the tools needed for today’s class. Today’s lesson was learning about the human heart and all of its functions. The cardboard boxes contained hand-made models of hearts that were made of a plastic-silicone-gelatin-like substance, which made the models look highly… realistic. Benji had practically screamed like a child when he reached into his box before anyone was told what the boxes contained inside, reaching in without looking and feeling something ‘super squishy and gross’ then going as white as a sheet when Tristan turned the box on its side and an anatomically correct model of a heart fell onto the table with a splatter; there were even traces of faux blood for added realism.

Ally went to collect the box and was more than disgusted at the sight and was close to screaming when she felt the fleshy texture of the thing. Tom wasn’t the slightest bit fazed, seemingly, and grabbed the model and slapped it down onto the table below without much hesitation, getting some of the red fluid from the model on his hands in the process. While Ally tried to compose herself, Hunter was more morbidly intrigued, picking it up and holding it to the light like some kind of ancient artefact, studying the arteries and muscles. While he laughed at Ally being close to gagging, Jake wasn’t too bothered by the fake organ; he had watched enough horror and slasher movies when he was far too young to be doing so (thanks to Shawn). Jake just wanted the class to be over already so he and Tom could eat lunch together on the grass, and he could observe the way that the taller teen’s ocean eyes sparkled incandescently in the sun’s light. Upon turning to his scar-faced friend, Jake saw an immediate difference in Tom’s disposition. The tall boy was staring intently at his hands, watching the smeared red substance that was all over his fingers, his eyes looking wide and intense. Jake recalled what Tom had told him not long ago; it couldn’t be a pleasant thing to see after all the muscular boy had been through.

Thinking quickly, Jake reached into his bag and pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitiser. He didn’t hesitate to grab Tom’s hands and pull them towards him and then squeeze some of the gel onto Tom’s hands. Tom was still fixated on the red fluid on his digits, unblinking, breathing more heavily than usual. The ponytailed young man then rubbed his hands all over the top of Tom’s; the red fluid then smearing a bit more but soon enough starting to disappear as they were cleansed. “That’s much better, isn’t it, Tom? I hate it when my hands don’t feel clean too…” Jake commented very quietly, not wanting to draw anyone’s attention, still rubbing his hands against the taller boy’s. “Oh, y-yeah. Thanks, Jake.” Although he tried to hide it, Jake knew something wasn’t right for his friend. Jake still gripped onto Tom’s hands, and although the hand sanitiser was now dry, Tom’s hands were growing very clammy, his face looked more pale than usual, and there was sweat starting to bead on his forehead. “Tom? Are you okay?” Tom couldn’t respond with words, just nodding frantically as his eyes darted around the room, then seeing Jake was very much unconvinced when they both made eye contact again. “Tom. Don’t lie to me. If you need to leave, then you tell me or just walk out, okay?” The taller boy took a moment to ground himself, squeezing Jake’s soft and warm hand. Focusing on the touch of his skin rather than the whirlwind going on in his head. Tom’s eyes closed as he took a few deep breaths and then fluttered open once more, directly looking into Jake’s dark ones. “Yeah… okay. I’m feeling better now.”

Jake gave his dear friend an adoring smile and patted Tom’s muscular back. “You’re okay, big guy; everything will be fine.” Hunter and Ally hadn’t noticed a thing about what had just happened between Tom and Jake. Hunter was too busy pretending to throw the fake heart at his screeching girlfriend as she scurried back and forth, not wanting to feel the unpleasant texture of the model again. “Okay, everyone! I’m handing out the boxes that contain the tools now. They are clearly marked with what end you need to open first. These are professionally used items, and they need to be treated as such! Be very careful so you don’t hurt yourselves, all of you!” Karol was coming to ‘group one’s’ table first, and Hunter quickly put the heart back down on the table to avoid being scolded by his teacher, much to the relief of his somewhat horrified girlfriend. Karol then placed a small, rectangular white box on the table. The box had a single red arrow on the top of it, pointing to the end which needed to be opened first, the other end simply saying ‘Warning. Dangerous instrument’ on the other end. The box was about the size of a thin pencil case, made out of hard plastic and completely opaque, not giving any hint to what might lie inside of it. Jake picked up the box curiously and opened the appropriate end, peering inside and seeing a small silver handle.

The blue-haired boy gently teased the tool out from its confines and investigated it, feeling the cool metal in his warm hands. It was a fairly small scalpel with a razor-sharp edge; it glinted in the light of the classroom like polished glass. “Sick, dude. Let me hold it!” Hunter reached forward clumsily, being pulled back by Ally. “Hunter, it’s a knife. It’s fuckin’ dangerous, not a goddamn Pokémon card!” “I dunno, Ally, that thing is just as cool as a holographic Charizard, if you ask me…” Upon hearing the word knife leave Hunter’s lips, Jake heard a heaving breath come from the boy standing next to him. All the colour had drained from Tom’s face again, only this time he looked so much worse. The sweat on his forehead was now running down his face and neck in heavy drops; his eyes were blown wide, staring right at the metal in Jake’s grasp. Jake studied Tom for a few seconds; he was starting to shiver, shaking and trembling with increasingly heavy breaths. The black-haired young man’s mouth was wide open as he desperately gasped, trying to drink in the air around him, none of it getting into his chest as his lungs were feeling like they were burning. Tom’s hands gripped the table in a vice grip, his knuckles turning as white as his scarred face. The traumatised young man looked all around, seeing so many people holding the sharp metal instruments; even his teacher had one. All of a sudden he was in that room again, strapped to that chair, screaming and crying in agony for his mother to please come and save him…

“N-no… Put it away…” The tall, muscular boy muttered with a shaking voice, staring once again at the tool in Jake’s hand. Ally and Hunter had noticed the change in Tom’s body language, looking on with confusion. “Woah… Is he okay?” Hunter asked aloud, tactlessly, getting the attention of more and more of the students in the room; now there were so many eyes on Tom, and Jake realised he was still holding the thing! The blue-haired boy tossed it down onto the table as quickly as he could, the sharp sound of a metallic CLANK getting the attention of almost everyone at this point. Tom stepped back a bit, shuddering and wringing his hands together as he trembled. “Don’t…don’t hurt me…” Jake could feel his heart pounding in his chest while watching the other boy’s previously composed state crumble to dust right before his eyes. “I won't hurt you, Tom! I’d never hurt you! Please just –” Jake reached out to try and touch the other boy, to try and bring him back down to reality. Tom couldn’t respond in any other way than swiftly moving back again when Jake’s hand reached out for him, his breathing turning to panting, not unlike a dog trapped in a hot car. “Tom…what’s going on?” Jake was nearly thrown backwards by the outburst that rapidly came from Tom. “N-no… NO! PLEASE, NO!”

The taller boy ran off like a whippet, dashing straight for the sliding doors at the side of the biology classroom, flinging the sliding glass to the side and running off to find somewhere to hide. Jake looked around frantically, seeing all the staring eyes and then looking at his teacher. “I’m really sorry! We’ve got to go!” Before Karol could respond, Jake was already flying out of the door himself and dashing down the school’s main path, desperately looking left and right in an attempt to spot his friend. Jake searched for what felt like an eternity until his eyes fell onto the grassy verge that he and Tom so often ate together on. Tom was cowering under the shade of the tall oak tree, sobbing loudly and shaking like a leaf. Jake bolted right for him and crouched at his side, pulling him in for a tight hug. “It’s okay, Tom, you’re safe now! I’ve got you! I won’t let anything happen to you…” The boy continued to sob and stutter. “I-I’m…so-so s-s-sorry…” Jake had to use all of his might to not start crying too at the heartbreaking noises his crush was making. “What are you apologising for? You silly thing…” Tom turned to look at Jake, then pulled him in for an even tighter embrace. “I’m supposed to be the one looking after you!” Jake smiled and shushed the sobbing boy, rubbing gentle circles onto his back while his chest heaved. “It’s okay, big guy… Even superheroes like you need a little bit of help sometimes…”

Connor had clearly been alerted about the situation by Karol, running down the path like an Olympic sprinter and kneeling beside Tom once he spotted both of the lads. Reassuring Tom that he was safe now and not in any trouble. It had taken about half an hour for the distraught young man to fully calm back down, still clutching onto Jake with a tight grip as he shook and attempted to drink down some of the water Connor had brought with him. Once Tom was looking a bit better, with more control over his breathing, more colour in his cheeks and less of a tremble in his movements, both Jake and Connor helped lead him to the isolation room where Tom and Jake spent the rest of that Thursday. Lunchtime came along, but Tom couldn’t even bear to look at the miriam had prepared for him, let alone take a bite of it. Tom was slumped against the table, head resting on his arms with his eyes closed. Lethargic and wary, exhausted from all of the fear and panic, Jake thought he looked very similar to how Aiden had not too many days before. Word had travelled like wildfire about Tom’s episode, reaching the ears of his very concerned friends. Gabby and Ellie had texted him incessantly, asking if he was alright, but Tom was too drained to bring himself to reply to the girls. Aiden and James both rushed into the isolation room near the start of lunchtime to set their eyes upon Tom’s pitiful state, both boys being reluctantly ushered away by Connor when he came back in to check on Tom. Connor understood the concern of the e-boy and the Brazilian but reassured them that Tom was doing alright; he just needed some quiet time in a low-stimulation environment. As the final hours of school came slowly ticking by, Jake finally convinced Tom to take a few mouthfuls of his pre-made meal, having to literally spoon-feed him a little bit to get some nutrition and sustenance into the larger man. Jake had even managed to get Tom to laugh a bit when he started making light-heartedly childish aeroplane noises as the cutlery approached his mouth. It was fair to say that soccer practice was cancelled for Tom that night, his mother being called to pick him up early. Before leaving, Tom turned to give Jake the world's tightest hug, thanking the smaller boy for all that he had done for him that day. Jake told him not to mention it; Tom had gone above and beyond for him recently after all…

Jake left the isolation room not long after the school day’s final bell had rung out. Turning around to look back into the room, Connor had told him and Tom that it may be an idea to have the two boys spend all of Friday in there again, just so Tom wasn’t too overwhelmed and they both had a safe environment to do their schoolwork in. After walking out of the room’s backdoor and making his way to the main entrance to walk to the bakery, Jake knew he had to tell Miriam about what had happened today. She knew Tom well since he was a young child. She had to know something about his trauma; maybe she could give some advice on how best to deal with situations like this if they came about again in the future.

Just as Jake was walking out from the school’s gates, someone stepped out in front of him, stopping him right in his path. “Hey, Jake.” It was Riya; she had that awfully strong perfume on again, and her eyes had the sharpness of knives. Jake could almost feel them cutting into him when she looked him in the eye. “What do you want, you evil bitch?” Jake wasn’t in the mood, especially after what had happened to Tom today. Tom’s influence had given him much more confidence when it came to dealing with people who should really be keeping their mouths shut about him. Riya just laughed obnoxiously, but Jake knew inside that she was fuming at him for his response to her. “Oh my god, Hamilton, what if your best friend Connor heard you using such bad language?” Jake still wasn’t backing down, a hand on his hip. “He’d probably agree with me after some of the shit you’ve pulled. How were those detentions, by the way?” Jake gave her a shit-eating grin, and Riya glared at him again in return, stomping her way forward, jabbing him in the diaphragm and slightly knocking him backwards. “Oh yeah? Well, he would probably agree with me that the only reason that Tom is putting his neck out for you so much is as a favour to Connor for looking after him for so long after he got his skin shaved off!” Jake glared right back and pushed himself forward again, trying not to be intimidated by the girl or her words, but although he didn't want them to, her words had started to seep into his mind. Could she be right? Tom did say he would do almost anything for Connor after all of the support that the older man had given him when he was at his lowest.

“Y-you’re bullshitting. Why should I listen to you?” Riya’s face turned into something out of a nightmare. Manic and frightening, her brown eyes could make a rhino run away in fear. “Because deep down you know I’m right, Jake. Why the fuck would Tom care about someone like you? Think about it: all you’re known for here is being Blake’s sloppy seconds; you’re a washed-up loser. Tom is one of the top soccer players in the school; he could go professional if he wanted to. You are NOTHING compared to him; don’t you get that? How could he even want to get together with a pathetic little bitch like you?” Riya lunged forward and jabbed him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing down to the rough, stony floor below. Tears stung at the corners of Jake’s dark eyes as he hit the floor, gritting his teeth as he tried to push through them. “What do you even mean? We don’t even like each other like that!” Riya tsked and crossed her arms, unconvinced. “Are you fucking kidding me? Everyone can see it, Jake. You’re a desperate whore. You’re madly in love with a man who could never feel the same way about you.” Each word was like a burning dagger to the heart and soul; tears were falling freely now. Riya turned around as if to leave, and Jake felt a bit of relief come over him, but she wasn’t done yet. “Hey, what if your parents found out about you chasing after another man like a lovesick puppy? What would they say? Just think about all of those things they called you last time you were with a guy.” Jake stared at the girl open-mouthed, air not being able to reach his lungs as he remembered. He had told Blake all about what his parents had said to him and what they had called him on that horrible night last August. Riya knew, and Jake knew that she was right. Riya didn’t look back around to see Jake’s face; she knew it would be a look of pure devastation. She finally started to make her way off to her car from the school grounds, calling out a final few words. “See you tomorrow, Jake. Have a good evening, now won’t you?”

Once the blue-haired young man knew that Riya was out of sight, he staggered back to his feet. Half-dazed and with a bit of blood trickling from his forearm, the limb having taken a lot of the impact when Jake hit the floor. The blue-haired young man staggered his way towards the small business; he still had a work shift to attend to. Every word that Riya had spoken whirled around and around in his mind like a flock of evil birds, pecking at each side of his brain with a sharp sting each time he remembered them. Jake walked into the bakery; Miriam immediately saw the dishevelled and distraught state of the boy she cared about so much. Jake rejected talking to her every time that Miriam tried to ask him what was wrong; she wouldn’t even let him behind the counter to serve the customers; he looked far too unwell for that.

Miriam sat him down on a table in the corner to hopefully have him come back to himself a bit and to take the opportunity to patch up his bleeding arm, but Jake still didn't say a word. Jake said nothing for a very long time; he stared into a seemingly endless void as he sat there, looking more like a zombie than the Jake Miriam knew. Riya was right; how could Tom ever love him? Everything he did was to pay Connor back for all of his help back in the day. It wasn’t even like Jake could even dare to be with Tom anyway; his parents would crucify him. Miriam came back over to him after half an hour to see if he was ready to talk, but the only thing Jake uttered was simply, “Can I be excused to the bathroom, please?” Miriam reluctantly agreed, not wanting to let him out of her sight, and watched the boy stagger with hay to the back of the shop. Upon opening the bathroom door, all of that emotion came flooding out of Jake; his knees went weak, and he could no longer hold up his own body weight. The air left his lungs like a deflating balloon as he sank to the floor. Burning hot tears flowed out of his eyes like lava, and sobs and cries forced their way out of his mouth, his body being racked and rattled with the heaves of the heavy expulsions from his lungs. The boy hugged his knees to his chest in the corner of the bathroom floor and cried for the rest of the shift, Miriam standing outside of the door, listening with tears in her own eyes, powerless to do anything to help the poor boy.

Friday morning was a horrible return to the ways that things used to be, with Jake being woken up by the haunting sound of his alarm clock beeping like a roll call to hell. He just wanted to stay there in the safety and warmth of his bed and shut out the rest of the world. He had barely had a wink of sleep after walking home from the bakery; he couldn’t bring himself to tell Miriam any of what happened, and he felt awful seeing the woman’s distraught face as he walked away from the bakery back home last night. The whole day was going to be akin to torture for Jake. Tom had arrived not long after him, and they both made their way to the isolation room together; thankfully he was looking and feeling much more chipper than he had the previous day. The poor, taller teen was also somewhat embarrassed about what had happened the previous day. Jake couldn’t help himself; he felt the need to give the taller teen a tight hug and loving, asking him what on earth he had to be embarrassed about. Tom had done nothing wrong. Jake went out of his way to reassure Tom that he wanted to be there for him regardless of how he felt. That small moment was blissful, but then the reality of everything came crashing back down for Jake as he remembered that Tom could never love him, that he was just looking after him for Connor, and that Jake was nothing in comparison to Tom. The two boys spent the whole day trying to get some work done and listening to music, then just talking about music for all of the rest of the day. Tom also mentioned he wouldn’t be able to visit Jake at the bakery on Saturday and Sunday because he and his mother were out of town for the weekend. They were completely on their own in that room for hours on end, and Jake couldn’t help but notice how physically affectionate Tom was being, more than usual; pulling him for hugs over and over again and patting and stroking his back almost constantly, running his fingers through his hair too. Jake loved Tom's touch; he craved it. He didn’t want to give in to it, but he yearned for it so badly. Even though Jake tried to hide it all day, Tom could clearly tell something was amiss and bothering the smaller boy, although he wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. Tom decided that Jake would tell him if he wanted to when he was ready.

The final bell of the day rang once again; the weekend was officially here. Both Jake and Tom walked side by side to the school's entrance, Jake shivering slightly when he spotted where Riya had confronted him yesterday. Tom was very aware whenever Jake’s demeanour changed; he could spot it from a mile away, it seemed. Putting an arm around Jake’s shoulders and pulling him close, Tom leaned close to his ear and gently asked, “You cold? Let me warm you up a bit; you can have my jacket if you-” Jake snapped around suddenly and looked Tom dead in the eye; Tom could see there were hot tears in Jake’s eyes as he looked at him. “Tom… Be honest, are you just looking out for me as a favour to Connor?” Tom’s eyes went wide, and his left eyebrow raised up high as he looked at the other boy with shock and confusion. “What? Where did you get that idea? I really care about you, Jake.” Tom’s large hand came to grip Jake’s smaller one as he spoke, letting Jake know that he meant what he said sincerely. “Is this what’s been bothering you today?” Jake rubbed away the tears from his eyes and looked away from Tom, unable to form any words. “Jake, listen to me. I care about you so much. At first, it was because when I saw you suffering so much, I saw myself in you, my younger self. I wanted to help you in any way I could, so you didn’t have to suffer like I had. However, as these past weeks have gone on, I’ve realised… I care about you so much; I care about you… more than a friend. I – I like you, Jake! I really do – hell, no, I love you!” Jake's eyes blew wide, pupils shrinking to resemble tiny black beads; he couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. Tom wanted Jake to respond, to say anything, but Jake didn’t; he couldn't. Tom brought it upon himself to break the silence, reaching towards Jake’s chest with his left hand, gripping the boy’s jacket and pulling him closer; Tom’s right hand went to softly grip underneath Jake’s chin and tilted his face up to look at him. There was a single moment's pause, a single beat, as Tom closed the gap between them and brought his lips to Jake’s.

 

 

The taller boy’s eyes fluttering shut as he did so and softly expressed everything he felt for Jake in that one, beautiful action. Jake felt his world stop; time dissolved into nothing. The kiss felt like an eternity, and it was wonderful. Jake realised what was happening and let his eyes flutter shut too, kissing him back lovingly and bringing his arms to wrap around Tom’s muscular back and simply enjoying that amazing moment until they had both pulled away. The realisation of what had just happened hit Jake like a bolt of lightning from the sky. Oh no. What if someone saw? What if someone told his parents? What would they say? Jake’s wide eyes grew terrified as he stumbled backwards from the taller teen; he then turned himself around and sprinted off down the street without uttering a single word to Tom. Jake didn’t even turn around when he heard Tom’s desperate calls of “Jake! Wait!” leave the lips he had just kissed. Tears fell down Jake’s pale cheeks as he ran all the way back home and locked himself in his bedroom for the next two days…

Chapter 11: You'll Never Have Control

Summary:

Angst... that's it. Also, James is based.

Monday was usually a good day for Tom; he would have a soccer match to look forward to after school most Mondays, but today was very different in the most horrible possible way. Tom had rung Jake over and over for the past two days after the ‘incident’ at the school gates on Friday evening, not getting any kind of reply. The scarred young man had to contact each of his closest friends to ask if any of them had heard anything from the blue-haired boy. No one had heard a word from him, no replies to texts or calls. Thoughts of Jake had been the only thing on the black-haired teen’s mind all the way through the weekend; he couldn’t stop thinking about him for one minute. He had been mentally kicking himself for agreeing to go on that damned weekend trip with his mother to visit his aunt and cousins. All Tom had wanted to do was go to the bakery and see Jake, but even doing that would've been pointless, as when Tom called Miriam to ask if she had seen the boy, she said he had called in sick on both Saturday and Sunday. If Tom was worried before, he was near hysterical now.

Lessons were lonely and boring without Jake’s company. His cute little smile, contagious laugh and sweet dark eyes made each class an enjoyable experience no matter what they were studying. Tom couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. Perhaps he had misjudged Jake’s longing stares and faint blush whenever they were together. Miriam had even told Tom in the bakery that Jake liked him when the blue-haired lad was out of earshot. Perhaps Jake thought everything was moving too quickly; perhaps Jake wasn’t ready for a relationship after what had happened to Blake. Guilt started to consume the older teen as he sat miserably alone in English class and tried to decipher and write an essay on the ‘Boots’ poem by Rudyard Kipling. Gabby sat nearby at her own desk, writing away herself, but her concerned face kept being drawn back over to Tom’s tearfully worried eyes. After English class had ended, Tom stood solemnly alone in the hallway, calling Miriam to hear if she had heard anything from Jake. To Tom’s much-needed relief, the older woman said that she had and that Jake was working with her today. Upon hanging up, Tom immediately knew where he was going after school; that soccer game wasn’t his priority anymore, and he would have to let Richard know…

Not too far away, a certain blue-haired young man had finally dragged himself out of his room. Jake’s own reflection had shocked him when he looked in the bathroom mirror at home that morning; his eyes were puffy, red and bloodshot, his lips were cracked and dry, and his skin was pale and clammy. He looked like the bastard child of a vampire and a zombie; he supposed that’s what you should expect after locking yourself in your room for two days and doing nothing but crying. Neither his mother nor father had knocked on his door while he had kept himself hidden, not that he wanted them to in the first place. Jake had showered for the first time since Thursday night, finally changed out of his pyjamas and walked out the front door of his house. To give the impression that he was on his way to school, but the thought of going there was so heart-poundingly horrendous, he couldn’t bear it. If there was one place he could go, one place that made him feel safer, one person who wouldn’t turn him away, it was Miriam. Jake slogged his way to the serene little bakery, almost bursting into tears when he saw Miriam’s reaction to his arrival and to his physical appearance. Miriam hadn’t shouted or screamed; she didn’t scold him like many others would have for clearly bunking off work for the previous two days. She was kind and tactful; she listened to Jake intently and carefully when he felt ready to speak, and she gave him all of the time and patience in the world when he wasn’t ready to speak.

Miriam had asked one of the other bakery girls to take charge while she took Jake out the back for a ‘little chat’; the older woman and the seventeen-year-old were in her office for well over an hour while Jake wept and sobbed about what had happened on Thursday with Riya and then the dramatic events on Friday when Tom had said that he loved Jake. Jake confessed to Miriam each and every one of his fears and anxieties; was he even good enough to be with someone like Tom? What if Tom were to leave him and hurt him like Blake had? How many people at school had noticed how close he was with Tom? What if his parents found out? What would happen then? Miriam was thoughtful and wise, giving lots of consideration to her replies to Jake’s concerns. She knew he had been traumatised, but she also knew how much the two boys adored each other. Even with all of her experience, Miriam was finding it a hard subject to contend with; it was a complex topic, after all. She did her very best to reassure Jake in every way she knew how, to mixed results from the teenager. She had told him that “imagining all of the little ‘what ifs’ was pointless as there was no way to say that any of them would come true, and that he shouldn’t avoid the topic with Tom but try to face it head-on.” After Jake's tears had dried and he was a fair bit calmer than before, the last thing the older lady had told the boy she adored so much was. “Just try to listen to how you feel; don’t consider the rest of the world for a while. Trust that inner voice, Jake; what does it want?” It was simple; Jake wanted Tom. He wanted him more than anything in the world, but it still scared Jake to no end.

Miriam had called Connor after that long chat; it was clear to her that Jake was in too much of a vulnerable state to be anywhere near an educational setting at that moment in time. Jake himself had even asked the older woman if he could stay with her in the bakery today; she couldn’t even find it in herself to turn the boy down, especially when he was in such a state of sorrow. Being the kind man that he was, Connor understood and asked his friend to take care of his student for him, adding that he might try to pop into the little bakery shop after work to speak to Jake himself. Jake didn’t perform his usual role behind the counter that day; too shaken up and distressed, he was finding that he had started crying randomly for no reason too. Settling for performing more manual tasks out the back and in the office, keeping himself away from the wondering eyes of the public.

Back at Tipiskaw International High, two best friends were walking side by side, awaiting their second class of the day, history. James and Aiden had grown so much closer over the weeks, so close, in fact, that James could instantly tell that there was something off with Aiden almost as soon as he saw him. The bi-colour-haired boy’s gait was slightly off, seeming to be a bit more wobbly when he walked. The topic of Tom and Jake had come up in conversation earlier that morning. Tom had messaged James over and over, sounding really distraught about what had happened with Jake. Tom had practically begged James to tell him if he heard anything from or about the smaller teen. James sympathised, encouraging his dear friend to come to him if there was anything else he had wanted to get off his mind. Aiden had encountered a similar experience with Tom over the phone, and despite his best efforts, nothing Aiden could say or do would get Jake to reply to him, worrying him endlessly. James could see the clear worry in Aiden’s features and pulled him close in an effort to give him some kind of comfort. “He’ll be fine, buddy; Jake will talk to us when he’s ready to.”

While at their lockers together, James’s attention was suddenly brought to a sharp gasp that had slipped from Aiden’s mouth, the boy’s left hand now clutching at his stomach as he slowly slid down to sit on the floor. James immediately crouched in front of him, placing a dark brown hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “What’s wrong, buddy? Are you hurt?” The e-boy shook his head to tell James he wasn’t, but his eyes were pinched tightly closed as he winced in clear pain. “I’m f-fine, urgh…” Aiden enjoyed his theatre classes at school, but this wasn’t one of his finer performances; he wasn’t fooling anyone with that kind of unconvincing display. James crossed his arms, unimpressed, waiting to be told what was going on. Aiden relented, trying to pick himself up from the floor, with James standing alongside him and holding him steady to help him back to his feet. “Listen, James… I don’t really like bringing it up; it makes me uncomfortable…” The boy admitted, eyes looking back down to his stomach, it was then that James was hit with a bullet of realisation. “Oh… I see… I know what you mean; would you like me to get you a hot water bottle from the nurses’ office? Have you taken any painkillers?” Aiden’s eyes widened, slightly taken aback that James knew not only what he was implying but also how to deal with it.

“How did you immediately know what I meant?” James’s hand went to his hips as he looked at the cute, smaller boy, giving him knowing eyes and a genuine smile. “You look a bit pale; you’re clearly tired because you keep yawning, and you’re clutching your stomach. I’m not an idiot, you know.” Aiden rebutted James’s statement, suddenly feeling a bit defensive. “That doesn't necessarily mean anything!” The Brazilian smiled again softly, shaking his head. “I’ve seen it so many times, with my little sister. She’s been having them since she was ten; my mamãe made sure to educate me thoroughly so that I could help her if my parents weren’t around. She didn’t want her son to think that something that half the world goes through was this big, mysterious or gross thing. I understand that you wouldn’t want to talk about it too much though; just tell me if it gets too much for you, okay?” Aiden nodded, turning his face away from the handsome Brazilian with a shy, blushing smile. James was so sweet and cute and kind when he was being caring; Aiden made sure to show his appreciation by pulling James in for a warm, tight, meaningful hug.

The two best friends now sat side by side in their history classroom, trying to match names and dates to major battles in the Second World War. Neither boy had really been paying attention to the task at hand, having too much of a good time chatting to each other about who their favourite character from Heathers was or debating which one of The Neighbourhood’s songs was the best. Aiden had also mentioned to the taller teen that he would be getting to school extra early tomorrow with Lake. The e-boy explained that he and Lake had been given one last opportunity to check over their art pieces for the final time before turning them in to get their grades, needing to come in early to make sure they had plenty of time to make any needed changes. James was more than pleased for Aiden; he had seen his art piece before and knew that he was going to impress with his artistic skills. Aiden even thought that James was more keen than he was to see the grade for the project that he had been working so hard on.

The students in the history classroom were mostly just talking amongst themselves, like Aiden and James were. The class’s history teacher, Ted Gordon, never stuck around long when class was in session, assigning a task for everyone or putting on a historical movie and then leaving the class for the rest of the lesson. James and Aiden had also speculated about what he could possibly be doing during all of that time. James had heard he was a very talented poker player, and according to him, ‘He spends every second getting himself insanely wealthy in online casino games.’ Aiden scoffed at the idea. He was going to ask James where on earth he got all of this ridiculous information from, only to be cut off by a shrill voice from beside him. “Ugh, won’t you both ever shut the fuck up? I’ve had to sit and listen to every word you two have said for ages! You’re so irritating to listen to; it’s giving me a fucking’ migraine!” Oh, the fucking irony! Yul Kim had once again decided to crawl out from whatever witches’ coven he had undoubtedly spawned from and grace the two boys with his bitchy presence.

“You two are so nauseating; you know that? It’s like being forced to watch a shitty gay romance movie while sitting here. Oh, P.S., James, tell the little twink to wash out his hair dye and throw out everything from his wardrobe. E-kids went out of trend years ago, sweetheart. Just a little bit of friendly advice.” Yul had looked Aiden dead in the eye while he spoke, to which Aiden’s greenish-blue eyes could’ve glowed red in that moment. The smaller boy was ready to fire back everything in his arsenal until he was stopped in his tracks by James’s reassuring hand on his shoulder; as cool and collected as ever, the Brazilian always seemed to have the perfect comeback. “Ah, same old Yul, you’re just jealous because you wish that you could have a boy as handsome and cute as this.” Aiden blushed wildly, praying to every god he could think of that no one else had overheard James’s remarks. Yul spun around to face them and let out a horrified-sounding gasp; it was clear to see the anger in his face. “Ugh, I’m not gay! Like I’d ever sink down to the levels of people like you two…” Aiden giggled at the response, finding it more funny than insulting; at this point, the curly-haired man next to him just shrugged and rested his hands behind his head while reclining in his chair. “Whatever you say, Yul…”

Later on in the day, lunchtime had come along. Rosa and Lake had sat with Gabby, Ellie, Aiden and James; all six of the teens had discussed the situation between Tom and Jake. Tom's lack of presence at the lunch table was a concern for the group, as he typically would have just come to them for company in Jake's absence. The teens were considering going to look for the scarred boy, but suddenly he had replied to James's messages asking about his whereabouts, telling his Brazilian best friend that he had gone to Connor's office for a private chat. James immediately understood, knowing that Tom needed some advice from someone a bit more experienced than himself; however, he felt a bit worried for his dear friend. Aiden took notice of the stressed look on James's face and tried to flash him a positive smile, then reached under the table to gently give his hand a reassuring squeeze. James's eyes lit up at the gesture from the smaller boy, squeezing Aiden's hand in kind return.

After lunch had passed, it was time for P.E. for Aiden and James. Tipiskaw High's physical education lessons had boys and girls separated into different groups, even though both genders took part in the same sports in their respective groups. It had made things a bit more... interesting for Aiden, but luckily most of the young men in his class weren't bothered by his presence. It wasn't like anyone was going to say anything to him these days anyway, not with James watching over him like a lion with its cubs. Aiden's stomach pains had come and gone throughout the day, but for whatever reason, they had really gotten bad just after lunch, just his luck when he knew he had to do a load of physical activity soon. James hadn't missed the little winces and hisses of pain from the shorter boy, but whenever he expressed his concern, Aiden would brush him off with a simple "I've coped with much worse, trust me."

All of the boys filed out of the changing rooms onto the school's running field. Richard had informed them they'd be doing laps, not exactly the news that Aiden had wanted to hear. James was having a good time; he enjoyed pushing his body and trying to surpass his limits, but when he caught sight of Aiden just to the side of him, it was clear that the boy was struggling. His face was constantly twisting in pain, and his legs were stiff, making his movements jittery and slower than usual. Slowing himself down, James was about to ask if Aiden needed to take a small break before the blonde and brunette's suddenly legs gave out from underneath him, sending Aiden down to the floor in a heap. The Brazilian teen looked on in horror, turning himself around and coming down to Aiden's side. The boy had his legs pulled close to his torso, and his right hand clutched his lower stomach while his left hand fisted the grass below him, squeezing it tight enough to turn his knuckles white with the pain. "Oh my god! Aiden, holy shit..." James could've wept at the agonised image of the boy on the floor. Aiden was still trying to put up a fight, trying to get himself back up. James knew it probably had something to do with Aiden worrying that the other boys would see him as 'less of a man'. Hunter and Logan had been running not far behind the two other boys, spotting the situation and signalling over their teacher to come to the e-boy's aid. As the teacher was making his way over to the stricken boy, Aiden rolled over slightly to face James, the taller boy's brown hand coming to brush away a couple of blades of grass that had become stuck to Aiden's pale face. "Fuck...James, I'm really sorry." The curly-haired young man just smiled reassuringly and gave a playful roll of his eyes. "What ever for, xuxu?"

Aiden was still trying to get up, so James moved his hand to the small of Aiden's back to help ease him upwards so he was sitting on his backside, Richard then coming to Aiden's side and checking him for any obvious injuries. "What's the problem, son?" The e-boy looked up at his teacher nervously, then looked over his shoulder to see a little crowd had formed to observe his current situation. “Well, it’s – uh…” It was clear to see the embarrassment written on his friend’s features. James took the lead and leaned over to whisper into his teacher’s ear. Aiden was more than thankful for the discreet nature that James had taken to inform Richard about the current situation, watching on as his teacher nodded understandingly from where he was sitting on the floor, clearly sympathetic to his situation and understanding its sensitive nature. “Ah, okay. I see now. Thank you for telling me, James. Let's get you off the floor, hey, Aiden?” Hunter and James both put an arm around Aiden to help him up, James then taking the lead once more, protectively wrapping an arm around the smaller young man, holding him steadily against him. For a moment, Aiden could swear he could feel James’s heartbeat; it was one of the most reassuring things he had ever felt in all of his young life.

“Well, I’m not an expert in the topic, but I’d say that a trip to the nurses’ office might be a good idea –” Before the teacher could finish his sentence, James was raising a hand with rapid speed and taking a slight step forward; Aiden still held against his side. “I’ll take him, coach.” Richard couldn’t help himself, giving a little chuckle at James’s protectiveness and enthusiasm to help the e-boy; the teacher could clearly see where this ‘friendship’ was heading, having seen it so many times before himself. “Alright then, thank you, James. You have a very good friend there, Aiden, believe me.” The bi-colour-haired boy flushed a bit with a smile, looking back up at James with fondness. “Oh, I know.” The two boys made their way off the field as Hunter shouted a sincere “Hope you feel better soon, man!” after them. While making their way, Yul re-emerged from the crowd of boys and sneered at the two lads. “Aww, Aiden, is your time of the month too much for you to handle?” James felt his heart sink at Yul's words, looking on in shock as Aiden whipped himself around to face Yul head-on, shouting right back at him with no fear. “Yes, as a matter of fact, it is right now. So do us all a favour and kindly fuck off, Yul.” Aiden’s middle finger raised up right at the Korean boy as they then continued on their way, James’s face brimming with pride at his friend’s confidence. That would be another hit on TikTok after he made a video about the situation later on, no doubt.

The nurses office was nice and calm in comparison to the P.E. class the boys had just left. James half-carried Aiden through the door and gently helped him sit down on a bench in the corner of the sterile, white room while they awaited the nurses’ return, looking across to see a sore and injured Benji Hattori holding a pack of ice to the side of his head. “Jesus, Benji. What the hell happened to you?” The spectacled boy sighed as he remembered the situation. “science experiment, Tristan and I were trying to display how gravity worked… And, well, they’re a better and worse thrower than I recalled.” Benji then indicated a clear indent of what looked like a protractor on the side of his head. James and Aiden looked at each other silently, both unanimously deciding not to delve any deeper into the subject. Fortunately the nurse arrived right on cue, and James took it upon himself to whisper into her ear about Aiden’s situation. The nurse thought it would be best if the smaller boy lay down for a while to rest and get some warmth onto his stomach to help his muscles relax. James was already reaching his hands down to grasp Aiden’s and pull him up to walk him over to the beds on the far side of the room, each movement gentle and attentive, as if James thought Aiden was made of delicate glass. “Aww, what a gentleman!” The nurse commented, bringing Aiden some water and a couple of ibuprofen tablets, placing them on the table next to his head. “You head on back to your lesson, James; he’s in good hands.”

Aiden watched James’s face fall hesitant, looking back at him with worry, clearly wanting to stay with his pained friend. Aiden reached up to hold James’s hand, reassuring him softly. “James, go back to P.E. before you get in trouble; I’ll be fine now. I’ll see you later at soccer, okay?” The Brazilian admitted defeat reluctantly, turning his head to make sure no one was looking, before bringing Aiden’s hand up to his lips, tenderly pecking the back of the boy's hand with a coy smile. Aiden looked on in utter disbelief, James walking away with his usual confident swagger and a cheeky wink for Aiden. Had that really just happened? Aiden’s whole body felt so warm he wouldn’t have any need for the hot water bottle the school nurse was preparing for him. Benji made his way over and sat down on the bed next to Aiden. There was a brief awkward pause before Benji broke the silence. “So… Are you two a thing, then?” Aiden shot up from the bed upon hearing the other boy’s words, instantly regretting it when his stomach cramped sharply. “No! No! …Well, I don’t think so… Just don’t spread it around. Okay, Benj?” Benji smiled at his friend's confession, making a zipping gesture against his lips. “Your secret’s safe with me, my friend. Scout’s honour” Aiden nodded back, thanking Benji wordlessly before the other boy broke the silence again. “Hey! I’m having a party on Saturday; my folks are going on some business trip, so I have the whole place to myself. Want to come? You can bring James with you.” Aiden cringed a little at Benji drawing out the A in James’s name, then rolling his eyes at the remark. “I’d love to come; I’m free this weekend. I’ll have to ask James, but I’m sure he would be down to come too.”

As soon as the bell for the end of the school day rang, a pair of heavy black boots bolted their way down the road towards a certain small bakery. The soccer game be damned, there were more pressing matters at hand for the young soccer player. Tom was running like his life depended on it. He had to get there in time; he had to see him. Tom had to make sure Jake was alright. The black-haired young man swung open the door to the bakery hard enough that he could’ve taken it off from its hinges, and despite his lungs screaming for oxygen, Tom managed to call out a half-strangled “JAKE?” Fortunately, the bakery was completely devoid of customers, with only a very confused girl standing behind the counter staring at Tom like he was a homicidal maniac. All of a sudden, Miriam emerged from the back of the shop, charging like a bull towards the front door with a metal pipe in hand, ready to fight what she thought was a burglar, only to be met with Tom’s desperately worried face. “Miriam! Where’s Jake? Is he here?” Miriam barely had time to comprehend what was happening, let alone what the muscular teen was saying.

As if Tom’s prayers were answered, a very tired-looking blue-haired boy emerged nervously from behind the back door of the shop, summoned by the noise of raised voices. “T-Tom?…” The dark-haired young man was wasting no time, rushing towards the smaller boy and pulling him in for the tightest hug of his life. Jake was stunned, frozen solid, the ice that had formed around his heart rapidly being softened by the warmth of Tom’s embrace. Jake melted into the taller boy’s arms, holding him tight and never wanting to let go ever again. Tom pulled away to grip his hands onto either side of Jake’s face, looking deep into his eyes. “Jake, holy shit. Are you okay? I’m so sorry for everything! I was so worried. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” The young man’s nervous rambling was cut short by a shout of Miriam’s voice. “Tom! For God's sake, let him speak! Why don’t you step outside for a bit so you can have a private moment to talk?”

Both young men stepped outside in a daze, going around the back of the building and standing there in silence for what felt like an eternity. Tom took a deep breath and thought carefully about the next few words he was going to use. “Jake… I’m so sorry for kissing you without your permission. I should’ve asked; I didn’t mean to scare you or upset you. Tom was going to continue and probably keep rambling despite his best efforts not to; Jake took the moment to step forward and press one of his pale fingers to the scar-faced boy’s soft lips. “Tom… It wasn’t the kiss… The kiss isn’t why I ran away; I was just – I’m just… I’m so scared!” Jake once again brought his hands to his face as his whole body was racked with sobs, his body trembling with the weight of everything. Tom grabbed the ponytailed boy and pulled him into his chest once more, rubbing circles into his back. “What are you scared of, Jakey? Tell me… I’m here for you…” Jake’s eyes went as wide as saucers as his head tilted down, forehead against Tom’s chest, staring straight at the paved floor below as dark spots were created by his tears hitting the stone. “I’m s-scared that I’m not good enough for you. I’m scared that you’ll find someone better – and throw me away! I’M SCARED OF MY OWN FUCKING PARENTS!”

Loud cries echoed down the street like a haunted birdsong as Jake gripped Tom’s jacket tightly enough to rip it. Tom could hardly believe what he was hearing. Was all this what Jake really thought? The taller boy’s sturdy hands tilted Jake’s face back up to look at him, teal-blue eyes meeting dark brown. Tom’s tone was serious and stern but reassuring. “Jake. I’m not Blake; I will never hurt you like he did. He was a self-obsessed prick who treated you awfully when you were vulnerable and impressionable. I swear it on my own life, I will never, never hurt you like he did.” For some reason Tom’s reassuring words cut through all the darkness in Jake’s mind like a knife going through butter, putting those horrible doubts to rest. Tom wasn’t Blake; Tom was kind, Tom was humble, and Tom cared like no one Jake had ever known before, apart from Miriam, that was.

Tom looked deeply into Jake’s eyes, not even blinking for a second; he wanted Jake to know he meant every word that came from his mouth. “Jake, all I want is you. I love you. I really, really do.” Jake’s heart could have burst upon hearing those words, like a dream coming true. Insecurities still persisted, however, biting viciously at the back of Jake’s mind like a pack of rabid dogs. “B-but, Tom… You’re amazing, Tom; you’re so perfect and loved… I’m nothing, I’m worthless, and… I’m not even human. Everyone at school knows it. I’m nothing compared to you. I’m not worthy of you.” The black-haired boy shook his head, not dismissing what Jake had said but challenging it. “Is that really what you think? that you aren’t worthy of me? Because I don’t think that you do. We’ll be in school for another year, then it’ll be behind us. I don’t care what a group of bitchy teenagers think about me… or the boy that I love, however… I do think you feel something for me too, deep in here…” Tom brought his hand to come to rest on Jake’s chest, right above his heart, feeling the way it beat and pulsed rapidly under his warm touch. Jake blushed and looked away with shyness. More and more of those horrible thoughts were being crushed by Tom’s reassuring and gentle voice. “But… people will treat you like shit if you and I… became an item. I don’t want to make you suffer like how I have. I don’t want to bring you down to my level.” The scar-faced young man brought Jake’s face to look at him once again. “Jake, I’ve suffered already; the idea of being with you is worth going through hell and high water for. You are worth thousands of insults and comments; you are worth thousands of cuts. I’d go through all of my worst moments again and again if it meant that I got to be with you in the end.”

For the first time in many days, Jake’s beautiful smile returned to his face. “You’re such a sap, Tom.” Tom laughed wholeheartedly and pulled Jake in for another hug. “Only for you, babe.” Jake was the one to pull away this time, to look back into Tom’s pretty eyes – oh god, how he had missed them. Always the motormouth, Tom broke the silence again. “So… did you like the kiss?” Jake gave a little grin and blushed at the question and at the lovely memory it brought with it. “Yeah… I did, in fact…” It was Jake’s turn to be bold now. Time stood still, and Jake’s hands rested against Tom’s broad chest, closing the gap between them as both of their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. In that moment, everything was perfect; nothing else mattered, and no one else mattered, until they did…

The realisation of what Jake had just done hit him right in the chest, a pang of anxiety echoing throughout his body like sharp waves of fright. Stepping backwards, Jake pushed his hands against Tom’s chest, as if he was trying to keep him away. “Tom I can’t do this… Not right now, not with my parents – they’ll kill me! They told me they wished I hadn’t been born last time, when they found out. They called me the most awful things that a parent could possibly say to their child; they made me want to die last summer!” Tom nodded, understanding but nonetheless saddened by the words. The thought of Jake’s parents being homophobic hadn’t even crossed his mind; his mother had supported him through everything he had ever been through. She even figured out that he was gay before Tom knew for himself! “Tom… I’m so sorry, but… I need some time. To think about things. I just can’t be with you right now…”

Meanwhile, little did the two boys know, a phone was being pointed at them the whole time, taking pictures of their most emotional and intimate moments. The girl was obscured by the high hedgerow she stood behind; you could only just see the top of her perfectly styled hair if you focused very intently. It had been pure coincidence; it was a nice secluded spot to wait to meet with her dealer to get another week’s supply of nose candy, only to spot a very interesting scene which could come in very handy, which could be used to the girl’s benefit. Nail-polished fingers tapped away at the glass screen of her phone as she desperately searched for a certain email address until suddenly… she found it. This was going to be so good; revenge was a dish best served cold, after all…

Chapter 12: Better Way To Live

Summary:

There are mentions of self harm and suicidal thoughts, please take care when reading.

Jake had parted with Tom on friendly but emotionally mixed terms. Jake had turned the handsome boy down, the possible love of his life, and Jake had told him, “I can’t be with you right now.” He felt like a total fool. Like he was nothing but scum, Tom would definitely find someone else now, someone who was good enough for him, someone who wasn’t as damaged and broken as Jake was. The orange glow of the nighttime lamps illuminated the way back to Jake’s parents front door. The blue-haired young man pulled the handle to open the door and quietly stepped inside, moving towards the stairs with the full intent of running up them and locking himself in his room again until daylight rose him from his sleep. “There you are.” A cold, unfeeling, unimpressed voice called out from the dark, her tone making the boy shudder. It was Jake’s mother. She stepped out from the low light of the kitchen with her arms folded, Jake’s father following from behind her. Anger was clearly etched into both of their stern features. Jake turned back to look at them both, but he couldn’t think of what he could've possibly done to piss them both off. He kept out of their way constantly and didn’t make a peep when he was home, doing all of the chores he was assigned and never complaining in the slightest.

“Is everything alright?” Jake instantly regretted daring to speak up, his mother’s eyes filled with blazing anger. “No, Jacob. It isn’t. Care to explain why in God’s name your father received this on his work email?” Jake’s father then pulled out his phone, turning it so Jake could see the image on the screen. An image of him… kissing Tom. The picture was as clear as day; someone had been watching them that whole time. Jake stared at his father’s phone, open-mouthed, unable to think, unable to form words. Both of the adults stood there unimpressed before his mother cut through the silent pause with a “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” Panic started to set in for Jake; oh no, please God no, it’s happening again…

“I fuckin’ told you he’d do it again, didn’t I? We should’ve sent him to that conversion camp when we had the chance. I can’t believe that I raised a fuckin’ fairy.” His father’s words cut through to the deepest part of Jake’s soul; those tears would start flowing again soon. “You are so disgusting; do you know that? This isn’t normal, Jacob. What will the neighbours say? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH SHAME YOU’VE BROUGHT ON THIS FAMILY?” The tears that were forming in Jake’s eyes fell, but they weren’t out of sadness or fear; they were burning hot with unadulterated rage. Jake had enough; right in that moment he made a decision. No more holding back, no more biting his tongue, no more trying to be someone that he wasn’t. “The shame I’ve brought? THE SHAME I’VE BROUGHT? Have either of you thought about what you’re even saying? Most people would agree when I say there’s no greater shame than two parents not supporting their son in who he is! You’re both the disgusting ones! You’re pure evil… BOTH OF YOU!”

Jake’s words were cut off by a sharp pain blooming in his face, a sharp smack against his cheek from his mother. A wetness then followed, not just tears but a dripping of blood from the now bruising cheek, caused by his mother’s wedding ring meeting his face. Jake staggered back, looking on in dazed disbelief, holding one hand to his wet and bloodied face. “DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT IN MY OWN HOUSE! YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF!” Jake wouldn’t cry, not now. Right now he had enough of that, enough of his parents, enough of all the hell they put him through. No more sucking up to them, no more walking on eggshells; he wasn’t ‘Jacob’, he was Jake, and he was going to live a good life without them. “You’re both despicable. I’m leaving, and I’m never going to live under the likes of you two ever again. You know, you were right. You only have one son; I deserve so much better than you two. Have fun in hell, you bastards.” Jake turned on his heels and marched right out of the front door, speeding his way out of the cul-de-sac, intending to never return, to never see those faces ever again. Fast steps morphed into a sprint and then rapid running, and Jake bolted down the streets in the dead of the dark night, running blindly as the tears blurred his vision and his oxygen was being cut off by his agonising sobs and cries.

The burning in his lungs suddenly became too much, and Jake relented, stopping and coming to rest against a street lamp. Then it hit him; he was all alone now. No more, Tom. He told him he couldn’t be with him – no friends. He hadn’t spoken to any of them in days, and now… not even parents, no one. He was all alone. Where could he go? What could he do? Looking down, Jake caught a glimpse of himself in a puddle of rainwater on the pavement; he was a fright, a total mess; he didn’t even exist anymore. Sinking down to his knees in defeat, Jake shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, trying to keep his hands warm from the cold night’s breeze, then feeling something in his pocket. Pulling it out, Jake remembered he had the spare key for the bakery; Miriam had entrusted him with it once a few weeks ago when she couldn’t come into work due to illness. Jake felt guilt seep into his mind at the idea of essentially breaking into Miriam’s shop for the night, but he had no other choice; everyone else had left him, so he might as well lose Miriam too. Picking himself up off from the hard, cold floor, he made the slow and long walk to the bakery to try and find some shelter for the night. All the while, trying to make some sense of that crazy day.

James was in no rush to get into school that Tuesday morning, but his mother always insisted that he leave well before he needed to. She prided herself on having two diligent children after all. James had simply sat in his yellow Jeep and scrolled through his TikTok for twenty minutes, having nothing better to do because there was no Aiden to hang out with, due to him and Lake going to finish off their artworks before handing them in. All of James’s soccer buddies wouldn’t be arriving to school until the last minute either. Growing quickly bored, the Brazilian young man got himself up and paced his way from the parking lot to the school’s main entrance, navigating his way through the corridors to find his locker. The main art classrooms were just around the corner from where James’s locker was located; he found it was the perfect place because he could camp out there and tease Aiden when he came out from around the corner back in the day. He was so stupid back then, dancing around the fact and not admitting to himself that he felt things for the smaller boy. Fortunately, today’s first class was math, so he would be seeing the e-boy soon enough. Leaning to lay himself back against the cold metal attached to the wall, the idea of just maybe popping his head into the art classroom to say hello to the smaller boy and the German girl was tempting, but at the same time he didn’t want to distract them. This was so important for them after all… but maybe a quick two-minute ‘hello’ wouldn’t hurt?

After debating with the angel and devil on either of his shoulders, the cheeky devil had gotten his way once again, and James was swaggering his way over to visit Aiden and Lake; maybe he could make up some excuse about wanting to deliver the sour cherry candies that he had bought to Aiden to give him a boost. Upon turning the corner and opening the wooden classroom door, James was surprised to see no sight of either Aiden or Lake; the classroom was totally vacant… apart from one dark-haired boy making his way over to the back of the room. It was Yul; he didn’t have art as one of his subjects, and he was walking right over to where everyone’s paintings were lying against the back wall. The Korean boy studied each of them carefully before he spotted one in particular, Aiden's: the beautiful artwork of a boy breaking through the shell of his past self to become the man he knew he always was. Time froze as James realised the Yul’s hands were reaching out to grab the picture…

“HEY! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Yul jumped out of his skin and whipped around to come face to face with a very pissed-off James Costa, the dark-skinned lad’s hands balling into fists while he looked his ex-friend dead in the eye, daring him to even think about vandalising the hard work of the boy he adored. “Oh, nothing, James! I was just… admiring.” James brought one of his fists down to smack against the table with a resounding BANG, making Yul flinch away from the taller boy. James’s fury was evident. “You were going to ruin Aiden’s work, weren’t you? WEREN’T YOU?” Yul said nothing, clearly intimidated by the curly-haired man’s justifiable outrage. Meanwhile, two friends were returning from getting a drink from the vending machine; their work was done, so they had just come back with the intent of collecting their things and trying to find James before lessons started, only to be caught off guard by the sounds of shouting coming from the room they had been in not even five minutes ago. When the two friends returned, they had found James all right. Aiden had never seen him so angry, not even when that boy had made comments about him in the corridor not that long ago. The e-boy had made a motion to walk into the room and find out what was going on for himself, only to be pulled back by his German friend, her pale hand grasping his and moving him to peer into the room from behind the door frame like she was doing. Now they both stood there stunned, listening and watching intently at the scene in front of their eyes.

“James, is all this because you still have a crush on that twink? You could do so much better; you have done so much better!” James wasn’t in the mood, his hands coming to grip Yul by the front of his shirt and pulling him to look James dead in the eye. “You go near Aiden’s work again, you’re dead. You speak to Aiden disrespectfully again, and you’re dead. IF YOU UPSET HIM EVER AGAIN, I’LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN. Now move it. Vai pra puta que te pariu…” James let Yul go and shoved him towards the doors at the right side of the classroom, gesturing for him to get lost. Yul grew as he admitted defeat, his dignity and pride in tatters the same way he had wanted to do to the art that Aiden had worked so hard on. Once he was sure Yul was gone, James turned himself around to exit out the way he had come in into the room. At that moment, a familiar red-haired girl and a bi-colour-haired boy fell out onto the floor in front of him, both landing in a heap in front of his feet, both looking up at the Brazilian with coy smiles. “Umm… hey, guys… What are you doing on the floor?” The dark-skinned Brazilian reached down to help them both up, taking extra care to look Aiden over as Lake dusted herself off. “We came back from getting a drink and… well…” James suddenly realised that both of his friends had just seen him almost throttle Yul Kim in their art classroom, a slight blush coming to his brown cheeks at the realisation. “O-oh! Umm…” Aiden took the opportunity to place his small hand onto James’s strong, muscular bicep, his bluish-green eyes meeting the Brazilian’s dark brown ones. “Thank you for saving my work, James. Thank you for everything. You certainly told him who's boss!” James smiled in return, gently gripping Aiden’s shoulder affectionately. “Don’t mention it; I’m always happy to help you, cutie.” Lake smiled as she watched the two; she would have to ask them if they wanted to go on double dates with her and Mariana at some point…

Meanwhile, Jake was still fast asleep, cuddled up on the small couch in Miriam’s office; he had barely slept that night. All the horrible thoughts about his parents and Tom rushed around his head without reprieve, making him toss and turn while tears made the cushion he was resting his head on awfully damp. The sudden shock of a loud noise made him jolt awake from his not-so-peaceful slumber, falling off from the couch and coming to land on all fours on the old carpet below. Miriam looked into the room with nothing but shock on her face, then realising that she hadn’t been broken into, Jake was there for god knows what reason. “Jake? What's happened? Why are you…here?” The blue-haired boy looked up from where he was now sitting on the floor, his eyes pitiful and his hair dishevelled from tossing all night. “I-I… left. I’m not going back there. This is the only place I could think of… I’m so sorry, Miriam! Please don’t make me go back!” The older woman instantly understood, wrapping the small teen up in her arms in a tight embrace, shushing him and rocking him like a distressed infant. “It’s alright, son, I’m here now. I’m going to look after you.” Jake’s sobbing subsided just long enough for him to choke out. “They found out – me and Tom… Someone was watching us; they saw a photo of us… My parents – they yelled at me again…”

Miriam’s heart was breaking more and more with each syllable that left Jake’s lips. How could anyone do that to such a sweet boy? How could people who called themselves parents treat their own child with such cold and blatant unkindness? Miriam knew that she would've done anything to see her son again just one last time; Jake reminded her of him so much… that’s when the decision was made for the elderly woman. “You’re coming back to mine, son; you’re staying there too. You’ll come and live with me, Jake.” Jake’s mind couldn’t comprehend the words; he couldn’t comprehend the kindness. “Miriam, I can’t do that! I don’t want to leech off you…” The older woman shook her head at such silly words. “Jake, you’re a pleasure to be around. You give me so much joy when I get to see you at work; it would be my honour to have you stay with me. I never got to say goodbye to my son or my husband, but I think they sent me an angel to keep me company. Won’t you come and live with this lonely old lady?” Jake couldn’t hold back anymore; everything that he felt rushed out of him like a tsunami, gripping onto Miriam for dear life. “I don’t have anyone anymore, Miriam…” “Oh yes, you do. You have me; we’ll have each other, my boy…”

The decision was made for Jake; Miriam decided to close the bakery that day. Helping steady Jake’s wobbly legs as she helped him to her car and buckled him in. He was so exhausted and drained; he needed to be put right to bed and given a good meal as soon as they got through the door, Miriam thought to herself as she drove them both back to her house. The spare bedroom was perfect for Jake, a little bit bigger than the one at his parents house, but he had none of his things. No toothbrush, no possessions, no clothes – that was something they would have to sort out later on with a shopping trip. Miriam pulled out a few of her son’s old t-shirts and basketball shorts for Jake to change into once they got up the cream-coloured carpeted stairs, then headed back downstairs to make him some soup while giving him some privacy to get changed. After having to spoon-feed the boy where he lay in her guest room, he slept for nine hours straight, Miriam coming to check in on the boy every hour just to make sure he was okay. Jake had told her all of the awful things they had said to him the night before; she felt her stomach flip when he mentioned the fact that his own mother had slapped him across the face; it certainly explained the cut on the boy’s pale cheek. Miriam had been furious, mentioning how she was tempted to call the police, but Jake’s desperate wails begging her not to made her reconsider. Now she just needed to get him settled at hers, to look after him, and to let him know just how loved he was. One of the most difficult things Miriam had to do was retell all of the information to Connor over the phone as she explained the current situation and how Jake would be needing some time away from school. The principal understood wholeheartedly and said he would arrange for some worksheets to be dropped at her house.

Later on that day, Jake had made his way back down the stairs, sleep still gathered at the corners of his eyes but greeted with the most lovely, familiar smell. Miriam had ordered them both a Chinese takeaway to enjoy together in front of the TV. For just one hour, Jake felt human again, like he hadn’t just been thrown out of his childhood home and he hadn’t just pushed away the love of his life. After the meal was finished and the plates were washed and dried. Miriam mentioned how Jake would eventually need to go back to his old house and collect some of his things. With reluctance, the teenage boy agreed with her. Preferring to do it sooner rather than later. Both of the friends hopped back into Miriam's car and drove straight for that dreaded address. Upon their arrival, slowly pulling up on the driveway, Jake felt himself be overcome with dread, a sickly feeling growing in his throat. Glueing him to the passenger seat, Miriam placed her wrinkled hand on top of Jake’s and reassured him that he wouldn’t have to say a word, that she would do all of the talking necessary.

The elderly woman marched up the driveway with the confidence of an army sergeant, banging on the door angrily while Jake shyly hid behind her like a frightened child. His mother was the one to come to the door; her cruel face souring even more than normal upon realising who was at the door. “Can I help you?” Jake cringed at her tone, eyes fixated on the ground. “Yes, you can. Jake needs to collect his things, and then we’ll be off, and trust me, he won’t be coming back.” Jake’s mother rolled her eyes with annoyance, only managing to mutter out a sharp remark. “Fine, just be quick,” before the cruel woman then retreated back to the kitchen. Miriam placed her soft, warm, loving hand on Jake’s cheek as she spoke to him. “You just shout if you need anything; I’ll just be waiting in the car.” Jake nodded and started to creep his way up the stairs, coming face to face with his childhood bedroom, untouched from how he had left it yesterday morning. It was all there, so many things, so many memories.

It was hard to know where to start; grabbing an old rucksack and suitcase from his wardrobe, he started filling them with clothes. Going through the drawer by drawer and trying to only take the things he really needed. His mind going more and more manic the more old memories he uncovered, accidentally ripping off a bit of the wallpaper when he grabbed his laptop from where it was lying on his desk, revealing the star-patterned childhood wallpaper that had been lying underneath it for years. Seeing those stars and that childhood innocence, Jake simply snapped. He turned around after putting his laptop in his bag and swung at the lamp on his desk, sending it flying to destruction, smashing into a million pieces as it hit the wall. Childhood photos were knocked off his dresser and fell to the ground, glass shattering all around. He was like a madman, swinging his arms left and right, smashing, breaking, and destroying. All that anger coming out in violent bursts, his wrists ached and his hands were raw, pulling the curtains off from the rails, ripping out the dresser drawer and launching it across the room to smack against his wall and disintegrate into wooden splinters. The chaos that Jake had caused had been heard from downstairs; angry shouts and feet thundered up the staircase. Thinking fast, Jake pulled his mattress up from the bed and pressed it against the bedroom door, then shoved what remained of his dresser against it too; they would keep them out just for a bit longer. Jake grabbed a few last things: a few childhood toys he kept in a bag in the back of his closet, his black jewellery box and his make-up bag that he had kept hidden in the bottom of a drawer to prevent his parents from finding it.

That banging was right outside his door now, his parents close to breaking through the barricade. Zipping up the bags tight and putting the backpack over his shoulders, Jake realised that he had just cut off his only escape until he turned to look at his wide open windows, curtains hanging down like cream-coloured vines. It was worth the risk, he decided, taking his suitcase first and throwing it out of the window, the large bag landing with a mighty THUMP on the lawn below, then masterfully throwing another bag down to land on top of the suitcase, cushioning it a bit from landing straight on the floor. Then it was his turn; he stepped out of the room, willing himself not to fall off from the windowsill, grasping the drainpipe outside of his room like a fireman’s pole and swinging himself around, feet banging against the bricks painfully. With all the strength he could muster, Jake climbed down the black pipe, rushing himself towards the end and jumping down the last few feet. Slightly banging at his knees when he hit the floor, he was frantic now. Running and grabbing both of his bags from the floor, he bolted for Miriam’s little car, her eyes wide in shock at the display that she had just seen. “MIRIAM, FUCKING DRIVE! DRIVE!” The old woman didn’t need to be told twice, starting the ignition as Jake threw his things in the back and hopped back into the passenger seat, his father hot on his tail. Jake swung the door closed with all of his strength, then flipping off his furious father as they both sped away with a joyous shout into the night. The adrenaline pumped through both the old lady’s and the teenage boy’s veins like a drug, and they both loved it.

By the time that Friday afternoon rolled around, Jake hadn’t been in school for the whole week. Fortunately, he was speaking to one person, Aiden; in fact, Aiden was the only person Jake was speaking to at all. Jake had explained everything that had happened in all of its horrible detail over a call to the e-boy, both of the lads crying down the phone to each other. Aiden made sure to keep Jake up to date with everything that had been happening in his absence; the team had won on Monday night, and everyone was missing him, especially Tom. Jake went silent at the mention of Tom’s name; Aiden thought it best not to mention him again for a while. The blonde and brunette boy sat side by side with Lake and Rosa in the cafeteria, waiting for James’s arrival. The Brazilian had very kindly offered Aiden a lift back home that night. Despite the depressing circumstances with Jake, Aiden was looking forward to this weekend. Benji was throwing that party, and Aiden had asked (or forced) Jake to come with him, saying that it would do him good to get out with friends again. After Jake agreed, it was decided that Aiden would go around to Miriam’s an hour or so before the party so both of the boys could do each other’s makeup before James would come by in his jeep to drive the three of them to Benji’s house.

Looking at the two girls beside him, Aiden knew that Lake had said she wasn't going, although he was unsure why, and he wasn’t sure if Rosa could make it too. Upon asking the Latina girl, her lilac-coloured hair bounced as she shook her head. “No, sorry, I've got to babysit Sofia, and Lake said she would look after her with me.” Ah, damn. The joys of having a younger sibling. “I’ve invited Mariana too. We’re going to have our own girls’ party at home. Are you looking forward to going to Benji’s?” Lake added with a gentle smile. Aiden grinned back. “Yeah, he personally invited me. I’ve asked Jake to come along with me too. I think he needs a boost after… everything.” Both young women nodded silently in understanding, just as horrified as Aiden was by the news of it all. The silence was cut short by a notification ringing loudly from Aiden’s phone. It was from James. ‘Hey, xuxu, meet me at the school gates.’ Aiden quickly stood up to leave, waving goodbye to both of his friends. “My ride’s here; I’ll see you both on Monday.” It was easy to see the back of the tall Brazilian’s head as Aiden exited the cafeteria’s side door, walking towards him with a cheerfully quick pace to his step. The dark-skinned man suddenly turned to face him, grinning widely and holding a bouquet of dark red roses in his hands, handing them to Aiden as the small boy looked on in awe. “These are for you. Congrats on your grade, Xuxu.” Aiden had almost forgotten with everything that had been going on with Jake; he had received an A+ in Alessio Castelli’s art class, pleasing him and James to no end. “Oh, James… You didn’t have to do that... Thank you…” The Brazilian chuckled before giving Aiden a cheeky wink. “I wanted to. In fact… I was wondering if you were free at all next weekend. On Saturday night perhaps? We could go out and … do something together.” Aiden's face grew even more flushed, if that was even possible, looking up at James’s slightly coy face. “Do you mean… like a date?” “Yeah, like a date. you down?” James leaned down to his height slightly, a hand on his hip, trying to look seductive. Aiden smiled before rolling his eyes, making his way to the passenger side door of James’s brightly coloured jeep. “Why not? If it keeps you out of trouble, then I’m down for it.”

Not too far away, Jake Hamilton stepped out of his elderly boss-turned-friend-turned-guardian’s bathtub, finally finding the strength to give himself a wash, Miriam adding that it may help him relax. All the while he sat in the water, washing away the grime from the last few days, Jake couldn’t help himself from wondering, ‘How the actual fuck did I get here?’ Was his whole life destined to be this fucking chaotic? After making his way back to his once guest room, now bedroom, he dried himself off and got into some fresh clothes. It did feel better, although it was hard to remember to take care of himself with all of the other shit coursing through his mind along with the fact that he really fucking missed Tom, but he was too scared to see the taller boy again all at the same time. His life had truly become grey again without Tom there by his side. He knew that he had well and truly pushed the scar-faced boy away and there was no getting him back.

Jake pulled a navy t-shirt over his head, a new one that Miriam had bought for him after she managed to convince him to go shopping yesterday afternoon. The soft fabric rubbed against his skin, reminding Jake of the patch of dry skin on his forearm; the t-shirt irritated it slightly. Marching back into the bathroom, he pulled the bathroom cabinets open, looking high and low for where he could've put the moisturiser that Miriam had bought for him. Ah, found it. Reaching back to pull out the bottle, something else caught his eye: a box with something silver that shone when the bathroom light hit it. Out of curiosity, Jake pulled the mysterious box out too; it was a box… of razor blades… All of a sudden, there was a dark voice calling out at the back of his mind. Do it. Do it. Do it. Tom’s gone, your parents don’t want you, and you’re a burden on Miriam. No one will miss you; just get it over with. Tears started to brim in Jake’s dark eyes as he picked one up, bringing it to his wrist. His breathing was increasingly erratic, coming out in short and sharp puffs. The blade was slowly moving closer, close to cutting his skin until. “Jake! Dinner’s ready; it’s your favourite!” The blue-haired boy dropped the sharp object, and it hit the bathroom tiles with a metallic ‘clink’, then quickly picked it up. Jake threw it back in the container and then shoved the box back where he found it, running out of the bathroom and dashing down the stairs, not daring to look back in case those horrible urges returned…

Chapter 13: Only Your Love Can Save Me

Summary:

It's time for the grand finale...

By the time that Saturday came around, Jake had started to really settle into his new life in Miriam's home. She was warmer than anyone Jake had ever known and only got kinder the more time they spent together. She was like an aunt, a mother and a grandma all rolled into one kind, accepting, loving lady. Jake had been taken shopping a couple of times with Miriam that week, allowing him to buy some personalising furnishings for his new bedroom, a few band posters here and there and a brand new duvet set for his bed. It had really started to feel like his own little space. Things were good – well, as good as they could be considering the circumstances. His parents now thought of him as dead to the family or as if he had never existed at all. Whenever he remembered the exchange by the front door, a flood of awful feelings and thoughts flooded his brain like black water, clogging his rational thoughts. Jake kept finding he had the urge to just… disappear. To run away from this place and everyone here, to find a bridge overlooking a highway and to just – but almost as soon as those thoughts had a hold, Jake would remember he had a roof over his head, someone who loved him letting him stay under her roof and three square meals a day. Remembering those things pulled him back from that edge. However, he still didn't have Tom… and that was the thing he craved most of all. Everything felt empty without him to look forward to seeing every day, but it was too late. Jake had his chance, and he blew it.

Miriam had been more than enthusiastic when Jake mentioned being invited along to a party by Aiden, more enthusiastic than Jake was feeling, at least. The blue-haired young man had made his reluctance more than clear to the e-boy, but Aiden could be very convincing when he wanted to be. The shorter boy had practically begged Jake, telling him ‘he would have nobody else to hang out with’ as James was undoubtedly going to find his soccer buddies and vanish for the rest of the night, leaving Aiden all on his own. Jake relented after half an hour of nonstop messages from his friend, although the last thing he really wanted was to be stuck in a house filled with drunk teenagers and music loud enough to burst your eardrums. Miriam happily agreed to Aiden coming round so both boys could do each other's makeup before the party, telling him that her makeup style would be a bit too old-fashioned for his more ‘modern’ tastes.

Aiden arrived not long after Miriam and Jake had finished their dinner that night, both boys greeting each other with a hug on the front doorstep and the bi-colour-haired boy reaching to shake the hand of the woman who had so kindly decided to look after his dear friend. Both lads rushed up the stairs like it was Christmas morning to blast some music out from Jake’s laptop and mess around while putting on their cosmetics and deciding what Jake was going to wear. Miriam was more than relieved to see Jake acting like a teenager again, having a bit of normality once more. It was a joy to see the lad smiling with a friend, getting ready to have some fun after all the hell he had been through. Within forty minutes, Jake's room was now a total mess, like a bomb had gone off. Clothes were thrown here, there and everywhere as Jake had tried to dig through his drawers to find one of his favourite t-shirts, then making a mental note to himself to try and tidy up a bit before they left, and Miriam saw the state of the place. Aiden was close to slapping the taller boy as he kept dancing along to a Kesha song while the e-boy attempted to do his eyeliner. “You're going to look like a long-lost member of Kiss if you don't fucking stop. James is going to be here soon!” “Okay! Okay! I'm sorry; I really like this song!” Jake finally stopped flailing his arms around and using his hairbrush as a microphone for a brief moment so Aiden could focus on putting the final details around his eyes.

Jake could faintly see his own reflection in Aiden's excitedly shining eyes, the smaller boy flashing him a satisfied grin when he was done and then turning around Jake's pink hand mirror to face him. “Done! What do you think?” While he had braced himself, expecting to see raccoon eyes in the mirror's reflection, Aiden had done a highly impressive job! Nothing too much; Aiden had added just the right amount of detail, colour and sparkle to give Jake a boost for tonight. The blue-haired boy admired his own appearance; he felt…pretty, cute, perhaps even a bit striking. They both looked good; Aiden had chosen a red jacket with a white t-shirt, some black jeans and a pair of grey, check-patterned Converse, while Jake had eventually chosen one of his new black t-shirts with a short-sleeved white button-up over the top of it, some distressed jeans and a pair of pink sneakers, which he had to hide from his parents and hadn't had the chance to wear out yet. The cool new look filled him with confidence, despite the sinking feeling still sitting in the pit of his stomach. Now they were both ready to hit the party and hopefully not make too much of a fool of themselves. “Thank you, dude. I love it!” Aiden looked ever so pleased with himself; watching all of those tutorials earlier on YouTube was worth it after all. They had been a brilliant distraction from all of the thoughts buzzing around his head regarding James; Aiden had to down two coffees earlier on that day to keep him awake after barely getting a wink of sleep the prior night, consumed with the thoughts of everything that James had said to him and done for him during the week. Helping him discreetly in P.E. and getting him to the nurse's office, saving his artwork from Yul, and gifting him the roses which now stood proudly on his dresser in his room.

Meanwhile, every time Jake could feel himself getting genuinely excited about tonight, it was almost instantly dampened by those sinking feelings that he hadn’t been able to shake off all week: dread, fear, self-hatred, hopelessness, despair. Aiden kept noticing Jake’s vacant eyes staring off into space; God knows what he had gone through the past week, but Jake snapped back to reality just in time to catch the younger boy’s eyes on him, hopping off his desk chair and making an attempt to clean up a bit before their Brazilian friend arrived and trying to make a bit of light conversation. “So… Who’s going to be there tonight, any ideas?” Aiden had started to apply a little bit of lip gloss as he answered. “Well… Me, you, James, Benji…” Jake rolled his eyes at Aiden’s obvious statement, throwing a t-shirt at the back of his head, much to the e-boy’s annoyance. “Okay, okay! Don’t screw up my hair, dickhead!” Jake properly laughed for the first time all week at the reaction from the younger boy; Aiden just seemed to have this magical ability to make him do that and forget about his troubles for a little while. “I have no idea who else will be there, Jake; we’ll just have to wait and see…” Jake was tempted to bring up Tom’s name but decided against it. He would have much better things to be doing tonight, no doubt. Right on cue, the roar of James’s jeep pulling up to the house caught the attention of both young men, beeping the horn and waving up to the window to get the attention of both boys.

The car ride over to Benji’s address was mostly uneventful; Jake couldn’t help but notice the somewhat tense ‘chemistry’ going on in the front of the car. James had his eyes on the road and the stereo blaring, while Aiden was staring into space, looking right at James. It was easy to see that the curly-haired man had noticed, grinning like he had just won the lottery while trying to not get distracted by the younger lad. When the three young men made their way to the front of the house, the front door was already wide open, and the music could probably be heard from the next town over from how loud it was. Benji’s usually calm, peaceful and expensively well-put-together home was now a scene of utter carnage, chaos and debauchery. Where there were once decorations strewn about the place; almost all of them had been torn down and thrown all over the place. There were countless dark red stains all up the previously white wallpaper and dotted about the brand new carpet on the floor. One door that led into the kitchen had been taken off of its hinges and was now being used as a raft in the pool. There were people everywhere, standing in the doorways, occupying every room and hallway, and sitting and/or lying on the floor in various levels of drunkenness. Outside wasn't much better; half of the people in the pool were in varying states of undress, throwing what looked like a couch cushion back and forth to each other in the water.

"Now this is a fuckin' party!" James's eyes had lit up as soon as they lay upon the scene. Jake and Aiden stood side by side in pure shock and horror, the scene looking more akin to bedlam than any kind of enjoyable experience the two boys had in mind. Once they were all in the living room, the Brazilian lad had already pulled out his phone, taking a selfie while the two other young men looked on in a confused daze. James’s attention was then drawn to the fact he had recognised someone in the garden through the glass door in the kitchen, disappearing into the crowd much like Aiden said he would. If Jake was apprehensive before, he was downright regretting ever stepping out of the door of Miriam’s house now. “This was a horrible idea. L-let’s just go.” Jake swivelled himself right around, heading back for the door they had just walked through, Aiden’s hand coming out to grab Jake’s arm to stop his escape. “Aww… come on, Jake, it’s not that bad.” Jake’s eyebrow raised at the e-boy’s statement, brown eyes then looking over to the centre of the room where someone was attempting to hang onto and swing from a very expensive-looking chandelier. Aiden didn’t reply, simply just trying to ignore the chaos. “Come on… we just got here! Let’s try and have some fun! Oh, look –” Aiden’s attention was drawn to the fact that Hannah and Logan had found Benji’s childhood Wii console and were now playing Just Dance in front of the TV, despite the fact that someone had thrown a can of beer at the screen. “We’ve got to play!” Aiden’s puppy dog eyes weren’t working on Jake this time, the blue-haired lad looking down to give the younger boy an unimpressed stare. “Fine, I’m going to play. Why don’t you… get us some drinks?”

Jake swerved left and right, trying not to bump into anyone, which was quite the task when there was barely the room to breathe in the overcrowded kitchen. Grabbing two red plastic cups, Jake filled them both with what he hoped was punch, undoubtedly spiked from the empty bottles of Red Stripe and Malibu sitting next to the punch bowl. The red liquid in the bowl and the cups certainly had a strong odour to it. The stuff smelt like hand-sanitiser and tasted just as bad. This was going to be a long night, so Jake decided that grabbing a couple of cans of beer from the countertop behind him wasn’t a bad idea either. Returning to the front room, a little dance party was well under way, Aiden doing his very best to keep up with the others. Jake couldn’t stop himself from giving a little smile upon seeing his friend having so much fun; Aiden certainly deserved it after the traumatising stunt that Riya had pulled not too long ago. Her attempt to destroy the e-boy’s confidence had done nothing but seemingly make him stronger. Jake’s smile turned into a frown rapidly; he wished he could be like that. Like Aiden, who was strong and resilient, who always bounced back despite the adversity. Those dark thoughts that Jake had been desperately trying to push away all week came seeping back into his brain like parasites, taking control of his mind and dissolving any kind of rational thoughts that tried to fight back. Taking a seat on the upturned couch at the back of the room, Jake cracked open a cool beer and started to down it like he was dying of thirst, perhaps getting shit-faced would suppress those thoughts just for a little while…

Two hours later and Gabby and Ellie had arrived, instantly coming over to Aiden and Jake. The Polish girl instantly joined in with Just Dance with the e-boy and tried to help him beat all of Benji’s high scores. Ellie wasn’t quite as interested and took a seat next to Jake to catch up with him. The two friends happily chatted while getting more and more tipsy on whatever booze they could find from the kitchen as they watched Gabby and Aiden try to recreate the lift from Dirty Dancing after Logan and Hannah had gotten bored and made their way outside. More and more people arrived as the night went on, bringing with them more alcohol and various other… fun activities. The smell of weed was potent throughout the house, and both Ellie and Jake were certain they saw at least two girls come out from the bathroom with some kind of powder down the front of their dresses. Jake looked over each person that passed by carefully, wondering if he might catch a glimpse of Tom. As unlikely as that was, a small part of him still had a bit of hope he might see him tonight.

James still hadn’t made a reappearance, although the group of friends could’ve sworn that it was him that they could hear yelling from outside. In fact, not even Benji had made an appearance yet, despite the fact that it was his party. Despite their rocky start in their relationship, Ellie had become surprisingly easy to talk to and get along with for Jake, with only the occasional exchange of insults between them. Their conversation being occasionally interrupted by the thuds, shouts and repetitive banging coming from upstairs, one of the bedrooms being directly above their heads. All four of them unanimously and silently agreeing that it would be best if they stayed where they were and didn’t investigate any further. Even grouchy Ellie couldn’t hide the sorrow she felt for the seventeen-year-old lad, placing her small hand on top of his in sympathy after he explained all that had happened to him on Monday. “I’m so sorry, Jake. I know things haven’t been perfect between us, but if you wanted to ever talk privately, you know where I am.” Jake smiled at the sincere response, patting Ellie’s shoulder with a slightly choked-up “Thank you”.

All of a sudden, Tristan emerged into the living room, nervousness etched onto their pale face. They then tapped Aiden on the shoulder to get his attention, taking his focus from where the e-boy was sitting on the arm of the upturned couch. He and Gabby had both been taking a break from dancing and started conversing with the other two while rehydrating with the mystery red drink from the kitchen. All four of the friends saw the concern in Tristan’s eyes as they spoke. “Aiden, you haven’t seen Benji, have you? I think someone threw his PS5 in the pool… and they tried to barbecue his laptop.” Aiden shook his head in response to their question while Gabby burst out laughing, Jake and Ellie staring at each other in disbelief; they both mentioned not long ago they thought that they could smell burning. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ. Right, I’ll help you look for him. Where’s the last place you saw him?” The goth enby then looked thoughtful for a moment, clearly racking their brain. The copious amounts of alcohol they had undoubtedly consumed were not aiding things either. “Umm… I’m pretty sure I saw him… being tied to his parents' bed by Spencer, around forty minutes ago, but he’s not there now. I checked.” Aiden didn’t want to ask any more questions upon that lovely bit of information, sighing with a roll of his eyes and getting up to start the search. “I’ll be back in a bit; don’t barbecue anything while I’m gone!”

Jake nodded with slight unease as he watched the split-haired boy leave; Aiden had been his rock, preventing him from getting too overwhelmed with everything going on the whole time they had been there. He still had Ellie and Gabby, though; they were good company. “I forgot about the pool! I’m going for a quick swim; I’ll be back in a few minutes, babe!” Before Ellie could even think about stopping the hyperactive girl, Gabby had already run out of the room and was no doubt making a beeline for the pool. The American girl and the blue-haired lad just looked at each other knowingly before bursting into fits of laughter. Just as Jake could feel himself starting to relax again, all peace in his mind was dissolved in an instant. Riya Sharma had just emerged from the front hallway, Yul Kim in tow. The stench of cigarette smoke followed the pair like an omen of disaster. Jake’s heart rate picked right up, beating so hard that he could feel it all the way up to his throat. All of those memories of last Thursday came flooding back: Riya’s words and the terrifying look in her eyes as she towered over him and reduced all of his self-worth to dust. “I-I’m going to go-o out for a while. I need some f-fre-sh air – I’ll see you in a bit, Ellie.”

Jake bolted through the living room straight for the kitchen, barging his way past people to get out of the back door. Turning to the right and walking right past the pool, trying to avoid the scattered remains of a smashed PS5 on the ground and finding a private corner against the wall on the far side of the garden, well out of the way of most of the people around him. sinking down to his knees as he desperately tired, regaining control over his breathing. Please, God, no, not again, not here. Please don’t let me have a panic attack in front of all of these people. Jake’s brain was short-circuiting with all of the horrible memories and thoughts coursing through it, Riya’s words calling out to him as clear as day as he hugged his knees to his chest and began to cry, all alone on the cold tiles. ‘You’re worthless; you’re a pathetic, washed-up bitch, a pathetic whore.’ The sounds of shouts and screams of people enjoying themselves ringing in his ears along with the blood pounding around his head, adding to all of the overstimulation. The insults from Riya bled into becoming about what happened afterwards: ‘You’ve lost any chance you had with Tom because you tried to keep your mother and father happy, and now you’ve lost them too. Was it worth it? YOU’LL NEVER BE HAPPY! YOU HAVE NOTHING!’ Jake needed it to stop – the words, the noise, the chaos, the pain; he needed the whole world to stop. Looking in front of him, he saw a large white trestle table that people were coming and going from, getting drinks and snacks. A strong drink of something was the only thing Jake could think of which could possibly quiet his mind once more. Staggering forward, he looked down at what was on display. What would have the highest percentage? What would knock him out the fastest? Settling on a bottle of vodka, he poured himself a plastic cup half-full of the stuff, trying to ignore the fact that it tasted like bleach, gagging and wincing as he tried to down it in one. He could’ve been drinking a cup of some kind of cleaning product for all he knew; he didn’t care. He just needed to get out of his mind. Filling his cup a bit more, Jake’s brown eyes made contact with something else on the table, more powder, but next to it scattered here and there were pills, small and round with different logos imprinted onto them. Due to the poor lighting, the blue-haired young man couldn’t make out the colour of any of them. Jake’s knowledge of the topic wasn’t fantastic, but he had a good feeling they were ecstasy. Without any rational thoughts to hold him back, he scooped up a couple and shoved them into his jacket pocket. If the booze didn’t work its magic on shutting his mind up, these surely would…

Aiden had no luck in trying to locate Benji, walking into every room he could find in this seemingly endless house, finding plenty of people doing unspeakably ungodly things but not a single indication of where the person he was looking for was. There was one last room to try, a master bedroom at the very top of the house. Pushing the door open, the place was empty, not a single person in sight. Wanting to be double sure, Aiden made his way around the room, looking under the bed, peering out of the window and looking straight down at the pool, even checking the space under a dressing table in the corner. Nothing; there was only one place left, a large oak wardrobe with a heavy metal lock in the centre of the doors. Aiden had to brace himself before he made his way over, just in case someone decided to jump out and scare him. Just as his small, pale hand reached out to try to pull one of the doors, it swung wide open, making Aiden jump in the air with a start. “Aiden! Quick, come in and hide with me.” The e-boy stood there utterly stunned; it was James. He was sat cross-legged on the floor of the wooden structure, half a bottle of Bacardi lying next to him. Had he been there this whole time? “JAMES, WHAT THE FUCK?–” The Brazilian shushed the smaller boy and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him into the wardrobe and rapidly shutting the door with a loud CLUNK. “SHH! We’re playing hide and seek.” Aiden facepalmed with a sigh, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. “Hide and fucking seek. How old are you? Seven?” “Eight, actually. Now, shut up! I can’t let anyone find me. I might’ve… accidentally broken Benji’s PS5…” The e-boy rolled his eyes again, typical James.

“I can’t fucking believe you! I need to get back to Jake; now let me out!” Aiden pushed against the heavy wooden doors, trying to get out, but they wouldn’t budge in the slightest. There wasn’t room in the stuffy wardrobe to move back enough to gain the amount of momentum needed to throw himself forward to try to force his way out. After a good while of trying, Aiden’s hands and side were killing him. He relented with annoyance and lay back against the wood, side by side with James as the dark-skinned man just grinned with amusement. Aiden had his head in his hands now, close to crying in frustration. “It’s stuck! We’re fuckin’ trapped!” Aiden was full-on panicking as he tried to think of a way out; yelling and banging against the door would be pointless due to the pounding music downstairs. He had left his phone in his jacket pocket, taking it off when he got too hot while playing Just Dance. James’s would be no use either because it had run out of power. They were screwed! James laughed at the dramatic display from the e-boy, not bothered in the slightest by their circumstances. James was then picking up the bottle of rum and handing it over to the split-haired boy. “At least we have this! Have a swig; it’ll take your mind off things.” With no better options, Aiden took the bottle grumpily, unscrewing the cap and downing as much as he could handle, almost coughing his lungs up at the taste and shoving it back into James’s hands. Aiden felt like he was close to losing his sanity as James tried to make a somewhat slurred casual conversation with the frustrated and slightly tipsy younger man.

Black boots paced their way up the gravel drive of Benji’s house, cautiously hopping up the steps. Tom pulled his jacket around himself as the cold air nipped at his skin. He had expected a wild party, but this was next level. Poor Benji was running back and forth like a man possessed, freaking out at the mess, with Tristan running after him in an attempt to calm him down. Tom was looking back and forth for James; he had told him about the party after all and told him to come along if he could. Tom would rather stay at home if he was honest with himself, but when James mentioned the chance of Jake being there, Tom had no other option but to come as quickly as he could. Finally Tom spotted a familiar face, Ellie. She was nervously pacing around the front room with a can of beer in hand, her face lighting up into a smile as she waved Tom over to her and squeezed his hand in greeting. “Hey, stranger. I wasn’t sure if you were going to show up tonight. Want a drink?” Tom gave a bashful smirk and “no, thanks” in reply, eyes still looking left and right for the others. “Where’s Gabby?” “She decided to go for a swim and regretted it almost instantly. She went upstairs to get changed, but she’s been gone for, like, thirty minutes. I’m honestly starting to get a bit worried.” Tom pursed his lips in thought for a moment. “What about James and Aiden?” Ellie shrugged and took another sip of her drink. “No idea. James was outside, but he ran upstairs ages ago, and I’ve not seen him since. Aiden was helping Tristan look for Benji, but they’ve both come back downstairs, and I’ve not seen the twink since.”

Tom was starting to feel a bit worried; Gabby, Aiden and James were smart people, but he didn’t want to risk them coming to any kind of harm, especially not here. Ellie piped up once more, eyes very serious as she spoke. “I’ve not seen Jake for ages. He was here with me, but then he just… took off. I thought he may need some space, but he’s still not back either. The thing is, he ran off just as soon as he saw those two.” Ellie pointed towards the downstairs bathroom door; Riya and Yul had just stepped out of it with wide eyes and a suspicious white substance around their noses. The scar-faced boy caught the end of their conversation as they came into view; Riya was mentioning something about the fact that she had ‘invited her dealer, and he said he would be bringing the hard shit with him.’ Tom’s lungs tightened at the information he was taking in; this was bad. Four of his friends were missing, with not a clue as to where they might be. Jake's whereabouts were especially worrying due to the fact that he was undoubtedly in a more vulnerable state than normal, especially if the things that Aiden had told him were anything to go by.

Taking charge, Tom pointed Ellie towards the staircase. “Right, we need to look for them all. You head up there and look; I’ll go outside and try my luck there.” Both teens darted off in opposing directions, ringing each missing person with their phones and calling out their names in hopes of finding them. Tom was wasting no time, calling out for Jake. Searching high and low and asking everyone he came across if they had seen him. Diego briefly took a moment to take his tongue out of Spencer’s mouth to tell Tom that he last saw the blue-haired lad sitting against the wall nursing a cup of god-knows-what about fifteen minutes before, then saying he saw Jake sneak around the back of the house. Thanking his teammate, the black-haired boy dashed off like a rocket to attempt to find the boy he so desperately wanted to see. Tom just wanted to be sure that Jake was okay, mentally begging over and over for him to please be okay.

Back upstairs, the rum was almost all gone from the bottle, both boys taking many turns having a drink, performing whatever dares they could in the cramped space and asking each other the most random questions they could possibly think of in a two-man game of spin the bottle. Aiden’s tolerance for alcohol wasn’t great in comparison to James, who seemed close to sober despite the slight slurring in his Brazilian accent; regardless, he was having a surprisingly fun time. Aiden put that down to the fact that he was stuck with James. He just had this aura that Aiden had grown to love, or perhaps… it was just James that Aiden had grown to love. The Curitiba man looked oh so handsome in the low light of the wardrobe, a slither of moonlight being let in by a crack in the side of the wardrobe’s left wall, not to mention how James looked at Aiden like he was the greatest thing on earth. The bottle hand landed on James this time after a long streak of bad luck on Aiden’s part. It was time for a dare, Aiden decided, and he had a particularly ‘interesting’ one in mind for the older man sitting next to him. “Okay, James, your dare is… to do what you did on Monday again. Like when we were in the nurse's office.” Aiden had lidded eyes as he reached the back of his hand out towards James. Recalling the sweet way his soft lips grazed the back of his hand, distracting him from the agony in his stomach just before they said goodbye. James wasn’t sure what Aiden meant, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Aiden’s face fell, looking shy and a tad disappointed, managing to utter out a quiet no. “Y-you know, a kiss…” Aiden's eyes looked back at his hand that was still stretched out for the other man to put his lips to, things finally clicking for James as he felt his face heat up a little bit. The Brazilian’s eyes grew deviant as a smirk took hold of his face, so Aiden wanted a kiss, did he? James knew exactly what the smaller boy needed. Grabbing Aiden’s hand, James pulled the boy right in front of him with effortless strength, Aiden’s eyes going wide in shock. James’s large hands then came to grasp at either side of Aiden’s head, pulling the boy’s lips onto his own. Aiden could’ve screamed in surprise, but he realised… He didn’t mind what was happening; he was actually quite enjoying it. The e-boy closed his eyes, eyelashes fluttering as the world grew dark and the only thing that existed in that moment was James’s lips on his. The Brazilian pulled back briefly for a gasp of air, only for Aiden's hands to tangle in his hair and pull him right back in for another bruising kiss, Aiden then boldly climbing into James’s lap as they continued to make out for as long as both of their lungs could hold out. Nothing else mattered in that moment; neither one of the young men wanted it to ever come to an end.

Around the back of the house, Jake Hamilton held his whole life in the palm of his hand. Blinking back tears as he gritted his teeth. “It’s too much… I don’t want this anymore… I can’t do this anymore… I don’t want to be here anymore…” Jake’s brain was like a broken record, repeating the same line over and over again. He held the pills in his hand, the moonlight shining upon them in the most beautiful way. There were two conclusions for what could happen next, Jake thought to himself. Result number one, he could take these drugs and have the greatest trip of his life, then wake up god knows where without a care in the world, or, result number two, he could get that high and simply… not wake up again. Fall asleep and be gently taken away by that blanket of darkness, never having to worry about anything ever again. It was now or never; Jake’s hand trembled as he brought it up to his face, sticking out his tongue and opening his mouth while squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Now was the moment for it all to stop and go away – “JAKE, STOP! DON’T!” Before the blue-haired man could move an inch, a hand was flying towards his and slapping the pills out of his grasp; a pair of black boots were then stomping on them on the floor, and a large pair of arms came to wrap him up in a tight hug. “Holy shit, Jake. Are you alright? What were you thinking?” Jake stood there in shocked silence. It was Tom, and he was… hugging him. Then Tom was holding his face and he was talking, but Jake could hear a word. He was only focused on what he could see, and what he saw was the most beautiful man in the world. He saw the man he wanted to be with all week. Without thinking, Jake pulled Tom towards him, gripping his black jacket and pulling him in for a passionate, loving kiss. Tom’s eyes widened in shock as he was cut off midsentence by the action, watching as Jake's dark brown eyes squeezed shut and tears rolled down the smaller boy’s cheeks, coming to land on Tom’s face. Tom was the one to pull them away, bringing up a hand to cup Jake’s face, the blue-haired teen nuzzling his face into Tom’s palm. “Are you okay, Jakey?” The taller boy’s voice was filled with nothing but concern as Jake continued to cry, but despite everything, he managed to crack a smile through his tears at the question. “I a-am n-now, To-om.” The scar-faced man giggled at the cheesy comment, looking deep into Jake’s eyes, watching the brown orbs fill with sadness once again.

“I’m so sorry, Tom…” “What for, sweetheart?” “F-for pushing you away! I’m so sorry for-for not speaking to you all week. I’m sorry for even thinking of touching those pills… I-I-I got kicked o-out of my parent’s house, an-and I wanted to tell you! B-but I thought you wouldn’t want to see me anymore after I told you I couldn't be with you and I-” Tom stopped Jake’s rambling with another deep kiss, letting the smaller boy melt into his embrace and then pulling away to leave a peck on Jake’s forehead. “I know, hunny, I know. Aiden told us… I’m so sorry. I’m here now… I won’t let you go through it alone. That first day we spoke… in the bathroom, I told you so. I’m here for you, regardless of if you want a relationship or not.” Jake's hands shot up from his sides to tightly grasp Tom’s scarred ones. “I d-do want one, Tom; all I’ve wanted all week… is you… I-if you’ll have m-me?…” “Fuck yes! Come here, you…” Tom didn’t need to say anything else; this time both boys leant in for a long, loving kiss, all of the emotion of the past week being stripped away by that beautiful movement. Two puzzle pieces coming back together after too long apart. It was beautiful; everything felt beautiful. “C’mon, babe. We’re leaving this shitshow. I swear this place is fucking cursed! Miriam will be wanting you home by now anyway.” Both young men strolled hand in hand back to Tom’s car, only pausing for a moment for Tom to shrug off his jacket and pull it over Jake’s shoulders and arms, trying to keep the shivering smaller boy as warm as possible. All of that darkness had been flushed out of Jake’s system by Tom’s presence, his words and his actions. Finally Jake had what he wanted: a lover whom he could depend upon, a lady who gave him a home and treated him like her own son, and friends who he would do anything for, and he knew they’d do anything for him too. Tom pulled the passenger side door open for Jake to sit down in the front seat. Jake was still rubbing the wet tears off from his face as Tom pulled out his phone and tried dialling Ellie’s number, wondering if she had any joy in finding the others.

Ellie had found one of the group, her girlfriend. A plume of smoke flew out as she pulled one of the upstairs bathroom doors open in an attempt to find Gabby, and Ellie found her all right. Sitting in an empty bathtub with Tess, sharing some brownies as Hunter and Ally sat on the bathroom counter, Hunter’s lips wrapped around a bong as he took a long hit and then brought Ally’s lips to his, shotgunning the smoke into her mouth. Ellie had to do a double take at the utterly shocking display in the bathroom, marching over to grab Gabby by the hand and pulling her out the door without a word to the others; she could chew them out next week at school. Now she had to find the rest of the boys. Trying to question Gabby was pointless, as the girl was hardly making a lick of sense, babbling on about something to do with penguins and the ice caps. Ellie continued the search, finally coming to the top of the house, another empty bedroom, until an unusual banging noise caught the attention of both girls. “Babe! The wardrobe, the doors keep moving! What if it’s a kitty stuck in there?” There wasn’t even time to try to stop the Polish girl as the lock was undone and the doors were flung wide open. The sight was something to behold.

Aiden brooks on his back while James hovered over him, pinning him down to the floor of the wardrobe as they ferociously made out with each other, only stopping when they realised both of the girls were watching the show. Aiden went bright red as James sat back and rubbed the back of his neck with a coy smile. Ellie was the one to break the long silence that followed, uttering a somewhat confused “umm… guys?” Aiden then sat up, opening his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Gabby. “THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE A BABY!” “NO, WE WEREN’T!” Aiden leapt out of the wardrobe, ready to strangle the dark-skinned girl as they ran around the room, Gabby running her mouth the whole time. James managed to get himself up with the help of Ellie lending him her hand, then turning to face the redhead and asking a quick, “Is she stoned?” Ellie then muttered out a small “Yeah…” as she looked at her girlfriend, now jumping on the bed in the middle of the room like it was a trampoline while shouting, “I ATE SOME BROWNIES!” Aiden was looking on utterly stunned at the fact he was just caught making out with James by two of his best friends. “Ugh, she met up with Ally, Tess and Hunter, and they gave her some edibles for some fucking reason. I’m going to kill them all next week, I swear. Anyway, come on, we’re leaving. This house is a fuckin' nightmare.” James nodded in agreement as he reached for Aiden’s hand; the younger boy then happily accepted the gesture with a blushing smile, then standing on his toes to reach up towards James’s ear to whisper quietly. “That was my first kiss, thank you, James,” then pecking the taller man on the cheek as they walked out of the room, Ellie and Gabby following close behind. James turned around briefly to speak to Ellie as they made their way down the stairs. “Are you sober enough to drive?” A single resounding “Nope” came from the American girl’s lips, with her asking, “What about you?” in return. James shrugged with a “Nowhere near enough” at the bottom of the staircase as he watched Aiden dash into the living room to grab his jacket from the back of the still upturned couch, the four then walking out of the front door to be met with the smiling faces of Jake and Tom. “There you all are! Come on, hop in. Let’s get out of here.”

The ride back was a content one for all six of the teens. There weren't enough seats, so Aiden had to settle for sitting on James's lap for the whole ride back, Ellie then commenting that he should've been used to that by now, earning her a punch in the arm from the e-boy. James certainly didn’t mind as he continuously kept pulling Aiden in for more kisses. Jake and Tom gave each other a brief confused look, which then turned into smiles, glad for the other two boys who were now making out on the backseat, Ellie loudly complaining the whole while. Amazingly, no one threw up in the back of Tom’s car, much to his relief when he pulled up on Miriam’s driveway and ushered everyone out of the car. The older woman held her hands on her hips at the sight of them all, her disappointment quickly vanishing and being replaced with pure joy upon seeing Jake pull Tom in for a brief kiss as they all walked through the front door. Tom helped Miriam pull out the spare blankets and pillows as Jake led all of his friends up to his new room to give them a little tour before bedtime. Aiden and James cuddled up together in a makeshift bed made out of sleeping bags and couch cushions on the floor as Ellie and Gabby did the same on the other side of the room. Tom and Jake then climbed into the blue-haired teen’s bed, the two boyfriends now ready to settle in for the night, content and happy as they wrapped up in each other’s embrace. Jake smiled from where he leaned against Tom’s slowly rising and falling chest, whispering in the darkness, "Hey, Tom?" and getting a sleepy "Mhmm?" in response. "I love you too." Jake could feel the smile that came from Tom at his words— two scarred arms and hands coming to wrap even tighter around Jake's tired body. Everything was going to be alright now, because they all had each other, and nothing could break what they all had found together. Jake had finally found what he wanted: happiness.

Chapter 14: Hangover

Summary:

Consider this the first part of 'season 2'

Soft, warm sunlight bled through a gap in the curtains in Jake Hamilton's bedroom, the light gently rousing the blue-haired boy from his slumber. Jake blinked as the sun's beams shone onto his face, turning himself away from the window to try to get back to sleep; there was little chance of that happening; pain pulsed its way through the teenager's temples. With a groan, Jake sat himself up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his sight starting to adjust to the light of the room. Why did his head hurt so much? Before he could ask himself any more questions, Jake nearly shot up in the air like a surprised cat at the realisation that there was a body in the bed right next to him. “What the… fucking shit!” The form next to Jake rolled over and gave him a sleepy, lazy smile. Tom looked very amused at the smaller teen's reaction to waking up next to him. “Mornin’, princess. Sleep well?” Jake just stared back at Tom's turquoise eyes, mouth agape. “Don't you remember last night? I thought my boyfriend might have a bit of a warmer reaction to finding me in his bed.” Memories of the previous night's events started to come back to Jake, pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Tom calling him his boyfriend sent a blush to Jake's cheeks and a shy smile to his lips. It felt wonderful to be called that by Tom. “Sorry, I was just surprised… It's been a long time since I've shared a bed with someone." Jake took the opportunity to climb closer to Tom, reaching for his hand to grasp in his smaller one. Tom nodded understandingly; the way he looked at Jake with such adoration filled the blue-haired teen with love for the larger teen. Having Tom as a boyfriend was the very best thing that could've possibly come from the debauchery of the previous night. Jake brought his other hand to rub at his sore forehead, trying his best to recall all of what had happened the previous evening, not having much luck in doing so. "My memory is kind of spotty, Tom… Plus my head is just spinning! Fuuuuck!” Jake brought both of his hands to his head, palms resting over his eyes as he gritted his teeth slightly from the discomfort. Tom gave a low chuckle and brushed his fingers through Jake's hair soothingly. “Awwh, poor baby. I'm not surprised! You were a little bit wobbly when you kept kissing me yesterday…”

Jake's blush went from a light pink to a dark red very quickly. Jake then buried his face in his boyfriend's chest in embarrassment. “Tooommm!” Muscular arms wrapped around Jake's smaller frame, hugging the blue-haired boy as close to his body as he could as Tom laughed again, closing his eyes. The two boys cuddled comfortably, Jake being lulled back to sleep by the gentle rising and falling of Tom’s chest. As Jake nuzzled into his new boyfriend's embrace, everything felt so wonderful and peaceful. Everything was beautiful; nothing could ruin it – until a horrible noise made both lads snap their eyes open and sit right up from where they lay. The awful noise echoed around the bedroom, and all of a sudden, three more heads popped up from the floor, and a chorus of groans and complaints followed. Gabby, Ellie and James all held their heads in their hands in clear discomfort from the effects of the copious amounts of alcohol that they had previously consumed as they awoke, but there was no sight of Aiden. As Jake glanced around, trying to find the split-haired boy, the sounds of retching and gasping came flooding into the room once more, sounding like they were coming from the bathroom. So that's where Aiden was… “Oh, shit. Aiden!” Quick as a flash, James got himself up from his makeshift bed and shot into the hallway, following the awful noises and coming across the pitiful scene of the younger man on his knees in front of the toilet as his stomach emptied itself; no doubt the rum James had plied Aiden with yesterday had something to do with it. James could be quite the party animal, and it was fair to say that Aiden was quite the opposite; it was understandable that Aiden did not have the same amount of tolerance as the Brazilian man had.

“It's okay, meu amor. I'm here.” James crouched behind the younger boy, rubbing his back and pulling his hair into a makeshift ponytail to keep it out of his face while he vomited. The e-boy pulled himself off the floor and cupped some water into his hands from the running sink taps, swilling it around his mouth and spitting the water back out, then grabbing onto James for support as the e-boy's legs wobbled. “Fuuuck. I'm never doing that again, Jesus Christ…” James couldn't help but chuckle in response, gently pecking Aiden on the forehead. "Oh, I've been there, believe me. You'll be okay, cutie." Later that morning, as the six teens sat around Miriam's breakfast table that morning, some with heads in their hands or faced down against the blue patterned tablecloth, the older woman scolded each of them for getting so shit-faced. The volume of her voice wasn't helping with anyone’s headaches. Tom sat by while trying not to laugh at the sorry states of each of his friends, his arm draped over Jake’s shoulders while the seventeen-year-old tried his best to eat the piece of toast in front of him. Due to him being the only sober one the night before, Tom was going to drive James back to Benji’s house so that the Brazillian could collect his jeep and then drop Gabby, Ellie and Aiden back home to undoubtedly be scolded yet again by their parents. Jake stood at the doorway as he waved each of his friends goodbye. Tom pulled him in for a tenderly loving kiss before thanking Miriam once more for her help the previous night. Miriam and Jake watched Tom pull out of the driveway and roll down the road, giving a last wave as the car disappeared into the distance. The elderly woman stared at Jake, hands on her hips. Jake braced himself for yet another bombardment of disappointed shouting from the highly unimpressed older woman, but much to his surprise, the only thing she said was. “So are you going to tell me what happened between you and Tom? Or do I have to wait until he spills the beans to me himself?” Although Jake desperately wanted to go back to bed to sleep off his hangover, the want to share everything he could about his new relationship was too great. The elderly woman and the teen both made their way back inside to gossip about last night over a cup of coffee.

The Monday after the party was one hell of a day. Benji was in hysterics about the party for the whole week as he recounted all of the damage done to his parent’s house and their possessions. Everyone found it hilarious; even Tristan couldn’t help but show their amusement at the whole situation despite their sympathy for Benji. Meanwhile, Ellie had made it her mission to seek out Ally, Hunter and Tess and utterly rip into them for giving her girlfriend Christ knows how much weed. She came across Hunter at his locker, cursing at him in front of tonnes of people in the hallway for getting her girlfriend stoned as hell. Hunter had tried his best to insist that he hadn’t given Gabby anything, but everyone knew that if you wanted marijuana, then Hunter Page was the person to go to, as he always had some to hand. Ellie had him pinned to his locker, holding onto the front of his sweater in a death grip; the boy’s face displayed nothing but fear as Ellie stared at him with pure anger etched into her features. Ally had then arrived onto the scene to attempt to defend her boyfriend, only pissing off Ellie more, if that was even possible by that point. Both girls got into a shouting match as they cussed each other out, neither girl willing to give up as Ally insisted that the edibles had belonged to Tess and that Gabby only had two or three. Ellie had called Ally something along the lines of ‘annoying junkie stoner bitch’ as the fight then got physical. Connor had been the one to break up the fight as both girls were dragging each other around by their fringes while Hunter stood by in a silent daze, completely bewildered at the sight. Triple detention was the punishment for both girls, much to their dismay. At least being stuck in the detentions together forced them to make up and get along with each other again; if anything, it made them even closer friends than before!

While sitting together at lunch on Friday, Aiden had told Tom and Jake that he had agreed to James taking him on a date, recounting that they were planning to go out for a quick meal and then head to the bowling alley afterwards, then adding that James had asked him before they had both ferociously made out in a wardrobe in Benji’s house, and both young men had spent the whole week arranging for the perfect night out together. James and Aiden were both too excited to bear to wait for the weekend, so Friday night it was! The two boyfriends listened happily, hand in hand, as Aiden beamed with excitement about going on his very first date later that night, asking Jake over and over again what he thought Aiden should wear and how he should do his makeup. The whole discussion had made Tom think about his current situation with Jake; Jake deserved to be treated to a fun night out too, one with less drama and alcohol, hopefully. After Aiden had left Tom and Jake to go and find Lake and Rosa to tell both girls the exciting news, Jake mentioned to the scar-faced boy that Miriam had stopped him from working weekends so that he would have more time to spend having fun with his friends, then he asked Tom if he would like to hang out at some point soon. Upon hearing that, Tom’s mind was made up, and he started setting out a plan for him and Jake, but he’d keep it as a surprise for the blue-haired boy he loved so much, only answering Jake’s question with a simple “I’ll have a think about it. Finishing off his answer with a cheeky wink and ruffling Jake’s hair just like he so often did when he was in a teasing mood.

The next afternoon, Jake was called down from his bedroom by a simple text from Tom saying, ‘I’m waiting outside for you xoxo’. It had been a surprise, as they hadn’t planned anything the previous day, but a happy surprise nonetheless. When the blue-haired young man rushed down the steps and pulled the door open, he was greeted with a tight hug and a sweet kiss from Tom. The lad then noticed that the passenger side door on Tom’s car was pulled wide open, as if waiting for Jake to get in. Jake then had to do a double-take, as he couldn’t believe what Tom asked him next. “How about you come out with me, and we go on a date?” The blue-haired teen shook his head and stuttered at the sudden question. “B-but I’m… I haven’t really got anything that smart to wear…” Tom chuckled and cupped his boyfriend’s cheek tenderly, pecking a light kiss on his lips. “Don’t be silly, Jakey. You look beautiful. It’ll be nothing fancy, don’t you worry. How about a meal at the local Chinese place and a little stroll in the park?” Jake was in utter shock but agreed enthusiastically, pulling Tom in for a passionate kiss as he tried not to cry at the lovely surprise.

The meal was lovely, the two boys chattering away the whole time, remembering all about the events of the last few weeks and discussing more things they could do together in the future, not to mention summer vacation wasn’t far away and they would have plenty of time to spend together. They could go to the beach; they could go to see a movie or maybe go ice skating or rollerblading; Tom even suggested going to see a concert with James and Aiden after the two of them had brought it up at lunch the other day. Jake was looking forward to all of it. If he was with Tom, then he was happy. As the afternoon became evening, both young men were strolling through the park, finishing off the ice cream that Jake insisted that he bought for the both of them despite Tom’s protests about how ‘he was supposed to be the one treating Jake on the date, not Jake treating him.’ Jake was able to quickly shut him up with another mouthful of ice cream, giggling like a schoolgirl when it got all around Tom’s mouth. As both boys finished their sweet treat, Jake took the opportunity to cheekily kiss Tom on the corner of his mouth and lick away the ice cream from his cheek to clean him up again. Tom flushed hot red at the action from the smaller teen, and Jake gave him his own flustered wink and ran off before Tom could get his hands on him. “Oh, just you wait, you little shit! You get back here!” Tom called out playfully as Jake ran ahead; the soccer player’s speed was no match for Jake, and Tom rapidly tackled him to the ground with ease. Both boys laughing like hyenas as they hit the floor. Tom crouched over Jake like a lion with its prey, looking into Jake’s dark eyes lovingly as both boys brought their mouths together for a deep kiss. Jake sighed softly into Tom’s mouth as their lips met, still tasting the chocolate and feeling the coolness of the ice cream they had just been eating. Jake was the one to pull their faces apart, a string of saliva still connecting them together for a moment as Jake was looking up at his handsome, muscular boyfriend. “I have no problem with you making out with me, but I’d rather do it somewhere other than the floor.” Tom flushed and chuckled with embarrassment as he realised they were still in public, rubbing at the back of his neck, and he reached with his other hand to help his smaller boyfriend up from where he was lying in the grass.

As Jake got to his feet, his face suddenly dropped, eyes looking straight forward towards a bench near the edge of the park, where it met the side of the road. Tom noticed straight away they had only ‘officially’ been a couple for a week, but the two boys seemed to know each other inside out by this point. Tom followed Jake’s eyes, looking at the side of the road and breaking the long silence between them. “Babe, is everything okay?” Jake snapped out of his mindless staring and looked back at his boyfriend, the smile soon returning to his features. “Yes! Yeah, everything is okay, Tom! Everything's amazing! “ It-it’s… it’s just…” Jake paused once more, but he continued forward, walking in front of the bench and looking at it sadly, Tom following behind to join Jake, taking a seat on the bench and looking up at the blue-haired boy’s face with a caring and gentle smile. “Go on. I’m listening, baby. Go ahead…” Jake took a breath and sat down next to Tom, his brown eyes struggling to meet those of the boy he loved as he continued, hands trembling slightly as he spoke. “It’s just… this is the spot where Blake dumped me. It feels so odd to be here again and to be… happy. I always kept thinking about him, you know? For months and months after we broke up I thought about nothing but him, even when I didn’t want to! People always brought him up when they bullied me, so I guess it was only natural to think about him, but now I’m just thinking about you. The memories of him still come up now and again, but… It feels nice to not think about him as much. I always avoided this part of the park, but… with you, I didn’t even realise where we were…” Jake squeezed his eyes shut tightly and shook his head, then looked back at Tom apologetically. “I’m sorry I keep bringing him up. I didn’t mean to ruin the date…”

Tom cupped both of his hands around Jake’s cheeks and tenderly kissed him, then running his fingertips over Jake's bottom lip as he spoke to the smaller boy. “You didn’t ruin anything, baby! You need to stop being so hard on yourself. It’s understandable that you think about Blake so much. He did something horrible to you; it’s normal after trauma, Jakey. After what happened to me, there wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t think about my attackers or my fucking asshole of a father, but… time heals. Time doesn’t heal perfectly, mind you, but it takes the pain away little by little.” Tom's hands clasped Jake’s, stopping their trembling with his strong, gentle and warm grip. “I swear to you, here and now and forever more, that I will treat you properly, unlike that selfish fucker. I swear it to you. My word is my bond, Jakey.” Once again, both boys' faces met for a passion-filled kiss. In that moment, nothing else mattered; no one else mattered. Nothing existed but the two boys and their love for each other. It was perfect.

Tom drove Jake home after their emotional discussion in the park; both boys fell asleep in their own beds with thoughts of the other dancing in their minds. Sunday came, and Jake spent the majority of the day shopping. He wouldn’t be needing to move out as soon as he turned eighteen now; Miriam had said that she wouldn’t let him! So it wouldn’t hurt if he spent a bit of the money he had saved. Jake had been wanting his own Nintendo Switch so he could play online with Gabby, so he decided to treat himself and got a couple of games for it too. The rest of Sunday was spent setting it up in his room and trying out his new games. As evening fell, Jake lay in bed tapping away on his phone, texting away to Gabby and James, telling them all about the new console and asking them what games he should buy next. Aiden, Ellie and Tom were undoubtedly asleep by this point. The three teens continued talking back and forth for a little bit longer. Jake’s eyes started to grow heavy while he stared at the screen; the land of slumber was starting to drag him in. Closing his eyes and dropping his phone, everything was quiet until a noise caught Jake’s attention. Blinking his eyes open, he heard it again; it was like a pattering against the glass of the window, but it couldn’t be rain; it sounded like something more solid. Jake got up to investigate, pulling the curtains apart and looking down onto the street below, only to be greeted by the sight of Thomas Reed throwing stones against his window to get Jake’s attention. The blue-haired lad couldn't help but smile down at his boyfriend below in utter amazement and disbelief. Trying not to be too loud as to not wake Miriam up, Jake tried to quietly call down to Tom as he opened his window. “What the actual fucking shit are you doing here? It’s one in the morning! We have school tomorrow!” Tom laughed as he looked upwards, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sorry, princess, didn’t realise you needed your beauty sleep. I guess I should call you Sleeping Beauty from now on?” Jake tsked with his hands on his hips; two could play at that game. Jake pushed his window wide open and climbed onto the ledge, both hands coming to grasp the drainpipe as he swung himself around and slowly and carefully climbed his way down to the ground below. Tom made loud noises of protest the whole time as he feared for his boyfriend's safety.

“Fucking hell, Jake! Never do that again! I almost had a fucking heart attack…” “Well, that’s what you get for driving here in the middle of the night and teasing me, big guy.” Tom shrugged his shoulders and pulled Jake in for a bruising kiss, grinning against Jake’s mouth at the taste of the minty toothpaste he had used. “How the fuck did you even learn to do that? You’re like fuckin’ Spider-Man!” Jake looked up at Tom playfully, twirling Tom’s black locks around one of his fingers as he spoke. “I smashed up my old bedroom in my parents house and had to escape out of the window because I barricaded the door shut. Miriam watched the whole thing; it was pretty cool to be honest…” Tom stared back at the smaller teen, open-mouthed and amazed, deciding it might be best not to ask any more questions, then thinking to reveal why he was throwing stones at his boyfriend's window at one in the morning instead. “I just came here to ask if you felt like going for a little midnight drive; it could be very… romantic…” Tom suggestively waggled his eyebrows as Jake rolled his eyes and lightly punched Tom in the chest. “I said it before; I’ll say it again. We have school tomorrow, and not to mention we have a test too! Miriam might throw me out if I get bad grades!” Tom laughed again at Jake’s words; Miriam could never be capable of such actions, never in a million years. “Okay, okay. I’ll be on my way, and you can go back to bed. Let’s go for a midnight drive at some point, though. Pretty please?” Tom looked back at Jake with those adorable pleading puppy eyes, the blue-haired boy finally relenting and agreeing with a smirk while shaking his head. Tom cupped the back of Jake’s head as he once again pulled him in for a goodnight kiss, then looked at Jake curiously. “Hold on, how are you going to get back inside? Oh wait, don’t tell me –” Jake finished the sentence for his boyfriend, cutting him off with a sassy wink. “There's always a spare key under the mat…” Jake kept his promise that night; Tom frequently came by in the middle of the night in the following weeks, multiple nights a week sometimes, and the two boys would drive to a quiet, secluded hill to go stargazing, which was then usually finished off with a long and romantic make-out session. The scenery was beautiful, day or night; the two were never bothered by anyone, as no one ever went there anyway. Tom remarked how it was one of his favourite places in the world, lying under the teeth in the wild flowers as the breeze gently brushed over them. Tom especially loved it when Jake was there with him, right by his side, just where he was supposed to be.

Time continued on, and summer was just around the corner, but first, prom was on everyone’s minds. Ellie and Gabby were already going together, of course, and James was going to ask Aiden to go with him too; however, James didn’t just ask the e-boy; he asked him in the most public, bold and brazen way possible. Right in the middle of the hallway, in front of as many people as possible. James had gotten Tom in on the act too, the scarred lad being more than willing to help his best friend out. They had snuck a small confetti cannon into Aiden’s locker, which sprayed the colourful material all over him when he went to collect his history textbooks, then ‘I Love You, Will You Marry Me' by Yungblud blasted out of a small speaker that Tom was holding as James got on one knee in front of Aiden with a bouquet of black and white roses and asked him to prom. The e-boy's face was almost as red as the t-shirt he was wearing. Aiden wasn't sure if he was touched by the sentiment and all the work that James had put in or furious that he had done it in such an embarrassingly public manner. Aiden accepted, of course, but James did get a small slap to the cheek and a bit of scolding for his shamelessly loud and over-the-top display of affection. The Brazilian took it in his stride; new boyfriend or not, James was going to be James. Tom and Jake watched the whole thing with amusement, but yet again, the cogs were turning in Tom's head for how he'd ask his boyfriend the same question.

The scarred young man had decided to be a bit more private with his proposal to Jake. One warm Friday night, at roughly about 10pm, Tom’s car pulled up in the driveway of Miriam’s home, Panic! at the Disco softly playing through the car’s stereo as Tom pulled out a handmade sign. The tall teen then reached down to collect some small stones from the floor and began the usual routine of pelting them against Jake’s window. Jake knew the drill, pulling his curtains apart and looking down onto the street below. Jake’s usual sassy response to his boyfriend arriving at the house in the middle of the night was cut off, words caught in his throat at the romantic sight that greeted him. The gentle music graced the blue-haired teen's ears as the words ‘Will you go to prom with me?’ from Tom’s sign graced his eyes. The sight that greeted him made his eyes brim with tears and his heart race. Jake then dashed down the stairs at the speed of light to greet his boyfriend and accept his proposal with a loving kiss, Tom then handing him a bouquet of peonies as he wiped away the tears from Jake’s eyes. Miriam soon came out after them to see what all the fuss was about, then quickly being overwhelmed with emotion herself at Tom’s sweet gesture, the elderly woman pulled out her old Polaroid camera and snapped a picture to remember the sight. That picture would make the front of the fridge its home for many years to come, no doubt.

The night of prom finally came along, and school would close for the summer the week after. Each of the friends were dressed in their finest, spending the whole of the afternoon getting ready together and making a pact with miriam that they wouldn’t get anywhere near as drunk as they did the last time they went out partying. The lights flashed and the music blared as all of the friends took photos of each other and danced together for hours on end. Jake couldn't recall the last time he had this much fun, singing along to Katy Perry with Aiden and then later slow-dancing together with Tom. Later on, Gabby, Ellie, Jake, Tom, Aiden and James all sat around a large table with Rosa, Tess and Lake as they rested for a while and refuelled on snacks and punch, chatting about this and that as the music played on in the background. Ellie looked at her girlfriend nervously as she watched Gabby munching happily on a brownie, shoving her finger in Tess’s face and whispering, “If I find out you've put weed in these, I will fucking kill you,” much to the amusement of everyone else.

Lake mentioned to Jake and Aiden that Lill Davis was planning a wilderness camp for a few of the students to attend for ten days at the start of the summer. They would be alone in the woods in cabins, free to do whatever they pleased, while Lill would come along to check in on them every day. There was a huge lake to swim in, woods to explore, a convenience store close by, and they would have their meals pre-made for them. Rosa and Lake had both enthusiastically agreed; the two of them had never had the chance to experience something like it before. Rosa also mentioned that Ally and Hunter were being forced to attend as a punishment from Lill. When Jake enquired as to why, Lake explained that the two had no other choice after being found playing Smash Bros in one of Lill’s lessons, their teacher then scolding them for quite a while afterwards. Apparently Lill had said that the two were ‘addicted to screens’ and had ‘no appreciation for nature’; their teacher clearly thought that being forced into the woods for a while may work to help set them straight. Tom and Jake both tried to keep straight faces and not to laugh while Tess then added that she had agreed to come along to keep an eye on them both. The dark-haired girl then also mentioned that it could be a nice opportunity to get to spend some time together.
However, Lake’s excited face dropped sadly as she mentioned that they needed at least ten people to attend for the camp to go ahead, adding that it looked like it was going to be cancelled at this rate. Aiden and Gabby both happily declared that they would come too. Gabby loved nature, and Aiden had never had the opportunity to go camping when he was younger, so the camp was like a dream come true for the both of them. Ellie eventually agreed to come along too, mostly to keep her girlfriend happy, much to Gabby’s delight. Now the total of attendees was up to eight people; they needed two more to meet the total. Jake and Tom both agreed after a small discussion that it would be fun! After all, what's more romantic than being alone in the woods for ten days, surrounded by nature next to a beautiful lake? James wasn’t keen on the whole idea, reluctant to be without his homely comforts for ten days, but he finally relented after Aiden had begged him to come over and over again. James could never say no to those adorable puppy-dog eyes that Aiden pulled whenever he wanted something. It was settled; all eleven of the teens would spend ten days together in the woods together with nothing but each other for company. It would be great, right? What's the worst that could possibly happen?

Chapter 15: Heat Seeker

Summary:

(disclaimer: the story that Lake tells in this chapter is highly inspired by the Creepypasta 'Kagome Kagome', which I don't own but that story certainly altered my brain chemistry as a kid!)

“Well, this was a fucking mistake…” James lamented as he sat with his peers around a barely burning campfire, head in his hands. It was the last night at camp; the school bus would be coming to pick them all up tomorrow afternoon, and it was fair to say everyone was more than relieved to be going back home after nine days of uncomfortable cabin beds, bug bites and annoyingly unreliable WiFi. No one said anything at first; the image of pure boredom spread across everyone’s faces as they stared at the dying embers in front of them. “Aww, come on, babe, it’s been really fun!” Aiden’s attempts to change his boyfriend’s mind fell on deaf ears; the Brazilian lad stared back at the split-haired boy with a deadpan expression, causing Aiden to chuckle nervously and sit back down next to his lover. “Well, it hasn’t been all bad…” Aiden cupped James’s soft cheek with his palm, and his partner leaned into his touch, then bringing their faces together for a kiss. There had been many romantic moments beside the fire for Aiden and James and for the other couples they were with too; both James and Aiden were very grateful for the quality time they had been able to spend together.

A very pissed-off Ellie Parker got up from her seat, moving away from where she and Gabby had just been cuddling and putting her hands on her hips. “Oh, sure, Aiden… it’s been just wonderful! Where do we start? Oh, I know; the stunt that Hunter pulled on night three, that was just great. Or maybe the stunt that your fucking boyfriend pulled on Sunday night. That was A-tier, James! Not to mention the mosquitoes, the fact we all almost got food poisoning, the dead rat in the bathroom, the leaky roof in the cabin, the freezing cold showers or the fact we were all stuck inside all of today because of the fucking weather!” Rosa María tried to come to her friend's defence, commenting that even though the weather had been atrocious for the majority of the day, they still had some fun regardless. The relentless rain had meant no outdoor activities for the teens earlier on that day; Aiden had the creative idea of them all having a dance competition. The plan was that everyone would split into teams of three and have two hours to come up with the best dance routine for any song of their choosing while Gabby and Ellie would judge later on. Each of the groups would allocate themselves a name too to give it that ‘professional touch’.

Tess, Ally and Hunter were the first trio, while Aiden wanted to partner with Rosa and Lake, leaving Tom, Jake and James as the last group. Hunter and Tess decided that if they were going to do this, they’d do it their own way. Choosing ‘I Am Machine’ as their song and picking a name that was just as edgy, much to Ally’s hesitation. ‘Black Metal’, as they called themselves, certainly got along much better and found it a hell of a lot easier to work with each other than what Jake, Tom and James’s group did. Tom was sat between his best friend and his boyfriend as they both bickered over a team name and what song to choose. With not much of his sanity left, Tom pulled out a coin and told Jake to pick a side, letting the piece of metal decide the song and the team name. James won; the three lads would be dancing to Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe with James directing the chorography, with the team name being ‘THAAT’, an acronym for ‘Two Hunks And A Twink’. Meanwhile Aiden and the girls were in their element, with ‘Sexy Bitch’ blasting out of the e-boy’s phone over and over again as the three friends perfected their moves, with Lake being the main one who helped with choosing their name, deciding on ‘Seig’, as it meant victory in German. The little competition went very well until Lake twisted her ankle, which cost ‘Seig’ the win, with Black Metal being the victors as James and Jake had started fighting mid-dance while Tom stood by and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration while the other lads fired insults at each other.

Lake gave Aiden and Rosa a highly unimpressed look as she pointed at her now bandaged leg while Aiden sank even more into his seat, making himself as small as possible by squeezing himself into his boyfriend's side as James gave Ellie an unimpressed stare as she commented, 'Told you so,’ while everyone else remained silent. The red-haired girl wasn’t exactly wrong; some of the situations the eleven teens had found themselves in had been less than ideal. The first two nights went about as well as they could hope for. The sun was in the sky, and there wasn’t much of a breeze. It was warm and tranquil; perfect for swimming, fishing, going for hikes or sunbathing, but doing those things over and over again became somewhat tedious by night three. Hunter had decided to spice up his experience a bit by passing around some of the weed that he had snuck with him, much to Ellie’s fury as she slapped a blunt out of Gabby’s reach. Jake and Tom declined the other boy’s offer to partake, both boys silently recalling their last experience around drugs at Benji’s party and deciding that they would rather not go near that kind of disastrous territory again.

Ally and Tess were well accustomed to the effects of the drug after being given it by Hunter so many times, only using a small amount each without much thought or worry about getting too fucked up. Much like Hunter, James Costa was practically bored to tears and practically begged both of the girls for a hit, to which they nonchalantly agreed. James took one hell of a puff of the plant, almost as if his life depended on it, and soon became very happy and affectionate, offering a bit to Aiden. Being with James over the past few weeks had caused Aiden to shed much of his ‘innocent good-boy’ image that had built up over time, so trying some weed that he had been offered didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world; it was only weed, right? Aiden anxiously but eagerly took what was offered to him and tried his best to take a slow hit, only to cough his lungs up as soon as the smoke hit his chest. Even in his somewhat intoxicated state, James grew horribly worried for the younger boy and got his head down between his knees to try and get some air back into Aiden’s lungs, the Brazilian then settled on just shotgunning the smoke into Aiden’s mouth when he wanted another try after recovering from his coughing fit. Both young men giggled absentmindedly and gave each other passionate looks with lidded eyes, then quickly became locked in a relentless and messy make-out session, which then moved to the floor beside the campfire as Ellie and Gabby watched on, half horrified; the whole scene was quite reminiscent of that unfortunate time they had found them in that wardrobe…

Hunter had quickly grown bored of the standard strain of the drug that was now being shared around with his friends; he took a small walk to a secluded spot to try a new variety that he had been given before coming to camp, big mistake. It had clearly been laced with something else as the world started spinning for the black-haired boy, rapidly becoming disoriented and losing track of time and everything else for that matter. Hunter was already high before he walked deeper into the woods, absentmindedly forgetting to take his phone with him, the device continuously calling out uselessly from where it was left on his bedside table in the cabin whenever Tess or Ally tried to contact him. It was soon midnight at the campground, and no one had seen Hunter for well over ninety minutes. Concern turned into fear, and fear rapidly became panic as everyone searched around the cabins and the surrounding woods to no avail. Ally quickly going into hysterics over the fear of what could have befallen her boyfriend, with Tess trying to push her own worry aside to attempt to comfort her best friend. The theories of what might have happened got more and more worrisome as time wore on. What if he was trapped in a cave? What if he had fallen into the lake? What if he had been attacked by bears or wolves? Meanwhile Rosa and Lake had decided to go on a night-time walk together, both leaving their phones behind as well, so it was impossible to ask them to keep an eye out for the missing teen. Ally and Tess stayed behind at the campground while everyone else split into pairs to search the greater part of the woods for the missing lad. Aiden and James were still quite high and got the fright of their lives as they suddenly came face to face with Rosa and Lake while searching for Hunter. When the other two girls had the situation explained to them and all else seemed hopeless, Tom pulled out his phone to call the police when right at that moment, a very stoned Hunter Page fell out from behind a tree, semi-conscious, onto the grass in front of them. His eyes were bloodshot and red, and he was incomprehensibly rambling about how he thought that the moon was trying to swallow him. Ellie probably would've killed the boy herself if she had been able to get to him, but it was fair to say that Ally wanted to do the same exact thing after all the worry Hunter had caused for everyone.

The rest of the time had been filled with somewhat similar events; Gabby and Ellie woke up completely soaked one morning due to their bed being right underneath a leaking pipe in the roof, which also caused all of the shower water to be lukewarm at best and ice-cold at worst. Not long later, Tom had to venture to the local store to collect a lifetime’s supply of bug spray for everyone, as they were all being eaten alive by mosquitoes. James burnt down one of the kitchens on Sunday evening while trying to make a snack for himself and Aiden and almost needed the fire department called out. Fortunately Jake remembered his health and safety training from Miriam at the bakery and grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher to try and kill the flames before they could reach anywhere else. Jake was furious at the Brazilian’s carelessness when it came to using cooking oil and was more than happy to volunteer to apply some very strong antiseptic to a cut on James’s arm that he had sustained in the panic of setting fire to the oven, proudly telling the dark-skinned lad, “Serves you right!” When he hissed in pain at the fluid being applied to his small injury, regardless, Aiden doted on the taller lad all evening, kissing him constantly and calling him his ‘big brave soldier’ despite the fact he could’ve gotten everyone killed.

Now all eleven of the teens sat in a semicircle around the dying fire, feeling more than ready to go home at this point. Hunter suddenly piped up; an idea had come into his head, and it was too good not to share with the group. “Hey… there’s one thing we haven’t done: scary stories!” James's expression lighted up again upon hearing the suggestion while Aiden grimaced; he had been dreading this the whole time they had been here… “Okay, sure, but nothing too graphic or gory! Let’s try to be respectful of everyone if we’re going to do this.” Jake commented while looking up at Tom, the boy looking back at his boyfriend with an appreciative smile. Jake was always willing to go above and beyond to make sure Tom was comfortable and trying to keep his mind free of his past traumas. “And nothing too cliché!” Tess added while leaning on her elbows. “We all know the ones about the psycho killer in the woods who hunts down teenagers.” Hunter muttered a small “damnit” after hearing his dark-haired friend's comment; that was his story out the window. “I have one…” Lake’s gentle voice and strong accent called from the far side of the fire; she wobbled to her feet with her twisted ankle as Rosa offered her arm to lean on. The two girls dragged a chair to the front of the semicircle, where Lake took a seat, being able to meet the eyes of all of her friends from her new position as they began to listen intently to her tale. The German girl briefly clearing her throat to start.

“Everyone knows about the unethical experiments that took place during World War Two, right? The time was well known for its backdoor scientists, a bunch of mad bastards doing the most ungodly things to other humans because they took a figure of speech too literally or simply because they wanted to inflict as much pain onto as many people as possible. But those experiments didn’t just stop because the war was won; they spread far and wide. I know a tale about a children's home not too far from here which was the centre ground for some of the most inhumane things ever done, done to children nonetheless.” It was fair to say that Lake could command a room when she spoke; she certainly did here. Everyone listened to her every word intensely, hanging on every syllable as she continued. “There was once a group of scientists who wanted to give man the power of immortality; they thought that the brain told itself to die once you hit a certain age, that it had a type of ‘kill switch’. The scientists in question had taken prisoners of war and opened up their brains to try and locate where this switch might be, only for them to come to the conclusion that the people they were cutting open were too old. It was theorised your body told you to begin to die at the end of puberty. They needed children; they needed to find those whose switches hadn't yet been activated so that they could try and remove it before it did. They found a single secluded children's home; many of the children had lost their families to illness or were war orphans; others had been abandoned simply because their families couldn’t afford to take care of them anymore, having no choice but to leave them with strangers who might be able to give them a better life. What the scientists were doing may have been beneficial to the government, giving them knowledge they could trade with other countries for a price. To them, these children had nothing to live for; they had no prospects, and they wouldn’t be missed by anyone. The scientists took the tallest girl first; she was roughly around sixteen, and they opened up her brain to find a healthy, developing cross-section in her skull. They then removed what was assumed to be the switch from her cerebellum at the base of the head. When the operation was finished and they closed her back up, they found that she had perished. They hadn’t been careful enough, and the first operation was a failure. When questioned, the scientists said that her mother had come to take her back home, but in reality, her body had been dumped in the local lake.”

“The next test subject was another one of the girls; being about eight years old, they tried to remove a small part of her frontal lobe and were successful. She didn’t expire by the end of the operation and was put to bed, only she didn’t wake up the next morning. She was totally comatose. The scientists had to use electric shocks to power her heart back up and revive her, which worked, but the next day, she didn’t wake up again. Every time she slept, she would have to be revived the next day. Day after day this girl was essentially a repeated case of zombification, expiring upon sleep. The scientists would have to try harder. The next subject was a thirteen-year-old boy; they tried entry through the back of his head, slightly to the right. What was hoped to be the switch was removed, and all was well, but the site incision didn’t heal as it should have. Regardless of what the medical staff did, that poor boy was left with a constant gaping hole in the side of the back of his head, which soon became infected. He was found one afternoon after falling asleep in the sun, he wouldn’t wake up. The infection had killed him. His body was driven away on a flatbed truck to an unknown location, his remains were never found. After seeing what was happening, one girl rebelled. She was only eleven. She broke glassware, ripped paperwork to shreds, and destroyed operation theatres; she even tried to attack the scientists. They knew something needed to be done, so they decided she would be next. They pulled her into one of the backrooms while everyone else was sleeping and beheaded her swiftly and brutally with a machete. They kept her skull and brain for referance while the rest of her body was left to rot in the middle of the woods. They tried many other methods after the failures. A ten-year-old boy was the victim of an entry through the front of his forehead; as a result, he was lobotomised and in a vegetative state until he passed away from a seizure. They tried entry through the eye socket on a six-year-old girl; her left eye was destroyed as a result, and she was partially blinded, her sinuses also being scrambled afterwards. The last known case was on a fourteen-year-old girl; they tried entry through the side of her head without anaesthetic, and her screams were mortifying; she was made deaf in her right ear too.”

“The experiments only came to an end when there was no one else left to experiment on; the scientists were packed up and ready to leave after putting everyone in that home through pure hell for a whole year. A few stayed for a couple more weeks just to observe the children, noting that their behaviour had taken a strange turn. Where they were once innocent and cheery, they all now looked at you with a blank expression and soulless eyes, not to mention the grins that they pulled when you looked at them could make the devil wince. Things got too much even for those scientists, but when they went to leave, the front door wouldn’t budge. Upon turning around, they found that they were surrounded by all of the survivors of the experiments. Each of them having the same expression as the next, the eldest child stood in the middle, wielding the same machete as the scientists had used, proclaiming, ‘This is for our friends!’ before bringing the blade down and massacring the scientists. It’s said that even today if you wander for long enough in these woods, you’ll come across trees that look like kneeling people with missing heads; if you follow them, you’ll come to a dirt path that leads up to an old building. Don’t try and go inside; the door will be locked, but if you gaze up at the musty old windows, you might catch a glance of a few children looking out, clean bandages wrapped around their heads. Not having aged a single day since they were cut.”

Everyone stared at Lake open-mouthed; Jake and Tom were gripping onto each other for dear life in horror while Tess and Hunter both stood to give Lake a round of applause, making her blush shyly. “Fucking hell, isso foi muito bom! How did you know that story, Lake?” James’s praise made the German girl blush even harder. “My older brother, he used to come here with his friends quite a lot, and they told him the tale, so he’d tell it to me when he came home to scare me.” Lake was swiftly surrounded by her friends, asking questions of all kinds and wanting to know if there was any truth to the tale. Meanwhile, a certain split-haired boy had disappeared. When James turned around from talking to Lake, he couldn’t see his boyfriend anywhere; James hadn't even noticed him leave. Assuming that the e-boy must've been in the bathroom, James made his way over to the men’s room, calling Aiden’s name multiple times loudly and getting no reply. The tall Brazilian teen was worried now; all the talk of scary stories was making him paranoid even though he enjoyed them so much. Thinking fast, James pulled out his phone and brought up his boyfriend's contact details, mentally crossing his fingers as he rang the number, but there was no response. However, when James listened carefully, he could hear a familiar Yungblud song ringing out from not too far away, Aiden’s ringtone.

James continued to call his boyfriend's phone so he could follow the noise, finally coming to a hill that overlooked the lake, with his boyfriend sitting at the bottom of it, hugging his knees to his chest. “Aiden? Are you okay, meu amor?” The smaller boy jumped up a bit, clearly startled and not expecting anyone to find him. “SHIT! Oh, James… Yeah, I’m fine…” James put his hand out in apology and took a seat next to the e-boy, wrapping an arm over his shoulders. It was easy to tell when something was bothering Aiden; he had no poker face when it came to his emotions sometimes. “Did Lake’s story scare you? I know you don’t like scary things,” the Brazilian commented as he recalled the other week when Aiden had gotten up halfway through watching Saw and refused to come back into the room until James turned the movie off. However, there was no teasing or malice in James’s voice; now wasn’t the time to be a prick; his boyfriend was clearly distressed and not acting himself. “No, that’s not it…” James raised an eyebrow in response. “Sim, okay then… Are you going to tell me, or do I have to tickle it out of you?” The taller teen raised his hands up as if he was going to grab Aiden, then digging his fingers into his sides until the smaller boy was screaming and laughing, begging his lover to stop with tears running down his pale face. “Okay, okay! I’ll talk, I’ll talk! It wasn’t the story itself; it was just… it reminded me of something.” James didn’t speak but placed his hand on Aiden’s knee, encouraging him to explain at his own pace. “I wanted to tell you this, but… I didn’t know how. I don’t like keeping things from you… When I was a young kid, I had to live with my aunt for a while because…my family had no money left to look after me. I was too young to really understand what was happening or why; it was just like a long vacation for me. Things eventually got better, and although our financial situation isn’t perfect, we keep ourselves above water, but… things have gotten hard again recently, and it really, really scares me. I don’t know what we’d do if things got really bad again. The last few days have been really nice, with you and Jake and the others. When I’m with you guys, I can just sit by the fire or go swimming and not think about this kind of stuff. Lake’s story just reminded me of everything… I’m sorry I ran off without saying anything. I just wanted some alone time to think.”

The Brazilian young man nodded sympathetically; he was very fortunate that his parents had been very lucky with their opportunities and had worked hard their whole lives not only so they could live comfortably but also to provide for him and his little sister. Their hard work was the reason they had moved from Curitiba to Canada in the first place. “Hey, I’m so sorry things have gotten hard again… But know this. No matter what, no matter what happens, I love you and I’ll support you through it all. You can tell me anything; it’ll never change what I think of you. Eu te amo muito, xuxu.” Aiden gave his boyfriend a big smile upon hearing his words, wrapping his arms around James’s broad shoulders and giving him a sweet peck on the lips. “I love you too, thank you, Jamesy.” The taller boy got up first, still not thrilled with that choice of nickname from Aiden but accepting it nonetheless, then he reached his hand down for the e-boy to take so he could pull him up. “Everything will work out in the end; it always does. Now come on, mister. Let's go back before they think we’ve gotten stoned or lost or eaten by wolves or something.” Aiden giggled in response and walked back to camp hand in hand with his lovely boyfriend; surely as long as his Jamesy was there, everything would be alright.

The camp came to an end the next day, with the bus driving everyone back to school, where they were all picked up by their parents and carers and taken back home. Now summer could really begin, and Jake and Aiden had one hell of a time with both of their boyfriends in tow. There were plenty of days to go swimming together and trips to the beach with Gabby and Ellie. The fair came back to town, and all six of the teens had stayed out until the early hours of the morning riding rollercoasters and eating way too much sugar, but the highlight of the summer had to be when Tom and James both surprised their boyfriends with concert tickets; the atmosphere of the experience had been truly electric and nothing short of unforgettable, one of the best nights of their young lives. Aiden’s family still continued to struggle with money, but James was always there to bring a smile back to his face; the warmth of his boyfriend’s love made everything feel so much better, and Jake knew that feeling too well; the blue-haired boy could certainly say that he was the happiest that he had ever been in his life, with each of his friends at his side. The bonds that he had made over the last few months would undoubtedly last a lifetime; Jake knew that with the love and the friends that he had found, nothing could bring him down anymore. As summer came to an end and September started to raise its cool head once more, Jake wasn’t even that concerned about going back to school. Things were a lot different now; he was a lot different now, and nothing was going to stop him moving forward to the new school year and grasping his future with both hands.

Chapter 16: And Nothing Else Compares

Summary:

It's time to get depressing again!

The warmth of the summer was fizzling out, and the cool breeze of autumn was starting to take its place, much to everyone’s dismay. The new school year starting was never pleasant, but for Jake this year was a hell of a lot nicer than the previous one. Being with Tom and his other friends had done wonders for Jake’s confidence; people who recognised him stopped him in the street and said, “You seem to smile much more now,” and it was true. Jake felt a thousand times lighter than what he once had. No parents to bog him down, no pressure of moving out, no more overworking himself to exhaustion, no more horrendous comments from his peers, and no more shame for simply just existing; but acquaintances on the street didn’t know any of that. Only a very few select people knew of the hell he had endured for much too long. Those dark thoughts that Jake had been suffering with, which only got worse and worse as time had gone on, had finally started to die down when he came into a more stable situation. He had a loving boyfriend, great friends in Gabby, Ellie and James, an amazing best friend in Aiden and a woman who looked after him like he was her own son, not to mention the fact that she had given him safety and security by letting him live in her home. Making friends out of Tom, Aiden, James, Ellie and Gabby also led Jake to even more new friends, especially after the ‘fantastic’ camping trip had forced everyone together for ten days straight. Lake and Rosa María were both total sweethearts; Rosa was like a mother to all of her friends, caring and sympathetic to everyone’s struggles and worries. Jake had also found that he had plenty to bond with Lake over due to their similar family circumstances; he then considered himself very lucky that at least his parents hadn't tried to force him into a marriage with someone he had never met as soon as he graduated.

Ally was good fun too, always being up for a late-night gaming match, but once you scratched beneath her surface, it was clear to see that she was very much troubled with her worries and insecurities, mostly brought on by rampant cyberbullying that she had faced for years, not to mention the fact that her grandfather’s death had shaken her to the core only a year before. Ally had even confided in Jake that the distress of everything had almost landed her in a mental hospital seven months prior. Jake and Ally both had a very emotional night on the seventh evening of camp, where they both sat under the stars nursing a bottle of beer each and discussing how much they both missed their grandparents. Jake saw a lot of himself in Ally; he would've found it hard to believe that someone that he saw almost every day in lessons was struggling in a very similar way to what he had been. He regretted not reaching out or just even saying “hi” to her sooner. It was almost like looking in a mirror to see her relationship with Hunter. Much like Tom and Jake, they both brought out the best in each other, maybe a little bit too much so, but Tess was always there to keep her two best friends in check. Tess and Ally had actually met in a group therapy session at the local medical centre, and they both later met Hunter through the school’s gaming club; however, their friendship was almost destroyed when they found that they were both crushing on the same guy, but Tess was happy to see her two friends get together, grateful to have their unconditional friendship, especially when Tess’s depression had gotten rough again. Hunter was possibly the most easy-going guy Jake had ever met, and it wasn’t just because of the weed he smoked now and again. The dark-haired boy genuinely cared for those around him; he said it was due to seeing his mother suffer during his childhood, something which Tom found very relatable. After hearing everyone’s stories and developing a brand new set of friendships, it had all served to enrich Jake’s life even more, further reminding him that he was no longer alone; he was now surrounded by kind people who genuinely cared for him and his wellbeing and would have his back when he needed it he swore to be there for them too.

After the whole fiasco with being kicked out of the house by his asshole parents, Jake had found himself thinking about them now and again; mostly he was just grateful to be out from under their roof, out and away from their poisonous claws. Being away from them had allowed him to rebuild a sense of self and find his self-worth; Miriam’s, Aiden’s and Tom’s influence and support had been a big help too. But there was this residual sadness that lingered like an unremovable stain on his mind; all of his friends managed to keep some kind of relationship with their families, whether it was their parents, grandparents or carers. Lake still spoke to her brothers, but Jake had none of that. Although he knew that he should be grateful for what he had now, and he certainly was, little bits of doubt nibbled away at his mind. Was he really that despised by the people who he had been raised by? Did other family members know about the situation? Did they now despise him too? Was he really that unlovable to people he shared the same blood as? Hypothetically, Jake wouldn’t even want a relationship with his parents if they came crawling back to him; no amount of grovelling on their end could make him forgive or forget their stinging words and hateful actions. Jake could even still see the slight mark that was left over from the cut placed on his cheek by his mother’s wedding ring colliding with his face when she had slapped him. Still, there was no point in dwelling on the past; Miriam had told him that. It was best just to move on and appreciate what you have in the here and now.

This school year was going to be a big one; it was his senior year, the last he and his friends would have to put up with high school and its cliques and other bullshit before they could finally move on to graduate before going to college or something else. It wouldn’t be long before everyone truly started their lives, and the prospect of starting a life with Tom, someone he loved more than life itself, filled Jake with joy and anticipation. It gave the blue-haired boy enthusiasm and optimism going forward; his mind was open to the countless opportunities that lay ahead of him and his friends. When discussing the future with friends, it was fair to say that most of them didn’t have the slightest clue of what they wanted to do going forward. Ellie was quite certain, however, art and fashion college was where she was set on going, everyone else was clueless. Ideas went around everyone’s heads; Aiden was thinking of looking at acting schools, Gabby wanted to work with animals, James was considering continuing his soccer playing, and Tom considered doing the same, but he had gone out of his way to reassure Jake that he was going nowhere without him in tow, soothing many of Jake’s worries before they could get out of hand. The two boys knew they couldn’t bear to be without each other for a few days, let alone staying in different cities from the other for extended periods of time. Whatever their future held, they knew they would have to go about it together, as a pair.

The first week back of school was mostly standard, business as usual, nothing too eventful… Apart from Hunter being found on the top of the P.E shed after school on Wednesday afternoon, he managed to get himself stuck up there as a result of being dared to climb up by Kai, much to Connor’s disappointment. It was quite the sight to behold for the group of friends, watching Richard essentially drag Hunter by the hair down a ladder that was pushed against the shed to get him down, with annoyance being clearly evident on the older man’s features as he did so. Amazingly, neither boy had an ounce of weed in their systems after they were questioned by their principal. Luckily, the middle-aged man had a sense of humour and let them go with a warning and a rather minor punishment, all things considered; having to write an essay on safety at school was much more preferable to Richard's idea of cleaning the school's changing rooms. Before all that had happened, Connor had pulled Aiden and Jake into his office on the first day back to ask if they both wanted to continue the buddy system, to which both boys enthusiastically agreed; it was a stupid question, really. Connor wasn’t an idiot; however, he knew that his system had caused both lads to enter into new relationships. he was very happy for the both of them, it was amazing to see them both so happy after all of the hell they had endured previously, but Connor made himself quite clear in telling them that he’d be putting them both in different classes from their partners if teachers reported back to him after seeing them both lip-locking with their boyfriends in the back of the classroom when they were supposed to be studying. Both Jake and Aiden had the majority of their lessons with Tom and James, respectively; any other lessons would have at least one friend from their circle sitting near them so that they always had someone keeping an eye on them; the same policy of reporting any troubles to him immediately still applied. New relationships or not, Connor knew both lads were still vulnerable and wanted them both to know that he still had their backs if anything went tits-up in the coming weeks and months.

Soccer games had been changed from a Monday night to a Thursday. Both Tom and James had kept their numbers from the previous year; it was the same case for Logan, Diego and Spencer, but there was a brand new addition to the team, Hunter Page. Hunter had really gotten into the sport over the summer and had tried for the team just before school started again, Tess and Ally both being elated to see their friend make the team. Ally sat next to Jake and Aiden as they watched their boyfriends come onto the pitch for the first game of the season, the brown-haired girl calling her partner over and snapping a picture as soon as she saw ‘Page 5’ on the back of one of the maroon-coloured shirts. It had been a dead easy game for the group of lads; they pummelled the other team 3-0. James got the first, blowing a kiss to his very proud boyfriend from the other side of the pitch as he celebrated smugly in front of the other team’s supporters. Spencer had gotten the second goal, his skill having seemingly multiplied after diligent practice over the summer, and finally the last goal had been Tom’s. Jake roared with pride after watching his boyfriend kick the ball right past the other team’s goalie, then flushed bright red as Tom had not only ripped his shirt off in celebration, but he then ran up to the stand to get to his boyfriend, dedicating the goal to him, then going above and beyond to climb up the metal bar that separated the pitch from the east stand to grasp onto Jake’s face and pull him into a passionate kiss in front of everyone watching. Jake felt like a ragdoll, completely under Tom’s control in the moment, and he loved it. He loved that they could be so open with their relationship, without fear; Jake could look around with a smirk and proudly say, “Yeah, that’s my boyfriend!” Tom had been given a yellow card as a result of pulling his shirt off, but no one gave a shit, there were only five minuets left and the other team were up shit creek without a paddle by that point, and they certainly knew it from all of the somewhat distasteful chants of the Tipiskaw supporters.

Tom had driven Jake to their special little spot on the hill to stargaze later that night, both boys rabbiting on about the incredible game and Tom’s even more incredible celebration. The muscular young man decided he would ‘celebrate’ a little more, grabbing Jake’s face a bit more gently and with less adrenaline this time and pulling him in to make out under the starlight. The moment was romantic, passionate, and perfect; their lips pressed against together like they had been made for each other, kissing until their lungs burned. Both boys pulling away and breathlessly looking into each other’s eyes, breathing against each other’s mouths, their minds swimming with love for the other. The blue-haired boy had not long ago thought that he would never feel this way again for another person, that no one would ever love him again. Tom was scared that any boy would simply see his scarred body and run in the other direction, but not Jake; he saw beyond his body and saw his soul. It was amazing to think that their first interaction was in the dingy bathroom just after Jake had thrown his guts up. The blue-haired young man wanted to treat Tom to something special after his victory, and that night alone on the hill with nothing but the moon and stars illuminating each each other’s faces and bodies was certainly a special occasion for them both.

Saturday came around, and Jake was sitting alone in his room. After much work from himself, Tom and Miriam over the summer, the room now looked like his own space, not like a guest room with a few band posters thrown here and there. They had painted, redecorated, the three of them even went to Ikea to get exactly what Jake wanted after he had been inspired by some findings on Pintrest. He was lying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and looking at the Panic! At The Disco poster that hung above his bed, reflecting on the week and smiling at all of the happy memories of the past week. The blue-haired boy was waiting for a call, a call from a very special friend. Jake hadn’t seen Ashley in person since she graduated early in December of the prior year; the girl then moved back to the USA just before Christmas. Jake missed her terribly for a very long time, the two calling and texting whenever they had time. Their conversations were mostly brief catch-ups; there was never enough time for an in-depth discussion about their current affairs. Ashley had been the first person Jake had ever come out to, and for a long time she was the only one who didn’t react with utter disgust and horror when learning of his sexuality. The blonde girl had been a reassuring and kind rock in his lowest moments, not to mention she always made Jake laugh when she said that she would rip Blake’s balls off if she ever saw him in person again. The American girl had been horrified to hear of how he had treated Jake; she thought that they were a bit of an odd pair to begin with, and she had spotted red flags here and there but just ignored them for Jake’s sake. She had even gone as far as to blame herself after things went south, feeling guilty for never bringing her worries up to Jake. The two friends had cried down the phone to each other, each telling the other not to blame themselves for the actions of a selfish asshole who would rather cheat on his boyfriend and insult him than keep it in his pants and have a civil conversation like most other people would.

The shrill sound of Jake’s ringtone cut him away from his thoughts as he grabbed his phone and swiped the screen to answer Ashley’s call. A familiar southern accent came ringing through the phone straight to Jake’s ears, filling him with glee as the girl on the other end of the call spoke. “Jakey boy! How’ve you been? I’m so sorry it’s been so long; the farm has been so busy recently I’ve hardly had time to breathe!” It was a relief to hear Ashley’s voice again; it had been at least four months since the two had a proper catch-up call. It was more than understandable due to the girl’s busy schedule at home. Ashley Graham was a notoriously hard worker, which was more than evident in the fact she had graduated almost a year and a half before the rest of her peers. Jake giggled at Ashley’s exasperated tone, leaning against his windowsill while he replied to her. “I’ve been good over the summer, thanks. Things are much better than they once were.” During his troubles before the summer, Jake had texted Ashley now and again, and the blonde girl tried her best to get back to him as much as she could. Doing so sparingly due to the fact he didn’t want to bog her down with his problems when she already had enough on her plate without his school and family bullshit on top. Ashley had briefly been told about the fact that jake had a new little group of friends, the fact he had been kicked out of his home and now was living with his boss, and the fact he had a crush on a boy called Tom, the blonde girl on the other side of the phone had no clue about any of the other details or various other goings on from the past few months, it was fair to say that she was more than curious to find out how things had developed for her friend.

“Have you been spending time with your new group of buddies? You never told me their names; if they’re from school, then I might remember a few of them.” Ashley waited eagerly for Jake to tell all; the ponytailed boy mentally chuckled at her keen tone of voice. “Well… there’s quite a few of us; we even have our own Discord server, thanks to Aiden. Do you remember someone called Aiden Brooks? He’s basically my best friend… Oh – next to you, that is!” Ashley chortled at Jake's attempt to not offend her. “Awww, you’re replacing little old me? Don’t worry, Jakey, I’m not offended. I’ve rekindled friendships with lots of people from back in the day and got my own little group of girlfriends too.” Jake couldn’t help but giggle in reply; jealousy was something basically unheard of in Ashley. “Hmm… Aiden Brooks? The name doesn’t exactly ring a bell; maybe if you show me a picture, it might jog my memory a bit. Who else is in your little crew?” The blue-haired boy took a breath before revealing the next two members of his little friendship circle, anticipating Ashley’s reaction. “You may not believe this if you do remember them, but Gabby Nowak and Ellie Parker are both really good friends of mine too; they were dating while you were still at school and still going strong together. Remember them at all?” Ashley’s raised voice and hyperactive reaction made Jake shoot about five feet in the air from the high-pitched noise that rang through the phone’s speaker; he should've braced himself more for a reaction like that.

“Do I remember them? Boy, do I ever! YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH ELLIE PARKER? I thought you both hated each other! Gabby was sweet, a little bit unhinged but a nice gal nonetheless. How the ever-loving fuck did you and Ellie become friendly?” “It was because of Aiden! To give you the full story, we were both having a really hard time one day. Connor thought it would be best if I was placed in the isolation room for a few days because of that incident I told you about? The one with Riya and Yul by the lockers? Anyway, not long later that day, Aiden was brought into the room by Connor too because Riya had said some horrendous stuff about him online, she had even found only pictures of him, it was fucking vile. Aiden was in a really bad way; it was like watching a recording of how I already felt but projected onto another person. Anyway, it was like fate or something because the two of us were just in the room all afternoon, and we really hit it off! Aiden gave me the courage to come with him to watch a school soccer game afterwards, and he properly introduced me to Ellie and Gabs. The funny thing was that Ellie and I had gotten into a fight earlier that day, but Aiden is one hell of a peacemaker. Ellie’s really cool and funny once you get to know her. Gabby is just the best person to hang out with too, when she’s not almost being expelled for putting sleeping pills in the school water fountain that is… anyway! That’s a different story for later on. I’ve blabbered on for long enough, Ash; tell me more about what’s going on with you! Didn’t you say that you met a really nice guy? What was his name… Wade? Wallace?” The southern girl at the other end of the call gave a happy sigh. “Do you mean Will? Oh, he’s a total dreamboat… In fact, I’ve been dating him for eight or nine months now! Sorry I never told you; I totally forgot. Time really flies, huh?” Jake listened happily while Ashley told him all about how Will had moved from Chicago to Texas with his family for a change of scenery and how they had met at a party that her cousin had thrown and really hit it off before becoming an item not too much later. Ashley gushed on about how even though he was quiet and a scaredy-cat, Will was so handsome and tall and built like a house! Even adding that he could probably bend steel with his muscles if he wanted to. Will had even started working a Saturday job on the farm so they could see each other almost constantly. The seventeen-year-old boy was more than happy for his friend; he had worried about Ashley being all alone after she moved away, but it was more than revealing to know that she was getting on so well. The conversation eventually came back to Jake; Ashley still had questions to quiz the boy on.

“You mentioned that you went to watch a soccer game with Aiden; that’s news to me! You never showed any interest in the sport back in the day… Until Blake came along, that was, but you said to me you would never watch another game for as long as you lived, so what’s the deal? Are you planning on joining the team or something? Or do you just like looking at the boys in their tight shirts and shorts?” Jake almost spat out the water he was sipping at Ashley’s questions, composing himself while trying not to choke on the water that had gone down the wrong way in his throat. “Ummm, well… Let’s just say that Aiden and I have a mutual friend, or friends, who play for the team. So I forgot to mention but, and you might not quite believe this, another one of my best friends is… James Costa" – “JAMES COSTA? I THOUGHT HE WAS A TOTAL DICK!” Jake flinched as he pulled the phone away from his now ringing ear at the volume of Ashley’s voice; if her voice got any louder, then the blue-haired teen would have sworn that blood would have started pouring out of his ears. “Not quite… Well, he was a bit of a dick, but he’s really changed for the better! He gave Riya and Yul the boot and started chilling out with us. He’s a really nice guy. In fact, he’s dating Aiden! But Aiden and I started watching the school games before any of that happened. So… I mentioned that a guy called Tom reached out to me? I became super close with him too, at the same time that Aiden and I hit it off. Aiden was a friend of Tom’s, and he was going to the game after school that day. We first started getting along, and Tom had asked me to come to the game too. Aiden gave me that last little push I needed to get the confidence to go to the school games again. In fact, Connor set up this system for Aiden and me so we would have a friend with us in all of our lessons; they would keep an eye on us and report anything nasty that happened back to Connor. James was Aiden’s partner, and Tom became mine. In fact, I told a little bit of a lie… Tom isn’t just my friend. I developed this huge crush on him… I kissed him and my parents somehow found out, that’s basically why I got kicked out of the house before the summer. But it was all worth it! He liked me too, and we’ve been dating for, like, about four months now, I'd say? Since early May…”

Once again, Ashley shouted down the phone again. Yep, ears were definitely bleeding now… “HOLY SHIT JAKE HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE TOLD ME? I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU! Look at this sexy little beast of a man! I’m so proud of you, Jakey!” Jake smiled in response. “Huh, Tom always calls me Jakey too, and without saying too much… I think he would agree with the ‘sexy’ sentiment too, well… Let's just say that he said something to that effect one night after a soccer game not too long ago…” Ashley was making unintelligible happy noises on the other end of the phone, and Jake was given no choice but to pull the speaker away from his ear for the sake of his hearing. “Hold on. What’s Tom’s surname? There were a lot of guys called Tom at school. I might remember who you’re on about.” Jake took a breath, suddenly nervous. What if Ashley didn’t approve of the boy Jake loved more than life itself? Taking the plunge, he managed to utter out a rather quiet “It’s… Tom Reed, Thomas Reed.” “THOMAS REED? TOM FUCKING REED? HE’S GORGEOUS! YOU LUCKY BASTARD! You’re a little Casanova, you!” The rest of the evening was spent by the two teens gushing over and over about their boyfriends and planning possible double dates that they could do in the future. Jake even mentioned that he, Tom, Aiden and James were all planning a double date that would take place fairly soon, within the coming weeks, once all four of them finally had some free time. Miriam listened with a smile from downstairs in her armchair, sipping a cup of tea while trying to read the rest of her book, being frequently interrupted by shouts of excitement and happiness from the teenager in what was once her spare room. She was beyond relieved to see, or to hear, him so happy again, to finally see him being a regular teenager. Meanwhile, not too far away, in an apartment building across town. Pale fingers punched in Jake’s cellphone number, hesitating to press the call button and then, after a moment's consideration, deciding against it. Right now just wasn’t the right time for it…

For the next two weeks, Jake’s days were filled with joy. Surrounded by the loving support of his lover and close friends. Everyone was settling back into the school setting, everyone it seemed, but Aiden. As time went on, Jake, Gabby, Tom and Ellie all noticed Aiden’s distant demeanour. The boy was usually like a ray of sunshine around everyone, hence why whenever James shouted the word ‘sunshine’ in the corridor, Aiden knew it was him the Brazilian was calling out to. However, clouds had descended upon Aiden’s sunny attitude. Rosa and Lake were the first ones to try to get Aiden to open up, to no avail, just accepting him, saying that he didn’t want to talk about it and reassuring him that they would be there to listen when he did feel up to talking. Secretly, Rosa had a feeling that she knew what was going on; she and Aiden had discussed both of their families' struggles with poverty before, and the Latina girl knew just how hard Aiden found it to discuss sometimes. When the two friends had spoken about it many times before, Aiden had always practically begged Rosa not to tell anyone else, out of fear of it being weaponised by certain people to be used to bully him with. The lilac-haired girl always did her best to reassure him that whatever they discussed stayed with her and was the business of absolutely no one else. Although Rosa was secretly hoping that Aiden wouldn't bottle things up again, like he had been known to do before, all because he didn't want to worry his parents any more than they already were.

Ellie and Gabby were the next ones to pull the e-boy aside to try to get him to open up; they questioned him relentlessly, asking whether Yul or Riya were giving him bother again, to which Aiden strongly denied. That was one thing he was certainly happy to be doing without at the current moment in time. Whatever the girls suggested might have been the problem was swiftly denied by the twin-colour haired boy, with him simply shrugging them off and saying, “It’s nothing important,” over and over again. Neither girl was taking those words for an answer; even an idiot could see that something was dragging Aiden down. Jake found it hard to see his best friend suffering so much; it even made him feel quite guilty for feeling so happy when his closest friend was clearly struggling so much. Jake was determined to get to the bottom of it all; no question was off limits. The blue-haired teen had a list of possible answers in his head. Was James pressuring him into doing things? Was James satisfying him in their relationship? Was it his gender dysphoria? Had a family member said something distasteful to him? Jake even went as far as asking if Aiden was pregnant, to which the smaller boy could've slapped Jake across the face for suggesting and vehemently denied doing anything of that nature with James. Jake got absolutely nowhere with his questioning; he knew it was going to be a while before any of them got to the bottom of the issue. The blue-haired lad decided to leave it for a while but begged Aiden to consider talking to Connor if things got too much, then saying that he would tell Connor that something was bothering Aiden himself if he felt that it was necessary. Aiden reassured him that he was talking to James about what was going on, and he would to Connor if he felt that he had no other options; Jake just had to accept his friend's answer and do his best to be there and support him the best that he could.

Tom was the last one to try getting answers out of Aiden; thinking it might have been school stress or pressure from his parents, Aiden denied these suggestions too. The muscular, dark-haired young man was getting nowhere, especially when Aiden grew frustrated and snappily asked Tom to drop the subject. Tom was taken aback by the harsh tone, and Aiden swiftly and sadly apologised to his dear friend, then telling him that it was a private matter he didn’t yet want to discuss. Tom respected Aiden’s wishes but nonetheless pulled him into a crushing hug and made Aiden swear to him that he would continue to talk to James about whatever it was making him unhappy, reassuring him that they were all there for him. Aiden knew that well, but regardless, it didn’t change the fact that he, his mother and his father all had the constant worry of choosing between paying the rent or buying food every single week. The pressure was crushing, not knowing if the next person who would ring the doorbell would be serving them an eviction notice because they hadn't been able to pay a bill on time. Aiden’s mother had done her best to reassure her son, swearing to him that she wouldn’t send him away again and that he would stay with his friends and boyfriend regardless of what came their way. James had started buying Aiden lunch every day, even when he didn’t need it after being horrified to find that he hadn’t eaten all day one lunchtime. The e-boy had looked pale and weak all day; he only confessed what was going on after he almost fainted in one of the hallways after a science lesson. Despite his protesting, James had also made it a rule to take Aiden out for dinner multiple times a week. He was a rich kid with a seemingly bottomless amount of money on his credit card; James felt that it was the least that he could do for the boy he loved so much. Aiden felt truly useless and pathetic for his boyfriend essentially being responsible for him being fed multiple times a week, but he knew that he simply had no choice. He felt like a total and utter failure. He felt guilty too, almost like he was using James as a meal ticket, but of course the Brazilian denied the ridiculous claim, reassuring Aiden with the fact that he would undoubtedly be doing the same for him if the roles were reversed.

Aiden’s confidence had been crushed to dust from what it had been the last school year; it was amazing what social class structures could do to a person's self-esteem. The fact that Aiden barely even saw his parents anymore made things even worse; his mother and father both worked multiple jobs day and night to try and make ends meet, so Aiden almost always came back home to an empty house after school. Upon Aiden confessing this to him, James had made sure to bring him over to his house to spend time with his parents and little sister. Aiden got on with them like a house on fire, and James’s family saw Aiden like a second son, being so happy to see that their son’s boyfriend was such a sweet soul and being very sympathetic when James confided in them about Aiden’s troubles at home. Although Aiden had no clue, James’s mother and father had told the curly-haired teen to bring him over as much as he wanted so they could truly show him how much they cared for him and remind him that he wasn’t alone. James’s mother had basically been born into poverty when she was younger back home in Brazil; the motherly instinct in her just wanted to wrap Aiden up and keep him safe. She couldn’t bear to think that he was going through something like she had when she was young.

Regardless, Aiden’s insecurities only grew and grew. It was all too much; school life’s academic pressures were never easy to deal with, but then the money worries on top of it all made things almost unbearable. What did James even see in him anymore? What did this handsome rich boy want with someone whose family couldn’t even afford groceries? James could read his boyfriend like an open book, cutting off Aiden’s worries before any words along the lines of “I don’t deserve you”, “You deserve better” or “You’re too good for someone like me,” usually shutting him up with a deep and loving kiss and reassuring him that he was there for him, regardless of how much money his family had. The reassurance from the dark-skinned teen made things bearable for Aiden; whenever his insecurities got the better of him, James was there to put them to rest and remind him of just how loved he was. James was there to love him and keep him company when no one else could. James took him out for meals and made sure that they both had a great time while they did so. James knew Aiden had made him a much better person; his family knew it too. Whatever lay ahead for his boyfriend, the Brazilian promised him he would be there to endure it by his side. In the meantime, James had a fun idea of how to take his lover’s mind off all of the depressing things so that they could have some fun together…

Chapter 17: The Mirror's Image

Summary:

Tom is a good boyfriend and James is a bit reckless, but you already knew that. (p.s I've never gone to a nightclub so excuse my attempt to write about one!)

It was a cool Thursday night. Tom Reed had just played his heart out for the school team, and sadly the Tipiskaw boys had lost despite Tom’s best efforts. The score had been 0-2 to the other team, Richard had called it an embarrassment, and Tom was inclined to agree. James seemed to spend more time staring up at Aiden than looking at where the ball was; Spencer wasn’t on top form due to illness, and Logan’s performance was utterly shocking compared to the skilled way he usually played. The muscular teen was devastated at the loss. It was like his mother would say; everyone had to lose at some point or another, but it didn’t make it sit any easier in the black-haired boy’s mind. Jake could see his boyfriend’s mind was spinning all the way home; he was totally silent and had vacant eyes. The two walked back home together hand in hand, but Tom’s mind was still stuck all the way back on the pitch. Logan had missed the ball, giving the other team their first goal, which then gave them a boost. Spencer had been off school sick on Monday and Tuesday and out of practice, which didn’t help matters, and James had all of the focus and attention span of a goldfish. If only he had gotten the ball quicker, then he could’ve- Tom’s racing mind was cut off by his boyfriend’s playfully jovial voice. “Are you eventually going to talk to me, or do I have to attempt to communicate telepathically?” Not even Jake’s attempts at humour could break through to Tom; he cracked a small smile, but the pony-tailed boy wasn’t satisfied with that. Jake walked in front of Tom and stopped him right in his tracks, placing both of his hands on Tom’s cheeks and kissing him tenderly. “Sorry, babe, I’m just annoyed after everything today. I didn’t mean to ignore you. Tom continued his apology by gently grasping Jake’s smaller hands and placing kisses on his palms, then taking Jake’s hand once more as they continued to walk. “You’ll get over it, babe. It’s just one game.” All of a sudden, Tom became defensive. “But – but it shouldn’t have happened! Spencer was out of form, and I’m going to have one hell of a conversation with James tomorrow about his focus.” Tom’s rambling was cut off once more with a shout and a sarcastic roll of the eyes from Jake. “Thomas Reed! You’ll kick their asses next time, I know it. Don’t spend the rest of the evening beating yourself up over some silly mistakes.”

Spending so much time with Tom had caused Jake to become more of a rational and logical person, less insecure and flighty in comparison to how he used to be. Everyone who he was close to had noticed it; Tom’s influence was very much a positive thing for Jake. He had even been able to apply what he had learnt back to Tom when the occasion arose. The scarred boy knew Jake was right, giving his hand a thankful squeeze as he let thoughts about soccer subside for the time being. The two boys continued to walk together, talking about the day's lessons and what homework they had to do that evening. Their usual way home had to be rerouted as the main road they took home was closed for the rest of the month. It wasn’t too much of a hassle; it didn’t take too much longer to get back home, but there was a downside. In order to get to Miriam’s, the two boys diverted themselves into a small alleyway with tall wooden fencing. The fence had been there for years by this point and was fairly rotten; the once burgundy paint had rusted away to a sickly dark mahogany, and the planks and panels had given way to time, many of them disintegrating into splinters and creating large gaps which allowed you to look straight ahead into the next street, Jake’s old street.

While they walked, despite not wanting to, Jake couldn’t help but be compelled to stare through the gaps in the fence as they continued forward, catching clear glances at his old house. His childhood home. The one place where he thought he would always be welcome. He could see the cars on the drive; he could see the window, which looked into what was once his old bedroom. The sight of the place gave him a sickly yet nostalgic feeling, longing for a place where he was once an innocent kid, but now if he tried to step foot inside, he would be called every single homophobic slur known to man. Now it was Jake’s turn to be vacant; he hadn't noticed it, but he had stopped walking, his eyes now transfixed on his old home and his hands resting on the fence in front of him. He stared and stared as he remembered everything: the good times, the bad, the sadness, and the fantastic getaway with Miriam. Tom’s warm, large hand came to rest on top of Jake’s from where it sat resting against the fence. “Jakey…sweetheart, come on now…” The blue-haired young man blinked a few times before turning his head away from where it had been transfixed, looking up at Tom as he took in his words, then nodding in response as he took Tom’s hand once more and began to step forward again.

“Don’t waste your time with them, babe; they don’t deserve you.” Jake nodded, words suddenly getting caught in his throat. “I try to not think about them too much, but it’s really hard sometimes. Sometimes when I was up in the morning I still think I’m in my old bed, in my old house, and then it hits me that I'm not… and I remember everything all over again.” Tom hummed and nodded as they exited the alleyway, the house now far behind them as they continued forwards. “That’s normal; remember what I told you before. It’s natural that your thoughts will go back to them and what happened. Especially because of how horrible it all was. Those thoughts will go away over time. However, as it stands. You are much better off without them in your life, hunny. Hate like that festers and infects you after a while, as you already know. Hate like theirs can’t be reasoned with. You are so much better off without hateful people like them.” Jake tried to smile; he knew Tom was right, but it still hurt to talk about. Tears started to sting in Jake’s eyes as he tried to blink them back. It was Tom’s turn to cup Jake’s face, his thumb coming to brush away a tear from Jake’s pretty eyelashes as he shushed him softly, pulling the smaller boy close as Jake then nuzzled into Tom’s chest. Once he was sure that Jake was calmer, Tom continued speaking. “Besides, babe, we should be grateful in a way. If it wasn’t for those truly delightful bastards, we couldn’t be together right now, could we?” Jake chuckled into Tom’s chest as his face was gently rocked back and forth by Tom’s breathing; he then pulled away from his boyfriend’s chest to try to rub the tears away from his eyes and lean up to give Tom a kiss. Then taking his hand once more, they could find their way home. Upon bringing Jake to Miriam’s door, the two boyfriends leaned in once more for a loving kiss. This was always the hard part, saying goodbye for the evening, even though they would both see each other for pretty much all day tomorrow. Just as Tom was moving away to make his own way back to his house, Jake grabbed him by the shoulder and spun his back around with ease, kissing him again and whispering low and sweet. “I’m still so, so proud of you, ‘Reed 10’, today and always. You’re my hero.”

The school week came to an end and the weekend took its place. It was now Saturday night, and Aiden Brooks had done all of his chores earlier that day. Neither of his parents would be home until at least 6am the next morning, so someone needed to take the laundry and dirty dishes that had been collecting in the sink. In order to give himself time, Aiden had done all of his homework the night before. Now the night was his, and he intended to enjoy it to the full. James had told Aiden that he had a surprise waiting for him. The Brazilian young man’s instructions were simple: Aiden was to dress himself up nice and cute, just how he always did when they were going on a date. That’s what Aiden thought this was – a normal date, just the two of them spending some time together – and he was right, to a degree… But James had somewhat different plans tonight. His baby needed something new, something fun and exciting to take his mind away from all the shit going on at home. Aiden was just adding the finishing touches to his eyeliner when a familiar car horn beeped to get his attention from outside. His Prince Charming was here; as soon as Aiden stepped out of the front door and locked it behind him, James was already leaning out of the window of his jeep and wolf-whistling as he caught sight of his handsome boyfriend. Aiden looked absolutely stunning in a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark t-shirt that James had bought for him, topped off with his usual cross-shaped earrings and a simple necklace with a pink quartz pendant. Aiden was very skilled with an eyeliner pen and some body glitter; he would undoubtedly have many eyes on him tonight, whether he wanted them or not. “Damn, baby, did you do all of that for me? I feel honoured; I’m such a lucky guy…” James brought his hands up to clasp at his own chest jokingly and dramatically as Aiden pretended to give him an unimpressed look, soon breaking his facade as his face morphed into a smirk and then laughing at his lover’s antics as he climbed into the passenger seat. “Don’t flatter yourself, hot stuff. I just grabbed the first thing I could find.” Aiden joked with a wink. He then leaned over to peck the darker-skinned man on the cheek. “So where are we going? I hope I didn’t get all dressed up to go to KFC, not that I would complain if that’s where we were going.” James only smiled at the question as he started the car and drove away from Aiden’s family home. “Oh, don’t you worry; it’s somewhere you’ll like. It’s a little surprise. You’ll find out soon enough, sunshine.”

There was a comfortable calmness in the car as both boys conversed happily as James drove through the city, the neon lights illuminating the Brazilian’s features as Aiden looked on at him from his seat; he had never looked so handsome in the e-boy’s opinion. How the hell did he get so lucky? James could feel Aiden’s eyes on him as he drove, taking the opportunity to look over at the e-boy whenever they came to the traffic lights. Aiden kept squirming in his seat from the excitement and anxiety brought up by the anticipation of waiting to find out where they were both going for the evening. They passed by many buildings that could be an ideal date location: the bowling alley, a restaurant or two. Eventually, James parked the car in a rather dark location. He then told Aiden he would need somewhere to keep it overnight, as they were going to be doing a fair bit of drinking tonight. Suddenly, Aiden was a lot more anxious about just where his boyfriend was taking him. The e-boy was justified in his hesitation as James walked him up to a building that was seemingly covered in bright purple neon lights, so bright that it stung his eyes. Through his fuzzy vision, Aiden could just about make out the word ‘Pulse’, the thumping music hitting his ears even from down the street, only getting more prominent the closer they got to the building, and then he saw the people coming in and out of the front doors, guarded by two doormen. James had brought him…to a club. “Are you shitting me, James? You brought me to a strip club?” “Hey! It’s just a nightclub, not a strip club, thank you very much.” Aiden's eyes were wide as he shook his head in disbelief, then holding his forehead in his hand. “James, we’re both seventeen. We aren’t fucking allowed in nightclubs!” “Speak for yourself, xuxu. I’m a regular here.” Aiden’s disbelief only grew tenfold. “WHAT? How the hell did you even get past the doors?” James only winked as he wrapped an arm around his nervous boyfriend's shoulders, urging him forward from within his protective grasp. “You’ll see, babe, you’ll see.

Both boys strolled up to the doors; Aiden was physically shaking at this point as James held his shoulders and rubbed them, trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. Both of the men at the door were like giants in comparison to Aiden; they could probably kill him in seconds if they wanted to. “Hi, boys. Nice to see you again. Is Oleksander around tonight?” The words rolled off James’s tongue so casually; Aiden mentally braced himself for one of the men to grab them both by the necks and throw them to the floor with how they were looking down at the both of them. Both men’s icy expressions quickly melted into friendly, amused ones, almost like when you suddenly realise that you are talking to an old friend from school or something. “Hey, it’s just the Brazilian kid again. Oleksander’s inside somewhere, dude. Probably at the bar. Both of you boys have a great night.” And with that, both boys were ushered inside to a wave of blasting music, chatting voices, bright lights and the smell of warm bodies mixing with perfume and cologne. The bi-colour-haired boy was still in a daze, trying to make some sense of what had just happened at the door a few moments ago. The fact he hadn’t been told to ‘fuck off and go home’ by the two men was more than astounding for him. James’s large hands came to rest on his shoulders again, then a kiss was placed on his cheek. “Isn’t it cool in here? We’ll have a dance in a bit if you like. But first thing’s first, let’s get some drinks.” James’s eyes scanned the large bar at the side of the club, the flashing lights bouncing off from its shiny worktop every few seconds. All of a sudden, James found what he was looking for, grabbing Aiden by the hand and dragging him along behind him. “Aha! I’ve found him! Come on, Sunshine.”

Aiden was pulled along to the bar at speed, then being lifted up by the waist, spun around and placed on a barstool by James as he pinched at his sides and tickled him, causing Aiden to giggle and grow flush at his boyfriend's playfulness. James beamed back at him, more than relieved to see his boyfriend starting to loosen up a bit. At that moment, a tall bartender with dirty blonde hair and a handsome face looked at them, grinning when he caught sight of James. “Ah, hello, my friend! It’s been a while; what can I get you?” James reached his hand across the bar to shake the hand of the other man in greeting; these two clearly knew each other quite well. “Oleksander! It’s been way too long, dude. I’ll have my usual, please. Oh, and a vodka and lemonade for my love.” James gestured towards Aiden during the last part of his sentence, then he rested his hands on Aiden’s shoulders again and kissed him on top of the head. “Oh well, now. Who’s this? Is this the little piece you’ve told me about, or is this a more… ‘casual’ thing?” The blonde man looked forward to Aiden with an expression of curiosity mixed with something else that Aiden couldn’t quite put his finger on. The e-boy was less than impressed with being referred to as nothing more than James’s ‘piece’, then growing even more uncomfortable at the suggestion that his relationship with James might have been nothing but a fling. “I’m Aiden. I’m James’s boyfriend, not some floozy he’s having a fling with, thank you.” The Brazilian looked slightly taken aback by his boyfriend’s bold and defensive response, opening his mouth to say something but being interrupted by roaring laughter from Oleksander. “Damn! Sorry, man, I didn’t mean anything by it! James used to bring a new person in here every week not too long ago, you know. You always liked the ones with a bit of fire about them, didn’t you, James? I can see why he likes you, Aiden.” Now it was James’s turn to blush, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck embarrassedly as he tried to stutter out a sentence. Aiden took the initiative and spoke for his now muted boyfriend. “James isn’t that guy anymore; I know how he used to be.” Aiden then reached up for the collar of James’s shirt, pulling him down to his level and kissing him boldly on the lips, causing a smile to bloom on James’s lips at his boyfriend’s confidence and for Oleksander to smirk and raise an eyebrow as he passed both boys their drinks. James leaned forward again , pressing his torso against the bar, wrapping his arm back around Aiden’s shoulders as he took a sip of his Bacardi. “Aiden and I are a serious thing, buddy; he’s changed me for the better, I dare say.” Oleksander nodded curiously, wanting to know more. James continued while looking Aiden dead in the eye with a loving expression. “I fell for Aiden first; he didn’t even want to know me. I teased him so much back then, but now… I’m happier than ever. I’m very lucky to find my little sunshine.” The blonde man behind the bar polished a glass with a chuckle. “Ah, you Brazilians are such saps.” James was quick to snap his face back around, swirling his drink around in the glass he was holding. “And you Belarusians are such jerks!” Oleksander playfully put his hands on his hips and leaned forward, trying to be intimidating. “That’s Belarusian and Irish, thank you. I thought you knew me better, friend!” At that point, both of the boys burst out laughing; even Aiden couldn’t help but giggle at the childish squabbling and playground insults coming from both young men.

After a bit more talking, Oleksander moved away from both young men to serve someone else. Aiden and James quickly finished their drinks and made their way to the dance floor, both holding onto each other and swaying to the beat in a crowd of other people, the buzz of the drinks, the music and the atmosphere of the club starting to flow through both of their veins. James was right; it was amazing how quickly the environment transported you to almost another world, far away from your worries, with nothing but the bass of the speakers pounding into your ears and the constant droning sound of the crowds taking you away from your everyday life. A few more units of alcohol into their system and both boys didn’t have a care in the world. It was addicting; nothing else mattered here. Not his money troubles, not his identity, not his school life. Aiden could dance freely with the boy he loved; all of the bad stuff stayed outside the door, everything was fun and carefree in this moment, and he just wanted to stay here forever. Eventually the constant dancing caught up with both boys. James went off to find a table, and Aiden agreed to get them both some more drinks in the meantime. Walking back up to the bar, Aiden’s eyes met Oleksander’s once more. The two gave each other a smile and made polite conversation while the Belarusian young man got Aiden’s order ready.

Oleksander looked up from the drink he was mixing to meet Aiden’s eyes once more, giving him a soft smile before looking over to where James was sitting, scrolling through his phone. “Hey, Aiden? I just want to say I’m sorry if I came off wrong earlier; I didn’t mean anything by it. James and I constantly joke with each other, so sometimes I forget to show a bit more tact with the friends he introduces me to.” As the e-boy looked at the man he just met, his expression and tone of voice showed genuine remorse. Oleksander was clearly a good friend of James’s, and Aiden couldn’t find it in himself to hold a grudge against a guy he barely knew. “Hey, it’s okay! I’m sorry for being so defensive. I’ve never had a relationship like this before… I can be pretty protective when it comes to James.” The blonde-haired man behind the bar nodded and hummed in understanding as he passed the twin-colour-haired boy his drink before making a start on James’s beverage. “It’s understandable. James is clearly protective of you too; his personality completely changes when you’re around.” Aiden giggled at the other man’s observations, then looking over to James at their table and giving him a smile, James caught Aiden’s gaze and gave him a wink back. Aiden’s cheeks filled with heat as his heart filled with love for the Brazilian, but something about what Oleksander had just said stuck in his mind. “Did James bring many people here with him before?” Oleksander wasn’t fazed by the question; he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, his eyes not raising from the drink he was preparing. “Meh, one or two girlfriends. But listen, you’ve no need to worry about that. Let’s put it this way: you are clearly a different case. He never treated the other people he brought here with him the way he treats you. He’s clearly smitten with you.” Aiden smiled once more, taking a sip of his drink as he twirled a longer strand of his hair around his finger bashfully.

“You know, I’m very surprised you’ve not had a relationship before. You’re very attractive and cute. You’ve definitely had guys watching you tonight; I’ve seen it myself!” Aiden’s head fell into his hands as he squeezed his eyes shut worriedly. “Oh god, have I? I hope nobody recognises me; my mom would kill me if she ever found out I’ve been in here, and my dad would probably ground me for a month! I’d be totally screwed!” Laughter roared from across the bar as Oleksander listened to Aiden’s words, clearly hearing similar sentiments before from other teens who had managed to sneak into the club. The blonde young man finally passed Aiden the other drink, and Aiden was going to get up to leave, then the e-boy paused momentarily as another question came to his mind. “You two never told me how you both met, so just how do you know James?” “We met at a youth group for people who had just moved to Canada. I lived in Belarus until I was seven; my dad had met my mum while he was travelling and settled down with her there to have my older brother and me, and then we moved to Ireland. That’s where my father is originally from. Then Mom and Dad were both offered jobs in Canada, so we moved here when I was thirteen. That’s why my accent is all over the place.” Aiden nodded. James had mentioned finding Canada a very difficult place to grow accustomed to when he first moved from Curitiba. Things like not having a great grasp of English and dealing with bullying were big problems for the curly-haired boy at the time, so it made sense that James would have been placed in groups for other kids like him. Aiden thanked Oleksander once more for the drinks and started to step away from the bar, only to be called back a few seconds later. Turning around, Oleksander leaned across the shiny surface of the bar and shoved something into Aiden’s free hand. Oleksander nodded towards the small, rectangular item that Aiden was now holding; the dim lighting of the bar made it hard to make out what it was. “Oh, by the way, that little something is for you, at James’s request. Also, it’s my break now. Mind if I join you and James for a little bit?” Thanking the blonde young man once more and nodding happily at his request, Aiden made his way back to James, two drinks and Oleksander in tow, as both boys took a seat and continued to chat.

While James and Oleksander caught up with each other, Aiden was finally sitting in an area with decent lighting, holding up the item Oleksander had given him up to one of the lamps near the seats; it was clear to see that he had been given an ID, a fake one. A fake ID was addressed to him nonetheless. Aiden nearly dropped the thing with a small gasp upon the realisation, as if it was some sinful or dangerous object. Causing James and the other young man to burst into howls of laughter at his reaction. “What? Never seen a fake ID before, sunshine? It matches mine!” James pulled out a matching item from his jeans pocket with a teasing grin; Aiden facepalmed with a sigh at the sight. Typical James; of course he’d do something like this. “Seriously, babe? Where the hell did you even get these, Oleksander? I’m going to be in so much trouble if anyone finds out…” Aiden's fretting was quickly interrupted by the blonde’s matter-of-fact reply. “My older brother, Dejan. You can thank him for these… ‘gifts’. He is well experienced in making things like these; he made one for me back in the day when I first started working here. Dejan owns this place, you see, and he promised to find me work. That’s how I ended up working behind the bar; I’ve been doing so since I was seventeen. I told James after a while, and he wanted his own so he could come in and hang out while I worked.” James nodded as his friend recounted the story, reaching over to Aiden, who still had a look of worry and disbelief on his features. Grabbing the e-boy by the waist, the Brazilian pulled him into his lap. “Oh dear, babe. You’ve become so naughty! You’re not that sweet, innocent boy I first started crushing on not too long ago anymore, are you?” Before Aiden could make any sounds of protest, his words were cut off by James smashing their faces together and shoving his tongue into Aiden’s mouth to tipsily make out while tangling his fingers into Aiden’s dyed locks. “That’s my cue to get back to work…” Oleksander noted while getting up from his seat and returning to the bar. Aiden had swivelled himself around on James’s lap to face his boyfriend, quickly taking control of the kiss and continuing to make out while both young men looked like they were trying to devour each other’s mouths. Meanwhile a pair of eyes looked on from the shadows. A young man stamped out the remains of his cigarette as he watched on, curious, considering, making possible plans and deciding his next steps…

The next week flew by quickly for the small group of friends. Jake and Tom had listened with disbelief as Aiden recounted the tale of his trip to the club with James. Aiden made both boys swear that they would never tell a soul, then asking them both if they fancied coming along with him and James at some point for a fun night out. Neither boy gave a definitive answer; it was a Thursday afternoon, and Tom had been excused early from history class as he had a soccer game to get ready for. Jake and Aiden waved him goodbye, and not too much longer later, they packed up their things and made their way to their lockers for a few minutes, then meeting with Ally as all three of them made their way to the east stand, where they would spend the next two hours cheering on Tom, James, Hunter and the other boys as the team tried their best to get a better score than what they had last time. The game started very well; each of the Tipiskaw boys were truly giving it their all today, especially James. Tom had torn into him a bit after the pitiful result from last time; Tom’s words had stuck with the Brazilian all week. The curly-haired young man knew that he had been too distracted by looking at his adoring boyfriend in the stand, rather than keeping his mind where it was supposed to be, on the ball, his opponents and the game. James had discussed it with Aiden, to which the e-boy fully understood and told him that he wouldn’t let his kiss him for a week if he didn’t get his act together, fearing the truly cruel punishment from his boyfriend. James trained like never before all week and promised himself that he wouldn’t make any kissy faces at Aiden while the game was in play, unless he managed to score, of course!

James knew he owed a lot to Tom; he swore to the boy who was not only his best friend but also his captain that he would truly give it his all this week. It would be an insult to the scarred boy to not deliver a good result this time. The other team were certainly tough opponents; each of the opposing young men were skilled and well-trained, and all of them were filled with the same determination to not let Tipiskaw have the win. Tom, Hunter and James all played their hearts out, smiling whenever they heard Hunter's girlfriend or one of their boyfriends shout them on encouragingly. After thirty-five minutes of play, James saw his golden opportunity. There was a wide opening made just for him; the Brazilian had the ball at his feet, and he skilfully avoided any player that came his way, bombing the ball down the pitch, and he grew closer and closer to the opposing team’s goal. He was just moments away from shooting the thing into the back of the net, just until everything went into slow motion. There was his sudden force that came crashing into James’s side like a train. Whatever it was smacked him right in the upper body and caught his arm, twisting him around unnaturally and sending searing pain coursing through his side. The nasty surprise had knocked the wind right out of him and sent him crashing to the ground, making him land on the side that whatever it was had collided with, and if it was even possible, the pain in his upper right side increased tenfold. As James hit the floor, he managed to piece the dots together; one of the other team’s strikers had collided with him in an attempt to tackle the ball away from him, but that kid had a hell of a lot of strength. The pain in his shoulder and arm only grew and grew worse as James realised that he was face down on the grass, the shouts of the crowd and his teammate’s call of his name ringing in his ears. James couldn’t tell if his vision was dark because of the fact he was face down or if it was that relentless pain making him lose his vision. His head spun with the pain, and he felt nauseous, lightheaded and dizzy. He wanted to get up; he wanted to see if he had cut his arm during the crash with the other boy. The pain was so severe he must have been bleeding a fair bit, right? But he couldn’t see any crimson on the grass. His left arm came down first to try to push himself up, then he tried to move his right arm. Big mistake. A flash of white electric agony shot through him like a bullet as he couldn’t help himself from screaming into the earth below his face. He needed to get up and find out what the hell was wrong with his arm.

Meanwhile, the emotion in the east stand was one of pure horror. Aiden had seen the other play clash against his boyfriend. Initially he gave a shout of annoyance for what he clearly saw as a foul against his lover. Then James didn’t get back up afterwards. Aiden looked on in disbelief as he saw his boyfriend struggle on the ground. He was caught like a deer in headlights as Jake and Ally both looked at him to try and find some kind of reaction, to try and see any kind of thought or feeling that Aiden had. Then there was that sickening scream from James. A gut-wrenching cry that called out, loud enough to be heard for miles, and Aiden’s hands came up to his mouth in pure shock as tears welled in his eyes and ran down his cheeks like rainwater as he took in the scene; he gasped and cried, but he couldn’t move for whatever reason. It was only when Richard ran over to his boyfriend and carefully helped James to sit up with the assistance of Diego that the full extent of what had happened became clear. The force of the collision had torn James’s shirt from the neckline to his right sleeve, fully exposing his shoulder. Upon seeing the Brazilian’s upper body, the whole of the crowd gave a horrified gasp. James’s shoulder stuck out at an unnatural angle; there was no blood, but the bone poked out from below where it should have been. Miraculously, James's skin was still covering it; the injury looked as if the bone could've been badly broken. Aiden, Ally, and Jake all looked on at the sight, each of them wincing when they saw James look to his right and realise what had happened to him, the Brazilian giving another panicked cry as he did so.

Right at that moment, Aiden didn’t think; he just ran. The seventeen-year-old e-boy took off like a shot towards the front of the stand, desperate to get to his stricken boyfriend on the pitch, when a teacher stood in his way at the exit that led to the pitch. Aiden took matters into his own hands and jumped the metal beam at the front of the stand, hitting the grassy floor below with a thump and slightly banging at his knees. As soon as Ally and Jake both realised what was happening and what Aiden was doing, they took off after him like rockets. Neither Jake nor Ally were sure if they were going to try to calm him down, try to convince him to not go on the pitch or simply try to hold him and try to shield his eyes from the horrible sight unfolding on the grass, but it was fair to say that it would be very hard indeed to try to catch up to Aiden at this point. As Aiden took off along the pitch, the soreness in his legs didn’t faze him one bit. He needed James; he needed to get to him; he needed to be there by his side; he needed to take all of that pain away from him. Meanwhile, while sitting up on the grass with Diego holding him steady, James had started to pant in short breaths from the panic and pain, his vision growing blurry as red-hot jolts of agony hit him whenever he tried to move. Logan and Hunter both stood nearby with their hands on their heads, trying to take in the situation, while Spencer looked away and tried to regain control of his breathing and not have an anxiety attack, not being able to bring himself to look at the horrible situation that had befallen his friend. Diego tried to repeat reassuring words to James while Tom had run off to alert the medical team. Through his blurred vision, James could only just about make out the outline of a blur of red, black and white running towards him, then the familiar smell of sweet and musky cologne hit his nostrils. It was Aiden, his dear sweet Aiden. His baby was here with him. A sudden wave of emotion and the utter agony made James let out a few tears as he reached for and grasped his boyfriend with his uninjured arm. Repeatedly crying out Aiden’s name over and over as the e-boy sobbed and cried as he held James, completely powerless to help him. Within a few seconds, Tom, Jake and Ally all arrived on the scene, standing around and watching on with horrified expressions as James started to feel himself growing faint again…

Chapter 18: It's A Miracle I'm Standing

Summary:

I've named James's family members, His mother is named 'Gisela', his dad is 'Heitor' and his younger sister is 'Laura'

James’s eyes rolled into the back of his skull as he went limp in Diego and Aiden’s arms; the Colombian young man gasped as he gently tapped James’s face while softly calling his name to try and get a response from him. “James?… JAMES!” Aiden held James’s dark brown face in his pale hands as he tried to get his boyfriend to speak to him, but he couldn’t. The pain had knocked the Brazilian well and truly out cold. If Aiden was devastated before, he was inconsolable now. He was crying his eyes out, then falling into the arms of both Jake and Tom, while the two older boys watched on helplessly while attempting to soothe him by holding his shoulders and rubbing his back. Ally’s head darted around, trying to make some kind of sense of the scene as the medical team arrived, taking James’s limp body from Diego with the help of Richard and propping him up against an advertising board on the border of the pitch to begin to start the work of assessing the extent of his injury. Hunter, Logan, Spencer and Diego still stood around and watched on with disbelief, then the voice of Lill Davis shouted them over to her, pulling them away from the sorry sight. Tom stayed behind, still holding onto Aiden and trying to keep him as calm as possible. By the looks on the faces of the medical team and the hushed words they exchanged with Richard, things weren’t good, but it could’ve been much worse. It was a horrible crash of bodies; James may have been considered ‘lucky’ if he just got away with a broken bone. The soccer team’s coach kept looking back at the small group of friends while the medics examined James’s upper arm; you could clearly see the devastation and worry for Aiden in the older man’s eyes although he tried to keep a strong face, then trying to give Ally a reassuring smile when he caught her eye.

Thinking quickly, Ally extended her hand to pat Aiden on the back as she spoke. “Aiden, I know everything looks bad, but it probably isn't as serious as it seems. James will be fine in the end. These guys know what they’re doing…” Ally’s words seemed to go in one of Aiden’s ears and straight out of the other; he wasn’t listening to reason. His body was clearly being driven by pure panic. Jake followed the brunette girl’s example and tried to see if his friend would listen to him instead. “You need to try to calm down, Aiden. James will need you by his side when he wakes up. He’s going to be fine; I know it.” Although he spoke calmly and clearly, none of Jake’s words were getting through either. The the e-boy clung onto Jake and Tom’s bodies like a baby koala while he sobbed uncontrollably. Ally walked over to Tom’s side to try and see what else was going on further on down the pitch; she then spotted Lill talking to many other teachers and the rest of the team. When he finished talking, the teachers ran in different directions while the teens, who had not long ago been playing, then made their way over to the changing room, Hunter being among them. Ally could see Hunter looking at her while he walked away with the other lads, trying to give her a reassuring smile too. Ally simply tried to give him a hopeful smile and a little wave while she listened as it was announced over the loudspeaker that the match had been abandoned. While she had been looking in the other direction, one of the medical team had come over to the four of them. The women announced that from what they could see, James’s shoulder was dislocated, not broken, but badly dislocated nonetheless. She also added that she, her assistant and the school nurse weren’t skilled or qualified enough to try to get a dislocation as bad as that back into place themselves. “He’s going to need a trip to hospital, guys. Because he’s still out of it, we don’t know if he’s concussed or if there is anything else going on.” Aiden continued to weep; even Jake could feel himself welling up at the overwhelming situation. “An ambulance is already on the way; I called for it as I went to get you guys.” Tom added with a sombre expression.

At that moment the boy from the other team walked forward, mouth opening to say something; he didn’t get the chance. Aiden jumped up like a sprung coil and immediately shouted in his face, fury more than evident in his tone. “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM! YOU’RE THE REASON WHY HE’S HURT!” Jake went from gently patting Aiden’s shoulders to gripping him by them along with Tom in a desperate attempt to hold him back from physically assaulting the other player who had probably only come over to apologise. The other boy was led away by his teammates to their respective changing rooms while Connor arrived on the scene to be met with nothing but a truly horrible sight. Aiden’s shouts had roused James back awake from unconsciousness, only getting the e-boy’s attention when he gave out another sharp shout of pain when he forgot that he was injured and tried to move himself again. “CARALHO! Urg-ahh! D-deus, isso dói tanto…” James almost looked drunk; his head kept falling back as the pain was making him feel weak. He had his eyes squeezed firmly shut as he kept going between biting his lip and gritting his teeth between howls of agony, gripping his upper arm all the while. When Aiden saw that James was awake again, he attempted to go over to him, but he was still held back by Tom, who told him he should stay put for the moment so as not to get in their way. The woman assessing James kept asking him questions but never getting a comprehensive answer. Exactly where did it hurt? How badly did it hurt? Did he feel nauseous? She would never get a response whenever she asked; James’s voice came out in broken hisses through his gritted teeth, bits of Portuguese being the only words he spoke. It seemed like his use of the English language had been lost to the agony. Making his way over to his injured student, Connor got down on one knee and tried to speak to James. “Hey, buddy, everything is going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way, and I’ve rung your father. You need to help us by telling us what you’re feeling, okay?” James nodded, still gritting his teeth and writhing around from the pain. “Sim – I’m feeling – GAH! En sinto… Eu estou tão can-cansado. FUCK, UGAH!” It was almost pointless; James was out of his mind with the pain. Connor saw the medical team was getting nowhere; no matter what, James couldn’t give an understandable response to the questions. The ambulance may still be quite a while yet, and he needed to get Aiden under control; he needed to do something and fast.

The principal walked over to the split-colour-haired boy and held him by the shoulders, looking him dead in the eye and talking firmly, but calmly. “Aiden, listen to me. We need your help. James is really struggling, and we’re struggling to make sense of what he’s saying. You’re the only one here who’s studying Portuguese; you might be able to help us get some crucial answers out of him. Will you please try and help us? For James’s sake?” Aiden looked up at the taller man, half stunned, swallowing momentarily as he blinked away his tears and rubbed his eyes. Due to spending so much time with James over the summer, Aiden had decided that he would take up Portuguese as one of his lessons when autumn came around. He had only been studying it for a month by this point, not to mention all of the prior knowledge he had acquired by being with James. He found the language lessons fascinating, and he had a great tutor in James, whose ‘extra lessons’ involved him constantly speaking to him in Portuguese while Aiden simply tried to guess as to what the hell he was on about. Taking a breath, Aiden composed himself with a newfound determination to help the boy he loved in whatever way he could. “O-okay, I’ll try.” Connor smiled and patted Aiden’s shoulder. “Good lad, thank you. The rest of you need to give us some space. Head to the changing rooms, Reed. Ally, Jake, you need to head home. All three of them wanted to protest, especially Jake. He wanted to stay with Aiden so he could support him; he was his best friend! Aiden looked back at Jake with determined eyes; something about Connor’s words hit a switch in the e-boy, completely changing his demeanour and tone. He had gone from tearful and panicked to composed and straight-faced within an instant. It was incredible to see the difference. “I’ll be fine; don’t worry about me...” Aiden insisted as he began to walk away with Connor to where James was still sitting. “I’ll call you later when there are developments.” The three friends looked at each other for a moment, but then obeyed the instructions as Ally and Jake made their way to the front gate as Tom walked his way down to join his teammates in the changing rooms.

Aiden sat beside James and gripped his good hand. “Baby, it’s me. What’s happening? Exactly what hurts? Tell me…” Aiden's pleading eyes didn’t get a response right away; James’s arm came to wrap around the boy and pull him close, like a giant teddy bear. The Brazilian then managed to utter a somewhat quiet “M-meu ombro, é só… meu ombro e um pouquinho do meu braço.” Aiden listened carefully and concentrated hard, racking his brain for the right vocabulary. “He says it’s just his shoulder and his arm a little bit.” The medic nodded, satisfied. “Are you feeling dizzy, James?” James took a deep breath as another pang of pain hit him, gripping onto his boyfriend even more tightly. “Um pouco...” Aiden stroked James’s tears away from his eyelashes as he kissed his cheek, trying to soothe him however he could. “That means a little bit.” “Do you feel sick at all, James?” “Talvez… um pouco.” Aiden reached into the front pocket of the medical bag he spotted in front of him, pulling out the bottle of water he had spotted and offering it to James to drink. “He says that he might feel a bit sick.” The woman assessing James gave Aiden a big smile to thank him for his help. “You’re great at this; I’d say you’ve got a good career as a translator ahead of you when you graduate.” Aiden smiled shyly, not breaking eye contact with James as he stroked his cheek. “Maybe. I feel more like a nurse right now though…”

The atmosphere in the changing rooms was grim when Tom arrived, nothing like the rowdy atmosphere that usually greeted him after a game. Spencer was crying in Diego’s arms while the Colombian whispered to him something about “there was nothing you could’ve done…”. It was clear that the British boy was feeling guilty; the tears were probably from the shock of everything that had just transpired. Meanwhile Logan and Hunter said nothing as they both silently showered and got dressed; Tom followed suit. The muscular teen let the hot water pour over his body as it washed away the dirt and grime of the game and soothed a little bit of the stress from the last twenty minutes too. The thoughts of everything that Tom had seen kept replaying in his mind like a horrible film. He had been just behind James as he ran forward with the ball; the other kid came seemingly out of nowhere. From that point onwards, everything had been slow motion. The other kid just ploughed into James’s side with little to no reason; he didn’t even look like he was aiming for the ball. The kid’s hand had come up to grab James’s arm while his knee went right into James’s thigh; he must have used his full force to end up doing what he did. He probably didn’t even intend for that to happen! The other team most likely just wanted to end James’s momentum, but look where it got them… After a little while, everyone had left the changing rooms. At the school gates, Ally and Hunter reunited with a hug and bid Jake farewell for the night. The blue-haired boy stood alone with his back leaning against the wall, waiting for Tom to arrive. When the black-haired young man did finally get to the gates, it was clear to see for Jake that he had been crying. Tom cared for James like a brother; he had been his best friend since they were both twelve, and both boys had supported each other through some truly awful things. Although Tom knew James would be fine, seeing his friend in such pain had taken a toll on him while he had been left alone with nothing but his thoughts. Jake held his hand tightly and gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek as they both made their way home while trying to discuss the crazy events they had watched on the pitch.

Back with Aiden and James, the ambulance had arrived quite quickly, and the paramedics quickly set to work on assessing the Brazilian teen. After a few minutes of talking to James, still needing Aiden to translate what he could for them, they finally gave James an injection of very strong painkillers in the hopes of giving him some relief, but the drugs only slightly took the edge off the agony he was in. One paramedic braced James and held him while the other attempted to get his shoulder back into the right place, to no avail. James had never known pain like it; his screams were horrifying for Connor to listen to, let alone for Aiden. The blonde and brunette-haired boy had to take a moment to walk away as the paramedics continued to work with James, finding the shouts coming from his boyfriend just too distressing to cope with while Connor gripped James’s hand and held a mask with nitrous oxide to the Brazilian’s face. No matter what the ambulance staff had tried, there was no getting that shoulder back in place without some extra help, so it was into the ambulance for poor James. The young man leaned on Aiden and a paramedic as they tried to get him into the ambulance, having to stop every few moments due to the pain shooting through James’s side. Connor decided he would come along to support his student, as neither of James’s parents were present. The principal sat next to Aiden while Aiden held James’s hand during the whole ride to the hospital, as the other boy was sitting on the stretcher, still puffing on the nitrous oxide he had been given, being more than a bit off his head on the drugs by this point. The ride was mostly uneventful, but James was still wincing every time they went over a bump or a pothole; he was more than ready to get this bastard shoulder back in place so he could finally go home and not be in constant agony.

James was wheeled into a quiet room while he awaited the arrival of an arm and shoulder specialist who would hopefully get the thing back in place. Aiden was still at James’s side while Connor waited outside to give them a little bit of private time alone, warning them not to get up to any funny business and then laughing at the quick remark from James of him not being able to even if he wanted to in his sorry state. Injury or not, James Costa was still going to have the last laugh. Aiden held his head close to James’s as they both waited. Aiden muttered sweet, loving words into James’s ear as he continuously kissed him. He praised him for his bravery, and they both promised that they would do something fun once this was all over, but only something safe that didn’t risk one of them getting hurt! Both boys giggled against each other’s faces as they leaned in for one more kiss. When they broke apart, the specialist had arrived along with two other doctors. James looked at them with a nervous expression and unintentionally loudly gulped; he knew the next few minutes weren’t going to be fun for him.

James considered himself to be the most unlucky man on earth as two doctors tried to manipulate his shoulder back into its socket; he tried his best to take lung-fulls of the gas he had been given, but it was difficult to think of anything but the awful shooting pain in his upper right side. Aiden was trying his best to put on a brave face and be there for his boyfriend, but he couldn’t help but grit his teeth and try to fight back the tears in his eyes as he held James’s hand as he screamed in pain. Connor asked him multiple times if he needed a break or a moment to step outside into the hallway, but Aiden kept refusing; he wouldn’t leave his boyfriend’s side when he needed him the most. The doctors gave up momentarily once more, letting go of James and giving him a little bit of time to rest as he moaned in both pain and relief. “Caralho… is this what giving birth is like? What do you want, Aiden? A boy or a girl?” James asked as he turned his head towards his boyfriend, then shutting his eyes tightly. He could feel his head was spinning again, probably due to the pain, the painkillers from earlier and the gas. Aiden laughed at James’s comment, rubbing their noses together lovingly, and James raised up his good hand to wipe away the distressed tears from Aiden’s eyelashes, his concern for his boyfriend clear in his expression as he looked up at him. “I’ll have one of each, please, baby. My mom always said she wanted twins.” One of the doctors caught James’s eye when he opened them again, causing him to brace himself as he knew what was coming next. “We’re going to try once more, James. If this doesn’t work, then we’re going to have to get some very strong drugs into your system and try a different way.” James nodded and squeezed his eyes shut; both Connor and Aiden held onto him, the principal gripping the upper part of James’s good arm and Aiden squeezing his hand for dear life. The doctors got back into their places and tried to move his arm and shoulder as gently as they could, willing the thing to go back in place. At first, James bit his tongue, but after a few moments, nothing could stop the awful cries from spilling out of his lips. “Grr-gah! UghhHGGRR-RAHHH!” Both Aiden and James were crying wildly at this point, James with the pain and Aiden with the agony of listening to his boyfriend going through something so horrible. The doctors had one last try, using as much might as they could muster. James jolted right up from the hospital bed, almost smacking both Connor and Aiden in the process. “GYAAAAAAHHH!”

James fell back down onto the bed as the doctors and the two other men let go of him; his eyes were glassy, and they almost looked as if they were glazed over. The Brazilian young man stared blankly up at the ceiling above his head as he panted out in short, shallow breaths. “Did… did you …do it?” The doctor met his eye once more and shook her head sorrowfully; James’s good fist came down to angrily pound the space on the bed next to his legs. “Fuck!” The doctor came to pat his fist reassuringly, sympathy strong in her voice. “I’m really sorry, James. You did so well for us. We’re going to give you some drugs to put you out of it and relax you, then try again. You won’t remember a thing. We won’t be long.” The Brazilian young man puffed out a long sigh of relief. “Oh meu deus do caralho, fuckin’ finally! Give me everything! I want more drugs so bad. Morphine, ketamine – I want it all!” Without a word, each of the medical staff filed out of the room, all going in different directions. Connor patted James’s left side reassuringly and made his way to the door as well. “I’m going to go to reception to see if your mother or father are here yet, James. I’ll be back before you know it, boys. Both of the young men were left in silence as Aiden observed his lover’s body. James was still staring up at the ceiling, his eyes shimmering in the light from his tears and unblinking. He was well and truly dazed. He was shirtless, and his usually well-kept, curly locks were in a total mess from all of the writhing around on the bed; his lips were bitten and puffy, and some blood was sticking to his teeth from where he had bitten down on his lips so hard from the discomfort. Even in such a state, Aiden thought he was the most beautiful man alive, bringing his lips to James’s forehead to try to comfort him once more. The silence in the room was broken by James’s worn-out voice; his usual smooth tone and strong accent were crackly and strained from all of the yelling he had been doing.

“Aiden… baby? I’m so… so sorry. You shouldn’t have had to watch … and listen to all of this. You’ve got so much… so much going on…at home. You shouldn’t have to deal with this too…” Aiden’s eyes blew wide as tears welled in them once more. “W-what? James… You’re my boyfriend! I’m here for you, for whatever! I’m not going to just leave you, even if it is hard… I’m going to be here for you for everything you go through. I promise you.” Aiden moved closer to his lover, wrapping his arms around him as gently as he could for a very loose hug. James said nothing else, but Aiden could see his smirk from where he was laying his head on James’s bare chest. The Brazilian only spoke when Aiden lifted himself up to look at the dark-skinned young man properly. “Heh… of course, of course that’s it. That’s just the type of ‘Aiden’ thing you would say, isn’t it? God, you’re too good to be true, baby boy. How the hell did someone like me get so lucky?…” Aiden smiled, then ran his fingers through James’s messy hair, tugging at the roots softly just the way he liked. “I’m the lucky one to have a boyfriend as loving, accepting, kind and protective as you.” James looked up at the younger boy, raising his left hand to cup his pale cheek. “I guess we’re both lucky then, sunshine…”

A few more peaceful minutes passed before it all kicked off again. Connor and Aiden both said goodbye for a moment as they were ushered out of the room, as James had another mask placed over his mouth, which made him very drowsy as he was injected with ketamine. He was semiconscious and floppy at this point, perfect for getting that bastard shoulder finally back to where it was supposed to be. With a few minutes of trying, there was suddenly a satisfying ‘pop’ and a couple of cheers of joy and relief from the medical staff as Connor and Aiden were allowed back in to see a very out-of-it James Costa. He only had one eye open when Aiden came to look down at him and gently give him a hug. James smiled up at him like a goofy idiot while he tried to speak. His speech was slurred and hard to understand, coming out very slowly with one word at a time. “Is…it…back…in?” Aiden grinned back at him happily. “Yes, it is, babe. You’re going to have one hell of a story to tell people when you come back to school.” James reached his face up to try to meet Aiden’s, giving the younger man a very sloppy kiss, with an attempt to try to put his tongue into Aiden’s mouth, but the e-boy pulled away at that point. James was much too fucked up for comprehensively doing anything that passionate. A few more minutes after that, a very concerned-looking mother made her way into the private room. Gisela Costa had arrived, desperate to see her eldest. Her eyes were frantic as she made her way to her son’s side. “James! Oh, meu filho. What have you done now? James smiled joyfully as he saw his mother’s face come into view, reaching out to her with both arms and then regretting it as his right arm was still quite sore. “I’mmm fiiiine, Mamãe! They gave me Ketaminnnne!” The dark-skinned woman shook her head and rolled her eyes, kissing her very high son on his forehead. “Mamãe, where’s Pai and Laura?” Aiden smiled as he listened to his boyfriend’s question. James was very close to all of the members of his household. He had even cried out for his father when he was a bit more high and distressed when the doctors were trying to get his shoulder back in place; Aiden's heart wept when he heard that. Gisela stroked James’s very messy hair, trying to put it back into its normal place. “Your father and sister are at home, James. You’ll see them soon.”

Gisela kissed her son’s forehead once more before then turning her attention to Aiden, making her way over to him with grateful tears in her eyes and pulling him in for a tight hug. “Obrigada, Aiden. Obrigada for looking after my filho. Heitor and I appreciate you looking after him more than you’ll ever know.” “It’s my pleasure…” At that point, Aiden couldn’t hold back any more, tears of relief flooding down his face as he hung onto the Brazilian woman. She shushed him gently and rubbed his back just like how Aiden had done for James not too long ago. She had become like an aunt or a second mother for him in recent times; the same went for Heitor, James’s father. Both of James’s parents saw the e-boy like a second son, and Aiden saw the Costas as a second family; even James’s little sister Laura saw Aiden as a cool older friend. At this point, both teens were exhausted and just wanted to go home; Gisela felt the same even though she had only been in the hospital for a few minutes. There was still a bit more work to be done for the doctors; there was still the worry of James having fractures or even ligament damage. After another hour of waiting, Aiden and James kissing and holding each other, Gisela talking to Connor about everything that had transpired and everyone being bored out of their minds, everyone was more than relieved when, miraculously, all of James’s scans, X-rays and tests came back clear. The Brazilian boy was devastated to hear that he would be unable to play soccer for eight weeks, but he knew it was necessary; Aiden tried to butter him up by saying it meant they could spend even more time together, getting a little smile from James. After three hours of pure ‘bliss’, James was allowed to leave. The two boys kissing and holding onto each other the whole way back to Aiden’s neighbourhood in the back of James’s mother’s car, just grateful that no matter what, they had each other.

Not too far away, Tom Reed and Jake Hamilton were making their way back to Miriam’s house for the evening, the two of them crossing into the alleyway that Jake hated as they both continued to discuss everything that had happened that day. Jake tried his best to try to look at his old house as they both walked and talked. Both young men were still quite worried, as neither of them had heard any word from Aiden. He had promised to inform them as soon as there were any updates as to James’s condition; they both knew there could be hundreds of simple explanations for the lack of communication from the e-boy, but they both couldn't help but worry nonetheless. Tom still felt very frustrated about what he had seen play out right in front of his eyes on the pitch earlier that day; he had been mumbling about it on and off all the way home to Jake. “I just can’t believe it, babe! I hope that kid gets disciplined well – or, better yet, James’s mom sues him or something. James could have really been hurt, you know? Jake?…” The blue-haired boy had been listening to Tom until something caught his attention. The ponytailed boy couldn’t help himself from looking at his old house through the cracks in the fencing; try as he might not to, he always gave in and stared at the house he had been raised in. This time, something was very off.

Both of the cars that were usually in the driveway were missing; Jake’s parents never did that. They always kept one car on the drive to give the illusion that someone was in the house, even if nobody was there. That was Jake’s first indicator of something being off; he paused and looked even closer, his head almost poking through the crack in the fence as he did so. Upon further inspection, the cars were nowhere to be seen, and there was… furniture; it was all over the front lawn. At first, Jake thought it may have been his old shit from his room, the stuff that he had destroyed in his rampage before the summer, but he looked again and spotted the dining room table, the old stove, and furniture from the attic, and then there it was. The nail in the coffin. A navy blue and lime green sign was sticking up from the grass; Jake concentrated on it, Tom's voice now a low mumble in the background as he started intensely; there were words on the sign. Big red letters, spelling out ‘sold’. Jake’s heart dropped into his stomach as his mouth went dry and his chest pounded. In that moment, his world came tumbling right back down again. No, oh no, please, god, no…

Tom repeatedly tried to get Jake’s attention to no avail; he decided to follow Jake’s line of sight, and he finally saw what Jake had spotted; his words suddenly caught in his throat, but Jake had different ideas. The small boy’s hands came up to the fence, and he smacked it with all of his might; planks of wood came away with ease and smacked the ground with a loud, echoing ‘TWACK’ each time, then hitting the floor and disintegrated into long, brown splinters. Once Jake had a gap small enough to squeeze through, he made his way into his old neighbourhood through the gap and bolted to his old house, tears streaming down his pale and flushed cheeks. Tom followed suit and ran right after him, coming to a stop just behind Jake as the blue-haired lad took in the sight. He had no idea his parents were moving; he had no idea where they had gone. He hated them for what they had done and said to him, but they were his parents; a small part of him deep inside still loved them, and now they were gone forever. “They’re gone… they just left…” Jake’s whole body began to tremble; it felt like air just couldn’t get into his lungs. The teenage boy started to loudly cry and wail at the sight before him, sinking to his knees as he did so, Tom’s large, warm arm coming to wrap around him, rocking him back and forth, trying to mutter to the smaller boy that everything would be okay, but would it? Jake had just started to get over everything that had happened; would this make it all come crawling back? Tom couldn’t think about that, not right now. He had a boyfriend to protect and a best friend in the hospital too. Tom Reed sat on his knees while Jake Hamilton sobbed and cried into his chest under the shadow of that cold, dark, empty house in the chill of that horrible, unforgettable October afternoon…

Chapter 19: Sit Next To Me

Summary:

Twink stuff n' shit.

When Jake opened his eyes most mornings these days, he didn't have a care in the world, but for the last few mornings that dark, sinking feeling he once knew oh too well had begun to creep back into his life. At first, the dark feeling was only there when he first woke up; it was gone as soon as he had something to eat and Tom arrived at the door to walk him to school, but after a few weeks it started to linger; it began following him like a shadow. The feeling came with him to school, to work and back home with him again at the end of the day; it wasn't constant, but it came and went just enough to become a true pain in the ass for Jake. The afternoon where he discovered his parents had left is what started it all. The thought of his parents, what his family used to be and what they were now haunted his thoughts like a miserable cloud. He missed them, but he hated them for all that they had done to him. Despite everything that Jake now had, all of the things he was grateful for, that awful feeling still remained. ‘You have Miriam, you have a home, and you have a boyfriend who loves you!’ Jake was immensely thankful for it all; the guilt he felt as a consequence for still having that empty feeling was palpable. He tried his best to talk to Tom and Miriam about how he felt; the seventeen-year-old couldn't have asked for better people to share his feelings with. Miriam was sympathetic; she cared; she was the parent of everyone's dreams. Jake would never forget that afternoon when Tom took him home after they both discovered that his parents had gone and they both explained the situation to Miriam while Jake wept into Miriam's arms. The older woman had hit the wall; neither boy had heard language like it from an old lady before. If she didn't despise his mother and father before, she most certainly did now. The older woman doted on him for days after the awful news, trying her best to bring the boy back up again after such a shock. She would repeat Tom's point of them not deserving him, also telling him that there was no guidebook to how he was supposed to be feeling after so much happened to him at his young age. Miriam would simply tell Jake to accept how he felt; however he felt, feelings come and go. Regardless, she loved him, Tom loved him and they both knew that Jake loved them too.

Tom was Jake’s rock, at home, at work, and especially at school. They were both inseparable, one never being seen without the other. Both boys were constantly hand in hand. No one ever tried to make nasty remarks towards Jake anymore, something else to be very grateful for, no doubt because his boyfriend constantly watched over him like a hawk. On the days where Jake found it hard to smile, Tom never failed to raise his spirits. Regardless of how Jake was feeling, the blue-haired young man never failed to fill Tom with joy too. The black-haired young man's confidence had skyrocketed since being with Jake; he felt much less self-conscious about his scars. Something that both boys loved doing was going swimming to take their minds off things; Tom could now happily display his torso to other people without fear. He had even started showering alongside his teammates after soccer; it was a sense of freedom that he hadn't felt for a long time. He owed a lot of his newfound confidence to Jake's love, affection and constant praise of his body. Both boys agreed that it was a miracle that they had found each other; they both gave each other what they needed, they complemented each other perfectly, and no matter what, they'd stick together through it all. But still, Jake's dark feelings remained with him from time to time.

It was fair to say that it was a similar story for both boys' best friends. The story of what had happened to James had spread like wildfire across the school; the curly-haired young man had been treated like a hero upon his return to school the week after his accident, his arm in a blue medical sling. While shocked at first at having everyone’s attention on him, he soon played into the role, the praise stroking his ego without restraint, soaking up the attention from everyone. While usually Aiden would be slightly concerned about his boyfriend's ego growing so large it could block out the sun, but fuck it. James was most definitely a hero; after all that he had suffered in the hospital, he deserved all of the support and attention he was getting; he deserved all that and more. James still wasn't happy about not being able to play the sport he loved for eight weeks; the whole team was devastated for him. He was one of their best players, and his presence on the pitch would be sorely missed; it was going to be a hard time without ‘Costa 9's’ skill and speed to keep them going.

Aiden was extra doting towards James now after all of the drama the previous week, doing his best to distract the Brazilian whenever he felt down about not being able to play with his teammates on a Thursday afternoon or even practise with them on other days. Thursdays were now spent at either James’s or Aiden’s house, mostly at James's. Aiden couldn't help but feel embarrassed having his boyfriend see their small, humble home in comparison to James’s lavish one. James's room was in the loft of his parent’s house; the place was a teenager's delight. He had everything: an amazing gaming setup, a large TV, a king-sized bed and a wardrobe that made Aiden ever so slightly jealous. Fortunately, James was more than happy to share his things and loved having Aiden stay with him. Whenever both lads were in James’s bedroom together, they spent half of the time making out with each other, sometimes for hours on end. Usually getting shouts and complaints from Laura in her bedroom below whenever one of them passionately pushed the other back against James's headboard with a ‘smack’. After the long and loving displays of romance, the rest of the time was spent talking and staring into each other's eyes, holding onto each other the whole while. However, there was one day where Aiden just didn't seem to want to talk; he just wanted to kiss and kiss and kiss, continuously grabbing James’s face and smashing their lips together and shoving his tongue in the Brazilian’s mouth. Aiden was simply just doing anything to keep his mind busy; that was until James grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes, trying to see if there was something else going on. There was. The e-boy burst immediately into tears as soon as James asked if he was okay; the boy was near inconsolable for an hour. It was the worst possible news. Aiden’s mother had been let go from her job; she had managed to get another one quite quickly, but the pay was nowhere near as good. Things had gone from bad to dire financially for the Brooks family. James held Aiden close while he let it all out: the fears, the stress, the worries and the endless tears. Aiden had come to the conclusion that he needed to find a job and fast. The next couple of weeks were spent looking all over the place for work, applying here and there with nothing to show for it. It felt almost pointless for the seventeen-year-old e-boy, and the helplessness that Aiden felt was crushing him on the inside.

Jake, Tom, Ellie and Gabby knew there was still something going on in Aiden’s personal life, but still he refused to discuss it with any of them. James was the only one he felt comfortable confiding in, and they all respected that. Rosa and Lake always knew when Aiden wasn’t himself, and Rosa was certain that she knew why. The friendship between her and Aiden had been formed by their shared bonding over the poverty they had both faced in the past; she knew the signs to look for when someone’s situation at home was getting out of hand. Aiden was almost constantly stressed and restless, especially if James wasn’t around, but he hated talking about what his family was dealing with; he couldn’t even bear to think about the situation. The fear of being thrown out of their home and having to go somewhere else haunted his dreams at night; he didn’t want that possibility to haunt his every waking thought too. Even when Aiden did tell James about what was happening, it wouldn’t be for too long; if the lad did think about it for longer than a few minutes, the red-hot tears of fear couldn’t be held back, and Aiden knew he would be a total mess – a sobbing, crying, nervous mess. He couldn’t risk that happening at school, not again. It always took him a long time to recover from it afterwards too. Rosa practically begged her friend to tell her what was happening, but Aiden always refused, simply replying with a small “You know” before changing the topic. The violet-haired Latina girl needed to discuss her worries regarding the split-colour-haired boy with someone; seeing him suffering broke her heart. Lake lived with the violet-haired girl; she had her own personal struggles, and she cared deeply for both Aiden and Rosa; she knew what it was like to hold onto a difficult secret. A problem shared was a problem halved, right? The Latina girl pulled Lake aside in the corridor one day, just by the lockers, and told her everything: all about Aiden’s past and the likely money troubles that were bothering him and his family now. Lake had no idea that Aiden had to live with relatives for a time when he was younger; it was all a shock for her to take in. Little did the girls know, two other sets of ears were listening intently, just around the corner. They both listened to the hushed whispers in the hallway, giggling as they did so, sinister smiles plastered on their faces. This information was like gold dust for them; the two of them had just been talking about the fact that they thought that Aiden was looking way too comfortable hanging on the arm of one of the most popular boys in school; it was time to knock him down a peg. Entertainment was entertainment after all, and this would be one hell of a show. Now all they had to do was wait for just the right moment…

The week went by quickly, quietly and fairly uneventfully. Jake was starting to feel much brighter more often. Tom’s support and love had made those dark clouds in his mind not seem so oppressive. The news regarding his parents had spread to his friends, who were all sympathetic and supportive; hearing Gabby go into extreme detail about what she would do to ‘those fucking bastards’ always made him laugh, and the whole situation became much lighter to discuss. It all became just another shitty thing that his family did on top of everything else. Aiden, meanwhile, still had no luck on the job hunt. James extended his sympathy and support, but he couldn’t give him much else, apart from his time and his love, of course, and he knew he had plenty of that to spare for his sunshine. On the Wednesday morning, James had a very ‘fun’ proposition for Aiden. The Tipiskaw high students didn’t have school that Friday, giving them an extra long weekend to enjoy, and James’s mother had told him that she and his father were going out of town for a few days. They were leaving on Thursday afternoon and wouldn’t be back until late on Monday night, and that left James to look after Laura on his own. No big deal; he agreed happily! However, the Brazilian young man had better ideas, and so did Laura for that matter! James had asked his mother if he could have Aiden stay over with him to watch over Laura, bringing up the fact that Aiden had been such a big support for him while he had been in the hospital getting his shoulder put back in place. Gisela agreed, giving her son a wink and telling him to ‘make sure that they behaved’, but it got even better! James’s twelve-year-old sister had a friend whose house she was desperate to stay over at for a few days, and what kind of cruel big brother would he be to say no to her? So the plan was set for the Costa siblings. James would have Aiden stay with him from Thursday after school until Monday; Laura would go to her friends on Friday night and come back home on Sunday, which left James and Aiden plenty of time to do whatever the fuck they wanted together, all alone, just the two of them. James also mentioned to Aiden the idea of inviting a couple of friends over to play some games with on Friday, and Laura wouldn’t say a word to their parents; as long as James kept his end of the deal! Aiden was always desperate to spend time with the curly-haired young man, so he joyfully agreed. It certainly sounded like fun, and it wasn’t like his parents were going to miss him; they were never at home at the same time these days anyway…

When Thursday afternoon came along, James and Aiden both piled into the Brazilian young man’s yellow jeep and went to the local middle school to pick up Laura, as James’s parents had already left town an hour before. After the twelve year old girl back been picked up, the three of them went to Aiden’s house so he could pick up some clothes and other essentials for the long weekend at his boyfriends. Following that, the three of them were back in the car and heading out to get food before going back to the Costa residence. The two boyfriends got a couple of pizzas and other snacks to keep them going until Monday, while Laura begged her big brother to buy her a new Squishmallow that she spotted. Aiden couldn’t help himself from smiling the whole time he was with Laura and James; the three of them tore around the place like maniacs, with James speeding up and down the aisles of the supermarket with Laura, and Aiden stood in the shopping cart like he was trying to recreate a Fast & Furious movie without a motor. Aiden kept trying to tell his boyfriend to take it easy with his arm, but James insisted that it felt completely better, picking Aiden up bridal style in the middle of the frozen food aisle to prove his point, much to Laura’s amusement as she snapped a photo of them both. After over an hour of shopping (and nearly being kicked out by security), it was time to go home to get on with their evening. The three of them sat on the couch around the TV and shouted insults at all of the awful TV shows that they found while flicking through the channels as they ate their pizza.

Laura had retreated back to her bedroom after eating her fill, leaving both boys alone on the couch. The sound of a movie playing came from the twelve-year-old’s bedroom, giving both boys the idea of putting one on too. The twin-colour-haired boy cuddled into James as he put on a film for them both, but in less than half an hour, the movie was forgotten completely; the e-boy had gone from simply being cuddled into James’s side to James lying down on his side to ‘get more comfortable’, the dark-skinned boy encouraging Aiden to move in alongside him. The pale lad did just that, James’s warmth radiating into his back as he tried to concentrate on some bullshit, sappy romantic comedy, but that was rather difficult when he could feel James breathing down his neck. Only a minute or two later, breathing on his neck turned to kissing, just the occasional peck now and again, then nuzzling him, then licking, then nibbling. The e-boy had enough of the teasing and flipped them both over so he was on top of James, the Brazilian’s hands coming to reach up to rest on Aiden’s sides, Aiden then kissing him deeply and passionately; tongues dancing together, both of them fighting for dominance. James won the battle and flipped them once more, climbing on top of Aiden, looking down at him with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes. James dove back in to kiss Aiden’s neck as the split-dye-haired boy stared up at the ceiling above with a huge grin on his face while James tangled his fingers in his boyfriend’s blonde and brunette dyed locks. Aiden had never felt anything like it before; it was pure bliss. To be smothered in nothing but the boy he loved, in a place where he felt safe and accepted, away from all of the worries in the outside world. This place was his oasis; this boy was his paradise. James wanted Aiden’s attention on him and nothing but him; he pulled away from the e-boy’s neck to lock their mouths together for another sloppy but romantic kiss. The two boys kept their mouths connected for as long as they could hold out for, pulling away once both of their lungs started screaming for oxygen, a string of saliva connecting them momentarily as they watched each other with open-mouthed smiles. James’s dark brown eyes looking right down into Aiden’s sea green ones as they both breathed against each other’s mouths. There was a momentary silence, apart from the sound of breathing and the TV in the background, that was, until James broke it. A simple “You want to take this upstairs, sunshine?” being whispered against Aiden’s lips as he smiled back against James’s. “Fuck yeah…”

Two hours later and Laura had been fast asleep for ages by this point; she could never stay awake to get to the end of a movie when she watched one at night, always falling asleep within the first thirty minutes. Meanwhile, both boys lay on the king-sized bed side by side in James's room; James was in nothing but a pair of sweats, while Aiden wore his t-shirt and a pair of boxers. The t-shirt belonging to his boyfriend was so big on Aiden it looked more like a dress, but he didn’t care; it was soft and cosy and smelt of James. James looked at his precious boyfriend with the biggest grin on his lips, Aiden’s eyes were softly closed as he rested on his side against the pillows, James lay on his side too, facing towards him and holding Aiden's smaller hand, rubbing it absentmindedly, James’s eyes kept scanning Aiden’s for any possible signs of discomfort but all he was was the boy’s angelic face with a light blush across his pale cheeks and a slight smile on his lips as his chest rose and fall with his breathing. “James? I can feel you staring, you adorable idiot.” Busted. “Sorry, xuxu.” James’s eyes went back to Aiden’s hand while he was still rubbing it, then noticing one of Aiden’s silver rings, it glistening beautifully in the low light of his bedroom. “Hey, babe? That ring…” “Hmm?” Aiden didn’t even bother opening his eyes; he was too exhausted to discuss the jewellery he wore. He was barely even listening to James as he felt like he was half asleep. James's hand brought Aiden's closer to his face to examine the little silver ring he had spotted, Aiden still resting as he did so. The ring that James had spotted was a simple silver band on Aiden’s index finger, the word ‘love’ being engraved into the metal in pretty lettering. Aiden continued to smile at James’s curious examining of his accessories; it felt quite nice to have his hand tickled and played with while he tried to get to sleep.

Aiden didn’t see it, but James’s face turned into a slightly devilish smirk. “Aidy, baby… That’s not a purity ring, is it?” Aiden's eyes shot wide open at that point; he was well and truly awake now. He tried to snatch his hand back, but James had one hell of a tight grip, and he wasn’t letting go. “What? No! Fuck no, I wouldn’t wear something like that…” The dark-skinned boy raised an eyebrow at his lover’s defensive statement, smirk still painted on his lips while he purred out his next words. “I see, baby. Sooooo, you wouldn’t care if I… took this?” Aiden was still exhausted; what happened next went by too quickly for him to object to. The ring was gently but swiftly pulled off from his finger by the Brazilian before Aiden could protest. James was undoing the silver chain he always wore around his neck. It had been a gift from his grandfather on his sixteenth birthday, or so he had told Aiden. It was an old family heirloom all the way from Brazil, and James never took it off; very few people even knew that he even wore it, as it was always hidden under his t-shirt. Aiden’s stolen ring was then having the silver chain slipped through it before James brought it back to his neck and clasped it once more. Looking back at Aiden with satisfaction in his eyes. The e-boy flipped back over onto his knees and pawed at James’s chain with a sad whine. “H-hey! I liked that one…” James turned his face to meet Aiden’s, pecking him on the cheek. “I’ll buy you another one, baby boy… Besides, you don’t need this one anymore; you’re not innocent.” James didn’t miss the slight gasp that escaped Aiden’s wet lips as the Brazilian gave the e-boy a wink at the end of his last statement. Aiden’s cheeks went bright red, the e-boy then scowling at the curly-haired young man. Pale hands grabbed at the nearest pillow he could find before launching it right at James’s face, knocking back the Curitiba man with a “Hey!” and a chuckle, Aiden then falling back down on his back and bringing his hands to cover up his face in embarrassment. James took the opportunity to crawl back on top of Aiden, grabbing his wrists once more and pinning his hands at either side of his head on the mattress, preventing him from hiding his beautiful face. “Don’t be shy, Aidy baby. You’re still pure, though. Purely adorable.” James's lips came down to peck kisses all over Aiden’s face as the pale boy rolled his eyes. “Oh, ha-ha. Funny. You’re purely a jerk, James Costa.” “Oh, I know – and you love it.” The emphasis that James put on his words had Aiden biting his lip; somehow he managed to slip his wrists free of James’s grasp and tangle them in his messy, curly locks, pulling James's lips to meet with his once more in a fiery kiss, then pushing James off of him to push the larger young man onto his back while they continued to kiss. As they pulled away, James's dark brown hand came to rest on Aiden's cheek, the same hand that had been dislocated just over a week ago. Aiden nuzzled into the touch, and his hand came to rest on top of James’s, pecking his palm with his lips as his eyes filled with love for his boyfriend. “I love you, Jamesy, so much.” James smiled, his other hand coming to brush Aiden’s long blonde and brunette strands out of his eyes. “Et tu amo, meu coração.”

The next day, Laura had gone to her friend’s house to stay, which left James to invite whoever he wanted over to his place to hang out and play Call of Duty with. James had sworn to Aiden he wouldn’t invite too many people over; he didn’t want to risk a repeat of what happened at Benji’s house just before the summer. Spencer, Diego and Logan were the obvious choices for James. He hadn't seen them much, as he was absent from training and soccer games while his arm and shoulder mended themselves. All three boys arrived and were ushered into the living room by James, where they all greeted Aiden with a smile as he connected his and James’s Spotify playlist to the loudspeaker on the coffee table. All of the boys took their seats to start a very shouty and sweary gaming session; Aiden had to physically get between Logan and Spencer at one point to try to prevent both of the boys from ripping each other’s hair out as they continuously took turns at killing each other in the game. After an hour of the boys insulting each other, the doorbell rang once again. James leapt up from the couch while quickly pressing a kiss to Aiden cheek to answer the door. The e-boy munched on a couple of Doritos as he watched the three other lads continue to play, then was surprised at the raised voices at the door. Curious, Aiden got up himself and went to see where James had got to, being quite surprised when he came face to face with Oleksander standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of vodka for James. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, friend. That’s just a part of the game sometimes – oh, hey, Aiden!” Oleksander cut himself off upon seeing Aiden’s surprised face, giving him a little wave in greeting as James took the bottle from his friend gratefully. “Oh, hi again… Why are you here?” Both young men chuckled, and James ruffled Aiden’s hair as he made his way past him. “I invited him, silly. Now come on, let’s get this party really started!”

A few more hours passed by, and amazingly, nobody was completely shit-faced for once! The atmosphere was jovial; all of James's guests were enjoying themselves. Oleksander had this natural charisma about him that allowed him to get along with everyone. Aiden was enjoying himself too; he enjoyed the company of all of the boys there, but, for whatever reason, he couldn’t take his mind off home. Looking at everyone in the room, Aiden couldn't imagine a single one of them had dealt with poverty like his family had. What would they all think of him if they found out exactly how dire things were at home? It made him feel so… inferior, like he didn’t belong. Taking himself away from all of the other boys for a moment, the e-boy made his way into the kitchen to pour himself another drink, leaning against the sink and staring out the window into James’s beautiful back garden as he sipped the strong alcohol. The thoughts coursing through Aiden’s mind completely consumed him, pulling him away from reality. He didn’t even notice the footsteps coming up from behind him and the strong hands that suddenly grabbed him by the waist. “Got you!” Aiden shrieked loudly and almost spilt his drink all over himself. “OH FUCK! James, that wasn’t fuckin’ funny!” James would've started laughing, but he noticed the way that Aiden turned himself around and how his hands came to wrap around himself, hugging his chest tightly, trying to protect himself from the outside world as tears formed in his ocean green eyes. “Hey… Meu amor, desculpa… I’m sorry. What's wrong? Is it… you know? The usual worries?” Aiden said nothing but nodded his head sadly, fighting back tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks, the e-boy moving himself to be wrapped up in James’s loving embrace. “Oh, meu amor. Things will improve. They always do. I’m here for you.” Aiden nodded, pushing himself back from James’s chest to look up into his eyes as he spoke. “It’s just… your friends. They don’t have any of the troubles that I have; they’re all so well off. It feels wrong to be here… with all of them.” James shrugged as he patted Aiden's head. “You don’t know that for sure, xuxu. They may have gone through all kinds of awful shit; who knows? But what I do know is that we all like you, regardless of your background. If you continue to be diligent and keep on the job hunt, something will come along. You’ll find something in the end, Aidy baby.”

Neither boy had noticed but a third person had made his way into the kitchen, nursing his own cup of vodka as he approached the two young men. “Apologies for eavesdropping, boys, but I couldn’t help but overhear your plight, Aiden. I have a proposal, though. The club is desperate for a new bartender to help ease the backlog when there's a rush, you know? I can teach you the ropes; I’m certain Dejan will be more than willing once he hears that you’re James’s boyfriend. It’s piss-easy work, and it pays well. I think you would be the perfect little apprentice for me. Oh, and don’t worry, James. I’ll keep an eye on him the whole time; he’ll be as safe as houses. What do you think, sunshine?” Aiden stood there stunned, still in James’s arms. Both boys didn’t quite know what to say upon hearing Oleksander refer to the blonde and brunette-haired boy with James’s nickname for him. His fingers came up to his chin while he considered the offer he had just been given. He did have that fake ID now, so he could lie about his age easily; the club was close by, and he could walk there within twenty-five minutes from his house. It seemed almost too good to be true; he had been desperate for work, and here was this golden opportunity on a plate just before his eyes. “Umm… O-okay, sure. I’ll give it a try!” Oleksander’s face lit up like a candle at the answer. “Great! I’ll tell Dejan right away! You’ll need a little interview, just so Dejan can meet you before you start, but he’ll say yes to you regardless. He always does. He’s got a free slot on Tuesday at around four thirty. Does that work for you?” Aiden nodded his head with an enthusiastic smile, but he didn’t miss the way James looked at Oleksander as he walked out of the room, the Brazilian’s arms tightening around his frame as they both listened to Oleksander calling Dejan to tell him about the possible new employee for the club.

A couple more hours passed after that; it was now getting quite late into the night. Everyone had left for their respective homes as James and Aiden were left alone to clean up the living room. Aiden pulled his upper body up from the floor, stretching out his cramped-up muscles as he finished picking up broken bits of Doritos from the carpet. “Jesus Christ, how can so few people make such a fuckin’ mess?” James chuckled as he collected empty bowls and plates from the coffee table and took them into the kitchen to wash them up. “I know, right? But it was worth it; I had a lot of fun. Did you, meu amor?” Aiden nodded with a joyous smile, the brightest smile James had seen for a while. “Isn’t it great? About the job? I was going to yell at Oleksander for eavesdropping, but I'm so glad he did.” “Yeah… sure…” James went quiet for a moment before coming to face Aiden, making direct eye contact with him as his tone became a bit more serious. “I’m really happy for you, xuxu, but… I can’t help but feel a bit worried. You’ll be on your own, in a club…” “But you took me there before! It was completely fine, Jamesy.” The Brazilian young man crossed his arms defensively before uttering a “Yes, because I was there with you. I was there to protect you. I don’t know how I feel about you going there on your own.” Aiden shook his head, grasping James’s head and bringing him in for a sweet kiss to try to reassure him. “I won’t be on my own! I’ll be with Oleksander; he said he would show me the ropes! Don’t you trust him?” “Of course I do! He’s a very good friend of mine...” James stayed quiet for a moment again before sighing in defeat, throwing a kitchen towel right onto Aiden’s head. “Okay, you win. Just behave yourself and stay out of trouble. Got it, baby?” Aiden pulled the towel off his head with a laugh, moving himself over to start drying up some dishes. “Got it. I’ll be an angel, Jamesy. I promise you.”

Saturday morning came in Jake and Miriam’s small home. They both didn’t have any plans; they had the whole day to themselves. Miriam planned to do some gardening and decorating; Jake had a bit of homework to do. Maybe afterwards he would help Miriam out for a while before calling to see if Tom wanted to do anything. Jake and Miriam both sat in her living room on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV as Miriam finished her coffee and Jake ate the least of his cereal. They had only been flicking through the channels as a news alert came up, reminding them both of some rather sad news. A girl named Kennedy Sutton, only slightly older than Jake, had been missing for more than a month; her parents were on the news pleading for her safe return. Miriam’s eyes looked over to the teenage boy on her couch with concern. “Whenever you go out, you make sure you're with company and keep your phone on you with plenty of battery power, got it?” Jake gave a playful salute in response. “Understood, ma’am.” Miriam rolled her eyes and bonked Jake on the top of his head with her newspaper at the cheeky response; the laughter Jake gave in reply echoed across the room, then was cut off by the doorbell ringing. Jake wiped his mouth and put his bowl down on the table in front of the couch, jumping to his feet and walking to the door with a light skip in his step. “I’ll get it, Miriam. I think it’s those anime figures I ordered online!” The blue-haired lad pulled the door open carelessly, ready to be met by the mailman. The teen was just about to put his hands out and thank the delivery man, but the words got caught up in his throat as his eyes met the man standing at the door. “Umm… Hi, Jake. How’ve you been?” A cold sweat started to run down Jake’s back; his heart started to pound. Why was he here? How did he find out where I lived? What the hell does he want? The words just couldn’t form for the blue-haired teen; after a few more seconds of silence, Jake finally spoke. “Shawn… Why… why are you here?”

Chapter 20: You're Buildin' Me Up Just To Break Me Down

Summary:

Be warned there is some cruel bullying in this, take care of yourselves x
p.s can't wait to read the comments lol

This was certainly the last thing that Jake expected when he answered the door. To be caught in an argument between his estranged older brother and his boss-turned-guardian in the doorway of Miriam’s home. “Miss Foster, please. I just wanted to talk to him!” “Oh, so now you decide to turn up to talk to him, but not when your parents threw him out!” Shawn was growing more defensive, but there wasn’t a hint of anger in his voice; he seemed genuine. At first Jake thought Shawn had been sent on his parents' behalf, but the more he listened, the less likely that seemed to be. “I-I can explain! Jake, please. I came here to apologise.” “Save your excuses!” Miriam was having none of it; her hand came to grab at the sleeve of Jake’s t-shirt and pull him away from the door, most likely so she could slam it shut and lock Shawn out. Jake was too intrigued to let that happen; he pulled himself away from her grasp and turned to face her, his back to Shawn as he stood in front of his brother with his hands slightly raised, almost like he was protecting him. “Miriam, please. Let me hear him out.” Shawn seemed taken aback by the gesture, his hand coming down to rest on Jake’s shoulder. “Jake… thank you.” Jake shrugged away his brother’s hand as soon as he made contact with him. “Yeah, whatever.” Shawn smiled again, taking a step back. Trying to not overstep his brother’s boundaries. “I was thinking we could take a drive? Maybe grab a bite to eat?” Before Jake could respond, Miriam’s voice was calling out again. “And how do I know you won’t kidnap him?” Shawn was about to reply, but Jake butted in for him. “Miriam, please. Just… I’ll have my phone on me. I want to talk with him on our own.” The blue-haired teen’s face shot back around to the tall young man who stood in the doorway with an unimpressed look for a moment before looking back at the woman who cared for him like her own child. “Shawn, you have an hour. If I’m not back by lunch, then you can call the police. Okay, Miriam?” The older woman’s expression softened; she could clearly see that Jake had his mind set on this. “Okay, son. Just be careful.” The elderly lady then came to wrap the teen up in a tight hug and press a kiss to his temple, then whispering a sweet “I love you, my boy” into his ear. Jake giggled and smiled as he replied with a “Love you too, Miriam,” before he turned around to grab his coat and shoes. Jake missed the way that Shawn’s eyes grew slightly sad at the sight but then lightened up again when he saw Jake was getting ready to go. “Thank you again, Jake; you won't regret this.” Jake raised an eyebrow and glared daggers back at his older brother. “Like hell I won’t. You better get your excuses ready, Shawn.”

The seventeen-year-old boy stared blankly out of the window of his brother’s car, completely uninterested in looking at the other man while he drove. They had both gone to a local McDonald's drive-through, Shawn's treat. Jake always enjoyed doing that when he was younger when Shawn had first gotten his own car. Jake thanked him, but he couldn’t think of much else to say. The tension was thick in the air, and the silence in the vehicle between both young men spoke volumes. As more and more time went on, Jake could feel himself getting even more and more pissed off. Why now? Was Shawn here to apologise or just to gloat? It would take more than buying him some fries and a Pepsi to win him back. The teen didn’t notice it, but his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were starting to turn white. “Jake, listen… about everything… I'm really sorry.” Jake rolled his eyes with a huff, crossing his arms as he spat out his reply. “Oh, for what? For not speaking to me since last Christmas? For not challenging our parents or coming to my defence when they said the most disgustingly homophobic things possible to me? Oh wait, I forgot! You fucking despise gay people too. How the fuck do I know you aren't just going to feed everything I say to you right back to them?” Jake expected his older sibling to cuss him out, scream at him and start a fight; maybe a part of him wanted that. Just to know that all of his family truly did hate him. What he actually got was far from what he expected. “Wait, Jake, no! I've cut off Mom and Dad too. I haven't spoken to them since May.” “You did… what?” The words barely registered in Jake’s ears and mind. Was this some kind of sick joke? “Look… just let me speak, Jake. Let me explain. I've been a shitty older brother. I know I have, when you came out to Mom and Dad… when I found out afterwards…when they told me everything and I heard them call you those things. I didn't like it, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to rock the boat. For some reason I was still under their spell. I was still… I was still ignorant and bigoted and an asshole.” “You've certainly got that right; glad you can admit it.” Jake interjected, a shit-eating grin on his face. All of this information was shocking to hear, but he was still feeling pissed off. Shawn didn’t challenge him; however, he just carried on. “But I've changed… I've met people, new friends. They've opened my eyes, and when I heard what happened just before the summer – the fact that they would just throw out their own teenage son like that… and you had to start living with someone else. I just… I saw red. I was furious at them. They even refused to acknowledge that you were their own child! They said they only had one son, me. I couldn't believe it. I tried to convince them to let you go back home, but they were having none of it. I was so pissed off I told them to never contact me again, and I blocked both of their numbers. I guess they don't have any kids anymore... Selfish pricks, both of ‘em.”

Jake was gobsmacked and stunned, sitting in the passenger seat in silence as he took it all in. “Shawn… fuck… I'm really sorry; that must have been so hard. Really, I mean it…but why? I mean, why are you telling me this now? Why didn't you get in contact with me before?” Jack jumped up a bit at the volume of his brother's voice and the animated response he gave, Shawn smacking his own forehead with his palm as he spoke, then quickly putting his hand back on the wheel. “Jake I wanted to! I swear to God I did, but I just… didn't know how. I was too scared; I was a coward… It was only when I found out that Mom and Dad had moved out of our old house that I knew that I needed to man up and speak to you; that was the breaking point. We’re brothers for god’s sake; we’re the only family that either of us has left at this point. Plus, I didn't exactly think you would want to speak to me when you got kicked out…” Jake looked back at Shawn’s face; he could see the glimmer of tears starting to form in his eyes as he desperately tried to focus on the road. All that anger had dispersed, being replaced with something else. An emptiness, a hollow feeling in his heart and in his chest. Jake suddenly had sympathy and empathy for Shawn; perhaps he had changed. Perhaps he was trying to be better? “Yeah… at that time. I probably wouldn't have wanted to talk. There was…a lot of stuff going on, but… I appreciate you trying to convince them to let me go back home. I would have said, ‘All of you can fuck off,’ but I appreciate it nonetheless.” Shawn chuckled at the response quietly. “Don’t blame you.”

There was a pause; the traffic lights had gone red, and Shawn turned his head to the side to look at Jake, giving him a smile. The teen couldn’t help but smile back; it felt like old times. They had been quite close when Jake was younger, but then Shawn moved out and… everything fell apart. Maybe now, things could be better? Jake didn’t want to take any chances or have his emotions played with. He decided to bite the bullet and just tell things straight. “Shawn. I have a boyfriend. H-his name’s Tom, we've been together for a little while… Doesn’t that… bother you or something?” The older boy shrugged. “Not one bit, not anymore. Good for you, Jakey. I’d like to meet him…” Jesus Christ, Jake didn’t expect that relaxed of an answer. “Soooo… are you still living in the same place? That apartment?” Shawn nodded, eyes flicking back and forth from the road back to Jake’s. “Yup, it’s not that bad. I like it. That's how I've met so many new people who have opened up my eyes and made me less of a –” “Bigoted fuckhead?” Shawn laughed again at his brother’s quick wit as the lights in front of them went green again, and Shawn put his foot back down to get the car going. “Yeah, that! For some reason, where I live seems to be a hub for gay and queer people. You'd probably like it. I need to introduce you to my friends; they would love you to bits. You're more than welcome to come over at some point if you like. I could pick you up after school.” Jake gave back a coy smile, his arms coming back around himself to cross in front of his chest. Slightly uncomfortable with Shawn’s ideas, everything felt a bit too confusing and overwhelming for that right now. “Yeah, perhaps. Just… one step at a time; this is still a lot to take in. You get me?” “I get it. Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off as pushy; I just… I want to do this right. But just know, everything will go at your own pace, Jake.” The blue-haired boy’s hand moved on its own, landing on Shawn’s forearm in a kind gesture. “Thanks, Shawn. I’d… I’d like to hang out again at some point; this has been… nice. Like old times.” “I’d love that, and I should be thanking you…” Jake pulled his hand away and looked up into Shawn’s eyes again, curious and confused. “Thanking me? For what?” “For giving me another chance. I won’t let you down this time, little brother.” Jake smiled happily, a warm buzz in his chest. His eyes went to look out the window once more, but the peaceful silence was interrupted by a sudden gasp from Shawn, making Jake jump up in his seat with a start, almost banging his head on the ceiling of the car. “Jesus fucking Christ! What?” Shawn suddenly put his foot down hard, almost breaking the speed limit. “It’s almost two in the afternoon; I’ve got to get you back! Miriam is going to fucking kill me!”

Monday morning came along, and James and Aiden arrived at school together and spent the gap of time before the lesson talking at length about all of the things they did during the long weekend and making out in the corridor, not giving a single shit about who looked. Both boys had become well known for being the school’s lovebirds at this point. James had fully convinced Aiden that his shoulder was completely better by this point; he no longer needed to wear his arm in a sling, and he was flexing his arms and tickling Aiden’s stomach to prove it. Both of the lovebirds were interrupted when Jake and Tom came along with Gabby and Ellie, and they all said a brief hello to the boys before everyone went their separate ways; all ears were on Jake and his story of how his estranged older brother had magically decided to come to Miriam’s house on Saturday morning. Jake had texted and called Tom just after it all happened, needing someone to vent to as Tom listened carefully with concern. He was still sceptical about Shawn’s motives, telling Jake that ‘he didn’t trust anyone that had really hurt his Jakey’, but Aiden and the other three were happier and more optimistic about the developments. Ellie suggested that Jake just take it slow at first, not forcing anything between him and Shawn as they just saw where things went for a while. The blue-haired teen agreed wholeheartedly before the bell rang. Gabby and Ellie went off together for horticulture class, and Jake and Aiden had a French lesson together, while Tom and James went off to geography class. They had all agreed that they would meet up again at lunch to continue their chat.

Both the blue-haired boy and the e-boy sat at the back of the class and gossiped the whole time about everything that had happened to them both when they were supposed to be learning about French pronouns and articles. Jake was absolutely shocked but ecstatic for his best friend when Aiden revealed the ‘passionate’ weekend that he and James had just had together; Jake’s questions were rather… personal, to say the least. Aiden's face continuously flushed bright red as he tried to focus on what their teacher was saying. Fortunately Amelie hadn’t noticed them whispering and giggling like ten-year-old girls in the back of her classroom yet. “Aiden, I can’t believe it. I’m so proud of you!” The e-boy’s head could have smacked the desk below him at Jake’s words. “Proud? I didn’t realise that… doing that… was some kind of difficult achievement. God, you need to grow up, Jake…” Jake giggled in response, twirling his watermelon-scented pencil around his finger as he spoke. “Speak for yourself! At least I’m not bright fucking red! I’m just happy to see you so happy. We’ve got the old Aiden back again. Welcome to manhood, Mr Brooks.” Aiden almost choked on his own saliva at Jake’s words, and just after that, there was a tut from the front of the class; Amelie Pierre had stopped her lesson and was staring right at both of the boys. “Excuse me gentlemen, is there something you’d like to share with us all?” Both boys gave each other a nervous look before shouting, “No, ma’am!” back in unison and getting on with their assigned work.

The first lesson of the day was now over, and Aiden had gone back to his locker to collect his history textbooks before his next class. History was always fun; they didn’t do much in class, mostly just watched movies. Not to mention, James was always sitting next to him, and the Brazilian liked to play 'How many kisses can I sneak with Aiden while the teacher isn't looking?' much to Aiden's embarrassment but enjoyment nonetheless. James had snuck up behind Aiden again, but he hesitated before grabbing him; he didn’t want to risk upsetting him like when he had done that a few days before at home. The tall, dark-skinned boy looked away for a brief moment, back to Aiden, as the e-boy saw his opportunity. Aiden crouched down, putting his books on the floor, and sprang up like a snake, grabbing onto James’s shoulders as the taller young man let out a shout of shock. “SURPRISE, BITCH! PAYBACK!” “Aiden, you little rascal!” James laughed loudly and grabbed Aiden effortlessly with his strength, spinning him around and pulling him in for a kiss. Both boys gazed into each other’s eyes; when they pulled away, nothing else in the world mattered. James was just so pleased that Aiden was doing better than he had been in previous weeks, and Aiden was just happy that James was healing after his unfortunate accident on the soccer field.

“Oh, look! It's the king of the gays and his girlfriend!” A shrill voice called out from the end of the hall. Yul Kim in all his annoying glory. “How's the shoulder, Pelé?” He jeered with a grin. “Wow, Yul, homophobia, racism and transphobia all in one go? You must be so proud of yourself. Prick.” James stuck up his middle finger as he replied, Aiden gripping James’s hand and trying to tug him away from the other boy. “Oh, James? Is that any way to speak to your old friends? I thought better of you.” Riya emerged too, Grett behind her, the British girl’s phone in her hand. James and Aiden looked at them with sour faces, James pulling Aiden closer to him and putting his arm over the e-boy’s shoulders. “I didn't expect any better of him, Ri. Not since he started using femboy here as a cheap lay.” Aiden’s fists balled up and he gritted his teeth; the boy came right up to Yul and got in his face. “Excuse me? At least I’m comfortable with my identity.” Riya pushed her way forward with ease, making Aiden step back nervously as she loomed over him. “Oh shut it, Aiden. You wouldn't want to get in a fight. You're way too much of a pussy anyway. Besides… You might get kicked out of school and have to go and live with your aunt again.” Yul cackled evilly as Aiden’s face dropped and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “Then you wouldn't be able to see your precious hunk anymore, right? Poor thing!” “W-what?” Aiden's heart sank into a pit in his stomach as his world came crashing down. They knew. Jesus Christ, how did they know? Aiden had dreaded this very thing happening ever since he started high school. The Indian girl looked right towards Grett, who took her opportunity and shoved her phone in Aiden’s face. “These pictures are of you, right? You and your aunt? I found them on her Facebook. There's months' worth of photos of just you and her when you were younger, not a single one with your parents, though. Funny, innit?”

Aiden's mouth dried up in seconds, and his eyes blew wide; he gasped for air as he looked at his tormentors, helpless. James forced his way forward and held Aiden’s shoulders protectively, pulling the boy into his chest. “You evil bitches!” Quite a crowd had formed by this point, a group of people unable to mind their own business, but this is what Yul and Riya had wanted, no doubt. To humiliate Aiden in front of as many people as they could and bring him down to his lowest. “James, let's be real. Keeping the little emo twink around isn't a good look. Especially one whose family can't afford to keep the lights on most of the time. I know you have some kind of fetish for that ‘type’, but come on, man!” Aiden felt like he had been hit with a chair at Yul's words. Having his identity belittled and insulted was like having someone tear apart his soul from the inside out. Yul still wasn't finished with his rant, though. “You could be screwing all of the cheerleaders at the same time if you wanted to. We thought that we owed it to you to let you know that you could be doing so much better than whatever that thing thinks he is!” Tears were cascading down Aiden’s cheeks; he wanted to just turn around and not look back, but he was frozen in place. James continued to hold him, growling lowly as they continued to take the fire of insults from the Korean boy and the Indian girl. Riya continued moving forward, both boys stepping back again in response. James was desperately trying to keep his cool. “You used to actually have taste! You used to care about your image! It's hard to believe that one of the most popular boys in school has settled on some impoverished, low-class crossdresser.” Riya’s venomous words had been the last straw for the Brazilian young man; he gently moved Aiden behind him and strutted forward, fire in his eyes. All three of the bullies stepped back in response, not only because of James’s expression and body language but also because his height and size made him quite the intimidating presence, let alone when he was angry. James had taken enough shit from the three bastards he used to call friends; he had his own thoughts to express. “Shut the fuck up, all of you. You wanna play that game? Yul, you catfish men online for money. I have the screenshots to prove it, and Riya, you screw your dealer in order to get a discount on all of that coke you’re obsessed with snorting. I'm sure your boyfriend would love to know about that, wouldn’t he? I’m better off without druggie fuckheads like you anyway."

The small crowd around them began to laugh and jeer at James’s fiery statements. James crossed his arms and stood tall in victory, but Aiden’s mind was still screaming at him to run, but his feet were still glued in place. All three of the teens that had been teasing them looked at each other with slight nervousness, feeling frustrated and embarrassed, especially at all of the laughing faces around them, but Yul still had one more card to play. “Is this some kind of transactional thing, James? You get to screw him, and in return, he gets to use your shower because all of his hot water has been cut off?” The Brazilian young man’s eyes could've been glowing red in fury from Yul’s awful words; he rushed forward and grabbed the Korean boy, pushing him back into the wall, one hand against his throat and the other hand raised into a fist; at any second James could strike him. “Say one more word about my boyfriend and I'll wring your fucking neck!” Riya pushed her way between the young men, teeth bared in a sinister smile, more than pleased with how riled up the dark-skinned boy was. “Easy, James! You wouldn't want to dislocate that other shoulder, would you? You need to get your anger under control!” “Foda-se essa merda!” James’s fist was about to come down; Aiden’s hand reached out to stop it, but a voice from behind them stopped him instead.

“Costa! Leave it. Break it up, all of you. Go to class!” Richard's presence made the whole crowd disperse, with Yul, Riya and Grett giving the boys one last evil glare as they walked off. James was still seeing red; he was panting like a wild dog, hands clenched, and he stared right at the three bullies as they waltzed away. He wanted to go after them, to grab them and make them wish they were never born for insulting his boyfriend, but a small hand came up to grip his own. Looking down, James saw a flushed and teary-eyed Aiden, the boy gripping his history books the same way he held onto his teddy bear when he was scared. Aiden looked broken, a shell of his usual, cheery self; his sunny attitude from not even five minutes ago was dead and buried. The Brazilian young man reached his hand out, wanting to say something, anything, to make his sunshine feel better, but Aiden cut him off before the words could leave his lips. “Come on, James… Let's just go…” James didn’t feel like he had much choice. One look at Aiden’s sorry state and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He and Aiden needed to get to history class; both boys grabbed their bags and walked to their classroom in silence.

The whole of the lesson was horrible. James sat at his desk at the back of the classroom with Aiden to his right. He continuously thought about the stabbing words that Riya and Yul had said; he couldn’t concentrate on the boring as hell documentary that Ted had put on for them to watch, his eyes continuously looking at Aiden. A woman’s voice talking about living conditions in Victorian times in Britain played in the background as James looked at his boyfriend. Aiden stared down at his desk, unblinking, unmoving. His body heaved back and forth; the words and insults from earlier stained his mind and his every thought. The three people that Aiden knew hated him the most now knew the one thing he didn’t want anyone to find out. The lesson went on, and Aiden only got worse and worse. When James tried to ask if he was okay, Aiden would just nod quietly, his eyes watery and red, his body trembling as he tried his best to just sit still and breathe, to try and stay calm. Then it happened, the very last straw. The woman’s voice on the documentary simply mentioned the word ‘poverty’, and Aiden jumped up like a shot, almost flipping the desk with his speed as he did so. Everyone’s heads turned to the back of the class to see what the commotion was as Aiden shook wildly with wide open eyes, tears flooding from them as he muttered something incomprehensible before he took off, dashing right out of the open door at the back of the class. “Fuck! Aiden!” James got up too, moving towards the door to see where Aiden was going. “Costa! Sit down!” his teacher commanded, but James wasn’t in the mood. “Sorry, Ted. Eu tenho que encontrá-lo!” James then took off too like a cheetah at speed, running down corridors and shouting Aiden’s name all the while everyone in the history class sat there stunned.

Ten minutes later and the lunch bell had rung; people came flooding out of their classes, making it even harder to find Aiden. James had no luck in locating him, checking every cupboard and empty classroom as he went. A few moments later, he bumped into two familiar faces, Lake and Rosa. Both girls looked at him like he was on fire; his face was panicked and his eyes were wide. He needed to find his baby boy. James explained the situation and asked both girls for their assistance in finding the e-boy. Both girls obviously agreed; Rosa María was ready to kill all of the fuckers who had dared to hurt her friend while Lake held her head in her hands at the worrying news. “Oh Gott, not again!” The blonde girl lamented while Rosa rolled up her sleeves and put her hands on her hips. “For fuck’s sake. Why can’t they just leave him alone?” James looked up to the ceiling, the lights making his teary eyes shine as he did so as he uttered out a defeated admission. “Well, before. I think it was because they just saw him as this quiet, easy little target… but now… I think it’s because of me. Because he’s with me… Fuck, I just want him to be okay…” Lake put her hand on James’s arm, rubbing it softly in sympathy. “Don’t worry, James… I’ve got a feeling I might know where he is. He told me something not long after the last time this happened.” The three friends walked through the school’s hallways, Lake leading the way. They all came to a stop outside a cupboard close to the isolation room. Lake twisted the door handle nervously, and all three teens were elated to find Aiden behind the door, but their joy didn’t last for long. Aiden was a total state; his eyes were bloodshot red from all the crying, and his whole body shook while he tried to nurse a beer from Alec’s secret stash. The cupboard was large, so all four friends could fit inside for a group hug, Aiden at the centre. Even if he felt like shit at this moment in time, he certainly knew that he was loved by his friends and boyfriend.

A few minutes passed, and all four teens were sat in a semicircle in the cupboard, Aiden crying into James’s chest as the girls tried to reassure him. “How did they know that? How the fuck do they know?” James, Rosa and Lake all knew exactly what he meant. Aiden’s tormentors had clearly done their research again when it came to bullying Aiden. James held his boyfriend’s wet cheeks in his hands as he nuzzled his face. “Aiden, baby, meu amor. It wasn’t me, I swear it. I’d never say a word to them.” Aiden sniffed back a few tears as he met James’s eyes, their hands interlocking. “I know it wasn’t you, James; we’re together so much… I know it wouldn’t be you who told them about when I was younger, with my aunt... The only other person I’ve ever told that too is…” Rosa María sighed loudly, clearly feeling distressed, the Latina girl’s arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back against the cupboard wall. “It could’ve been my fault… I… I told Lake about your past. Maybe they overheard? I’m so sorry, Aiden…” Aiden's eyes went as wide as saucers again, his grip on James’s hand tightening as his tone grew sharper. “What? The one thing I don’t want anyone else to know about. The one thing I beg you not to mention to anyone else, and you go and tell Lake anyway? What the fuck, Rosa?” Rosa was clearly feeling hurt, tears starting to well up in her eyes as she struggled to look at the others. Lake quickly came to the defence of the girl whose family had given her shelter and security not too long ago; Lake knew Rosa meant well. “Aiden, it’s not Rosa’s fault. She was worried about you; she wanted to tell me so we could both help you!” The boy let go of James, his hands flailing around wildly as he spoke. “Oh, great. This is fucking great. I didn’t tell anyone for this EXACT FUCKING REASON! NOW THOSE VULTURES KNOW! I’LL NEVER HEAR THE END OF THIS NOW! THIS IS SO FUCKED!” Rosa was near hysterical now; the violet-haired girl moved herself forward to meet Aiden’s eyes. “DID YOU NOT THINK THAT KEEPING THAT A SECRET MIGHT HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON ME? For God's sake, Aiden! I went through the same thing; Ellie went through the same thing! I COULDN’T COPE WITH BOTTLING IT UP ANYMORE, AIDEN; I HAD TO TELL SOMEONE BEFORE I WENT INSANE!”

The shouting in the cupboard had become almost unbearable; Lake was covering her ears, and James could barely hear himself think. “EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Everyone did just that and turned their heads to stare at James. "Let’s just calm down, please. Meu Deus, me ajude…” James's voice had cut off the angry voices, and everyone looked around, not quite sure of what to say next. Aiden looked up when he heard Rosa start to sob; Lake’s arm came to rest on her shoulder and pull her in for a hug while she wept. All of Aiden’s frustration at his friend fizzled away as he realised that he had put Rosa under an unhealthy amount of strain. “I’m… I’m sorry, Rosa, I’ve been keeping you both in the dark; I’ve kept everyone in the dark. You must have all been worried… I’m such a bad friend…” The Latina girl looked touched at the boy’s apology, her hands coming to wipe away her tears. “No, you’re not; you were just scared. We do stupid shit when we’re scared. We all have… we’re human, Aiden.” The e-boy started to bawl his eyes out again, but for a very different reason now, hot tears falling on his lap as he spoke. “I’m so sorry for yelling at you girls. I’m so sorry for everything! I love you both… you’re two of my dearest friends… Christ, I’m such a prick.” Rosa María stood up and made her way to her split-dyed-haired friend, tilting his chin to look up at her as her voice grew serious. “Stop saying those things about yourself. I forgive you; Lake forgives you…” “And we know you love us both! Lake interjected with a smile, hugging Rosa from behind as both girls giggled. “Who doesn’t, hey?” Rosa added with a wink as James and Aiden both laughed too. “Plus, I think I speak for both of us when I say we love you too…” Lake’s words brought everyone together; Lake, Rosa, Aiden and James all held onto each other as their bodies merged into a huge group hug; everyone had tears in their eyes by this point. Aiden stood up with James’s help as he spoke again. “Thank you, Lake, Rosa… But… god, what do I do now? There’s no point in trying to hide it now… because everyone knows…” James was quick to hold both of his boyfriend’s hands tightly, their eyes locking together. “No one will say a word, baby; trust me. I’ll rip all of those bastards to shreds before they say another word to you.” The e-boy sighed as he looked down at the floor once more. “James, we know that’s not true… they just did…” “Well, we’ll all keep an eye out for you!” Rosa insisted, resting her hands on her hips. She had a long history with Riya, and there was no way in hell she was going to let the girl bully and intimidate one of her closest friends. “Me and Lake, Ellie and Gabby, Tom and Jake. Hunter, Ally, Tess, and James; there are a lot more of us than there are of them. If they give you any shit, we’ll all have your back.” Aiden nodded as James led the way for everyone to leave the cupboard; all four of the friends knew that a trip to Connor’s office was in order to report the incident from this morning by the lockers.

All the while, four friends sat around a lunch table, eagerly waiting for James and Aiden to arrive, but they never did. Jake took the opportunity to fill in the girls about what else had happened in regard to Shawn while Ally Amber made her way over to the table, her boyfriend holding her hand and Tess not far behind them. “Hi, guys! Joining us?” Gabby greeted with a cheerful smile, but all three of the other teens who had just arrived had very worried looks on their faces. Everyone noticed the uncomfortable silence, and Ellie took it upon herself to speak. “Ally? Guys? Have you seen Aiden and James?” Tom took after Ellie’s lead, adding a simple statement of “They were supposed to join us,” while Jake nodded his head at Tom’s words. The brunette girl sighed as Tess passed her best friend her phone. “No, we haven't seen them, but… have you seen this?” All four friends around the table looked curiously at Tess’s phone, their eyes growing wider and wider as they looked at a post from Riya’s social media. It was a short, sharp and cruel post, simply reading, “Prayers for Aiden Brooks. His family is really fucking poor. Maybe we should set up a GoFundMe for him? @JamesCosta” Grett and Yul had already commented with laughing emojis while plenty of other people made their opinions known in the comments. Jake’s mind filled with panic for his best friend. Hunter toyed with his necklace with one hand while the other held onto Ally’s as he spoke, “I was in the hallway earlier, before second period. There was this altercation between James, Riya and Yul. I overheard a few things, but I couldn’t get past the crowd of people watching it all go down. They said some pretty nasty stuff about his relationship with Aiden, and they were just… cruel in general towards Aiden.” Tess continued after Hunter finished. Aiden ran out of history class just before lunch, and James went after him. It… it wasn't good. I’m surprised he hasn’t turned up though.” Jake stood up rapidly from the table, tugging his bag over his shoulder. “I need to report this to Connor; maybe Aiden is already in his office…” Tom stood up too, following after his boyfriend and collecting his things from the table. “Hold on, Jakey, I’m coming with you…”

Jake and Tom knocked on the door of the principal’s office; they were called in only to be met with the sight of James holding onto Aiden’s hand while Aiden rubbed at his puffy red eyes, undoubtedly telling Connor about what had happened earlier. With quite a few moments of hesitation, Tom took it upon himself to be the one to tell Connor, Aiden and James about Riya’s disgusting post online. The muscular young man almost instantly regretted it as Aiden fell once more into another flood of tears, Jake and James both trying to comfort him while he loudly sobbed. Even Tom could tell that Connor was furious; the older man had zero tolerance for bullying in his school. The principal assured all four boys that he would deal with Riya, Yul and Grett and then ushered Jake and Tom to get to their next lesson, while Aiden and James were granted permission to stay in the isolation room for the rest of the day. Both boys thought the offer was a good idea and stayed in the classroom for the rest of the day. Both boys sat at a desk, and James played some of Aiden’s favourite songs through his phone, getting a small smile from the pale, younger boy. Aiden was too tired to do anything, exhausted mentally and physically after all that had happened. James let him lean against him while he tried to get on with his geometry homework. After an hour, Aiden had his head down on the desk, using his rucksack as a pillow while James got up from his seat to go to the bathroom for a moment, pecking Aiden on the top of the head before he left and whispering that he would only be a few minutes.

Aiden still lay face down on the desk as the song ‘Mars’ by Yungblud came onto James’s playlist. All of a sudden, Aiden just snapped. All the anger, frustration, sorrow and fear came rushing out of his body as he screamed in anguish, getting up from his seat and throwing his hair towards the back of the classroom, the chair colliding with another desk with an echoing ‘TWANG’. He accidentally sent James’s homework flying all over the place as he did so. Aiden’s hands balled up into tight fists as he marched towards the back of the classroom, picking up a desk and flipping it over as he went to the seat where he had been last spring when he and Jake spent a few days in here together, before he and James were an item. He was here again; Riya and her stupid sidekicks once again couldn’t just leave him alone. The balled-up fists started to pound against the wall next to the window, his pale knuckles becoming bloody as he did so, the rough wall taking the skin from his hand away from it as he let out all of his fury. Aiden was screaming, shouting, crying, and sobbing. He wanted to hurt; he wanted to hurt other people; he wanted to hurt himself. After a few more moments, he slid down the wall to his knees, crumpling up into a ball in the corner of the room, knuckles bloody and his eyes a pinkish-red, and he cried and cried and cried, then James came back. The Brazilian arrived to a scene of pure bedlam; it looked like there had been an invasion or an earthquake. He panicked momentarily before his eyes settled on the small boy in the corner, sobbing into his knees. James’s heart broke in two as he came up to Aiden wordlessly, wrapping his brown arms around him and rocking him gently while humming him a Portuguese song that his mother sang to him whenever he was upset when he was young. It was oddly beautiful, oddly peaceful; the two of them sat together, surrounded by such chaos.

Thank you to my dear friend Cris for the picture :3

Chapter 21: I Can See It From The Other Side

Summary:

Leave your happiness at the door lads. P.s, I made some minor changes to the last chapter's scenes with Shawn and I've changed the names of some of the chapters. Happy (or not so happy) reading! Look forward to your comments xx :)

The end of October eventually came along, and Aiden’s mental state had improved a fair bit as the days went on. He had gotten a fair bit of support from people at school, many of them sharing their own stories of coming from poorer backgrounds. The e-boy had needed a couple of days off from school after what James had described as an explosive emotional outburst on that Monday afternoon; the bi-colour-haired boy’s emotions were still all over the place, and it was fair to say he was quite depressed following the whole ordeal. While Aiden was off school, James had taken it upon himself to visit Aiden every afternoon once school was out, just to be certain that his sunshine was doing alright. On the Tuesday night that week, the e-boy was still not in a great state of mind, but he had his interview for the bartender position, and there was no way in hell that he was going to miss that. James went out of his way to drive Aiden there and back; Aiden appreciated the gesture, as having his amazing boyfriend there with him did wonders for his nerves. Oleksander had put in a good word to Dejan, and the older club owner was more than happy with his impression of Aiden. The interview was quick and easy; it was an immediate yes, Aiden would be back on Friday night for his first shift at the club. Oleksander went above and beyond to reassure James of his boyfriend's safety too; Aiden would only be behind the bar anyway, and Oleksander would be standing next to him the whole time. All he had to do was smile, chat and make drinks – dead easy stuff.

James had gone to the bathroom for a few minutes after the interview was over and before the short drive back to the Canadian boy’s home, leaving Aiden alone with Oleksander for a little bit. The teen and the young man stood against the wall outside the club's front doors while waiting for James’s return. The blonde Belarusian rolled himself a cigarette while they celebrated Aiden’s new position, but he didn’t miss the way that Aiden’s face kept dropping whenever the conversation stopped. Oleksander came closer to the Canadian teen and offered him a hit of nicotine, thinking that the e-boy’s sour expression was due to worry about his new job, but Aiden politely declined and reassured Oleksander that he felt good about the new job; his less-than-happy mood was due to …something else. The blonde young man was incredibly understanding and sympathetic when he was told about what had happened the previous day; he pulled Aiden in for a tight hug and confessed that he had been a victim of bullying too when at school. The Belarusian explained that Canadian kids had called his name 'weird' and made fun of the way he pronounced things, much like what James had experienced back in the day. Oleksander had even offered to ‘send some guys around’ to ‘sort out’ the people who had been bullying Aiden; the Belarusian’s mouth twisted into a devious grin and his eyes darkened as he suggested the idea. The e-boy shrugged it off with a nervous laugh; he hated Riya and Yul’s guts, but he would go that far. The taller blonde young man then joined in with a laugh too and lightly jabbed Aiden in the side playfully. Oleksander was just kidding, no doubt. James mentioned that he was one hell of a jokester at times.

Connor hadn’t said a word about the trashed classroom when he discovered the scene; he just couldn’t find it in himself to blame Aiden after the hellish day that he had experienced. Riya, Yul and Grett had all been swiftly punished too; Riya had been suspended for three days, and all three of them were served detentions for two weeks. Jake had seen Shawn a few more times too; the two brothers were starting to get along well, and Jake had even gone to Shawn’s apartment a couple of times and met some of his friends. The whole situation was all still a bit strange, but he was getting used to having a big brother again. Miriam had started to warm up to the elder Hamilton sibling, inviting him in for some coffee and cake on occasion when he came to visit Jake or take him out in the car for a bit. The older woman could see that he was making an effort to be a better person, especially towards the boy she cared for. Shawn also took every opportunity to thank Miriam for all she had done for his brother and for giving Jake shelter, security and safety. Jake truly did believe his older sibling was making a true effort to change for the better; the blue-haired teen even had the opportunity to briefly introduce Shawn to Tom. Jake’s boyfriend was rather… reserved when it came to meeting the brother that Jake had not long ago said had abandoned him, but he shook Shawn’s hand anyway; however, Tom didn’t miss the opportunity to glare daggers at and shoot dirty looks Shawn’s way. Shawn didn’t challenge Tom on it; the seventeen-year-old was a hell of a lot more muscular than he was. Shawn probably knew that it would take a lot of time to win Tom’s favour.

Tonight, however, none of that mattered. It was party time. Tom had decided to throw a Halloween party for a few close friends. Ever since their trip to the woods in the summer, the eleven teens had started calling themselves ‘the camp gang’; Ellie had added Lake, Rosa, Ally, Tess and Hunter to the friend’s Discord server, and Tom knew exactly who he wanted to come to his party. The black-haired teen had sworn to his mother he wouldn’t do anything crazy and there would be no booze in the house. Eventually, Jackie Reed agreed and decided to take Tony with her on a trip to a relative’s house, giving Tom and Jake the house to themselves so they could have some fun with their friends. There was one slight issue, well, in Jake’s opinion at least. The two young men had been playing blackjack at Miriam’s the week before, and Jake had an idea. Both of the boyfriends planned to dress up as vampires, very gay vampires in fact, but Jake thought it would add some higher stakes to their card game if whoever lost the game would be forced to wear a maid outfit on Halloween. Tom agreed, and Jake almost instantly regretted his choice as Tom dragged the floor with the blue-haired lad at the card game.

So here they both were, in Tom’s bedroom, as the muscular boy brushed his hair back and Jake sprayed it down for him while dying of embarrassment in the frilly little costume. Tom’s costume was a standard vampire one, a white shirt and dark trousers, a button-up waistcoat and a black and red cape, but the outfit that Tom had ordered online for Jake had the whole shebang: a black dress with a dainty white apron over the top, puffy sleeves, a frilly black and white choker, thigh-high stockings and a garter belt. Even a little white brim for his head. Tom had looked him up and down approvingly, commenting that he would have to keep it for ‘future use’, whatever he meant by that. Jake didn’t want to know. He just wanted their friends to arrive so he could get this night over with. Tom had sweetened the deal a tad by letting Jake be a vampire maid, presenting him with some cute little earrings in the shape of bats' wings as a gift. Jake felt much happier with the kind present from his boyfriend, and he had to admit, they both looked smoking hot with their fake plastic fangs and smoky eye makeup. There was no fake blood on either of them; Tom didn’t think he could stomach that, and every one of the guests was asked to refrain from wearing it too, for Tom’s sake.

One by one the guests had arrived, and each time Jake answered the door, the first thing he would say was, “Say anything about my costume and I’ll spit on the pizza.” Ellie and Gabby were the first at the Reed residence. Gabby had gone for a Jason Vorhees outfit, and Ellie was dressed up as Chucky. Jake commented that it suited her, as she and the fictional doll were both ‘annoying bratty gingers’; Jake was almost strangled with the elastic his own choker for the comment, but it was worth it to see Gabby lose her shit laughing. Lake and Rosa María came along next, both dressed as Vocaloids, Rin and Miku, respectively; they looked very cute together. Lake had mentioned before that she enjoyed doing anime cosplays, and Rosa María was always happy to join in with her roommate. Jake then answered the door to Aiden and James. The e-boy was dressed as a more androgynous version of Harley Quinn, with knee-length shorts that were red on one leg and blue on the other with some fishnets underneath; the typical red and white ‘Daddy’s little monster’ raglan top; and some studded bracelets, a belt and a choker too. James was certainly very happy with his boyfriend’s ‘super hot’ outfit. Aiden had opted for a top that covered his midriff and longer shorts, as he preferred to keep himself covered up, not out of insecurity but more as what he felt the most comfortable and confident with wearing. Aiden was quite skilled with makeup, and he was certainly well-versed when it came to using hair dye, having pink and blue on both his eyes and his hair; he had also coloured parts of James’s hair green. James’s costume was a bit more simple: a pair of dark jeans with a checked purple button-up on the top, the first few buttons undone so he could show off his chest to Aiden with a black tie over the top. It was clear he was supposed to be The Joker; Aiden had even tried to give him some ‘tattoos’ with an eyeliner pen. When both of the boys at the door caught sight of Jake, they burst out laughing but decided not to ask any questions; there would be time for that later on. As the pair came inside, Jake's eyes lingered on Aiden’s hands. The blue-haired boy didn’t miss the fact that Aiden’s fingers were still bandaged up from his emotional breakdown in the isolation room. They weren't properly healed, even almost two weeks later. Jake silently wondered to himself if the school caretaker had even managed to get the blood stains off from the wall…

Last but not least, Tess, Hunter and Ally all came along. Tom answered the door this time, as Jake was tired of 'being bullied by everyone’, but the scarred young man hadn't a clue what the three friends had come as. Then the trio came inside, and Lake took it upon herself to explain that they were all Helluva Boss characters. Hunter’s face was covered in white and red paint, and he wore a black and red suit, as he had come as Blitzo. Tess had her hair in high bunches with red and blue ribbons, a white painted face with black lips and a pastel-multicoloured jester’s costume as Fizzarolli, not to mention the little headband she had made by hand with broken horns for an extra touch, and finally, Ally was in a dark grey crop top, black shorts and stockings with a grey wolf’s tail and matching ears as Loona. Jake was grateful for Lake explaining who everyone was, as he assumed that Ally was just trying to tell everyone that she was a furry, causing the brunette girl to throw a handful of chips in his hair as payback.

The party continued on happily; everyone danced and talked without a care in the world, and everyone was happy to see Aiden so carefree and joyful after the awful time he had endured not long before. He and James couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they danced, the Brazilian twirling the smaller boy around and lifting him up to the beat of the music, laughing all the while. It was fair to say that James was Aiden’s rock, the best thing in his life; Aiden wouldn’t have recovered as well as he had if it wasn’t for the curly-haired young man. All of a sudden, Aiden left James’s grasp and stood himself up on a chair, Rosa and Lake coming up alongside him with excited faces. Rosa’s voice then boomed out across the room, commanding the attention of everyone. “EVERYBODY LISTEN UP, AIDEN HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT!” The whole room fell silent, and each person turned to look at Aiden. Nervousness suddenly filled Jake’s mind, however. The blue-haired teen put down his drink and marched forward, pointing a finger at James as he did so. “AIDEN, I SWEAR TO FUCK, IF JAMES HAS GOTTEN YOU PREGNANT, I’M GOING TO KILL HIM!” Ally almost spat out her drink, and Tom’s eyes grew very wide at Jake’s words while James shouted something derogatory at Jake in Portuguese and flipped the blue-haired boy the bird. Aiden facepalmed himself before continuing. “No, Jake… not that… I-I wanted to be completely transparent with everyone now, no more secrets. I’m happy to announce that I went for a job interview not long ago… and I GOT THE JOB!” The room descended into cheers and shouts of congratulations. Aiden looked at all of his friends joyously, then turning to his side, not missing the way that James smiled at him with pride, but that smile quickly turned into a more anxious expression. Tom and Jake both came over to lift Aiden up in the air in celebration and twirled him around before then putting him back down on the floor. Jake then pulled his best friend into a hug once his feet were back on the ground.

“So where’s this job? I need to know so I can come in and bother you when you’re working.” Jake asked with an enthusiastic grin while Aiden smiled shyly and pulled James’s arm over his shoulder, draping the arm over his small frame as he pulled his boyfriend closer to him, trying to get James to smile again. “It’s at a nightclub. I started last week. James’s friend works there, and he got me the job as a bartender. I’d love to see you and Tom there; I can make a mean Mint Julep now!” The bells on Tess’s costume jingled as she stepped closer to Aiden to join in the conversation. “Isn’t that illegal?” Aiden shrugged and continued to sip at his cup of apple juice. “I got a fake ID; what other people don't know won’t kill them. James’s friend watches me like a hawk, so I know that I’m safe. The thing is, I trust you guys, all of you; I trust you all to know about this. I wanted to let you all know. Maybe we could have a party there in the future?” There was another round of cheers at the suggestion, but James was pulling Aiden away from the small crowd and into the kitchen, spinning him around and sitting him up on the kitchen counter and pulling him in for a rough kiss. Aiden had a devilish expression when James pulled his lips away from his own. “Oh, hello, mister, what was that for?” James's face fell again as he began to talk. “I just… I don’t know, baby. I’m so happy for you, but… I’m still worried. I wish I could be there with you.” Aiden's eyes grow soft at his boyfriend’s caring words. “Jamesy… Everything will be okay. We both trust Oleksander and… I have no other choice. I need this job. We’re going to be evicted otherwise, unless I get my act together.” James said nothing else, looking away with worry; Aiden’s soft hands came to his jaw to turn his face back to look at him. “Tell you what, Jamesy. I’ll ask Oleksander to text you as often as he can so you can be kept up to date on how I’m doing, and I’ll call you every time I’m on break. Sound good? I can still be independent and work, and you can be kept in the loop at the same time; how about that?” The Brazilian smiled, much happier with the suggestion, his worry disappearing in seconds. He reached forward to take Aiden’s small, pale hand and kissed the back of it. “Works for me, my sweet little xuxu.” Aiden bit his lips with flushed cheeks and rolled his eyes back. “Such a gentleman, Mister Costa.”

Aiden’s shifts at the club had started, and he was excited to be working there. He had befriended the men who stood at the doors, and Oleksander was a lot of fun to hang around with; the e-boy could see why James liked him so much. He was a lot like James in a way; he had a natural swagger and charisma, not to mention the fact that he was a huge flirt. There wasn’t a single night where the Belarusian man didn’t get a few girls’ phone numbers. Aiden had met Oleksander’s older brother, Dejan, during his interview not too long ago; the man was very tall with shoulder-length blonde hair. He was firm but fair; he liked his club to be run smoothly and professionally, but he made sure to come around and speak to everyone to make sure everyone was doing okay and to make sure that Oleksander was actually working and not just trying to chat up the girls he was serving. Finally, Oleksander introduced Aiden to Angela and Xochitl, or Xoti for short, the two girls who always sat at a private table on the other side of the club with guests. Aiden always saw them come in at the start of the night, but they didn’t ever say much to anyone, apart from Dejan and Angela sharing the odd word together now and then. Oleksander had informed Aiden that both girls were the ‘heads of entertainment’ at the club; the statement confused the split-colour-haired boy a bit, but he decided to not worry about them. They were both clearly busy women, and he and Oleksander had work to do and lots of laughs and fun to have together; the e-boy felt very fortunate to have a decent boss and a new friend to enjoy his work with.

It was now early November, and there were four boys who were very excited to get to spend the evening together. James, Aiden, Jake and Tom had all been planning this for ages, and tonight they were all finally going on a double date. James and Aiden got themselves ready in James’s large bedroom, having to rush towards the end as they got too distracted kissing each other and dancing around in James's room to Lil Nas X songs to remember that they were supposed to be picking up the other two boys from Tom’s house within the hour. Eventually they arrived at the Reed’s home; Jake and Tom stood hand in hand waiting for both of their friends, and James encouraged both boys to hop in the back of the jeep with a smile. James started the engine once more as they began to set off; the e-boy in the front passenger seat turned out to make conversation with the two other passengers but was met with the sight of Tom and Jake’s lips interlocked together. “Guys, please don’t start making out or screwing on the backseat; James just had the car cleaned, and I don’t want to turn around and see that shit!” The muscular, scarred young man in the back began to laugh while Jake said nothing and gave Aiden the finger with a sarcastic smile. James was laughing wildly at this point too. “Oh, come on, babe, you didn’t complain in here last week when we –” Aiden shut off his boyfriend's comment immediately with a raised voice and a finger pointing in his face. “JAMES COSTA, I SWEAR TO GOD, DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE!” Christ on a stick, James was such a piece of work sometimes…

Aiden had been enjoying his new job so much he practically begged the other three boys to spend some of their date night at the club where he now worked; none of the other three boys had any objections, so they all happily chattered excitedly while James drove them to their destination. The Brazilian young man was much more at ease with Aiden working at the club now; Oleksander had gone above and beyond to reassure him and ensure Aiden’s safety at work, not to mention it was a blessing to see how confident Aiden was now. Upon arriving at the club and being let inside without so much as a second look from the doormen, much to Jake and Tom’s surprise. All of the boys were met with the usual electric atmosphere of the place. It was a Saturday night after all, and plenty of people had come to enjoy themselves. Aiden and James pulled the other couple towards the bar, and Aiden immediately gave an excited smile and a wave upon seeing Oleksander. The Belarusian man gave them all a polite hello and introduced himself to Aiden and James’s friends. Each of the young men took a seat at the bar while Aiden went around the side to stand alongside Oleksander to ask him if he could make drinks for everyone; even though he wasn’t working, Oleksander gave him a nonchalant shrug and said it would be fine. “I only have one condition, boys: only one drink each, or I’ll throw you all out.” Aiden got the message with a laugh and moved forward to ask his friends for their orders. “Okay, guys. What will it be?” Jake was the first to raise his hand and speak. “I don’t care; just give me whatever has the highest percentage.” Aiden rolled his eyes at the typical request from his friend. “Got it. What about you, Tom? Fancy a Mojito?” The tall, scarred young man looked thoughtful for a moment and eventually nodded, wrapping an arm around Jake and pulling him close as they both bobbed their heads to the music playing behind them. “I would ask for a Caipirinha, but nothing alcoholic for me, baby. Don’t forget I’m driving tonight.” Aiden looked a tad disappointed at James's response but quickly smiled when an idea came to him. “How about a Virgin Mary instead?” James gave his lover a thumbs-up, and Oleksander watched on with a satisfied grin, very impressed with his little apprentice’s work.

The night went on, and all of the boys went between nursing their drinks and invading the dance floor; it was one of the best nights they had ever had. Both couples were having a great time with their best friends, dancing, singing and relaxing, enjoying the night away from their families and homework. Oleksander’s limit of only one drink each had meant that none of them would get shit-faced, which all of the boys had agreed was a blessing, considering their previous dealings with alcohol. While all four of them partied the night away, Dejan had come out of his office and come to the bar to speak to Oleksander; the two brothers looked forward to the dance floor with interest as Dejan pulled out a cigarette and lit it while Oleksander took a sip of a small glass of scotch. “So… what do you think? The blue-haired one?” The boss of the club looked towards the dance floor and spotted Jake before shaking his head and taking another puff of nicotine. “Nah, not worth it right now. Don’t rock the boat. Keep up the good work with Aiden…”

The night went on, and eventually all four boys headed back into the car. James thought that he was taking everyone home, but Tom jumped in the front passenger seat and gave James some directions towards a very special spot for him and Jake. James’s yellow jeep came to a stop at the bottom of the quiet hill that Tom and Jake enjoyed going to so often at night. Each of the teens climbed their way to the top and lay on their backs in a circle, staring up at the stars and making small talk. “So this is your little date spot? It can see why you both like it.” The Brazilian boy commented as he brushed his hands through the grass below him; the peaceful spot was giving him some ideas on places where he could take Aiden in the future. Tom hummed in reply to his best friend’s words. “Yeah, it’s sweet, right? Nice and quiet, no one around to bother us.” All of a sudden Aiden sat up, looking around and taking in Tom’s words before coming to a realisation. “Wait, don’t tell me… You guys didn’t…” “Yes, I lost my virginity to Jake here. You’re welcome, Aiden.” Jake and James both sat up and began to chortle hysterically at Tom’s bluntness while Aiden jumped to his feet in disgust. “Ewww, Tom, gross! I didn’t need to know that, eugh!” “Oh, shut up!” Jake responded with a grin as he lunged towards Aiden, tackling him to the ground and beginning to wrestle and play fight with him while the other two watched on. Aiden and Jake were totally oblivious to the other two as they continued to lightly kick and punch each other.

“Shit, James! The twinks are fighting again!” “Porra, I left my phone in the car. I want to TikTok this! I’ll be back in a second...” Tom continued to watch as Aiden and Jake both tumbled their way down the other side of the hill, eventually coming to the bottom with a thud and a laugh. Both boys stood up and brushed themselves off. “Where’s James, Tom?” Aiden asked as he and Jake both pulled themselves up and walked back to where the other teen was standing. “Gone to get his phone—” Right at that moment, there was a glass-shatteringly loud shout of distress. The boys paused for a moment before they heard something again. “What the fuck! Deixe-me ir!” It was James’s voice; all of them knew it in an instant. All three of the boys rushed towards where they heard the sound coming from, only to be met with flashing lights in the distance and the low rumble of a radio. The sight was a plain shock for all of the boys. James was currently being wrestled to the floor by two police officers while another held a pair of handcuffs, getting ready to cuff James once he was subdued. Aiden couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing; it only hit home when he heard one of the officers shout, “Don’t fuckin’ resist, kid!” Tom's and Jake’s stomachs both flipped as they heard Aiden shout out desperately for James.

The blue-haired boy and the muscular lad both joined in, desperately trying to insist that there had been some sort of mistake and that James had done nothing wrong. The officers ignored all three of the boys’ cries, and the three of them watched as one of the officers pressed their weight into James’s right side to force him down, making the Brazilian teen cry out a loud scream of pain. Aiden took off and ran right at them, getting the officers' attention as he started to plead for James. “DON’T HURT HIM! HE DISLOCATED HIS SHOULDER NOT LONG AGO!” Tom chased after Aiden, and Jake trailed behind, still in shock at seeing what was happening. James’s face was one of pure distress when Jake looked at him. “Aiden! Me ajude!” The Brazilian’s eyes were filled with panic, even more so when an officer got right between him and Aiden, preventing the smaller teen from coming any closer. “PLEASE DON’T! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!” “Back the fuck up, kid. Or I’ll arrest you too for interfering.” Tears shot down Aiden’s face as he staggered back, Tom’s large hands coming to rest on his shoulders as they watched on helplessly. Jake took it upon himself to speak, taking a deep breath before he did. “What exactly are you arresting him for?” The tallest officer didn’t say anything at first, simply watching James as he was finally put in cuffs and dragged towards the police car. “We had a report that he stole a car.” Aiden’s teeth ground together, and he balled up his fists as he gave out a loud shout of “BULLSHIT! He wouldn’t do that!” The tall officer simply shrugged at the boy’s comments. “Just doing our jobs, kid. Now I suggest you call your mothers to get you all home. We’re taking his keys with us.” Aiden, Tom, and Jake all stood helpless as all of the officers piled back into their cars. Aiden managed to slip free from Tom’s grasp to run up to one of the vehicles and look right into the window to see James’s face that was looking back at him in desperation. Aiden placed his hand on the glass, as if he was trying to touch James’s cheek; the Brazilian looked back at him with scared tears in his eyes. Aiden had never seen James look so frightened before; it crushed his soul to see usually cocky and confident James in such a way. Both cars sped off, leaving the small group of teens all on their own as Aiden sank down to his knees in the grass and sobbed and wailed for James, Jake then coming up from behind him to put his hands over his shoulders in a tight hug while Tom called his mother to come and get them.

The ride back to Tom’s house was quiet, apart from the cries that came from Aiden while Jake held him close in the back seat. Tom and Jackie sat in the front and discussed what would be done next. Jackie had known James since he and Tom had met in middle school; she knew the curly-haired lad wasn’t a thief, a little bit mischievous perhaps but not a criminal. One thing that she did know, however, was that the Costa family would have to be informed of what had happened right away. Everyone in the car knew for a fact that Gisela Costa would give each officer hell to pay for what they had done to her son. Once everyone was out of the car and inside Jackie’s house, Aiden sat on the couch with a blank expression and shook violently while Tom called the e-boy’s father to let him know that he would be staying at their home for the night, while Jake rang Miriam to tell her what had happened and to ask for permission to stay over at Tom’s house for the night too. Meanwhile Jackie Reed had the hard task of telling Heitor Costa over the phone what had happened; everyone could hear the enraged shouts coming from the phone all the way from the living room as Jackie explained as calmly as she possibly could to Mr Costa about what had happened to all of the boys and where his son was now. Jackie had worked with the police before, so she knew how to break news gently. Tom, Jake and Aiden were all exhausted; they were all lying back on the couch silently, barely even being able to keep their eyes open. Jackie had to be the one to suggest they go upstairs and get ready for bed. Each of the lads all fell onto Tom’s bed, side by side, and were fast asleep within minutes, not even bothering to get changed out of their date clothes before they entered the land of sleep. Jackie thought the three boys all looked really rather cute when she poked her head through Tom’s door to check in on them, but she soon frowned again, remembering that one of them was missing and currently being held in a cell…

By the time the morning came, Heitor Costa called Jackie again to inform her that James had been freed a few hours before. He was uninjured and doing well for the most part, but the Brazilian teen had endured one hell of a night. He had been processed and thrown in a cell for an hour before being interviewed, but James knew better than to just talk without a legal representative there. Both Gisela and Heitor had to previously sit both of their children down and have a serious talk about what to do if either of their kids were dealing with the police, so James had tried his best to keep his cool and recall his mother and father’s instructions. Apparently James had refused to speak a word of English to any of the officers for two whole hours while they tried to interview him, so they were forced to get a translator that spoke Portuguese. By the time that they had done so, the information came in that it had apparently been a prank call, a false report by someone, whoever it was. Although none of it should have ever happened to poor James, Jake and Tom both breathed a sigh of relief at the happy news that he was now free and safely at home, the pair then deciding to wait until Aiden was out of the shower before telling him the good news about James. Gisela then took the phone from her husband to inform the others that she would be pressing charges against the station for the treatment of her son, then adding that James was well, if a little bit shaken up following the whole ordeal, which was more than understandable. Gisela also added that more than anything, her son just wanted to see his boyfriend, adding that it was the only thing her son had spoken about since. Aiden was ecstatic at the news when he heard it from Tom, Jackie and Jake; the e-boy had cried a few tears of joy once he was informed about everything.

After they were all washed and dressed, the three lads jumped in Tom’s car to make their way to the Costa residence. James was standing by the front door as they pulled up on the driveway, waiting for them all on the porch without a single scratch on him; the e-boy practically ran into his arms once Tom stopped the car, and all four of them had a tight hug in front of the house before James and his mother welcomed them all in. Heitor had gone out not long ago to collect James’s car from where it was still parked below the hill. The Brazilian teen was then bombarded with questions as soon as he and his friends all got upstairs into his room. He tried his best to answer them, but it was clear that he was very tired after all that had happened. Jake and Tom stayed for an hour to make sure that James was doing okay, reminding him that they were a team and would be there for him to support him before deciding it was best to head back to Tom’s to give both of the other boys some space and quiet time together. Aiden’s hand didn’t leave James’s as they sat side by side after Tom and Jake had left later that morning; he never wanted to let his beautiful, kind, strong, amazing boyfriend go ever again, and he never wanted James to leave his sight again.

They had been alone for a while at this point; neither of them said much to each other; they just lay back in James’s bed, cuddling each other like a pair of pandas. Aiden could really see that what had happened had truly taken its toll on James; his handsome face was more pale than usual and his eyes were dark and sunken, but regardless, he still had that cheeky spark about him. Whenever Aiden asked if his boyfriend was okay, usually while running his fingers through James’s soft hair and gently tugging at his roots the way he loved, Aiden would usually get the confident response of “Of course I am! It takes more than that to keep James Costa down.” Being with his boyfriend seemed to heal and fix everything that had been wrong for James; Aiden was like a battery that filled him with energy once more. James even had jokes of his own, asking Aiden, “Does this mean I’m even cooler now? Does this give me street cred? Should I make a TikTok about it all?” While marching around his bedroom as all of his excitable thoughts came spilling out of his mouth, Aiden sat on the edge of the bed and watched it all with a laugh and a bright smile. It was very clear that James was back to normal when he launched himself on top of the e-boy while he wasn’t looking, still sitting on James’s bed. The two of them then play wrestling for a moment before coming to cuddle up together again on the comfy bed with a soft kiss. Aiden had to force himself to blink back tears while James told him that the only thing that he had thought about all night was Aiden’s distressed, horrified, crying face on the other side of the glass of the police car’s window before they drove away last night. All James wanted to know while he was in that cell and that interview room was what had become of his friends and was his sweet, precious boyfriend okay? Regardless of what came of the whole ordeal in the coming weeks and the charges Gisela still wanted to press, Aiden swore to James that he would be there, like James had done for him so much in recent times. After a couple of days and plenty of time together, James was already back to his old self. It was like nothing had ever happened for the curly-haired young man; he took it all in his stride, brushing off any comments or questions he got from anyone with a shrug and a smile. Aiden admired him for that, for his resilience, and he knew he was going to continue to support him and make sure that his Jamesy was doted on by him as much as he physically could because he knew that his wonderful boyfriend would do exactly the same for him too.

Chapter 22: Talk, Talk, Talk

Summary:

Let's give a hand to Tristan for being based and try not to cry as things come crashing down for everyone else lol.
...pls gimme ur comments, they give me serotonin... :p

Cold air nipped at Aiden’s skin as he tugged his jacket closer around himself, trying to shelter himself from the light breeze. It had been an oddly sunny day for early November; now the sun was setting and leaving the sky a beautiful mix of light purple, orange and pink. Aiden and Tristan didn’t want to waste the beautiful scene outside, so they both decided to take themselves to the front of Aiden’s small home. Both teens sat side by side on the front steps of the porch and looked to the sky in silence while they both finished off their beers. Tristan was everyone’s friend; their cheerful attitude and bright smile were infectious, and it was hard to dislike them. Both teens had been paired together to finish off a project for their social studies class; it was just easier for Tristan to come over to Aiden’s, as his house was closer to the school. The project was pretty easy for them both; they just copied a few parts off from the Wikipedia page for the Waco disaster, just changing the text enough for it not to be seen as a blatant copy, with a few news articles and bright colours added in for a bit of extra flair. That should be enough to satisfy their teacher and get them both a passing grade. Aiden didn’t care for school much these days; he liked his art classes with Ellie, Lake and Tess, and he simply adored any time that he could spend with James, Jake and Tom. Everything else, however, he could take it or leave it, especially after what had happened just over two weeks ago. Riya's and Yul’s words had cut into Aiden like daggers, shredding his self-esteem. At this point in time he would much rather spend his time at the club, with Oleksander and the customers. At least there it was a great atmosphere, and no one made nasty comments about his background or his identity. Hell, at the club, no one knew who he was; he was just a bartender. At least he got paid for his trouble. Half the time, school was like being tortured for free. Aiden had come to appreciate not being known by anyone in his new position at his job; it was almost freeing in a way. At school, James and his other friends were the only redeeming factor for being forced to stay there five days a week for seven hours at a time, but even they couldn’t be with him all the time; they couldn’t protect him all the time. Although the Brazilian didn’t let it show, Aiden knew full well that hearing his ex-friends say such awful things about them both, about their relationship, and Yul and Riya desperately tugging at both of their insecurities to bring themselves up higher above everyone else, took a toll. Not to mention the injury that James had suffered and the traumatic arrest after their double date, James couldn't get a break for a single minute due to all of the legal proceedings that he had to go through. Aiden just didn’t feel safe at school anymore; the people who tormented him and his friends were truly vultures; they always waited for just the right moment to strike. The small positive was the fact that many people had showed sympathy after Riya had yet again humiliated him in front of the whole school and online. It was somewhat reassuring to hear about other people’s experiences and struggles with poverty; he did feel less alone but wasn’t going to stop Riya or Yul from treating him like a verbal punching bag until he graduated.

Where Aiden now sat on the steps outside the front door, a cool, green glass bottle lay in his hand; a bit of beer still gathered at the bottom as the e-boy examined the backs of his fingers; they still hurt now and again. He had finally taken the bandages off, but the wounds still weren't fully healed; his knuckles were still pink, and the skin was scabbed over and raw following him pelting his hands against the wall in the isolation room over and over again in a moment of utter desperation and rage. Gisela had been the one to bandage them up for him; James had taken Aiden back to his house for a meal following the emotional ordeal, or perhaps it was just so the curly-haired young man could keep an eye on him. James’s mother had looked simply horrified at seeing the state he had gotten into; the middle-aged woman looked close to tears herself at seeing the state of him that Monday night. Even Aiden himself was surprised at how much he bled after the incident; it wasn't a vascular area, he had really done a number on himself to get that much blood up the wall.

Tristan’s soft voice finally broke through the silence in the air and cut off Aiden’s deep thinking. “Penny for your thoughts?” Pale blonde and dark brunette locks swayed side to side as Aiden jolted himself back to reality and the present moment, bringing his beer back to his lips to finish it off. “Nothing. Sorry, Tris…” The tall goth to his right raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing smile, inching closer ever so slightly. “You must think I’m stupid, dude. I know that type of face; I used to make it all the time before things got better for me. Now spill it, short stuff.” Aiden cracked a small smile as he gently placed his now empty bottle down on the floor, resting his arms on his knees as he leaned forward slightly from his seat on the step. “I’m just… I’m thinking about school. Or rather, what happened. It’s… it keeps happening. I keep being treated like shit because of stuff I can’t control. I don’t think I would mind as much if I wasn’t so worried about, well, this…” Aiden jabbed his thumb in the direction of the house behind him. New job or not, it was going to take time to get enough money to ensure that he and his family wouldn’t be evicted. “I think if I didn’t have this huge weight on my mind, what other people thought and said wouldn’t have as much of an impact…” Tristan rocked back and forth gently as they listened with care, nodding with understanding and then looking back at the sky as the sun set for the night. “I know what I’ve gone through isn’t quite the same, but I think I know where you’re coming from. I used to think, ‘If only Mom didn’t drink', then all of my problems would go away,’ but that just isn't true; it was never going to be true. Alcoholism or not, that house was never going to be suitable for me to stay in. My dad would still be aggressive, and both of them would still either try to forget that I existed or become extremely agitated when I tried to insist that I wasn’t a girl…” Aiden bit his lip at those words. Tristan had revealed to him before about the abuse they had faced when they lived back at home; the goth enby had been taken into the foster system after Connor had contacted social services because he was so worried for Tristan’s well-being. It had been a bit of a Cinderella story, as Tristan was being fostered by their two favourite teachers in the whole world. Ivy Burki, the drama teacher, and Zaid Hakim, the cooking teacher. The two of them were a couple and had room in their house, not to mention that they both adored Tristan like a younger sibling or their own child. Despite the utter hell that Tristan had gone through at home, they always continued to smile and be jolly and jovial; they didn’t let their past define them; they simply appreciated what they had today. Why couldn’t he be like that? He had a mother and father that loved and accepted him for who he was. When his paternal grandfather showed his rejection of Aiden’s gender identity, his father hadn’t hesitated to refuse to let his grandfather see him until he changed his tune for Aiden’s sake and safety. His father didn’t care about the discord that it caused on his side of his family; he just cared about loving and protecting his son. Tristan had none of that.

Aiden sighed, and his head fell into his hands. “Fuuuuck, you have it so much worse than me. Yet you're just so… You… You’re so happy despite it all. What’s the trick? How do you do it?” Tristan chortled and facepalmed lightly, shaking their head with a few more chuckles, and they came to stand in front of Aiden. “It’s not about who has it worse! It’s about how it affects you. I didn’t always used to be like this; it took time. Nowadays, I choose to keep smiling because I feel like I can. I have Ivy and Zaid; I know they love me, and I love them. I have Benji and Hannah and you and my other friends. It’s gratitude. I think it’s a combination of many things; to be honest, there’s no easy answer. I’m not worried anymore. What will be, will be. For me, I know that regardless I have friends and carers who will love me regardless. Our situations are different, Aiden, but I know that no matter what happens to you, your family will always love you, and your friends will always love you. Nothing can take away that kind of love… you know, unless you murder someone or something… please don’t do that…” Both friends paused silently for a moment before looking at each other once more, then bursting out laughing; it was the kind of laughter you can only experience with a friend. Carefree laughter that made everything feel just a bit better. The two friends continued to chat some more for a few moments, not long before Zaid and Ivy came to pick up Tristan and take them back home. Aiden waved them off with a smile before picking up the empty beer bottles and walking back inside; regardless of what happened, he had his parents, Jake, Tom, Ellie, Gabby, Lake, Rosa María… and James. That boy was a blessing; seeing him every day was Aiden’s reason to keep smiling. Their love was his reason to keep smiling. School was temporary; it was their last year. With James at his side, he could keep going.

Jake and Tom had been in economics together for their last lesson on Wednesday afternoon. Jake had taken his ponytail down after their P.E. lesson earlier in the day, and throughout all of their economics lesson, Tom had been threading his fingers through his boyfriend's hair and twirling Jake’s blue locks around his digits not unlike how they did when they were lying in bed together. James sat to the side of them, watching them both with a smirk. However, Tom didn’t miss the way that James’s face kept looking more sombre than usual. He may have just been missing Aiden; the e-boy had art classes while the three other boys had economics. James was sure that Aiden was okay, though; he was with Ellie, Lake and Tess; they all did a good job of keeping an eye on him. Tom continued to look at his friend and theorised that perhaps the reason James was looking so glum was due to more personal matters at home. James had confided in Tom about the charges his mother was pressing against the police for his false arrest. There were interviews to do, paperwork to finish, and phone calls to be had; the stress of it all troubled James to no end. Aiden was there to keep him going and support him, but Connor had made a habit of inviting the Brazilian teen into his office at least once a week since the arrest to discuss the whole situation, support James and try to put him a little bit more at ease. Jake was trying his best to take notes, but it was hard to concentrate on anything but the lovely feeling of Tom softly playing with his hair. It wasn't like he could just tell Tom no; that would be simply way too cruel for the taller young man! Focusing on lessons wasn't exactly easier these days anyway; Jake didn't know why, but he just struggled to focus in his lessons at the moment. At first the old memories of his family seemed to invade his mind whenever his focus was supposed to be on his work, especially after Jake and Tom had discovered that they had moved away without saying a word, and now ever since Shawn had come back, those painful memories had just increased tenfold. Being around Shawn was becoming easier and easier; he was a new and better person, and Jake had come to really enjoy his company once more. The seventeen-year-old had been spending a fair bit of time at his brother's place and met his closest friends. Tyson, Bryant and Eric were all great guys; it was easy to see why Shawn liked them so much. Tyson and Eric were a couple, and all three friends had done wonders for opening up Shawn's previously bigoted mind. It was fun to be around them all. Jake was glad to have his brother back in his life, but the pushed-down emotions and repressed memories that his older brother brought with him seemed to invade Jake's mind constantly, usually bringing his mood down too. Sometimes everything still felt like it was too much, like his mind was screaming at him about all of what had happened to him; Jake couldn't understand it. He was happy… He had Tom, Miriam, Aiden, James and the girls and now Shawn too. But why wouldn't his mind ever shut up? He had it good now, especially compared to some of the shit that Aiden and James had experienced in recent times…

The last bell of the day rang out to free everyone from their lessons. The two young men walked side by side, hand in hand, to their lockers to put their books away before they headed home. Once Jake was done, two strong and muscular arms wrapped around his torso and waist from behind before he could turn around. Tom had pulled him in close, and his lips went right into the crook of Jake's neck, kissing and tickling him softly and lovingly. The blue-haired boy squirmed and giggled in his grasp, trying to break free from the affectionate attack. “Tommmm! Quit it!” “Nope, you're all mine!” The smaller teen managed to struggle free after a few moments and spun himself around to grab the collar of Tom’s t-shirt and pull him in for a gentle, loving kiss. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes for a moment after their lips had separated and then nuzzled their noses together. The two decided to finally move themselves outside after they noticed that people had begun to stare at the loving scene. Both boys just shrugged without a care and made their way towards the front of the school. As they walked, Tom slung an arm over Jake’s shoulder, pulling him in a bit closer and starting to tell the other teen what he had been planning through their economics lesson. “Soooo… I was thinking maybe you could come over tonight and we could watch a movie? Or we could go down to the park and get some ice cream? I know it’s November, but ice cream doesn’t just stop tasting good because it’s cold out. What do you think? Sound good?” Jake smiled at the idea before his face fell slightly. He stopped in his tracks, and Tom stopped too in response to Jake; the two now stood just inside of the school's gates. Jake began to reply after turning himself around to fully face Tom; time with just the two of them together sounded great, but he just couldn’t tonight. “Actually, babe, I’m… Shawn's picking me up in a few minutes. I'm going to his place for a few hours tonight. We're having dinner with a few of his friends.” Now it was Tom's turn for his face to fall; he didn't mean to show it, but his disappointment was evident in his features. “Oh, I see… It's okay, Jakey.” Tom understood his boyfriend's desire to spend more time with his brother, especially after the two had spent so long apart. The muscular teen had made his apprehension towards Shawn known; he had taken it upon Jake’s insisting that Shawn had changed and that he was a new and better person, but Tom couldn't shake the fact that Jake had practically been abandoned in his time of greatest need by his brother. The whole situation put a sour taste in his mouth when he thought about it. Shawn was six years older than Jake; there was a similar gap of time between himself and his younger brother Tony. He couldn't bear to think about abandoning his younger brother, regardless of anything that could possibly happen or be said between them both. Tom was happy for Jake, but a part of him still wanted to wrap him up and keep him safe, not letting him out of his sight. Was that wrong? Was he being overprotective or controlling?

“I'm really sorry, Tom, but I'm free tomorrow night. Could we please get ice cream together then? I’d really like to… you know I always want to spend time with you, baby.” The muscular lad brought his hands up to brush some of Jake’s blue hair out of his face before kissing him tenderly on the lips. “You don't need to apologise for wanting to spend time with your brother. Of course, we'll hang out tomorrow instead. Just… keep your phone on you? Please? I just want to make sure you're okay.” Tom and Jake had agreed on a system when Shawn came back into his life: whenever Shawn and Jake were together alone, Jake was to keep Tom up to date if anything ever went south; if Shawn ever said something that Jake didn't like the sound of, Tom would drop everything and drive out to wherever Jake was in his car and pick him up to then take him back to his place or Miriam's. Jake had been the one to suggest texting Tom when he was with Shawn; his anxiety would get the better of him at times, and knowing Tom wasn't too far away helped to keep him calm, but there hadn't been much need. Shawn was kind and respectful; there had never been any issues, much to the relief of Jake, Tom and Miriam for that matter. Jake nodded and cupped Tom's scarred cheek. “Of course, baby… god, I'm lucky to have you…” “Nah, I'm luckier to have a kind, loving, sexy little thing like you –” Tom's hand came to Jake's side to pinch him just above the hip and tickle him, but at that moment a black car pulled up alongside them, then honking the horn and interrupting Tom's assault on Jake's sensitive stomach.

It was Shawn; the twenty-four-year-old wound down his window and gave both lads a wave. Jake turned away from Tom to face Shawn and gave him an enthusiastic wave hello. Tom looked forward with a cold, emotionless stare, partly because it was Shawn but also because he had interrupted such a nice moment between them both. “Hey, little bro! Hi, Tom. Hop in, Jake; Eric’s cooking a meal for us tonight.” Jake gave an excited grin in response, but he turned right around before jumping in the car. Jake’s arms came to wrap right around Tom’s larger frame, and he pulled him in tight, Jake’s hands then coming to cup Tom’s cheeks once more and bringing him in for one last loving kiss before pecking him on the cheek, the blue-haired teen’s eyes then brightening for a moment as an idea came into his head. “Hey, Shawn. Why don’t we have Tom over at some point soon? We could all have dinner and play games or watch a film. You’d really enjoy it, babe. Tyson, Bryant and Eric are great fun, not to mention that Eric’s a great cook too." Jake’s soft pleading and puppy dog eyes were hard to say no to. Tom gave his own soft smile and gave a “Sure, if you’ll have me,” in reply. Even Shawn looked happy to hear his response, then sticking his thumb up at Tom with a genuine smile. “We would love to have you, Tom. How about the Saturday after this? We were all planning to get together anyway, and I’m certain that the guys would all be happy with that.” Tom nodded with a smile at Shawn, but he still felt a bit hesitant. Regardless, if that's what his Jakey wanted, then he’d do it. Jake climbed into the passenger seat of Shawn’s car and blew Tom a kiss goodbye, the muscular boy then waving him off as the car vanished into the distance. As he stood outside the gates on his own, he just silently prayed to himself that Shawn would continue to try to fix things. God forbid if that man let Jake down again or hurt him; Tom would certainly give him hell to pay for it.

By the time that the next Friday night rolled around, Aiden had been working his job for a few weeks at this point. All was going well; he was becoming skilled at making drinks, and some of the regulars were coming to know him and like him too. The only slight problem had been at home; Aiden had received his first pay cheque, a good amount of money, much to his joy, but his parents didn’t see it exactly the same way that he did. Aiden had told his mother and father about his new job; he told them it went from the late afternoon into the evening, which was true for the most part, but… he didn’t tell them exactly where he was working. Both of his parents would lose their shit if they knew; they would forbid him from ever stepping through the doors of the venue again and ground him for life undoubtedly. He told them his job was at a local venue and that he served drinks; he didn’t say any more than that. Technically he hadn’t lied to them; his folks probably just thought that it was at a restaurant or something he was working at. Aiden couldn’t risk having this job taken away from him at the moment. They needed the money desperately. His parents had pulled him aside when they saw $350 magically appear on their kitchen table overnight when their bills and rent were due the next day. Aiden stayed as nonchalant as possible and insisted that he was just trying to help; his mother appreciated her son’s selflessness, but Aiden knew that she still suspected something. Aiden felt bad about not being completely truthful, but he had no choice; this job was only temporary, and he'd keep working until things were a bit more secure financially and then work somewhere else. This was just a necessary evil for the time being.

But anyway, what was so bad about the place? Enos and Nino, who guarded the doors, were both lovely men once you got to know them; they looked as hard as nails and took no shit from anyone, throwing out anyone suspicious without hesitation. Their number one priority was the safety of both customers and staff. If there was ever a problem, Aiden could just go to them. Dejan was a good boss, if maybe a bit distant and mysterious at times. He didn’t come out much, but he was simply just trying to keep things running as smoothly as he could without interfering too much with his staff. Then there was Oleksander; he was a good laugh, a good friend, and he watched Aiden closely. He had kept his promise to keep James in the loop, and he also ensured that Aiden had all the breaks that he needed. Oleksander was fun; he gave constructive criticism when it was necessary, and he was a well-liked man too. Aiden owed him a lot; he had gotten him the role anyway.

The club wasn’t that busy tonight, compared to most Fridays. The music still pounded in the background as Aiden finished off making two Mai Tais for the couple he was serving, then passing them their drinks as they thanked him happily and went on with their night. The seventeen-year-old leaned on the bar as he looked up at the clock above his head, 10pm; three more hours, and then he could go home. Maybe he could go on a break for a few minutes in a bit; Oleksander had just gone over to the other side of the club for a bit. He said we wouldn’t be too long, but he was certainly taking his time coming back. Dejan had probably pulled him aside for flirting with a ton of girls rather than working again; the blonde Belarusian emerged again, and Aiden put a hand on a hip as the other young man got closer. “There you are! I thought you managed to get lost or something. Did Dejan give you a verbal spanking for trying to get more girls' numbers rather than doing your job again? Or did you manage to get lucky in one of the storage cupboards?” Oleksander let out a hearty laugh at the comments. “Oh, would you like to know, Aidy baby? I’m not telling; it’s my business after all…” Aiden didn’t say anything for a moment; Oleksander had this habit of calling him all of the names that James usually called him. ‘Aidy baby’, ‘sunshine’, ‘cutie’… hell, he even called him ‘xuxu’! Oleksander was a jokester and liked to tease anyone and everyone, even the customers – but Aiden didn’t know how he felt about having someone other than James call him those things. He didn’t mean anything by it, no doubt. Aiden didn’t want to risk upsetting his new friend, so he decided to keep quiet and begin to get to work on the order that Oleksander had picked up while he had been gone. A few minutes later, and both boys had made a couple of drinks; Aiden didn’t expect the request that came next, however: “Can you take these drinks over to those guys?” Oleksander directed Aiden's eyeline towards a table closer towards the back of the club, only just in sight amongst the crowd of people dancing and chatting. The Belarusian young man pointed at the table and told Aiden that the drinks were for the men sitting there, then requesting Aiden to walk over and deliver the drinks to them. The e-boy thought the request was a bit odd; usually people just came up to the bar to collect their drinks, but Oleksander explained that the men were a bit ‘higher up the client list’, not quite V.I.P.s but important enough for the staff to do their best to keep them happy. Aiden eventually agreed and stepped out from behind the bar, doing his best not to bump into anyone or spill the drinks as he made his way over, Oleksander watching him him walk away the whole while.

Arriving at the table, the men didn’t even notice his presence. “Hi, guys! I have a … Penicillin and a Trinidad Sour – whose drink is whose?” Aiden looked at the table he was now standing over; three handsome men sat there, talking to each other happily, but as soon as the e-boy made his presence known, each of their eyes snapped towards him, looking him up and down. It was almost as if they were sussing him out, and then their gazes… turned; they looked almost wild, hungry, like a pack of animals. Aiden felt himself become instantly uncomfortable; he shifted in the spot where he stood, waiting for an answer. The man standing closest to him was the first to speak, his eyes still looking all over Aiden’s body while he did. “Wow, look at the twink they sent over! Mine’s the Penicillin and his is the Trinidad.” The man that spoke gestured to his friend sitting to the left of him. Aiden unintentionally gulped at the words as he heard them leave the man’s mouth; the man who spoke to him saw that reaction undoubtedly, the corners of his mouth curling up into a knowing smirk. The bi-colour-haired boy tried his best to paint on a smile and pass the drinks over without spilling them now that he had started to tremble slightly. “H-here you go, e-enjoy guys…” Both men thanked him in turn, and Aiden took a step back to turn around and head back to the bar, only to feel something brush against his lower leg, then moving up towards his thigh. The teen gasped and turned back around at the sensation, only to be met with a pair of dark eyes looking right at his. “Fuck, you’re cute. Do you feel like spending a bit of time with us, baby?” Aiden bit his lip, and sweat started to bead on his forehead and drip down his back; he tried his best to step back a bit more. “N-no, I’m sorry. I can’t. I have to get back to work…” The men clearly weren't taking that for an answer. Aiden tried to walk away again, and a strong hand came to grab his forearm. Aiden jumped in response and tried to tug his arm away, but the man’s grip was strong and relentless. “What’s the rush? You won't get in any trouble; I’ll have a word with your superior if you point him out to me. Just stay with us a while…” Aiden's eyes grew frantic; he looked right back over to the bar where Oleksander stood. He was staring at his phone. Aiden willed him to look up and notice what was happening, but when the Belarusian looked up, it was only to serve a pair of girls who had come to get a drink. Fuck, this wasn't good. Aiden opened his mouth to speak again, still struggling against the grip on his arm, but he was cut off by another comment from one of the men. “Awww, he’s shaking! Adorable, baby…” Aiden was starting to cry at this point, hot tears gathering in the corners of his eyes and starting to descend down his face when the hand grabbing him pulled him even closer. “P-please… just let me go…”

“Is everything okay, gentlemen?” A deep voice boomed out. A new voice, a familiar one. It was Enos, one of the men who stood at the door. He had come in for a brief moment and stumbled onto the scene. The Jamaican man’s presence made the men at the table change their tune in an instant. Aiden was let go, and he almost fell backwards, stumbling back and bumping into Enos, who gently held his shoulders and steadied him. “Everything is fine. The twink was just being a prude.” Enos said nothing else and guided Aiden away, back to the bar where Oleksander was standing, staring as Aiden rubbed at his eyes as he made his way back. The Belarusian began to laugh as he saw Aiden’s flushed, slightly damp face and his teary eyes. Enos patted the e-boy on the shoulder before returning to Nino outside the front doors. “Fuck, dude! What happened to you?” There was no sympathy in Oleksander’s voice; he continued to chuckle as he looked at the sorry state that Aiden had gotten himself into. “T-those guys, they grabbed me! I said no… but they – they…” Oleksander chuckled again, his elbow coming to rest on the bar’s black, shiny worktop. “You should’ve just sat with them; they just like the company. They’re harmless. You need to learn to loosen up if you’re going to work here, sunshine.” Aiden’s head snapped around, defensive. Willing Oleksander to take him seriously. “They wouldn’t let me go! I kept trying to get away –” “You’re overreacting; it’s not that big of a deal. They just grabbed you to get your attention.” With those words, Aiden’s resolve shattered, and he fell to his knees, sobbing loudly into his hands on the floor behind the bar. Oleksander muttered something in Russian below his breath and lowered himself down onto the floor to put his hands on Aiden’s shoulders. “Sorry, sunshine. I didn’t realise it upset you so much. Come on now…”

Aien tried to get himself up off the floor with Oleksander’s help. The Belarusian-Irish man helped him up as he staggered back to his feet and dabbed at his eyes again, trying to make himself presentable. It wasn’t exactly professional to start crying on the floor at work, especially when you’ve only been there for about a month. Taking a few deep breaths, Aiden was much more in control and presentable; he was suddenly very grateful that Dejan didn’t come out of his office much; God forbid he saw the scene and fired him. Oleksander pulled the smaller teen into a hug and patted his back, then pulling out his phone. “I can call James if you like; we can tell him what happened.” Oh god, James… Aiden had just remembered his dear sweet James. The Brazilian young man was stressed enough; he had been in the police station all afternoon after school with his mother discussing the charges she wanted to go through with and press following the hillside incident a few weeks ago. James had briefly texted his boyfriend and told him about how exhausted he was with it all; he was probably asleep. James did mention that he fancied an early night after all of the shit he had been dealing with. It wasn’t that big of a deal, like Oleksander had said. It wouldn’t be fair on James to wake him up and stress him out even more. “No, no… It doesn’t matter. I feel better now. I’m just going to get on with it.” Oleksander’s hand came to rest on Aiden’s shoulder again, rubbing it reassuringly. “Okay mate, tell me if you don’t feel great again or if you want to talk. Why don’t you go for a break in a few minutes?” The e-boy nodded, still trying to take deep breaths to get himself back under control. It wasn’t a big deal; James didn’t need to know. He was dealing with enough as it was. Oleksander watched him with a soft smile, and then when Aiden wasn’t looking, that smile curled up into a devilish grin…

Chapter 23: One More Night

Summary:

Dear lord, it goes from bad to worse...
p.s give me your comments or i'll eat your pets

Yet another week passed; Tom and Jake had gone to Shawn’s as they arranged. It was good fun; Bryant, Tyson and Eric were all nice lads. They had all enjoyed a meal made by Eric and had some of the beers that Bryant had brought with him. They all then played Super Smash Bros for a few hours and chatted about school, work, family, and all of the normal stuff. Tom kept his eyes on Jake the whole time; it was lovely to see him having such a nice time with his brother and his friends. However, one thing had stuck in Tom’s mind the whole evening. It wasn’t long after they had arrived; Bryant had arrived before them, and he’d offered them all a beer. Tom and Jake had wandered over to Shawn’s room, which led to the balcony that overlooked the street below, while Shawn and Bryant stayed in the kitchen and chatted to enjoy their alcoholic beverages, but as they did so, something caught Jake’s eye. There was an old black picture frame on Shawn’s shelf; Jake recognised it instantly as one that had been in their house on display when he was a kid. It had gone missing, and Jake had assumed that the thing had just ended up in the attic during spring cleaning or something, but here it was, same picture, same frame, but with one very big difference. The picture had been of the whole Hamilton family; Jake was about seven and Shawn about thirteen. Jake and Shawn’s mother, father to the right, and their grandmother, with both of the boys hugging her to the left. The picture had been torn right down the middle; the part with the Hamilton parents was nowhere to be seen; only Jake, Shawn and their grandmother remained. Their grandmother had died when Jake was fifteen and Shawn was twenty-one; it was just him and his brother now; his parents were god knows where. Tom could see what Jake was thinking; no words needed to be shared between the two boyfriends. They leaned against the balcony in silence for a while, Jake chugging his beer quite quickly in comparison to what Tom was. The taller, scarred teen cupped Jake’s cheek and turned his face towards him, softly kissing him. That was all Jake needed; his mind quietened down after that. Jake then took Tom by the hand and guided them both back inside, ready to start enjoying their evening.

Many hours later, Jake and Tom were back in the black-haired teen’s car, Tom behind the wheel while he took them back to Miriam’s small home. Tom had only had the one beer, so he was safe to drive; Jake’s hand rested on his while he drove the whole way back to Miriam’s. Both boys had discussed with the older woman about Tom staying the night after they came back from Shawn’s; she agreed happily, as she always did. Jake and Tom had thanked Shawn for the great evening. Both brothers parted with a hug, and Shawn and Jake agreed that the next time the younger brother came over, he would stay the night. Shawn had a fairly large spare bedroom in his apartment that was perfect for Jake to have his own space and privacy if he ever wanted to stay over. The blue-haired boy was happily smiling as they set off for home; he and Tom both sang along to Coldplay songs on the stereo as Tom drove, but after a while, the blue-haired boy grew sombre and silent again. Jake was staring off into the distance again; he had been doing so for a little while now, like he had on the balcony. Sometimes the blue-haired boy was just… vacant. Consumed by his own thoughts, Tom could always spot it from a mile away.

“Jakey… Talk to me. What’s on your mind, babe?” “Everything… I just – I think about everything so much. It’s only me and Shawn now; we’re all that we have left in terms of our family, of our blood. When I’m awake, I just think of Mom and Dad, how much I miss them, how much I miss how they used to be, and what our family used to be. I’m never going to have that back; I’m never going to have a family Christmas again; they are never going to see me on my birthday again. I just feel… lost sometimes…” Tom nodded and hummed in reply, thinking carefully about his answer. “I know what you mean, hunny; I used to feel a bit like that about my dad. Then, over time, I just came to accept that I, Tony and Mom were all just better off without him. I would feel like it was my fault that he left us when I was younger, but of course that wasn’t the case. Even if it was the case, he would still be the one at fault, not me, not Tony, not my mom. You aren’t at fault for anything that has happened, my love.” Jake smiled at Tom’s heartful comments. Leaning over to kiss him on the cheek while desperately trying to not distract him from the road. There was another few minutes of quiet after that, but Jake spoke again. “I feel happier than I ever have sometimes, with you, Aiden, James, Miriam and all of our friends. Now that Shawn is back in my life, I feel even happier seeing him again. All the memories come back with him like a cloud or a shadow. I love being with Shawn; he makes me feel so happy, but… being with him also reminds me of everything that I’ve lost and everything that both of us have lost. I lost Mom and Dad a long time ago; I lost them as soon as they rejected my sexuality. It’s like I feel so happy with everything I have sometimes, then I remember it all, and I feel so, so low… It doesn’t even leave me alone in my sleep, you know. I get these nightmares sometimes… I just… I wish my mind was quieter sometimes; I wish I didn’t think as much as I do… I don’t think I want to talk about it anymore right now, Tom…” Tom respected Jake’s wishes, thanking him for sharing his feelings and continuing to drive them both back to their elderly friend’s home without conversation, the hum on the stereo and the pretty city lights guiding their way back home. Jake’s hand stayed on top of Tom’s the entire journey. Tom’s mind started to drift too, thinking about all that Jake had said. It was a blessing that Shawn was back in his life, but all the baggage and the memories of the past that he brought with him – was it all worth it?

Both boys made it back to Miriam's and greeted her with a hug on the doorstep; they were both exhausted after all of the fun and the emotions of the evening. Miriam wished them both goodnight as they made their ways upstairs to Jake’s bedroom. Tom was always amazed at how much Miriam’s old spare room had changed every time he came into Jake’s new room. It was difficult to remember that it had been an old lady’s spare room not too many months before, especially with all of the band posters and anime figures all over the place. Both boyfriends got changed out of their day clothes and into something more comfortable for bedtime. Jake wore his usual watermelon t-shirt, white shorts and socks, while Tom just settled on his boxers and nothing else, at Jake’s request, of course, but who was he to deny his boyfriend the opportunity to sleep on his bare chest? Not to mention, Jake kept him warm enough while they slept. Both boys settled down under the soft sheets, wrapped in each other’s arms, and eventually fell asleep after a lengthy make-out session beforehand. It was peaceful; it was warm and just meant to be, in Tom’s mind and undoubtedly in Jake’s too. It didn’t take them very long to fall asleep together, both being lulled into a slumber by the sound of each other’s soft breathing.

Tom woke up again about four hours later. It was just after 3am when he glanced at Jake’s clock that sat on his bedside table. He didn’t know why he was awake, but he didn’t mind. Jake was adorable while he slept; he was rather restless tonight, though, and he kept shifting around in his sleep, and he let out quiet murmurs now and again. Tom smiled and kissed him on the cheek; he was just dreaming. The taller boy closed his eyes once again and tried to get back to sleep, managing to become semiconscious as something suddenly roused him from his sleep again; it sounded like Jake was… talking. It was just the odd word now and again, none of them particularly distinguishable in the English language, but they grew louder and more… frantic. Before Tom knew it, Jake was thrashing around him in his sleep, groaning and screaming. “NO! I’M SORRY, PLEASE DON’T HIT ME AGAIN!” Tom jumped up from where he was lying and got in front of Jake, holding his face in his hands and trying to wake him back up. “Jakey! It’s Tom; it’s me, baby! You’re safe. It’s just a nightmare!” Jake’s eyes shot open as he gasped for breath; his trembling hands came to clutch at his own face, at his hair, and then to Tom’s face and shoulders, pulling the larger boy close and bursting into tears. “O-oh, Tom!” Tom pulled Jake into his lap and shushed him softly, rocking him back and forth, trying to soothe him the best that he could. The two were like that for a long time, Jake shivering and crying in Tom’s hold while the taller boy reassured him that he was safe now.

Once Jake was in less of a state, Tom tilted his head up to look him in the eye. “What was all that about, Jakey? Do you want to talk about it?” The smaller boy looked away, ashamed, tears still in his eyes. “I… I said I get nightmares sometimes. They used to be about Blake… I still get those sometimes, but now I get these ones about my mom, when she slapped me and cut my cheek… Sometimes in my dreams, my parents go even further and…and they… it – it’s horrible…” Jake started to quietly sob again, and Tom pulled him close again; he knew just how his Jakey felt. He still had nightmares about his incident from many years ago. “Do you think it’s because of all of the developments recently? Are they making your nightmares worse?” Jake shrugged, rubbing away his tears with the backs of his hands. “I dunno; I don’t think so… I just get them now and again...” The blue-haired boy looked back at his boyfriend; Tom’s thumb came to wipe away a tear from Jake’s eyelashes as the smaller boy spoke again. “I’m so-sorry, Tom… I didn’t mean to wake you…” “Don’t be so silly, my sweet Jakey. I was already awake… Regardless, you don’t need to be sorry for having a nightmare. I’m just glad that I was here. I’ll always protect you, my love…” Both boys lay back down not long after that, Jake holding himself closer and tighter to Tom’s chest than he had before, the rising and falling of his chest rocking him gently back to a peaceful sleep while Tom’s fingers tangled back into Jake’s locks as he then followed along not far behind him back into the land of sleep.

A few days later, and it was Monday again. The day was standard, uneventful. Lessons were long and boring as usual, but there were always things to look forward to, like hanging out with everyone at lunch or having a laugh with Jake when they were supposed to be studying.  Aiden was doing his best to remember what Tristan had said to him: gratitude. Things weren't perfect at school, but they were bearable. Aiden had James with him, and he had Tom, Jake and all of his other friends too. Riya and Yul wouldn't be bothering him again for quite a while after the swift punishment dealt to them by Connor. Aiden had tried to repeat the new sentiment and worldview that he was trying to take on board to James throughout the day. The curly-haired young man had made it clear he wasn't feeling great, undoubtedly because of all of the legal troubles he was being dragged through. James had missed the first lesson of the day; he had spent all of the hour-long lesson in Connor's office, discussing the charges being pressed and his worries undoubtedly. Aiden missed not having him with him, but it wasn’t so bad; he had Rosa to keep him company. Lake had convinced all three of her close friends to take up German lessons when they came back to school after the summer. When the Brazilian boy met up with Aiden and the rest of his friends again after his hour-long meeting with the principal, he still didn't have any of his spark back; spending an hour with Connor could get anyone to smile. Things must have really been getting on top of James…

No matter what Aiden had tried all day, James still looked depressed; his eyes were sunken and had dark bags under them. He had none of his usual wit, energy and sass about him. It was like he was a zombie all the way through his classes. The e-boy continuously kissed him throughout history class whenever Ted wasn't looking. Aiden had tried massaging James’s scalp and gently tugging his hair with his fingers just the way that James liked during lunch, and Aiden even pulled James behind the sports equipment shed for a lengthy make-out session during P.E., the two of them narrowly avoiding being caught by Richard while they did so. These were all things that James loved, but nothing could get him to change his tune. Aiden had recalled his incident with those men at the club the previous week during a couple of times during his lessons; upon looking at James's sombre face, it was a blessing that Aiden hadn't brought up any of what happened to the Brazilian lad. The idea of telling him had crossed his mind a fair few times. Aiden couldn't stop himself from remembering the hand that slid up his leg to his thigh, the men's voices, their animalistic eyes, the hand that gripped him and wouldn't let him go… But hearing all about that was the last thing his poor boyfriend needed at present, to be stressed out with Aiden's shit alongside his own troubles. It wasn't a big deal; he was just making a big fuss out of something minor. Oleksander wouldn't have let them continue if he had seen the scene. James trusted him, so Aiden knew that he could too.

The two boyfriends were now walking to James’s jeep in the school car park. School was out, and they both had homework to do. Aiden also said he would catch James up to speed on what he had missed out on during German class. James was going to drive them both back to Aiden's tonight; the two of them usually just cuddled and talked for the rest of the evening after their homework was done, if they even did the homework in the first place. Usually they got too distracted by each other’s lips to even think about schoolwork. As both boys continued the short walk through the school's courtyard to the carpark, it was oddly quiet; usually James would be chatting his ear off about soccer, but he hadn't played for weeks. Not being able to partake in his favourite sport couldn’t have been helping matters for the taller boy. They were both just …quiet. Aiden had his arms wrapped around James’s larger, strong bicep as they made their way to the car; then a bright idea came right into Aiden’s mind, Christmas. It was basically mid-November now; the holiday was rapidly approaching, and both of them had discussed it at length. There was so much to look forward to, and they had planned to do so much together over the festive period. It was both Aiden's and James’s favourite holiday; the Brazilian young man always lit up when they discussed it; that would give him something to look forward to and distract his mind from current matters. “Jamesy?” “Hmm?” Aiden’s eyebrows furrowed at James’s response; he was usually so energetic, jovial and enthusiastic; he just sounded like he was half asleep now…

“I know this ice rink not too far away; they're setting it up for the festive period at the moment. We can go there all we want during the holidays; would you like to go there tonight maybe? After we’ve done our homework, we could try it out –” Aiden was cut off by James slapping his own forehead with his hand with a shout. “Fuck, Christmas. I didn't even think about that, caralho…” The bi-colour-haired boy looked up at him, shocked and confused at the sudden action. James watched the reaction of his boyfriend and instantly regretted his sudden outburst. “Shit, sorry, xuxu. I… I just –" “It's okay, babe… I know you're stressed. We can talk about that stuff another time.” Aiden patted James’s bicep and did his best to give him a sweet and reassuring smile when he looked up at the other boy’s face. James just tried to smile back, but Aiden could see the unmistakable glint of tears in poor James’s eyes. Aiden thought to himself that his boyfriend was doing better not too long ago; had something else happened? Was him seemingly feeling better just an act? Was the strain of the legal troubles worse than he thought? The relentless questions consumed Aiden’s mind the whole ride back to his house.

Upon pulling up on the drive outside the e-boy’s family home, Aiden hopped out first, and then, looking back into the car, James was just staring at the wheel for a few moments before he eventually climbed out of his seat too. James was incredibly sluggish and slow with getting out of the vehicle; eventually, he stumbled out and slammed the door behind him, then leaned back against it as he squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep sigh. “Fuck… Aidy baby, I've got to tell you something…” Shit. That was never a good sign. Aiden’s heart sank down into a pit in his stomach, and he felt slightly sick at James’s ominous words. The e-boy’s mind just went to the worst-case scenario, whatever that might have been. Something had to have happened, something bad without a doubt. James had his face pointed towards the sky, deep in thought, and then his eyes came down to stare at the pavement below him as he considered his words. Aiden couldn’t bear the tense silence. “What is it, babe? ...” Aiden’s hand went to hold the taller boy’s in solidarity. James chewed his lip, then decided to bite the bullet after a few seconds of hesitation and just come out with it. “We're leaving… for Curitiba on Saturday… we're going to be there for about two or three months… I don’t know the exact amount of time. We don’t come back until late January or early February.” The words hit like a bullet; Aiden's world came crumbling down to destruction as James spoke. James was leaving… Oh god, James was leaving… “What?... Why?” Aiden’s hand squeezed the curly-haired young man’s even harder, but James simply slipped out of Aiden’s grip. James was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood at this point as his hands came to cup his own face in despair as he continued, voice shuddering as he did so. “I'm so sorry, xuxu! Fuck, I’m so fuckin’ sorry! It's… It’s my Mamãe… We've all been so stressed with the police stuff and my injury. It just…hasn’t stopped recently. I’ve caused it all; all of the stuff that I’ve caused is getting on top of us… She wants to go back to Brazil for some time to be with our family, especially over the holidays, but… She's the one pushing these charges, and then she dares to complain about it all and then goes on and on about being stressed and then forces us all back to our home country for two or three fucking months! I’m so frustrated with her, with the police situation, but… more than anything, I’m frustrated at myself.” Aiden watched James's body language and expressions; his eyes were tightly shut, and his fist kept coming down to pound at the hood of his car with a slam each time his flesh met with the metal. James looked broken; he was tired, and he just wanted things to go back to how they were; both of them did.

Aiden couldn't believe what he was hearing; his wonderful boyfriend, his whole world, his reason to keep going, was going to be taken away from him for months. Both boys felt the same sorrow at the prospect of being separated for such a long amount of time; neither of them could bear the thought of it. “J-James… But… we were going to spend so much time together… We had planned so much for the holidays…” “I know we were, my xuxu. I’m disappointed too… I begged my mamãe not to make me go, but she just wasn't having it! I told her I would stay with you; we both wanted to be together. We both support each other, xuxu. I don't want to be apart from you for two or more months! I literally screamed at her, begging her not to go; we got into a huge argument… We shouted at each other over and over again; that's why I've been so messed up today. God, why did this have to happen? I just want to stay with you. I want to be here with you, to keep you safe and because… you keep me sane. You’ve made me a better person, Aidy baby. I'm so sorry, xuxu… If only I hadn’t… If only – fuuuuck! It's all my fault… with my fucking shoulder and that stupid arrest…” James was full-on sobbing at this point, his back still leaning against the yellow car as he did so. Aiden wasn't much better; the inevitable fall of tears made its way down his flushed face as he wrapped his arms around James’s torso, the Brazilian’s large hand coming to rest on Aiden's back as they both held each other and cried. Aiden could barely believe what James was saying; the older boy was going through so much, and yet he was still the main thing on his mind. He wanted to stay behind for him? He got in a fight with his mother for him? “James… don't apologise; don't you dare apologise. It can't be helped… None of this is your fault; you can’t blame yourself for things that you had no control over! We'll be okay… both of us, you’ll see! I'll still be here when you're back…” Aiden was doing his very best to stay positive, but… how? What the hell else did he have if James was going to be taken away from him?

“Oh god, I'm going to miss you so much! ...” Aiden's words were muffled by him having his head pressed into James’s chest as he spoke. James’s fingers brushed into Aiden’s hair as he spoke again; both boys knew that the separation was going to be a bitch to get through. “I'm going to miss you more than I can even describe, sunshine. I feel so guilty for everything I've put Mamãe and Pai through, but I wanted to spend Christmas here, with you… I want to be here for you while you're dealing with the worries with your rent and the house.” Aiden sniffed back his tears and placed his hands against James’s broad chest, meeting his eyes with his own and trying to talk calmly. “Don't worry about me, babe; focus on yourself. I’ll be okay… Things are getting better; look on the bright side. This could be a good thing; it'll probably do you good to see your family again and be in Brazil too. You deserve a break, babe. Focus on the good that can come from this!” James wasn’t quite as hopeful; however, he held Aiden in a firm yet gentle grip, like he was scared that he would lose him if he let him go. “Yeah, maybe it could be good… I know I’m going to have fun; I’ll see my family, but… I want to experience those things with you! I even suggested to Mamae to take you with us, but she refused. Still… We don't leave until Saturday afternoon; that’s five days… I'm going to spend every waking moment that I have left here with you. You aren't leaving my side until then… I love you, my sweet little xuxu…” Aiden stepped up onto his tiptoes to reach up to James's face to kiss him softly on the lips, arms wrapping around the taller boy’s neck. “I love you too, Jamesy; everything will be okay. It'll be like you've never been gone. But…fuck, I'm going to miss you.” Aiden had come up to James’s handsome face to wipe away a few stray tears as the Brazilian managed to utter out a half-sobbing “I’ll miss you too, xuxu…” The moments where they held each other in their arms were the best moments of Aiden’s life; with the sound of James’s crying in one ear, Aiden looked up to the sky. How the fuck was he going to cope without him?

James had shared the news of his departure at the end of the week with the group by Tuesday lunchtime. Aiden was nowhere to be seen. James explained that the e-boy felt like he needed to have some quiet time with Connor to talk things through after the bombshell that James had revealed the day before. Tom, Ellie and Gabby all listened carefully and wished James well, begging him to text them pictures of what he was going to get up to in Brazil, while Jake chewed his cheek in worry. Aiden was going to need a hell of a lot of support over the next two or so months. James was his rock; Aiden was James's rock. How in God’s name were the two boys going to be feeling without each other? After a few minutes of chatter, James got up from the lunch table to make his way outside and try to find his teammates to give them the news. Once Jake was certain that James was gone, he huddled the other three closer together around the table. “We’re all really going to have to rally around Aiden, guys. Who the fuck knows how he’s feeling at the moment? What’s going on in his head? I know for certain that he can’t be feeling good about this. I just hope that he doesn’t do anything too rash or stupid without James here…”

The rest of the week, not one moment was spent without the other boy for both Aiden and James. James stayed over at Aiden’s for the rest of the week; Aiden's parents were rarely ever home due to their work, so they would hardly notice James being there at all. He only nipped home now and again to pack for his long trip, but then he came right back to Aiden, to the boy he loved more than anything. Each lesson they were inseparable; if they shared a class, they didn’t let go of each other’s hands, their eyes didn’t separate, and neither did their lips, for that matter. Neither boy learnt much in any of their classes, but they didn’t care. James would be taking over two months' worth of schoolwork with him to Brazil, and Aiden could easily catch up with his peers with a bit of extra studying; all that mattered was the other boy for each of the lads. They both spent every night doing something fun, something that they had planned to do over the holidays. They both went to that skate rink Tuesday night; they stayed there for hours. To onlookers, it would've looked like the two boys were trying to recreate a scene from a soppy winter romance movie. James started to show off, as he so often did, getting a scolding from Aiden as he became more and more reckless. Aiden didn’t want to risk his boyfriend dislocating his other shoulder before the flight to Curitiba. There was a lovely surprise too; James filmed some of ‘Aiden’s amazing skating routine’ and posted it to his Snapchat. In reality, the e-boy was looking more like a baby penguin and desperately trying not to slip over and make a complete fool out of himself. The Snapchat story was seen by some of their friends, and before either boy knew it, Ellie, Gabby, Jake and Tom had all arrived and joined in with the two boys. The six of them had the time of their lives going around and around on the ice and laughing hysterically when one of them suddenly vanished from where they were because they had fallen to the cold floor. Wednesday was spent making cookies for Aiden and James. James spent more time taking pictures of his adorable boyfriend and throwing flour at him than actually helping out with the baking. It was like having a big kid; the only parts that James was fussed about taking seriously were the decorating and the eating of the treats that they had made afterwards.

Thursday was possibly the best of all; everyone had rallied together at such short notice to organise a small get-together at Tom’s house. Jackie Reed was out of town again, and Tony was staying with a friend, so it was the perfect place for a small gathering. James had no idea, and Aiden didn’t have a clue until Tom and Jake pulled him aside after art lesson that morning. The e-boy and the Brazilian young man went to Aiden’s as usual that evening after school, and at around 5pm, Aiden requested that they visit Tom so Aiden could ‘pick up’ something that he had forgotten at school and Tom had taken back to his place for safekeeping. The whole story was total bullshit, of course, but it was the best that the e-boy could think of. Aiden led James by the hand through the front door, and everyone jumped out in surprise. There was even a huge banner that hung from the ceiling that said, ‘See you soon, James,’ in bold, bright letters. The Brazilian young man couldn’t control his emotions at the amazing scene; everyone was there to say goodbye. Tom, Jake, Ellie, Gabby, Lake, Rosa, Tess, Ally and Hunter had all pitched in and worked together to make it a good night and a happy farewell. Everyone ate, drank, talked, sang, danced and partied until the early hours of Friday morning; they completely forgot that they still had school to go to. When everyone was awake when the sun started to come up, they all rushed to make themselves presentable and shot out of the door to try to make it to school on time. Friday night was when Aiden worked; he needed the money, so he couldn’t ask for the night off, but there was a simple solution to the dilemma: James simply came along with him. The Brazilian teen spent the evening at the bar watching Aiden at work and enjoying the beverages that he had skilfully made for him. James didn’t care if he had a killer hangover in the morning; he just wanted to spend his last evening in Canada for a while getting absolutely wrecked, spending time with the boy he loved and his friend while music blared and pounded in the background. Oleksander was very disappointed to hear of James’s departure but reassured both boys with a smile that it was only temporary; they would be back in each other’s arms before they knew it. James thanked the Belarusian young man once again for doing such a good job of looking after Aiden once again, slurring his words slightly as he did so, and Oleksander shrugged with a light-hearted laugh, saying it was the least that he could do for two of his dearest friends, then wrapping his arm around Aiden’s shoulders and pulling him in for a sideways hug. Aiden smiled bashfully, but his eyes looked back over to the table that he had served the previous week; those men hadn’t come back tonight, thankfully, but the sight of the table still made the e-boy shudder. James was much happier than he was at the start of the week; he had come to terms with the fact that he was leaving for a couple of months. Maybe it wasn’t right to keep what had happened quiet from his boyfriend… perhaps it was better if he knew? A problem shared was a problem halved, like Rosa had told him. But was it fair to tell James something like that on his last night in the country for a good while?

James was slightly tipsy, nursing a Caipirinha that had been made for him by Aiden. His larger hand was stretched across the bar to the area where Aiden served from. Both boys had their hands locked and fingers woven together in silence, looking into each other’s eyes with a smile and simply enjoying each other’s touch in the chaotic and loud environment. Oleksander had just come back from a break, his clothes still stinking of cigarette smoke. He placed his warm hand on Aiden’s shoulder as the teen polished some glasses. “Sunshine, would you be a dear and make a Tequila Sunrise and a Sea Breeze for the people on the table just behind us, and then take it over to them once you’re done?” Aiden didn’t mean to, but he bit his lip; his head spun around to try and see which table the Irish-Belarusian man meant, then spotting a large table in the direction that Oleksander was gesturing to. There were at least eight people, three girls and five men. Aiden didn't want to cause a fuss, so he just made the drinks and forced himself over to the table. Even in his slightly inebriated state, James didn’t miss the change in Aiden’s body language. The bi-colour-haired boy tried to ground himself as much as he could as he delivered the drinks; thankfully everyone sitting at the table had kind, friendly faces and cheered as soon as they saw him coming with the drink, giving him a joyful boost as he said goodbye and skipped back to the bar with a smile on his face. Oleksander had his own smile and gave Aiden a little round of applause as he got back behind the bar. “You did that very well; good job, my friend.” James was swirling what remained of his drink around in the bottom of his glass, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Aiden. “You looked apprehensive, xuxu. Are you okay?” Crap, he saw. “Oh yeah, I’m fine, James!” Aiden's eyes darted about as he replied, and James’s eyebrow raised even higher at the unconvincing lie he had just been told. Oleksander placed his hand on Aiden’s shoulder comfortingly, rubbing him slightly in sympathy. “We had a small incident last week… I sent Aiden over to those people to try and get his confidence back up; I think it did the trick, though. They loved you, Aidy!” James smiled at his friend’s praise of his boyfriend, but he paused for a second, thinking. Thoughtfully recalling anything that Aiden may have mentioned in the past week. “Incident? I didn’t know about this… What happened, Aidy baby?” Oleksander opened his mouth to speak again but decided against it, looking to Aiden to answer his boyfriend’s queries. Looking Aiden in the eye and waiting for what he was going to say. “Oh, it was nothing! this guy – he… he, umm.” Oleksander shook his head lightly with a chuckle and a smile, patting Aiden on the back to try to get him to open up. “He grabbed your xuxu’s arm, my friend. The guy didn't let go when Aiden told him to, but I sent Enos over to sort him out because I was with a customer. He was probably just a bit drunk.” Oleksander looked at Aiden kindly and ruffled his hair as he continued. “You got a bit upset, didn’t you, sunshine? However, he dealt with it very well! You were very professional, my friend.”

James’s eye widened at the news, looking to Aiden for his answer; the e-boy just nodded in reply and looked away sadly, ashamed. “What? Why didn’t you tell me? That bastard! I’d kill him—” Oleksander raised his hands in playful defence, trying to calm his friend. “Ah, ah. James, my friend. Before you go all Rambo on us and get your lovely, curly hair in a twist. I suggested that we tell you, but your sweet sunshine here insisted that we didn’t. He didn’t want to stress you out, bless him… I should have mentioned it anyway. Blame me, not him. I should have just told you. I’m the one at fault.” Aiden looked at Oleksander with gratitude in his eyes; Oleksander gave him a reassuring wink in reply. James looked slightly worried at the news, but he lightened up again at seeing his friend and his boyfriend getting along so well together. “Oh, Aidy… really? You can tell me anything, xuxu. You know that…” “I know, I’m sorry, Jamesy, you just had so much on your mind…” James smiled, his sweet sunshine, always thinking of others before himself. “It’s okay… I’m glad just Enos was there to sort it out; please tell him I say thank you, Oleksander.” “Of course I will. He and Nino both are fond of Aiden; we all are. We would never want anything to happen to him.” James nodded and got up from his seat, extending his arms out for Aiden to come into; the e-boy did just that and climbed into James’s embrace, relieved to see that his boyfriend didn’t take him keeping the situation from him personally. James was just easygoing like that; he always understood. “I’m just going to the bathroom quickly… Can I have another drink when I’m back, or have I hit my limit?” Aiden rolled his eyes and pecked James’s cheek. Oleksander looked thoughtful for a moment and then replied with, “One more beer won’t hurt; consider it my apology…  Better yet, Aiden? Why don’t you take a break? You must need to use the bathroom too with all of the running back and forth behind this bar you have been doing, or you could both do… ‘other things’. I know nothing. I’ll have beers for both of you when you’re back; you’ll probably need them…” Oleksander finished off the last part of his sentence with yet another playful wink; Aiden stared at the tall blonde young man, open-mouthed, at the suggestion, but James’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. The Brazilian took the opportunity to whisper something in Aiden’s ear, making him blush wildly. James just chuckled, and both boys brought their mouths together in a passionate kiss, clearly coming to some kind of agreement together and skipping off happily together while Oleksander looked away with a laugh, then leaning forward to serve the people who had come to the front of the bar to collect a drink.

James was right; he certainly did have a killer hangover when he woke up, but he didn’t give a fuck about that. The pounding in his head was nothing compared to the empty pounding in his heart when he looked at Aiden’s angelic sleeping form. The smaller boy’s body was wrapped in his favourite T-shirt, using it as a nightgown while he slept like he always did. It was hard to imagine that James would see him in person for God knows how many weeks. His shoulder would be fully healed, and he would be back playing soccer by the time that they saw each other again. The next few hours went by too quickly. James didn’t want to leave Aiden’s home; he didn’t want to go on this stupid trip for months, and he didn’t want to be without his sunshine for a day, let alone two or three months. He didn’t have a choice; however, both of the boys had agreed that they would text and call each other as often as they could. There would be at least one FaceTime call a day to keep each other up to date on what the other was doing, and if they ever missed a day, they would have to call each other multiple times a day instead! James promised he would introduce Aiden to some of his cousins and friends over their calls, and Aiden was to message James immediately after he came home from a shift at the club. It couldn't be put off any longer; however, it was time to go. Aiden and James had taken a small walk around James’s neighbourhood, hand in hand, just to have one last look at the place before he went away for months on end. Both boys came to the end of the street, James’s father’s car in the distance, putting the final suitcase in the back while his mother honked the car’s horn to get his attention, to get him to take his seat so they could head to the airport. Aiden watched James’s face fall and his fists tighten, then he heard a loud gulp come from James’s mouth. Aiden quickly stepped into his line of sight, holding his cheeks in his hands and bringing his eyes up to look into his own.

“Hey…it won’t be so bad, Jamesy. You’ll… you’ll have a great time…” James nodded and smiled sadly, kissing Aiden’s forehead and then his lips softly, bringing his brown hand to cup Aiden’s chin as he did so. Aiden sighed as his boyfriend started to walk forward, towards the car and his family who awaited his arrival, before he turned back around, looking at Aiden tearfully. The e-boy thought that he was going to bolt for a moment, that James would run off and hide so he didn’t have to face the reality of the situation, or maybe he was projecting what he would have done in James’s shoes. “Wait… Aidy, hold on…” James’s fingers came to his left hand, taking off a golden ring he always wore. A simple golden band with a diamond encrusted in the centre. Then James's hand came for Aiden's, holding it firmly but gently and pushing the ring he had taken off onto Aiden's finger. “Here, keep a hold on this while I'm gone; look after it for me…” Aiden looked into his eyes again, tearfully, silently. James continued, willing his own tears to stay back. “Even though I’m not here, you have a piece of me with you, like I have a piece of you.” James then took the opportunity to tug his jacket open and pull his t-shirt down slightly, showing off his chain with Aiden’s ring still hung from it like a pendant. He had never taken it off; it was still on his chain from the night they had spent together all those weeks ago. James was showing Aiden that he always had a part of him with him, and now Aiden had a part of James to match. The ring was loose; it could fall off if he wasn’t careful, but Aiden would deal with that later. Right now, in this moment, all the other boy cared about was their partner. Both leaned into each other for one last hug and kiss goodbye before James finally turned around and walked to the car, taking his seat next to Laura and buckling himself in. Each of the family members waved Aiden goodbye, shouting that they would all be in touch before the car pulled away and drove off for the airport, leaving Aiden behind. He watched the vehicle move further and further away, and he was just standing there; now he was alone. The car was still in eyesight, but Aiden couldn’t bear to watch any longer; he turned around on his heels and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. Hot tears of despair falling down as he did so, little did Aiden know that James was staring out the back of the car the whole time; he couldn’t see Aiden anymore. The Brazilian teen turned his head around and laid it back against the headrest for a moment, tears welling in his eyes as suddenly his head fell forward towards his lap and his hands came to his eyes. James cried his eyes out, his sobs loud and heavy. Gisela and Heitor looked into the rear-view mirror to see their son’s crying face; both of his parents looked at each other sadly for a moment before looking back at the road in silence. James couldn’t hold it in anymore; he couldn’t hold back. Laura didn’t know what to do or say to her big brother, her smaller hand just reaching out and resting on his knee in sympathy as he continued to cry in the back of the car.

Chapter 24: You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide

Summary:

Different type of chapter this time, be very careful as there is talk of suicide attempts and SA. Looking forward to your comments, thank you again for the support everyone!
The next chapter is pretty much finished but it might take a little while to come as I need to wait for something beforehand, appreciate your patience guys.
P.S got predictions for what might happen in the next chapters? Gimme your theories!

“I’m serious, Jake, he keeps staring at you!” “Ashley, get real. There’s no way he’s looking at me.” Jacob Hamilton bickered back and forth with his best friend Ashley in the middle of the school corridor. It was March; both of them were in their sophomore year of high school, and Jake had just turned sixteen the previous month. The day had started just like any other. Boring as fuck classes; luckily Jake shared the majority of them with Ashley, so at least she kept him entertained. The girl was insanely intelligent and a bunch of fun, so Jake could copy off her work and have a laugh both at the same time. However, the blonde Texan girl wouldn’t shut up about him having ‘an admirer’ all day. Blake MacNeil, a master at soccer, was well-liked and an incredibly handsome senior; apparently, according to Ashley, he had kept looking at Jake all day. It was a funny notion at first, but Jake was starting to get tired of it. Jake had a slight crush on Blake, but there was no way on earth that someone like Blake MacNeil could ever like him. There was a higher chance of hell freezing over than that even happening. “Jake, he’s coming over…” “What? No chance.” The blonde American girl then tapped him on the shoulder, willing him to look up from his locker. “Look for yourself.” With a huff, the blue-haired boy turned around and almost jumped out of his skin as he was now face to face with Blake. The older boy had a wolfish grin on his tanned face. For whatever reason, the way he looked at Jake went straight to the teen’s very heart and soul and made it glow warmly. “Hey, Jake…” Jake just continued to look into his dark brown eyes, staring like a total idiot until Ashley cleared her throat, bringing him back to reality.

"O-oh, hey! Hi, Blake…" Blake clearly didn't miss the way Jake's cheeks flushed bright pink or how he shifted about nervously while looking at him. "I've got a big game later; will you be there to cheer me on?" The blue-haired boy swallowed nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah! Of course! Gotta cheer you on – I mean, cheer the team on! Yeah…" Blake gave a low laugh at the response, ruffling Jake's hair before stepping away. "Hope to see you later, sugar." Reality hit Jake like a freight train as he leaned back against the door of his locker, finally getting his breath back into his lungs. Had that actually just happened, or was he in a different dimension? "Wow, that was about as smooth as sandpaper. I thought you didn't even like soccer. Good job, Jake!" "Oh, be quiet! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ashley! Jesus H. Christ…" The Texan girl came up to her friend, pulling her arm over his shoulders. "Told you he was looking at you." "What the fuck do I do? You just saw that, right?" Jake's hands flew to his head while he tried to process everything and not hyperventilate at the fact his crush basically just pinned him against his locker and looked as if he was about to kiss him. "Just breathe, Jake. Be yourself; you've got this…" Ashley's words of wisdom stuck in his head all the way through the rest of the school day, and then it was time to go to the soccer field and watch the game.

Two and a half hours later, the game was played. Tipiskaw won, of course, and Blake had assisted in getting two of the goals that granted the school the victory. Jake could have sworn that the senior was staring at him almost the whole time. Ashley hadn’t been able to attend; she had already agreed to hang out with her two other friends, Lila and Lupita, after school that day. The Texan girl was practically Jake’s only real friend; he hung out with her and her buddies constantly throughout the school day. He was going to spend time with them tonight, but if Blake had personally asked him to attend this game, then he had no other choice but to cancel his plans with the other three girls. Ashley understood, of course, and wished him luck, whatever she meant by that. Lila Ryan and Lupita Caminos were nice girls, but Ashley Graham was an angel – kind, caring, and wise, and she didn’t take shit from anyone. That’s why she was so well liked by everyone. Jake felt lucky to have been welcomed into her little group. Now the blue-haired teen was standing by the wall on the other side of the soccer pitch; Blake had run up to the stand where he was sitting at the end of the game and shoved a folded-up piece of paper that told him to wait by the wall for him after the game. Time was ticking on now; his parents would be wanting him home soon. Jake figured that he had just been stood up, that it was all a prank. He reached down to grab his rucksack that he had placed at the bottom of the wall while he waited until a shout of his name cut off his actions near instantly.

"Shit! Sorry I'm late, sugar!" Blake had finally arrived, his hair still damp from the changing room showers. "Thank you for coming, sweet thing. Did you enjoy yourself?" Blake came to stand next to Jake against the wall, leaning back in a cool and relaxed manner while Jake was just trying his best to not start shaking from his nerves. "Y-yeah! Had a great time. You were amazing, Blake." "Amazing? That's high praise; I'm flattered..." Jake flushed all over again, twirling the long blue strands of his hair around his index finger while he looked to the floor shyly. He felt like such an idiot; what was he even doing here? Blake must have thought he was a complete moron. "Hey, baby boy?" Before Jake knew it, a strong hand was underneath his chin, tilting it upwards, and before Jake could even make a noise of surprise, he suddenly had Blake's lips smashed against his. The force of Blake coming onto him shoved Jake back against the wall. Blake’s hands came up to either side of his body, pinning him tight against the tall brick wall. The blue-haired teen sucked in a shocked breath, his eyes going wide. 'WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK.' His brain chanted over and over while the other boy's lips were still stuck to his; Jake didn't know what he was supposed to do. He had never been kissed by anyone before; he just stood there and let it happen; he felt almost paralysed. Finally Blake pulled away, looking into Jake's eyes once again while he did so, lips curling up into a seductive smile. Jake couldn't help himself; his own mouth formed into a goofy, lopsided grin in response. Dear God, this certainly was not how he expected tonight would go…

Months later and Jake and Blake had been going strong for a long time. They were almost inseparable. Jake had been introduced to all of Blake’s friends and got along well with them all. There were Kian, Daisy, Suryo and Maxy; if you added Jake and Blake, then you had a great little group of mates. Blake and Maxy were the closest of friends, always around each other no matter what. Jake would be lying if he didn’t admit that he got a bit jealous of their relationship from time to time; he just wanted Blake all to himself sometimes. It was like a dream come true for Jake. Finally it felt like he had found his place, a nice group of friends and a boy he loved, who loved him back too. He never forgot about Ashley; however, she didn’t mind him spending more time with his new buddies and boyfriend and actively encouraged him to do so! Regardless, Jake always made sure to check in with the blonde Texan girl every single day, calling and texting her if they couldn’t see each other in person for whatever reason. She was still his best friend after all. Jake hadn't yet told his parents that he had no interest in women, only in other men. He wasn’t quite sure how they would respond to the news; they had said some less than great things about gay people before, but Jake didn’t want to worry about that now. He had something great and just wanted to enjoy it. The whole group would all hang out after school together constantly. There were soccer games, sneaking beers behind the sports equipment shed and hanging out in the park way past his curfew. Blake had insisted that they hang out at Jake’s place before, much to his hesitation. What would his parents say if they found out? Would they suspect something? However, Blake was a total charmer. He easily won the opinion of Jake’s parents and passed off as Jake’s ‘new best friend’ to them rather than the boyfriend that he really was. His parents were so fond of Blake, asking him to invite him over whenever he pleased. At least that was one less thing to worry about; perhaps he could tell them the truth one day. Jake and Blake would spend hours on end together, at Jake’s parents' house and in Blake’s apartment. Jake always found it so cool that Blake lived alone and he wasn’t even eighteen yet! He was a senior, sure, but that extra level of independence made him all the more alluring to Jake.

One day, just Jake and Blake had been out in the park together. The outdoor pool had just opened up again for the summer, and the two boyfriends thought it would be fun to go for a dip together in the immense heat. They had both been there for hours until it started to get dark and began raining. That wouldn’t have been an issue, considering that they were both already soaking wet, but it wasn’t just rain; it was violent, echoing thunder and lightning. The heavens themselves had just opened up for some reason, and Jake and Blake had no other option but to retreat back to Blake’s place before they were electrocuted by the lightning or blown away by the intense winds. Blake had practically begged Jake to spend the night at his apartment; fortunately Jake’s parents didn’t have an issue with it and just told him to be home by Sunday evening. Jake was laughing his head off about the way that Blake had jumped up as a sudden clap of thunder had sounded out in the sky as they made their way up the stairwell back to Blake’s front door. Jake made his way inside, his and Blake’s bags under his arm as he threw them on a chair by the door while Blake locked the front door behind them. The taller, tanned boy grabbed Jake by the waist and picked him up with ease, carrying him into the living room, giggling all the while and then gently tugging his hair to pull his face down to make Jake’s lips meet his to kiss him passionately. The two held each other like that for a few moments; happily making out, until something switched in Blake. Before Jake knew it, he was being carried over to the couch and suddenly being thrown down onto it, his head landing on some pillows on the headrest while his body bounced slightly against the soft surface. Blake loomed right over him like a crazed, hungry lion with its prey. When Jake looked up, he saw his boyfriend's eyes were wild, dark, ravenous, ready to devour. Jake instantly knew what Blake was thinking as the older boy tugged off his shirt and Jake lay below watching the whole time.

“Woahhhh… What are you doing, Blake?” Blake scoffed in reply to his boyfriend’s ‘stupid’ question, leaning down to shove his tongue back in his mouth for a few moments before pulling away and tangling his fingers in Jake’s long blue hair. “What does it look like, dumbass?” Before Jake could even think, Blake’s lips were on his neck, kissing the skin while Jake started to feel panic rise in his chest. “I-I… I don’t know about this." Blake pulled back again to look Jake in the eye, shaking his head with a smirk on his lips, pressing a finger to Jake’s lips to quieten him. “Come on, sugar, don’t you love me?" Jake bit his lip as his eyes darted to the side of the couch, thinking about the words carefully. “O-of course I do! I—I’m just not sure—” “Baby boy, I don’t see what the problem is. If you really loved me, you’d be totally fine with this…” Blake was growing impatient; he sat up to sit on Jake’s lap with his arms crossed, looking down at him again with that same smirk. Jake didn’t want to be a prude; he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t thought about taking their relationship to the next level himself from time to time… “I do love you, Blakey… I’m just-” “- just let me take the lead…” A few minutes later, both boys were making out ferociously, still lying on the couch. Jake kept feeling embarrassed, his eyes darting to the side and looking down at the floor below the couch. Blake’s tanned hand came to clutch under his chin and direct his gaze back up to him. “You can trust me, Jake. You know that I would never hurt you, don’t you?…" Jake swallowed hard as he smiled in agreement, nodding before leaning in once more for another bruising kiss…

The memory of that night stayed in Jake’s head for a long time afterwards, but he didn’t say a word to anyone. It had been fast and pretty painful, not at all the loving scene that Jake had envisioned in his head beforehand, but he was still glad that he had taken the next step in his relationship with Blake nonetheless. There was a month left of school left to go before the summer; Blake was soon to graduate. He had been spending a lot more time than usual with Maxy, which was saying a lot because the two friends were practically joined at the hip! The two of them were always together, studying and hanging out; more than what Jake hung out with Blake, at least. Jake couldn’t help but become jealous and paranoid; he worried that Maxy liked Blake more than a friend, and he even wondered if Blake liked him back. However, Blake just said it was nothing; he said that Jake was just being irrational and overthinking it all. Blake was right; they had to study. Maxy and he both planned on going to the same college together and sharing a dorm after all. Jake brought up his concerns to Ashley, and the blonde girl seemed quite worried at the revelation; regardless, she told Jake just to keep an eye on the situation and to try not to jump to any conclusions.

Eventually summer came along, but nothing changed. Maxy and Blake were still glued to each other, and now Jake had to face the fact that Blake had graduated and was going to a college that was out of town come September. The thought of them being apart scared him endlessly; Blake was his everything, but there was nothing he could do. He would try to go to Blake for reassurance, but he would get very little sympathy; the usual response would be, “Stop thinking about only yourself for once” or “God, you’re so paranoid, Jake. It’s so annoying!” Blake was now spending less and less time with him; weeks and weeks went by, summer was almost finished by this point, and they had hardly spent any time together at all; it was now late August. Perhaps the blue-haired boy had annoyed him with all of the constant questioning? Perhaps Jake had bothered him too much. Maybe Blake needed a bit of space. Blake was in the process of moving out of town for college after all; he probably just had a lot on his mind and was just stressed. Jake decided on a plan of action; there was no way to a man’s heart like through his stomach. Jake loved baking, and Blake loved what he made for him; his parents were out all day, so Jake had the kitchen to himself. He decided to make some sugar cookies, the ones that Blake really, really loved. It wasn’t a far journey to Blake’s apartment, only a thirty-minute walk if you were quick about it. His boyfriend would really appreciate the kind gesture, wouldn’t he?

Across town, Ashley had just been finishing up organising her wardrobe, deciding what to keep or give away to charity before school started up again. She was cut off from her wondering about a baby blue-coloured blouse by her ringtone sounding out from her phone. It was Jake. She answered it quickly, thinking that he was probably just bored and wanted to hang out before they went back to school. God, she was so wrong. Once Jake had told her what he had found, what he had walked in on, she was half tempted to march her away across town to Blake’s apartment and hang him by the neck off his own fucking balcony. Jake had walked in on Blake and Maxy… during an intimate moment. The blue-haired teen dropped the bag of cookies he had been carrying and shot off out the door without a word; Blake hadn’t even bothered going after him. Jake practically cried all night down the phone to her; she swore to him that she would come over the next day so they could talk it through, but Jake had to refuse. Blake had agreed to meet in person with Jake the next day to 'talk things over'. Ashley got another call from Jake the next evening, a similar one in tone, only…things had become even worse, if that was even possible. Blake and Jake had met up in the park to talk things over; it went about as well as could be expected, which was fucking awful. Jake begged for Blake to take him back; he even said he’d forgive the incident with Maxy, but Blake was a selfish asshole, breaking it off with Jake and then shoving him to the floor before speeding off in his car. Jake went back home, and his parents wanted some kind of explanation for everything, his dishevelled appearance and the fact he was so distraught. Jake came out to them; he decided it was now or never, and they wanted an explanation for everything, and they went batshit insane at him. Calling him every single homophobic slur under the sun and then some more, it went from bad to worse, as now they didn’t even want him under their roof for much longer, telling Jake he had until he was eighteen, and then he was out right of the door right away after that. The boy had lost everything: his boyfriend, his parents, and soon his home would be taken from him too. Not even his brother said a word when Jake tried to contact him and explain what had happened. Shawn put the phone right down as soon as Jake mentioned that he was gay, never hearing another word from his older brother. Jake had texted Blake all day and night, and he continued to do so for days and days; he never, ever got a proper answer or even another single message from Blake ever again.

Jake was a broken young man upon the first day back at school after the summer. He walked into the place like he was more dead than alive. As soon as he first stepped through those large double doors at the school’s entrance, he could feel eyes all over him. At first he just thought it was paranoia, or maybe his mind was just making stuff up because he felt so low, but that wasn’t the case. The final nail in the coffin had hit like a tonne of bricks. Blake was good friends with everyone on the soccer team before he graduated, one of those people being James Costa, one of the school’s most popular kids. Blake had decided to share the screenshots of the desperate messages that Jake had sent him, pouring his heart out to his boyfriend and desperately begging him to take him back, explaining how he forgave him for cheating and that his parents now hated him because they had found out that he was gay. Jake had desperately begged for a response from Blake; it was pitiful. He came off like a crazed maniac in the messages, so desperate, a broken record, but according to everyone else, it was the height of hilarity. Every single one of those messages had somehow got from James’s phone to every group chat and every single text conversation of every student in the school. Blake hadn’t just sent the screenshots; however, he had added his own embellishments and extra garnishes in between the pictures. Saying how ‘Jake was a total slut but was like a dead fish in bed’ and how ‘he was always gagging for it but could never properly deliver’. The explanation was obvious to Jake; James had shared the messages with everyone for a laugh. Yul Kim and Riya Sharma, two of James’s closest friends and just as popular as he was, had clearly found it hilarious, as they had both taken some of the ‘best’ images of the one-sided conversation and had posted them on their social media pages for everyone to gawk and have a laugh at. Jake didn't know at first, not for a good hour. He walked over to Lila and Lupita at their lockers, and without a word, they just gave him a dirty look and walked away. Jake only found out about the situation because Ashley had done the decent thing and pulled him aside to tell him. She knew his reaction would be dreadful, but nothing could have prepared her for the way that Jake just shut down. He wailed, hyperventilated, punched his hands against the wall, pulled at his own hair as his eyes went wide and tears streamed down them endlessly. Ashley pulled Jake through the hallways as people shouted insults and jeered at him. She tried to fight back against them at first, but it was pointless; everyone knew that Jake was a complete loser at this point. He was Blake’s desperate ex-bitch. Jake might as well have had a giant red target on his chest. Ashley and Jake eventually made their way to Connor’s office; Jake couldn’t even speak to his principal, and Ashley had to do it for him as she recounted everything. Jake’s head suddenly began to buzz as he fell off his chair to his knees with a small shout, then collapsed to the floor as everything around him went quiet and black, faintly hearing his only friend screaming his name as he fell into that deep, empty void.

The days and weeks after that bled into each other; every day was the same. He only had one friend in the world now, Ashley. God bless that girl; she hadn’t left him, sadly, to the detriment of her own reputation. Whenever Jake had abuse shouted at him, she usually did too for hanging out with such a ‘sad, sorry, good-for-nothing whore’. She stuck by him more than ever; she wasn’t one to follow the crowd or be swayed by popular opinion. All of Jake’s old friends were now gone, apart from one. Daisy had graduated alongside Maxy and Blake; Kian and Suryo were now two of his biggest tormentors, shouting insults at him whenever they saw him in the hallway or in class. Lila and Lupita no longer wanted anything to do with him and now Ashley by extension, but the blonde Texan girl didn’t give a shit. Jake was a friend; she was going to stick beside him through thick and thin. There were little positive breaks in Jake’s dark and cloudy existence; he had found a job at the local bakery, and his boss was a total sweetheart, if a bit stern at times. He was making money and making plans for when he eventually had to move out. Jake just had to keep moving forward, as difficult as that was. There was one night, however, that was almost the end of it all…

It was a dark Friday night in late November, and Jake was walking through a narrow alleyway to try and make his way back home. Jake had been given a double detention for starting an argument in class; Lupita had said something about him during a mathematics lesson, and Jake had just snapped. He grabbed the Salvadorian girl and shoved her against the wall; it took the teacher and two other students to separate them. It didn’t really matter that it was her; it could have been anyone that could have said what she did, and Jake still would have hit the wall. He had enough of everything, of everyone, of everyone deciding that his personal life was their business to laugh at. He kicked his own heels as he made the trek back to his parents' house, but there were two people standing in his path; he couldn’t see their faces; their heads were covered up by the hoods of the dark jackets they were both wearing. As he continued to step forward without too much thought, he suddenly felt someone grab him. One of the people had a hold of his arm and swung him around like a ragdoll, causing him to fly into the railings to the left of him with a ‘THUMP’. All of the breath was knocked right out of Jake’s system, winding him as his shoulders were then grabbed next, and he was sent flying down to the hard floor. The blue-haired sixteen-year-old groaned in pain and tried to get a look at whoever it was who had done what they did, but he had no chance; before he knew it, a fist came flying right for his face and smacked him directly in the eye, blinding him momentarily. Jake lay there screaming in pain as a shower of punches and kicks came straight for him; he tried his best to shelter his head from the blows as he cowered in fear. ‘I’m going to die. I’m going to take my last breaths on this cold pavement. ‘They’re going to beat me to death’ repeated again and again in Jake’s brain as he screamed and cried for someone, anyone, to come and save him. The hits landed all over his chest and torso; he even thought he could feel a foot on his neck at one point, cutting off his airways. Through his buggered vision, he could faintly make out two faces, two faces he knew well. He was certain that it was Kian and Suryo who were beating him to a bloody pulp, two boys who he had once called his ‘friends’.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the hits and blows stopped, and the two men shouted something before running off. Jake managed to stagger to his feet, half-blinded and dazed, barely able to walk. Blood trickled out from his nose and the side of his mouth as he climbed back up off the floor. There was a bridge not far away; Jake had to walk past it to get back home; it was in quite a secluded area. He forced his way forward and came to lean against the tall brick structure, arms trembling from the pain, adrenaline and fear as he did so. The bridge was tall; it looked right over a deep canal. Jake looked down into the water and let his held-back emotions go; he let himself cry harder than he had in a long, long time. Then through his tears, there was an idea. Jump. It was November; that water was ice-cold. He could jump and fall in, be swept away; hypothermia would set in quickly, and he could just… be taken away by the current, be free of the pain, the suffering, the memories, and the torture that he went through every single fucking day. The blue-haired sixteen-year-old managed to climb his way up, standing on top of the brick wall and grasping onto the side of a tree that stood next to the wall. He gasped, saliva pooling in his mouth and leaking out from the corners of his mouth, mixing with the blood on his face as he breathed shallowly, open-mouthed, as he stared down at the rushing water below.  It was now or never; what was stopping him? One foot left the wall and hung over the edge… But a thought came into his mind. Ashley. She had done so much for him; she didn’t have any friends anymore, thanks to him. She could be free of him now if he just ended it, but maybe… She would become the next big target for everyone's abuse; she would take his place as the school punching bag. There was also Miriam; she was a great friend. She cared; they hadn't known each other for too long, but she had revealed that she lost her son and husband. She said that Jake was like the grandson she never had; would she be lonely without him? Would both of the girls miss him? Jake’s footing suddenly slipped, and he fell, but he managed to angle himself backwards in a split second, coming to fall backwards off the wall and landing on the ground behind the wall, crashing down and hurting himself even more on top of the injuries he already had. He tried to get back up, but he just couldn’t… He couldn’t manage to get himself back up on that wall; he couldn’t go through with ending it all. He was just too much of a coward…

Jake’s parents had said nothing when he staggered through the front door; they didn’t even offer to drive him to the local emergency department despite his bruised and bloody appearance. Miriam took him there herself when he came to work the next morning. By Monday, Jake was starting to heal, but he looked a total mess; one of his eyes was black, his lip was busted, and he had his left wrist in a medical splint. He had a mild concussion, not to mention the fact that he was littered with cuts and bruises from head to toe. At first everyone looked shocked at Jake's situation, but then it quickly turned to laughter. The new sentiment was that he had done it to himself for an attempt at sympathy and attention. Jake considered going to Connor’s office to tell him that two of his ex-friends had done it to him; Ashley even encouraged him to tell someone, and she even said that she would go with him too, but Jake didn’t care anymore; he was numb, broken, and empty. There was no point; they would just do it again. They probably would kill him the next time if he said a word to anyone else. It couldn’t get any worse. Then it came. Those words, Ashley’s confession. “Jake, I'm leaving… I've been told I can graduate a year and a half early. We're moving back to Texas just before Christmas…” No. No. NO. NOT HER. NOT HIS BEST FRIEND. ANYTHING BUT THAT. WHY DID THE UNIVERSE HATE HIM SO MUCH? WHY DID HE HAVE TO LOSE EVERYTHING? NOW HIS BEST FRIEND WAS GOING. WHY DID HE HAVE TO LOSE HER TOO? -

Seventeen-year-old Jake Hamilton shot up on the bed with a scream, his heart pounding in his chest so hard he thought it would burst out of the confines of his skin. He was boiling hot, sweating like nothing else; his bed sheets were soaked with sweat. Jake's hands came to his face, wet with tears. He looked to the side to see his alarm clock, 3:37am. It had happened again, another nightmare, another dose of those memories; they always came back again and again and again. He would never be free of them. Looking around, he tried to ground himself; he was in Miriam’s house, in her spare bedroom, in a bed he could call his own. He was safe now… But, god, he really didn’t feel like he was; he never did when those nightmares came. The blue-haired boy did the first thing he could think of. He reached to grab his phone from his bedside table and punched in the first number that came to his mind. Waiting for a brief moment while it rang, then finally being answered by the boy on the other end. His voice trembled as he spoke, trying to hold in his sobs. “T-Tom?… It happened again; I had another nightmare… Those memories, these dreams – I'll never be free of it! They-they’ll never leave me alone!…”

Chapter 25: Here's To Being Human

Summary:

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY DEAR FRIEND CRIS FOR THE ART!
Crikey, this is a long ass chapter, no happiness to be had here folks...
btw, i had comments turned off for guests, apologies for that. can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts!

It had been about two weeks since James had left for Curitiba, but it felt like nothing less than an eternity. Aiden’s new philosophy for gratitude had hit the floor and died the moment that James left. Life was grey; it had none of the usual spark and colour that James always brought along with him. There was little to no upside when attending school these days, the role of being Aiden’s ‘buddy’ in lessons was being shared by virtually all of his friends: Gabby, Ellie, Hunter, Tess, Lake, Rosa, Tristan, and Benji… well, maybe not Benji; the boy couldn’t even care for a goldfish if he tried, let alone keep Aiden away from the wrath of his bullies. Aiden felt more like a burden for his friends than anything, just a sad case for them to watch over. He was just miserable, and everyone else had to fuss and worry about him because his boyfriend had left the country for two months. The e-boy didn’t mean to, but he was becoming snappy and irritable. Whenever anyone asked if he was alright, he was tired of putting on a face and saying that he was fine. Now his responses had usually turned into a variation of “What the fuck do you think?” and, to be fair, he wasn’t wrong. Things weren't exactly great. James was gone; Riya and Yul still hated him and were undoubtedly just waiting for their next opportunity to pounce and rip his self-esteem to pieces once again. Aiden worked long hours into the night in a place he really shouldn’t have been in in the first place; the money he got was good, but bills and rent were still relentless, and it wasn’t always guaranteed that he would have enough money on time. His parents were still on his ass about his job and where exactly this money came from. Tom and Jake had made it as clear as possible that they were there for him, that he was to come to them if anything was on his mind; he appreciated it, but it wasn’t exactly easy to be around them. Whenever the e-boy watched the other couple in class or at lunch, they were just so affectionate and lovey-dovey with each other; it just reminded him of James. He hated to admit it, but he was so jealous of them; why couldn’t he have his boyfriend with him 24/7 again? It just wasn’t fair. Aiden didn’t like who he was becoming, this short-tempered and stressy form of his usual self; he wondered how long his friends would put up with him and his new personality going forward.

There was one slight upside: James rang him every night without fail, multiple times on the weekend if they were both lucky and had the time. The Brazilian teen seemed a lot happier than what he once had. He admitted to Aiden that perhaps he did need a break away for a while to reconnect with his homeland and see his family. James had mentioned that he had told his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all about Aiden and how amazing he was, and that they couldn’t wait to see him over a call or see him in person if he ever came with James to Brazil in the future. Those moments when they texted and called and FaceTimed were the best; those were the moments when Aiden felt normal again, he felt loved, and he felt human once more. James was having a good time reconnecting with his old friends, seeing his family, and going to the beach every day, but none of that changed the fact that he still missed Aiden to no end, and Aiden felt likewise. When the two of them couldn’t call, Aiden found himself staring at James’s Instagram and Snapchat over and over again; he was having so much fun, it was clear in what he posted online. Aiden felt a little bit jealous of James too, the beautiful surroundings, the sunshine and the beautiful beaches, not to mention the way James’s face was always so light and happy when he was in a family photo. Aiden had none of that. James's shoulder was now healed too; his latest photo on his Instagram was him and two other boys around his age on a dusty old plot of land with the faint white outline of a soccer pitch drawn onto it, with an old, worn-out white net at the end of it. The picture he had just uploaded had James running up to the camera, his face ecstatic and his arms raised high and wide while two other lads ran after him in celebration, having undoubtedly just scored a goal. Aiden smiled at the image; it had been a long time since James scored a goal like that. The memories of how he would yell in joy and always come running up to Aiden to perform his usual celebration and then pull him into a passionate kiss in front of everyone who watched – neither boy would have a care in the world in those moments. The memories made his heart flutter softly, but they also made his soul ache miserably for the boy he loved.

Aiden had been staring at the picture for god knows how long. He was expecting a call from his boyfriend before he went off to work at the club at 6pm; it was 5:15 now and time was running thin. Aiden still had to get himself dressed and walk to the place, after all. Finally, a familiar Yungblud song rang out from his phone; James was finally on the other side, ready to speak on their daily call. Aiden pressed the answer button on the call and was instantly met with his handsome boyfriend’s beautiful face and a cheeky grin. “Xuxu! How’s my Aidy baby?” “I’m good… Just getting ready for work, I saw your new picture on Instagram. That looked like a good shot, babe.” James laughed loudly through the phone's speaker, and a voice in the distance laughed too, a voice that Aiden didn’t recognise. It was deep, but it didn’t sound like James’s father. Probably an uncle or something. “You liked the photo? That’s my first goal since… you know, our little ‘adventure’ to the hospital. I set up my camera on my tripod and recorded me and some buddies while we had some fun. Rui, Inez and Abilio played a game with me; we filmed the whole thing for, like, an hour straight! Rui is the one in the green shorts, and Abilio has the navy tank top on; Inez was out of frame. We all went to the beach afterwards to chill out because we were all so exhausted.” Aiden giggled as James continued to tell him about his day, getting dressed just out of frame on the camera and coming back to look at James’s face when he was done. James encouraged his boyfriend to recount his day as Aiden brushed his bi-coloured hair. Aiden hesitated for a moment. Considering his words, today… wasn’t great. The e-boy had been forced to sit through another documentary on poverty in Ted’s history class; he felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack the whole time. Then there was P.E.; Yul kept staring at him the whole time. The Korean boy said nothing, but he just stared daggers. He was with Hunter, Tristan and Benji the whole time; Tristan was only in the boys' P.E. group so they could hang out with Benji. All three of them were keeping an eye out for him, but even knowing that they were there didn’t do much to put Aiden at ease. Then finally there was his Portuguese class; he had managed to misplace a piece of his homework, meaning that he had to ask for another worksheet and would have to do it all over again on the weekend, but Aiden couldn’t say too much to his boyfriend about any of that. James was just starting to do better; he was finally happier, like he deserved to be. Aiden would have been an awful, selfish boyfriend if he had brought James back down to feeling depressed after such a good day for the Brazilian lad.

“T-today was…good! I can’t remember much; lessons were the same as always, boring as hell. I was just thinking about work for most of today. I-I focused in my Portuguese class, though! I have a text next week; could I show you my worksheets when I ring you tomorrow and Sunday so you could help me study?” “Of course I will, cutie… Why were you thinking about work so much, though?” Fuck. Exactly what he didn’t want to do; he was making James worried. Aiden could try and change the topic, but they may have looked too suspicious. Aiden didn’t really have a choice; he hated keeping things from James, and he never, ever wanted to lie to him… Perhaps he could just play it down? “It’s no reason, really; it’s the normal stuff. We've got more bills to be paid soon and the rent … I'm just hoping I can do a good job tonight and maybe make some tips, you know? I’m not that worried! Like you always say, everything will work out in the end!” James nodded understandingly, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern for a brief moment for his sunshine, but soon enough he was beaming back at him, admiring Aiden’s open-minded perspective. James always knew that the best thing to do was to stay positive, especially for his xuxu. Aiden had said before that James’s good attitude always helped his own improve. “That's right, meu amor. It'll all be fine, Aidy Baby-”

At that moment a voice came from behind James; Aiden couldn’t quite make out what he said, but it was definitely in Portuguese. Just at that moment another face came into view on the screen, a boy around James’s age. He was handsome with dark skin and long dreads that hung in front of his face; he smiled kindly through the screen at Aiden before turning back around to face James and commenting something else in Portuguese. “Esse é seu namorado? Eu entendo por que você gosta dele! Boa escolha!” Aiden still wasn’t sure what it was, but he definitely heard the word ‘namorado’, which meant boyfriend. James laughed again and pushed the other boy away from his phone. “Sorry, Baby, that was just Rui. He was in the photo on my Insta. He’s my cousin, but we're more like mates; I and all of my cousins were raised like siblings when I was younger. I can’t decide if he’s my cousin, brother or best friend! His older brother is named Marcos… I told you about him too, didn’t I? Maybe when we called yesterday… Anyway, it’s their family that we’re staying with; they’re my cousins on my mother’s side. It’s my aunt’s house; she’s my Mamae’s older sister. Rui just wanted to see who I was talking to, especially since I was speaking English. He basically said, 'Is that your boyfriend? I understand why you like him! Good choice!' To be honest, I have to say that I agree with him!" Aiden blushed wildly; James didn’t miss it over the phone’s screen and laughed again, sticking his tongue out cheekily at Aiden while he did so. That laugh warmed up Aiden’s entire body and went straight to his heart, making it throb longingly for his sweet boyfriend. It was reassuring to know he had good company around him too. Aiden was also incredibly thankful for Rui’s interruption; it had completely changed the topic of conversation, and James was no longer worried about how things were going for Aiden all the way back in Canada. After a few more minutes of chatter, Aiden had no choice but to tell James that he had to go. It was time to take the twenty-five minute walk to the club and mentally prepare himself for the night ahead. Work was still enjoyable for the most part; it was a better job than some Aiden could have been stuck with, but the incident with those men still haunted him. Although nothing had happened like that again, much to the e-boy’s relief, the worry that it could still lingered with him. Apart from that, work had been fine. Oleksander was still good fun and a positive spark in the long night shifts.

The night was a busy one; everyone was out on the town tonight, it seemed. There were Christmas gatherings and office parties galore all over the club; it was all hands on deck to fill orders for the tidal wave of customers. Finally there was a bit of a lull in the number of orders, and Aiden and Oleksander finally had a moment to themselves. Aiden leaned back against the wall, facing the bar. He brought up his hand to his face to examine it; there were still pinkish-red marks on his knuckles from his ‘incident’ in the isolation room, but sitting on top of the marks was James’s ring. Aiden hadn't taken it off, not since James placed it there, and he didn’t plan to do so until his boyfriend came back. He didn’t even take it off in the shower or to go to sleep. After staring at his hand a little bit more, his arm fell back to his side, and Aiden still leaned back against the black cabinet behind him, but now he had his eyes closed. Just trying to get a few minutes of peace before it all started again, but he could feel someone else’s eyes on him, watching intently. When the e-boy opened them, he could see Oleksander staring right at him, shamelessly. The Belarusian-Irish young man looked him up and down with a deviant stare and bit his lip while he did so, hungry and animalistic. It just reminded Aiden so much of the way those men had looked at him a few weeks ago. Aiden had felt like he was the prey of a mighty predator with those men, like they were just waiting to pounce; he felt like that again now… but why? Why was his friend looking at him like that? It made him feel so uneasy, unsafe, disgusted and, more than anything, alone. Aiden stood up straight and crossed his arms across his chest, covering himself to a degree, then he raised an eyebrow to silently before asking the other lad what his problem was. Oleksander chuckled lightly at the defensiveness before closing the gap between them, suddenly getting very close to Aiden and looking him dead in the eye. “Has anyone ever told you how smokin' you look in that? In your uniform? Did James ever make you wear it around him at home? I bet he did.” Aiden didn’t mean to, but he gasped at the comments and questions, not expecting to hear anything like that at all; he moved himself back a fair way to get some space from the other boy. “No… he didn't… Don’t be gross, man…”

Oleksander rolled himself a cigarette to enjoy on his break, which was in a couple of minutes' time, then pressing his finger to his lips for a moment and recalling something, snapping his fingers as he did so. “Ah, but he did make out with you in the bathroom for twenty minutes straight just before he left, didn't he? Even he couldn’t resist seeing a twink in a uniform.” Aiden facepalmed with a sudden groan, remembering his less than professional choice while technically still on the job a couple of weeks back. “Oh fuck, I forgot about that. You didn't tell anyone else, did you?” Oleksander grinned and looked Aiden up and down once more, licking his lips and turning around to leave for his break. “Nah, that'll be our little secret, Aidy baby. Don’t you worry. Be good while I’m gone!” Aiden stared as the taller man walked away. What the fuck was all that about? Perhaps Oleksander had a drink before he started his shift today or something. Aiden didn’t have time to contemplate it; a flood of customers had just come to the bar, and Aiden was the only one there to fill orders. There was no rest for the wicked, especially not in this job. Customer after customer came to the bar, and Aiden was already exhausted; it was only 9pm, and he had another four hours left to endure, but at least he could take a break when his colleague returned. Oleksander waltzed back in, the stench of smoke following him as he jabbed his thumb in the direction of the door, telling Aiden to move himself outside for a few minutes to have a rest. The thoughts of the way that his friend had looked at him and his less than savoury questions stuck in his mind like gum on a pavement, but yet again he didn’t have time to contemplate them; James knew his schedule inside and out; the Brazilian lad had already messaged him. Aiden opened up his Snapchat to see a picture of James in bed, shirtless in bed that was; the Brazilian was flexing his right arm slightly while holding his phone in the left one, and Aiden had a wonderful view of his boyfriend's abs. The e-boy felt his cheeks heat up as he absentmindedly brought his mouth to his phone and kissed the image of James on his screen, then immediately regretting it once he realised what he had just done and looking around nervously to check if anyone had watched him. God, this boy was a dreamboat; if anything made his life better or at least more bearable, he did.

Aiden was back in the crowded room after twenty minutes, feeling much more rejuvenated, chipper and energetic after his James texting session while on his break. Oleksander had a face like thunder, however. He was clearly pissed off. It was plain to see from miles away. The teen bit his lip and fidgeted with his fingers nervously; had he done something? Did he forget to do something? Oleksander said nothing when he saw him, just staring with a hand on his hip. His expression had softened a tad from when Aiden first looked at his face, but there was still a hint of something aggressive and sharp in his tone when Oleksander finally spoke. “You look happy, don’t you?…” The bi-colour haired boy swallowed slightly before replying. “Yeah…I was messaging James…” The taller, blonde young man just grunted in response, glancing at his phone for a moment and then looking right back at Aiden. Aiden’s eyes darted up and down to and from the floor nervously as he spoke again; something was definitely off with his co-worker. “Are… are you okay?” Aiden had no reply to his question at first, then Oleksander scoffed, turning himself away from the e-boy to lean on the bar’s worktop. “Yeah… Don’t worry about it, sunshine…” Oleksander seemed a bit more like himself now, but much more deflated. Aiden almost always knew when someone wasn’t telling the truth; he cared for his colleague. Oleksander was more than someone he worked with; he was a friend too. Aiden reached out this time, resting his hand on Oleksander’s shoulder. “Did I… do something?” “What? No!” Oleksander snapped around and just looked at him aggressively while he spoke. Aiden jolted back in fright and shifted around nervously, surprised at the sudden outburst. He didn't quite realise how intimidating the other lad could be at times. The other boy must have instantly regretted his harsh tone towards his junior, raising his hands in front of him silently in an apology to Aiden, then looking down to the bar and gesturing to the drinks that sat on it. “I just made these while you were off snorting a line or whatever the fuck you do on your breaks.” The final words being delivered with a playful wink, the other young man was trying to change the topic to a more light-hearted one, and Aiden smiled in response, rolling his eyes at Oleksander’s choice of words. The Irish-Belarusian twenty-three-year-old sounded more like his usual self now; that playful cheekiness and sarcasm were back in his voice, back to how he usually was. Aiden could feel himself gasp a sigh of relief, but he also silently noted to himself not to push the other boy anymore on whatever had set him off earlier on.

“I don't take drugs, dude. Thank you very much. Just a bit of weed once, not like that actually counts…” Aiden barked back, sarcastically, pretentiously. He held his head in the air and pretended to check his nails the way that Riya did when she was trying to be all high and mighty. Two could play that game, and the other boy always laughed when Aiden tried to be someone he wasn't. The blonde lad gasped in surprise, grabbing Aiden’s shoulder and squeezing it. “You’re disgusting, you filthy little addict!” Aiden gasped playfully and pointed his finger right in Oleksander’s face, giving him a shit-eating grin as he continued. “You’re a fuckin’ hypocrite; at least I don't smoke like a goddamn chimney…” Aiden twirled around the bar, sticking out his tongue and flipping off the other young man. The blonde Belarusian rolled his eyes in response and put his hands back on his hips. “Yeah. Whatever!” Oleksander laughed and waved his hands theatrically, pretending to admit defeat in their fake argument, and Aiden burst out laughing too; he always had fun when Oleksander was around. He could imagine the good times that Oleksander and James had enjoyed together over the years that they had known each other. Suddenly changing his tone to less of a playful one, Oleksander spoke again. “Hey, Aidy. Take these over to those guys, will you?” The Belarusian young man then gestured to a table a little way away. Oh, fuck. It was that table, the one where Aiden had been grabbed by that guy a few weeks ago. He could see that there were completely different people sitting there tonight, but the thought of walking over there again still made him feel nauseous. “Oleksander… I'm really sorry. After what happened that one time – I'd rather not; I don't feel comfortable –" Aiden jumped out of his skin at the sudden tone shift from the other young man; that scary, snappy attitude was back in full force. “What? Oh, fuck off! I made them; you can take them over. Stop making a big deal out of it.” Aiden staggered back slightly, Oleksander making his way closer and getting up in his face again. The smaller boy tried to stutter out his response but was almost instantly cut off. “I just… I don't want—” “What? They're going to touch you up again? Get over it; it happens. You aren’t special, princess.” Aiden was utterly stunned; what could he say in response to that? The e-boy simply said nothing; just a bunch of broken sounds escaped his lips as he stuttered and stammered. Oleksander snapped back around, moving away from Aiden once more. “Tell you what, I could always tell my brother about what you and James did together not too long ago; you weren't even supposed to be on break! I bet Dejan would love to hear about that…” Oleksander was walking away, leaving the bar area; it looked like he was heading in the direction of Dejan’s office. Aiden leapt out behind him, grabbing his shoulder and pleading desperately. “What? No! Please no! I need this job; you don't understand –” “Listen, Aidy. I'll understand just fine if you just behave yourself like a good little puppy and take these over; it's dead easy stuff, you know.” The bi-colour-haired boy didn’t have much choice in the matter: face his fears or lose his job. He knew which option would have less of a devastating effect on his family. “Fine, I’m… I’m going over there now…”

Aiden did as he was told. He trembled the whole way over to the table, almost spilling the drinks over himself as he went. The couple sitting there were nice enough, two youngish guys who thanked him kindly, and Aiden was sent back again. He could feel Oleksander’s eyes on him yet again the whole way back. The younger lad said nothing; he just came back to stand behind the bar and looked down to the floor, arms crossed over his chest as he tried to calm his breathing, and he willed his heart to stop sounding so rapidly. He didn’t even dare look at Oleksander; the tall Belarusian-Irish lad was the one to speak first. “Hey… Aiden. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be short with you. This… This total bitch said something about my accent while you were outside, and it really bothered me. It just reminded me of when I was a teen; I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm really sorry…” Oh. That was it. Aiden recalled all the times that James told him about when he was in middle school, all of the racist things the other kids said. About his name, his accent, his language. It made Aiden sick to think about. James confessed that those were the worst times of his life; part of the reason that the Brazilian lad had gotten into soccer, fitness and building his strength was as an attempt to get other people to stop picking on him; luckily, it had worked for James. Aiden could always see how hurt James was whenever he mentioned his past; no doubt Oleksander had similar feelings. “It’s okay… I understand. I know just how badly that shit affected James… Just don't tell Dejan about…that, please? I can’t… I can’t lose this job. My family… We’d have nothing if I lost this role…” Oleksander placed his large, warm hand on Aiden’s shoulder reassuringly, patting and rubbing the smaller boy’s side. “Of course not, baby…” Aiden sighed a breath of relief, finally starting to feel a bit better, but before he knew it, he was being pushed back by Oleksander into a corner of the bar area the public couldn’t see into; the side hung over it too much, and there was a large gap that could easily fit two people in it, and that’s where Aiden found himself. Oleksander came to wrap his hands around Aiden’s chest and hugged him tight, squeezing him and rubbing his back. “You know… You’re so special to me, Aiden; I’ve never had a working relationship like this with anyone else before…” Oleksander finally released his grip a tad, but his hands travelled to the upper part of Aiden’s sides, still holding him close, too close almost. Aiden stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say or if he should move away. He just gave a polite, shy smile in response. It was quite flattering to know that Oleksander thought of him like that.

“I want you to do well; that means pushing you out of your comfort zone a bit, get it?” Aiden still didn’t say anything, still keeping that polite smile and nodding along to Oleksander’s words. “I have to be firm with you to ensure that you do well. I just want the best for you; you know that, don’t you?” “Yeah… I know that, Oleksander…” It was the blonde-haired man’s turn to smile then; one of his hands left Aiden’s side while the other moved lower and then suddenly just letting go. Aiden was frozen solid, unable to process any thoughts, unable to even so much as breathe. “Well, in that case, if you understand, then you’ve got to listen to me, Aidy baby…” If it was even possible, Oleksander got even closer, his head lowered slightly, his mouth was right in front of Aiden’s while he stared directly into his eyes. One of the taller man’s hands grabbed Aiden again, right on the thigh, squeezing him. The other hand came to his chin and tilted his head upwards.

Aiden felt like a deer in headlights, in such a tight grip, unable to think, let alone get away. He couldn’t move his eyes away from Oleksander’s. Oleksander was in control; he knew it, and Aiden knew it. Their lips were so close, it looked almost like Oleksander was about to – “Hmm… You really are a cutie though; I can see why those guys wanted you. You might find yourself being caught by a wolf if you’re not careful, sweet little puppy…” The hand on his thigh squeezed once more and then slapped his leg through his work trousers. Aiden jolted with a high-pitched yelp, and then the teen was suddenly just… let go, properly this time. Oleksander just walked away like nothing had happened. “We’re out of vodka; I’m just going to grab another bottle.” Like that, the older young man was gone, and Aiden was left there with nothing but his racing thoughts and his heart pounding in his chest like a drum. He gasped in lungfuls of air as bile rose up in his throat, but Aiden swallowed it back down. What the actual fuck had just happened?

The next evening, Tom and Jake were both chilling out in Jake’s bedroom. The smaller boy was packing an overnight bag while Tom sat on the bed and observed, passing the blue-haired boy items every now and then from the pile of his belongings that lay next to Tom on the bed. Jake was spending the evening at Shawn's and was going to be driving back the next day after breakfast. Both of the boyfriends had been discussing Aiden and how… off he had seemed. There wasn’t much they could do apart from reassuring him that they were both there for the e-boy. Tom continued to watch his boyfriend as he went through drawer after drawer in his dresser and his nightstand, trying to find something or other. The scarred young man still felt a bit apprehensive about Jake spending so much time with Shawn, not because he didn’t trust him but more because of the effect it had on Jake. When Jake recalled his past, he could become so low; it was like seeing him at his worst again and again, but Tom didn’t know what he could do to stop it or prevent Jake from feeling like that. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” The taller boy asked, passing Jake one of his hoodies. “ Tom, I’ll be fine. I’ve stayed over there overnight twice by this point; a third isn't going to kill me.” Jake winked with his cheeky reply, making Tom chuckle and ruffle his boyfriend’s loose hair with a smile, then brushing it back down for him with the hairbrush he had picked up from the pile next to him and then gesturing for Jake to turn around so Tom could tie it back for him. “Okay… but remember, if you feel uncomfortable at any point at all, ring me and I’ll be there in a flash. I don’t care if it’s, like, two in the morning or something. I’ll be there to get your ass out.”

Jake nodded but sighed sadly at Tom’s suggestion. “Tom… Shawn, he’s not… He’s not a worry for me anymore. I’ve seen the new side of him. I don’t feel scared anymore. He’s my big brother, and he’s finally acting like it. I know you still don’t entirely trust him, but… could you please give him the benefit of the doubt? For my sake?” Tom bit his lip slightly; he didn’t mean to upset his boyfriend at all. “I’m not saying this because I don’t trust Shawn; I see he’s a better guy now. I’m saying it because I see how… Being around someone who reminds you so much of your past affects you. I know you keep feeling low sometimes, and you still have those awful nightmares. I just don’t want to see you get hurt or your mental state made any worse.” Jake bit his lip this time, looking down for a moment before considering his words. “Even if… I feel like that sometimes. I want to push through. I want a relationship with my brother; I want us to be there for each other, like family is supposed to be. The moments where I’m happy are so worth it… I don’t care if I think about the past too. I want to keep building this relationship with Shawn.” The taller, black-haired boy smiled softly, taking Jake’s hand in his own scarred one and kissing his boyfriend's fingers one by one. Making Jake flush pink and look away shyly, he just couldn't help it when Tom was being romantic. “Okay… If it makes you happy, you go for it. You know that I’ll do anything for you too. Have a great time tonight, Jakey. What are you going to do together?” The blue-haired lad became so enthusiastic all of a sudden it was almost funny; Tom couldn’t stop the spread of a grin that graced his lips as he listened to Jake. “We’re going skateboarding! I’ve not done that in so long! Not since I was, like, thirteen or something. Oh! Then after that, we're grabbing takeout from that new Chinese place and watching a movie, a horror one undoubtedly, knowing Shawn. I’ll probably want to go to bed by that point, but you know what Shawn’s like! He’ll probably force me to play Smash Bros or COD or something, and we’ll both not get any sleep.” Tom continued to smile, happy for Jake and glad to see him so jovial, pulling him closer to peck a kiss onto his forehead. “That sounds like fun. I’m so glad for you, Jakey. Now, I’m not saying that you’ll need to, buuuuut… Still text me anyway? I’ll be so lonely without my Jakey-wakey cuddled up next to me…” Tom pulled out the biggest pair of puppy-dog eyes that he could muster, making Jake laugh hysterically before bopping him on the nose and kissing him softly, lovingly. “Of course I will, you big softy. I love you, Thomas Reed.” “I love you too, Mister Hamilton…”

Jake and Shawn had a great night together; they did all that they had planned and more. The brothers went straight to the skate park to try to see if they could still remember all of the tricks that they used to do together as kids. Jake could remember a few and impressed himself quite a few times; Shawn had clearly been practising in his spare time, and the older brother couldn’t help but burst into tears of laughter when his younger brother mistimed his footing and ended up flying off his board face-first into the grass next to the tarmac. Jake decided that he had done enough skateboarding by that point, although he refused to admit he was embarrassed when his big brother teased him about his earlier failure. Then it was time to get some food. The brothers had ordered more than they had needed, and Shawn decided that it would be nice if Bryant, Tyson and Eric all popped in to join them for a meal together. Jake was very fond of all three of Shawn's new friends, and it was fair to say that they all were fond of Jake too. After that it was time for a Child's Play movie marathon, classic Shawn. Jake couldn’t remember how many times he had seen the films; Shawn had first shown it to him behind their parents' backs when he was six or seven, and he practically knew the film inside out. By the time that the second movie had ended, everyone was exhausted, and the three other young men had retreated back home to their own apartments. Shawn was completely out of it, sitting next to him on the couch, snoring softly with his head against the backrest of his seat. Jake could feel himself starting to drift off to sleep too, but he was suddenly brought back to consciousness when a text from Tom had come through on his phone. ‘You okay, Jakey?’ - Bless him, it was almost two in the morning; he wasn’t lying when he said he would be there regardless of the time. Jake felt himself become very guilty all of a sudden; he had been having such a good time he had completely forgotten about messaging Tom. God forbid if he had made him worried.

The blue-haired teen got himself up from his seat as quietly as he could so as not to wake up his brother, turning off the TV and softly slipping through the living room into Shawn’s bedroom, then standing out on the balcony to get some fresh air as he messaged Tom’s number to let him know he was fine and to apologise for not contacting him. Tom was understanding; he was just amazing like that. He scolded Jake for still being up so late, and Jake fought back with the obvious argument that Tom was still awake too. Both boys eventually relented. Tom was just glad his boyfriend was alright and said he was finally going to go to bed. A few kissy-faced emojis later, and Jake decided it was time to take himself inside and get some sleep too. Just as he turned around, the door from Shawn’s room that led to the balcony shot open at speed and surprised Jake, making him jump about five feet in the air. The blue-haired teen lost his grip on his phone, and by some miracle, it didn’t fall off the balcony and end up on the street below. “Christ on a bike, Shawn!” Shawn hissed and raised his hands in his defence and as an apology. “I didn’t know where you were! Sorry, bro…” The younger brother took a deep breath and steadied himself against the railings of the balcony, leaning forward and observing the street lights. Shawn came to stand next to him, watching the city still buzz with life even though almost everyone else was asleep. Jake turned to his left to look at Shawn’s face; the other lad was deep in thought. “Hey… Sorry if I woke you up. I just needed some air.” “Huh? Oh, you didn’t wake me. You scared me a bit because I didn’t know where you were! Christ forbid if anything happened to you on my watch; Miriam and Tom would both crucify me in seconds! They would hang me from the stairwell and use me as a piñata…" A low laugh escaped Jake’s throat as he imagined the scene. “That’s true…”

Shawn pulled something out of his pocket and looked at Jake wordlessly, and the younger brother looked back. Curious about what Shawn could be thinking and also about what he was holding. It looked like a cigarette but slightly different. Shawn brought whatever it was to his lips along with a lighter and took a long hit, coughing a bit before exhaling the smoke, then the smell hit Jake’s nostrils. Ah, weed. Jake should've guessed. Shawn did mention that he smoked some from time to time. Jake didn’t say anything, but Shawn still looked at him. His older brother was going to say something for a moment, then decided against it. Turning back around with a sigh. Jake chewed his cheek; there was so much he wanted to say to Shawn, so much he wanted to ask about how he had been when they both didn’t speak for almost a year. Perhaps now wasn’t the time, or perhaps now was the perfect time? Fuck it, just be out with it, Jake. "Shawn… I’ve been thinking… I-I want to keep spending time together with you. As brothers, we didn’t see each other for almost a year, and when we did see each other, when we were both still in contact with Mom and Dad… it wasn’t for very long at a time. We're both the only family that either of us has left, biologically speaking, that is. I have Miriam and Tom and my friends, and you have the boys, but… I don’t know how to say this. I want you to know that… I love you; you’re my big brother. I want to have a good relationship with you. I want to make this work. I can't thank you enough for being so open-minded now, for accepting me and for… trying. For trying to be better. You’ve done your best to try to be there for me since Mom and Dad left, and it means the world to me. I hope I can do the same for you…” Shawn chuckled, taking another drag of his blunt and exhaling. “Wow… Did you just say all of that sappy shit, or am I just high?” Jake rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh, turning around to head back inside before Shawn called him back. “I’m sorry, sorry, Jake! I was kidding! To be honest, I would be a liar to say that I hadn’t thought of similar things recently. I want to have a good relationship with you, little brother. I knew I needed to step up and be there for you after all you went through. To be honest, I don’t miss our parents too much. They were assholes, selfish bigots; their influence basically corrupted me, and they almost turned me against my own fucking brother for fuck’s sake! I never want to lose you again, bro. The whole time we were apart… I thought of you every day, how much I missed you. I just wanted you to be okay; I wasn’t sure if it would be better if I came back into your life or if I just… stayed away from you. I’m glad I chose the former; the time we’ve spent together recently has been some of the best times of my life. I want to keep fixing things. You’re more than my brother; you’re my friend too… I really love you, little brother.” “I know, Shawn. Thank you…”

Jake smiled at his brother's words, grateful. He leaned backwards with a sigh, hands gripping the railing for support, observing the dark December night’s sky and its shimmering stars as they both just existed together for a while, despite the cold that made him shiver every now and again. A couple more minutes of silence, and both boys still looked out into the night, just enjoying the company of each other. It was oddly nice; peaceful, but a little bit awkward. Jake couldn't take it much longer, deciding to change the topic and start a conversation. He had an idea on his mind for a little while, and with Christmas Day being around the corner, there was no time like the present to suggest it to Shawn. “Soooo… what are you doing Christmas Day? It’s three weeks from today, you know.” Shawn looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging, looking around to face Jake as he replied in a bored tone of voice. “Meh, not too much. I might see if I can go to Eric and Tyson’s place for the day; Bryant will probably be there too-” “Why – why don’t you come with us? Miriam and I are going to Tom’s mom’s house; we’re all really good friends… It’ll just be the five of us – Tom, Jackie, Tony, Miriam and me… well, six, if you come… if you feel like it?” Shawn looked utterly shocked at the suggestion, clearly not expecting such a request from his brother. Gratitude welled up in the older brother’s eyes, and he placed his hand on Jake’s softly, still resting on the balcony’s rail. “I mean…sure, Jakey… But wouldn’t they mind?” “There's no harm in asking them! I don’t think they would mind. Anyway, Shawn… I want to spend Christmas with you too. I want to be with my family, all of my family. Be it blood or found.” Shawn said nothing else, grinning widely and moving himself forward, wrapping Jake up in a tight hug. Jake was taken aback by the action. Shawn hadn’t hugged him since they were kids… It felt wonderful, magical, and meant to be. How you were supposed to feel around family. Shawn took one more inhale of his blunt, then moved it towards Jake’s face. “Fancy a hit?” Jake looked down, scrunching his face up at the memories of what it had done to Hunter in the past. “I’m good, thanks… I've seen enough PSAs to know where this goes next…” There was a brief silence for a moment before both brothers fell into shouts of laughter at that last comment from Jake…

Time continued its slow march onwards; it was now mid-December. Almost time for winter break. Aiden didn’t tell a soul about his interaction with Oleksander, definitely not James; he was all the way in Curitiba. What could he do about it? Oleksander did keep putting his hands on him; Aiden couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable with it, but Oleksander was just being friendly, no doubt about it. He was an affectionate guy. James looked like he was having such a good time from all his photos and TikToks. It would be pointless to tell him and stress him out. Plus, Aiden had no choice; he couldn’t dare rock the boat; he couldn’t complain. This job was his only option to give his family hope of stability, especially with the holidays fast approaching. He swore he could smell alcohol on Oleksander’s breath that one night; he probably just had too much to drink, right? Aiden and Jake sat side by side; it was lunch, and Tom was off practising with his soccer buddies, and Ellie and Gabby had been pulled into Connor’s office for setting off a confetti cannon for the last day of school before winter break in the middle of the classroom during one of Lynda Anderson’s English lessons. Jake observed Aiden’s face thoughtfully; he didn’t look anything like he usually did. There was nothing sunny about how the boy was feeling; it was clear to see. He had barely even touched his food. Jake took a sip of his water bottle, then pushing it towards the smaller boy and offering him a drink, which he accepted with a small smile. “Hey, Aiden… So, we’re having this Christmas party in a few days' time. Me, Miriam and Tom and some neighbours. Why don’t you… come along too?” Aiden pushed the bottle of water back to the blue-haired lad and then crossed his arms onto the table below him, coming to rest his head down, clearly feeling tired. “Don’t just ask me out of pity, Jake.” “I'm not! I'm asking because you’re my best friend. Miriam said I could invite two people over; Tom is the obvious choice, and I want you there too… You’re cared about, Aiden. I know you’re going out of town for the holidays to see your grandparents, so Tom and I wanted to spend a bit of time with you before you went. We both don’t want you to be alone. We call care about you, Aiden. Miriam does too.” The smaller boy sucked in some air as his eyes welled up; Jake bit his lip and put his hand on Aiden’s shoulder, trying to apologise for upsetting him. The boy appreciated the gesture and rested his hand on top of Jake’s. “Jake… I’m really sorry; I know I’ve been an asshole recently…” The blue-haired boy rolled his eyes playfully at Aiden’s words. “Don’t worry about it, dude; you’re just going through a rough spot at the moment, that’s all. I’ve been there. I was an almighty prick when I was at my lowest, let me tell you.” Before Aiden could reply, two arms were wrapping around him to pull him in for a tight hug. Jake didn’t notice the way that Aiden stiffened up, the e-boy's head just being filled with the memories of how Oleksander touched him not too unlike that. However, he said nothing. He couldn’t say anything. He just needed to get on with it…

 Aiden attended the Christmas party at Miriam’s and had a wonderful time with two of his dearest friends. Miriam was always good fun too. They all danced and sang into the evening, and then the next day Aiden’s family packed up and headed out of town to spend time with his grandparents over the holidays. Aiden had booked off the two weeks off work; he had just enough money to help get the family through until the new year when they came back into town, and then it would all start over again. All of the dealing with customers and with Oleksander’s behavior, but that also meant that James would be coming back soon. You just had to take the sweet with the sour sometimes. Christmas Day was a blast in the Reed household. Miriam and Jackie worked hard on making dinner, and Jake had helped his guardian with making a beautiful Christmas cake the day before. Shawn arrived just after 11am and was welcomed in with open arms. Shawn and Tony both got along well and spent most of the day taking turns at beating each other at Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Once all of the presents were opened and the dishes were washed and dried. Both of the women sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee, chatting away, while Shawn and Tony playfully shouted at each other while failing miserably at Rainbow Road. Jake had stepped outside into the garden on the cold winter's night, looking up at the stars and smiling. It had been a wonderful day, with the people he loved the most. Little did he know, but Tom had followed him outside. Then soft, graceful music started playing out from Tom’s phone. Jake turned around to watch the taller boy place it down on a lawn chair before offering his hand for Jake to take, pulling him close and encouraging him to step along in time to the music with him, the two starting to dance. It was so romantic, beautiful, perfect. It really was a wonderful day.

That whole week was very red and rosy for Tom and Jake; the two boys spent so much time together with each other and their families too. Shawn saw Jake every other day too. At the end of the week, Shawn took both Tom and Jake out to a New Year's party while Miriam went to a neighbour's house for the night. Fortunately, none of them got particularly drunk, as surprising as that was. Much to Miriam’s relief, she still insisted that Shawn stay the night, making him a makeshift bed on the couch. It was now New Year's Day. Jake sat next to Shawn while the TV played in the background, and they both tried to get some breakfast into their systems, chatting about the party the previous night all the while. The TV was depressing; Kennedy Sutton still hadn’t been found, and there were no more clues or indications of her whereabouts. Jake didn’t really want to hear about it again, so he reached for the remote to turn the thing off. Both boys looked at each other for a brief moment in the sudden silence, then recollecting a memory of the previous night when Shawn had tried to jump over the railing from the staircase to the floor, only for him to mistime it horribly and end up flat on his face on the floor. Once both of their lungs had stopped aching from laughing so much, Shawn took the moment to speak. His face suddenly growing serious, he turned to look at Jake again, grabbing the younger boy's attention almost instantly. “Jake… listen to me. I’ve been thinking… about what we spoke about the last time you stayed over at mine. I want to spend as much time as possible with you; I want us to be brothers more than anything, true brothers, to be family. You were so right… about so many things. That’s why I’ve been thinking… why don’t you… Will you move into my apartment with me? Please... I want to look after you, like a good brother. I want you to live with me.” Jake sat there, almost dropping his bowl of cereal onto the carpet below. His mouth was open, but he couldn’t speak, couldn’t form the words; he couldn't even get air into his lungs. What Shawn had just asked finally settled into his brain and processed after a few moments. He swallowed hard, thinking of Miriam. Although he loved her, she was his boss... He was still living off the back of an old woman who he had only known for a year and a half. Jake looked deep into Shawn’s eyes, looking to see his reaction; his older brother looked as if he was on the edge of his seat in anticipation of Jake’s response. With a deep breath, Jake finally gave his answer. “Okay… Yeah, I’ll move in with you…”

Chapter 26: Where Do I Sign?

Summary:

*BIG TRIGGER WARNING! THERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF SELF HARM IN THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN READING!* A part of the reason I decided to include it is because it's something that I've dealt with myself. I don't want to be afraid to include it in my stories
(also i think this is the longest chapter so far lol)
Things take a very bad turn for both boys, I'm gonna need to put on a crash helmet before I read these comments...
(P.s Jake is a Precure fan because fuck you i say so lol)

After a small break away at his grandparents' home over the holidays, the Brooks family was back home again, and now Aiden had to face the prospect of going back to school and work. The warm glow of the holidays was over, and reality was starting to seep back in. It was now January 5th, Saturday; school started again in two days. Oh joy. Aiden shrugged a jacket over his thin shoulders as he made his way downstairs in an attempt to protect himself from the January chill that was present throughout the house; they had to be very sparing with when they put the heating on these days. As he walked, a conversation between his parents coming from the kitchen met his ears; unintentionally, he came to a stop halfway down the staircase as his ears pricked up and focused in on what his mother and father were saying. At first, the conversation wasn’t too surprising; they were both discussing how they had overspent over the holidays – no surprise there. They had tried their very best to keep an eye on their money, but even the most diligent person could easily exceed their holiday budget tenfold. Then the words that no one wanted to imagine, let alone hear, left his mother’s mouth and graced Aiden’s anxious ears. “If we piss him off one more time, then we’re out; he said as much himself last time…” Fuck. Their landlord. He wasn’t exactly an understanding or patient man; he couldn’t be swayed regardless of the amount of begging and pleading you tried with him. If anything, it just pissed him off even more. Aiden tried his best to shut up his racing thoughts as he focused back in on the conversation as his mother continued.

“We have to prepare Aiden for the worst…” Little did he let his family members know; the e-boy already had been. It was the only thing he thought about sometimes: losing the house, losing all that they had, and having to leave town. Aiden couldn’t see either of his parents, but he could hear the worry in his father’s voice as he spoke. “Christ, where would we even go?” “For us, I'm not sure, dear. For him… I’d have to send him back to my sister’s again; it’s the most stable option for him…” Aiden could have sunk down to his knees and sobbed upon hearing those words that came from his mother. She only wanted the best for him; she wanted him safe. His grip on the bannister on the stairs tightened as he willed himself to keep calm and not draw attention to himself. The fear of being separated from his parents, the people he loved more than anything, the people who had been there for him through so much and supported him regardless, was just as horrendous as losing the house; if things went tits up, he’d lose it all, and he couldn't let that happen. “What about his schooling? He graduates in six months. What about his friends? How would he see them?” “He’d have to finish high school online; he could just call his friends. He’s making it work while James is away, isn’t he? He'd cope.” The bi-colour-haired boy well and truly lost it in that moment. ‘Making it work?’ 'He'd cope?' Being away from his sweet Jamsey was utter torture; not being able to see him in person and touch his soft, warm skin, only hearing his voice through the phone and seeing his face through a screen, was akin to hell. Being ripped away from his home, his parents and then his friends? Being forced to live miles and miles away with family he only saw a few times a year and not see anyone for months while trying to study and graduate? Fuck that; the e-boy knew that he'd rather die than go through that shit. Aiden leapt up from his position on the staircase and bolted right up the steps and retreated back into the ‘safety’ of his bedroom, unintentionally slamming the door behind him and shoving a chair under the door handle to stop anyone from bothering him. As soon as he was alone in his room, the teenage boy leapt back into bed and pulled a pillow right over his head, holding it there tightly and crying uncontrollably into the mattress below. He just wanted the world to go away; he wanted James back, and he wanted everything to just be okay for once, to finally catch a break in this hell. Meanwhile, downstairs, both parents looked at each other silently with the same expression of sorrow and desperation as they overheard their son's cries...

Across town, Jake Hamilton was up in the spare bedroom of his boss’s home. The place that had been his bedroom since the previous spring. He was trying his best to pack up the remainder of his belongings while his boyfriend helped him; well, saying that Tom was helping him was a little bit of an exaggeration. Tom had come over to Miriam’s house with the intention to help Jake, but half the time he was upstairs with his boyfriend, supposed to be packing, he was repeatedly quizzing Jake on his choice of moving out of Miriam’s out of concern of if it really was what he wanted to do. Shawn was picking up Jake within two hours; there was a bit of a time crunch to get everything packed and secured before it was time for Jake to go, not that Jake had too much to pack. The majority of the things that the blue-haired lad owned now were whatever he managed to grab in the rush to get out of his parent’s home a few months back. Tom knew he wasn’t the only one concerned about Jake and his sudden decision to move in with Shawn; Miriam had expressed the same sentiment to both boys separately. She even came to Tom with tears in her eyes two days prior. Tom would be a liar if he didn't say that hearing the news from Jake made his emotions hit the roof too. It wasn't exactly what either he or Miriam wanted to hear, but still, here they were. Whenever the older woman tried to question Jake, she could never get far into giving the young man the cons of suddenly packing up and leaving; he was stubborn, and his mind was well and truly made up. Tom was fretting just as much as the elderly lady was; his boyfriend would be all the way across town in an unfamiliar area, unable to see Tom as much as he usually did and the rest of his friends as much as he used to, for that matter. Christ, the only guaranteed time Tom and Jake would really have together going forward would be when they were both in class or at lunch together.

Jake did his best to reassure them both; he had a response to all of their worries. He said that he would still be turning up at Miriam’s after school now and then to see her. The blue-haired boy said he would do the same for Tom, trying his best to put his boyfriend at ease. Jake knew that his choice was going to worry both of them, but he could make it work! He needed to do this; he needed to be with his family. Despite the fact that Jake already considered both Miriam and Tom his family as it was. But Shawn had wanted to do this for both of them; Jake knew he had to make this work. Shawn was trying his best to put both Miriam and Tom at ease too; it was his idea that Jake go to Miriam’s after school some nights. He even suggested that Jake could stay at either Tom’s or Miriam’s once a week or so, just so they knew he was never too far away. The older brother didn't mind driving Jake back and forth; he just wanted everyone concerned to be happy. Jake loved the ideas; Miriam eventually had warmed up to them in the four days since they had started discussing the whole ordeal. Tom, however, was less convinced, but he was trying his best just to go along with it for Jake’s sake. Jake was truly unwavering in his determination to live with his brother going forward. Tom couldn’t help it though; he had to ask just one more time. The dark-haired teen was sitting on Jake’s bed, helping him wrap up his figurines in bubble wrap and placing them in a plastic box, trying to keep them safe and secure for the short trip across town to the apartment. Jake was sat below him, delicately securing a Cure Yell figure. Tom gently placed his hands on Jake’s shoulders and leaned himself down to be level with Jake’s left ear, gently kissing it before softly asking, “Are you sure this is what you want, babe?” Jake’s hands stopped, along with the rest of his body as he paused, sighing softly, bringing up his right hand to rest on top of Tom’s from where it was resting on his shoulder. “I don’t have a choice, Tom; I have to do this.” “No, you don’t! Of course you have a choice, Jakey!” Jake’s voice grew louder now, more insistent. “No, I don’t! I have to do this! Shawn is the only family I have left…”

Tom watched Jake’s face; he didn’t miss the way that it sadly fell. The black-haired boy felt selfish, but… he didn’t want his boyfriend to be so far away. Jake knew it too; he understood, and ideally, he didn’t really want to be further away from his boyfriend either. Still, he did his best to comfort Tom. It could be so much worse when you looked at the wider picture. Aiden and James were making it work, weren't they? James was in fucking Curitiba, and Jake was only across town from Tom and Miriam; a thirty-minute drive at most. They were lucky in comparison to the other two and the distance they had between them. Still, Jake would just be able to stay after school whenever he wanted anymore to watch Tom in his games or watch him in training, or for them to hang out after school at the park unplanned, but Jake just saw it as a necessary sacrifice he had to make. Regardless, Jake swore to his loving boyfriend that he would text and call him as much as he wanted, day or night. Shawn even mentioned that Tom was more than welcome to stay the night too if he wanted to. Jake promised Tom that he would do whatever he needed to put his mind at rest, but that was only part of the worry for Tom. He felt selfish for letting his ability to see Jake get in the way of something that his partner wanted to do, but there was also the question of Jake’s mental well-being; the nightmares he had were horrendous. Did Shawn know? Was Shawn aware of the dark moods that Jake found himself in at times? Would they get worse? Or perhaps, just maybe, this is what Jake needed; perhaps this could make it all better for the blue-haired young man. There was only one way to find out. Tom had said his piece; it was Jake’s decision. He had to accept it and be there for his boyfriend; he had to be supportive to him regardless; that's what a good boyfriend would do.

Two hours went by in a flash. Now Jake, Miriam, Shawn and Tom stood outside of Miriam’s small, humble home, the place that had given Jake shelter for months. Tom and Shawn worked together to get one more box of things into the back of the car as Jake firmly shut the trunk and Shawn made his way to the driver's seat. Miriam followed behind him to ask about something or other, and Jake turned back around as he stared up at the house he had called home in his time of greatest need. The ivy that hung around it, the wisteria that would soon be blooming, and the window of the room that he had inhabited and made his own. Tom saw Jake’s face; he wasn’t present; he was far away in his thoughts and memories. The taller, scarred lad placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder once again, kissing him on the cheek to get his attention and gently whispering, “If you ever change your mind, we’re all here for you. If you ever feel like you need to leave, give me a call and I’ll be there, Jakey.” Jake bit his lip as he nodded in reply, turning his face into Tom’s neck as he started to feel emotional about the whole situation; he would probably be back here on Monday or Tuesday night, but a part of him felt like he was saying goodbye forever. Tom’s large, soft hands came to cup Jake’s face and wipe away the tears from his pretty eyelashes. “Come on, don’t be sad. This is a good thing; you know it is, Jakey. You said so yourself. Plus, I’ve got you something…” As if by magic, Tom pulled out a small purple gift bag and placed it in Jake’s hands. Jake looked utterly shocked; a smile spread across those soft, pretty, pink lips of his as his hand reached in to dig through the light blue tissue paper that filled the bag to try and see what Tom had given him. “Oh, babe, you didn’t have to. We’ve only just had Christmas!” Tom giggled as Jake finally found his surprise; his hands met with something soft and squishy. Pulling it out of the bag, he was overjoyed to see that it was a plushie. A medium-sized yellow penguin with a pink heart on its stomach. “Tom… thank you…” Jake leaned forward and pulled his boyfriend in for the tightest hug possible, firmly pressing his lips to the back-haired boy’s in gratitude. Tom pulled away with a shy blush. “Oh, it’s nothing; he’ll keep you company when I can’t be with you. He needs a name, though!” The blue-haired young man looked thoughtful for a moment, his face then turning to Tom's with a smile as he made his decision. “T.J… I’m calling him T.J.” Tom nodded approvingly. “Good choice. It's cute. How come you chose that?” “It’s short for Tom Junior, you dummy; I’ll try to not let him replace you too much, though.” Both boys grinned like nothing else as they pulled each other in for one more loving kiss. A few minutes later, everyone said their goodbyes. Jake got in the car alongside Shawn, and they drove off for the apartment. Tom and Miriam both waved goodbye, their faces then falling sadly as they looked at each other and then watched the car disappear into the distance.

School started again on Monday; the normal routine of things was back in full swing. Jake had a new normal; he had a new room and a new bed and a new home. He got himself up early to fix breakfast for both himself and Shawn, much to his brother’s gratitude. They tried their best to eat while they spoke; the topic of the morning was about their jobs and working situations. Shawn had been at university for a time but chose to drop out, much to their parents' annoyance back in the day. The older brother hadn’t spoken much about his past working placements since getting back in touch with Jake; he briefly mentioned some of his old placements. He used to work in an office for a time; then he was a bartender for about a month after that came to an end before packing that in, and now he works part-time at a car factory assembling parts. Jake mentioned that he still worked in the bakery every now and then, whenever Miriam needed him, adding that the older woman had said that he had ‘worked too hard for too long’ and he deserved to be spending his time more wisely, aka studying and spending time with Tom and his friends. Both of the boys spent way too much time talking and had to rush to the car to try to attempt to get Jake to school on time.

Jake didn’t mind too much that school was back in session; he got to see Ellie, Gabby, Tom, Aiden and the others. There was still no James, though. Jake instantly knew that he wasn’t back yet as soon as he saw Aiden’s solemn face upon walking into the main hallway to greet him after the holidays; Aiden seemed so… despondent. A part of Jake wanted to ask why, but the other part of him knew full well. No, James, little to no money – that wasn’t giving to give Aiden much to smile about. Jake just decided to talk about his new developments with Shawn with the others; Gabby and Ellie were quite shocked to hear the news and know that Jake was living across town now, and Tom seemed more accepting of the whole situation, not to mention that the two of them had planned to go to Miriam on Tuesday night for dinner, which gave them both some private time together to look forward to. The school day came to an end; lessons were over, and homework had been assigned. It was time to go home; well, for most people that was. Tom had an impromptu soccer training session while Aiden and Tess had to stay after school to finish an art project, and of course, Hunter had managed to get himself a detention on the first day back at school; it was hard to say that anyone was that surprised though. Jake made his way to the front of the school gates with Ellie, Gabby and Ally in tow to await his brother’s arrival, quite excited about being picked up by him after school to be taken back to his new home.

Shawn arrived soon enough and drove away while Jake and the girls all waved each other goodbye. Jake then turned around in his seat once they had all disappeared into the distance behind them and plugged his phone into the aux cord in Shawn’s car to play some Panic! At The Disco through the stereo. Shawn’s lips turned upwards as he gave a small laugh. “Still listening to these guys, huh? You loved them so much back in the day; it's good to know you’ve not changed, little bro. Your music taste must get you all the ladies at school; no wonder you were with a swarm of them when I picked you up. Jake's mouth opened slightly in confusion as he took in Shawn's odd choice of words, the blue-haired teen's head turning slightly to look at his brother as he drove. “Shawn… I’m fucking gay, you dipshit. All of those girls are my friends. Christ, Ellie and Ally are both bi, and Gabby’s a fucking lesbian. Not to mention that they’re all in relationships, as am I!” Shawn slapped his own forehead as he heard Jake’s words. “Shit! Fuck, I’m sorry, Jake. I… I forgot; I didn’t mean to be insensitive.” “It’s fine… How the fuck do you forget that your brother only likes guys?” Shawn bit his lip, trying to keep his eyes on the road as he explained. “Yeah…about that. I might have smoked a bit too much at lunchtime; I didn’t expect it to do such a number on me, I can’t lie.” Shawn couldn’t see it, with his eyes on the road, but Jake’s face grew horrified, gripping his face with his hands as he just took in what Shawn had told him. “What the hell, Shawn? Why would you do that? You knew that you needed to pick me up! Are you even safe to drive?” Jake didn’t miss the smug smile his brother gave in response, looking quite relaxed about the whole situation. “Oh yeah, I’ve only ever crashed, like, once, but it wasn’t that bad; I only lost the left side-view mirror. We’re totally fine, bro.” The younger brother grimaced as he threw his hands to tug his seatbelt even tighter around his body, praying to every god he could think of that they didn’t get pulled over.

After a few more moments of silence, Shawn piped up again. “So… those girls at the gate? Tell me more about them. I want to know more about your other friends.” Jake smiled at Shawn wanting to know more about his little social circle; it always made him happy when Shawn took an interest. “So Ellie is the ginger girl and Gabby has the dark brown hair; they’re a couple. Ellie and I used to hate each other, to be honest, but we're both cool now. Gabby is so much fun; she’s so unhinged. Frankly, it’s a miracle she’s not been expelled yet for some of the shit she’s pulled. Ally is my gaming bro, or sis, whatever; you’d really like her, I think.” Shawn smiled as he nodded along to Jake’s words, then suddenly remembering someone else. “What about your other friend? The kid with cool hair? You mentioned him before, something beginning with A…” “Oh, Aiden? Yeah, he’s my best friend for sure. Me meeting him was when everything really started to get better for me last year, after Tom first spoke to me, that is. He’s really stressed at the moment, though. He’s got this job; he works at this club called Pulse. Do you know it?” From the corner of his eyes, Jake just managed to catch the way that Shawn’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Yeah…I know it.” Shawn’s response was undecipherable; Jake couldn’t tell quite where that wooden-sounding reply had come from. Regardless, he continued; maybe Shawn could give some advice and wisdom on how best to help support Aiden. “I’m really worried for him, Shawn. His boyfriend is in Brazil at the moment, and his family is struggling to afford their rent and bills. He seems so…depressed; I don’t know what I can say or do to help him…” Shawn didn’t say anything for a moment, like he was deep in thought, then just managed to utter out a “I see… just keep an eye on him, okay? Make sure he’s alright…” Not exactly the advice that Jake had hoped for, but he appreciated Shawn listening to him nonetheless. The two boys continued back home in silence the rest of the way to the apartment.

Friday came along, and it was a workday again for Aiden. Tonight’s shift was the longest one he had ever done; he was staying until they closed. He didn’t mind too much; money was money at the end of the day. Throughout the whole week, he only had one thing on his mind. ‘I need to find Dejan and ask him for more hours.’ In the e-boy's mind, that was the only way to keep his home safe and his family together. He would do anything and work every night of the week; he would clean up afterwards, and, god, he would even stay overnight to guard the place if they let him – just anything they could offer to generate more income. Oleksander looked pleased to see him when he made his way through the doors; the Belarusian was still up to his old habits, getting way too close to Aiden and touching him almost constantly. Aiden just chose to ignore it and get on with things. Eventually Aiden plucked up the courage to ask his colleague where his brother was, not getting the answer he was looking for in response. “Dejan’s out at the moment; he’s attending to… other matters. He’ll be back by the end of the night. It couldn’t be helped; Aiden kept his head down and worked as well as he could with his desperate request still buzzing in his head constantly. Eventually, yet again, Oleksander came to him with a request: to take a set of drinks over to a table. Today, however, was a very different case. Aiden was given the task of taking some drinks over to the best seat in the house, the VIP table, where Xoti and Angela sat with guests. Aiden didn't dare try to say anything about how uncomfortable it all made him feel, not after the last time he tried to express that to Oleksander, and the older young man gave him a response which was nothing short of terrifyingly intimidating. As Oleksander said, it was dead easy.

With a deep breath and a very bitten lip, Aiden made his way over to the table. Angela gave him a look of ‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?’ While Xoti looked him up and down and seemed to have an expression of understanding or acknowledgement, the guests, however, were all men, very wealthy-looking men. Each of them seemed to be in their thirties or forties when their eyes lay upon Aiden; the teen once again felt that all-too-familiar feeling of dread descend upon him. They all had those eyes that looked like they could tear him apart; they shamelessly looked all over his body, giving him winks or licking their lips when they eventually looked at his face instead of staring at his waist. Keep calm, Aiden; don’t panic and don’t cause a scene. Put the fucking drinks down and get the hell out before you get a repeat of that one other time. “Xoti? Who’s your friend?” The Hispanic girl looked up at Aiden’s clammy and nervous face as he put the drinks down on the table, trying his very best to keep a far enough distance away from all of the guests so they couldn’t grab ahold of him. “Oh, he’s just the bartender kid. Aiden, right?” The e-boy nodded wordlessly, willing himself to keep breathing as normally as he could, as he could feel his throat tightening up. One of the customers leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table below him and speaking directly to Aiden as he tried to step back from the table; that didn’t go unnoticed by Xoti. “Hey, pretty boy. Won’t you sit with us for a bit? Any friend of Xoti and Angela’s is a friend of ours.” Friend? He had spoken to the two women like once or twice at most throughout the whole time he had been working at the club. There was a slight slur to the man’s words, and Aiden was fairly sure that they all reeked of alcohol, not to mention he didn’t really feel like being traumatised all over again. Taking a deep breath to try to keep his cool, Aiden continued to step back. “A-apologies, guys. Umm… I don’t know… I’m not really supposed to. I-I’m still working at the bar.” Before Aiden could even finish his sentence, Xoti stood up from her seat and barked at Aiden with a commanding tone of voice. “It’s not a question or a choice; it’s a demand. Shut the fuck up and sit down before you get us all in trouble. Do as you’re told, or else I’ll tell Dejan you were causing a problem for our customers. Oleksander will figure out that you’re here eventually.” The Hispanic young woman was almost as intimidating as Oleksander when you crossed her.

Aiden had no choice. Another one of the guests pulled out a chair and encouraged Aiden to take a seat; he did so awkwardly, struggling to make eye contact with anyone and fidgeting with his fingers while he sat. Aiden had a customer to either side of him where he was sitting; they asked him questions all night, just trying to keep a conversation going. Aiden could cope with that; it was no different from when he spoke to people while preparing their drinks at the bar. Nothing they said was too out of the ordinary. How long have you been working here? What's your star sign? Favourite music? How old are you? Aiden had to lie about the last one; his ID said he was twenty-one, god forbid anyone found out that he didn’t even turn eighteen until August. During the moments of silence, or when the conversation was focused on the two women whose job it was to ‘entertain high-paying guests’, Aiden could help but find himself staring off in his own little world or just watching the two other women; he could feel their eyes on him from time to time too, almost as if they were trying to figure him out. The two women were naturals at keeping the men’s attention; they hung off every word the girls said. The two women flirted with them with practised expertise, stringing them along and giving them the undoubtable false hope that they might go home with them. Aiden especially didn’t miss the way that one of the men’s hands found itself on Angela’s thigh and slowly began to trail upwards. The blonde young woman could have only been twenty-four or twenty-five at most; this guy who had his hands on her was at least in his early forties. It made Aiden nauseous, but he knew better than to say anything or make a fuss; that was just something that you didn’t do in this place.

Meanwhile, just above, two figures stood on the balcony that connected to Dejan’s office, both of them passing a blunt back and forth to each other. Their lips curling up into sinister smiles as they observed the scene below, things were working out just as they planned and hoped. Dejan took a large hit of the blunt and then passed it back to his younger brother as they both felt very satisfied with their work. “Oh yeah, he suits the role. This’ll be a piece of piss, comrádaí.” Oleksander puffed out his chest with pride as he took his turn on the weed they were sharing, happy that things were paying off for them. “Our little money maker in training… Just make sure I get my share of him too. Okay, deartháir?” Dejan shrugged his broad shoulders and brushed his long blonde locks to the side as he raised an eyebrow at his younger brother. Kissing his own teeth as he replied. “You’ll get bored of him soon enough; you’ll find another one, no doubt. Just like with the last one…”

Finally, the night came to an end. The guests all left one by one; Aiden observed as all of the wealthy men’s eyes roved over him and the two other young women before they left. Both the girls rolled themselves a cigarette each and left out the back door to head off home. Aiden just sat there stunned, trying to process all that had gone on that night. Leaning back on the soft leather seat, his eyes glanced up to see that Dejan’s office light was still on; he was still there. Now was his opportunity to get up there and grovel and beg for more hours; whether he would get his wish remained to be seen. There was only one way to find out. Aiden climbed his way up and found himself outside the door, the soft glow of a lamp coming from behind the frosted glass on the door. Taking a deep breath, the e-boy knocked and waited for an answer, being called in with a quick and stern tone of voice. Dejan was clearly tired and wanted to go home; Aiden had to make this short, sharp and sweet. The eboy made his way inside cautiously, seeing the older blond man, who sat at his desk, filling in a bit of paperwork of some kind; he didn’t even look up as Aiden came in. “What is it, kid?” Aiden hesitated, trying to calm himself before he tripped over his words and made himself look like a complete idiot in front of his boss. “Apologies for disturbing you, Dejan. I won’t be long. I just wanted to ask… do you think I could possibly do some more hours? Things are pretty tough at home, and we’re in a tight spot…” Aiden chewed his cheek with anticipation; he felt like he was taking the piss a bit with how he had practically spent the majority of the night not doing his job and sitting on his ass while older men tried to chat him up in the VIP area. The older man said nothing at first, finishing off what he was writing before his elbows came to rest on his desk, hands coming to sit on top of each other as he rested his chin on them, looking at Aiden with a confident smile. Aiden couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going through his boss’s mind, flinching slightly as the older man got up from his seat and came right over to him, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. “You did well tonight, with Angela and Xochitl, I mean. You’ve earned your bonus; it’s fair to say.” Aiden looked toward Dejan’s outstretched hand, seeing a handful of rolled-up twenties. Taking it out cautiously, Aiden began to count the money; there was easily five hundred dollars. It didn’t make any sense at all. “W-what? I don’t get it…” “You were good at entertaining our guests tonight; you suit the role of an ‘entertainer’. You know, this isn't even half of what Angela and Xoti can make in a night. Just sitting, chatting, flirting… ‘entertaining’, if you know what I mean. You could easily make double this if you keep it up. If you changed your role for this new one. I’m offering you a new job, a better-paying one at that. The girls will show you what to do. Just string them along, give them your attention, flirt; keep them coming back for more.” Aiden’s hands held the money firmly, but his eyes darted back and forth as he tried to process what he was being told. God, it sounded so sketchy, dangerous even. He wasn’t exactly sure what ‘entertaining’ meant, but if it meant that he could make double this amount, perhaps it was worth it. “So let me get this straight. You’re offering me a new job where I just sit with the girls and some guests on the VIP table all night?” “Exactly, what do you think?” It sounded too good to be true, and at the same time, it sounded so concerning; Aiden saw how those men had looked at both him and the girls, how that one guy just didn't let go of Angela’s leg all night. There had to be some kind of catch, something else that he wasn’t being told, but Aiden didn’t dare ask what it was, god forbid he pissed off his boss. ‘What the fuck are you waiting for, you idiot? Here's a golden opportunity laid right in front of you; just take it now and ask questions later!’ His mind screamed at him as the offer played over and over again in his mind. Dejan got bored of waiting; he could clearly see Aiden’s hesitance in doing something so risky. The older man got up and sat back down at his desk, looking at Aiden with an impatient and bored expression as he reclined in his chair. “Or you can just keep doing what you’re doing now, making a few hundred a month. I’m sure that’ll sort out your problems at home, won't it?” Aiden sprang up like a shot. He really had no choice; fuck it. “F-fine… I’ll do it; when do I start?…” Silently, Dejan's lips once again curled up into a wolfish grin; it was all going just as they had planned…

For Jake, life with Shawn was good… until it wasn’t anymore. Things went downhill dramatically fast. It was small things at first; after a few days, Jake was able to witness just how quickly the living situation in the apartment could go to shit. There were countless problems with the plumbing and the electrics. Shawn said it was the fault of his landlord, and whenever you called her, she would do fuck-all about it. There were sudden power cuts that Jake had never experienced before when he stayed over previously, not to mention the boiler was constantly on the blink; even when it did work, Shawn would use up all of the hot water, and Jake would be given no other choice than to take a freezing cold shower in the middle of January, not exactly a pleasant experience. Those things couldn’t always be helped; Shawn always apologised if there wasn’t enough warm water in the shower, explaining that he still had to grow accustomed to someone else living with him and that he would be more careful going forward. Jake could understand that, but not the other things that came along afterwards. Whenever they had a meal prepared by Shawn, dirty dishes, plates, pots and pans were always left out across all of the surfaces in the kitchen, much to Jake’s annoyance. Whenever he brought it up to Shawn, he would simply say that he would clean it up later; he never did, and Jake always did it instead. Jake didn’t mind cooking now and again; he was quite good at it and enjoyed preparing a meal with Miriam, but sometimes Shawn just wouldn’t have anything prepared. He would simply just tell Jake that he would find whatever he had in stock in the cupboard for his evening meal. The teenager wasn’t having any of that shit; it essentially forced him to cook for them both, although he was exhausted from school himself and still had homework to do too! Even when Jake did go to the cupboard to cook a meal, you could guarantee that none of what he needed would be there. The concept of vegetables was almost foreign to Shawn; Jake would go out of his way to ask his brother to buy some when he went out to the store, but you could bet money on the fact Shawn would totally forget and come home with nothing but junk food, meaning Jake had to grab his shoes and coat and go out to the store himself and get what he needed. Things were getting more and more stressful living in this new environment, but it only got worse from then on.

Shawn had sworn to Jake and Miriam that he would always be the one to collect Jake after school; he had practically sworn his life on it. However, the next Tuesday, Jake found himself standing outside of the school’s gates for well over fifty minutes before Shawn finally decided to arrive to take him home. Jake couldn’t bite his tongue any longer; he shouted nothing but fury at his brother as he got in the passenger seat. Shawn tried to explain himself, saying that he fell asleep after a long shift at work, but Jake knew it was all bullshit. Shawn didn’t work on a Tuesday, and he stank of weed; he had been asleep all right, completely stoned out of his mind and not bothering to remember the fact that his younger brother relied on him for a ride back to the apartment. Jake considered going to Miriam’s while he waited in the dark that night after school, but he couldn’t do that to her; she was worried enough as it was. This was just an accident; Shawn would arrive at any moment, and he didn’t want to put his elderly friend under any more strain. Shawn eventually did arrive, didn’t he? He wouldn’t do it again, would he? The two brothers shouted at each other the whole way back home, shouting their grievances at each other, and once they did arrive, Jake stormed out of the car and straight into his new bedroom, slamming the door behind him and punching his bed over and over again in frustration for the next two hours. Jake had a similar experience again on the Friday; it was match day. Tom would be playing his heart out alongside Hunter, Diego, Logan and Spencer. Jake and Shawn had arranged that Jake would stay at school longer on a Thursday night so he could support Tom and the team and watch the game. Jake and Tom found themselves waiting for thirty-five minutes outside the school gates for Shawn Thursday night after soccer; the older brother swore it was due to the traffic. Jake didn't even bother arguing with him, just getting in the car after giving Tom a kiss goodbye while the taller, scarred teen stared daggers into Shawn the whole while. Tom had even reminded Jake that he was allowed to say if he wanted to come back to Miriam’s, but Jake still refused; things would work out. He could make them work. He would make this living situation work even if it near enough killed him!

If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Then the girls started staying the night. It seemed like almost every night there was a new girl in the apartment! Jake’s bedroom wasn’t next to Shawn’s, but it sure enough sounded like it! The sounds of moaning, shouts and the bed slamming against the wall echoed all the way to Jake’s room. The seventeen-year-old had to put his headphones in and shove a pillow over his head to attempt to block out all of the horrendous noises coming from his brother’s room and try to get some sleep, but even that didn’t even top it all. Jake then had to cope with the copious amounts of weed his brother was now smoking within the apartment; he couldn’t even be bothered to go outside to save Jake from the stench or the possibility of getting a contact high. Shawn soon enough became like a chimney, smoking the stuff almost constantly. Then finally, there was the cherry on the cake. Now Shawn couldn’t even be bothered to get up on time or go to bed at a sensible time the night before to get Jake to school. It wasn’t just once or twice; Jake practically had to launch himself on his brother’s bed every morning to beg him to get up and drive him. It happened so often that Jake was late on multiple occasions, more frequently being late than he was on time, almost getting a detention for it once or twice too. It was a living nightmare. It was constant. Jake couldn’t get a break from any of it. He couldn’t tell Tom or Miriam because they would undoubtedly just say, ‘Told you so,’ and demand that he come back to Miriam’s, but Jake couldn’t do that! He could live off the back of an old woman again, and he didn’t want to be separated from his brother again! They were blood; blood was supposed to stay together, but then again, even Jake started to doubt that. Every single time Jake brought up one of the issues with his brother, it would turn into a giant match of screaming and shouting at each other. The fights were horrendous and relentless; they never got physical, but they always scared Jake to no end. The blue-haired teen always found himself retreating back to his room and locking the door, trying to get away from his brother’s angry voice. It all felt so hopeless now; Jake just felt like he was stuck. He was struggling to cope with this anymore; he could feel himself becoming more and more miserable with each and every passing day. He wanted so badly to make all of this work; he wanted himself and his brother to be a happy family. Was that so hard to ask for? Not to mention, although he felt guilty for feeling it, he really missed Miriam and Tom.

Ellie, Gabby and Tom could all see how it was affecting Jake; he wasn’t himself. Tom pulled Jake aside over and over again to ask about what was going on with Shawn, never getting a truly comprehensive answer, always being brushed off with a ‘it’s fine’ or a ‘I’m just tired, babe’. Jake and Tom still rang each other and texted every day, but even in those, Tom could tell something was very wrong at home for Jake. Tom’s fury towards Shawn was growing more and more intensely with every single day. The muscular teen could see his boyfriend was becoming depressed; Tom could always spot when Jake was in those horrible, low moods, and poor Jake seemed to be in them constantly now. Aiden wasn’t much better either; his eyes were distant all the time, and his temperament was unpredictable, to say the least. It seemed like the slightest things could set him off at the moment. Tom and the girls looked at each other, knowing they had to do something to sort out both of these twinks before matters got even worse for all of them.

Back at the apartment, another night, another girl that Shawn was screwing. Jake’s temper was through the roof. Fortunately, he didn’t have school in the morning; once he finally managed to get some sleep, it was only four hours at most before he was woken up again by voices in the kitchen. When his alarm sounded, he managed to crawl his way out of his bed. Upon pulling his bedroom door open and peering into the kitchen, he managed to catch a glimpse of Shawn kissing a girl before they both said their goodbyes and she exited through the front door. Once the coast was clear, Jake finally made his presence known to his brother, grabbing himself a bowl and cereal and taking a seat next to Shawn at the kitchen table. Neither young man said a word at first; Jake had to be the one to spark some conversation. “So…who the hell was that this time?” Shawn didn’t even bother looking up, but Jake looked at his face; he had dark bags under his eyes and a hickey on his neck. Wonderful. “Just Shani.” “So that was who I heard you screwing and screaming your name over and over again last night?” “Yeah… sorry.” It wasn’t even an apology; half-assed wasn’t even the half of it. Jake didn’t mean to, but he could feel his blood starting to boil once again. “So, not a single one of these girls is your girlfriend?” “Nah, they’re all more of a casual thing…” The elder brother shrugged his shoulders without a care, but Jake was just defeated by the whole conversation.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Shawn…” The younger brother’s hand came to slam down against the table in anger, getting a sharp response from the older one. “Hey! At least I know how to actually have fun. You would be a hell of a lot more fun to be around if you didn't constantly have a stick up your ass, Jake!” Jake fisted the tablecloth he had placed there in one hand and pointed right at his brother with the other as all that anger came spilling out. “Oh, fuck you! Shit, I would have never known you were the older brother; you fucking act more like someone my age. You never wash up, you constantly smoke weed, and the whole fucking apartment would be a shit-show if I didn’t bust my ass cleaning it every day on top of all of my homework!” Shawn leapt up from his seat, almost knocking the table over as he did so. “HEY! Don’t forget whose fucking home you’re in, you ungrateful shit! I work hard all day half the week at a fucking car plant, so I’m fucking sorry if I'm absolutely exhausted half of the time.” “HOME? IT’S MORE LIKE A BOMBSITE! I’m surprised the place hasn't been condemned! Why the hell did you even want me here, Shawn? Did you just want me to be the maid?” If Shawn was angry beforehand, he was fuming now. He moved himself away from Jake before he really lost his temper, saying nothing as he willed himself to calm down. But Jake wasn’t finished. “You begged me to live here, Shawn, but you can't even make a little bit of effort to make it more inhabitable. Every time I came over, it was all an act, wasn’t it? You’d polish the place up just to win my favour? IT’S LIKE BEING IN HELL TRYING TO LIVE HERE!” Jake flinched as Shawn came back up to him, fire in his eyes as he grabbed the kitchen table and flipped it, throwing it right at the wall, narrowly missing his younger brother. “I INVITED YOU HERE SO WE COULD BE BROTHERS AGAIN. I’M TRYING MY BEST TO MAKE THIS WORK, BUT YOU’RE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE! GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF. GOD, JAKE! NO WONDER MOM AND DAD THREW YOU OUT!”

After those words, all was silent. The shock of his brother almost throwing something at him and the words he had just said. Those last few words, was that what he really thought of him? Jake’s hands came up to cover his mouth in shock as his eyes grew wide and flooded with tears. Shawn instantly regretted what he had said, a hand coming out to try to hold Jake, but the smaller boy just pushed him away. “J-Jake, I…” Jake wasn’t hearing a word of it; he ran right past him and dove right back into his bedroom, throwing the door shut behind him and shoving a chair under the handle to stop Shawn from coming in. Jake stumbled back and bumped into his dresser in his new room, accidentally knocking a glass lamp that Miriam had gifted him for Christmas, sending it whirling down to destruction. Glass shards were flying everywhere as Jake fell to the floor alongside it. The older brother tried the door but couldn’t get it to budge as he pounded and pounded his fist against the wood, begging Jake to let him in and shouting that he was sorry over and over again. Jake just sat back against the radiator again, the wall, and he sobbed and cried his heart out, his hand still covering his mouth to try to muffle the noises as he wept. A minute or two later, Shawn had given up with an annoyed cry as he marched out of the front door and slammed it shut behind him. Now Jake was all alone, in a place he hated, with no one there to comfort him.

God, what had he done? Why did he ever decide to live here? Away from Miriam and his boyfriend. Did Shawn really hate him that much? "No wonder Mom and Dad threw you out.” Those words stung like a stab to the heart every single time that they played over in Jake’s head; they made his throat tighten, choking him, and they made his eyes sting, bringing forward more floods of angry, mortified tears. Looking down, his eyes caught a glimpse of something: a piece of glass. It had scratched his arm as the lamp fell from his dresser and disintegrated on the floor, a little trickle of crimson coming from the cut and starting to drip down towards his fingers. His pale hand reached out to hold the shard of glass, and in an instant, all those memories came flooding back once again, along with the thoughts of everything that had just happened. Too much; once again, everything was too much. Jake’s head was screaming at him; it was so loud, he just wanted it to stop. For the world to stop, for things to just be okay again! He knew one way to silence it. With a shaking breath and gritting his teeth, he held the shard in his hand and brought it to the top of his arm, right next to the cut already there, pressing it to his skin and all of a sudden, rapidly dragging it across his soft flesh, but once he started… he just couldn't stop. Again and again and again, he couldn’t help it; the sting of the pain was addicting, the buzz of adrenaline shot right to his brain, but he just couldn’t stop. A strangled cry left from his throat and came out into the air as all of those angry tears cascaded down his face, clear droplets mixing with the claret on his arm. Finally, he stopped. His hand let go of the glass, and he lay back against the wall and the radiator, the warmth of the blood flowing down his arm and the painful sting shutting up all of those awful, racing thoughts, but then he looked down again, seeing the mess he had made. The shame of what he had just done came crashing down on him like a wave. Oh god, what the fuck had he just done?…

Chapter 27: It's The Few, The Proud, And The Emotional

Summary:

Right then!
*BIG TRIGGER WARNING! YET AGAIN, THERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF SELF HARM IN THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN READING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*

Things always get worse before they get better...

The alarm had stopped blaring ages ago, but Aiden still lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, mindlessly observing the cracks overhead. There was no one there to yell at him to get up; both of his parents were working. They were always working; he barely ever spoke to them. They wouldn’t even have a clue if he decided to skip out on school entirely today. The e-boy rolled onto his right side, shutting his eyes once more. Trying to forget about the fact that today was the day, the start of his new role. An 'entertainer’ for wealthy older men who looked at him like he was nothing more than a slab of meat and would undoubtedly try and feel him up all night. What the fuck was he doing? How the hell did he even get here? He wanted to stay in his house; he wanted to stay with his parents, but was this worth it? Catching a glimpse at the five hundred dollars still sitting on his bedside table, his mind was swayed once again. It always came back to the fucking money. There was a plus side: no more dealing with Oleksander O’Grady and his weird behaviour for a while. As time had gone on, Aiden’s opinion of the Irish-Belarusian had gone down further and further. Something about him these days was just…off. Aiden couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the constant touching and getting too close to him didn’t help his opinion of the older boy. God forbid anyone at school found out about Aiden’s new position at the club; god forbid, especially if James ever found out. He would never forgive him; James would be furious, no doubt about it. The prospect of Aiden flirting with other older men for money. It was all pretend, of course, but Aiden knew that as soon as James was back in the country, he would have to give up the ‘entertaining’ role and go back to serving drinks; he would have to beg and plead to both of the O’Grady brothers to not say a word to his boyfriend. The anxiety of it all made Aiden feel horribly sick.

A flash and a buzz of a notification on his phone cut Aiden away from his thoughts. Reaching for it on his bedside table, he could see that it was from James’s Instagram. A new photo; those usually made Aiden feel a bit better, especially if James had his gorgeous chest and drool-worthy abs out. Going onto Instagram, Aiden went onto James’s page and at first was met with a nice photo. James was at the dirty old bit of land that he and his friends used as a soccer pitch. Aiden had come to know Marcos and Rui, both of James’s cousins who the family was staying with, and then there were the boys from his old neighbourhood, who he was great friends with. There was Omar, really tall with a very well-kept afro; Abilio, who almost always wore black or a leather jacket, which was rather impressive in the heat of Curitiba, but Aiden respected him for sticking to the lifestyle of being a scene kid; and last but not least, there was Jardel, James’s next-door neighbour when he was a kid. He was tall and tan with a buzz cut, and he always wore a crucifix around his neck. There were a few girls too: Carlota, Inez, and Valentina. James more often had pictures with the girls than he did with the boys. They all had this tight friendship ring, all nine of the teens, and for them, it was always a treat when James came back home and the whole team was reunited again. In the picture on James’s Instagram, all of the boys and Inez were kicking up dust as they ran towards the net at the end of the pitch while Laura and Valentina cheered them all on from the side, and Carlota stood in goal. With a smile, Aiden scrolled down again to find another picture that had not long ago been posted. Aiden was shocked to see that it was a photo of someone with their chest out, two people in fact, but neither of them was James. The young Brazilian man sat on a barstool in blue denim shorts that reached his knees and a yellow tank top with an emblem of the Brazilian flag over the right breast, leaning forward slightly with a green glass bottle in his hand; behind him on either side were two of the girls in nothing but short shorts and bikini tops.

Aiden recognised them again as Inez and Valentina. Their… rather ‘developed’ features were on full display as both held onto James and hung off either of James’s biceps with winking eyes and cheerful expressions. Aiden felt his face heat right up as the ugly stirring of jealousy churned in his stomach; he ground his teeth together over the thought of anyone but himself touching James. They looked like they were having fun; the beach was in the background of the picture; it was just a photo of a beach day; it didn’t mean anything, right? James was as loyal as could be to Aiden, wasn’t he? Aiden felt even more guilty for having to consider if he trusted his boyfriend or not. The pondering in his head was almost unbearable; with a jolt, he shot up out of bed and went to get himself dressed, praying for something, anything else to think about that was even slightly more positive.

Jake tugged at the sleeve of his jacket as he made his way into the main hallway, eyes darting left and right nervously, trying to see if anyone had been watching or was giving him weird looks. He felt like just how he did back in the day, just before he met Tom and regained his confidence; it felt like everyone was staring at him… or staring at his arm. It had been a week since Jake lost control and… did what he did. He regretted it immensely, and the cleanup had been a nightmare to rush through and get done before Shawn got back. They both apologised like they always did when they fought, and Jake even helped him clean up the mess of the cereal that had been thrown to the floor when Shawn flipped over the table in anger. His older brother’s words still stung, though: ‘No wonder Mom and Dad threw you out.’ It was like a bullet to the head each time that Jake recalled it. Jake had been covering his arm all week out of fear that someone would spot what he had done to himself and make a comment; he felt guilty, but not even Tom knew. When it came to their P.E. lessons, Jake had managed to forge his older brother’s handwriting on an excuse note, making up some bullshit excuse about his hurting his leg while skateboarding and that he ‘needed to keep off it for a while.’ He handed it to Richard, and the older man took the forged note without question. Of course Jake hadn’t really hurt his leg; he just couldn’t risk anyone seeing his arm during PE or while he was changing. He just needed to be ‘injured’ long enough for the marks to fade. Tom was onto him, though; the muscular boy suspected something, and Jake knew it. The muscular boy had been trying to be romantic when they hung out at Miriam’s on Wednesday night. After making out for a while on Jake’s old bed, Tom tugged off his t-shirt and then reached for Jake’s hoodie, wanting to see more of his beautiful boyfriend before Jake grabbed his hands and pushed them away, saying that he now wasn't in the mood, especially in his elderly friend’s house. Tom was slightly confused; it hadn't bothered Jake before, but Tom respected Jake’s wishes nonetheless, the two settling for a very warm, soft, and cuddly kissing session instead. Jake thought about the lessons he had been taught over the months; but he had resorted back to his old ways; Secretism. He was practically spending the whole day with Tom; but he just couldn’t let him know; nobody could know. It was his dirty little secret; the shame of it all had been following him all week like a shadow.

Jake’s mind was so occupied with everything going on for him that he didn’t even spot Aiden in the school’s courtyard behind him. The smaller boy leaned against the wall, staring at his phone. James’s Instagram was on the screen yet again. He couldn’t help himself; Aiden scrolled and scrolled, looking at all of James’s pictures with his female friends. There were so many more with the girls than there were with Rui, Marcos, Abilio, Omar, or Jardel. He felt so mixed. James was pansexual; he could be attracted to anyone theoretically, not just the girls, so why did the pictures with the girls make Aiden feel so bitter and envious? Perhaps it was the way they clung onto him the way that Aiden did in their pictures together, or the flirty expressions they all had. As much as he wished that it didn’t, it made Aiden’s blood boil like lava. The e-boy trusted his boyfriend more than anyone in the world, but that awful anxiety and those intrusive thoughts of ‘What if he’s bored of me?’ and ‘What if someone else had pulled him in?’ kept playing in the seventeen-year-old’s mind like some kind of awful videotape.

Aiden's heart sank like the Titanic when he looked up. The queen of the bitches herself had arrived: Riya Sharma. Aiden gripped his phone tightly as he noticed Riya was looking over at his screen, staring at what Aiden had been looking at, her mauve-painted lips spread into a nasty smile as she put a hand on her hip. “He hangs out with a lot of girls over there, doesn’t he? I was looking at his Insta myself, and I couldn’t help but notice it.” Aiden wasn’t in the mood; things were already shit enough as it was. “Oh, fuck off and leave me alone, you coked-up hoe. I’m not your dealer.” The Indian girl glared right back, grinding her teeth together, balling up her hand into a fist, and pointing her other hand right in Aiden’s face. “Watch your fucking mouth, femboy. Don’t forget James isn’t here to protect you.” Aiden wasn’t scared; he pushed her golden ring-covered hand away from himself without a care. “Shit, isn’t he? Fucking wow, Riya! I would have never guessed! It’s not like I haven’t seen him for two fucking months!” Riya Sharma didn’t like being challenged, especially by someone she considered to be below herself. Her strategy was to try to continue hitting Aiden where it would hurt. “You do realise that the whole time he’s been in Brazil, he’s had people all over him. You know he’s most likely out there making out with tonnes of girls by this point, right? Not one week would go by not long ago where he hadn’t been putting his hands all over a cheerleader or some other twink that he shared a class with. You’re nothing special. He would've forgotten that you even existed after a week of being over there. You know I’m right; you were nothing more than an achievement on his list of people to screw.” The Indian girl pushed her way right past Aiden, making the back of his head bump against the brick wall painfully. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to cry at the girl’s words or at the anxiety rising up in his chest. Dear God, what if she was right? …

Aiden spent the rest of the day staring at his phone, going back and forth between the picture of himself and James and the pictures he had of the girls during his Brazil trip. Aiden was desperately trying to prove to himself that James looked happier or just… more in love in the pictures with him, comparing them over and over until it was time to go home. He had barely even done any of his schoolwork or even paid attention in class for that matter. Once Aiden had walked home and was back in his room, he knew he didn’t have long until it was time to head out again, to the club to start his new role with Angela and Xoti. The anticipation made him feel so ill, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. Just do it; get it over with. It won't be for long. Aiden moved himself over to his dresser to look for something to wear tonight; he was told to dress ‘pretty’ for the guests. He just decided on what he wore the first time he and James came out. James’s ring still gleamed on his finger, unmoved from when the Brazilian had put it there two months ago. Aiden looked himself over in the mirror once again after he was dressed; he looked nice, but he only ever wanted to wear something like this for James. He did say it was his favourite outfit of Aiden’s after all… but he did say that about almost all of them! Aiden stopped looking himself over in the mirror when his phone buzzed again with another notification, another picture from James’s Instagram. Curiously, Aiden looked at it, and he felt his stomach roll when he saw it. The picture seemed to be taken at a party of sorts; there were streamers and balloons everywhere and bright neon lights in the background while James stood in the foreground while a girl had her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face buried in his upper right arm as she cuddled up to him and hugged him tight. Aiden could have crushed his phone from how tightly he was gripping it, his cheek was chewed to bits, and his eyes were filled with angry tears. How dare she. How fucking dare she touch him like that. That was his boyfriend, his Jamesy; he just wanted to—

At that moment his phone buzzed again, repeatedly this time. James was calling him. Perfect, now he could finally get some answers and give James a piece of his mind. “Aidyyyyy! My sweet little xuxu! How was school? What have you been up to? I miss you so much, baby.” “Cut the crap, James! What the fuck are you doing in your photos?” There was a sudden silence on the other end of the call. Aiden waited quietly with adrenaline and anticipation running in his veins while all of a sudden James chortled from the other end of the call. “Woah! What do you mean? They’re just photos, baby.” Aiden gripped the side of his bed angrily at James’s unserious response. “James. Every goddamn photo I see on there, there’s some girl hanging off your arm. Can you take this seriously, please? For fuck’s sake!” James could be heard taking in a breath from the other side of the call. Aiden had been chewing his lip so much he was surprised his mouth wasn’t filled with blood by this point. He could tell that James knew that he was being serious. “Gosh… Aidy baby, what do you think I’m up to while I’m out here?” “Gee, well, I don’t know, James! I’m not there! How about that one from Thursday morning? You can't just show me a picture with you and two girls with their boobs practically spilling out of their bikini tops on your Insta and not expect me to feel slightly concerned!” There were a couple more beats of real anticipation from the Canadian boy as James then suddenly laughed again. “… You realise that they’re a couple, right? Inez and Valentina are both lesbians, baby. We were at the beach, and they pulled me in for a quick selfie while we sat at the bar waiting for their drinks. I’m not going to hook up with them or anyone else for that matter anytime soon. Unless it’s you, of course.” James couldn't see it, but Aiden's face flushed bright red in embarrassment. Suddenly feeling defensive, he felt the need to bring up the picture he had just seen. “O-oh… well, what about that other one? The girl with her arms around your shoulders?” James laughed again. “The one I posted today? Carlota? That’s my cousin! She’s from my dad’s side of the family. Lota and I were basically raised like siblings, the same as all my cousins; I told you this. You don’t need to worry, you know, baby. I love you more than anything. I miss you so much; there’s no one else in the world that I want apart from you…” The wave of emotion hit Aiden like a truck; he grew teary-eyed again as everything came pouring out into the air. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, James! I didn’t mean to be an ass. I miss you too… more than anything. I just had a bit of a rough day today because I missed you so much! I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Do you have any idea of when you’re coming back yet? God, I wish you were home…” “I wish I was home too, and…no, not yet. I asked Pai, and he wasn’t sure himself when we will be back. It won’t be too much longer now; just keep being patient for me, my sweet xuxu…”

Aiden pulled his phone close to his teary face and nuzzled his cheek against it, like it was James’s soft, warm, brown skin. “I love you, Jamsey…” “I love you too, baby boy… I…there’s something else, something I need you to know…we’re dropping the charges against the police for my false arrest.” Aiden's mouth went dry at the sudden news from his boyfriend. “The fuck? What? How come?” James took a deep breath and sighed long and heavy before he replied. “Mamae decided we would drop them because I asked her to. She was the toll it was having on me mentally, and Pai and Laura, for that matter. We’re just going to drop it and get on with our lives. This breakaway really made us see the toll everything had on us as a family, but… I’m better now. I’m happier; we all are. That’s what matters for us. Anyway, that’s enough about me. How’s the job going? Is Oleksander still keeping a good eye on you?” Fuck. Aiden had hoped that James wouldn’t bring up the job. He hated lying so much, especially to James, but it was for the greater good, just for now. “O-oh yeah! The job’s great. No new developments there! I—in fact, I’ve been asked to arrive a bit earlier today, so I need to get going. I’ll talk to you later, Jamesy. Video call when I’m back?” “Sure thing, my sweet xuxu. Perhaps I should ask Lota if she’s free to chat to you too, you know, just to convince you that I’m not dating my own cousin!” Aiden rolled his eyes, oh so cocky, classic James. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Mister Costa-Cassanova. I love you, Jamsey; talk to you soon, babe!” Aiden smiled as he hung up; he certainly felt a lot better after being honest with James. Being open about how he felt and all of his worries allowed James to reassure him. It was like a huge weight off his mind that had been weighing him down all day. Sitting back and looking up at the ceiling, Aiden's mind wandered to other matters. Maybe he would just be honest about the job? Maybe he should tell James about Oleksander’s behaviour. No, he couldn’t do that. If he did, James would demand that he leave the job, and that would mean no money, and then that would mean no house, and then that would mean moving back in with his aunt and not seeing his friends, family, or James for a very, very long time. Aiden couldn’t say a word to James about the job, not a single word.

Back outside the school gates, Jake and Tom gave each other a kiss goodbye as Shawn pulled up alongside them and Jake climbed into the front passenger seat. Tipiskaw High had their weekly game tonight against a neighbouring school; Tipiskaw won easily. Tom got the first goal, Diego got the second, and Hunter managed to get the winning third. Jake, Gabby, Ally, and Ellie all cheered their hearts out for their friends and Ally and Jake’s boyfriends. Jake and the girls were sadly missing Aiden’s presence, but the e-boy had expressed that it felt odd to watch a game without James there to watch. They all understood, but they missed Aiden’s energy and cheer nonetheless. Jake recounted the game to Shawn as he drove them both home. The topic eventually changed to Jake’s birthday; it wasn’t long until he was eighteen. February 8th wasn’t far away, and both brothers wanted to celebrate it in a big way. Shawn especially wanted to make sure that Jake and his friends all had a great time. Jake already had plans; he wanted Shawn, Miriam, Tom, Ellie, Gabby, Rosa María, Lake, Tess, Hunter, Ally, and Aiden to be there, and James too if he was back from Brazil. There were so many things they could do, but one thing that had been on Jake’s mind was another night out with his friends at a club. Pulse sounded like the best choice, as they had already been there before and Aiden worked at the place too; although this time he certainly hoped that no one would get arrested! Jake decided it was time to bring up the idea to Shawn; surely he would enjoy the idea. He wasn’t exactly one for following the rules, and he already knew about the establishment. “So… I was thinking, why don’t we go to the club where my friend works for my eighteenth? You know, Pulse? Just for a few hours, and then after that we could—” “No. Absolutely not, Jake.” Jake’s head twisted around to look at Shawn after hearing his older brother’s strong response. His face was stone cold, determined. “Shawn…you said we could do whatever I liked!” Jake would be lying if he didn’t say that his brother’s response had annoyed him a bit; he had the whole night planned out in his head! “I know what I said, little brother, but…” Shawn’s tone was tender yet serious; he was clearly trying to find the right words. Shawn’s whole demeanour whenever Jake brought up the topic of the club changed dramatically, troubling Jake to no end. The younger brother waited with anxious anticipation to see what Shawn would say; the older brother shook his head with a frown. “Listen. That place is seedy as fuck; I’m not having my little brother hang around in that place. Do not ask me again, Jake. We will do whatever you want, I promise. Hell, I’d pay and take you and all of your friends to Disneyland or even Hawaii if you wanted, but just not that place, okay?” Jake nodded quietly. Seedy? Did the place where Aiden worked have a bad reputation? It would explain Shawn’s reactions. “Shawn, what exactly about the place don’t you like?” The older brother let out an annoyed huff at the question. “I don’t want to talk about it, Jake.” “I know that… I understand that, but Aiden works there! Should I be worried about him?” Shawn said nothing for a moment; he could feel Jake’s pleading eyes on him, desperately awaiting a reply. With another huff, Jake had his answer from Shawn. “Yes. Yes, you should be fucking worried, Jake.”

Aiden strolled through the doors of the club in his casual clothes instead of his bartender uniform with bated breath, anticipating the night of ‘fun’ that awaited him. He wandered through the place; he looked just like one of the customers, not like one of the staff. Glancing towards the bar, Oleksander caught Aiden’s eye with a smile and beckoned him over. The blonde man’s smile wasn’t exactly a friendly one; it looked more… sinister. Oleksander bit his lip, and his eyes scanned Aiden’s outfit up and down, thinking for a moment before finally saying something to the younger boy. “Nice, sunshine, very nice.” Aiden couldn’t help but look away, shy and ashamed of yet again someone staring at him like he was nothing more than something to be stared at. “Thanks, I just wore something casual, like you and Dejan said.” Oleksander nodded, coming a bit closer and pointing at Aiden, twirling his finger around, encouraging the smaller boy to turn around. Aiden’s cheeks heated up as he obeyed, feeling more and more objectified as the seconds ticked by. “I told you to wear something casual, yes, but we need something more… to the taste of the clients. Follow me, cutie.” Aiden’s head tilted in confusion as Oleksander placed a ‘closed’ sign on the top of the bar, and he reached forward, grabbing Aiden’s forearm in a tight grip and pulling him along all the way upstairs to a private room with a closet. Once inside, Aiden was slightly taken aback by the outfits on display; they were Xoti and Angela’s, no doubt. Aiden had seen the girls wearing some of the things on display before. They were all women’s clothes, but Aiden knew he couldn’t complain; he simply had to smile and make do. “Those jeans look good on you. James would like these, wouldn't he?” Aiden didn’t answer, getting more than a little irritated with Oleksander’s comments. “You need something…less reserved. Aha! Like this! Try it on.” Oleksander suddenly pulled out a thin, white cropped vest top with an almost crocheted-looking top layer that was in a grid pattern. It was grey and black and looked very tight; Aiden knew it would show off his midriff, something he didn’t really enjoy doing. It had him feeling so uncomfortable, but the e-boy knew better than to say no to Oleksander; he would run straight to Dejan and say that he was causing a problem. Aiden took the tiny bits of fabric in his hand and moved towards the mirror, about to take off his t-shirt, only to turn around and see Oleksander was still in the room, staring right at him, eyes unblinking as he watched. Aiden continued to look back at the older young man; with an exaggerated and annoyed huff, Oleksander finally turned around, hand coming to cover his eyes as he left the room. Aiden turned back around at that point to finish getting changed.

Uncomfortable was an understatement for Aiden; he felt downright mortified with it all. The whole time he had been sitting with the two girls, both of the bastards that sat either side of him thought that it was their god-given right to put their hands wherever the fuck they pleased, all over Aiden’s legs and on his shoulders. One man even cupped his face and tried to bring him closer. Aiden ended up getting an irritated scowl from the older man when he pulled his face away with shaking breaths and wide eyes. All of the customers stared at Aiden’s outfit; if he had been with James, his boyfriend would have encouraged him, telling him how hot he looked and how beautiful and utterly stunning he was. Aiden felt none of that with these men; he felt like a dress-up doll, a product to be bought and sold. It was sickening; Aiden sat in silence at times, staring into the distance. How in the name of almighty God had he gotten to this point? Each of the customers introduced themselves one after another as they came and went throughout the night, but Aiden could never remember any of their names; they didn’t matter. Just getting paid—that’s what mattered. Aiden tried his best whenever someone got too close to him or touched him just a little bit too close to places where he’d rather their hands wouldn’t be. The time just seemed to go extra slow that night; each time Aiden looked at the clock, it had only been five or ten minutes at most. He wasn’t getting out of the place until three in the morning; he had a hell of a lot more annoying as fuck conversations and even more groping of his legs to go before he finally got paid. What added insult to injury was what was all over the table they were sitting at. There were the obvious copious amounts of booze, but also…powders, pills, and poppers…whatever the hell those were. Aiden looked at it all with his head in his hands. He watched in near disgust as one of the men took out his credit card and sorted out some lines of coke for himself and Angela to take. Xoti definitely took one or two of the pills that littered the table. Of course Aiden was offered some of the ‘treats’ on display, one man holding a pill up to his mouth and asking him to open up. Politely, Aiden declined, and then he thanked God over and over again when the man accepted his refusal without taking offence. There were certain things that Aiden would do for money; getting high out of his mind with a bunch of strangers who kept touching him wasn’t one of them.

Finally, there was a lull in the amount of customers; the last group of men had just left, and there would undoubtedly be another group of pissed-up fuckheads to take their place that Aiden and the girls had to entertain for the night. Xochitl leaned across the leather seat where all three of them sat in silence, making direct eye contact with Aiden before bluntly asking, “So how’s your first night of being a hooker going?” The e-boy’s eyes blew wide as he took in the words, too shocked to speak at first, but he managed to utter out a slightly pissed-off “What? I haven’t fucking slept with anyone!” The young Hispanic woman got up from her seat and stretched out her arms, muscles clearly tired from being sat in the same spot all night. “Huh, we’ll see how long that lasts, won’t we?” she remarked as she waltzed away, catching the eye of some of the men on the dance floor as she went past them. Aiden crossed his arms in defiant annoyance, turning around on his seat and looking at the floor. He would never do that; he’d sooner off himself before he did that! Nothing was worth selling his body for, not even the house. Angela looked over at the younger boy, a somewhat sympathetic smile on her face. The young blonde woman slid her way over on the leather loveseat and played with her long hair quietly before speaking. “Ignore Xoti; she doesn’t mean anything by it. She was only kidding; you get used to her and how she is eventually.” Aiden looked back at the young woman with a smile. Angela then noticed Aiden’s face fall significantly, tilting her head in confusion. “Huh? What is it?” “Angela… You’ve got a bit of a…” Aiden didn't finish his sentence; he just pointed to his own face, in the general direction of his nose. Angela pulled out a small compact hand mirror from her handbag and flipped it open, then gave an irritated roll of her eyes when she spotted the small trickle of blood coming from her nostril. Aiden reached forward and passed her the napkin that was on the table; the blonde young woman gave him a small ‘thanks’ in reply as he held the napkin to her face to try and stem the flow of blood.

The two of them sat there a bit longer; Aiden hated the silence. He just wanted to keep a conversation going to prevent his mind from wandering to places he didn’t want it to. “So, how long have you been doing this for?” Angela looked up again, nosebleed finished and her face flawless again. “Hostessing? A few months. Just as a favour to Dejan, he helped me out in a …rather tough situation in my life...” ‘Hostessing?’ Is that what the girls called it? Aiden didn’t ask any questions; he certainly sympathised when he heard the words ‘rather tough situation,’ but Angela saw the way his face twisted slightly in confusion at her words. The blonde girl’s face suddenly grew panicked as she held up her hands in defence. “I don’t owe him money like other people do! I’m not… It’s not what you think. He and I…we’re a bit complicated. We were on and off for a while… He said to me that he couldn’t be in a relationship right now because he’s so busy… But—but he’s going to wait for me! He asked me to do this job so we could be close by all the time and because he needed someone to entertain the guests. He said I was the perfect part for the job. Once he’s made enough profit, he said he and I will move away from here and start a new life. He swore it to me… Plus, the customers aren't so bad. I don’t get paid for this; it’s a favour to him after all. I don’t mind though; at least I get plied with blow and booze throughout the night.” Aiden’s face still looked confused. “Owe him money? Who the hell owes him money? What, is he the mafia or something?” Angela’s face grew even more panicked-looking before she shook her head and changed the topic. Clearly not wanting to speak any more about the topic of Dejan. Aiden couldn’t help but feel that the young woman looked a bit…scared; he felt a bit bad for her in a way. It was clear she wasn’t telling the whole story. Angela looked him up and down, like so many people had recently, before she smiled as a thought came to her mind. “Listen, if you really are going to do this with us, you need to not only look but also sound the part. You’re the first boy we’ve had with us, but regardless, you still need to follow the same regulations.” Aiden reached to his left and grabbed a can of beer and pulled the tab at the top open to have a drink as he pondered what Angela had just said. “What do you mean?” “They prefer us not to use our real names, Dejan and the customers alike. It helps them not get too attached. Dejan suggested the idea of us being named after ‘things’ while we were at work in the club. My real name is Celia, and Xoti’s real name is Zulema, but don’t spread it around, okay?” Aiden nodded as the blonde young woman continued, taking a sip of her passion fruit cocktail. “Angela is just angel with an ‘A’ on the end; it was the first thing I could think of. My grandmother was named Angela too. Xochitl means flower; it’s quite a common name in Mexico, apparently. You need a new name too, Aiden. Any names you wished that you had been called instead when your parents named you?” The e-boy smiled sadly; he turned to look at Angela again. She looked quite excited at the prospect of picking out a new name for him. Like she was naming a new puppy or kitten.

With a deep breath, Aiden began to talk while fiddling with the long strands of his blonde-dyed hair. “It’s funny… There was a lot I wished that my parents did differently when it came to naming me. Let’s just say… I didn’t always look like this, and I didn’t always understand who I truly was, so I got the opportunity to pick out my own name long after Mom and Dad already chose one for me.” Angela looked at him with soft eyes. “I see… I’m sorry you went through that.” She didn’t say much else, but Aiden knew she understood fully well what he was insinuating and what he meant. He smiled kindly in return before continuing. “When I was picking out a new name, a name that would truly mean ‘me,’ there were so many, but one of the first that came to mind was…‘Sky.’ It was beautiful, right? The sky is such a pretty thing; it is gender neutral. The sky is something that’s soft and pretty but also strong and powerful too. Eventually I decided on Aiden because that’s what my grandmother wanted to name my mom if she was a boy, I really liked the sound of it, and… that was that! I was Aiden. I still like the name Sky, though. The sky is a ‘thing,’ isn’t it? What do you think, Ange?” The blonde young woman giggled at the choice of nickname that Aiden had given her, nodding enthusiastically and sticking her thumb up in agreement. “It suits you wonderfully, Sky.” All of a sudden, Xoti appeared from nowhere, leaning over the back of the loveseat, her face suddenly next to Aiden's as he jolted up in surprise, and she laughed at his response. “Sky really does suit you; the customers will most definitely like it.”

Jake had been at home for a while by this point; he was exhausted from his busy day and anxious following his conversation with Shawn in the car about the club where his best friend was working. Jake lay in bed staring at his phone, looking at Aiden’s contact and their most recent text conversation from a couple of days ago, just the normal conversation about getting the answers to some math homework questions. Jake could hardly believe that Aiden could have been in a potentially risky place the whole while. He was there tonight; Jake knew it. The blue-haired boy’s mind kept wandering; he kept forgetting that he was actually on call to Tom. The muscular boy would be talking about something, and Jake just would respond, going off in his own mind and thinking about the predicament with Aiden. Was it his place to bring it up with Aiden? He had been so desperate for work; would it really be fair to try to convince him to leave the place? Aiden had been there a good while; he knew the place, and he probably knew what to avoid and how to keep himself safe…didn’t he? Yet again Tom’s voice paused to await comment from Jake, getting nothing in response. “…Jakey? You okay?” “Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Sorry, I’m just a bit tired.” The muscular boy on the other end of the line hummed in response. “Do you want to hang up? You want to go to bed?” “No! No, Tom. I can’t lie… I just like listening to you speak sometimes. Makes me feel nice and calm; let’s keep talking, please?” Tom laughed lightly on the other end at Jake’s comments, cooing at him softly. “Okay, babe. If that’s what you want. How’s T.J.? Has he been looking after you?” The seventeen-year-old smiled lightly as he looked at the plush penguin on his dresser, next to his pencil case, a box of stuff he hadn’t yet unpacked, and an empty gap…where Miriam’s lamp was supposed to be. Jake got himself up and picked up the soft toy, holding him close and getting back under the covers. “He’s good; he keeps me company. Nowhere near as cuddly as you are though!” “You were with me all day; you saw me after the soccer game too!” Jake gasped dramatically at Tom’s words, playfully commenting, “I can’t help wanting to be with my hunk 24/7!” Tom laughed on the other side of the phone, but Jake couldn’t help but let a feeling of sadness wash over him. Despite spending so much time with Tom at school, he still wanted to be…closer to him, to know he was only a few doors up the street at a moment’s notice. Jake wished he had the same with Miriam too, to know she was just downstairs if he had any worries or just wanted a chat with someone. He missed them both; he missed them so badly. Before he could speak again, Jake had a notification pop up on his phone. A voicemail from Miriam. Jake felt his heart ache when the notification appeared; he worried for her, if she was lonely, and whether she needed anything. “Um, Tom? I just got a voice mail from Miriam; I’m going to hang up and listen to it for a second. I might call you back, and if I don’t, I’ll ring you in the morning. Okay, babe?” The boy on the other end understood, and they both said goodnight and sent each other a kiss through the speaker before ending the call. For some reason another whoosh of dread overcame Jake as he pressed the button to hear Miriam’s voicemail; something just didn’t seem right.

“Hello, son… I hope you’re doing well. I was wondering if you fancied coming over for a meal tomorrow night? I can’t lie to you, Jake, it’s been quiet without you…it’s been lonely. While you lived here, I never appreciated just how much fun you brought to my life. You really made me feel younger again somehow; it had been a long time since I had a teenager in my house, I suppose. Tom’s a good boy, though; he comes over now and again, and so do Jackie and Tony and some neighbours and other friends from time to time, but… none of them are quite the same as you. None of them could replace my Jake. Sorry for going on for so long, especially at this hour. Call me back to let me know if you fancy coming over; it’s been a little while since we had a good catch-up together. Hear from you soon, dear. Take care…” The voicemail ended, and Jake’s eyes were blown wide open; tears that were gathered in the corners of his eyes began to overflow and spill down his cheeks as he gritted his teeth and tried not to sob, just in case Shawn heard him. God, he missed her. Miriam had been his rock; she essentially saved him from a life of abuse and then saved him again from homelessness. He didn’t want to leach off her, but…fuck, he missed her so much. As they always did, those memories came back. The thoughts about his past. ‘No wonder Mom and Dad threw you out.’ The memory of the days that were the worst of his life swarmed his mind like a bunch of angry bees, and the memories of how Miriam had helped pull him out of them, but she wasn’t here now. He didn’t live with her now. She was only across town, but never before had it felt so far away. Jake was full-on panting at this point; his chest was tight, and he heaved with each breath, his eyes strange, and his mind wouldn’t shut up. He needed quiet, he needed calm, and he needed that relief. With dilated pupils and a manic expression, Jake marched over to his dresser, T.J. being forgotten and left on the floor below his bed. Jake had just the thing; he had broken his ruler during English class. One of the edges had snapped diagonally, creating a sharp, serrated edge. The perfect thing for the job. That would do the trick in a pinch. Tipping the contents of his pencil case out onto the floor rapidly, he found his ruler and picked it up with shaking breaths, bringing it close to his arm, eyes going wide as he stared at the marks that had been healing all week. Without thinking, he brought the makeshift blade down and cut himself again, over and over and over. Jake was lost in such a world of pain, mental and physical, that he didn’t even hear his bedroom door open.

“Hey, do you feel like watching Scream—OH MY GOD, JAKE!” The teenage boy gasped and dropped the blood-covered ruler to the floor, the plasticky instrument hitting the floor with a ‘clink.’ Jake looked at Shawn open-mouthed, panting like a cornered animal as both boys stared at each other. Jake gripped his painful, bleeding arm as he stuttered and stammered, trying to say something, anything. Something that would stop Shawn from yelling at him, from calling him a freak. Jake looked into his brother’s eyes, looking for a response, anything at all. He expected to see hatred and disgust take hold of his brother’s face, but there was none of that. Shawn’s hand came to cover his mouth silently as the older brother took in what he had just discovered in his younger brother’s room. Processing it for a moment, Shawn took a breath and came closer to Jake, slowly, gently, trying not to spook him. “It’s okay, Jake, I’m not angry. I just need to see, okay? Can you show me, please?” Trembling, tears flowing like a river, Jake hesitated at first but nodded and slowly reached his arm out. Shawn took it gently, carefully inspecting it for a moment before his hand came to Jake’s face with the same care and gentleness, brushing a few tears away. “You silly thing… Come on. In the kitchen with you, let’s clean this up…” There was no anger, no screaming, no disappointment, and no disgust. Jake felt like he was in shock; perhaps Shawn was too. Both brothers made their way into the kitchen, and Jake sat himself up on the counter while Shawn pulled out the medical kit and set to work on cleaning Jake’s arm and patching him up.

There was silence, long silence, while Shawn worked on Jake’s arm. He clearly saw the old marks that now sat alongside the new ones. “Jake, how long have you been doing this for? How many times have you done this? Are there any others anywhere else on your body?” “N-no! J-just… these. I-I… I did this once before, last week… that’s it. I thought about it before…last year, but I never…did this…” Shawn nodded silently, no judgement, no anger. Just getting the facts. “Why, Jake? What made you think you had to do this?” The younger brother’s eyes filled back up with hot tears as Shawn finished on his arm, both of the boy’s hands coming to his face to rub at his puffy and red eyes. “I-I… I get these thoughts sometimes… Sometimes after we fight, sometimes just because I have bad memories, sometimes because I miss Miriam and Tom… The thoughts are so horrible; I just want them to stop… The adrenaline and the pain make them stop…” Shawn’s eyes were filled with tears now too; he looked up at his younger brother, nodding in understanding before walking over to his phone and punching in a number. “S-Shawn? Who are you calling?” “Miriam… I won’t lie to you, I think you need to stay with her again for a while, or maybe… permanently… I don’t think this is good for you, Jake; you need stability. Miriam is much better at giving you that than I am right now. I need to tell her what’s happened.” Jake nodded sadly as he walked over to his brother and wrapped his arms around him, thanking him for patching him up, and Shawn brought his free hand to rest over Jake’s torso, pulling him for a sideways hug and holding him close as he spoke to the other woman on the end about having Jake move back in with her the next day. Jake bit his lip the whole time; what would she say? Jake just knew the news would destroy her. Jake swore he could hear Miriam crying over his brother’s speaker on his phone; he just buried his face in Shawn’s chest, unable to speak as his brother continued to talk to the elderly woman. Jake knew that if Miriam knew, Tom would have to know too. How the fuck would he tell him about any of this? What would he even say? Now he couldn’t even live with his brother anymore. Jake couldn’t imagine how things could get any worse than this…

Chapter 28: Unhappy Hour

Summary:

*READ ME!*

RIGHT THEN!

We have two more chapters to go after this until the end of season 2, chapter 29 has been finished but just needs some tweaking, it will be uploaded on Saturday or Sunday. Chapter 30 is fully planned out and will be written soon.

Chapter 29 will be named: So if I survive, then I'll see you tomorrow
Chapter 30 will be named: Same song and dance
Any ideas on what might happen?

My friend Cris (who did the drawings and is going to do more when he gets the time, bless him!) is away for a few days, so Chapter 30 will drop when he returns on Tuesday/Wednesday to celebrate him coming home. (wuv u dude!)

P.s thank you for the comments on the last update, i've saved some ideas in a word document, feel free to suggest more plot ideas if you have them!

In this chapter...things get messy. Grab your popcorn and shotguns ladies, you're gonna need them!

It had been three days since Jake moved back in with Miriam. Shawn and he had spent all of Friday night packing up his belongings after Shawn found him in...that act. Luckily most of it hadn't been unpacked in the first place. Shawn dropped off Jake the next morning to be greeted by the emotional face of Miriam as Jake ran into her open arms, both of them crying wildly. Shawn helped get Jake’s things up to his old room, and then…he was gone. Shawn hadn't said much. He gave Jake a last hug goodbye and said he would be in touch, and then that was that. Jake tried to ring and text his brother over and over again, and although he always replied, he never said much. Jake took the lack of a discussion very badly indeed; it all added to the guilt he already felt following everything that had happened. He cried all of Saturday; he was a total wreck. Miriam tried her best to comfort the near-inconsolable boy. She did what she could to try and convince Jake not to blame himself for what happened; he didn’t even want to show her the marks on his arm. She managed to force him too eventually and mentioned that they would have to keep an eye on them to ensure that none of them got infected. Jake didn’t miss the way that Miriam watched him like a hawk whenever he came into the kitchen to make himself something to eat or when he used a knife to help her prepare dinner. It all just made Jake hate himself even more; not only was he leeching off Miriam, but he was causing her to worry now too. The sentiment that Jake expressed over and over again to her was. ‘I've fucked everything up with Shawn. We both worked so hard to become brothers again and live together, and I fucked it up!’ That wasn’t true, of course. Miriam tried to remind him that some things just don’t work out sometimes. Jake tried to take what she had said on board, but not much of it really did sink in. She also had to be the one to inform Tom that Jake was back at hers. The muscular lad was utterly shocked at the news, running down the street almost instantly to see Jake. Upon seeing his distressed boyfriend, Tom’s hatred of Shawn reignited. Like Miriam, he did his very best to comfort Jake and be there for him. Jake appreciated it; he appreciated all that both Miriam and Tom did for him, but he still felt miserable and horribly depressed, like a total failure.

The seventeen-year-old was off from school all of Monday; Miriam didn’t feel like he was mentally well enough to attend school for the time being, and Connor understood wholeheartedly and offered to pop in at some point to see how Jake was doing. Jake had to agree with his elderly friend; the pressures of school did just sound too much at that moment in time, plus Miriam really didn’t want to take her eyes off the boy, just in case something happened to him. On Monday night Jake stared at his phone, just finishing calling Tom. He stared at Aiden's contacts again and remembered what Shawn had said to him on Friday in the car. “Yes, yes, you should be fucking worried.” The words rang out like a bell in Jake’s mind. The worried him to no end. Fuck it, he was going to tell Aiden. It was better than saying nothing at all. It was a simple text message from Jake. “Hey, I don’t mean to be a pain in the ass, but my brother told me about Pulse and how it’s got a bit of a dodgy reputation. I know you are in trouble in terms of money, but I can't lie; I’m worried for you, dude. Just make sure you’re being safe at work, okay? I’ll try and be back in school before the end of the week. Love you, dude.” A few minutes later, Jake got his reply. Not the one he had exactly hoped for, though. “Hey… I know you’re worried, but it’s not really your business. I appreciate you caring, Jake, but I don’t have a choice! I need this money, and the club pays well. I’ll only do it for a little while longer, just so our heads are back above water and our landlord is off our ass. I hope you’re feeling better; we all miss you. See you soon, Jakey.” Jake stared at his phone screen, registering Aiden’s words before turning the thing off and trying to get some sleep. At least he had tried.

The next evening Jake was still in his room, only this time Tom had come round to see him after school. It was Tuesday, and Jake had been absent again. Spending most of the day with Miriam in the bakery to give him something to keep his mind occupied. It was a nice surprise when Tom came to the door when the teenager and the elderly lady were back at home. Tom just didn’t feel right not having his sweet little Jakey there with him in his classes; he would ensure he had his fix of his boyfriend’s company, one way or another! Both boys had migrated their way upstairs, and all of a sudden, Jake found himself being pushed back against his bed by Tom, the larger boy, who came to crawl over the top of him, then kissed him hard and the two started to make out. Tom had tried so many things to try and cheer Jake up since he had been back in the neighbourhood, but he hadn't tried this yet. It usually worked in bringing the smaller boy’s spirits up in the past. Tom's hands travelled all over Jake’s smaller boy; the back of his hand brushed against his cheek and then trailed down his neck while Jake gripped onto the back of Tom’s hoodie as his tongue fought with Tom’s for dominance in the kiss. Absentmindedly, Tom’s hand came up to grip Jake’s arm, trying to pull Jake even closer if that was physically possible. All kissing was halted at the pained hiss that Jake gave at Tom's sudden grabbing of his arm. Jake’s eyes went wide, and he covered his mouth as Tom stared down at him, confused and worried.

“What was that, babe? Did I hurt you?” Tom clearly knew that he had; the sound that Jake made was undoubtable. The larger boy moved back to sit on the bed and to give Jake some space. Tom’s hand came back to Jake’s arm to try to roll up the sleeve of his jacket, but Jake instantly pulled his arm away, clutching it as he began to panic. “It’s nothing, Tom! You know I get dry skin; it’s just a skin reaction!” Tom’s eyes looked unconvinced, then he studied Jake’s body language further, and then a realisation came to Tom’s head. He didn’t know why Jake had come back. It was clearly something to do with Shawn. Could he have…hurt Jake? Did he put his hands on him? Did he injure his own younger brother? Tom saw red as he looked at Jake seriously. “Do not lie to me; show me. Show me what Shawn did to you.” The blue-haired boy gasped at Tom’s words, hand still gripping his arm to try to keep it hidden. “He did nothing to me! I swear it! I wouldn’t lie to you, Tom!” Tom moved forward from where he was sitting and looked Jake dead in the eye, serious but concerned. His tone is demanding. “Then show me your arm!” Jake trembled, and his eyes filled with tears. He relented, giving up trying to hide. Tom’s eyes filled with anxiety as he reached for Jake’s shoulders to take off the jacket his boyfriend was wearing, peeling it off slowly and carefully, leaving Jake in just a t-shirt. Then Tom saw it. Red marks, cuts, line after line on Jake’s skin. These were deliberate and unmistakable. Self-inflicted. He didn’t mean to, but the muscular boy gasped loudly and dropped the jacket onto the floor below Jake’s bed. “Oh, Jake…oh my god, babe…” Tom’s anxious eyes then filled with sorrow as he looked down at Jake, the smaller boy crying and shaking as his hands came to cover his crying eyes. Jake hugged his arms around himself, trying to cover the marks once again. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to… I just needed the thoughts to stop. Please don’t hate me, Tom. I didn’t mean to lie or keep secrets from you! Please don’t hate m-me…” Tom gasped again and wrapped his arms around Jake’s trembling frame, pulling him in close and kissing his wet cheek tenderly. “Of course I don’t hate you, baby! Oh, you poor thing… You must have been in so much pain… I’m here now, shhh… It’s alright, Jakey…” After a few more moments of crying, Jake finally pulled himself up to look into Tom’s teary eyes. “...t-this is why I came back to Miriam’s… Shawn found me while I was… hurting myself… I don’t think he could cope with me any longer! I don’t know if he’ll ever want to see me again!” “Oh, Jakey…” Tom didn’t know what else to say; he simply held Jake close and continued to rub his back while his boyfriend cried. Tom made a promise to himself there and then. Jake wouldn’t go through any of this alone, not anymore, not while he was there…

Friday had come along quickly; Jake hadn't been in school all week, but the school day had long finished, and class had been out for a good while. Aiden was making his way home, his mind simply on nothing but doing his usual routine as soon as he got through the front door of his home. Get inside, have a quick bite to eat, quickly call James, get changed, get out the door again and get to work; then spend the next nine hours going insane out of your mind. Dejan had been so impressed with his work the previous Friday that the boss had asked him that Aiden start doing every single night in the week for a few weeks come the next Monday. It meant staying at the club until the early hours of the morning from Monday to Friday, but the money that could be made was beyond his imagination – more than enough cash to sort things at home – so Aiden said yes without thinking twice. Aiden was wearing one of his more 'flirty outfits’ as per the request of the O’Grady brothers and the girls he was going to be sitting with.  Aiden wondered how he would make it work, staying out of the house until past 3am and trying to get up again in the morning for school. Still, Aiden would happily take the hours, even if it did mean working on a Tuesday night. The e-boy was almost home, just a few more streets and turns, but… the worst possible thing came into his line of sight. Riya. She stood on the street corner, eyes glued to her phone; Aiden internally giggled as he imagined that she was waiting for her dealer to turn up. The bi-colour-haired boy looked left and right as he tried to think of a way to get home without having to go near the girl; when he looked up, she looked right into his eyes. Her evil smirk coming back to her lips as she began to march her way over to him. Shit.

“Aiden fucking Brooks. What are you doing out here, femboy?” Aiden rolled his eyes, moving forward himself, hoping to just walk past her and get back to the house, but she was having none of it; she grabbed him by the handle of his black backpack and swung him back around to look at her, her eyes gleaming in devilish delight all the while. “I asked you a question, crossdresser. Aiden simply glared back at her, gritting his teeth at the insult. “Listen, Riya ‘the coke-head’ Sharma. I’m just trying to get home. Some of us actually have things we need to do, so if you’ll excuse me, your bitchiness –” Aiden tried his best to shove his way past again, but Riya was in a particularly relentless mood this evening; she gripped Aiden by the front of his red shirt and shoved her finger in his face. “Don’t take that tone with me. I know guys who could fuck you and your boyfriend up when he comes back. I suggest you play nice. It won't be long until he’s back now, will it? He put on his Snapchat that his family dropped the charges. So sad; it must have been so stressful for them, huh? Not long now until we can remind the whole school that he’s just using you for a quick fuck and how you’re using him to be able to take a warm shower.”

Aiden clenched his jaw at the memories of what Riya had said before, then Aiden thought of James, of how uncaring and bold he had been when dealing with Riya and Yul before; he had no fear of them. Aiden thought of the times he had stood up for him. James didn’t care, and if he could, Aiden could too. The e-boy had endured enough, months and months of torment and relentless bullying at the hands of this girl. Enough was enough. Aiden didn’t think; he was on autopilot. His hand came up to grip Riya’s wrist, holding her arm tight with a strong and angry grip as his eyes filled with fire. “Listen, bitch. I’ll speak to you however I damn well please. I don’t get what your deal is with me. Is it because my family deals with poverty? Is it because I’m trans? Is it because Rosa stopped hanging out with you because she became friends with me and you wouldn’t stop making fun of me for my family’s financial situation? By the way, Rosa stopped being your friend because you’re a classist scumbag, and you know damn well that Rosa’s family struggled so badly back in the day. Still, none of that could ever change your opinions of the ‘lower class’, now could it? Whatever it is, you don’t fucking scare me. I don’t need James here with me to tell you that. I’m beyond giving a single fuck about you and what you think. Say whatever you want; it won't affect me anymore. I’m beyond all of that now. The day when James told everyone that you were a coke-loving druggie who screws her dealer for cheap blow in the middle of the hallway was one of the best moments of my life. Seeing your pathetic face drop as you got a taste of what you put other people through will make me smile until the end of my days. You are nothing, Riya Sharma, fucking nothing. You’ll see that for yourself when we graduate in six months…” Riya had let go of Aiden, and the smaller boy took the opportunity to push Riya to the side as he began to strut past her, head proudly held high as he felt very satisfied with himself.

Riya stood behind him, stunned, shaken. Her fists tightened up as she watched him walk away. She still had one last card to play; she thought carefully before speaking, but now it was worth it for the truth to come out. “You know… James really shouldn’t have said what he said. That scumbag should know when to keep his big mouth shut. Saying something like that could really get a person in trouble. It could get them locked up, even…” Aiden paused in his path, turning around to face the girl once more. “What the fuck are you on about?” “We thought we should be the ones to teach James a lesson, or rather we should be the ones to send in the squad to teach him a lesson. Being roughed up by the cops and spending his evening in a cell taught him a lesson, no doubt. Thanks to Yul and me, he and his whole family ran away back home because they couldn’t cope anymore… It was even better because we could also teach you a lesson too; it’s been nice to see you unable to rely on your hunk for three months.” Aiden couldn’t make heads or tails of what the girl was saying. His patience was really wearing thin. ”Cut the shit. What the fuck are you saying, Riya?” The girl grinned like the Cheshire cat as she came nearer, eyes not leaving Aiden’s as she came in close and whispered in his ear. “Are you really that dense? I guess I just have to spell it out for you. I rang in that report about the stolen car. Seeing James turn up at school looking that miserable afterwards was like Christmas morning for me…” Aiden's pupils blew wide as he took in what he just heard, his mouth going dry and his heart sinking in his chest, then rapidly beating afterwards.

“What?… YOU DID WHAT? YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM KILLED, YOU STUPID, CRAZY BITCH!” Aiden leapt up in an instant, grabbing the front of Riya's jacket and swinging her around like a ragdoll; the girl came crashing down to the floor in a messy heap as Aiden stood over her, shaking in fury. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT WAS? ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO DO THAT TO A YOUNG BLACK MAN? FUCK YOU! DIE IN A HOLE, YOU WORTHLESS, DRUGGED-UP-” Aiden didn't even have the chance to finish what he was saying; Riya had leapt up after him, grabbing him and trying to pull him to the floor. The two struggled against each other and spat insults at each other. Slapping and punching each other anywhere they could reach, Riya’s hand came up and clocked him square in the nose, the false nails dragging along his cheek as Aiden let out a pained cry. With all his might he grabbed the Indian girl and shoved her right to the ground, sending her crashing into a brick wall behind them. She looked up, infuriated, hate in her eyes as she spat out a bit of blood caused by her cut lip. Aiden stared right back, wiping the blood off from his own face. Crimson was trickling from his right nostril and his cheek; they both looked a right state. He really wasn’t scared anymore. With one more angry look, Aiden turned around again, leaving the girl on the floor as he began to march away. Riya staggered to her feet, defeated but infuriated. “AIDEN, YOU ASSHOLE! This…this isn’t over. As soon as I see you at school again next week, I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll get some guys to sort you out properly; you’ll have much worse than a bloody nose and a scratched face after they’ve finished with you. I know guys who have disposed of bodies before! Just you wait, you little FUCKING FREAK!”

Riya’s words echoed in Aiden’s mind the whole way home. She clearly knew some scary people. Her family was infamous, and she screwed a drug dealer for fuck’s sake! Aiden decided it would be best if he took a day or two off from school next week, just to be safe; at least then he wouldn’t have to worry about getting up for school after being up into the early hours of the morning. Aiden stared into his mirror for a long time; Riya had done a good job on his face. He did his best to sort out his bloody nose and tried every powder, concealer and foundation he could find in his and his mother’s makeup bags to try and cover up the scratches. No matter what he did, it was clear as day that someone or something had got him good. The girls instantly noticed his slightly dishevelled appearance once he got to their table, their eyebrows raised in worry as they encouraged him to sit down for a moment while Angela took it upon herself to get them all a drink. Xoti looked Aiden over silently, then beckoned him to follow her as she led the way upstairs, back into the large closet, to pick Aiden out a new top, as his nose had started to bleed again. Just as he sat down, Xoti also pulled out her best foundation and managed to cover up the marks on his cheek. He almost looked as good as new to the unfocused, passing eye at least.

Once all three of them were back downstairs at the table, waiting for guests on the leather love seat, Xochitl was the one to break the silence. “So…did Dejan do it to you?” Aiden looked up and whipped his head around to look at Xoti; she was unphased, but Aiden could never imagine Dejan doing such a thing. He was quiet and maybe a bit grumpy at times; Aiden couldn’t ever picture him being downright violent. “N-no, it was someone else…a girl that I know. She didn’t get away unscathed, though; I busted her lip. I’ve definitely spoilt her good looks for a while.” Angela giggled, and Xoti’s lips turned up into a genuine smile. “As she did the same to you. Don’t do that again, Sky. Got it?” Aiden swallowed as he heard his new name; he had forgotten he wasn’t Aiden anymore while he was in here. He was someone else, a character; this was a role, and he knew he had to play it. Aiden stayed outside the door; Sky sold himself to customers. Aiden nodded in reply to the Hispanic girl’s comments, but what she had said prior still played on his mind. “Is Dejan violent?” Neither young woman said a word; they just turned their heads to look at each other silently before Angela looked to the floor and Xoti looked at the ceiling above her head. “…Only if you make him angry…” Angela answered, almost as quiet as a whisper when she spoke. “Do not make him angry, by the way. You’ll regret that shit instantly…” Xoti added, her face was stone cold and serious. “You girls seem to know a lot about that topic; did something happen? Something that made him angry?” Both girls hesitated; Angela almost choked on her drink. There was another pause, apart from the sounds of Angela coughing slightly. Both girls gave each other silent looks again before Angela decided to pipe up, clearing her voice once more before she spoke.

“Yes… there was something that happened. There was this girl; she used to work with us…” “Angela…” Xoti interrupted, sounding slightly worried, but the blonde young woman ignored her friend. “In the past, when Dejan and I lived together, he was never unkind to me, just stern if something displeased him. Other people, though? Different story. If someone owed him money or really pissed him off, maybe if someone didn’t do something on time, he could just… they would just vanish. We called it ‘disappearing’ –" “Angela!” The blonde woman shot Xoti a blank look and simply just continued yet again. “That girl I mentioned, she worked with us a fair few months back. We never knew her real name; we only knew her as ‘Flare’. She was a nice girl, only eighteen. She was just… naive; she didn’t know how things worked in here. She started working here because she met Oleksander, and he offered her the job because she needed some quick cash. I think they might have even been an item at one point… But after a while… she got a bit too big for her boots. She started complaining to Dejan about the customers; we told her not to, but she just didn’t listen. She went to see him this one time, and we just heard this… shouting. Just shouts, over and over again. Then it all stopped. We didn't hear from her after that. Dejan said that she had found a new job because he had fired her. Yet again, another ‘disappearing’." “ANGELA! ENOUGH!” Both Aiden and the blonde young woman looked at Xoti with a shocked expression, no words being exchanged between them after that. Aiden had heard all that he needed to. The things mentioned about Oleksander certainly hit home; Aiden had a weird feeling in his stomach at knowing he wasn’t the only one that Oleksander had offered work to. Angela looked nonchalant; however, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a small Ziploc bag and her credit card. “I’m doing a line; anyone want to share?” Aiden raised his hands silently to say no with a polite smile as Xoti shifted her way over and inhaled the powder off the table. Aiden watched the two girls silently, knees pulled up to his chest. Thoughts spinning around his mind; just how the actual fuck had he gotten to this point?

The VIP guests spilt in, as they always did. Aiden recognised a few of them from before; others were new. When the new men asked for his name, Aiden was about to give his real one, then remembering that he wasn’t ‘Aiden’ in here anymore. He was Sky; the customers liked Sky. To the men, Sky was a sweet young man who was fun to have a drink with; to Aiden, the character of Sky was the polar opposite of who he was. The men all brought with them the usual array of drugs; the majority of the men were off their heads on the various illegal substances, and they then washed it down with copious amounts of alcohol. Aiden watched it all like some kind of fucked-up nature documentary; it truly was a spectacle to behold. However, there was one man who just wouldn’t stop looking at him. Aiden just ignored him, looking away at the floor, the ceiling, or working on nursing his drink. Most guests gave their first name to Aiden and the girls; those who didn’t Aiden only knew as ‘Mr Ryan’. The man was definitely in his mid to late forties. He was constantly trying to speak to Aiden and chat him up; his hand was constantly on his thigh or resting on his shoulder, the man getting way too close. Aiden tried his best to subtly move away; the man’s interest in him made him feel sick. At one point, the man was on his phone for a while, then he placed the device on the table, his home screen displayed brightly in the dim light of the club. Aiden couldn't help but glance at it, and what he saw made his stomach roll. There was a picture of Mr Ryan with two children, most definitely his. The middle-aged man smiled happily with both of his daughters either side of him, a usual family photo. Then Aiden saw it; the eldest girl looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, Aiden’s age. Aiden recognised her; it was Lila Ryan. She used to be a friend of Ashley Graham and Jake’s back in the day. It was beyond belief; the father of one of Aiden’s classmates was now sitting next to him, offering him alcohol and drugs and trying to flirt with him. Aiden glared at him once he put the dots together, giving the older man filthy looks like the sick, dirty bastard he was.

The night went on; Mr Ryan and the other man that he was with eventually went about the rest of their night, leaving Aiden and the girls alone. Only when Aiden looked around did he notice that it was only he and Xoti left sitting at the table. Angela had left not too long ago without saying a word, but she hadn’t come back. Aiden just assumed she was going to collect another round of drinks. He continued to sit and wait for her return, but she simply didn’t. Xoti must have noticed his worry and confusion for the blonde young lady. “Don’t worry; she’ll be back, Sky.” Aiden was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked towards the Hispanic woman who was finishing off her drink. “Angela? “Where is she?” Xoti gave him an unimpressed look, as if she thought he was joking with his last question. “Where the fuck do you think? Don’t be stupid...” Aiden looked shocked at the reply, holding up his hands in his defence. “I’m not! I don’t know where she is. Kindly tell me, Xoti.” The Hispanic girl got up and began to walk around to the side of the table, clearly wanting to go and get another drink. “She was requested for by a guest. She’s gone upstairs.” Aiden pulled another confused face. “She’s gone upstairs to talk to someone?” “No, dumbass, she’s being paid to sleep with someone. Don’t look so surprised.” Aiden's eyes went wide when he took in the news. She was prostituting herself? Were they both sleeping with customers? Was what Xoti said to him not long ago about being a hooker true? Saliva pooled in Aiden’s open mouth as he gasped in a shaky breath. Fuck. In that moment, Aiden made a promise to himself that no matter what, he would never do that. No one would ever make him to that.

Angela returned after a while; she seemed fine. Aiden had tried to talk to her, but she didn’t exactly seem interested in a conversation at first. The blonde young woman just got her drink down as quickly as she could and then asked for another one. One thing Aiden hadn’t expected that night was one of the customers to make a special request to Xoti, causing the staff to produce a pole straight out of fucking nowhere and for Xoti to start dancing with trained expertise; Aiden sat there stunned while Angela did another line of coke. He wanted to look away, but at the same time, his eyes were glued to what he was seeing unfold in front of him, the idiotic gusts staring, jeering and throwing money at her like mindless animals all the while. He had never been interested in the female form; he didn’t like having one himself. Women didn’t interest him in the slightest, and now here he was with the most intimate parts of a woman’s body on full display for anyone to gawk at; perhaps he would have to try and get himself another drink to get away from it all for a moment. Angela caught onto Aiden’s nervous expression and slightly flushed face as he sank into his chair more and more. “What? It’s like you’ve never seen a pole dancer before.” Aiden said nothing at the blonde twenty-four-year-old’s comments, sinking more into his seat and fidgeting with his dark brown hair, avoiding her gaze the whole time. Angela grinned slightly, eyes going back to look at the drugs on offer on the table. “Let me guess, you’re a virgin too?” Aiden’s attention was caught at that; he sat upright and crossed his arms defensively, looking right at the blonde young woman. “No, I’m fucking not. I have a boyfriend!” Angela’s eyebrows raised as he rested an elbow on the table. “Oh yeah? What does he think about you doing this kind of work?” Aiden’s eyes went wide; Angela noticed the sudden change in his demeanour. She hadn’t actually expected the ‘boyfriend’ thing to be true, but clearly it was. Aiden suddenly looked very anxious indeed. The twin-haired coloured lad suddenly felt very hot, shifting around in his seat uncomfortably. “Well… he, umm…” “He doesn’t know, does he?” Aiden nodded, sadly and defeatedly. Angela hummed in sad understanding, her small hand coming to pat his shoulder as she got up from the table, sympathetic to Aiden’s situation. “I’ll get us some more drinks, shall I? I’ll grab you a Caipirinha; I know it’s your favourite…” Aiden smiled as she walked away. Appreciating her kind gesture but also because of the mention of the drink she knew he liked so much. He only liked it because it was James’s favourite.

Angela returned from the bar not too much longer later; she had taken a bit longer than usual. The blonde girl explained that she was chatting to Oleksander for a while. The girl had a new set of drinks in hand. The night was coming to an end. Only twenty minutes before it was time for Aiden to try to make his way back to the house in the dark. He had never had a problem before with trying to get back home at night on foot; he didn’t think that tonight would be any different. He just wanted to get into bed and try and get some sleep and forget all about this wild ride of a night. As the e-boy brought his Caipirinha to his lips and took a big sip, he was just trying to finish the thing so he didn’t have to hang about when his shift was over, trying to down the thing. As soon as the drink hit his tongue, he took it away from his mouth with a slight grimace. It tasted off. Aiden looked back around to the girls and the other customers who sipped their beverages without a care; they seemed to be just fine. “Does anyone else’s drink taste a bit funny?” Xoti and Angela looked at each other and then back at Aiden with a shrug. “Oleksander made it. You know he’s a bit lax when it comes to using the right measurements; you worked with him after all! He must have used a bit too much cachaça.” Xoti leaned over and pressed the glass back to Aiden’s lips. “Stop complaining and get it down you, boy! It’ll be fine. I want to end this night on a high note.” Aiden took the command and chugged the rest of the thing in a few large gulps, coughing slightly as some of it went down the wrong way. Earning him a concerned look from everyone at the table, the e-boy then apologised silently as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Fuck, I left my handbag on the counter at the bar. Sky? Would you be a dear and get it for me, pretty please?” The sudden exclamation from the blonde girl got Aiden’s attention, but he was less impressed with her request from him. “Ange, you’ve got legs; you go and fucking get it!” “I got the fucking drinks! You haven't brought a single round to the table tonight.” Tsking quietly and rolling his eyes. Aiden admitted defeat and made his way through the crowd to the bar. He stood behind a couple who were waiting for Oleksander to give them their drinks for a brief moment before they moved, and Aiden was suddenly face-to-face with the blonde Irish-Belarusian. "Aidy, baby! What can I do for you? Was one Caipirinha not enough for you?” Aiden rolled his eyes again and shook his head but instantly regretted it as his world shook violently after his head stopped moving. His vision suddenly became slightly blurred. "W-what?…No, Angela left her bag here. I just came here to grab it.” Oleksander nodded and passed the pastel pink handbag back over to Aiden; the e-boy’s hand trembled significantly when he reached out to grab it. The blonde man didn’t miss his sudden change in body language. “Woah…you feeling okay? Do you need to sit down for a moment?” “N-no, Oleksander. I’m fine… It’s just the copious amounts of booze. Thanks for the bag; I’ll see you later…” Aiden tried his best to walk in a straight line back to the table; Oleksander stared at him the whole time. With every step, the twin--colour-haired boy’s legs felt more and more like they were made out of twigs, his head thumped in a weird way, and he trembled a bit with every movement he had. Aiden had been drunk before, not to mention he had developed quite a good tolerance to alcohol over his time working at the club. This didn’t feel like being drunk; this felt different.

Sweat started to bead on his forehead as he came to the table, passing Angela her handbag and then having to steady himself by bracing his hands against the table as he suddenly lost his footing, much to the concern of the girls and the customers. “Someone’s had too much to drink! Make sure he gets home safe, girls; we’ll see you again soon…” Each of the men left the table one by one as the girls waved them goodbye, and Aiden tried to regain control over himself. What the fuck was going on? Was he getting ill or something? This didn't feel like any illness he had ever had before. It had all happened too quickly too. Angela pulled her bag over her shoulder as she looked Aiden over. “You don’t look great; are you okay?” “Y-yeah. I’m fine. I swear it. Too much to drink, just like that guy said. I did chug that last one a bit too fast, didn’t I?” Angela nodded understandingly, taking Aiden by the arm and starting to walk him to the front of the bar, dodging leaving customers as they went. Finally, the two of them were back at the bar; Angela helped Aiden lean against the worktop as she turned around to leave. “I’m really sorry; I need to rush off. Oleksander will look after you. I’ll see you on Friday, Sky!” As if by magic, Oleksander popped up and waved Angela goodbye as she exited through the front doors. Aiden looked up into smug dark brown eyes; Oleksander brushed his own blonde hair back as he looked at Aiden’s worried face; Oleksander was barely recognisable through Aiden’s vision at this point. His hands trembled as he tried to hold himself steady against the bar. “Dear, oh, dear sunshine. What have you done to yourself?” Even in his less than put-together state, Aiden could tell that something about Oleksander was off, more off than usual. He looked devilish but jovial, ecstatic even. Like he had just won a prize. The older man reached out for Aiden and gripped his arm harshly. “C’mon, let’s get you upstairs. You need to have a little lie down, I think…” All of a sudden a thought flashed behind Aiden’s eyes. The memory of Angela disappearing upstairs earlier on that night. Aiden didn’t want to be anywhere near upstairs anymore, especially with a man he would trust with a goldfish, let alone himself when he wasn’t feeling well. Oleksander had started to drag him away towards the stairs at the back. Aiden struggled and gasped in panic as he tried to break away; his whole body shook wildly, and his legs could hardly hold his own weight at this point. “N-no…let me go...” Aiden fought with all of his might as Oleksander glanced behind him, his white teeth gleaming in the low light like that of a demon. Aiden could see that there was something else going on, something he hadn't been told, something that was being planned. That was the breaking point. In his panicked yet foggy state of mind, Aiden pulled Oleksander’s arm close to his face, opening his mouth, and with all his might, he bit down as hard as he could, almost hard enough to draw blood. The older man yelped suddenly and pulled his arm away in shock. Releasing Aiden from his hold, and then the e-boy was free. Aiden bolted right for the doors, running as well as he could in his dizzy and jittery state, running right past Nino and Enos, who watched on with confusion. As Oleksander let out an angry shout from behind them, Aiden ran off and disappeared into the night.

Aiden kept running and running for at least ten minutes, going past a few people on the mostly empty streets. It was past 3am; it was dangerous to be out this late, Aiden knew it even though he could barely think straight. He ran and ran, his lungs burning, his head spinning and pounding. His legs ached horribly, and all of his muscles felt like jelly; he even swore he could feel all his veins. All of his internal structures felt like red-hot wires. Something was very wrong; he didn’t feel right at all, and a part of him was scared that he was dying. He just wanted to go home, to see his mom and dad, and to ring James. He just wanted to be safe. In his haste, Aiden spotted a dark alleyway, a quick shortcut. It would take less time to get to his house, but it was so dark you could barely see anything, even when your vision wasn’t as blurry as fuck. Aiden just wanted to be at home; all caution was thrown into the wind. As he stepped into the dark alley, he almost instantly regretted it; there was almost no light at all, the only bits of it shining out of back exit doors of the buildings that formed the alley. He kept going, jogging as fast as he could, but all of a sudden, his legs gave way, and he landed face-first into a puddle on the floor, banging his knees and using his forehead as a brake. With a grunt and a groan, the seventeen-year-old tried his best to pull himself up to his feet; he clung to the side of a building as he tried to pull himself back up. Once he was up, he paused for a moment, listening. His ears were ringing slightly, but he could clearly make out the sound of something…footsteps, footsteps that were coming from behind him. He listened again, and they were getting quicker and quicker, louder and louder, closer and closer. Aiden’s panic went into overdrive as he moved forward as quickly as he could manage, grabbing onto the sides of buildings for support as he used all his might to move himself forward. ‘What if it was a serial killer?’ ‘What if it was a kidnapper or a rapist?’ ‘What if…it was Oleksander?’ Aiden tried his best not to cry the hot tears of terror that had started beading in his eyes as he staggered onwards as his mind was screaming at him to escape the alley. ‘Get back onto the street, get to where there are cameras and cars, HURRY UP, YOU IDIOT!’ The steps behind him were echoing louder and louder; Aiden was running on pure adrenaline at this point until suddenly the wall stopped, and Aiden found himself landing on the floor once again. He gritted his eyes closed from the burn of pain from landing on the hard ground as he looked up; there were street lights…and a car that pulled up right in front of him. The e-boy looked up in disbelief, then gritting his eyes shut tight. Preparing for the worst. This was it; some big scary kidnapper or serial killer was going to pick him up off the street and do only God knows what to him. He would never be heard or seen from again, just like how Kennedy Sutton had been.

“Aiden?…” Wait, Aiden knew that voice. It was low, soft, and feminine. It was… Tess. Aiden opened his eyes up once again to look into Tess Morgan’s dark grey ones; she looked very blurry, but Aiden could tell it was her. The girl looked horrified at Aiden suddenly falling out of nowhere in front of her. Before the e-boy knew it, two more figures had appeared. A boy and a girl, looking around, Aiden was happily surprised to see that it was Ally and Hunter; they looked more foggy than normal, but that was fine; Aiden knew he had been saved. “Jesus Christ!” exclaimed the brunette girl, heads on her head. “Holy fuck, is he okay?” Hunter asked, crouching down and putting his hand against Aiden’s forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes as Aiden cried a few tears of relief at being found by his friends. “Clearly he’s not, Hunter; he just fell out of that alley and nearly got hit by Tess’s car!” Ally shouted, slightly annoyed with Hunter’s stupid question. Tess crouched down too, noticing the fact that Aiden couldn't stop shaking. “What’s happened to you?” Aiden tried to speak, but his throat felt like it was made out of foam; he couldn’t form a comprehensive set of words even if he had been paid. His pale hand came out to reach for the others, trying to thank them for finding him. His mouth moved, but no sound came from it. “This is bad; come on, both of you. Help me move him into the car.” Tess commanded, taking charge. She reached for Aiden’s shaking hands while Ally and Hunter went to either side of him, supporting his sides and trying to get him to his feet. “We’ll take him back to mine; it’s the closest.” Tess shouted from the driver’s seat as Ally and Hunter both got Aiden into the back of the car, sitting either side of him to try and keep an eye on him during the five-minute drive back to Tess’s apartment.

Fortunately, the black-haired girl lived on the first floor. Unfortunately, all three of the friends had to practically drag Aiden in though the front door as his legs just wouldn’t move anymore. Aiden was pulled into the living room and laid out on the sofa; Hunter rushed to the kitchen to get him a drink of water while Ally ran into the bathroom to try and find the medical kit in the bathroom cabinet. Tess crouched by Aiden’s side and held his hand reassuringly while he tried to continue to speak, only jumbled-up words and broken syllables being able to escape his mouth as Tess shushed him. “Shhh… don’t worry. We’ve got you. We’ll look after you. There’s no need to be afraid now. Aiden couldn't help it, but the floodgates opened in his eyes; he cried and cried for what felt like forever, with Hunter sympathetically rubbing his back until Aiden suddenly felt something rise in his throat. Unable to move, he had nowhere to go and promptly vomited onto poor Tess’s brand new carpet. With an exclamation of surprise from the two girls and the other boy, they all managed to carry Aiden into the bathroom, where Ally held his hair back and Tess rubbed his upper back tenderly while he expelled the contents of his stomach; it just reminded him of how James had done the same for him the morning after that party at Benji’s...

After about ten minutes of that, Aiden was presented with another glass of water, drinking it readily and leaning back against the bath as Hunter slid beside him, putting a sympathetic arm around his shoulder while Ally and Tess sat opposite, and Aiden finally regained control of his body, finally being able to discuss what had happened with his three friends. Selectively deciding what parts of the story to tell and what to not mention to his other friends. Aiden explained about the fight with Riya, going to work (everyone was still under the impression that he was still just a bartender), having a normal night and then mentioning that he was given a drink that he gulped down a bit too quickly, then adding that he decided to take a shortcut to get home and that when he collapsed. Ally, Hunter and Tess listened tenderly to the e-boy’s tale recounting the night. After about thirty minutes of talking, Aiden was much calmer and had thanked all three of the other teens profusely for taking him with them and apologising for the state of the carpet in the front room. All of a sudden, Tess dropped the bombshell that no one wanted to hear. “Aiden… let’s be real. I think you’ve been spiked. I think someone put something in your drink.” Aiden's eyes went wide at the news; his hand reached behind him and gripped the side of the bath tightly until his knuckles went white as he processed Tess’s words. “N-no…that couldn’t be… We all look after each other; we’re all so careful…” Oleksander’s behaviour and words came back to Aiden’s mind as he pushed them away. Oleksander was a bit of an odd one, but he wouldn’t do that, would he?  "Maybe you should consider quitting, Aiden. It’s clearly not that safe.” Ally commented from opposite to where Aiden was sitting, fiddling with her glasses. Hunter spoke up from next to him. “Yeah… I can’t lie; I know people who have gone there on a night out, and it’s got a reputation… not a great one either…” Aiden just sat there, surrounded by his friends, head leaned back against the bath. “Umm…guys, I… I really don’t know…” Aiden thought about it carefully; perhaps he should quit. First Jake had suggested it, and now Hunter, Ally and Tess. Things were getting out of hand. Then the memory of the fact that if he did that, his family would lose everything. No house; his family would be split up because he would have to go and live in another town with his aunt, and then after that, no friends because they were so far away, and then… no James. No, he couldn’t quit. That would be akin to suicide. He just had to stop drinking, and if he didn't, just drink from the covered beer bottles they have by the side of them, nothing from the bar. Aiden knew he could continue to make this work. He just had to be smart. This was just a minor accident. Everything was fine; everything would be completely fine the next time he went to work. Although he didn’t want to admit it, his mind was screaming at him that it was time to quit…

Chapter 29: So If I Survive, Then I'll See You Tomorrow

Summary:

Almost at the end, one more chapter to go. I apologise for what happens in this one... (hides)

Fun fact: this chapter was almost called 'Whore' after the Get Scared song of the same name

Notes:

*PLEASE READ ME!*

HELLO EVERYONE!

If you saw the updates that I had up a little while ago you saw that I was toying with the idea of doing a 'S3' to this story and although it may happen in the future, right now; after chapter 30 I'm taking a long break. There are a few reasons why:

I have been writing basically everyday since this story started, as a result I have been suffering badly with horrible back pain, I'm going to take a long break to rest my body and mind. I've also noticed that making myself write over and over has been giving me a bit of stress and anxiety.

I have no ideas for what I could do next plot wise, thank you all for your ideas that you sent, if I feel very inspired I might make a one off plot chapter or a 'where are they now' like I did in chapters 14 and 15. These guys still have five/six months left of school after part 30 finishes so there is room for more plot. If I suddenly get inspired then you bet that we're coming back with more story, however I think part 30 will finish things nicely for now.

HOWEVER this story will not be abandoned, I'll keep looking over it and making little improvements and edits. Not to mention, my dear friend Cris has more art in the works so when more of those come along I'll add them in and post another update.

The final chapter will come out around this coming Tuesday/Wednesday, look forward to it.

Again, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your support xx

It was Monday, a new week. Aiden hesitated as he stood across the street, looking towards the club. He could clearly see Enos and Nino guarding the doors. He wondered if they could see him hesitating to come forward. The memories of what happened three nights ago stuck in his mind; if it hadn't been for Tess, Hunter and Ally, he may not have even been alive right now. He was here now; he knew to be more careful; that’s all he had to do. Pay was pay, and by God, he needed that money. The e-boy marched his way inside, not even bothering to glance at Oleksander at the bar. The bi-colour-haired boy wondered if the Beslursuan would still have a bite mark on his arm. Oleksander didn’t say a word as Aiden made his way past, arriving at the table to meet with… Only Xoti; there was no Angela to be seen. Aiden’s stomach rolled as he imagined what the blonde young woman was up to, possibly being upstairs with a customer. The Hispanic young lady saw Aiden and gave him a half smile in greeting; he took his seat next to her quietly, and the obvious question spilt out of his mouth. “Where’s Angela? Is she in the…umm, the usual place?” Xoti’s eyes went slightly wide, and her face had an expression that Aiden had never seen on her before. A mix of fear and sorrow as the young woman's face came down to look at the floor, saying nothing. Something was very wrong; Xoti hadn't hesitated to tell Aiden bluntly that Angela had been sleeping with someone a few days before. Now she wouldn’t say a word. Aiden said nothing, but Xoti’s hands suddenly came to cover her face in irritation. “God fucking damn it, Celia… I told her to shut her mouth; she just wouldn’t stop talking about fucking Flare…” Aiden's eyes too went wide as he took in Xoti’s words and what they implied. Angela had spoken about disappearing; Xoti’s reactions said it all. Aiden said nothing, but he instantly came to the conclusion that he would probably never see the blonde young woman ever again. He sat back against the leather loveseat as he began to sweat profusely and his mouth went dry. Once again his mind screamed at him to quit the job, to run out those doors and never look back, but for some reason, he didn’t…

The night carried on, the same customers, the same song and dance, but just no Angela to keep them company. 3am finally came along many hours later. Aiden had managed to avoid drinking anything that anyone bought for him from the bar all night; he was as sober as a judge, and now he just had to try and make his way out of the place and go back home. He wished Xoti goodnight and marched his way towards the front doors, still not caring to pass a glance at Oleksander, much to the blonde young man’s fury. He hadn't forgotten what Aiden did or how much it pissed him off; he spotted blonde and brunette dyed hair making its way out of the place, and he simply wasn’t having that; no one said no to him. Jumping up from behind the bar, the Irish Belarusian stormed his way towards the bi-colour-haired boy and grabbed his shoulder from behind, swinging him around to look at him and pushing him back into a wall with a shout. All of the customers were gone, and so was almost all the staff; there was no one there to get in their way. Aiden’s eyes were wide open but soon grew irritated with the older man. “Godamnit, let go of me, Oleksander. I want to go home, and I'm sure that you do too.” Aiden was less hesitant about standing up to the taller man now; he didn’t scare him in the slightest. Oleksander scowled in response, but he said nothing at first. Looking into Aiden’s teal eyes, his hand coming to rest on Aiden’s cheek and softly stroking it. “We could be so good together, you know…” It all happened so fast, too quickly to comprehend. Before Aiden knew it, another pair of lips was being shoved against his, but those lips weren’t James’s… Aiden let out a sound of surprise, and as soon as he knew what was happening, he pressed his hands right against Oleksander’s chest with all of his strength and shoved him off of himself. “What the fuck! Get off me!” Oleksander scowled again, eyes growing darker. “What’s the problem? James isn't coming back for a good while, and there is no way in hell that boy was going to wait three months without shoving his tongue in someone’s mouth. He’s moved on from you, Aiden; you know it deep down. I know what he’s like; I’ve known him longer than you have. People like him don’t change. I’ve seen it over and over again. We could be so good together; you wouldn’t have to worry about me running off abroad, now would you?” Aiden stood there stunned, then his eyes filled with fire. That was the last straw. Who the fuck was Oleksander to try and tell him what his own boyfriend was like? James was a changed man, a better man. Aiden stayed quiet for a split moment and then spat directly into Oleksander's face, making the man recoil and let out an angry shout. Aiden took his opportunity and shot off, right out of the doors and into the night. That was it; he had endured enough. Fuck the money; that very moment was enough to convince him that he had to leave. What would be would be, but it wasn’t worth putting himself in danger for any more. He wasn’t going to end up like poor Angela and Flare…

By Tuesday, Jake finally decided that he was ready to be back at school. Miriam's and Tom’s support had been vital for bringing him up out of his depressed slump and helping him get back to how he used to be. Lessons were fine; Tom watched Jake like a hawk, and not a single minute went by where the taller boy wasn’t pulling Jake in for a hug or kiss. Then it was time for lunch. Gabby and Ellie both sat with Tom and Jake at their table, and the four friends were soon enough joined by Rosa and Lake. The girls' faces were ones of pure worry. They explained how they had been trying to ask Aiden about how he was and how the job was going but were getting very few answers out of him. Ellie and Gabby shared a similar sentiment. Jake was about to mention the text he had received from Aiden the other night, but at that moment the bi-colour-haired boy walked by, his face distant and dark circles under his eyes. “Aiden!” Jake called out, standing up to try and get his attention. “Sit with us, buddy!” Aiden saw them all and smiled, but it was one of those smiles that doesn’t reach a person’s eyes, one that was clearly just for show. “I... I can’t right now, guys; I’m sorry. I just… I need to have a think about something and clear my head. I’ll see you all later…” Just like that, the e-boy was gone, and yet again everyone was sat around looking at each other, even more worried for Aiden’s welfare. Almost everyone agreed that it was either the job or that things at home were so bad that they were causing Aiden to not get any sleep. Suddenly, Ally Hunter and Tess all made an appearance and sat around the table too. Something was clearly on all of their minds; Tom was the first one to try to get them to spill the beans. “C’mon, it’s clear to see that you want to tell us something, and I have a very good feeling that it’s about our favourite multi-coloured-haired twink. Out with it, all of you…”

Tess took the initiative and spoke first. “Well… we found him, out on the street, last Friday night.” The Polish young woman who sat between Ellie and Jake was about to start singing a certain Katy Perry song but was immediately stopped by her girlfriend covering her mouth, then encouraging Tess to continue. “Basically, we were out in the car at, like, three in the morning. We were out at a gaming meet-up until late, and Hunter wanted to pick up some more weed from Kai on the way back. I was coming up to the traffic lights, and all of a sudden this… ‘thing’ comes out of nowhere and almost lands in front of the car. I slammed the brakes and looked out the window, and it was clearly Aiden! You could just tell because of the hair.” “We all jumped out and tried to try to talk to him; he was lying on the floor, and he just couldn’t move or speak! Then Hunter and I got him in the back of the car, and we all went back to Tess’s. He was shaking like a leaf and so pale and clammy, and then…” Ally’s voice trailed off, suddenly looking quite sad. Hunter took the initiative to take over from his girlfriend. “Let’s just say that Tess still hasn’t got the vomit stains out of her living room carpet…” Everyone sat around stunned until Ellie broke the silence. “What are you saying? That he had too much to drink? He works behind the bar, so I suppose he could have a few on his breaks and stuff…” “No, Ellie. What I’m trying to say is that I’m almost certain that he was spiked. He could barely walk; he couldn’t speak. He had almost all of the signs…” Tess finished sadly, looking back at her two friends who supported her account of matters. Jake’s stomach rolled. How the hell could that have happened? His brother's words about the club’s reputation and how he ‘should be worried’ suddenly came back into his mind, and then his mind was well and truly made up. He had to speak to Aiden, and now he had to convince him to quit. The blue-haired boy pulled himself up from his seat and slung his bag over his shoulder, marching off to the one location where he knew for certain that Aiden would be. “I need to talk to him; I’ll be back in a bit!”

Jake knew exactly where to find Aiden: the 'booze cupboard', as they called it. Aiden sat inside alone. His mind was spinning of what to do. Dejan had asked for him to work tonight, but after his two latest spats with Oleksander, that was looking to be impossible. Perhaps the best thing to do was…nothing at all. Just stay at home tonight and do not go in. That was grounds enough for automatic dismissal, wasn’t it? Aiden just didn’t feel like he could bring himself to actually go into the place, not tonight at least. Just for tonight, keeping away was the best course of action. Just as Aiden decided on what he was going to do, a certain blue-haired boy came crashing into the cupboard, destroying Aiden’s peace and quiet and making him jump to his feet in fright. “Holy fuck, Jake! You could have knocked, you idiot!” Jake leaned against the wall and panted, clearly out of breath from running the whole way to the two boys’ secret spot. “Sorry… I just… I have to talk to you…” Aiden leaned back against the opposite wall as he rolled his eyes. “This is about the club, isn’t it?” “Yes, it fucking is, Aiden! The place is a death trap!” Aiden looked down guiltily, then looked at Jake’s flushed face. “Well…well, I—” “I should have said it sooner; it’s not safe for a seventeen-year-old to work in a place like that. I didn’t say anything because I knew just how strung out you were with the money and the house and all. I was happy for you, but this just isn't healthy! It’s taking a toll on you! We’re all worried. Me, Tom, and all of the girls!” Aiden stuttered, trying to get his words out to tell Jake about what he planned to do going forward, but Jake just wouldn’t stop. “God, what were you thinking in the first place? What was James even thinking?” All of a sudden, Aiden snapped at the mention of his boyfriend, who wasn’t even in the same country as them, let alone in the same room to defend himself. “HEY! Leave James out of this! It’s not his fault – “Is that a scratch on your face?” Yet again Jake had cut him off, only adding to the anger that was building up in Aiden’s body. “Yes… There was this altercation; it was –” “Did someone at that fucking club do that to you?” Jake came closer to try and investigate the cut on his cheek; Aiden swatted his friend’s arm away in a swift action. “No, Jake, It was fucking Riya! LET ME FINISH MY FUCKING SENTENCES!” “WELL, I’M SORRY, YOUR HIGHNESS! I just so happen to be really fucking worried about you, just like how everyone else is!” Jake didn’t mean to, but he flailed his arms around wildly, causing the sleeve of his jacket to ride up, exposing the reddish-pink lines on his arm. Aiden saw them instantly; he recognised what they were instantly. His heart starting to sink. Jake saw Aiden’s line of vision and gasped, quickly tugging his sleeve down and gripping his arm, his wide eyes meeting Aiden’s disappointed ones. “Jake?… You didn’t even tell me?” Jake winced and turned away slightly before looking back at Aiden’s shocked expression. “You’re going through so much! I didn’t want to bother you with my shit too…” “You didn’t even tell your best friend that you were cutting yourself? “Oh great, my best friend is keeping secrets from me, fucking brilliant!” Aiden's expression was angry, his words filled with venom. The e-boy didn’t know how he felt; he was angry, sure, but also disappointed, devastated, distraught, and betrayed…

Jake, on the other hand, felt his body heat up in anger; moving himself forward, he came right in front of Aiden’s face and looked him dead in the eye, tears starting to bead in his own. “I’m keeping secrets? I’M FUCKING KEEPING SECRETS? You got spiked for fuck’s sake! You could have been kidnapped or raped. Hell, you could have died, Aiden! “Why didn’t you tell any of us?” Aiden gasped slightly upon discovering that Jake knew about his incident the previous Friday night. “Who the fuck told you that? Hunter? Ally? Tess? All three of them? I knew you were all talking about me when I saw you all earlier, but now they’re going behind my back too? For fuck’s sake, I can't trust any of you arseholes, can I? It’s nothing to do with any of you; just screw off, Jake!” The blue-haired boy stepped back and threw his hands in the air, then came to rest with his hand on his chin. “What’s James going to say when he finds out about all of this? He’ll hit the roof!” Yet again, Aiden grew furious about the fact that his boyfriend was being dragged into the conversation; Aiden jumped forward and shoved his finger in Jake’s face. “It’s none of his business; it’s none of yours either! FUCK YOU, JAKE! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!” The smaller boy bolted for the door and shot off into the hall, running like an Olympic athlete as he vanished down the corridors. It all happened so fast; Jake stuck his head out of the door, but Aiden was already gone. He tried shouting the smaller boy’s name, but he was long gone. With an angry shout, Jake pounded his fists against the door in defeat and pulled his bag back over his shoulder, walking out of the cupboard and shutting the door behind him as he went to find Tom and tell him what had happened.

Throughout the day, Jake did his best to try and track down Aiden and try to talk to him; Aiden wasn’t hearing a word of it. Tom, the hunter, and every single one of the girls tried tracking down Aiden too, in and out of class, to try to talk to him, but he wanted to speak to no one. The smaller boy was furious, but it wasn’t just at them. His ‘friends’ were only a part of the problem; everything was the problem. No James, creepy colleagues and customers, and a job he knew he had to pack in, but a dire consequence for himself and his family when he did. The world was cruel and evil. Aiden had never hated life as much as he did in that very moment. Jake had given up; he just accepted that he had lost his best friend in the world. He and Tom walked home together in a miserable silence, Tom kissing him goodbye with some positive words of encouragement before saying goodbye for the night. The words from his boyfriend only made Jake feel worse. Tears in his dark eyes, he marched into the kitchen as soon as he was home, and his brain went to the first thing that he could think of to make those horrible thoughts and feelings go away.  He held up a small steak knife in his hand, looking at it for a moment and then bringing it to his upper arm before he was startled with a shout. Miriam shot into the kitchen right towards Jake, and the teenager dropped the knife right onto the tiled floor. Staring at his guardian before bursting into tears. The older woman grabbed him and pulled him close, kicking the knife away with her slipper before they both came down to sit on the floor as Jake poured out his heart about not only what had happened at school but all of his thoughts over the past few months. About his parents and the fact that he lost them, about Shawn, about his guilt, about Aiden and his suffering and about all of those awful feelings that racked his body over and over again. Miriam listened to the best of her ability through Jake’s sobs and cries as they both sat with their backs against the kitchen cabinets.

“I... I just. I feel so guilty, Miriam. I have so much, and Aiden has so little, yet I keep feeling like this. My brain keeps telling me that I have to hurt myself to cope. I have you, I have Tom… I think I have Shawn. I have a home and security; I can see you whenever I want. Aiden has none of that… Now he doesn’t even have his friends…” Jake began to sob into his hands again as Miriam patted his shoulders. “It’s not about what we have, Jake; it’s about how we feel. You and Aiden both are suffering. Both of you boys have lost so much; you can't compare what you experience to what someone else does. What about Tom? Would you tell him that he can't feel the way he does when he has his PTSD episodes because he has his mother and Tony and me and you? Because he’s safe now and lives in a nice house? It just doesn’t work like that. We are allowed to feel however we do. I still miss my husband and my son every day. I used to be a constant wreck; I just… learnt how to deal with it in a healthier way. It doesn’t take away the hurt, and there are still times when I just feel like I can’t go on. I'm grateful for all I have now; I'm grateful to have you, especially. Still, you don’t see me ignoring how I feel because someone else has it worse, do you? All of these things are still very fresh in your mind, son. Give yourself time, and things will improve. Time is a wonderful healer. We’ll get through it together, me and you.” Jake looked up with a nod and brought his arms to wrap about the older lady, pulling her in for another tight hug as he wiped his eyes. “You know, you can have some more time off school if you don’t feel up to it, son. Connor will understand; you can come into work with me.” Jake appreciated the offer but shook his head in a polite decline of the offer. “No… I’m going back in tomorrow; I need to try to talk to Aiden again. I need to let him know that we all support him no matter what. He needs to know that he’s not alone…”

Wednesday; hump day, and by god it certainly felt like it. Jake looked high and low for Aiden all day but couldn’t spot him anywhere, not in a single class or in a single corridor. By the time that lunch rolled around Everyone had gathered again at a table to discuss the e-boy and his current predicament; Jake, Tom, Gabby, Ellie, Rosa, Lake, Tess, Hunter and Ally all sat around and reported that none of them had caught a glimpse of him all day. Fuck, he hadn’t turned up to school at all, had he? Aiden hadn't responded to any of the messages from a single person either. It was fair to say that trying to get back on Aiden’s good side was going to be one hell of a hard job. Lake came to the conclusion that he had simply just gone to work instead of going to school; either that or he just wasn’t coming to school to avoid everyone else. Although they had no concrete evidence for either theory, everyone agreed that it was one of those cases or the other. They had no better theories to go off, now did they? Everyone was in agreement that this couldn’t go on; Aiden was in danger. They needed an intervention; they needed to convince Aiden to quit. Gabby suggested that a few of them try and get a look at the club and see if they could interrupt him while he was working. Gabby’s idea was well liked, but it was flawed. Ellie brought up the fact that they had no concrete way into the place; they could just simply be turned away at the door and denied entry. They needed a key of sorts to be able to access the place, but who, how and where? As if by magic, divine intervention, or just pure fucking luck, who else should arrive and stroll right through the cafeteria doors? James motherfucking Costa. The boy’s arrival was worthy of a blockbuster film. He strolled right in with a grin and a bouquet of flowers in his hands, coming right up to the table as everyone cheered in delight at his return. James gave everyone the world’s brightest smile and then pulled Tom in for a handshake and a tight hug. “Holy shit, James, my man. When did you get back to Canada? I had no idea you were coming back!” James chortled at Tom’s words, pulling himself out of a chair to take a seat at the table with his friends. “Well… I wanted to keep it as a surprise, especially for Aiden! … Where is he? Everyone else is here… These are for him…” James picked up the bouquet of roses he was carrying, and then nothing but silence descended upon the table of friends as faces turned to stare at each other. James’s eyes flicked back and forth, studying everyone’s features. Something was clearly very wrong. Jake looked down at the floor sadly for a moment before his eyes met James’s, suddenly recalling his conversation with Miriam the previous day. Jake decided to bite the bullet and tell him it was now or never. “James…strap in. You’re in for a wild one. It’s fair to say that you’re not going to like this…”

Jake had been right. James was filled with nothing but unadulterated fury upon hearing about the things that had happened in his absence. He didn’t give a shit, school be damned. Screw the punishment he might receive or the scolding from his mother. Aiden needed him. He marched right towards his yellow jeep, Jake and Tom in tow. Tom and Jake hopped in the back of the yellow car, and then they bombed it out of the school’s parking lot straight for Aiden’s house. None of the other boys particularly cared about being punished for ditching school; some things were simply just more important, Aiden being one of them. All three boys pulled up at Aiden’s house, and James marched up the drive like an army sergeant and tried the door, locked. The damn thing wouldn’t budge an inch, and there wasn't a key under the doormat or under any of the plant pots around the front door. Tom tried shouting Aiden’s name up towards his bedroom window, but there was zero reply. They were fairly certain that Aiden wasn’t there, but they wanted to be sure. If only they had a way in… That’s when Jake piped up; he had spotted a single open window around the side of the house that led into Aiden’s room and a drainpipe that trailed down from it. Bingo. The smaller boy knew one way to get in, a way that he was well trained in. The blue-haired lad spat into his own hands and rubbed them together, then asking Tom and James to give him a boost to reach the drainpipe. Tom was very against the idea, but James wasn’t in the mood for waiting; the Brazilian young man didn’t hesitate to get Jake onto his shoulders and pushed him up to reach the pipe. The stickiness of Jake’s hands helped him keep his grip as he climbed the thing like a pole in the local children’s playground. Finally he reached the top while both of the other boys waited down below. Jake hopped inside and ran about like a madman, doing a quick but thorough scan of the house. Nothing, no signs of life. Technically, he had just committed a crime, but surely Aiden would forgive him in the end, wouldn’t he? This was for a noble cause after all! Jake found the spare key on the kitchen table and let himself out of the front door, then locked it behind him and put the key under the mat. No dice there; there was one last option for where Aiden was. Each of the boys piled back into the car as they sped off for the club.

Aiden wasn't in the mood for time wasting; he marched right into the club’s back exit door and straight up the stairs. He looked around for a brief moment, and the place was totally empty; the lights were off too. The only light in the place came from a few windows that usually had their curtains drawn. The whole place looked so eerie; Aiden looked back towards Dejan’s office and saw the light was on. Now was go time, time to put his foot down. Aiden continued his way up the steps and didn’t even bother knocking, barging his way in to only be met with two very pissed-off looking faces. Dejan sat behind his desk, and Oleksander leaned against the wall on the left side of the office, puffing on a cigarette. Aiden tried to not let the intimidating presence of both men scare him off; now was his moment. “Oh, look what the cat dragged in! Where the fuck were you last night?” Aiden stood his ground and ignored the question as Dejan got up from behind his desk and walked around it. Then standing in front of it and leaning back against the wood. “…I’m quitting; I’ve had enough of this. It’s wrong; I know it is.” Aiden kept his nerve and crossed his arms defiantly. Both of the young men looked somewhat shocked at first, before they both erupted into roars of laughter. “What? What about your family and your home? I thought you needed the money? I thought you were desperate to keep yourselves from being evicted?” Dejan’s words didn’t affect Aiden in the slightest; he continued to stand tall. “That doesn’t matter now. What will happen, will happen. I’ve had enough of this place and all of the gross strangers who just think they can put their hands all over me. I quit, that’s that.”

From the side of him, Olesander's voice finally piped up as he finished another drag of his cigarette. “It doesn’t work that easy here, Sky.” The tall, blonde-haired young man that Aiden had worked with over and over again then came closer to him and pulled his face towards him, then blowing a plume of smoke into his face with an evil smile, then stepping back and smiling towards his brother proudly. Aiden coughed slightly and clenched his teeth at the action, losing his temper. “My fucking name is Aiden! How’s your arm by the way, you pathetic cunt?” Oleksander’s face went bright red as he clenched his fists; the younger brother was about to grab Aiden before Dejan beat him to it. The older brother came right up to Aiden and grabbed him right by the front of his red t-shirt, pulling his hand back with full force and then throwing it forward to smack Aiden directly in the mouth. Aiden would have fallen right on the floor from the power of the blow if it wasn’t for Dejan holding onto his shirt. “Shut the fuck up. I don’t care. You are whatever the fuck I call you, bitch. Have you even thought about this? What if everyone at school found out? What if your precious parents found out that you’ve been whoring yourself out to strangers in a club for money?” Aiden trembled in the older man’s grasp, his voice shuddering as he spoke. His eyes looked up at Dejan’s with nothing but unadulterated fear in them. “B-but I haven't slept with anyone!” Oleksander tutted from the side of him, coming closer to look at Aiden’s now bleeding mouth. “It’s our word against yours, slut. We have a hell of a lot more people who would believe us than believe you.” Aiden growled again at Oleksander’s words, his hands now gripping Dejan’s wrist as he still wouldn’t let go of him. “You’re both evil! I could go to the police about this! About what you guys do in here! I know it was you that spiked me not long ago too!” Aiden scowled as he pointed right at Oleksander; both men looked at each other with truly devilish smiles. Dejan’s face just looked like he was telling his younger brother ‘well done’ when he heard the comment about the spiking. Dejan pulled Aiden closer and then suddenly let him go, shoving him right onto the ground. The e-boy landed with a smack on the wooden panels of his office. “Oh please, go right ahead. Half of them in this town are in our back pockets anyway; the only one that would be getting in any kind of trouble is you, sweetheart. The underage drinking? The illegal work? Not to mention that little ID of yours? Plus, it’s pretty costly for me to make those. So I’ve been expecting some kind of compensation from you. You’re under my control until I say otherwise.” Aiden pushed himself up from the floor and wiped his mouth with the back of his striped sleeve, spotting the door and preparing to make a bee line for it. “I don’t care; I’m out of here. You can’t stop me.” With that, Aiden ran right towards the door; he was fairly fast… But Dejan was faster. The tall man stood right in the way of the door, denying Aiden’s exit. Before the teen knew it, he was being grabbed from behind as Oleksander took hold of him with ease. Suddenly, large hands were wrapping around Aiden’s throat and squeezing down hard. Aiden's eyes went as wide as saucers as he gasped and spluttered as he had all of the air forced out of his system. His small hands came up to try and pry Oleksander's from off of his throat. Aiden felt as if his windpipe was being crushed; his eyes rolled back into his head as he felt the world slip away… Then he was suddenly let go. Half-conscious, he was dragged towards the door, right in front of Dejan, as the older man slapped him right in the face over and over again until vivid crimson was running out of his nose, and then Aiden was thrown to the floor once more.

Both men stood over him victorious as they watched him struggle to get back up again, shaking their heads in disappointment. “I’m a man in a high-up place; I know men in even higher places. I can make your life hell in seconds if I want to. Never mind being evicted and homeless; your parents could be murdered if I gave the command. Then you’d really have nowhere to go. Or… maybe I should give dear, sweet James a visit when he’s back? I can show you an example of what we did to the last girl who tried to say no to us…” Suddenly, Dejan’s boot came right down on Aiden’s hand on the floor as he screamed in pain. Tears flooded down pale cheeks and mixed with the blood from his nose as he lay helpless on the floor. “Okay! Okay… I’m sorry, sir. I… I won’t complain again…” Finally, the boot came off from his hand. Dejan came to crouch down beside Aiden and gripped his hair, pulling his head up off the floor from the puddle of blood that had collected on the wood. “Good boy, now back to work. If I hear anything else that I don’t like and it involves you, you’ll get much more than a fucking beating. You’re still my obedient little bitch, aren’t you, Sky?” Aiden stared helplessly into pure evil eyes; he was truly trapped now; there was no way out. “Yes, sir…” Oleksander then crouched down and picked Aiden up off the floor with ease, holding him tight as the boy’s face hung down like a limp doll’s. “You know, we could quite simply move you away from home. That would solve many of your problems, wouldn’t it? We could simply keep you in the house with some of the other whores we’ve trained and refine your… other skills. You would look so pretty on a pole, Sky…”

Aiden watched on, his mind empty and his face hurting like nothing else. Dejan simply left without saying a word. Oleksander mentioned something about his older brother having ’other business’ to attend to, but Aiden could barely hear him. He was broken; he felt so well and truly broken. The bi-colour-haired boy was practically carried into a small bathroom down the hall as he came back to his senses, and Oleksander sat him by the sink and cleaned him up a bit. The thoughts of everything that had happened played in Aiden’s mind over and over again. It was beyond belief. How the fuck did he end up here? Oleksander’s voice cut into Aiden’s very soul as he spoke. “See, Sky. Aren’t I nice doing this for you? We’ve got to get you looking sharp for your special date in a few minutes, don’t we? Dejan wants you in ‘that room’ along the hall; there’s a man in there waiting for you. He says that guy likes ‘your kind’." Aiden was half dazed, but he instantly knew what Oleksander meant. He sucked in a breath as he tried to clamber his way out of the bathroom, but Oleksander easily grabbed him again, quickly taking control and guiding Aiden towards the back room despite how much the boy struggled and fought to try and get himself free. He had a lot of his senses and strength back, but he wasn’t strong enough to escape from the older boy. Before he knew it, Aiden was shoved in the room, and the door was locked behind him. Oleksander was on the other side as Aiden's eyes went to the side to see the man from the other night waiting for him, still in his suit. He had clearly just come in straight from work. It was Mr Ryan yet again; Aiden should have guessed. The room had a bed and … various pieces of equipment around it, and a table with a vast array of various alcohols and drugs on it. Aiden felt like he could throw up, his fists then coming to pound against the door as he screamed for help. “OLEKSANDER! PLEASE, DON’T DO THIS! YOU BASTARD, LET ME OUT!” Aiden knew it was pointless; he heard Oleksander walk away rapidly; it practically sounded like he ran away from the room. Leaving Aiden trapped and alone with a man who was going to do God knows what to him. “Calm down; I’m not going to hurt you. We’re just going to have a bit of fun together...” The older man’s hand came to stroke Aiden’s cheek as he stood there frozen, terrified tears cascading down his face. Aiden’s eyes darted around in panic as he then spotted it. A small window at the far side of the room. He could smash it and climb out. He could fall and smack the ground below; he could be stone-cold dead in seconds, but anything was better than succumbing to this fate. Aiden dashed right for it, but the man grabbed him before he could, then started dragging him towards the bed. Aiden's eyes looked again, and he spotted a piece of rope on one of the pillows, waiting for him, no doubt. He kicked and screamed and cried and begged; this was it. Aiden squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he awaited his fate, but then the man stopped, and Aiden could hear…voices, shouts, cries of his name. Perhaps Aiden was hallucinating because he swore that it sounded like....

“JAMES!” Aiden screamed out in surprise as the Brazilian young man barged his way into the room and took the door off its hinges as he did so, the wooden object smacking the carpeted floor with a loud thump as Aiden was suddenly let go, falling down onto the floor as the man behind him backed away and raised his hands in his defence. Aiden looked up to see his boyfriend coming right towards him, pulling him into his arms and up off the floor. Aiden held onto James for dear life as they embraced and as Jake and Tom piled into the room to see the distressing scene. Tom laid his eyes on the man in the back of the room and looked around, instantly connecting the dots of what was about to happen. “YOU SICK BASTARD! HE’S SEVENTEEN!” “Woah-woah! I had no idea; I’m sorry, man!” James's head snapped around to look at the older man, balling his fists as he gently moved Aiden into Jake’s embrace. “Jake, take meu amor downstairs. Tom and I won’t be long. We have something to deal with first…” Jake nodded and guided Aiden down the stairs, neither of them looking back as they heard a series of punches be thrown and land on the man in that awful room. Aiden sobbed against Jake as they went and made their way to the back of the building where the car was parked. Now they were in the light; Jake could see that Aiden had been badly beaten by someone. Aiden could see Jake staring at him; she shifted around nervously as he spoke. “Jake, where’s Oleksander?” “Do you mean the blonde guy that Tom and I met briefly before? He wasn’t here; no one was here apart from you and that guy upstairs… Aiden, who did this to you?” Jake gently inspected Aiden’s face, and Aiden looked down to the ground, clenching his fists. “Oleksander and Dejan… They beat me because I tried to quit… First Riya, now them. I can’t catch a break, can I?” Aiden tried to laugh but Jake’s eyes filled with sorrow upon hearing the words. “Oh, Aiden, God, I’m so sorry… But I’m so proud of you for standing up to them! You aren't coming back here, never again. They can't make you… and about yesterday, about the fight… I’m so sorry—” Aiden’s face looked back up at Jake’s, then suddenly pulled him in for a hug. “It’s okay… I’m sorry too…” Jake nodded, holding Aiden tight and then pulling away to look at him. “Are we friends again?” “Of course we are, now and always…”

Tom and James came out of the building not long later. Jake turned around to look at the state of them both; the two muscular boys looked rather dishevelled, but fortunately, they were unhurt. James, Tom and Jake had all arrived not long ago at all, and as soon as they stepped out of the car, they were alerted by screams coming from one of the upstairs windows. James automatically recognised it as Aiden’s voice, so all three of them bolted straight up the steps, and miraculously, they managed to find the e-boy in just the nick of time. Now they all stood outside the building; James’s dark eyes looked over Aiden’s beaten form in the low light of the late day, and his heart broke in two. The larger teen came right for his boyfriend and pulled him in close. Tom and Jake reunited with a hug at the side of the two boys. ” “Jesus Christ, xuxu… I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here. What did they do to you? Those sick fucks… I’ll fucking kill them if I ever see them again!” Aiden’s eyes filled with sorrow as fresh tears poured down his face; the smallest boy was overcome with guilt and shame at what he had been doing behind James’s back without him having a single clue about any of it. James had no idea that Aiden had become a host; he had no idea how much Aiden had lied to him. James was so relieved to see Aiden; he was battered and bruised, but at least he hadn't been raped. James would have never forgiven himself if that had happened to his sweet little sunshine. James tried to pull Aiden in for a loving kiss, but the smaller boy pushed his boyfriend's face away, much to James's confusion. “James…you should hate me… You should hate me so much! The whole time while you’ve been in Curitiba… I’ve been lying to you! Dejan offered for me to drink with and flirt with guests for money… I said yes. I have let so many people put their hands on me; I let on so many men just for some cash…” Tom and Jake watched them both as Aiden recounted what had been happening, unblinking, unable to believe their ears. James’s face became horrified, his hand coming to cover his mouth in shock. “Did…did anyone sleep with you?” Aiden’s eyes blew wide open. Oh god, James thought he was a slut! “NO! N-no… I swear it… I would never do that. T-that guy… He would have if you guys hadn’t saved me… still… I’m a liar; I’m a cheap whore. I-I…I’M DISGUSTING!” Aiden fell to his knees in tears, with James crouching beside him. Brown arms tried to wrap around Aiden’s thin shoulders, but the e-boy pushed them away. Feeling like he would infect James with what he perceived as his own filthiness.

There were no words; for a long time nobody said anything. There was just this horrible, sickly silence. James was watching his distraught lover’s face as he cried and cried about what had been happening to him. It broke James’s heart; he had to try and calm Aiden back down. “Xuxu…you were desperate for money. You just wanted to help your family, that’s all. It’s not your fault!” “I LIED TO YOU, JAMES! I BASICALLY CHEATED ON YOU! I’M A SLUT! A WHORE! I’M UTTERLY FILTHY!” The Brazilian teen tried his best to reach out and cradle his weeping boyfriend, but Aiden just pushed him back, wanting to keep James away from him. “You haven't cheated on me, meu amor. You were manipulated into doing something that no one our age should ever do!” Aiden shook his head wildly, unable to cope with how disgusting he felt. “I’m… so sorry… I feel so dirty… Oleksander kissed me; so many men have flirted with me and put their hands on me. I didn’t tell you anything about it; I let it keep happening even though I knew I should have put a stop to it!” Aiden stepped back, his pupils dilating as he looked to the floor. Coming to a conclusion. “You deserve someone so much better than me, James...” James’s eyes went wide as they began to brim with tears; Tom and Jake stood to the side, wanting to say something, but neither boy was able to find the right words. “Aidy, baby, you don’t mean that… It’s not your fault! I don’t care what's happened. You’ve been taken advantage of! You aren't filthy, or disgusting, or a slut or anything like that! I love you… nothing will change that!" No matter what James tried to say, none of the words reached Aiden’s inconsolable ears. “James… it is my fault. I… It’s over. We’re over. You deserve someone so much better, someone who doesn’t lie or sell themselves to strangers. I don’t deserve you, not someone as good as you…. Not after what I’ve done… You’ll be wanting this back…” Aiden reached for his hand and slipped off the golden ring that James had given him during their departure, placing it on the ground next to the dark-skinned young man. James too was crying now. He tried to reach out once again, but Aiden pulled back, stumbling to his feet. “I’m sorry for everything, James… Have a good life. It’ll be better if I just…disappeared…” With that, Aiden took off like a rocket, running as fast as his legs could carry him. James could only watch as his love vanished into the distance. Jake leapt up and wanted to run after Aiden, but Tom stopped him, shaking his head and telling Jake that Aiden needed some space. The Brazilian young man held his head in his hands as he sank to his knees in sorrow and despair. Sobbing and shaking violently as he took it all in. He was gone; his sweet Aidy had broken up with him. He had lost his sunshine, the one person who had made him a better person. James cried his eyes out for ages in the carpark behind that horrible club as Jake and Tom came to either side of the curly-haired boy and tried their best to console him. Jake reached down and picked up James’s ring, keeping it safely in his pocket just for the time being while James got himself back together. James’s hands came to his own neck, pulling up the necklace he always wore. Aiden’s silver ring still gleamed in the light as it hung from the chain…

Chapter 30: Same Song And Dance

Summary:

Right then, last chapter for a while. If/when I'll write again; I don't know but as I said there will be updates, art and possible edits in the future. I'm so proud of where this silly little story has gone to. I never imagined it get this long!

Thank you all for all of the support from the bottom of my heart x

How does it end? Let's find out...

Thursday, almost the end of the week, but the ‘first proper day back at school’ for James Costa, and what a way to start back at Tipiskaw High. James had barely gotten a wink of sleep from crying his eyes out over his loss of Aiden. He stared blankly at the photos that they had taken together over the months that hung about in his bedroom and scrolled through all of their countless photos together on his phone. To say James was devastated would be an understatement; he just wanted his sweet little xuxu back. He thought to himself over and over that he would do anything to make things right with Aiden; he even picked up the crucifix that his mother kept on her bedside table and knelt beside his parents' bed, desperately praying for Aiden to come back into his life. James was so scared for him; Aiden had said some truly awful things about himself, but more than anything, James just wanted to let the e-boy know that none of those things that he thought about himself were true. Aiden had done nothing wrong; he would have been desperate, scared and alone. He had been taken advantage of! Oleksander and Dejan had exploited him! What kind of a sick fuck makes a teenager flirt with adult men for money when they know full well that his family is struggling financially? James couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for introducing Aiden to the environment in the first place, but he knew for a fact that he had never intended for this to happen. What made it all even worse was the fact that Aiden was still his ‘buddy’. The prospect of going to Connor and having to ask the principal to terminate the arrangement literally made James’s heart ache.

Tom spotted his Brazilian friend when he and Jake both walked through the doors; both boys hugged him in sympathy, making a pact that they would try to talk to Aiden too. The e-boy clearly wasn’t in the right state of mind following everything that had happened; who could blame him? Jake knew for a fact that if he were in Aiden’s shoes, he wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of what had happened to him. Rosa María and Lake soon arrived in the corridor and were greeted by the highly unusual sight of James Costa, teary-eyed and lethargic, as he leaned back against his locker. Both girls instantly rushed over to ask what the matter was, only to be told the horrible news by Tom. Neither girl could believe it, both pulling James into tight hugs and walking him off to the cafeteria to get him a drink, as he was dehydrated from crying so much. The morning wore on, and yet again there was no sign of the e-boy; it was to be expected. He probably couldn’t handle the prospect of being surrounded by loads of other people and forced to do schoolwork after the day that he had endured yesterday. Just before class, Jake pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to his bi-colour-haired best friend. “Hey… You feeling alright?” Jake didn’t expect a response, but much to his surprise and joy, Aiden had seen the message and swiftly replied. “Yeah, I’m okay… I won't be in today or tomorrow; I’m too sore after yesterday. Send me your notes after class?” Jake smiled at the message; he was tempted to mention how much James was missing his boyfriend but decided against it. There was no way in hell that Aiden had actually wanted to break things off with James; he was just being reactionary as a result of the hell the smaller boy had been put through. They could try and get them back together another time. At least he was safe and at home, not in some sleazy club, being preyed upon by creepy old men.

The day continued on mostly uneventfully. Everyone gathered together again at lunch, apart from James, Rosa and Lake. Both of the girls took the curly-haired young man somewhere quiet so as not to overwhelm him in his vulnerable state. Now that Tom and Jake had the company of Ellie, Gabby, Hunter, Tess and Ally, it was now time to break the awful news of Aiden and James’s breakup. Everyone was distraught to hear about what had been happening to Aiden; Gabby even commented that she knew that there was more than met the eye going on behind the scenes. Just as the girls were brainstorming the best way to get Aiden and James back together, two very unfriendly faces came up to the table and scowled at everyone who sat there; all seven of the friends scowled right back. “Hey, guys. Where’s little bitch boy Aiden? Is he too scared to come to school?” Riya smirked cruelly, and Yul chuckled; Ally stuck up her middle finger at the Indian girl in response. “Oh, you’re missing the other gay too! Where’s crybaby James? We know they must have broken up; that’s the only explanation for why he’s been acting so pathetic all day!” Hunter stood up from his chair and cracked his knuckles, being about five seconds away from clocking Yul’s head in. Tess’s small hand came out to grab hold of his arm and hold him back. Encouraged by being surrounded by his friends, the blue-haired lad suddenly felt very bold and rose to his feet and stared right at the two bullies. “Both of you, fuck off now before we all make you. Speaking of Aiden, I know he beat your ass in a fight last week; he told me so himself. That’s why you’ve been hiding that busted lip under all that makeup!” Riya’s eyes went wide and panicked at everyone at the table jeered and laughed at the bombshell that Jake just dropped. Both of the popular kids shook their heads and walked away, leaving Jake standing victorious. All seven of the friends cheering at the two pricks retreated across to the other side of the cafeteria.

After lunch was concluded, the next lesson of the day was P.E. for Tom and Jake. Both boys made their way into the changing room and got changed quietly. Yul stared daggers at him the whole time, and Jake just stuck out his tongue in response when the Korean boy caught his eyes. Jake then proceeded to get changed out of his shorts but then hesitated when it came to taking off his jacket. The blue-haired young man slid one of his sleeves up a tad but instantly regretted it and shoved it back down again, scared to think that someone could see what he had done to himself. That familiar feeling of guilt and shame came back down over him yet again. Tom was already dressed and noticed Jake’s hesitation. The muscular young man gave a sympathetic smile and tried his best to think of a solution, suddenly coming to it and then tugging Jake away into one of the storage cupboards down the hall. Jake watched curiously as Tom reached up and pulled down an old medical kit from one of the shelves, popping the box open and digging to find the bandages and medical tape before taking Jake’s marked arm in his hand. Tenderly, Tom kissed his way up every single one of them, making Jake blush and smile with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes for the black-haired young man. With great care, Tom began to wrap up Jake’s arm and secured tape around the bandages, then looked down at his careful handiwork with a proud smile. “There! Good as new! No one can see anything now. If anyone does ask, we’ll just say that you sprained your wrist. Feel a bit better?” Jake nodded before pulling Tom in for a tight hug and softly pecking his lips in thanks. The two of them then made their way out of the cupboard, only to accidentally bump into Logan and Spencer. The two boys quickly apologised to the other two before the British boy and ginger lad both looked at each other with a smirk and raised an eyebrow before walking out the doors to attend their lesson. Jake and Tom both stood there stunned. “They think we went in there to make out, don’t they?” “Yep.” Jake slapped his own forehead at Tom’s reply. If it wasn’t one thing, it was always another at this school. Little did either of the boyfriends know, Yul had been watching when Jake rolled his sleeve up; he had seen exactly what Jake hadn't wanted him to see. His eyes grew devious and his lips spread into a cruel smirk. This was perfect.

The sport for the day was basketball. Everyone was put in teams of four, and from there everyone went into pairs; it was one pair against the other. Tom and Jake were in their own small team, while Logan and Spencer were in the other; the two other boys kept making comments about their ‘makeout’ session in the cupboard, and Tom and Jake didn’t try to correct them. If they thought that was what they were up to, then so be it; it was quite fun to string them along. Jake had the ball in his hands, and Spencer ran up to try and get it off him, only to stop when his eyes looked at Jake’s arm. “Woah, man. What did you do to your arm?” Jake instantly panicked, and his eyes went to his limb, terrified that the bandage had come off and that Spencer was staring at his cut marks. Luckily it wasn’t the case; Spencer was just pointing at the bandage. “O-oh! It’s nothing. I sprained my wrist a while ago, but it’s mostly healed now. The doctor just said to keep it wrapped up as a precautionary measure. I-I’m fine!” Jake gave the British boy a janky smile, and Spencer looked slightly confused but accepted what Jake said nonetheless, taking the moment to slap the ball out of distracted Jake's hands and throw it to Logan, who then netted it. Jake thanked every single god he could think of that Spencer didn’t ask any more questions.

Play continued on normally; halfway through the lesson, Tom had made a really good pass, and Jake was seconds away from putting the thing in the net and getting himself and his boyfriend another point against Spencer and Logan… until something solid painfully smacked him square on the head and sent him tumbling to the floor. There was an audible gasp from Logan as Tom called out his boyfriend's name and rushed to Jake’s side and looked him over. “Shit, babe. You okay? Who the fuck did that?” Jake’s head throbbed as he rubbed it. “Uh… what happened?” “You got hit in the head with a ball, mate, not ours either!” Spencer commented, and he then scowled as Yul made his way over with a smirk on his face. “Oh my god, Jake! I’m sooooooo sorry!” All four boys looked at the Koran lad unimpressed as Tom helped Jake to his feet. “Let’s hope that doesn’t leave another scar, hey boys?” Yul jeered with an evil expression. Jake’s heart dropped as Spencer and Logan looked at him confused. “What do you mean?” Logan asked genuinely, but no one expected Yul to march right over to Jake and rip the bandage straight off from his arm, exposing his numerous cuts for anyone and everyone to see; the blue-haired boy gasped, and the other three boys did too. “Look, everyone! He already has so many on his arms; he probably wouldn’t notice another one on his head! These suit you, emo boy. They really go to show that you're desperate for attention! Do you flat iron your fringe too?” Jake didn’t think; he couldn’t breathe; he could only feel one thing. Rage. His eyes narrowed, and he ran full force at the Korean boy, tackling him right to the ground with an infuriated cry. Yul yelped as he hit the ground, and Jake screamed in the face, climbing over him, pinning Yul under his weight and raising his fist, then it came down. Jake hit Yul in the face over and over and over again; tears blurred Jake's vision, and blows started to hit Yul's chest too, both of his fists swinging left and right as he yelled at the top of his lungs. Months' worth of frustration and rage built up from the relentless bullying towards not only him but also Aiden too came out in punches and shouts as the other three boys watched on stunned. Angry tears flowed from Jake’s eyes as he just didn’t stop hitting. “FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOUUUUU!” Eventually Tom ran over to Jake and managed to prise him off from Yul’s almost unconscious body. “Jake! Stop it! It’s not worth it!” Jake turned his head around, his expression like that of a crazy man. Spencer and Logan watched on in disbelief as Richard came marching up to them and blew his whistle. “Hamilton! Principal’s office, now!” “Yeah, yeah. Got it. I’m going…” Jake wiped his face with the back of his hand as he turned around and started to march away. Tom then ran after him and tried to reach out to his boyfriend. Before Tom could say a single word, Richard called him back. “Reed! Back here now. Let him go.” Tom hesitated, and Jake turned around, coming face to face with his lover. “It’s okay, Tom, I’ll be fine. I’ll message you later.” Tom nodded silently before sadly walking back to Spencer and Logan as they watched Richard help Yul get to his feet.

Jake went back into the changing rooms for a brief moment to collect his belongings before making the small trek to Connor’s office; yet again, the door was already open, awaiting his arrival. Jake peered into the room, and at first there was no sign of Connor; the middle-aged man wasn’t at his desk. “Come in, Jake.” Connor’s voice was stern but calm, not the usual cool and jovial tone he took. He was disappointed; it was plain to see. The older man was standing by the window, arms crossed as he gave Jake an unhappy look. The older man gestured to a seat in front of his desk silently, and Jake sat without a word. He didn’t regret a thing he had done; he was proud of himself. Not even Connor could make him change his mind on that. “Right, be honest; what just happened out there? I could hear you yelling from in here!” Jake bit his lip and looked to the side; his hand came to clutch his arm. Connor saw the hesitation, but he wasn’t in the mood to wait. “Now, Jake. Out with it.” Jake scrunched up his fists and eyes, and without meaning to, all of his emotion came out in a sudden burst. “Fine! I’ll tell you what happened. That bastard made a spectacle out of THESE in front of my whole P.E. class!” Jake pulled his hand away and shoved his arm right in front of Connor; Jake clearly saw his principal’s eyes go wide in shock. The older man was about to speak, but Jake didn’t let him; there was more that he needed to say. “I don’t regret a thing. He deserved it. Before you say anything else, yes; I did this to myself. Now what’s my punishment? Detention?” Connor’s hand came to the bridge of his nose as he pinched it in thought for a moment. “Jake… I’m so sorry you’ve been suffering so much. I wish you had told me about these sooner; I appreciate you telling me now. That explains… a lot. I’m sorry that Yul humiliated you like that too; he will be punished as well. However… I can’t have vigilantes in my school. You can’t just take things into your own hands no matter how justified you feel… I’m suspending you from school for three days.” Jake hadn't expected that answer at all. “W-what?” “Jake, you physically assaulted another student. I could have expelled you for that technically. However… I understand why things escalated. You’ll be back in school on Wednesday. When you come back, come right to my office, and we’ll discuss a plan going forward to help you cope with the self-injury. I’m disappointed in you right now, but regardless, I do not want you to hurt yourself. Take this time to reflect, and we’ll start fresh next week, okay?” Jake nodded; he couldn’t deny that Connor’s course of action sounded fair; he was a fair man after all. Still, Jake’s stomach flipped a bit at the thought of Miriam discovering what had happened. Connor would have to ring her and explain… The next few hours back at home weren’t going to be fun…

Jake had been allowed to walk back to Miriam’s house, instead of her coming out in the car to come and get him. He pulled the door open and kicked off his shoes, bracing himself for what was to come from the older lady. Shrugging his backpack off his shoulders and placing it down, Jake looked up to see Miriam looking at him. Where Jake had expected pure anger and fury to be in her expressions, he was met with something quite the opposite; she looked sympathetic, concerned, and disappointed too, not unlike how Connor had been. A part of Jake had expected confrontation as soon as he stepped foot through the door, perhaps because that was what his parents would have given him. Miriam reached out as Jake climbed the first few steps of the stairs. “Jake…” Hearing the tone in Miriam’s voice sent shockwaves through the ponytailed boy’s body; he gripped the bannister and let out a shout of “Yeah, I know I’m a piece of shit; got it.” Before bolting up the stairs and charging into his bedroom and slamming the door behind him. Miriam thought that Jake must have forgotten that she had dealt with a teenager before; she slowly climbed up the stairs with a huff and pulled the door open. It was a sad sight; the teenager lay face down on his bed, his pale face twisting around to look at her as she pulled a chair up beside his bed to try and talk to him. Jake’s eyes were red and puffy, clearly emotional after all that had happened. “Jake, we need to talk.” Jake shrugged, then wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “What’s there to say?” Miriam’s hands came to her hips. “Plenty. I’m… I’m going to set you up an appointment with a therapist.” Upon hearing the words, Jake shot up from his bed and looked at the older lady’s face with a desperate expression. “Oh god, no! Please, God, don’t make me see a shrink!” Miriam’s face grew stern; she wasn’t budging on the issue. “You’re going. End of story. You’ve experienced so much trauma; it’s not normal for someone your age. It’s no wonder that you’re-" “Losing my fucking mind? Yeah, no shit!” Jake let out an exaggerated sigh and leaned back on the bed, his face in his hands. “That’s all the more reason to go. I’m ringing them now. You’re grounded for a week too; now there are some pans in the sink that need washing up. Hop to it, chop chop, young man.”

Jake groaned and turned on his side as the older lady left the room, then felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Pulling it out, there was a message from Tom asking if Jake was okay. The blue-haired boy smiled and replied; his wonderful boyfriend never failed to bring up his spirits. Tom said that he would come over straight after school. Now, Jake may have been grounded, but that meant he couldn’t go out; it didn’t mean that Tom couldn’t come in, now did it? Sweet old Miriam wasn’t cruel enough to deny one of her grandsons from seeing the other just because he was in a bit of trouble now, was she? Feeling a bit lighter, Jake got up and eventually went downstairs to make a start on his chores. He had one of his headphones in as he hummed along to some Brandon Urie; Miriam sat at the kitchen table and smiled at seeing her boy in a better mood. Then walking over to thank him and give him a kiss on the cheek when he was done, reassuring him that even though she was a bit disappointed, she still loved him unconditionally. Even whispering in his ear. “I’m not encouraging you, but… did you do a good job on that bullying brat?” Jake almost choked on his own spit as he laughed. “Oh yeah, he won't be bullying anyone for a while, trust me.”

Friday, the end of the week. Jake was off from school and bored as sin. There was no Ally to play Switch games with because she was at school and no Tom to talk to either because he was also at school. There was no Miriam because she was at work; Jake hadn't been allowed to go with her because he was grounded. She did mention that he might be able to go with her on Monday if he kept up the good behaviour. Jake even tried messaging Shawn, but no dice there either; he would have been at the car plant until 2pm on a Friday. The younger brother had messaged the older one the previous night to inform him of what had happened. It was said that Shawn’s reaction was quite different from Miriam’s, as he congratulated his younger sibling and told him that he should have filmed the thing instead. Jake recalled that Tom had contacted him earlier on in the day before classes started to let him know how everyone was doing. Yul had been suspended for a day; Hunter, James and all of the girls were very impressed with him for standing up for himself and, by extension, everyone else that the Korean boy had tormented. James was still horribly distraught over the loss of Aiden; the e-boy still wasn’t in school, but that was to be expected. Recalling what Tom had told him gave Jake an idea, Aiden. Jake hadn't seen him since Wednesday afternoon; he really wanted to make sure that the lad was alright and not just saying that he was to keep people from worrying about him. Jake knew he wasn’t supposed to leave the house, but the want to see his best friend was just too tempting. He was already in trouble; what were a few more days of being grounded if he got caught? Miriam wouldn't be back from the bakery until about 5:30; it was now 1pm, plenty of time to get on the bus and see the bi-colour-haired boy.

The plan was in motion; Jake had his phone, wallet, spare keys and his bus pass in his jacket pockets as he waited at the bus station to be taken to Aiden’s neighbourhood. After a twenty-minute journey, he was face to face with Aiden’s small home; neither of the boy’s parents' cars were on the drive, so the boy was home alone without a doubt. Jake just prayed that no one recognised him on the bus and told Miriam about his little adventure out. Jake strolled up the drive and was about to press the doorbell when a familiar-sounding voice shouted down to him. “Jacob fucking Hamilton! Why the hell are you here?” Jake looked up and was greeted by Aiden half-hanging out of his bedroom window. Jake just shrugged with a smile, relieved to see the boy’s face and hear his voice. “Come down and open the door, and I’ll tell you!” Aiden shook his head playfully, and Jake could hear him banging about trying to find the keys from the inside of the house while he waited patiently on the doorstep. Finally the door was opened, and both boys reunited with a smile and a hug. “Sorry about that; we did have a set of keys on the kitchen table, but they vanished. Really weird.” Jake's face heated up slightly as he recalled the other afternoon. “Ah…they’re under the mat. Aiden’s head tilted in confusion as he leaned down to pick the thing up, and lo and behold, there they were! “How the fuck did you know that?” “I put them there… I climbed up the drainpipe to see if you were in the house when Tom, James and I went out to try and find you the other afternoon; I kind of… broke in through the open window in your room and scanned the house to see if you were in… then I let myself out through the front door…” Aiden’s eyes were wide as he shook his head and held it in his hands. “Unbelievable… If you ever piss me off again, I’m going to the police about this!” Jake shook his head in faux guilt as Aiden laughed heartily at him. Jake smiled back at him and pulled him into another hug. “It’s nice to hear you laugh again… Those guys, you’ve not heard from them?” “Dejan and Oleksander? Not a word. Hopefully, it stays that way.” Jake nodded and hummed in agreement, then looking back at Aiden, one of his eyes had a bruise below it and his lip had a cut; he looked better than what he had, but it was still clear that something nasty had happened to him. “Are you sure that you’re okay? Are you going to be back at school next week?” Aiden raised an eyebrow at the question. “I might be; I dunno yet. Why the fuck aren’t you at school, Jake? It’s almost two in the afternoon!” Realisation hit Jake like a train. Aiden hadn't been told about what had happened yesterday between him and Yul. “Well… I might be… suspended for three days; I beat up Yul Kim because he made fun of the cuts on my arm.” Aiden’s eyes filled wide with pride at hearing that his best friend had stood up for himself, but that quickly changed to sympathy, knowing how insecure Jake had been about the marks on his arm. “Holy shit, Jake… HOLY SHIT, JAKE!” Jake suddenly heard something come from behind him; before he could spin around, something rapidly flew right at him and smacked him hard on the side of the head. The last things that Jake heard were an echoing THWACK and Aiden’s voice screaming out in terror and horror as everything faded to black…

“Ugh…oh, my head…” Jake blinked open in the dim light of a mostly empty room. For some reason…he couldn’t move. He was desperate to get his bearings; why was he here? Looking around to his right, there was a window with some old, tatty curtains; they were mostly drawn with a slight gap at the back on one of them, letting in a bit of sunlight, telling Jake that it was still day. To the left of him there was an old metal table that had various random objects on it. A screwdriver, some rope, a couple of vials, some empty and some full, and there was this strange-looking metal thing with leather straps that connected to a silver mechanism. Just where the hell was he? Looking down, the floor was wooden, a dark mahogany colour, in desperate need of a sweep, then his eyes went forward and lay upon… Aiden. “Aiden!” Aiden had leaned against the wall opposite to where Jake was. The e-boy was unconscious, his head hanging down limply as his hands were tied behind his back, and his legs were tied to each of the wooden legs of the chair he was sitting on, securing him tightly. Jake tried to reach out, to jolt himself forward, but he had no success; he was strapped down tight too. “Aiden! Can you hear me? Oh God, please wake up!” Jake’s prayers had been answered as the smaller boy blinked his eyes open and his head tilted up. “Jesus Christ…fuck! Jake!” Both boys’ eyes met each other’s in a moment of blind panic. “Aiden…where the hell are we? What happened?” Aiden swallowed as he looked down at the floor; he recognised that pattern; it matched the one in…Dejan’s office. But they couldn't be. There was no desk, no decorations; it was much too unkempt too. “Jake… Don’t panic… but I think we’re in—”

At that moment a door swung wide open and two men appeared from nowhere. Aiden recognised them instantly and swallowed hard in fear. Oleksander and Dejan O’Grady appeared from nowhere and sneered at both of the helpless boys. “Fantastic, they’re both awake. I told you a good smack to the head does the job, comrádaí. No drugging required, although this could come in handy later on…” Aiden and Jake both looked on horrified as Dejan produced a syringe with an unknown substance inside of it, then placed it on the table at the left of the room. Both boys struggled in unison as they tried to free themselves, earning roars of laughter from the two men who stood at the door. “Don’t even bother, boys; you aren’t getting out of that.” The eldest brother held his hands behind his back as he marched to the centre of the room, standing tall and proud as he looked at the terrified faces of both boys. “Now listen, both of you. This is how this shit is going to go.” Dejan walked right over to where Aiden was standing, grabbed his hair and pulled his head up painfully to bark right into his ear. Jake watched on helplessly as his eyes beaded with scared tears. "Aiden… or should I say, Sky? Did you really think you would get away from us that easily? We aren't anywhere near finished with you yet. You’re the lucky one; you get to stay here with us. However, your friend over there…” Jake looked up to see Dejan coming right for him; his large hand grasped his face and held him steady as he investigated his features. “Yeah, you’re a pretty one. I’ll make good money off you.” Jake was suddenly released; he gasped as Dejan marched back over to the middle of the room and stood there menacingly. “I’ve made a few calls, boys, and like the good businessman that I am, I’ve managed to make a sale. The blue-haired one has a date with us in the car at eleven this evening. How do you fancy going out for a little spin to the airport? I have a gentleman from Hungary who is desperate to meet you. Not like either of you will remember it though; you’ll be flat out in seconds. That little drug over there should do the trick.” Jake’s heart sank and his stomach rolled as he took it all in. He was going to be sold? Dragged off and put on a plane, never to be seen again. Tears were flowing freely now, from both boys.

“Aww, don’t look so sad. You’ll have a good life over there! He’s a wealthy guy. It’s not quite fair on you, but it's necessary. Sadly, it can be quite hard to find a product like you.” Aiden gritted his teeth and rocked back and forth in the chair, trying to free himself and getting Dejan's attention. “Hey! HEY! Your business is with me, not Jake! Sell me off!” “No can do. I’m afraid, Aiden. The guy asked for a cisgender twink specifically. Not to mention, Oleksander refused to let you go. He’s not quite finished with you yet. There will still be plenty of business for you here, though. High-value products like the both of you don’t come along often; people will pay top dollar to have a night with a cute twink.” “BOTH OF YOU ARE PURE FUCKING EVIL!” Jake screamed at the top of his lungs as his eyes filled with fire. Both of the men just looked at him like he was nothing more than a joke. “Oh, we know. That’s just how it works in this life, I’m afraid. You have to break the rules a bit to come out on top. Deartháir, keep an eye on twink one and twink two. I have things to attend to at the house. I need to make sure that the other two are behaving. Drop Aiden off there at ten, and then we’ll set off with the blue-haired one to make that delivery.” Dejan said nothing else; he simply shrugged on his jacket and marched out of the door, slamming it behind him. Oleksander peered at Aiden, his face wet from crying and his teeth clenched in frustration. The tall blonde man wrapped his hands around Aiden’s trembling face before pecking his forehead, almost tenderly. Before Aiden knew it, he was being moved; his chair was dragged around the room until it finally came to rest behind Jake’s chair, both boys facing the opposite way from each other, back to back. Oleksander waltzed towards the door, his eyes gleaming in sick delight. “I’ll give you both a minute; play nice, both of you!” Then the other brother was gone, leaving both boys alone in that horrible, dark room; the only noises being heard were the echoing sobs and cries that came from either of the boys…

Neither boy knew just how much time had passed; they just knew that they were both very thirsty and tired. They tried their best to keep up a bit of conversation, still desperately trying to figure out a way to escape. “We’ll find a way out; I know it. Just keep trying, Aiden!” The smaller boy wasn't as optimistic; his head just hung low, accepting his fate. “Jake, it’s hopeless.” “No, it’s not! Would James want you to say that?” “James and I aren't a thing anymore! Even if we were… I’ll never see him again.” “We won’t just vanish without a trace. Aiden, Miriam and your parents will contact the police and report us missing once they discover that we’re gone. James and Tom and all of our friends will search the street high and low trying to find out where we went.” Jake’s optimism still wasn’t getting through to his best friend; he couldn’t see Aiden, but he knew that the smaller boy was crying; the sobs were right behind his head. There was a pause, a silence; Jake decided to try again to motivate his best friend. “James was really broken without you, you know... He loves you so much… and I think that you know that, because I know for a fact that you love him more than anything too…” Aiden shook his head, his voice shuddering as he spoke. “I lied to him… How can anyone forgive that? How could he love me after that?” Jake just laughed. “James doesn’t hold it against you. He’ll forgive you; hell, he already did! Just like how Tom forgave me for keeping my cutting from him. You didn't just do what you did for a laugh; you were desperate… Have some compassion for yourself… That’s what I’m going to try to do going forward…” Aiden took on Jake’s words this time, smiling to himself. “To be honest, I’m not sure how much these hunks can think for themselves; they’re mostly just dumb!” “Yeah, but that’s why we love them…”

At that moment, all words stopped together as Oleksander reappeared, a devilish grin on his face. This time he grabbed Jake’s chair and turned him around to face Aiden, both boys being face to face once more as the blonde young man then came to crouch beside Aiden’s trembling form. “Now then, Aidy. I’ve had an idea. I want you to prove to me and to Jake here that you love me more than anything. We all know it, but I want to hear you say it…” “Go to hell, you nasty fucking creep!” Aiden spat back at him, venom in his tone. “I expected that, Aidy baby. So I have some ideas that might help you change your mind. Jakey here is going to help us.” Jake sat helpless as Oleksander grabbed him and pulled his sleeve upwards to reveal his bound wrist, making him hiss in pain as it rubbed against his cuts. “Damn, I didn’t know your buddy was a depressive, Aidy! They look pretty well healed; maybe we’ll have to open some of these back up, huh, Jake?” Both boys’ eyes went wide as they realised what Oleksander was insinuating. The blonde young man pulled out a penknife from his pocket and held it in front of both of the boys; sweat started to bead on both of their heads as they sat in stunned silence, watching every one of Oleksander’s movements. “Oh, don’t look so worried; I’m not going to kill you. You still need to be in ‘functioning order’ for your new boyfriend in Hungary. No, no, no… we’re going to use this…” Aiden and Jake watched intensely as Oleksander went over to the metal table at the left side of the room and picked up the weird metal device with leather straps. Then marching back and picking up his penknife once more, walking behind Jake as Aiden started to panic. “No, no, no! Wait, Oleksander, I’m sorry! I’ll do anything! I’ll say anything! Just don’t hurt him, please! I’m begging you!” Oleksander laughed as the knife came to cut open some of Jake’s restraints, freeing one of his arms. Jake didn’t have time to move it; Olesander already had a hold of it and walked his way back around to present it to Aiden. “Listen to me, baby. You’re going to tell me and Jake that you love me. You’re going to promise yourself to me. You’re going to always stay loyal to me… or else…” Aiden took in the demands as he watched Jake’s left arm be strapped into the metal device, his middle finger then being secured into the metal mechanism. “O-or else what?” Jake asked, his voice shaking along with the rest of his body. “Or else I’ll rip his fingernails off. Aiden, hurry up and convince me you love me. You have three seconds… One...” Both boys' hearts dropped deep into their stomachs as Jake’s eyes went wide watching Olesander’s hand come closer to the metal switch that would rip his nail off. In his panic, Aiden shouted over and over again. “I’m sorry, Oleksander! I love you! I’ll always be loyal to you!” “Not good enough, baby. Two…” The man's hand inched closer. Aiden's voice grew louder. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I love you. I love you so much! I’ll never leave you!” Oleksander glanced up, eyes filled with nothing but evil. “Too late, baby. Three.” All of a sudden, Oleksander’s hand slammed down on the device with a loud CLUNK, and within a second, Jake’s fingernail was ripped from the skin and flew off, landing on the floor. The noise was horrible; Jake screamed like he never had before. The pain was nothing short of horrific, truly agonising. Blood flowed like lava from Jake’s hand as he twitched and jolted about in his restraints. Aiden whimpered; he felt like he was going to vomit from watching the whole thing, tears cascading from his eyes. “I’M SORRY, OLEKSANDER! I LOVE YOU! I’LL NEVER DISOBEY YOU AGAIN! I’LL STICK BESIDE YOU FOREVER! I NEVER LOVED JAMES; I ONLY EVER LOVED YOU!”

There was a low laugh in a mostly silent room, apart from Jake’s groans and gasps. “Better. Thank you, my darling; I love you too.” Aiden's eyes went to Jake’s poor, trembling frame; blood was pouring out from his wounded finger as he shook. Thankfully his hand was unstrapped and tied back up behind his body; Aiden didn't miss the way Jake winced every time something brushed against the wound. Jake looked so pale; his face was soaked with tears and sweat. Then Jake was dragged back around to face away from Adien, both boys becoming back-to-back once more. Oleksander stood towering over both of them, looking quite proud of himself while the other two just trembled and cried. “I’m going to leave you alone for another hour; I’m just going to get a few things. I can’t wait to properly try you out, Aiden, so we can truly prove our love. I can’t wait to be your first ‘special’ customer. I won’t get bored of you, sweetheart; not like how I did with Flare. Why don’t we give Jake one last really good show before he goes on his little trip, huh?” Oleksander left once again, slamming the door behind him. Aiden kept trying to swallow the bile that kept rising up in his throat as they both sat in silence, horrified and distraught.

At Tipiskaw International High, school was out for the weekend. The school soccer team had played and won yet another game, and now Tom and James walked side by side as they made their way to James’s car in the parking lot, both climbing inside. Tom could see James was still utterly miserable; he missed Aiden so much. It was plain to see all day. Tom suggested that they both go to see Miriam and hang out with Jake for a while. James wasn’t opposed to the idea; it was something to keep him occupied. He did want to hear in full detail what exactly Jake had done to Yul too. Upon both teenage boys arriving at the small house, the last thing they expected to see was a very worried-looking Miriam Foster pacing back and forth in her kitchen. She was quick to explain to them that Jake wasn’t home; she had come home early from the bakery, only to discover that Jake wasn’t home and he hadn't returned. She hadn't seen any sight of the boy she called ‘grandson’ since 9am this morning. Both teens racked their brains to think where he could be; Jake had been a bit upset about being suspended, which then caused an idea to pop into Tom’s mind. “Miriam…you don’t think he could have run off to Shawn’s, do you?” “Shawn’s? His brother?” James enquired. Miriam thought that it sounded plausible. The decision was made for Tom in that moment. He and James piled back into James’s car as they set off across town for Shawn’s apartment, determined to bring back home safely to Miriam’s.

Little did the two teens know, both of the boys that they loved so much were trapped. They were both defeated; very little was said between them. It was like that for a long time; they just accepted it. Oleksander was going to come back and rape Aiden in front of Jake, then they would both be taken off to God knows where, never to see each other ever again. “Hey… Aiden?" “Yeah?…” Aiden’s voice was barely a whisper. Jake’s voice was strained from crying and yelling so much. “Do you remember freshman year music class? We were put in the same group. Me, you, Ashley and Spencer – do you remember?” Aiden racked his brains for a moment, then recalled the group project with a smile. “Yeah, I remember, back when you were really cute and… I was still a girl…” “Do you remember what we all sang?” Aiden nodded, but Jake couldn’t see it. “Collar Full by Panic! At the disco. It was your idea, if I recall…” “Do you remember the words?” Aiden didn’t answer; he just sat there. All of a sudden Jake's voice piped up. “We've waited so damn long; we're sick and tired. I won't leave any doubt or stone unturned. I've got a collar full of chemistry from your company. So maybe tonight, I'll be the libertine…” Aiden’s eyes filled with happy and sad tears; Jake’s voice was strained and tired, but he sounded beautiful. This whole moment was nothing short of beautiful. Aiden wanted to share this last moment with his best friend. He wanted to sing too. “Oh, show me your love, your love. Give me more, but it's not enough..." Aiden paused, and Jake took back over again. "Show me your love, your love. Before the world catches up..." Jake continued to sing, and Aiden joined in with him, the two singing in harmony. "Because there's always time for second guesses. I don't want to know. If you're going to be the death of me, that's how I want to go…” Both boys’ voices trailed off into silence, but then Jake gave a sudden gasp. “Jake… what is it?” Jake’s voice was only a whisper, but it sounded so full of life all of a sudden. “My hand… it’s free! Oleksander didn't tie it properly!” Aiden gasped too at the news. “Quick, free yourself! Try and get help!”

Jake couldn't see a single thing he was going; he fiddled and fidgeted with the binds for what felt like forever, the difficulty being added to by the fact one of his fingers was horribly injured. All of a sudden, Aiden felt his restraints fully loosen; Jake had managed to free him with his hands literally behind his back! “Oh my god… How the fuck did you manage to do that?” "Aiden, don’t mess about! Hurry! He didn’t lock the door; try and get out and find our phones. They would have taken them when they abducted us!” Aiden nodded silently and crept towards the door, pulling it open with a small creak. He tiptoed his way out of the door and suddenly realised where he was; he was in the upstairs of the club, and Dejan’s door was literally right next to him. Quick as a flash, Aiden dashed towards the door and pushed it open; it was only pulled to, unlocked, and no one was around. The e-boy knew he didn’t have long; his eyes met the large old-fashioned phone that sat on Dejan’s desk, and he leapt towards it. The automatic answer would be to call the police, but for whatever reason, Aiden didn’t. He punched in the first number that came to his mind, the only person he wanted to see there and then: James.

James and Tom had not long arrived at Shawn’s place. He had hesitated to answer the door at first because he thought that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses, but as soon as he saw Tom and his worried expression, they were both welcomed inside and offered a can of Pepsi each. Tom explained the situation, and Shawn swore to them both that he hadn't seen Jake for a good while; he wouldn’t be in the apartment. Tom had cursed as they hit yet another dead end in trying to find Jake. Where the fuck else could they have gone to? Shawn looked visibly distressed at knowing his brother was missing; the older brother found his phone and was about to ring the police until James’s phone interrupted them. A familiar ringtone rang out in the room. James looked at the screen and was confused to see that it was an unfamiliar number; he considered putting it down, but for whatever reason, he answered the call and waited for the person on the other end to speak. “James, it’s Aiden… Help me… Help us, please! We’re trapped – OH SHIT!” James dropped his phone in surprise, and the line suddenly cut. Tom and Shawn had been listening and jumped along with James when they heard Aiden’s voice suddenly scream. Shawn picked up James’s phone from the coffee table where it had landed as he looked at the number. “Fuck…” James's eyes were wide open, and his heart pounded like a drum. “Aiden…he said he was trapped!” “Trapped… Aiden said ‘we’… Could Jake be with him?” Tom added, both teens started at Shawn. “Guys, know that number. It’s for the Pulse nightclub; I used to work there as a bartender. I quit because my boss was super shady and his brother was really creepy towards the girls who went there.” James’s face suddenly went very pale. “Dejan and Oleksander, those bastards…they have Aiden!” Shawn’s fists tightened as he barked commands. “Both of you, get in the car, now.” To and James nodded and shot out of the door, Shawn following behind them, still holding James’s phone as they dashed for James’s car. It was only a five-minute drive away, but James knew he had to put his foot down and fast; fuck the speeding tickets.

Oleksander had practically wrestled Aiden back into the room; Jake was still stuck in his chair as he shifted around desperately, trying to get himself free. Aiden yelped and shouted as he fought back against Oleksander with all of his might. “Just give up, you little shit; you have no chance. If you knew what was good for you, you would just lie down and give up like an obedient bitch.” “FUCK YOU! YOU’LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST!” Oleksander’s temper wore very thin at that moment; he threw Aiden right down on the floor and kicked him right in the chest, sending him flying back across the floor and bumping into Jake’s chair. The back of the twin-colour-haired boy’s head smacked right into a wooden chair leg, knocking him flat out unconscious. The blue-haired boy toppled over and landed just below the curtains, still strapped to the chair, his back to the floor. He let out a cry of pain as his arms were crushed under the weight and looked up, and then he saw it. James’s yellow jeep. It was unmistakable; Aiden had done it! Perhaps there was a way out! Suddenly feeling much more bold, Jake squirmed around and shouted, pulling Oleksander’s attention towards him yet again. “Hey! Did anyone ever tell you that crime doesn’t pay?” “What the fuck are you on about, you little twink? I’ll rip off the rest of your nails if you don’t shut the fuck up.” Jake’s eyes grew devious as he grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “Somehow, I don’t think you will be! JAMES! JAAAMES! WE’RE IN HERE!” There was suddenly a clamouring outside of the doors; footsteps pounded up the steps, and the door swung open. It wasn’t just James; it was Shawn and Tom too. All three of the young men looked at Oleksander as he stood above Aiden’s unconscious body, all three of them tightening their fists and suddenly lunging at him before he could get away. Jake watched from his position on the floor as a barrage of punches and kicks landed on Oleksander. The weak, disgusting and pathetic blonde man tried to shield himself to no avail. Shawn, James and Tom put their very souls into beating the shit out of him. It was fair to say his good looks were going to be spoilt for a good while. All of the lads were furious; James especially looked absolutely outraged, Jake could only lie back and listened as the Brazilian young man smacked his capture right in the jaw and screamed "YOU FUCKER! I TRUSTED YOU!" Jake’s eyes beamed in relief when Tom’s eyes looked up and met his. Shawn’s voice suddenly broke the tender moment. “Tom, James, go check on the boys. I’ll sort out this piece of shit.” Shawn's hands grabbed the rope that was on the table and secured Oleksander, who was now unconscious himself, to the legs of the metal table, making sure he couldn’t squirm away when he awoke and giving him a few more punches for good luck while Tom came over to Jake to sit him upright and free him from the chair; Shawn crept over to them soon after.

Jake reached out to his brother and his boyfriend with his bloody, injured hand, getting a gasp from them both. “Jesus, Jake, what did they do to you?” “They…he…” Jake couldn’t continue. Relieved but mortified; tears and sobs stopped him from speaking as Tom pulled him in close to shush and comfort him while Shawn continued to work on undoing Jake’s binds. Once he was free and able to stand again, Shawn spotted it. A full, bloody fingernail on the floor. The older brother winced and looked away from it, pulling Jake into a tight hug, trying to let him know that it was okay now and he was safe. Then all eyes went to the floor; everyone stared at Aiden. The e-boy lay completely still, wrapped up in James’s arms as he was held limply on the Brazilian boy’s lap. His face was almost angelic, like he was just sleeping. "Aiden?… Meu amor?…” James desperately tapped the audio of Aiden’s face, trying his best to wake him back. Everyone held their breath for a moment, and then, thankfully, teal eyes fluttered open and looked up to see the love of his life looking down at him. “Jamsey?…” There was a single beat as Aiden realised he was saved and the boy could no longer hold back; he burst into tears immediately and wrapped his small arms around James’s frame, holding him tight and not letting him go, almost as if he might vanish if he did. James could feel his t-shirt starting to become damp from Aiden’s tears as the lad cried into his shoulder. “Shhhh, meu amor, I’m here now; don’t worry…” Aiden pulled his face away to look right up at James. “James… I’m so sorry; I should never have broken up with you… I meant nothing of what I said!” James smiled, bright and confident, full of love for Aiden. “I know, amor, you would have to be insane to leave me.” James gave a cheeky wink and a grin as he said his last line, classic James Costa. Aiden blushed and smiled from below him. “Does that mean we can get back together?” James said nothing more; he just gently tangled his fingers in Aiden’s dyed locks and pulled him in close, kissing him with more passion than he ever had. They pulled both away breathlessly. “I—I’ll take that as a yes, then, Jamesy…” Both boys giggled a little as they realised that Jake, Tom and Shawn had been watching the whole time; with coy smiles, James helped Aiden back up to his feet and held him against him to steady him. “As much as I don’t want to ruin the romance, we need to go. Dejan could turn up at any second.” Shawn commanded as he beckoned the four other boys towards the door.

All of them ran out of the room, Tom and James keeping a tight hold of both Jake and Aiden, respectively, to keep them from losing their footing as Aiden told Shawn that their belongings were on Dejan’s desk. Shawn quickly stepped inside and picked up two phones, a wallet, a key, Jake’s bus pass and a gold ring that all sat on the desk before bolting out of the building. Once outside, Tom and James could properly see their boyfriends and look them over once more. “Jake, Aiden, these are yours.” Jake took his belongings back and shoved them in his pocket as he and Aiden reached for his phone, then both boys looked at the gold ring that Shawn was now holding. “Fuck, I forgot that I had that ring. Sorry, James, I only kept it in my pocket for safekeeping!” Jake commented, and James nodded his head in understanding. The Brazilian teen then stepped forward and took the ring from Shawn, then gently took Aiden’s hand and slipped it back onto his finger. “This belongs to you, my sweet xuxu.” Aiden then smiled as James tugged the front of his shirt down and exposed the silver ring that still hung from his chain, both boys giving each other loving looks before being shouted for by Shawn to hurry up and then climbing into James’s car. James got in the driver's seat and entrusted Aiden to Tom as the three other teens sat in the back and Shawn climbed in the front passenger seat. “James, head to the hospital. We need to have these two checked over, just to be safe.” “Oh fuck, not again.” Aiden commented with a sigh; James looked back at him with a knowing expression as he pulled away from the club, and Shawn dialled the police to let them know what had happened. Later that evening, Miriam, Jackie, James’s mother and Aiden’s parents had all arrived to see their boys and make sure they were all okay. Aiden and Jake were both fine. They both had a minor concussion, cuts and bruises, and Jake’s finger wasn't great, but it would heal soon enough. The police interviewed both boys as they lay side by side on medical beds and held each other’s hands as they recounted all that had happened. James held Aiden close as his boyfriend cried softly and explained everything that had happened over the months of working at the club.

Later on, Aiden sat alone on a medical bed after being examined for any further damage that wasn’t initially spotted. Both of his parents came into the room and dropped the bombshell that none of them had wanted to hear. They had been evicted; they had until Sunday to have themselves and all of their belongings out of the house. Aiden was in utter shock and sobbed into his mother’s shoulder as he heard the news. Fuck. As if things couldn’t get any worse, first he had been tortured, and now his nightmares were coming true. His mother mentioned that she had rung her sister and that they all could move into his aunt's house for as long as they needed, but Gisela Costa had a different idea. They didn’t mean to, but she and James both had overheard the conversation, and they couldn’t just stay silent. Gisela approached both of Aiden’s parents and plainly asked if they would be okay if Aiden lived with their family for the time being. Therefore, Aiden and James wouldn’t have to be separated; Aiden could see his friends and still attend school until he graduated in six months. Both of the Brooks parents were hesitant at first, but Gisela Costa was a very persuasive person when she wanted to be. It was agreed that Aiden would live at James’s. Although Aiden was sad he couldn't be with his parents, he was still glad to be with his friends and boyfriend and still be able to attend the same school; it was all about gratitude after all, like Tristan had told him months before.

The next day, Aiden and his family were working hard to move their things out of the house and into both of his parents’ cars with the help of Tom, Jake, James, Miriam, Jackie, Tony and the Costa family when a police officer came up to the house and handed Aiden a letter. Before the officer left, he mentioned the fact that the police had raided a house in the next town over and found a young woman that Aiden might have known named Celia Janota. She had been found trapped in the house alongside Kennedy Sutton, the girl who everyone had known had been missing for months. The girls had been forced to offer their ‘services’ from the house under the instruction of the O’Grady brothers. The police officer also added that both girls also went by ‘Angela’ and ‘Flare’, respectively, and they were both safe and well. That’s when it hit Aiden; he had just escaped human trafficking; they all had, but thankfully they were now all free. The officer thanked Aiden and Jake both for their bravery and wished them well before leaving. Then Aiden opened the letter and read it aloud to Jake, Tom and James. It was from Angela… No, it was from Celia. The letter thanked Aiden for everything and thanked him for helping them all become free of the two brothers. Celia wished him nothing but happiness and healing going forward, expressing that she was safe and well and that she and ‘Xoti’ were being admitted into rehab to hopefully help them both get off of the drugs. Aiden teared up as he finished reading, and all four of the boys piled in for a group hug. Later that night, everyone sat around the TV as the footage showed Kennedy reuniting with her parents. It was also mentioned that the O’Grady brothers had managed to escape from town and were on the run as wanted criminals. It wasn’t the best news, but everyone knew for certain that neither of the men would be showing their faces in this town any time soon, much to everyone’s relief. When Sunday came, Aiden’s parents left town for his aunt’s house. It was a tearful goodbye, but James was right at his boyfriend’s side to comfort him, and then after that, Tom and Jake both helped Aiden and James move the e-boy’s belongings into his new room, or rather, James’s room. Aiden was welcomed into the Costa home with tight hugs from Heitor, Gisela and Laura as all of the boys headed up to James’s room to unpack Aiden’s things. Aiden still had Celia’s letter. He placed it into what was now his bedside table’s top drawer with a smile, promising to keep the letter forever. The four best friends had a hell of a time dancing around as they unpacked boxes and sang along to Aiden’s playlist. Jake and Tom held each other and smiled as they watched James and Aiden throw Aiden’s teddy bear back and forth to each other playfully. Tom leaned down to give Jake a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, it’s your eighteenth birthday soon, babe, and trust me, it’s going to be a good one. We’re all going to have a blast…” Jake smiled and nodded at Tom; James and Aiden turned around to look at them both. Each of the boys shared a glance; all of them knew that whatever happened going forward, as long as they were together, they would be alright.

Chapter 31: Get Down

Summary:

Hello everyone! Long time no see! This is a one off chapter, I'm trying to develop ideas for s3 of this fic but I have had basically no good ideas, nothing as good as the club story at least. However, i do have an idea for a one off chapter only surrounding Aiden and James on vacation in Brazil, not sure when that will come along so please be patient. Also my friend Cris did some more art for part 7 and part 27 (Thank you babes!), please check them out!

Until i have a concrete story line planned out; there will be no 's3' of this fic, maybe a one-off chapter or two. I might try and do a stranger things story as that is my fixation atm and Eddie Munson has my heart (Rip king), thank you all again for the support everyone!

Gay shit happens this chapter, enjoy

Three days later– a short amount of time, really – but it felt so long. When Jake arrived back at school on Wednesday after his suspension, it was clear to everyone something had happened; Aiden reported that he had much the same response when he came back to school on Monday. The bruises and the cuts, and the fact that his hand had been bandaged to protect his damaged finger, were all clear to see for anyone who looked, but no one knew the true story. Jake accepted that parts of the story would finally come out and rumours would fly; that was the nature of things, but he didn’t mind. Screw the hushed whisperers and the curious stares; he was just happy he and Aiden were safe. So was everyone else, for that matter. It could have been so much worse if Shawn, James and Tom hadn't arrived when they did… it didn't even bear thinking about. Connor still wanted to see Jake in his office first thing that Wednesday morning to figure out a plan and a way forward for helping his mental well-being, but that wasn’t the only thing he wanted to see him for now. Connor knew the full story of what had happened to them both, being informed almost immediately by the police when both boys made their reports. He was amazed that the two boys had the mental strength to come back to school after such a horrific ordeal, plus the fact that Aiden no longer lived with his own family. Conner knew he had to look after both boys more than ever now. The principal had no other choice but to give Jake, James and Tom all a detention after school for ditching school the previous week, but he lessened the time of the punishment to be only thirty minutes after school on Thursday afternoon when he was informed of the reason why all three boys left school in such a hurry, commending them for trying to find Aiden and check in on his well-being. It was also decided that both Jake and Aiden would attend a weekly group encounter therapy session for seniors; they would both be with a few other students, a chance for them to share their struggles and be open and honest. Neither of the boys minded too much because it meant they got to miss out on a French lesson once a week. The therapy sessions were just after lunch on a Thursday, so the next day after lunch Aiden and Jake both said goodbye to their boyfriends and walked side by side to the classroom they were told to go to by Connor, both boys trying to reassure each other and settle their nerves the whole while.

There was a time when Aiden would have scoffed at the idea of therapy; Jake would have even judged those who attended a few years ago. Not now though. Both boys knew they needed to be with others that had experienced similar things. Both of the best friends took a breath and squeezed the other's hand while preparing themselves before they entered the large classroom where everyone gathered each week. Jake didn't know what to expect; Tom mentioned that he used to attend similar sessions after Connor suggested them to him a couple of years ago. Jake had the idea of a stuffy, oppressive atmosphere with a professional peering down at him and taking notes; it was fair to say it was quite the contrary. Both teens stepped inside and were greeted by a small ring of five other teens, all sitting in a circle while the session's host stood in the centre. The whole scene looked a bit like some kind of cult from a distance. Before Aiden or Jake could say a word, a certain non-binary goth sprang up from their seat excitedly and greeted them with their usual jovial attitude. “Aiden! Jake! Oh my gosh, hi! I didn't know you were joining!” Tristan leapt forward to give both boys a hug as they stood awkwardly while everyone else watched with welcoming smiles. Jake looked around to see that Tess was attending too, along with a few other classmates that he recognised. Both boys took a seat; Jake and Aiden sat side by side as Tristan sat to Aiden’s left and Tess sat to Jake's right. The person who hosted the session came from the local hospital into the school; she was a young woman named Evette, who was a psychologist in training and a qualified counsellor. There were now seven of the teens in total: Jake, Aiden, Tristan, Tess, Manon, Caius and Jace. She asked everyone to introduce themselves and share whatever they wanted about themselves, as they had new attendees who would need a taste of what to expect. The introductions went around the small circle clockwise, starting with Tristan as they cheerfully volunteered to go first. Aiden already knew that Tristan had been removed from the family home and was now living with and being fostered by Ivy and Zaid. Jake looked more shocked as they went into more details about their mother's alcoholism and their father's physical abuse. After them was Manon, or Mana for short, a Welsh-Irish girl who came to Canada when she was fourteen. She shared that she moved around a lot when she was younger, from her home city of Newport in Wales to Manchester in northern England and back again to Newport to care for her ailing grandfather before they left for Canada after his death. The kids in the Manchester school weren't exactly friendly to someone with a different accent who often spoke two unfamiliar languages. Aiden thought of what James had told him before and what Oleksander had said to try to get sympathy from him; Aiden shivered at the memory of the latter young man. But that was only the tip of the iceberg for the young Welsh girl. Manon was open about being autistic now; back then she was just ‘weird’ to the other kids, not to mention the fact that not even the teachers understood the concept of echolalia. At that point in her story, the blonde young woman became teary-eyed and was enveloped in hugs by her best friend Caius and boyfriend Jace, both boys getting up from their seats to comfort her. Tristan patted Mana’s shoulder and reassured her too, while Jace then took over from his girlfriend and introduced himself. He was Australian with Maori heritage, but he was raised in New Zealand before moving to Canada. His father was a military man, and he wanted Jace to follow in his footsteps, but everyone knew that Jace had a passion and a talent for music, especially his electric guitar, and he wanted to pursue that instead, causing him to frequently clash with his father. Luckily Mana and Jace had found each other and become close; you would never see one in the hall without the other by their side. Next up for Caius, he was considered quite mysterious and even scary by others. He was known for his motorcycle that he rode to school, which grabbed the attention of everyone whenever he went by, and the ski mask he almost always wore – until eventually a teacher would yell at him to take it off, that was. Most of the teachers didn’t even bother at this point; they knew he would just put it back on when no one was looking. Caius was from Romania originally, moving to Canada at age twelve. That’s when his parents really put the pressure on him to succeed in school because they had sacrificed so much to give them all a new life in a new country; one day the black-haired lad simply had enough and walked away from home and his family, closing the door and not looking back. Jake could feel his own similar memories coming back upon hearing that. Being all alone on the streets aged sixteen wasn’t ideal, but miraculously Caius had made it work, living in his own flat and making decent money, enough to get him a motorcycle that got him plenty of attention from boys and girls alike. The ski mask he always wore was a bit off-putting at first; many thought he wore it to be intimidating, but within fifteen minutes of sitting and chatting with him, it was clear to see he was a total softie. Manon was the only one who wasn’t intimidated by him during a time when no one else would dare speak to him; the two became close friends when he defended her from comments somebody had made. Caius, Jace and Mana were simply inseparable now.

Next came Tess; everyone already knew that she suffered badly with depression and took medication for it, plus the fact that she was an orphan, another case of the cruel suffering shoved onto someone too young to have to deal with it. She expressed her gratitude for Hunter and Ally and the joy they both brought to her life, and then, finally, it was Jake’s turn to speak. He looked at the six other teens around him; their faces were kind, and they had all shared their darkest moments without fear, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t speak; his throat felt like it was closing and his mouth was going dry. Aiden could see Jake’s wide eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder; the bi-colour-haired boy inhaled and exhaled a very deep breath before speaking to his best friend. “I’ll go next; you go after me, okay?” Jake nodded in understanding and gratitude. Finally getting some air back into his lungs. Aiden cleared his throat, getting the attention of all. The e-boy took a deep breath and then began to speak. “I’m Aiden… Well… where do I begin? You all most likely know that I’m trans, and if you didn’t know, ta-da, I’m trans. That’s hardly been the biggest of troubles for me. My family has always struggled with money; poverty is a cruel beast. Things would get worse and then get better, then get worse, then get better again when I was young. Recently I tried to make things better for my family, but… I only made things worse for myself. I made some awful decisions, some really bad choices. It nearly cost me everything, my friends, my boyfriend, my safety… my whole life… and, unfortunately, someone I really care about and I were put in grave danger….” For a brief moment Aiden looked down at Jake’s hand, still bandaged, and then the memories came back. The memory of Jake's blood-curdling scream as his nail was ripped away from his skin, the blood that poured from his hand, and the sickly feeling of fear and dread they both felt – Aiden paused before looking up into Jake's soft eyes. Teal green met dark brown as the two boys shared a look and then smiled at each other. “But… we’re okay now. I’m okay now. Sadly I don’t live with my parents anymore. We lost our house. They live out of town now, and I'm staying with someone else until school finishes. Things will be tough, but we’ll survive. We made it this far, right, Jake?” Jake nodded silently, wrapping his arm around Aiden’s shoulders. Finally finding the confidence to speak. “Yeah… Umm, I’m Jake. As you already know, chances are many of you already know a lot about me. I was dating Blake MacNeil; he cheated on me, we broke up, the whole school found out, I was bullied for ages, and then I met Aiden… and my boyfriend, Tom. My mom and dad hated the fact I was gay; they gave me a real verbal beating when they first found out, and then when they found out I had kissed another boy a few months after I came out, they threw me out. A bit of a recurring theme, huh? Things got a bit better… and a bit worse. I kept having memories of everything that happened, and then my older brother came back into my life, and things got a bit better and a bit worse yet again. Now I’m here and…despite it all, I don’t regret a thing. I have someone who cares for me, an amazing best friend; plenty of friends who I would die for and a boyfriend who I love. I’m lucky, really, lucky to have made it this far…”

Evette nodded as Jake finished, getting up from her seat. “Thank you for sharing, all of you. It takes bravery to do what you all did just now. I just want to bring it back to something that Aiden said. 'Bad choices and bad decisions, mistakes.' We all make them. We feel guilt when we recall them, but why? We never intended any harm in making them. We all make mistakes, but isn’t that what being young is about? Learning from mishaps? I like what you said, Jake: despite it all, don’t regret a thing. All of you try to remember that and show yourself some compassion and kindness. We all make mistakes. Now, during these sessions we have lighter conversations to bring the mood up after we’ve spoken about some dark things. I’m going to go around the circle, and one by one, I want to hear your favourite band or musical artist. Three, two, one, Tess; you first.” The dark-haired girl smiled and pressed her finger to her lips in thought. “Hmmm, Get Scared. They got me through some dark stuff. Jake?” The blue-haired boy didn't hesitate. “Panic! At The Disco. If anyone says anything, I'll report you to Connor for bullying.” Jake gave a defiant huff, and Aiden laughed at his best friend's dramatics while everyone else chuckled lightly as well. “Mine’s The Neighbourhood; Jake and I are both proud members of the ‘emo twink club’.” Another voice piped up after Aiden spoke. “Well, count me in as a part of the club too!” Tristan commented with pride, raising up their ring-covered hand. “I love Three Days Grace, dude. Not sure if I count as a twink, though…” A Welsh accent commented after Tristan finished speaking. “I think you might fit into that category, Tristan! Caius is a twink too, under that mask.” Mana added under her breath. “Taci dracu.” The Romanian hissed back playfully with a smile, and Manon's teeth glinted in the light as she grinned back at her friend devilishly. “My favourite band is Kneecap. Tiocfaidh ár lá, n’ all of that. Jacey? I think I know who you're going to say.” Jace puffed out his chest with pride while looking at his girlfriend fondly. “Pendulum for me, nothing’s better than pounding techno at 3am.” The Australian commented proudly, earning a giggle from his girlfriend. “Caius, you haven't told us yours.” Evette prompted; the Romanian lad wouldn't say a word. Manon continued to look at her friend while he stared right back. “I'm not going to say it; no chance in hell.” Caius insisted. “Then I'll tell them then.” The blonde Welsh girl opened her mouth to speak again, and Caius raised a finger up to Mana. “Don't you dare, blondie.” “He likes Lady Gaga.” Manon blurted out. Everyone's eyes went wide, and Jace couldn't stop his laughter at the reaction. “FUTU-I! Goddammit, woman…” The classroom erupted into laughter and lightly teasing comments about the 'tough guy's' musical taste while Evette tried her best to regain some order in the room. Jake turned to look at Aiden with a smile. “I'm starting to like it here; let's come again next week...”

After that, James, Tom and Jake all served their detention for thirty minutes; Alec was supposed to be in charge but… He never turned up, surprising none of the boys as they sat there quietly. By the time that ten minutes had passed, all three boys gave each other a look as they made their way to the ‘booze cupboard’ and each grabbed a can from the minifridge and sat around a desk while discussing plans for Jake’s eighteenth birthday; it was in only two days time on Saturday. Miriam had organised a gathering of Jake’s friends at her house, in the garden. Shawn was going to drop by in the morning to see Jake and check in on him. James already knew about the surprise that Aiden had prepared for Jake, and he and Tom had both discussed what the black-haired boy had in store for his boyfriend. While Jake and Tom chattered about new songs for the playlist they were making for the party, something else caught James’s eye; towards the window, a flash of red ran past, and James shook his head knowingly. Aiden, undoubtedly. The e-boy didn’t have a way home without James, so he had no other choice but to wait for his boyfriend to finish his detention. James would look carefully out of the window to try and spot his boyfriend before looking away for a moment when another flash would go by the window, the smaller boy taking great joy in tormenting and teasing the other three while they finished their ‘detention’ and gulped down the rest of their stolen beer. After thirty minutes went by, all of the boys grabbed their things and made their way out of the classroom, only to be jump-scared by Aiden jumping out of the classroom opposite them, making them all jump five feet in the air with surprise as the smaller boy laughed hysterically. It was nice to see Aiden back to his old self again.

Both couples wished each other a good night and said goodbye as they went their separate ways. Jake and Rom wondered down the road to Miriam’s house while Aiden and James hopped in the taller boy’s yellow Jeep and set off for the Costa residence. Both boys got inside the house to be warmly greeted by Laura before they both wandered upstairs to take a shower together before dinner. Later that night, both boyfriends sat on James’s bed, deep in conversation, while Aiden tried his best to concentrate. “Aidy, I'm serious! I liked you since the start of junior year!” “James, I thought you couldn't stand me! You teased me at every opportunity you had! I thought that you saw me as this annoying geek or something. James chewed his lip, causing Aiden to press his fingertips to James’s lips to stop him from drawing blood, getting a soft smile from the dark-skinned boy. “I mean… I thought you were super cute, your style and everything; you had this spunk to you too. I heard your singing voice in the school play too; then I knew I liked you.” “Why didn't you just say it?” Aiden asked with a smirk as he finished applying the black nail polish to his and his boyfriend's nails. They were going to have matching nails; it was James’s idea. Aiden thought of what other people might think, that it was cringey, but the e-boy had warmed up to the idea, to quote James, ‘Fuck what anyone else thinks.’ James' smile dropped as he considered Aiden's question. Why didn't he just say he liked Aiden? He knew why. “I'm not always the best at being upfront about how I feel, you know? Plus, Riya and Yul still had me under their spell... Back then it was just easier to pretend I didn't care and go along with them because I didn't have anything better to do. I was a-” “A total idiotic jerk?” Aiden's eyebrow raised, and he beamed a cheeky smile as he finished James’s sentence. James didn't say anything else; he just smiled back at his beautiful boyfriend who was perched on his bed. Oh, how lucky he was. “You're a little brat sometimes, you know?” The e-boy gave a gasp in faux offence; James' smile grew even wider. “However, Aidy. You changed me for the better. I love you. I never thought I'd have you living with me; I never thought that I would get to sleep next to you in I could never have asked for anything better.” Aiden looked thoughtful for a moment. He remembered what had brought him to this point. His parents now lived out of town, but he was still so lucky, living with his adoring boyfriend and his family, who were now a second family to Aiden. A part of him was still sad, but he was so grateful for what he now had. “Well then, Mister Jerk, this little brat loves you very much too…” Aiden got off the bed and waltzed over to James, wrapping his arms around his neck, wary of his still drying nails. “Oh yeah? Care to show me how much you love me, baby boy?” James's eyes grew dark as he pulled Aiden in; the following kiss was bruising, passionate, and burning with love. James pushed Aiden back to the bed and was about to throw him down onto the thing, the Brazilian's hand came up to tangle in his boyfriend's hair before until Aiden suddenly stopped him. “Babe…our nails… I love you, but no amount of love in the world could get me to paint them all over again.” “Caralho… This better dry fucking fast because I'm losing my shit here, babe.”

A few hours later, and both boys were dead asleep. James was always out like a light as soon as they settled into bed. Aiden was in and out of consciousness; his head rose and fell as it lay against James's chest as the older boy breathed gently, soothing Aiden like the sweetest lullaby. The e-boy smiled against the soft fabric of James’s ‘The Neighbourhood’ t-shirt as he listened to him. He had managed to get James into the band, as it was the only thing he would put on the car stereo as they drove to school in the morning. Aiden lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling in his dark blue boxers and his green and white striped Coritiba club soccer shirt, an old one of James’s that fit Aiden perfectly and made him look ‘hot as fuck’, according to James. The pale boy's mind kept coming back to something James’s dad had said during dinner two evenings ago. Aiden's grasp of the Portuguese language wasn't the best, but he understood enough to know that James's dad had made a comment about the sound of his son's headboard smacking against the wall being heard all the way from the living room, making Aiden go bright red and sink into his chair while he tried to finish the rest of his salad. He was praying no one had heard the two of them this time. The smaller boy turned over onto his side as he closed his eyes again, listening to James’s slow breaths again until he heard something else. It sounded like… scratching, then creaking… then like… footsteps, then a voice. “Aiden? Aiiiidennnn? Wakey wakey… did you miss me, bitch?” Before Aiden could sit up, something grabbed him, and then there was a searing, stinging pain in the side of his neck. Then everything went black.

Aiden's eyes snapped open. He was cold, too cold. His neck hurt; it ached horribly, like he could feel the bruise forming under his skin. Then he heard the thundering laughter. “Shit, he's awake. Morning gorgeous…” He knew that accent anywhere, that evil voice; Aiden looked up to see Oleksander dragging him along the floor. Aiden’s mouth fell open as he screamed his lungs out in fear. He could barely move. He tried with all his might to fight to get away, but his legs and arms were so weak, he felt like he was almost paralysed; all he could do was whimper and cry and watch as he was pulled along the grass below him towards a car. “Now, now, you knew this was coming; this is what you signed up for after all, Sky…” The taunting laughter that came after being called that name could have made Aiden vomit there and then until he was suddenly yanked up to his feet by his hair, looking into his captor’s eyes for a moment before his attention was brought towards another sickening scream. “AIDEN! HELP ME!” The e-boy’s eyes looked ahead to see Jake being forced into another car by two men; he was fighting desperately to get to his best friend. “JAKE! JAAAAAKE!” Aiden and Jake both screamed and cried for each other while the men around them laughed evilly. One of the men holding Jake produced something from his back pocket; it glinted in the light, and Aiden quickly discovered that it was a syringe. The instrument was pulled back in the air and then shoved into the side of Jake’s neck, the liquid being quickly forced into the blue-haired boy’s bloodstream as he wailed in pain and fear as Aiden watched on helplessly. Jake was trying to fight, to get away, to stay awake, but it was useless; the drug knocked him out like a light as he fell limp and was then bound by his wrists and ankles and thrown in the back of the car. Heavy, hot tears flooded down Aiden’s face as he watched the car speed away. It was his fault, all his fault. He had caused this to happen to Jake. Oleksander pulled Aiden’s face towards him once more, grinning like a demon from hell as he spoke. “I have one last surprise for you, sunshine…” As if by magic, Dejan suddenly appeared, dragging something behind him before throwing it down on the floor in front of him, presenting it to Aiden. The e-boy looked down…only to see his boyfriend. James was limp, pale, and cold. Aiden’s eyes went wide as he slowly looked up James’s body to see his blood-soaked T-shirt and his lifeless eyes. The older boy had been badly beaten; he was unconscious, his eyes had no shine to them, and they looked glazed over and grey. “JAMES! JAMES, WAKE UP! IT’S AIDEN! SAY SOMETHING!” Aiden fought with all of his power to reach James before he was pulled back again by Oleksander, watching on helplessly as Dejan pulled out a knife and pointed it at James. “No chance…” The older man leapt forward and promptly cut James’s throat, dark crimson blood spewing out from James’s neck and flooding onto the grass, dying it red. Aiden watched on, his heart burning, his vision clouded, and he screamed and screamed and screamed and –

“GYAHHHHHHHHHHH!” James shot up in bed to the sound of his boyfriend's screams and looked around horrified before seeing his boyfriend’s crying face; tears flowed down Aiden’s face as he clutched the blanket over his body. Without thinking, the Brazilian grabbed Aiden by the shoulders and pulled him in close while trying to calm him down. “Shit! Aiden, meu amor, it’s me! Calm down; you’re safe. It’s okay!” “J-James! Don’t let them… Don’t let them…” Aiden was inconsolable and incomprehensible; he shook like a leaf, his face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. “Hush, Aidy baby. I’m here; Jamsey is here. Nothing is going to happen to you.” “James… it – it was Dejan and Oleksander! T-they cut your throat! They kidnapped Jake…” James hushed Aiden again, wiping the tears away from his face as both of their eyes met. James looked deeply into Aiden’s teal, bloodshot, tear-filled orbs. “There, there, amor. They aren’t here; it’s just us. Jake is fine; he’s safe and at home. We’re both safe in my room, in my bed. I’m fine; look, no cuts. Plus… It takes a hell of a lot to pull one on James Costa, baby. Nothing is getting to us while I’m here.” Aiden giggled at his boyfriend's silliness and buried his face into the crook of James’s neck, being somewhat reassured by the sight of the love bite he had left on his boyfriend’s neck a few hours before instead of a deep bloody gash like the one he had seen in his nightmare. A few more minutes went by while James whispered to Aiden to get him to calm back down and settle; the older boy was going to make sure that Aiden was a bit calmer before asking any questions. There was a long silence, the sound of Aiden’s sobs and James’s gentle hushed whispers and shushing filling the emotion-heavy air. Finally, Aiden broke the silence, pulling away from James’s hold to look him dead in the eye. “James… I-I'm sorry I ever broke up with you. It was so stupid and idiotic, and I –” The dark-skinned man shut his boyfriend off with a deep kiss. “Hey now… It’s fine, sunshine. We’re both fine now… You were scared! You were hurt… You weren't in the right state of mind, xuxu.” A couple of tears dropped from Aiden’s eyes, being caught by James as he wiped them away with his thumb. The smaller boy tried to speak again. “But-but… I may not have got you back; I did something so stupid…” “Aiden, meu amor, You were always going to get me back; I would have begged on my knees in the middle of the hall if I had to… I should be the one saying sorry. I exposed you to that environment. I introduced you to Oleksander. None of this would have happened if –” Aiden interrupted James abruptly, grabbing his hand and gripping it tight. “James Costa, not another word. Don’t you even dare say another single word like that. You aren't to blame for anything; those sick bastards are. We all make mistakes, but… we learn from them, we grow from them, and we need to make them. My biggest mistake was keeping it all a secret from you, and now I know I'm never doing that shit again, so… Make me a promise? No more secrets from either of us. Okay?” James smiled sweetly, squeezing Aiden’s hand tightly and bringing it to his lips, kissing his knuckles one by one. “No more secrets, xuxu; I promise…”

Friday’s lessons were quite fun for Aiden and James. P.E. was the first lesson, which was usually good fun, and then they both had dance class together. Aiden said hello to Mana again after getting along with her so well on Wednesday during the therapy session, introducing the blonde girl to Rosa, who they also shared their dance class with. James went over to a corner on his own to stretch for a bit before beginning to start a practice run through his routine. All of the class’s students had a solo to perform as a part of their final grade before their graduation in six months time. James had picked ‘Lovin on me’ by Jack Harlow; it was a beat you could easily move along to and catchy as hell. He just had to refine a few things towards the end. James looked up during the middle of his warm-up to see Yul staring at him; the Korean boy was easily the best dancer in the class. It was like Yul was sizing him up, then the Korean boy’s gaze went over to Aiden where he was warming up with the two girls. James followed Yul’ line of sight and then snapped back to look at him; James was saying nothing but glaring at Yul furiously. His expression clearly says, ‘Don’t you even dare trying to do anything, bitch.’ Yul smirked at him, and James felt his blood run red hot.

The class continued on; Rosa and Mana had both performed their routines and asked for comments. Rosa had picked ‘Good Ones’ by Charli XCX, and Manon was doing ‘Heat Seeker’ by Dreamers. James and Aiden both watched and praised either girl’s work and gave some constructive criticism; after that, it was Aiden’s turn. James had helped him pick ‘Greedy’ by Tate McRae and coached him through the choreography, choosing something slightly more difficult in an attempt to get a better grade for the e-boy. The dance made Aiden feel slightly self-conscious; it was a bit more provocative than what he would have chosen at first, but James’s encouragement made him feel a hell of a lot more confident. Aiden went at a breakneck pace as James and the two other girls watched Aiden move his arms and hands from side to side, then up and down again rapidly before he got to the chorus. Aiden had to pretend to pull himself in while pushing himself out backwards while kicking his leg forwards; the e-boy was proud of the move, and he was about to do it perfectly before something ploughed into his side and nearly knocked Aiden off his feet. Fortunately, James reached out and grabbed Aiden’s waist and pulled him towards himself before the smaller boy could hit the floor. Aiden took a moment to process what had happened, seeing Yul now right in front of him and putting the pieces together. Aiden had a very lucky escape; the way his leg was positioned, if he had hit the floor like that, it would have been an easy dislocation or even a broken leg. Once James made sure Aiden was steady back on his feet, all four of them looked to see Yul standing with an angry expression on his face. “Hey, watch where you’re going, Yul.” Rosa barked out with her hands on her hips; the Korean boy glared at her, clearly pissed off. Aiden was absolutely livid, letting go of James and marching forward to Yul; for a moment, James thought Aiden might even strike Yul. “You bastard! You were trying to trip me up!” “You would’ve tripped yourself up with how you dance; it’s like watching a penguin trying to walk for the first time!” Aiden ground his teeth together and balled up his fists. James moved forward to intervene and tell Yul off, but he didn’t get the chance to; Aiden muttered something under his breath. “Cunt…” Yul’s eyes widened for a moment. “What did you say, femboy?” No one expected what came next. “I said you’re a total fucking cunt, Yul! Now fuck off and leave us alone. You don’t fucking scare me, not anymore. I’ve dealt with way worse things than you within the last few weeks; you aren’t shit. Piss off and get a life, you good-for-nothing prick.” Aiden marched away, not even looking back. “I’m getting a drink; who’s coming?” Mana and Rosa stood in silence, mouths open in amazement, while Yul sulked back over to his side of the room. James turned around and looked at Aiden for a moment while he took everything in, his lips then spreading into a grin at his boyfriend’s actions and following him out of the classroom with a hand around his boyfriend’s hip while he praised him endlessly. “That was impressive, xuxu. Where did that come from?” “Meh, it was just the truth. I’m a changed man, you could say!” Aiden was back alright, back and better than ever.

Later that night, Jake had long since come home from school. He ate dinner with Miriam, he took a nice long bath, and he got himself ready for bed. Things were good; it was his birthday tomorrow. He was going to spend all afternoon with his friends. The blue-haired boy sat on the edge of his bed and gazed out of the window as his thoughts washed over his mind. He would soon be a legal adult; a year ago, the prospect of it would have terrified him because it meant being kicked out of the house to live on his own by his parents. Now, they didn't even matter. He had people who loved him; he had safety and security; he had even escaped a brush with potential death by this point, or at least human traffic. Jake felt lucky, very lucky indeed. The soon-to-be eighteen-year-old was broken out of his thoughts by the familiar sound of a beeping car horn. Jake looked down to be greeted with Tom’s beautiful face as the scarred young man gestured for Jake to come down and join him in the car. Jake gave his boyfriend a smug smile and pushed open his bedroom windows wide and climbed onto the ledge. Tom gulped from below as he watched his boyfriend's actions. As if it was second nature, Jake grabbed the drainpipe, swung himself around and climbed down with ease. “I'll never be comfortable with you doing that, you know.” Tom commented with a sigh; Jake shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes back playfully, earning a pinched side and a poke on the forehead from Tom, making Jake giggle, and before he knew it, the blue-haired lad was being picked up and tickled by his boyfriend. “T-Tom! Stop! Let me go, you dick!” Jake spluttered out between loud laughter and yelps. “Nuh-uh, in the car with you, you little brat!”

Tom drove them both to their usual date spot, on the hill. They hadn't visited the place since James's arrest, many months ago, but despite the unfortunate incident, it was still a very special place to both Tom and Jake. The two boys sat together quietly, sitting below a mighty old tree and kissing each other every now and then. One kiss turned rather passionate, and Jake moved his hand to rest on Tom’s cheek, brushing the bandage on his hand against Tom’s skin, making the muscular boy break the kiss and take Jake’s hand into his own, giving him a sympathetic look while Jake turned his face away with a sigh, a slightly sad smile painted across his lips. “How… How’s your finger?” Jake’s smile turned genuine, and his face came to peck Tom’s cheek, thanking him for his concern. “It’s fine, the wound has closed… But I don’t want to show it to anyone apart from Miriam when she changes the dressing… I can't even look at it without gagging and wincing. Still hurts like a bitch too sometimes…” Tom nodded in understanding, bringing the bandaged hand up to his lips to ‘kiss it better’, getting a chuckle from Jake. “You were brave, babe, so brave. The fact that they wanted to sell you abroad…” Tom didn't continue his sentence; Jake gave him a look, an expression he couldn't quite read. It was a mixture of sadness and confidence. Tom knew he should stop the conversation there. “I'm just proud of you, Jakey; I really am…” “I know Tom, thank you.” Nothing else needed to be said between the two boys; they just looked into each other's eyes lovingly with a smile. The heat of the moment overtook both of them as their lips came together in a searing kiss; wet sounds came from them both as their mouths mashed together, and then Tom’s hand came up to Jake's shoulder and pushed him back onto the grass, Tom’s frame coming to rest over the top of Jake’s. Jake looked up at his beautiful boyfriend in the bright moonlight as it shone over the both of them. “Tom…” Tom replied, his voice low.. “Quiet, Jakey… Let me give you an early birthday present, huh?” Tom's eyes turned dark and filled with love, and Jake grinned in agreement, nothing else needed to be said.

A little while later, Tom took them both back in the early hours of the morning, where they managed to get in the front door with the spare key and climbed into Jake's bed, topless and smelling of fresh night air and grass. When the morning came, both lads were awoken by Miriam leaning through Jake's bedroom door and shouting happy birthday, snapping both boys out of their slumber with a surprised scream. Miriam screamed too, seeing both boys together in bed with their bare torsos out. The older woman apologised profusely and covered her eyes as she rushed out of the room, and Jake and Tom both gave each other a look before rolling out of bed to have a shower together before the birthday festivities began. Tom and Miriam went back and forth with extra decorations and speakers for the garden as they made the house look amazing, Miriam constantly telling Jake to sit down, refusing to let him help when he was the birthday boy and supposed to be relaxing. Jake had opened his presents from Tom and Miriam; he had been given some new Panic! At The Disco merch: a poster, a wristband, two t-shirts and some other new clothes from Miriam. Tom had given him another plushie, a cat one to go alongside T.J on Jake’s bed, and a new Precure figure, Cure Friendy to be exact. Jake looked at his gifts on the coffee table fondly as his attention was then brought to the doorbell ringing. Tom and Miriam were both preoccupied with getting things set up, so Jake took it upon himself to answer the door.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got it!” Jake shouted over his shoulder as he pulled the door open. “Oh… Hi, Shawn.” The older brother smiled upon seeing Jake’s face, immediately pulling his younger brother in for a tight hug. “Happy birthday, Jakey boy!” The now eighteen-year-old smiled and thanked his brother for leading him into the living room, where Miriam and Tom both called out to him to say hello from somewhere in the house. Jake couldn’t help but feel a tad bit nervous upon opening the door to his older brother. The last time the two of them had spent a long amount of time together, it hadn’t exactly been under the best circumstances. Jake left Shawn’s house because the older brother had caught the younger one cutting his own arm, and then after that, Shawn had rescued Jake from being kidnapped and shipped off to a foreign country where a man would do only God knows what to him. The two brothers sat alongside each other on Miriam's couch in silence for a moment, neither one quite sure what to say to the other for a while. Shawn was the one to speak first. “So… how are you doing now? I’m sorry I didn’t visit more after… you know…” Jake nodded, his eyes vacant as he looked towards the all in front of them both. “Shawn… I thought you would cut me off again after that night. Walking in on your brother doing… that… it isn't exactly pleasant. I thought you were going to scream at me that evening, call me a freak, call me insane…” “Jacob Hamilton, we are brothers… I lost you once; I’m not losing you again. Regardless of what demons you are fighting, it’s my job to stand beside you and help you through it. I won’t run away, not this time, never again.” Jake was stunned; he hadn't expected that at all. Without thinking, he grabbed his older brother and pulled him in for the tightest hug that they had ever shared. Jake was close to tears with gratitude. “Thank you, Shawn.” “Don’t mention it, little brother… You still haven’t answered my question, though. Are things any easier at the moment? Be honest with me.” Jake sniffed back tears and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. “I’m better than what I was; I’m up and down… But at least I’m not in some weirdo’s basement in Hungary, though, right?” Shawn laughed at the statement, probably because he didn’t want to consider the possibility for more than a few seconds. Shawn fully thanked God that he, Tom and James had found the two boys that day.
“Oh, shit. You still haven't opened your presents from me yet! My bad, here, Jake…” The younger brother suddenly had two gifts thrust into his hands. “Shawn! You didn’t have to get me anything, let alone two things!” “Shut up and open them, this one first.” Shawn pointed to the smallest package; Jake unwrapped it carefully and was happy to see that it was a game for his Switch. “Animal Crossing? Gabby told me about this game; she loves it! I can finally play with her, thanks, Shawn!” “No problem, Jakey. I was stumped until I saw this, and I thought, ‘That looks so gay; Jake will love it!’” The younger brother laughed loudly at his older brother’s choice of words, swatting at him playfully as he opened up the next gift. Tom arrived back into the living room from outside as he leaned over the side of the couch and watched Jake unwrap his next gift. “Hey, what did you get, babe? Is that… oh…” Tom went silent when he figured out what Shawn had gifted his younger brother. That was the picture frame that Jake had spotted when they went over to Shawn’s a little while ago, the picture of Jake, Shawn and their grandmother when they were younger and she was still alive, and the picture that Shawn had ripped down the middle to remove their parents from the picture. “Shawn… why?…” Jake could feel his words getting caught up in his throat, tears starting to leak down his cheeks, and Tom wrapped an arm around Jake and pulled him close to comfort him. Shawn didn’t wait for Jake to say anything else. “It’s… I wanted you to have it; I wanted you to keep it here. It’s the original; I have a copy at home for me to keep, so we both have one.” Jake wrapped his arms around Shawn once again. “Thank you… I’ll take good care of it.” “I know you will, Jake.” Without another word, Jake stood up and walked right over to the mantelpiece, placing the picture right next to Miriam’s one with her, her husband and her son, smiling at the old pictures as they sat side by side. “That looks beautiful, Jake.” Miriam commented, suddenly being right behind him, her eyes filled with warmth as she observed the pictures. Jake nodded and smiled back; once again, the moment was interrupted by the doorbell. “That’ll be the guests.” Miram noted aloud. “Ah, I better go then. Thank you for having me.” Shawn said as he got up from the couch and started to make his way towards the door, Jake suddenly turned heel and ran towards his brother, grabbing his arm to stop him from going any further. “Shawn, wait… won’t you stay? Please?” Shawn looked back into Jake’s eyes for a moment, apprehensive but soon agreeing once he saw his younger brother’s expression and his desire to have his brother spend his birthday with him. “I mean…o-okay, sure, if you want me!” Jake beamed back up at Shawn and thanked him once more before going to the door to see who had arrived.

It was Lake, Rosa, Hunter, Ally and Tess, the five of them all showering Jake with hugs, birthday wishes and presents as they made their way into the living room and Shawn introduced himself to his younger brother’s friends. Tom turned on the stereo once Jake had opened his gifts from everyone, and 3OH3!, Kesha, Katy Perry and various other artists immediately started to play as everyone got up and started to dance as Miriam and Shawn prepared drinks and food for everyone in the kitchen. Jake had recently had a sudden fixation on pop music from the early 2010s, so it was classic tune after classic tune as everyone danced and sang along. Not long after that, the doorbell rang again; it was Gabby and Ellie. The Polish girl grabbed Jake and immediately pulled him in for a hug and wished him happy birthday while Ellie punched him in the shoulder in greeting, causing Jake to groan and shout, “What the hell was that for?” “Birthday beatings, only seventeen more to go… Happy birthday, you stupid twink.” There was no malice in Ellie’s words as she passed Jake the gift from her and Gabby, the two friends sharing a knowing smile before the three of them went back into the front room as Jake opened the gift, which was a sweater hand-designed and -made by Ellie herself, with patches of the gay flag on the arms and breast. Along with some vegan jellybeans and a cute rabbit keychain, picked out by Gabby. Jake pulled both girls in to the middle of the room to dance with them. A few more minutes went by as everyone enjoyed themselves, dancing without a care, Ellie leaning over to Jake to shout something in his ear. “God, this song is fucking awful! The chorus is literally ‘dirty mind, dirty mind, she just wants to fuck me all the time’ over and over again.” “But it's so catchy, though!” Jake added, hanging onto Tom’s arm as they both danced. They heard a laugh from behind them. “Huh, sounds like Ally!” “Hunter, shut the fuck up!” All nine of the teens laughed, then were interrupted by one last ring of the doorbell. Aiden and James were here.

Jake’s suspicions were confirmed when he opened the door, and he was once again pulled into a hug; this hug lingered for longer, though. Aiden held his best friend tight, and James smiled at the two twinks in front of him. Both boys wished Jake a happy birthday before they went into the living room with everyone else, and Jake was handed his presents. Everyone gathered around as Jake pulled out the first gift, and by God, it was stunning. Aiden had drawn and painted a picture of Tom and Jake together; it almost looked like a picture taken with a camera because it was so accurate. James knew how long Aiden had been working on it for, often focusing on painting the thing in between working shifts at that stupid club while talking to him while he was in Brazil. Jake was beyond amazed and grateful, hugging Aiden once again. The second gift almost made Jake choke up again; it was another framed picture, this time of him and Aiden, in the isolation room. It was a selfie that the two boys had taken on their second day in the room together, just after they had finished some beers. Aiden held a peace sign and looked into the camera, and Jake did the same, with his can still in his hand as he took the picture, the already finished cans being in plain view in the picture; God forbid that Connor ever came around to Miriam’s and saw it. Miriam herself raised an eyebrow and looked at the two boys as they both blushed nervously and giggled, regardless. Finally Jake opened James’s gift to him, a pair of earrings that the dark-skinned lad had bought back in Curitiba. Jake was beyond grateful to everyone for all of his lovely presents. Miriam then called to the group of teens in her living room to gather so she could take a picture of them all, with Jake being in the centre, Tom to his left and Aiden to his right while everyone gathered around, another picture to add to a frame and put up for all to see. The night went on as everyone drank and danced and sang, as carefree as could be. Jake was having the time of his life… until a certain song came on, Collar Full by Panic! At the disco. Jake and Aiden both paused as they looked at each other, the same look in either boy's eyes. ‘We've waited so damn long; we're sick and tired…’ They both shared the same thought; this was the song they both sang to comfort each other in that awful room in the club when they thought the most ungodly things possible were about to happen to the two of them. ‘So maybe tonight, I'll be the libertine…’ Aiden turned around to look at Jake’s stunned face, reaching his hand out for Jake to take. “Hey… let’s turn this into a good memory.” Jake stood there for a moment before registering Aiden’s words, smiling and firmly taking Aiden’s hand as the two of them started to sing and dance along to the song. Both lads took the hands of their boyfriends as they started to dance with them too; eventually everyone was singing, even Shawn and Miriam. “SO SHOW ME YOUR LOVE, YOUR LOVE. GIVE ME MORE, BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH!” As they all sang, Jake and Aiden caught each other’s eyes once again as the song started to come to an end as the night was starting to wear on. Both boys knew they were alright now; they would be okay, as they had each other. They had the love and support of the other to stand behind them through thick and thin, no matter what.

Notes:

So I wanted to add a little thing here to put the names of all the songs that i have used (or the lyrics of songs) for the chapter names

1) Casual Affair - Panic! at the disco
2) Parents - Yungblud
3) It's amazing to be young - fontaines D.C
4) Evil - Interpol
5) I'm glad you came - the wanted
6) echo - starset
7) jacked- heartworms
8) homesick - dayseeker
9) colourfast - pendulum
10) dirty little secret - The All-American Rejects
11) paradise - the neighbourhood
12) better way to live - kneecap
13) save me - my darkest days
14) hangover - taio cruz
15) heat seeker - dreamers
16) clocks - coldplay
17) Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? - arctic monkeys
18) new invention - I Don't Know How But They Found Me
19) sit next to me - foster the people
20) hello fascination - breathe Carolina
21) RIP - 3OH!3
22) backstabber - kesha
23) one more night - maroon 5
24) it's no good - in flames
25) i am machine - three days grace
26) where do i sign? - weathers
27) fairly local - twenty one pilots
28) Unhappy hour - voila
29) bullet - Hollywood undead
30) same song and dance - Eminem
31) get down - kid kapichi

enjoy your new additions to your Spotify playlists lol