Friend-Zoned

[28]

Monday rounded the corner within minutes. Jack wanted to just stay home, but, knowing his mother, if he had no reason to stay home he had to go.

He feared the worst.

Would things be awkward between them? Would Mark become distant?

He sure hoped not.

He'd already started his morning walk to school, not down to earth in even the slightest.

A loud booming shout disturbed him.

"Heeey, Jackaboy!"

Jack jumped, turning with a frown toward the black headed boy. "What teh 'ell, Maerk?" His Irish showing out much more.

Mark simply chuckled and wrapped an arm around the smaller's shoulders, pulling him into him. "Sorry. Thought it was necessary."

"You're a dick."

Mark smirked, punching Jack lightly with his free hand. "You are what you eat. S'what my mom always told me."

Jack huffed, leaning into the older more and savoring the idea of Mark holding him this close. "So your mom figured out you were going to be gay as fuck when you were six?"

"Nah," he chuckled at the bluntness in Jack's voice, a spark of satisfaction slithering through him when the green haired teen laid his head on his shoulder. "She just called me 'Marshmallow' cause Tom and I always went outside and made fires in the yard to roast marshmallows. She said I always ate about seventeen too many. We did it every night." He stared ahead with a somewhat wistful stare, a small grin on his lips.

Jack looked up at him at the mention of a Tom boy. Must've been his brother.

If Mark was given to his grandparents as a child, whatever happened to Tom?

"My brother Malcolm and I were like that. He took me on trails a lot, walking in the woods. He swam in the river and everything. Though our parents nearly killed him knowing he took lil' ole me out in the dangerous, predator infested woods to swim in dirty, dead fish and piss rivers. I mean, hey, I had fun jumping off the waterfall."

Mark grinned wider at him, mentally picturing Jack running six foot ahead and clumsily tripping over a jump, stumbling over the waterfall and smacking into the water.

"Ever tripped before?" Jack smirked sideways, "perhaps. Took Malcolm with me every time I fell too." Mark giggled, forgetting about the problem he had at home. It was the last thing on his mind. He forgot he left Thomas behind, forgot his parents wrecked a truck, forgot he was ever alone.

Because, walking down the street, with Jack under his arm and talking about anything with no fear of rejection, humiliation, or being laughed at, he would never be alone.