Velvet Horns » Royce

[7]

Welp, this chapter some stuff happens. Tell me what you think!!

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They'd been running around like little children for about thirty minutes before it was time to enjoy pizza. Turns out, Jacob's friend - the one who always called him off to leave - was the one having the dinner , and he was actually really nice. The others also welcomed him into their group and it was refreshing to say the least. Chresanto was not at all used to being treated decently and to have a group of strangers smile at him and genuinely want him to feel welcomed, it was something.

"So Chresanto, what year are you? Jake never told us," said Frankie, a tanned girl with light brown hair and blonde highlights. She was Chresanto's favorite so far, always speaking with an animated expression, adjusting her big blue eyes to fit the tone of whatever she was speaking about at the moment. Her style lie somewhere between soft, country hippie and skater, with her rolled up blue jean overalls, striped white& yellow short sleeve, flower headband and white converse that contrasted nicely with her tan.

Jacob was busy at a basketball shooting game, which they'd tried to tell him he was horrible at , but he wouldn't give up.

Chresanto smiled thinking about how Jacob missed almost every sinlge basket back to back. It was hilarious. But that was Jacob, Chresanto was beginning to realize. A trier who never gave up.

"I'm a junior." He stated, still a bit shy in front of the three friends. He thought that him being younger than them would make them not like him. But that was in Chresanto's nature -- being too self conscious.

They all smiled as Frankie cooed. " Aw, I knew you looked young. But Jacob is a cougar." She giggled.

"What? Do you even call it that if it's a man?" Jacob.L - which is interestingly enough the name of Jacob's friend - asked laughing.

"I think you all should shut up because you sound dumb and you're scaring him." Lee , the final friend, chuckled as they all glanced back at a red faced Chresanto.

To be honest, he was still stuck on the "Jacob is a cougar" thing insinuating Chresanto is his prey.
How could Jacob's friends think he'd settle for someone like Chresanto. Did they know how he was treated at school? He would date a junior even though he's a senior? Is he gay? These were a few of the questions going through his head.

Suddenly, there was a cough and Chresanto looked up to see Jacob standing there. How long? He didn't know, but prayed it wasn't long enough to hear their conversation.

"I agree. Leave my Toto alone." He smiled sitting down beside Chresanto, glancing down at him before grabbing a pizza slice.

"So, that was the hardest game ever, but I got a couple tickets." Jacob spoke excitedly, slapping the tickets down on the table, as if his closeness didn't affect Chresanto.

While Jacob chattered endlessly and his friends teased him just as much , Chresanto savored this moment. He felt apart of something like a friendship, sitting there with the group.

Jacob and his friends would include Chresanto every now and then into the conversation, not too much or too little, almsot as if this was Jacob's plan all along. To bring him out and treat him like a person should be treated.

Thinking about this made Chresanto's heart swell with appreciation.

Anjael.

-

"I don't know the words." Chresanto laughed.

They were riding back to his house and Jacob was trying to get him to sing along with him to the radio.

Jacob scoffed playfully.
"Well, now I have to sing even louder to make up for the lack of a second voice!"

Chresanto facepalmed. Jacob was ridiculous.

"You are the cause of my eu-phor-ria!" He screamed to the top of his lungs, trying to recall the bits and pieces of the lyrics he knew.

He did that all the way until they pulled up at the driveway.

As Chresanto got out, he didn't know he left his phone. He'd just turned around to say goodbye when Jacob saw the phone light up with a message in the cup holder. He grabbed it to give to Chresanto , but saw the message as he handed it.

"Oh, don't forget your--Wait, what?" He frowned at the screen as Chresanto squatted down in the window.

Chresanto's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Who's sending you messages like this?" Jacob asked. This was Chresanto's first time seeing him angry. It was unsettling to have such a beautiful face be set to such an emotion.

And Chresanto was confused for a second but once he remembered, he gulped. What great timing.

He didn't answer.

"Chresanto?" Jacob looked worried. "Toto, why is-"

"It's nothing. I should be going in. My mom's waiting." Chresanto spoke nervously, lying. His mom was at work He squeezed together his hands, something he did a lot when stressed and out of control of what was going on.

Jacob just stared at Chresanto.

"Can I get my phone back.. please?" Chresanto asked looking away.

Jacob's jaw clenched. Why was Chresanto trying to keep things from him. "Yeah. But you have to get back in first."

Chresanto frowned at the odd request. But he just wanted to get his phone back so he could go inside.
The day had taken a turn for the worst, as always.

He got in and closed the door. Not even a second later, Jacob had the text open showing him. And showing him this ugly message was the last thing Jacob wanted to do , but he wanted the truth.

Kill yourself. Do us the favor.

He gulped once again. He could feel his eyes tear up. Why won't they leave him alone? And now Jacob knows.

He chanced a glance up at Jacob who frowned once he saw Chresanto's visible reaction.

"Toto..why'd you lie. This is not 'nothing'. This isn't right." He was at a loss for words.

"Don't you think I of all people know that?" And Chresanto shocked himself and Jacob.

He was just so tired of it all.

"Toto-" Jacob began in a soft voice.

"Stop ..stop calling me that." Chresanto whispered.

He looked down. "Can't you see that I'm not worth it...your time? I-I don't know why you're doing this but you can stop. I'll try to forget you and you can forget about me. Treat me like they do--unimportant. I'm sorry, I'm just sick of this."
Chresanto jumped out of the car, leaving his phone in the hands of Jacob who sat there with his jaw stiff, holding back tears.

Chresanto was breaking in front of him while Jacob was breaking for him on the inside, because Jacob knew how it felt to be bullied.

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Chresanto so sad. Jacob just wanna make him feel better. Smh

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- Perivermore 🐺