Free 1-jachary

9

It was awkward at school the next day. With the boys questioning, not verbally but with there eyes, why Jack was with us.

I didn't bother to explain, all I said was that he was our friend now. They just accepted it.

They were uncomfortable at first, not used to having a former jock sit with us at lunch.

The basketball team didn't kick him off after finding out he was gay, he decided to quit.

I didn't think it was day for Jack to stop doing something he liked just because there was a high chance of him being picked on. Why did the world have to be so fucked up?

And then there was Cleo. Once she saw that Jack was with us, her feelings about me surely changed. She came up to me after school.

"That's why you apologized yesterday, huh?" She stood a foot away, her hands balled into tight fists. "What are you guys together now?"

"N-no-"

"Bullshit." She interrupted me. "That bruise on your neck, wasn't just a bruise was it?"

"Cleo-"

"Save it." She looked down at the floor, shaking her head. "I never did anything wrong to you. Sure I never technically said anything about what Logan and Jake were doing, but I never joined in on them. I thought maybe, just maybe I would have a friend. I guess not."

"Cleo, I'm..."

I stopped when she looked up at me, tears threatening to fall down her face. She shook her head again then walked away.

I get her pain. It's not fun to see your ex with your potentially new friend. That must have hurt her. And then to find out that I lied to about the hickey, the one Jack gave me.

I stood there, for five minutes, shocked until mom texted asking if I was gonna get dropped off or if I'm walking home.

I told her that I was walking home. I had my earphones in again the music loud so I didn't have to think about the conversation I just had with Cleo.

That's when someone popped up from behind me. And just like I had with Daniel I screamed. But it was only Jack.

I pulled out my earphones. He was laughing at me, like I almost didn't have a heart attack.

"I'm sorry." He said, smiling. "Didn't realize that your music was that loud."

"It's fine." I paused my music and hung the cord on my shirt. "I don't learn from the past." He gives me a confused face. "Daniel scared me the other day."

"Oh." He nodded. We walked in silence until he said. "I saw you talking with Cleo earlier."

I blushed. "You saw that? She was actually doing all the talking. She was pissed when she saw you hanging out with me."

He shrugged. "I don't regret anything. Well I do regret breaking her heart. But I can't change the way I am. Even if I tried."

We walked in silence again, but it was a comfortable silence. He walked all the way to my house with me. "Well this is me." I looked back at Jack.

He was staring at my house in awe, causing me to blush. "You live here?" he asked.

"Yeah." I blushed. I never considered my house big or fancy, but Jack seems to. "Do you want to come inside?"

He looked at me with wide eyes. "Can I?"

"I'm sure my mom won't mind. Come on." I walked down the path to the front door and unlocked it, Jack behind me. "Mom! I'm home!"

She came into the front hall, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Hi honey, oh hi." She seen Jack and smiled. "You must be Jack."

My face burned , again. I stood in total shock, as Jack smirked at me. "Mom!"

"What?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"We'll be upstairs, studying, if you need us."

"Have fun." She said as I pull Jack up the stairs to my room. Really?

I close the door behind me and turn around to see Jack leaning against my desk, smirking. "Your Mom is nice."

"I'm sorry about that." I let my head fall, ashamed.

"Hey," he stood in front of me, lifting my chin with his index finger. "It's fine that you talk about me to your mom." He fought back a laugh.

"That's not funny." I walked to my bed, flopping down.

"No really." He sits beside me. "I think it is fine. You can tell your parents anything." He looked down at my comforter, tracing the thread lines.

I move onto my elbow, my shoulder protesting against it, I choose to ignore it. "Your parents don't accept you?"

He frowns. "I haven't told them yet. I mean they're not against gays but they prefer me to be straight. My stepmom likes us better."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He sighed and smiled, holding my face in his hands. That action alone made my heart beat faster. "Anyway, who wants to talk about parents. Aren't we suppose to be studying?"

"I'd rather do something else." I acted before nerves could stop me. My lips crashed onto his. It took him by surprise at first, but then he kissed back.

His hands move from my face down to my thighs. He leaned forward, pushing me back down onto the bed. 

He didn't pressure me into doing anything else, respecting that I was still new to this. I felt something in my chest then. A burning heat that when from my heart to my head.  And then I could hold it back. "I love you Jack Robert Avery." I said pulling from the kiss slightly.

He smiles down at me, kissing me again before saying, "I love you Zachary Dean Herron."