Chapter Two
Author: Keishi
BIG FAT WARNING:
Contains m/m relationships
ONLY read if you are of age and open-minded!!
He was always hiding, one way or another. Whether it was to cover up his pain with well-placed jokes and hijinks; or to cover his pale, freckled body with the loudest clothing; Drayne always hid parts of himself from the world. The only one who ever noticed was Gade.
Drinking down his huge fountain soda, Gade was so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized he had finished it until someone slapped him on the back of the head.
"Dude, either quit doing that or get another soda," complained Sebastian, a friend. "That sound is so annoying," he scowled.
"What sound?" inquired Chasey, Sebastian's boyfriend, turning from his animated conversation with Drayne.
Sebastian twisted his face as he turned toward Chasey. "That annoying slurpy sound a straw makes when there's barely anything left in the cup."
"You mean like this?" Eyes wide, but decidedly wicked, Chasey sucked down noisily on his drink, hollowing his cheeks. Sebastian glared at him a second before launching across the food court table and tackling him to the floor, tickling him mercilessly. Chasey's howls echoed throughout the busy mall.
"Come on," said Drayne, linking a hand with Gade and pulling him out of his chair. He rolled his eyes at the pair. "I'll go with you to get another drink." He twisted in Gade's grasp and ended up in front of him, Gade's arm resting over his shoulder, hands still linked.
Sodas procured, Drayne suggested they saunter down to the video game store, so he could see when the newest installment of his favorite game franchise was coming out; both Drayne and Gade were avid strategy and RPG fans. So saunter they did, Drayne still not relinquishing Gade's arm, as they sipped their sodas and looked around the mall. It was a Sunday, not overly busy, mostly parents with their embarrassed kids following not all that closely behind.
"So," Gade murmured conversationally, "when am I going to get all my vintage t-shirts back?"
"Dude," Drayne admonished, looking up at Gade through his bright red bangs. "Why do you need them? They'd be too small on you now, anyway, man; besides, I've got no money since I spent it all on the posters for my room. That Ziggy Stardust one took most of my allowance as it is!"
"Hey, it's not my fault you don't know how to budget." Gade tried not to look at his friend, nor his pleading, puppy-dog eyes, but when he started whimpering loudly, he laughed and conceded. "I want my Intellivision shirt back, at least," he compromised.
"Deal," Drayne grinned, fangs showing. He had just moved to give his friend a quick hug for his generosity when something, or rather, someone, caught his attention. Drayne swiveled his head, and time seemed to slow down marginally.
A girl, unlike any other he'd ever seen, was walking past them. She had large eyes, caught between blue and green so breathtakingly he felt himself staring. Her hair was short, in a pixie cut that framed her elfish face, black with blonde streaks in the front. She was, as most kids were, trailing after what seemed to be the rest of her family. Her purple shirt, white belt, and designer blue jeans pegged her as trendy, but there was something about her, some kind of spark, that told Drayne it was all for show; that perhaps there was more to the rail-thin boy-girl with glossed lips and haunted eyes.
Craning his neck as they passed, Drayne nearly popped Gade's arm out of socket trying to keep the slowly disappearing girl in his sights. She, too kept looking back, a smile ghosting her lips.
"D!" Gade gasped when the strain on his arm was too much. "Either quit looking or let go already!" He wriggled his arm to get his attention.
Finally breaking off eye contact with the mysterious girl, Drayne let him go. "Sorry, man," he said, though he hardly sounded it. "Hey, do you think that girl is new? I wonder of she goes to our school; I've never seen her before."
Gade scowled down at his friend, rubbing his arm. "Do I look like I know? I've never seen her before in my life."
"Yeah," Drayne said, still occasionally looking back. "She was pretty though. Hey, did you see? We had the same haircut!" He smiled wide, eyes crinkling.
Gade rolled his eyes. "Whatever, dude, whatever." He studied his friend as they walked into the electronic gaming store, barely paying attention to the myriad of things that usually drew him to them on a weekly basis. Drayne looked happy, the expression real for once in his life, not forced or guarded as it normally was outside of his or Gade's bedroom. He glanced back to where they had spotted the mystery girl, and shrugged. So his friend finally had an interest in a girl. Gade was pretty sure he should be happy. Problem was, he wasn't.
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