The Phonecall

Part 4

"At least you get to kiss him," Barcode groaned. He wanted to hang up. "Jeff likes it when he kissed boys, he kissed boys a lot and his favourite is..."

"I know who's his favourite. I'm hanging up."

"Come on, Barcode. I have nothing but respect for you to be in this position. You are always calm and collected and I thought you always had your emotions are always in check..."

Should he be offended?

"But I guess you are human too and it's okay." Joe breathed. "It just showed that you're mature enough to handle the ache and confusion well despite your age,"

Barcode shut his eyes.

"You rest well tonight. Hydrate yourself after you've done crying. Eat whatever you want because you need the energy to grow taller. Go to sleep, don't play games on your phone,"

"Yes, mother." Barcode almost smiled when he replied. He pulled off the blanket and froze when he saw Jeff stood alongside his bed. Their eyes met for a while, and it was Barcode who turned his gaze away.

Jeff didn't say a thing, his expression indecipherable.

Barcode pulled the blanket over him again and felt his eyes sting with tears again.

**

"What do you think you're doing?" Gameplay put both hands on his waist when Jeff closed the door behind him.

"Uh..." Jeff shrugged.

"Talk to him,"

"I don't know what I should say to him," Jeff ran his fingers through his hair.

"After all the confusion that you caused him, you left him alone tonight?"

"What do you want me to say to him?"

"Just apologise to him. Say that I'm sorry..."

"I already did," Jeff mumbled. "He said he's not."

"He's not sorry, but you should!" Gameplay slapped Jeff's hand. Jeff pouted. "He's a kid and he was confused because you're giving wrong signals to him. It's bad because he's learning his sexuality now and you're the closest that he can refer to,"

"I'm sorry it happened, but what more can I do? It's your fault!" Jeff whispered back. "You know we should keep it down about this..."

"Jeff, it's our mutual understanding." Gameplay sighed. "But still, Barcode should not be like us,"

"He called his mom just now," Jeff blurted.

"What?"

"Yes." Jeff massaged the back of his neck, feeling a headache was coming. "When I came in to talk about whatever happen, he was talking to his mom,"

"How do you know?"

"Hey," both Jeff and Gameplay turned when someone approached them. It was Joe. "Barcode home?"

"Why are you here?" Jeff was aware that Joe might be here because he was hired by Barcode, but he didn't like it during time like this.

"I want to see Code." His voice's firm as he looked straight into Jeff's eyes. Jeff swallowed, there was malice in his tone.

"He's resting,"

"And you're not?" Joe rolled his eyes.

"Don't think about entering our room without my permission," Jeff threatened him. "Code needs to rest and you need to go home,"

"And...you need to calm down," Joe put a finger on Jeff's chest that brought a sudden rage inside the singer. He smacked the hand away and nearly hit Joe if not for Gameplay pulling him aside.