BEST FRIENDS 4NEVER || bxb

51: A HOODED FIGURE (JASON)

It took a while for us to work our way out of the meeting room. The Kenton High girls did not want Braden to leave. They couldn't have cared less about me, if you can imagine that. Really. It was like I was a sore thumb when I went back there to join them.

I suppose, as far as they were concerned, I didn't need fixing. Oh, how little they knew. But, whoa, did they ever want to fix Braden. I didn't blame them. I wanted to fix him up and down and all over too. With his pretty face and his long shaggy hair, he was like a big hunky One Direction boy, and girls in general, and a lot of boys too, totally lost their minds over dudes like that.

They each offered to be Braden's sponsor. It was like they were having a contest to see who would win him. Braden told them nicely that he'd think about it. I could tell he loved the attention they were giving him and was surprised by it. He exchanged phone numbers with them and they all three promised to call him and check up on him regularly and share other recovery tips and materials.

We finally got out of there and we walked back to the square. On the way over I'd told Braden how we'd met up with Cabel the day before. Now on the way back I told him how we found out we have the same dad.

"Ohmygod Jason, that's awful," he said. "I mean, it's great you found out you're brothers, but what an awful way to do it. I guess some men just aren't good dads. I have one, and you and Cabel have one too."

I wanted to take him back to Johnny's with me and have wild sex with him all afternoon. Or maybe sweet slow sex with him all afternoon. I would've been happy just to neck and kiss and cuddle. But I didn't know if that'd be right. He was an addict trying to recover. After having heard the stories and anecdotes the others at the meeting had given, I didn't want to mess with Braden's emotions in any manner that might influence him negatively. Recovery from addictions depended a lot on keeping emotion in check and not flying out of control.

So, struggling to keep my freaking libido in check, I bought us coffee and breakfast sandwiches for lunch at Starbucks and we went out to sit on the patio. There was still a crowd of kids there, all bopping around table to table and actually chatting face to face with each other, not just on their phones. They were watching every move Braden and I made, of course, and some of them were boldly taking pictures and recording us.

I did my girly giggle. "They like you, Braden. Maybe they'll start a fan club for you like they have for Carey and Corey."

"They're looking at you, Jason. They saw you on TV in Columbus last night and know that Johnny's still there. He was just in the parade a little while ago. They're wondering what you're doing back in Kenton."

Nah, they were majorly checking him out, but I didn't argue the point. He'd eventually learn that most girls, and boys who liked boys, preferred cute hunky dudes like him over muscleboy jocks like me, and that easily eight out of ten of them would definitely want to get to know him personally.

I was showing him the special website online for finding the local Narcotics Anonymous meetings when two of the out gay kids from school came over to our table, the effeminate Sammy Philo and the macho tough boy named Chet. Braden greeted them in a friendly manner as we exchanged hellos. I knew he was friends with them but I didn't know if it was casual or close.

"Hey, what're you doin' here?" Chet asked me. "I thought you were in Columbus with Johnny."

I knew he was only fifteen but he had an unbelievably muscular build for a kid that age. His tight tee and skinny jeans showed it off to perfection. He was nice looking in a plainer manner than usually attracted me, but I loved his badass mannerisms, macho-sexy like Trenton. If I wasn't already on boyfriend overload I'd definitely ask him out on a date.