The Bad Boy and the Other Bad Boy

Chapter 12

IMPORTANT: 

who likes vampires and werewolves

ROCCO

"We're over. " Mallory ripped the curtains open. 

I groan as pain spiked through my eyeballs. "Well, duh. " 

Mallory turned back to me, silhouetted again the grey light of the window.

Her face crumpled. "What? You're - you're dumping me? " 

I sat up and shielded my eyes. "Oh, Mal - " 

"Haha, jk. "She shrugged. "I'm dumping you. " 

I sighed and hauled myself to a sitting position. "Ok." I rubbed my face. When I looked up, she was gone. Moments later, the front door slammed. 

I raised my eyebrows and grimaced, then dragged myself to the shower. 

It was already nearly lunch - I had barely slept last night, laying silent and still in my bed. I had watched a sliver of moonlight stretching across the wooden boards as it travelled slowly across the floor through the night - it had slipped in through a gap between my curtains. Curtains which covered a window which Wilson had once climbed through - 

I squeezed my eyes shut. But behind my eyelids I still saw his face, looming over me in the darkness as he stared down at me. 

Gay.

Jax Wilson.

I was gay.

I whispered the words out loud into the dark. Jax Wilson.

Wilson.

Jax Wilson.

Jax Wilson.

Jax Wilso- 

I turned the shower on, letting the freezing cold hit me in the face as the water warmed. 

I concentrated on the sound of the pouring water, dunking my head under the stream so it was all I could hear, letting my mind go blank, forcing it to go blank. 

When I went downstairs half an hour later, it was eerily quiet. I went into the kitchen. My mother sat on a barstool, head in her hands, still as stone.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I stared for a few moments, feeling as if I was dreaming again. My mother raised her head slowly. Her face was pale but her eyes were dry. I could only stare wordlessly - I knew what had happened. 

She cleared her throat, then said distinctly, businesslike,  "You knew?"

I was frozen for a few more seconds, then nodded. "Since last night, " I said, my voice hoarse. 

She looked down at her hands. "Ok. " 

We were silent for a few moments. Then again I got that feeling, that urge - maybe just because it looked like everything was going wrong, and whatever I did couldn't possibly make it worse.

"I'm gay, mom. " I said. 

Her head snapped around to scrutinise me, and I am flooded with thoughts of her rural upbringing, her ultra-religious parents, the cross in her room, the cross in my room - 

Nothing. Then - 

"Anything else you want to tell me? " she said, impenetrable. 

I shook my head, scared to say anything. 

She looked down and I thought I saw her cross herself quickly. 

Silence reigned.

"What happens now, Mom? " I said quietly.