"Hey, Austey" A short and skinny girl chuckled as she tussled her younger brother's hair. Austin wrinkled his nose in distaste, shoving the girl's hand away. He forgot how much he hated being home... He lived in a cramped, broken-down trailer that didn't even have enough beds to sustain a family of five. That was why Austin practically lived in a tent... It was away from what was supposedly his siblings, had enough room to store all of his belongings and the only downside was that it got cold.
"Fuck off" Austin scoffed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Bags were under his eyes and his sweatpants hung down to his hips, accidentally showing off the V-line he had worked so hard to get. He honestly hadn't cared much for gaining muscle until he started taking ballet seriously. Now it was an obsession.
"Well you're in a good mood" Sarcasm dripped from Jenny's voice as she grabbed her keys. "I'm heading to work, you're in charge of watching Alex"
"No" Austin snapped the moment the words left her mouth. Austin knew most siblings secretly loved one another underneath all of the hate. But that wasn't the case for him and Alex... Alex openly loved Austin and Austin wished the boy was dead. He wasn't even joking or being dramatic. He had vivid daydreams of shoving the boy out of a moving car. He remembered trying to sell him to their neighbors when the kid was a newborn.
He could tolerate Jenny. He could tolerate his stepmom and her stupid husband. But he couldn't stand Alex... Austin's lips pressed in a thin line as Jenny ignored him and left the cramped, clustered trailer leaving him alone with the stupid brown-haired boy.
"Am I allowed to talk to you today?" Alex asked making Austin groan. He debated just leaving or dropping Alex off at their crack addict of a neighbor. He had done it a million times and every time he found Alex afterward he was in tears. But no matter what Austin did the dumbass still idolized him. He hated it.
"No" Austin scoffed. "Why are you even talking to me? We aren't even related"
"That's not true. Mama says we're brothers" Alex protested. Alex was only ten. Austin was seventeen and had been trying to save up to get out of this hellhole. Not only was there a large age difference, but Austin didn't feel the need to have a connection to him. The only person he lived with he was blood-related to was Jenny...
It was a long story. But his stepmother had originally been married to a man named Mark Blake who she had Jenny with. Mark cheated on her with a stripper whose real name he never even got, but her stage name was Jazmine. Jazmine had given birth to Austin in the back of her car, tracked down Mark who was stupid enough to give her his number and dumped Austin on him. Mark went to jail when Austin was six, his stepmother, Martha, met her husband Jeremy and had Alex. Stupid fucking Alex.
"Your mom is a big fat liar" Austin deadpanned. His lips pressed together as he stared out the small, square window trying to maintain his undying hatred for the boy... Maybe it was jealousy or maybe there was just something off about Alex. Austin didn't care... What mattered was that Alex was about to ruin his life.
_________________________________________
Markos shoved the sad excuse for breakfast around his tray, anxiously tapping his foot. His rings glimmered in the light and on any normal day he'd take a moment to admire it. But not today... Because today he needed to figure out what to do about the Jayce situation. It didn't matter how many times Jayce promised to stay quiet. It didn't matter how many offers he denied.
Markos was incredibly good at reading people. He was good at navigating social situations and was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for... It was simply a habit to suppress how analytical and observational he was. When society had perceived him as a woman it was considered weird or unattractive for him to be smarter than the majority of the men that took interest in him.
At first, he had been stubborn to prove it wasn't a big deal... But then he saw how uncomfortable people would get when he'd point out something nobody else noticed. When he could predict somebody's military history based on their walk or tell if someone was having an affair by one glance at their ring. People got freaked out, so he suppressed it.
But ever since that first day he had begun passing enough to benefit from how society viewed men, people suddenly cared about his observations. Suddenly people at his dad's club wanted to pull him into business or make deals with him... Sometimes even blackmail him or his family if they found out something they had desperately tried to keep hidden.
He knew people all too well. He knew they were greedy and couldn't be trusted with secrets unless they got something in return. He just hadn't figured out what Jayce wanted out of him... Whether it was money or humiliation, he was willing to pay it. Because nothing he asked of him could be worse than being outed.
"Hey" Markos's heart dropped as the handsome black-haired boy sat across from him. He narrowed his eyes in slight defiance. He hated that Jayce knew... He wished it had been anyone else... Hell, he would have been happier if Jayce just hate-crimed him rather than promising to keep his mouth shut. Promises meant having to keep trust in someone. Trusting someone was just setting yourself up for betrayal. And betrayal hurt worse than any punch Jayce could have thrown.
"Why are you talking to me?" Markos deadpanned. Jayce nervously bit down on his bottom lip, glancing down at his tray.
"I don't know... I guess I wanted to check in? Like, am I supposed to do that?" Jayce awkwardly mumbled. Markos scowled, still feeling apprehensive of the boy. He hated that Jayce was suddenly treating him differently. Just last week Jayce would have sat with Markos to insult him and that was it. He hated that Jayce was suddenly all soft with him.
"No, and if you do I will hit you" Markos deadpanned. "The only thing you need to do his name your price and never talk to me or anyone about this again"
"I already told you, I don't want anything" Jayce scoffed. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
"Because I'm not stupid. I know people, Jayce. People are greedy and selfish... So what is it? Money? Luxuries?" Markos demanded. He hated how much he sounded like his parents. Bribery was the only way they settled things with him... This was why Markos had a collection of cars, a never-ending supply of clothing and jewelry, and had vacationed in the Bahamas, Brazil, France, and Japan almost yearly. Bribery was the only way he knew to solve things and Jayce was finally catching on.
"If I ask for something will it put that over-active mind of yours to rest?" Jayce chuckled. Markos rolled his eyes but reluctantly nodded. Jayce smiled and reached out grabbing one of Markos's hands. His heart leaped in his chest and he was about to yank his hand away and yell at him until he realized exactly what Jayce was doing.
He forced himself to ignore how warm Jayce's hands were compared to his. He knew the gesture wasn't even plutonic, it was simply Jayce wanting to inspect his rings. But that didn't change how odd the feeling was... Markos wasn't a super touchy-feely person. He would hug someone if they were upset but outside of that, any physical touch was just awkward for him which only made how long Jayce was taking more frustrating.
"That one" Jayce decided as he pointed at a simple ring carved from black diamond in the shape of a snake. It was worth nearly ten grand but there was no doubt in his mind that Jayce thought it was the cheapest one he owned. He didn't blame him... It was unlikely that Jayce was familiar with priceless gems and metals. If Markos were to guess which was the cheapest at first glance he would have picked that one too.
"Deal" Markos hesitantly agreed. He knew Jayce was just doing this to humor him, but as much as it pained him to say it, it was working. He pulled away from Jayce and slid the ring off of his finger before handing it to its new owner. "Take care of it. It's expensive" Markos forced a smirk knowing very well that knowledge would make Jayce uncomfortable. He needed to gain control of his life again. And he wouldn't have that until things were back to normal with Jayce. Jayce's face froze and he suddenly held the ring as if he shouldn't even be touching it.
"How expensive is expensive...?" Jayce reluctantly asked.
"Ten grand give or take" Markos shrugged as if it meant nothing. It didn't... It wasn't his most expensive ring and he had gotten it when he was fifteen from one of his parent's wealthy friends. Why? Because he had caught him cheating on his wife and he had bought Markos a ton of jewelry to keep him quiet. Ironically, it was now being used to buy off Jayce.
"Holy shit... Take it back" Jayce insisted as he tried to extend it back to Markos who rolled his eyes.
"Relax. It means nothing to me and it's not even the most expensive piece of jewelry I own" Markos scoffed. "Sell it if you want, keep it, I don't care. Just as long as you never talk about what you heard to anyone. Including me"
"Alright..." Jayce reluctantly mumbled. He slid the ring onto his ring finger and put on a teasing smirk as he showed Markos. "How does it look?"
Markos bit down on his bottom lip as he inspected it. The glint of light reflecting on the black diamond complimented Jayce's dark skin. The snake, although had no relation to Jayce, looked as if it belonged with him. It looked good... Really good.
"It looks fine, you're still ugly though" Markos deadpanned.
"That's a step up from you" Jayce shot back without missing a beat. Markos felt relieved a fought back a smile. He hated when Jayce had been so... Concerned? He didn't want to be treated differently... He just wanted to be Markos. And Markos wasn't friends with Jayce Williams.
"Arsehole"
"Bitch"
_________________________________________
Austin shivered as Jullian's cold hands slipped up his shirt, running his fingers along his warm skin. Everything between him and Jullian was casual. They'd meet up to study for tears and Jullian would still tutor him. Austin would initiate anything sexual between them although most of the time all they did was make out. Austin because he was addicted to the feeling of being touched and the feelings of rebellion he always got when he was with another man. Jullian because Austin was a good distraction and a good outlet to take out any pent-up aggression on. It worked out perfectly for both of them. No feelings attached, no commitment, and an amazing pass-time. Exactly what they both wanted.
"I want you to go to the mall with a few guys. We're leaving at noon" Austin announced as he pulled away. Jullian sent him a hard glare which only made the white-haired boy roll his eyes and shove Jullian off completely. "You need a fucking social life, Jules"
"Why would I go with you? You said so yourself, we aren't together or even friends" Jullian scoffed. Austin didn't have friends. He didn't have attachments and he didn't care for anyone but himself. That was the only way to ensure you wouldn't get hurt. "Besides, I do have a social life. I play basketball with Jayce every weekend"
"Then invite Jayce. I don't care, I just think you should go" Austin shrugged. "Beau and Aiden will spend the entire time being a gross couple and as great as Markos is, he's been in a mood lately"
"So what you're saying is that you just don't want to be bored"
"Precisely" Austin smirked as he grabbed onto Jullian's collar and pulled him down for a slow kiss. "Please, Jules. You're my favorite distraction"
"Stop calling me that" Jullian groaned as he leaned against a nearby wall.
"If you don't want to go, that's fine. See ya next Thursday" Austin shrugged. He couldn't help smirking as he turned to leave knowing very well he was about to win this one.
"We're meeting on Tuesday"
"Not anymore"
"Bitch" Jullian scoffed. "Fine. I'll go... But I'm taking Jayce so I don't have to deal with your whiney ass" Austin rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. He was impressed with himself... He wasn't sure that would have worked with Jullian but was relieved it had. That meant Austin had a lot more control when it came to their... Relationship? Then he originally thought.
Austin called his goodbye over his shoulder as he left Jullian's room and went off to grab his things from his room. He adjusted his clothing as he walked down the hall deciding he didn't want Markos or Aiden to question him... Jullian had been pretty strict about wanting to keep things quiet and Austin didn't mind as long as Jullian still wanted to meet.
Austin adjusted the fishnets he hadn't worn in weeks and readjusted them so that the tops of them were just sticking out above his light blue shorts, nicely hugging his lower stomach. He also wore a baggy black sweatshirt with a Mickey Mouse logo on printed on it. He knew a lot of the other boys gave him odd looks for his choice in clothing, but he felt most comfortable in it.
"Aiden" Austin hummed as he pushed open the door to find the tall and high-spirited boy sitting at his desk. He wore a red and black flannel with black jeans. His fingers were messing with his messy dark hair and his chocolate eyes glanced up at Austin the moment he heard his name. "Jullian and Jayce are coming with"
"Markos isn't going to like that" Aiden warned. Austin shrugged when there was a light knock on the door. He pulled it open without much thought and glanced over Beau and Markos with a look of disinterest. Beau was wrapped in what Austin instantly recognized to be Aiden's baggy black jean-jacket. If Austin had seen this a month ago, he'd be intrigued. But now he was just too used to them doing all of the couple shit without actually being a couple. It was becoming ridiculous.
"Jayce and Jullian are coming with" Austin repeated before pushing past the two boys and heading down the hall.
"You've got to be kidding me" Markos groaned.
_________________________________________
Jayce couldn't help feeling slightly uncomfortable as he stuck to Jullian's side. He had talked to everyone there a few times but he wasn't exactly friends with anyone except Jullian and even claiming to be friends with him was a stretch. Not to mention the obvious discomfort of Markos whenever the two of them had to be within close proximity of each other.
He had been in this exact mall about a million times since he had lived in Washington most of his life. He knew every store and often spotted familiar faces but he didn't dare say hello. He wasn't sure if he was just embarrassed by where he had ended up or he just didn't want to deal with their judgment. It didn't really matter why but there was that aching fear that someone would try and talk to him.
He listened to Austin and Markos loudly go back and forth sometimes joking with one another, other times arguing. It was weird to see Markos in such a casual setting... It was almost like seeing an entirely new person. He was still confident and straight-forward. He was still obnoxious and all over the place... But he felt more human and less like a stuck-up rich boy. It was like listening to his writings all over again.
"Could I pull these off?" Austin joked as he put on a pair of rose-gold aesthetic glasses. His marvelous blue eyes narrowed slightly as he laughed alongside everyone else.
"If I didn't know you you could" Markos chuckled. This entire scenario was just weird... Jayce used to go to the mall with others all of the time. But they were all normal people. They were all his friends and people that acted like him. They all wanted to do the same things and had similar interests.
Nobody was alike this time... There was a boy from Alabama who was the walking definition of white trash, his words not Jayce's. There was confident a rich boy from London who was the most self-conscious boy Jayce had ever met. There was a Jewish boy from the suburbs of California who had no control over his temper. There was an arsonist from Tennessee who was completely broken. There was an Indie boy from a reservation in Ohio that only a few months prior was knee-deep in drugs and alcohol. And then there was Jayce... A foster kid who just wanted to be normal. Who just wanted stability and a bright future.
In the real world, they wouldn't have ever spoken to one another. Jullian and Markos would be too wrapped up in keeping up appearances to even look at them. Austin and Jayce would have only looked down on everyone else. Beau and Aiden would have been too lost to talk to any of them. Yet here they were, walking around a mall laughing and talking as if they had been friends for years. None of them fit in. None of them belonged around the other... It made no sense for them to even talk.
"I say we go to Spencers" Aiden announced. Beau was tucked under the boy's arm, he hadn't spoken much but he seemed content.
"You're going to traumatize Beau" Markos snapped as he grabbed Beau by the arm and quickly pulled him away from Aiden. "Pervert"
"Ass" Aiden deadpanned as he set a cold glare down at Markos who only smiled up at him.
"You two are giving me a headache" Beau grumbled as he rubbed his temples. "I'm so tired I might just fall asleep standing up"
"Have you tried sleeping? It works wonders" Austin scoffed. Jayce bit back a laugh and even heard Jullian give a light nose laugh at that.
"What's that one store you took me to last time?" Beau yawned before he glanced up at Markos with a small smile.
"H&M?" Markos guessed. Beau nodded and then glanced back at Jayce.
"I think Jayce would like that" He commented with a small and shy smile. Jayce couldn't help his heartwarming slightly at that small comment. It was nice to feel appreciated and noticed. Then again, Beau was just a really nice person. He didn't talk to him often, but he had picked up on that quickly.
"I don't think there's enough clothing in the world to fix that trainwreck" Markos deadpanned. Jayce rolled his eyes and flipped off the curly-haired boy. He bit back a smile despite being insulted just moments before. It was nice to go back to how things were with Markos... At first, he had been afraid that things would shift to an awkward silence between them. But he was somewhat relieved they could still keep up their banter.
"You're just mad that I'm not into you" Jayce scoffed. He laughed as Markos turned around to childishly stick his tongue out at the boy.
"You wish"
Despite what Markos had said, they went to H&M anyways. And Markos seemed to have the time of his life as he sorted through different clothes and held them up to whatever boy he thought they suited. Beau enjoyed having a second opinion whereas Jullian was indifferent to them. Aiden and Austin's styles weren't exactly something H&M sold so not much was held up to them. Markos still avoided Jayce like the plague though.
"I think I finally found something for Jayce" Markos teased as he held up a tight cheetah-print dress that reminded Jayce of an old lady who forgot she wasn't twenty anymore. He could almost picture the messy red lipstick and black heels that went with it.
"Totally" Jayce scoffed, rolling his eyes. The day went on like that. Plenty of banter between the boys, stolen kisses on the cheek or forehead between Aiden and Beau, and more than enough comments from Markos to last a lifetime. Overall, Jayce was surprised to say it was a good day... A really good day.
Question of the chapter: What's your favorite band?