Jaxx wakes up on the morning of the presentation. He looked at his phone and read that the time was six-thirty. Way earlier than when he usually wakes up. He thought he might as well get out of bed and just go to school to see his friends. He hasn't talked to Sora ever since that day. And he doesn't want to either. He doesn't know what he would even say to the boy. But he felt like how he acted the other day was exaggerated. Whenever he looks back on that day just gives him shivers down his bones. Embarrassed by his past actions.
Jaxx goes to the bathroom to take a shower. He turns on the water and just stands there, face facing the showerhead, letting all the waterfall onto his face. He didn't feel like going to school that day. Jaxx looked down at his arms and looked at all the cuts on his arms. But those were all past scars. Back when his parents kicked him out of the house, back when his parents told him he would never be accepted in this family ever again because he's gay. He was scared. He doesn't want to feel like that again. But Sora. Sora is scaring him.
-
The redhead finally makes it to school, and great timing too because school was about to start. He actually wanted to come to school early for one, but he was just on his phone, watching YouTube, waiting for it to get closer to when he usually leaves the house. Jaxx looks to the outside lockers and sees Sora. Well, he was also with Levi, but he was just looking at Sora. He stood there for a bit, taking in his features. His cyan hair matched his outfit. He had a big scarf on for Winter with a few cyan strips on it. He had a big cyan jacket with a white sweater underneath. Jaxx soon got kicked back into reality when he realized he was staring which Sora and Levi would have found creepy.
-
"Welcome students!" The teacher said once the bell rang. "I see everyone is here today." She looked around the room but sounded like she was talking more towards Levi. "First things first, we will start with presentations. Presentations would probably take the whole day..."
"Hey," Sora whispers and turns around to face Jaxx but the redhead was looking at the outside windows on the opposite side of the room. "Do you want to go first?"
Jaxx's gaze slowly went to Sora and Jaxx stretched, fixing his posture and facing Sora, whose posture didn't get any better. "No, only nerds would want to go up first. Let's just go last or something."
"Wouldn't you rather go first and get this over with?"
"Sora, look. I don't know if you know this school, but it is very stereotypical." The teacher continues to talk to the class not noticing the two talking to each other. "And going first like this in a school presentation, makes us seem like nerds."
"So? Who cares what people think about us?"
"I do, now you're not raising your hand first."
"Watch me-"
"Sora and Jaxx." The teacher looks at the two boys who are whispering to each other. "Since the two of you were talking when I was talking, how about you two go first?"
Jaxx sends death glares to Sora while he skittishly goes up to the front of the classroom. The teacher pulls up the boys' slideshow and its projects from the projector onto the screen. "Ready boys?"
-
"Thank you for that presentation boys," the teacher starts to clap with the rest of the class joining in. "Take a seat now." Sora and Jaxx go and take their seat and Jaxx crosses his arms and goes back to facing the window he was looking at earlier. "Why are you so uptight? Are you seriously mad that we went first?"
"Kinda."
"Kinda? What do you mean kinda?" Sora tried to whisper as loud as he would without getting in trouble. "If it makes you feel any better then we were chosen first because we interrupted the teacher. Not because any of us volunteered."
"Yeah, I realized that."
"Then why are you acting so cold towards me!" Sora tried to keep his whisper to a low but it was getting louder and louder.
"Just pay attention, Sora. You wouldn't want to ruin your perfect little grades nor our "friendship," wouldn't you?" Jaxx does the finger quotations around friendship and rolls his eyes and goes back into the position he was in before.
Sora raises an eyebrow at him and turns around to face Charli and Light who were up presenting now. 'What has gotten into him?' Sora thought to himself while watching the two present. 'Was it something I said? Or was it about the kiss? Why did those finger things around friendship?"
RING RING RING
The lunch bell starts to ring, knocking Sora out of his train of thought. "That's the recess bell. We will continue our presentations after lunch." Sora gets his stuff and tries to find Jaxx if he wants to have lunch with him again like how they have been doing for the past few days, but Jaxx was already with Light.
Sora was about to walk away when someone bumps into him, knocking him onto the ground. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Let me help you up," Sora looks up to face the person who he bumped into and it was Light. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Light was about to walk away from Sora but he luckily stopped him in time. "Um, Light? Do you think I can talk to you later? Like, after school or something?"
Light turns around to face Sora, who he was going to reject him in his face, but so the desperate look in his eyes and gain a little bit of symphony. "Fine, I'll wait for you after class."
"Yes thank you." Light waves back to Sora and walks off to get to Jaxx. Levi soon comes after and stands by Sora. "Ready?"
"Yeah let's go," Levi and Sora start to head to the cafeteria and Levi walks by Light and starts to stare at him.
"So, you and Light huh?" Sora nudges his elbow into Levi while he rolls his eyes. "You gotta tell me all about him."
"Shut up."
-
"Okay students," the teacher started talking again after Levi and Luca went up to present. "The bell should ring any minute now," and right when she said it the bell rung. "Ah great, see you all tomorrow students." Everyone leaves the classroom and Sora leaves with Levi beside him.
"And I was like, why should he do that, I mean it's his choice-"
"Oh hello Sora and Levi," Light waves to the both of them and while Sora was waving back to him, Levi looked away from him while giving him a small wave. Probably trying to hide his blush. "Are you ready to go Sora?" Sora nods at Light and waves goodbye to Levi.
-
"So, what do you want to ask about?" Light and Sora sat on one of the outdoor benches which only a few people were by. "I'm guessing Jaxx?"
"Yeah," Sora chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "So you know how you're good friends with him, and that you guys are really close and all."
"Yeah? Your point?"
"Well during the weekend, we were on a facetime call and-"
"Wait, you guys kissed right?" Light interrupted Sora which caused Sora to start blush. He nodded in agreement, "Yeah I remember Jaxx telling me all about it."
"Wait, what did he say?" Sora genuinely was scared to see what he would have told one of his closest friends about a kiss he had with someone who was basically seen as a nerd.
"He was like, so excited that you kissed him, Sora. He was telling me about it all but today. He told me that you basically told him that you don't even want to be his friend anymore and you didn't even like the kiss!" Light tried to yell at Sora but his voice couldn't raise up that high. "Sora, you idiot!"
"What? What are you talking about?" Sora, who was genuinely clueless, had no idea what Light was talking about.
"Do you not remember saying this?"
"No?"
"He told me this at lunch. He started crying again."
"Again? Wait, I'm still confused? What did I do wrong?"
"He told me that you guys kissed, you wanted to forget about this kiss, and that you wanted things to go back to normal? Whatever that means."
"What? I don't remember saying that- Oh no." The realization hits Sora with a wave of guilt hitting him. "Oh no, what did I do."
"Yeah, what did you do?"
"I need to go find Jaxx."
"Wait," Light grabs Sora's hand and pulls him back down into his seat. "He told me that he didn't want to be bothered today." Sora sits back down feeling as guilty as ever. "This is all my fault."
"Yes, it is. Like didn't you realize how bad his past was when he was younger? Like, come on now Sora you should have known better."
Sora looks up at Light with one eyebrow raised. 'Bad past? What does he mean by that?' Sora pondered. "Bad past?"
"Oh Light," Light turned away from Sora hitting his palm to his forehead. "You need to keep your big mouth shut." Light turned back around to face Sora, "yeah, I guess you did something that reminded him of his past. But what do I know."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"I don't know Sora. He might not be comfortable with me-"
"Please!" Sora begged the purpled-haired boy in front of him. "I'll leave you alone after you tell me."
Light hesitated for a bit but ended up giving him. "So when Jaxx was younger, he was like this really energetic guy. Like, everyone loved him. The family favorite and the schoolboy everyone admired."
"Then what happened to him?"
"Well, when we were in middle school, he realized that he wasn't really that attracted to girls but only boys."
"Do you know who he liked?" Sora stopped Light. "I do, but promise not to tell him." Sora nodded which allowed Light to continue. "The person who he liked in middle school was me." Sora looks at the purpled-haired boy with wide eyes. "Crazy, I know but that was like a short-termed crush thing. I only know because he told me afterward. Don't tell him I told you this."
"Yeah yeah don't worry, I won't. What else happened to him?"
"Well, Jaxx decided to tell his parents that he liked boys, and well, it didn't go that well..." Light's eyes darted to the ground and Sora knew something bad happened. "His parents weren't the most accepting towards him."
"What happened?"
"Well, he was kicked out of the house for a few days. His parents were swearing at him, hitting him, and threw a bunch of stuff at the boy until he left the house. He was at my place for a few days and he wouldn't leave the room he was staying in. He only got out a few times to eat and use the bathroom, things like that. He was in a really bad mental state and changed his whole personality so nobody would even think that he's gay."
Sora just felt worse and worse for the poor boy. Who knew he went through so much when he was younger.
"And when Jaxx tried going back to his house he saw a bunch of his clothes and belongings all broken and burned up in front of his house. He went to confront his parents, but they just yelled at him and gave him money for his own place. The place he has now is funded by his parents, but Jaxx knows his parent's credit code information, so he also gets money from them."
Sora was quiet for a bit thinking about everything Light said. "I feel so bad."
"It's okay Sora, you didn't know. But I think it would be best if you were to apologize to him tomorrow."
Sora nodded, "this might sound like a stupid question, but could I ask you something?" Light nodded his head which allowed Sora to continue. "Do you think the reason why Jaxx was crying about the kiss is because he likes me?"
Light just stared at him with dead eyes. 'How oblivious is this guy,' Light mentally questioned himself. "Sora, you are an idiot. Of course, he does!"
Sora hid his face in his hands to try and hide the embarrassment. "When do you think I can talk to him," Sora said, still muffled in his hands.
"How about," Light takes a second pause to think of an answer. "How about now."
Sora removes the hands from his face and sees Jaxx standing right behind Light with one of his arms resting on Light's head. "Hey," Jaxx said ever so calmly.
"Jaxx!" Sora shoots up from his seat backing away from him. "I thought you went to go clear your head or something."
"If you really wanted to know more about me, you should of just ask."
"I would have if you weren't in your funk."
"Hey, can you blame me? Light just told you my whole backstory and everything. And Light, you didn't have to tell him I was crying earlier, you know," Jaxx jokingly pushed Light and the both of them giggled.
"Wait, so you were actually crying?"
"Yeah, but don't worry. I've been worse."
"I'm, really, really sorry. Is there anything I could do to make it up to you?"
Jaxx pondered for a minute, "I'll forgive you if you come with me to the Christmas dance."
Sora sat there silent for a second. "Like, a date?"
"I didn't say it was a date, but if you want it to be one it can," Jaxx said ever so calmly making Sora flustered.
Sora thought about it for a bit, and honestly, this has been the most exciting year he had yet. "Sure, I'll do it. But not as a date!" Sora quickly said the last part. Jaxx just simply nodded his head and started to walk away. "But wait," Sora quickly thanked Light again and rushed to Jaxx's side. "Are you afraid of the homophobia at the school?"
"Come on Sora. I'm like the hottest guy here. They wouldn't hate me even if I tried to kill their family."
"True."