Chapter 9
I started out my morning feeling like I was on cloud 9. Everything was settled for now and I had nothing to worry about. Hayley and I "broke up", Gale agreed to go on a date with me, and I looked sexy today. Ok, a little conceited but true. And a bonus was that my mom didn't suspect a thing. Things were looking great.
I hurried downstairs, making sure to check myself in the hallway mirror. Even though the date wasn't until six tonight, I wanted to look good before, since Gale would see me. I don't want Gale to see me looking sexy for our date and think I look slobbish on any other day. Weird theory, I know, but it was probably true.
My hair was semi neat and probably as good as it would ever get. I wore a white dress shirt and black jeans with my same worn out shoes. I attempted to clean the parts that weren't scribbled on, but it didn't work so I left them alone.
I was halfway out the door when my mom pops out of freaking no where, wearing an orange apron and a sadistic smile. Her hair was in heat rollers and in one of her hands was a sharp kitchen knife. Talk about scary.
"Um, hi Mom." I said cautiously, slowly inching my way around her.
"Hi. Where are you going?" She asked innocently, but I was sure there was an alternative motive. She is never this calm.
"To school." I replied suspiciously. Where else would I be going on a Friday morning. My mom continued to smile, rocking on her heels. I gulped and felt behind me for my backpack. I had to get out of here.
"Where are you going after school?" She asked, trying to sound like a concerned mother. I didn't buy it. This is my mom were talking about. She isn't a very responsible mother, and if not for my dad, I'd probably be dead.
"To hang out with Shannon and Hayley." That was the story we had come up with, and if my mom called them, they would say I was there. Danny would be the one to answer the phone if she did call because Shannon can't be trusted with my secrets and Hayley is still mad at me, although I don't know why. The situation with Reyna was kind of her fault. All I did was ask her to help me. How was I supposed to know she was a lesbian?
"Really?" She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. I would've been nervous at the gesture, but it's hard to take her seriously in a fuzzy bathrobe and Homer Simpson slippers.
"Yes." I said slowly. Just then, my cell phone rang. YES! The caller I.D. said Sexylicious, aka. Shannon. She is always tampering with my contacts and messages.
"Hello?" I answered the phone.
Hey, on my way to school I stopped at Wal-Mart to buy First Response and I saw Gale walking to school and I was going to pick him up but Hayley is with me and you know my car is two seated plus he's your boyfriend, so go pick him up." Shannon rambled into my phone. I glanced outside the window and saw that is was raining.
"Alright, I'm going to-" I stopped. "Wait, why are you buying First Response?!" I yelled into the phone, ignoring the fact that my mom was trying to listen to my conversation. She wouldn't be able to hear anything anyway.
"Relax, it's for my mom." I sighed in relief. Shannon isn't too much of a free spirit to get pregnant. And she isn't responsible enough. "Now go pick up your boyfriend."
"Ok, ok, bye." I hung up and grabbed my coat before running out to my car. My mom kept calling me back, but I pretended not to hear her. Gale was a little more important than her weird questioning that I have yet to investigate.
The Wal-Mart wasn't too far from my house, so I drove to it and took the street towards our school until I caught sight of Gale walking in the rain. The only thing protected from the rain was his violin case and even though his thick button jacket appeared water resistant, his hair was wet. I pulled up next to him and rolled down my window.
"Need a ride?" I asked, and to my surprise, he shook his head. I raised an eyebrow at him.
That's ok, I like to walk, He signed.
"In the rain?" I asked, and he blushed but nodded. Gale is weird. I feel like he goes out of his way to avoid me. I shook my head and pulled away from the sidewalk. Gale continued walking but stopped when he realized I wasn't leaving. I was parking. I jumped out of my car and grabbed my umbrella from the backseat. Gael eyes softened as I went to him and held the umbrella over both of us.
"I like to walk, too." I said and Gale practically glowed. We walked together in silence, listening to the rain fall around us. The street was quiet and no one was around, so hesitantly, I grabbed Gale's hand, and surprisingly, he let me. I swung his hand in mine happily. I wanted to talk about our date, but I didn't want to ruin the moment and the silence was kind of nice.
We held hands until we were by the school and Gale had to let go of my hand. It hurt a little and I realized that I didn't want to let his hand go. I wanted to hold his hand at school and show everyone that he was mine. I felt myself not caring what others thought about us. I didn't want to hide.
The parking lot of the school was slowly filling as students parked and entered the school. I saw Shannon's car closer to the front. Gale furthered the distance we walked at once we entered the school. He looked around, afraid that students would get suspicious, but then I noticed they were focused on something entirely different down the hall.
Three guys I knew were football players were arguing with Ashton and two other guys. Probably soccer players. We moved closer to hear what they were arguing about.
"Look, we didn't do it." Ashton groaned tiredly. "We hate you, but we don't hate your sister."
"What other group of people would egg my sister on her way to school?!" The guy practically screamed, and I noticed Reyna standing behind him, hugging herself. Yolk and eggshells were stuck to her pink dress and knee high socks. Even her boots were soiled. Karma sucks.
"Oh, I don't know! Maybe half of the school's population!" He replied. Ashton palmed his face and rolled his eyes. He looked really tired, like he hadn't gotten any sleep. His shirt was wrinkled and his hair was messy, which was weird for Ashton. He always kept himself neat and good looking. "Your sister isn't exactly pure."
The guy instantly grabbed Ashton by his shoulder, and everyone tensed. His two friends glared and stepped closer, ready to back Ashton up in a fight. Ashton, however, wasn't faced. He looked bored even. I would have scared out of my mind if I were Ashton. Compared to Glenn, Reyna's brother, he was an ant.
"What the hell did you say?!" He growled in Ashton's face. Ashton shook him off and shoved him backwards. Something I'm sure no one expected him to be able to do.
"I said your sister is a slut!" Everyone gasped, including Gale. His eyes were wide. "She's slept with most of the school. Even your buddies have gotten a hit at her. Then she turns around and acts like a bitch. I'm pretty sure that would make people want to throw eggs at her." Ashton shoved him again and Glenn stumbled back.
"Now if you would kindly back the fuck up, I will be on my way. If I'm late to class it will be your head on a stick." Glenn obviously wouldn't let it end that easy. While Ashton and his friends' backs were turned, he ran up to Ashton and turned him around, his fist raised. Everyone stilled as his hand descended, but it never made it to Ashton's face. Danny stood in front of him, holding Glenn's fist in his iron grip. He looked seriously upset.
"Let it go, Glenn." He gritted through his teeth, and I could tell he was holding back. He really wanted to punch Glenn in the face, but then head be suspended from a few games. And he was quarterback. They needed Danny.
"You're defending this asshole?!" Glenn screeched, and Danny tightened his grip. Glenn cringed from the pain as Danny's knuckled whitened. Ashton looked a little surprised and...flustered? He was even blushing a little. Hmm, I've never seen that before.
"Yes, because he didn't do it!" Danny snapped and let go of Glenn's fist, something I'm sure was hard for him to do. "Hayley did." Hayley was a little ways down the hall, leaning against her locker and smirking. Her friends were with her, looking equally as smug. How no one considered her a threat I have no idea. She's pure evil.
"And you can't punch a girl." Danny added. Glenn glared at everyone before choosing to leave. The two other guys with him slowly retreated. The crowd chattered and went back to what they were doing, except for Danny. He was watching Glenn to make sure he didn't cause anymore trouble. Gale and I approached Danny, but he was talking to Ashton.
"You didn't need to do that." Ashton snapped. "I can handle myself."
"There wasn't a reason for you to have to. You didn't do anything. Just say thank you and forget it." Danny snapped back and Ashton muttered "Fuck you" and left with his soccer friends went to class.
"So...how was your day?" I asked Danny cheerfully. He glanced at me and chuckled a little.
"Why are you so happy on a day when everyone else is upset?" I stole a look at Gale who blushed and looked away. I grinned and looked around before lowering voice and leaning closer to Danny.
"Gale and I are going on a date tonight." I said and Danny smiled, thumping me on the back roughly.
"Well, congrats. Just don't talk too much about it to the others. They're all in pissy moods."
By lunch time, I realized Danny was right. Everyone I knew was upset. Hayley still blamed me for the humiliation she was subjected to by Reyna, Danny was tired and grumpy because of the morning, Damian had gone back to being cold and distant, and Shannon was just PMSing, which sucks for all of us. I honestly didn't want to sit with them at lunch. My happy vibe would just piss them off even more.
"Why the fuck are you so happy?" Shannon snapped at me and I paled. All I did was reach for the ketchup?! I wasn't even smiling or admiring Gale. At the moment.
"How do you know I'm happy?" I asked cautiously. She could pull out a weapon at any second. My life is at risk every month. And since Shannon's is so freaking irregular, we can never keep track of when her time of the month is. Some months she doesn't even have it.
"Your glowing and Gale looks like he's about to get laid. God, take your happiness somewhere else." Gale blushed hard at her comment. Damian snorted and rolled his eyes. Danny was in a totally different world, staring off into the distance.
I hope she never has kids for her children's sake, He signed and I laughed. Instantly, everyone at the table glared at me, especially Hayley. I sighed and threw away my lunch. It wasn't that good anyway. I'd rather eat out.
"I'm going to eat out." I said and looked at Gale. "You wanna come?" He nodded eagerly and jumped up. We walked out of the school and started walking. We walked down the street to Freezi's Yogurt Factory to get frozen yogurt, which wasn't exactly a real meal but so much better than the lunch at school.
The fresh smell of fruit and granola invaded my senses as the door swung open with a soft jingle. Gale smiled softly and headed for the yogurt machines. The cashier wasn't there, so I grabbed a few sample cups and followed Gale. Gale looked overwhelmed by the many flavors.
"What are you going to pick?" I asked and Gale shrugged, his cheeks tinted pink.
I've never been here before, He signed and I smiled, handing him a sample cup. Gale went through each one, thoroughly reading the ingredients before tasting them. The faces he made were hilarious and I started laughing.
What?, Gale signed. I just shook my head and kissed his cheek. The pink that had faded was there once again. I noticed that he skipped over one of the flavors completely. I asked him about it and he pointed at a certain ingredient.
Coconut extract.
"Allergic?" I asked and he nodded. I filled a cup with chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter. At the toppings bar I added granola, m&ms, Captain Crunch, and chocolate syrup. My yogurt looked freaking delicious. Gale came with his yogurt. All he added was kiwi. We waited for a cashier but no one came. I looked into the back but saw no one. I sighed and placed our yogurt on the scale. I went behind the counter and worked the register until I got our total.
I placed the money in the register and sat down at a table.
How do you know how to use the register?, Gale signed.
"I used to work here last year." I replied and he nodded. "What flavor is that?"
Mango. I like mangos. I laughed. We spent the time talking about school and random things like Gale's violin playing and my shoes. Gale was taught by his mother who had played all her life. He says that playing makes him feel better. It's his escape. I was surprised that Gale was a sophomore when he seems a lot more mature. That also sucks for me. I'm a senior.
This would be the only year I'm in school with him. After I graduate, I go to college. He'd still have two more years of high school. I hoped we would still be together. I have strong feelings for him, and even though I don't know the full extent of them, I know I don't want to leave him. Whenever we aren't together, I feel like apart of me isn't there.
Gale asked my shoes and I explained them to him. I want to have something to look back on when I'm in college. It kind of started when I was bored during a class and started scribbling on my shoe. Then Shannon wanted to draw something and it went on from there.
"Do you want to try mine?" I asked, offering some of my yogurt. "There's no coconut in it. I checked." Gale smiled and nodded. I scoop up some, making sure to get a little of each flavor and held it out to him. He blushed and hesitated before slowly taking a bite, his eyes staying trained on mine. My heart jumped as his lips enveloped the spoon and slid across it. My eyes flickered from his eyes to the movement lustfully. I hadn't noticed how, well, sexy he could be. I always saw him as cute and attractive.
"D-do you like it?" I asked hoarsely, trying to control my rapid heartbeat. He nodded quickly.
I like it better than mine, He signed and I smiled.
We avoided each other's gaze and quickly finished our yogurt. We both got up to throw them away in the trash can near the bathrooms. We both knew what the other was thinking. There was a wall separating the bathroom area from the rest of the store.
We threw away our cups but didn't move. Slowly, I pulled Gale into my arms and gently pushed him around the wall and against it. Gale wrapped his arms around my neck and we gazed at each other, listening to the sound of our rapid breath with our noses touching. I dipped my head down and caught his lips. Then everything got a little out of hand.
At first our kiss was sweet and long, but soon longing for more seeped in. I tightened my grip on his waist and hugged him closer, the kiss deepening. He ran his hands through my hair, twirling his fingers around the dark strands. His tongue wrapped around mine in a sensual tango. Still, I wanted more. Our kisses grew faster and rougher as Gale struggled to reduce any space between us. At one point, my hands slid down to his butt and squeezed it. He gasped and jumped, wrapping his legs around my waist.
Neither of us cared if we got caught at the moment. All we cared about was getting close to each other. My heartbeat sped up when Gale playfully nipped my lip. I pressed his back against the wall and let my hands trail past his coat and underneath his shirt. My fingers ran up his back, drawing out a shiver from Gale. He arched his back and in the process rubbed against my arousal. I moaned and Gale clutched me tighter. My hand slowly felt around to his chest and trailed lower.
"You guys are so freaking lucky I work here." Ashton said, ending our make out session. I groaned in frustration while Gale shoved me away, almost falling on his ass in the process, and tried to fix his hair and shirt. "You need to learn when to keep it in your pants, Jasper."
"I know, I know." I grumbled, running a hand through my hair. Gale's entire face was flushed a strawberry red. Ashton was leaning against the wall, amused.
"I probably wouldn't even have known you guys were back here if I hadn't been going to take out the trash. Your boyfriend's really quiet." He said to me, and I remembered that he didn't know Gale was mute. Gale and I nodded quickly, probably looking really suspicious, but if so, Ashton didn't comment on it.
"Wait." I said, confused. "Shouldn't you be at school? Why are you working during lunch?" Ashton started laughing.
"How long were you guys making out?! School ended fifteen minutes ago!" He shook his head, still laughing, and went back to the cash register. We followed behind him. "You guys are lucky Margaret was around back smoking on the job or you guys would've been caught."
Well that explains why no one was at the register.
"So I have a question." Ashton asked fidgeting a little. He wouldn't meet my eyes and he kept fussing over the yogurt machines, although there was nothing wrong with them.
"What's up?" I asked and glanced at Gale, but he looked like he already knew what was coming next. I honestly didn't expect the question Ashton asked next.
"How do you know when your gay?" Ashton asked quietly, so quiet I almost didn't hear him. I was a little shocked but I answered anyway.
"Um, I found out when I starting thinking Danny's ass was cute in, like, eighth grade. Then Shannon tried to kiss me not too long after that and I almost threw up. Don't tell her I told you that by the way. She still thinks I liked the kiss." Poor Ashton looked so distraught. That was probably why he was looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep earlier. He's probably all worked up over the possibility of being gay.
"So who sparked the interest?" I asked lightly, not wanting to freak him out. He shrugged.
"Does it matter?" He asked wearily,and I just shrugged.
"Guess not."
I let the subject go as Ashton pondered over it. Gale took out his violin and fiddled with the strings and turning the little knob things on the side. I watched, interested, as he played small tunes on his instrument.
"Are you good at that?" Ashton asked and Gale shrugged. I rolled my eyes.
"He's amazing." I answered. Gale blushed and shook his head quickly. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and rested my head on his. "You should here him play. He could get a scholarship with his violin alone. And he's super smart. He's in my Honors English class."
By now, Gale was smacking me on the arm while Ashton looked impressed. Honestly, if Gale doesn't get a scholarship, I'll be surprised. I applied for USC, UCLA (I know, but I don't prefer one over the other), and Pepperdine, but I have yet to get the results.
"What grade are you in?" Ashton asked, directing the question to Gale.
"Sophmore." I answered for Gale, still swaying Gale back and forth in my arms. He was actually kind of relaxed now, which was surprising. He's always fidgety and nervous when I display affection for him publicly.
"Wow, and your how old?" I paused. Hmm, I don't know how old Gale is, which means I can't answer this question for Gale. Ashton stared at him curiously because of his silence. I decided to guess and go with it.
"He's like sixteen." I stole a look at Gale and he shook his head. "No seventeen." He shook his head harder and raised his hand, lowering it. My eyes got a little wide.
"Fifteen?" I asked, paling a little and Gale nodded slowly. I'm eighteen going on nineteen in a two months. Isn't that...illegal? I mean, considering what we almost did behind the wall, I'd say that's on the borderline of illegal. Ashton raised his eyebrows and folded his arms at his chest.
"Aren't you a little bit young to be dating Jasper?" Ashton asked. I looked at Gale again. He didn't really look fifteen. Well, ok, he does a little, but he has the maturity level of a twenty six year old. He's a lot more mature than I am. I went to answer for Gale, but Ashton raised a hand to stop me. "Gale?"
Great. So he caught on that I've really been doing all the talking. Gale looked at me, and I looked at Gale, who looked at Ashton, expecting an answer. Gale sighed and started signing, confusing Ashton to the max. I guess that was my cue to tell him.
"Gale's mute." I said softly. "Please don't tell anyone. It's a secret."
"How have you managed to get through school this long without a teacher not calling on you?" Ashton asked. Gale signed and I translated, feeling like a sign language pro.
"He just sits in the back and pretends he doesn't know the answer. They leave him alone eventually." I said, and Ashton looked a little overwhelmed. He was pacing back and forth across the shop, running his hands through his hair.
"Ok, let me get this straight. Your gay. Your boyfriend is fifteen, which is probably illegal. He's also mute. I might be gay. For- nevermind." He started rambling about how crazy all this was, and I looked at Gale. Gale signed to me while we watched Ashton.
Maybe we can just knock him out and hide him out back. He won't remember a thing. I laughed and nodded in agreement.
-
I hope this is as long as I thought it was. I thought it would be too long if I put the date in. So...I guess this is more of a filler. Since I'm sooo impatient and (SEMI SPOILER ALERT!!!) the ending of the date scene totally changes everything, I'll probably have it done at, like, one o'clock tonight. Or in the morning??
Oh yeah, and since I should've done this in the last chapter, here's a picture of Ashton---------->