Chapter 9
I lay in bed, its later that night, and all I can think about is those god damn Dead Boys. It's currently 11:14pm, but I lay in bed wide awake when I would normally be fast asleep at this hour.
I roll over, pulling my extra pillow to my chest and bury my face into it, while groaning. I never thought a group of people -more so a single person from that group- could have this much of an affect on me.
I've had crushes before, believe it or not but the infamous Jack Carrow is an example, but I'd ever thought of someone so much before.
I look up at my alarm clock and only two minutes have past by. That's it, I need to release some energy.
I stand up and shake of my pajama pants and slip into a pair of soccer shorts. I put on a plain white shirt. I don't bother taking my phone with me as I tip toe past my parent's bedroom and downstairs.
The moment my foot hits the front porch, I'm flying. My legs move faster and faster and it's like I don't even have to tell them to. They have a mind of their own, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
I run down my street and look to the forest on my right, the trees blur by as I increase my speed. I turn down a pathway leading into the forest and slow down to a walk. I'm breathing heavily but I keep moving.
It's pitch black in these woods, I can't see a thing besides the stars peaking out behind the tree tops. I regret leaving my phone behind because the flashlight on it would be extremely helpful in this moment.
My eyes are slowly adjusting to the blackness in front of me and I can see the outline of a fallen tree to the side of the pathway, I decide it's probably in my best interest to go take a break and sit down.
As I sit down I notice that the log is damp but I could barely care at this moment.
I rest my hand in my hands and close my eyes. My breathing is swallow and short and the pain in my lungs and in my legs is a reminder I'm alive. The aching feels natural and good, like it's supposed to be there.
Suddenly there's a bright light in front of me and I raise my head, squinting.
"You've come back?" A voice says behind the flashlight, and I move my right hand up to cover my eyes.
"Uh what?" I ask.
"Sorry, I'll turn this off." The voice says and lowers the flashlight. I have to blink a few times for my vision to go back into focus in the dark, and I see the outline of a person.
"Aaron?" I ask.
"Don't sound so surprised to see me. This is where we met." He tells me and I stand up, so we're facing each other.
"I don't have a mental map of the woods, man. This forest is bigger then the town," Aaron laughs when I say this.
"That's true, but I did tell you not to come back here." He insists. I raise an eyebrow.
"You want me to stay out of the whole forest?" I ask and Aaron shrugs.
"If it'll prevent you from finding your way back here than yeah, I guess,"
"You don't own these woods!" I say.
"That's true, but-"
"What are you hiding?" I cut him off. He looks at me, opening and closing his mouth, searching for the words to say. "Show me,"
"I don't know Bell, how do I know I can trust you?"
"Well, I haven't been here long enough to do anything to tell you anyways." I shrug.
I look at Aaron's face, a shadow is cast over his face but I can still make out his sharp features and his wispy hair. My heart jumps in my rib cage and I instantly thank the dark for hiding my reddening face.
"You said you were gay right?" He says, completely catching me off guard.
"Uh, uh, ehem." I cough into my elbow. Mia just found out about me twelve hours ago, how am I supposed to know if this complete stranger can be trusted.
"Bell, are you?"
"What does this have to do with anything?" I fire back, growing defensive.
"It has to do with everything," Aaron says. He takes my hand and my mouth falls open. He doesn't let another second go by before he turns around and pulls me down the pathway and then down a dirt path, obviously not supposed to be there.
We move swiftly through the forest, Aaron doesn't say anything and I'm too flabbergasted to utter a syllable.
We stop in the middle of a clearing and he turns around to face me. I can feel him staring at me intently, even though I can't see him face in the darkness. He steps closer to me and I'm acutely aware that my hand is still in his, growing clammier by the second. He's so close now that our breathes are mixing in the air between us, and my breath hitches as his thumb starts moving in circles on my palm.
"Aaron?" I gasp, my voice is thick with desire and I hear Aaron gulp. Oh god, does he feel this energy between us?
"Look up," His voice is just a whisper and it sounds like he has to struggle to get the words out.
I follow his gaze to the treetops and then I see it, a treehouse.
A treehouse is what he's protecting so feverishly? I would laugh if I wasn't shivering from the sensation of Aaron's breath tickling the hairs on the back of my neck.
I can't see the treehouse well, but I can see a faint light coming from inside of it and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Is someone else up there?
"Come on." He says and walks to the rope ladder hanging beneath the house. I follow right on his heel and we climb up the surprisingly sturdy ladder.
When we reach the lop of the ladder and above us is a door put into the floor of the treehouse, Aaron opens the latch which is unlocked at the moment. He gracefully pulls himself up and inside the place.
I stare after him for a second before climbing in -not so gracefully I will add- after him. What I see inside shocks me, even though I should have suspected it.
I was face to face with each one of the Dead Boys.
The treehouse is furnished with beat up army green couches with miss matched pillows, classic rock posters on every wall and a few oil laps hanging from the ceiling.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" Caleb asks, he's the only one who I haven't officially met. His eyes are cold and bright against his tan skin. His hair is closely cropped and I can see his muscles bulging inside his firm fitting burgundy t-shirt. He is fucking intimidating.
"He's one of us," Aaron tells him and the others. I furrow my eyebrows, unsure what he means by that.
"I knew it!" Bentley says, standing up proudly with a smirk.
"I had no clue," Azul said, shaking his head but his eyes were bright.
"Wait!" I say and all five pairs of eyes land on me. "What do you mean 'one of you'?"
This makes them all laugh, well, besides Caleb who is set in a permanent glare.
"You're gay, sweetheart." Toby says with a wink and I gasp.
"You guys are all gay?" I ask, my jaw is on the floor, I'm sure of it.
"Correct," His Mexican accent is thick with pride, something I've never heard from a gay person.
"Oh god," I say and Aaron chuckles, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck.
I look around at the Dead Boys; Aaron, Toby, Bentley, Caleb and Azul. They're all so different and I could never put a finger on why they clung together, but now it all makes sense.
I stare at Aaron and a lump forms in my throat as I realize what this all means; Aaron's gay. There is a tiny spark of hope within me because Aaron could potentially be as attracted to me as I am to him. Oh god. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?
"How do we know we can trust him?" Caleb asks, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. He says this as if I weren't standing up there in the treehouse with them.
"Why don't I start with the reason I moved here?" I ask the boys and they nod.
It's my second time telling my sob story today, well technically two days because I'm positive it's past midnight. It's not as emotional for me telling it this time as it was the first, but I still croak a bit when I talk and I have to pause a few times to catch my breath and slow down my rapidly beating heart.
When I'm finished, all five boys gap at me, even Caleb softens his eyes upon me. "So yeah, I was the fag who got three ribs cracks. The first thig I need in the world is friends and the last is losing them."
"I'm sorry bro," Azul says to me, walking up and giving me one of those typical bro hugs. He pats me on the back and then leans back against the couch.
"It could be worse," I say "I could've died. I'm grateful to be alive."
I glance over at Aaron and he's looking at me, frowning.
"I'll walk you home," Aaron says "It's late, we should all be going home."
The others nod in agreement and one by one we exit the treehouse, Toby locks the door behind us.
As we walk through the forest, the six of us like a pack of wolves, I realize something;
I'm now a Dead Boy.
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A/N:
Hey guys, Hannah here. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.
Things are going to start getting juicy.
Tell me what you guys think of this new secret the Dead Boys have and tell me what you think is going to happen between the six of them.
I hope you guys liked the new chapter!
Like and comment !!
-Hannah