[jordans bus–tuesday afternoon]
"HAVE YOU seen Billie at all?" Jordan asked. Tate shrugged.
"No, not since Friday. Why?"
"No reason...it's just weird," Jordan frowned. "Because, even if she skips classes, she always rides the bus. Doesn't she?"
Tate nodded. Jordan hummed and stared out the window, the small houses of Sun Creek giving way to trees and dirt roads.
"Can I talk about Nico, or would you rather talk about something else?" Tate questioned. He looked nervous, but his eyes glittered when he said Nico.
"Sure," Jordan said, moving so he was facing his best friend. "What do you wanna talk about?"
"Nico and I kissed," whispered Tate, his face lighting up with a grin.
"No way!" Jordan gasped, almost throwing his bag in surprise and excitement. Tate nodded, squealing and biting his bottom lip.
"Well? Tell me!" Jordan said. He was grinning too; it felt normal, with the sun warming his skin and Tate smiling wide while telling him about his kiss.
"Okay, okay," Tate ran a hand through his hair as he prepared to tell the tale of kissing Nico. "So, it was after that whole...whatever at your house last night, and we've got the radio turned on, quiet enough so we can kind of hear The Beatles—Nico really likes The Beatles, it's really cute—and we're just talking, right? He's telling me about his brothers and sisters and cousins back home, and how cool they all are, and I'm just smiling and nodding and asking questions because his voice is, like, really pretty? I've never liked anyone's voice before, but I think I love Nico's."
Jordan nodded. Tate continued:
"We pulled into my driveway, and then, the conversation kind of died out? But it wasn't awkward or anything, we just kind of stared at each other. Nico had this cute little half-smile he does, and you could kind of see his freckles under the streetlight. And, we could hear The Beatles playing Hey Jude, and I started leaning in because I really wanted to kiss him. Like, I've wanted to kiss people before, but then it was like a need.
"And he leaned in too, and then—we where kissing!" Tate clapped his hands together, biting down in his bottom lip. He had whispered the entire story, out of fear of others hearing and telling people: Tate Vegner and Nico have a Thing.
"Oh. My. God." Jordan said. "That is the cutest thing ever!"
"I know, right!"
"What happened next?"
"We kissed for like, ten minutes, and I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought because afterwards Nico just smiled at me like an idiot and told me we should try that again soon." said Tate. "I said that I agreed, and then I giggled like the most awkward giggle ever giggled, and Nico asked me if he could kiss me again!"
Jordan faked a swoon.
"And of course I said yes, and then we kissed for, like, another five minutes! It was so great." Tate leaned back against the bus seat and closed his eyes, sighing dreamily. "It was fucking amazing, Jordie."
Tate opened his eyes. "After that, I said goodnight, and he did too, and I gave him another kiss on the cheek and then I went inside."
"That is so fucking romantic, I might vomit," said Jordan, smiling ear-to-ear. Tate was doing so well with this boy, and he was happy. Jordan hadn't seen Tate grin like this in...well, ever.
"Anyways, my love life aside," Tate straightened as the bus creaked to a stop and allowed some klutzy brunette and her boyfriend to get off. He lowered his voice even farther, leaning closer. "How are things with Five?"
Jordan's grin grew so big it hurt, and he looked down happily. "It's pretty damn good."
Tate gasped. "Did you kiss?"
Jordan nodded. "It was so fucking sweet. And—and!—when I stand up straight, I'm like a fuckin' giant. Five is much shorter when I stand up."
Tate laughed. "Did you discover that while you made out?"
Jordan shrugged and said, "No, but we found it out afterwards."
The bus ride continued with hushed words concerning Nico and Five, and small friendly touches to reassure each other that they where fine.
The smallest tendril of worry for Billie wound itself around his heart, but he brushed it aside for the sweetness of talking about boys with Tate.
[outside jordans house—tuesday afternoon]
"We've been sitting here all day, and pushing you out of the tree is getting boring," Park grumbled. "When are we gonna do something fun?"
"Soon, Park." The red-eyed woman sighed, watching the road; Jordan should be getting off the bus soon. "Just keep spying with your cutesy butterflies, yeah?"
"It's hard with two," Park mumbled. "It's giving me a headache."
"Fine. Give me a rundown of what's happening inside," she leaned back against the tree. Park nodded, his eyes closed.
"Number Seven is currently watching TV with Number Three and Five, talking quietly. I can't really make it out, but they've mentioned Jordan once or twice. Five has blushed quite a bit. Three and Seven have laughed a lot, and asked him lots of questions.
"Number Two, Four, and Six are in the brothers room playing video games—I think it's Mario Kart. Four is very loud; he keeps accusing them of cheating, and he just tackled Number Two. They're wrestling now, and Six is laughing. All three of their karts fell off the track. Number One isn't anywhere to be found; I believe that he went to the bathroom. He was sitting with the boys playing video games."
"Great." She adjusted so that her legs dangled from the tree branch. "Not a suspicion?"
"Not since you fell out the tree this morning."
"Haha," she laughed sarcastically and made a face. All of the sudden, she sat straight up, hand curling around the knife Diego left out.
"What?" Park said, voice hushed.
"Bus." She murmured, eyes following the hideous yellow vehicle as it pulled up. The doors creaked open, and down cane Jordan. He waved goodbye to someone on the bus—most likely his little friend, Tate (she wondered if she'd have to kill him as well; he knew about the Umbrella Academy)—and watched the bus drive off.
Then, once the vulgar yellow had disappeared into the trees, he turned and started down the driveway.
His black curls bounced and gleamed in the sun; he didn't look very threatening. He was clearly tall, but he slouched over, and the freckles made him seem more innocent. He did not look like the type of guy who could drown a man.
But, she thought, appearances are deceiving.
"Tell the team to get ready," she said. "I've got to send sweet Billie Ramone in."
Park sighed. "You're so damn dramatic."
"Shut up," she said, silver hair turning into a violent purple and red eyes becoming blue. Within the span of five seconds, the sharp-toothed woman was gone; now, she was younger, with the gangly body of a teen about to get a license.
Her voice changed too; she sounded like a Midwestern girl from Michigan. Maybe Ohio.
"See you," Park mumbled, mind already focusing back on the butterflies. Billie rolled her eyes and watched carefully as Jordan opened his door.
Once it was shut, she dropped to the ground.
A/N:
oooooooooooooooo
damn i hate braces so much i literally have never felt more aware of my teeth E V E R plz kill me (also i asked out the girl I've had a crush on for months and she said no very politely but yeah i am sad lmao)
thank you all for 14k read and over 900 votes!! this story is surpassing all of my wildest dreams and i'm really happy you're all enjoying it this much
i hope you all enjoyed this short n sweet chapter that's basically just jordie and tate being bros and talking about their boyfriends. idk man i thought it was adorable.
have a wonderful day!