What Makes You Different
Disclaimer: I own no one. Except for Jarrett, that is.
Warning: This is SLASH (male/male) so if you don't like it, don't read it. I don't mind criticism, but I don't want any flames saying that slash sucks because frankly, that's an opinion. You have been warned…happy reading!
Author's Note: Sorry that took so incrediblely long! School…as always.
"Hey guys!" Bright Abbott ran to catch up with Wendell and Ephram who were standing a few feet away. The two younger boys looked up, confused. Bright skidded to a stop in front of them and smiled cheerfully.
"What…" Ephram trailed off before shaking his head, "No forget it. I don't want to know." Wendell didn't look any less baffled.
"Huh?" Oh…well I heard…your birthday passed…um, happy belated?" Bright offered weakly.
"Let me get this straight. You come all the way here to wish me a happy belated birthday? No comments? No jokes? Are you sure you feel alright?"
"Can't a guy be nice once in awhile?" Secretly, Bright knew what he wanted and he only hoped Ephram and Wendell didn't figure it out. He did a lot of thinking the night before, so much to the point where he had to take Tylenol for his aching head, and decided that it wasn't worth ruining his reputation for. Apparently, his heart disagreed. Admittedly, he had been running low in the love department, but what could he do? Guys didn't come by the dozen in Everwood. Not interested ones anyway. Take Ephram Brown for instance. Bright knew he was attracted to Ephram ever since he moved to Everwood, but he had to go and get all googly eyed for his sister who already had a boyfriend. It was weird because he'd sworn that he saw Ephram and Wendell holding hands one day. But when he looked back, they were shoving each other around.
"Yo! Bright! What the hell are you doing?" one of the football players yelled from the other end of the hall. Bright turned red as everyone's eyes rested on him.
"Go ahead," Ephram stated wryly, "You're pack is calling."
Bright hesitated before shaking his head, "Nah, forget them," then he yelled, "I'll catch up with you later, dude!" They gave him strange looks before turning away and walking on.
"So this is the famous Bright Abbott," a voice came from behind him. Bright spun around and came face to face with Jarrett. The new kid. Him.
"Uh…yeah…I guess." Bright stumbled over his words, losing his usual confident, and cocky, personality. If Jarrett noticed anything strange, he didn't show it. Everyone started walking out of the school building together and Bright lagged behind, feeling left out, not for the first time. Luckily, it didn't bother him much even if he was uncomfortable listening to a conversation about bands he'd never heard of before. Besides, he was used to being the outsider; he'd gotten lots of practice with Amy and Colin.
Ephram watched both Bright and Jarrett as he walked along, Jarrett between himself and Wendell. He'd never considered himself to be of the jealous type so it didn't bother Ephram much when Wendell introduced him to Jarrett. It didn't bother him that Jarrett was suddenly a part of their group and it didn't bother him that Jarrett and Wendell were becoming closer friends. Besides, he knew that Wendell loved him and it was ridiculous to think that he would be cheating. Not only that, but Ephram was always there with them as it was so it didn't matter much in the end. He wasn't even sure if Jarrett was gay; he probably wasn't. However, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Bright Abbott was gay. He'd known a week into his start at County High, but since he figured that Everwood wasn't an exactly accepting community, he didn't say anything. Besides, he was never quite in the right mood for a beating either. It didn't require many brain cells to see that Bright liked Jarrett either. This didn't bother Ephram at all. In fact, it kind of made him happy. Of course there was only one problem: the possibility that Jarrett wasn't gay, which would painstakingly crush Bright Abbott. 'Wait a minute,' Ephram thought to himself, 'Since when do you care what Bright Abbott feels?' Ephram just shrugged it off as another one of those things he would never understand. It was kind of like how he'd never figure out why he tried to go after Amy Abbott.
Wendell didn't know what it was about Jarrett that made him so…gravitated towards him. It wasn't as if he was attracted to him in any way more than a friend because he wasn't. Besides, he loved Ephram. There was something about Jarrett Davidson, though, something in the way he talked about a certain friend from where he came from that hinted Wendell; Jarrett wasn't exactly straight. It didn't make much of a difference to Wendell, but he knew that it made all the difference in the world to the Abbott boy. Bright was attracted to Jarrett just like he was attracted to Ephram months prior. Wendell couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment towards Bright for that, though he couldn't exactly place why. It wasn't as if Bright had Ephram now, Wendell decided gloatingly. At least Jarrett was unmistakably single and seemingly slightly attracted to Bright as well. Of course, it never happened that way in love, Wendell had learned that much. It would take more than just a mere attraction to be able to get those two together. For one thing, Bright was stubborn as hell, kind of like Ephram. For another thing, neither knew the other was gay as well, which would be just a slight setback. But Wendell wasn't going to let an opportunity like this just slip by. He would make sure they got together; they had to. He didn't know why he felt that way, but he did. Lately, it seemed to be all he was feeling: clueless.
"Do you guys want rides?" Bright asked out of the blue.
Jarrett nodded, "If it's not out of the way for you." Wendell and Ephram, on the other hand, stared at him as if he'd sprouted another head and a few extra legs.
"Yo! E!" Bright waved his hand in front of the brunette's face, "Brown!" Ephram snapped out of his shock, startling Wendell at the same time.
"Wh-what?"
"I asked if you guys wanted rides?" Bright repeated.
"Sure…" Both younger boys answered at the same time. Bright nodded and hauled Ephram's bike into the back of the truck, then Wendell's. Jarrett said he walked to school.
"Bright, what about Amy and Colin? Don't you have to drive them too?" Wendell asked uncertainly.
Bright nodded, "Usually, yes. But today Colin's mom is picking them up. They have to go somewhere together for something," he shrugged, "I wasn't really paying attention."
At the sound of Amy's name, Jarrett perked up, "Wait. Amy Abbott. That's your sister?"
Bright nodded, feeling his heart sinking, "Yeah, why?"
"No reason." The four boys piled into the truck, practically sitting on top of one another though if you asked Ephram and Wendell, they didn't mind at all. Bright got nervous, feeling Jarrett so close to him. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white and he basically tuned out the entire conversation that was going on, focusing on the road. 'Calm down, Bright. Calm down.' He tried telling himself. But he couldn't. It was a mix between disappointment and anger. Disappointment because of the way Jarrett asked about Amy and anger because of how unfair it was that Jarrett asked about Amy. If that even made any sense at all. He dropped Wendell off first, then Jarrett. As he was driving to the Brown's, he contemplated talking to Ephram about it.
"You're quiet," Ephram pointed out a few minutes after they left Jarrett's house.
"Just tired," Bright replied shortly, pulling into the driveway of Ephram's house. Ephram got out and Bright helped him take his bike down, "See you around dude."
"Bright," Ephram's voice stopped him. Bright turned to face the younger boy, "Yeah?"
"It's okay to like him and say so, you know." Ephram turned and walked into his house without another word. Bright stood there like an idiot, mouth dropped. He knew? How did he know? No, he wasn't talking about Jarrett. Was he? Who else could it have been? Bright shook his head and jumped into his truck, speeding away. He couldn't think about this anymore. It was just way too confusing.
Thanks for the reviews:
Maria Christina: Thanks! I try I really do J
T.A.T.U.: You do?! That's a relief! I was afraid that you guys wouldn't get who Bright liked or the set-up with Jarrett, but I didn't want to over-do it, under-do it or anything.
Ri: LOL! Yeah that happens to me all the time. I know! But don't worry, he will, he will. The spoilers said so J I know I shouldn't be reading them, but I had to.
Yelak: I hope you still like it!
LB: You predicted something about Wendell and Bright and let me give you a hint: it makes things much more complicated.
K-Lee: Aww thanks! I wouldn't leave you hanging like that! It just takes a long time for me to do updates, sorry!
Jenn: Yeah sure! Here's a graphic of him that tells you pretty much what he looks like. He was in the first season and he's coming back soon.
yeah his real name is Cody McMains.
Wisk8er: Haha, thanks! Sorry this chapter took so long, I'll try to take less than a month this time J
Please review!!