Seems like Firkle and Ike are getting closer huh? Closer to Ike's ultimate plan! MWA HA HA HA HA HA! Anyway this chapter is also going to have more Firkle and Pete sexiness so look forward to that as well.

Chapter 8 – Goth Bonds

When I woke up I had trouble remembering where I was for a moment. I mean, I definitely wasn't in my own room. My walls were not white with a slightly blue tinge. And there was no large window that let in this much light. And I don't remember owning a computer. But then I remembered what happened yesterday and I realized I was in Ike's room. And then my next thought was why Ike was so obsessed with the color blue. He wore it all the time and practically everything in his room was some shade of blue.

I looked around and suddenly noticed that Ike wasn't in the room and wondered where could he be. Then I heard voices outside the door in the hallway and quietly got up to listen more closely.

"Whose clothes are these, Ike?" a shrill stereotypical Jewish mom voice rang out, and I assumed it was Ike's mother, "I know you don't own anything like this! They look like something out of a punk magazine!"

"They're my friend's clothes, mom," Ike explained, "I was just washing them for him while he was resting."

"Can't he do his own laundry?" his mother asked, "Seems pretty lazy to me."

I could practically see Ike rolling his eyes in my mind. "I'm pretty sure he can," he argued, "But he was hit in the head with a football yesterday and fell into a pool and almost drowned. So I was just doing him a favor by bringing him back here and letting him rest while I did his laundry for him. Is that so wrong?"

His mother paused and I could imagine Ike giving her a small glare.

"Who is this friend, anyway?" she asked eventually, "This doesn't look like anything any of your usual friends wear."

"Um, his name is… Georgie," he replied, and I winced. I hated my real name. "Georgie Smith. He's in a bunch of my classes so we started hanging out."

I heard his mother make a few grunting noises before the sound of footsteps walking away. I went back and sat back down on the bed just as Ike entered the room. He looked a little annoyed but his face lit up when he saw me.

"Oh good! You're awake!" he said, "Your clothes are all clean and dry now!" He held them out for me with a small smile.

"Thanks," I said, reaching out and taking them from him. I watched as he walked around and crawled back into bed with me. I sighed slightly. "Your mom doesn't like me," I noted.

Ike frowned and slumped down. "Oh, you heard that," he muttered, "Don't take it personally. My mom is very over protective. She's very choosey about who I hang out with, ever since my brother Kyle chose to associate with that racist, anti-Semitic prick, Cartman. He's not friend's with him anymore, thankfully, but it still caused my mom to be over bearing about my own friends." He looked over at me and gave me a sheepish grin. "Um, sorry about using your real name. But I thought my mom would be more accepting of that name than your goth name."

"It's all right," I sighed, "I just really don't like my name."

"I think it's a nice name," he said.

"I hate it," I grunted, getting up so I could get changed. Ike rolled over to give me some privacy. It felt good to be in my regular black clothes again. Not only were Ike's too bright for me but they were also a little big on me. When I had changed, I plopped back down onto Ike's bed next to him. He rolled over and looked at me.

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked me.

"A lot better," I replied, "My headache is gone. And the bump on my head is almost completely gone."

"That's good," Ike sighed, "I was hoping that Filmore didn't seriously injure you."

"I don't know why that asshole hates me so much," I muttered, "He joined the football team after the rest of the team already started picking on me. I didn't do anything to him! In yet he insists on constantly attacking me."

Ike frowned and scooched closer to me. "I wish there was something more I could do for you," he said in a low voice, "It sucks that so many people pick on you all the time."

"You think I don't know that?" I muttered, "I don't know why people don't understand that all I want is to be left alone. Is that so hard?"

I felt Ike lightly press against me. Why was this kid so insistent on being so close to me? Didn't he know the meaning of personal space? I sighed slightly as I felt him press a little closer.

"Um, Ike I think I'm gonna go now," I told him, "I'm feeling a lot better now. Thank you for taking care of me." I got up to leave but Ike suddenly put a hand on my arm.

"Er, I was actually wondering, um, you know, if um…" he started stumbling over his words and I rolled my eyes.

"Can you just spit it out, please?" I muttered. He took a deep breath.

"Can I please kiss you again?" he asked. I felt myself stiffen.

"Why?" I wondered, "Haven't you asked that girl out yet? Who is she anyway?"

For some reason Ike looked panicked for a few moments and he started stuttering. I raised my eyebrow at him and I couldn't decide if it looked like he was having trouble remembering her name, was embarrassed by who it was, or had been lying to me and was struggling to think of someone to name.

I decided it was probably the second one. The other two were just ridiculous.

Finally, though, he answered me. "Sally Bands," he said, "That's the girl I wanted to ask out." My eyebrow shot up again.

"Sally Bands?" I repeated, "Wow. She's hot. And totally out of your league."

"I know! That's why I want to practice first!" Ike argued, "I want to make sure I'm good enough for her before I ask her out!"

I scoffed. "Yeah, like you'll ever be good enough for her," I sneered. Ike sighed and rolled his eyes.

"So, can I kiss you or not?" he wondered.

"If you really think it'll help in your pathetic cause, fine," I replied.

Trying not to look too excited, Ike scooched closer to me so that he was right in front of me. Then he rested a hand on my arm before leaning in and kissing me deeply. I was grateful that this time he didn't feel the need to push me onto my back. It was annoying when he did that. He had his eyes closed and massaged his lips against mine slowly and sensually. He was really starting to get into it and it made me wonder, not for the first time, if he had forgotten that I was the one he was kissing.

I cringed slightly when I felt him start sucking on my bottom lip before licking at it. I presumed he wanted me to open my mouth so he could stick his tongue inside, but there was no way in Hell I was doing that. But apparently he didn't care what I thought, because he forced his tongue into my mouth anyway. Ike moaned gently as he did so, reaching up to grip the back of my neck. I made a noise of protest, but he ignored me and wrapped his other arm around my back. He sighed gently into my mouth which made me rather annoyed. Was he always going to get this intimate when he kissed me?

After what seemed like forever, Ike slowly pulled away, his lips hovering by mine a moment more before he opened his eyes and backed away, a slight blush on his face. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um, thank you Firkle," he murmured, "That was, um, nice."

"Yup," I replied, even though I really didn't do anything. "Did you need anything else before I go? You want me to lay down so you can practice having sex as well?"

Ike's face started turning as red as a tomato at that comment. He started sputtering out an embarrassed reply, causing me to chuckle. I decided to save him some face.

"All right, see you tomorrow Ike," I said, still fighting back laughter as I picked up my bag and left the room. I had to get back to my house and see what damage had been done to my books and homework.

A moment later, though, the door opened again and Ike rushed over to me. "Actually, Firkle, I could drive you home if you wanted," he offered. I looked at him.

"I didn't know you could drive," I replied, "I've only seen you walk everywhere."

"Well, yeah, I prefer to walk if it's just a short distance, but I figured I should at least offer just in case your head isn't completely better," Ike explained, "I would hate myself if you got hurt on your way home."

I considered his words for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, all right," I said, "Beats walking, that's for sure. And this way I can home sooner and sulk in my lair for the rest of the day."

Ike gave me a weird look but didn't say anything as he brushed past me and lead the way to the front door. But of course nothing could be easy, because on the way we ran into his mom. We were almost out the door, too.

"Oh Ike! Where are you off to?" she asked him, then she spotted me and frowned slightly, "And who's this?"

"Um, mom this is my friend, Georgie," Ike explained and I cringed slightly. I still hated that he was using my real name, but now his mom saw who I really was. And judging by the look on her face, she liked me even less than I thought she would.

"I was just going to drive him home really quick," Ike continued, "He's still a bit dizzy from yesterday and I didn't think it was safe for him to walk home."

"Well aren't you a good boy, bubby?" she cooed, suddenly lighting up when she turned back to him, "Well be home soon, please. I want to have a chat with you when you get back."

"Yes, mother," Ike said obediently. Then we both quickly left the house.

I think the car Ike drove was a family car, not his own, because it was an SUV, but he clearly had some say in it because it was blue (of course!) I got into the front seat as Ike hopped into the driver's side and started it up. We were quiet as we started driving down the lane.

Eventually, though, I let out a deep breath. "Ike," I said in a low voice, "How come you and that stupid cheerleader are the only ones who don't hate me?"

Ike glanced at me from the corners of his eyes. "What do you mean?" he wondered.

"Well, I know my friends don't hate me, obviously," I explained, "But seems like everyone I meet just doesn't like me as soon as they meet me. I haven't said a word to your mother, but she was glaring at me the whole time. They act like just because I'm dressed like this I'm a terrible person and should treat me horribly before I get the chance to. Everyone… except for you."

Ike was silent for a moment. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. "I guess… I'm just not like everyone else," he said eventually, "My brother taught me never to judge someone based on appearances and stereotypes. And even though you and your friends were into some dark things, you never really seemed that bad."

"Heh, thanks," I replied.

It wasn't very long before we pulled up to my house. I was about to get out, but before I could, Ike leaned over and caught me in tight hug. My breath stuck in my throat for a moment as he held me. A minute later he let me go.

"What was that for?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I don't know. You just looked like you really needed a hug," he answered, "You know Firkle, if you want someone to talk to or complain to, I'll always listen."

I stared at him for a moment before giving him a small nod. Then I got out of the car and watched Ike drive away. When I turned around to go inside I was quite surprised to find Pete standing on the porch, staring up at my house. He was half way through a cigarette.

"Pete?" I called, walking up to him, "What are you doing here?"

My friend spun around and smiled slightly when he saw me. "Oh hey, Firkle," he greeted pleasantly, "Your parents told me you weren't home so I waited around for you. Can I spend the night here?"

"Uh, sure you can," I replied, "But may I ask why?"

Pete let out a sigh. "Michael and I had a huge fight and I just can't be around him right now," he replied, "Please don't ask. It's complicated."

As I reached him I noticed he had his backpack with him. I wondered how long he planned to stay with me, but I didn't ask. Instead, I brushed past him and opened the front door and lead him inside.

I didn't bother to tell my parents I was home. I doubt they even noticed I was missing during the night. I also didn't want to alert the twins and have them bother me, but of course they found me anyway.

"Hey Georgie!" Timmy shouted at the top of his lungs, "Where were you yesterday!? We wanted to play but you weren't here!"

Tammy was bouncing around Pete and smiling up at him. "You're hot!" she exclaimed, "I want to marry you and we can have fifty children!"

Pete stared down at the annoying little hell spawn with wide eyes. "Oh…um, ok," he muttered. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm.

"Fuck off you demon jizz!" I hissed at them, dragging my friend away. We quickly retreated up to my room before my stupid siblings could follow us. I made sure to lock the door behind us.

Pete walked over to my bed and plopped down onto it. He leaned back on my bed with his arms behind his head and looked at me.

"So, where were you?" he asked, "You're not the type to just leave for no reason and not tell anyone."

I sighed and walked over to sit next to him on the bed. "Yesterday when I was walking home from school, I got hit in the head with a football and fell into a pool and almost drowned," I explained, "Ike fished me out and took care of me and I spent the night at his house."

"Jeez, why didn't you call any of us?" Pete wondered.

"Um… my phone may be at the bottom of the pool," I muttered. Then I remembered something. "Oh yeah, I finally found out who my stalker is."

Pete perked up with interest. "Oh yeah? Who was it?" he asked.

"It was Ike," I told him, "Apparently he's been following me around and leaving me notes and stuff. I got mad at him at first but I forgave him after he rescued me."

"You know, I had a feeling it was Ike," Pete said, "He seemed to be strangely obsessed with you recently." I gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. Pete looked at me.

"Are you-? Um, never mind," he sighed. He sat up and pulled his backpack onto the bed. "Hey, you want to smoke some more weed with me?"

"Yeah, I'm up for it," I replied, "After the crazy week I've had I could really use this."

Pete smirked at me before pulling out the stuff. I watched him expertly roll a joint and hand it to me. I thanked him and took out my lighter, lighting it up, and taking a long drag. I felt myself starting to relax instantly, just like last time.

"Hey Firkle," Pete suddenly said, "Would you mind terribly if I took my shirt off? I figured I'd ask you first if it made you uncomfortable."

Though a slight blush came to my face, I shook my head. "No, I don't mind," I said, "I don't know why you'd want to. It's rather cold in here."

Pete ignored my last statement and started undoing his shirt before pulling it off and dropping it on the floor. Then he silently slipped off his bolero as well and set it on the nightstand, leaning over me as he did.

I wasn't entirely uncomfortable with seeing my friend topless. The four of us were very open and comfortable around each other when it came to our bodies. Though I've never seen Michael or Pete nude before, I have seen them without shirts. I knew Pete had a tattoo of a raven on his back and Michael's body had various tattoos that meant a bunch of random things. Both of them had seen me without a shirt on; they had been there when I got my back tattoo. The only one of my friends who had seen me completely naked though, was Henrietta. And the only friend I've seen naked is Henrietta.

And it wasn't in a sexual way that we viewed each other. It was because of a cruel prank that had been pulled on me that we saw each other. During one of my solo visits to the cemetery, someone found it funny to dump a gallon of blood on me a la Carrie and run away. I never found out who it was. But anyway Henrietta's house was closest to the cemetery, and I was freaking out so badly that I just ran to her. When she saw me covered in blood, she didn't ask any questions and simply brought me upstairs to her bathroom. She stripped me of my clothes and had me stand in the shower so she could start rinsing me off. I was fourteen at the time and I didn't really question it when she also shed her clothes and got into the shower with me. I didn't care that I was seeing my friend's breasts. All that mattered was that she was taking care of me.

Well, that got way off track. My point is I'm not uncomfortable with Pete taking his shirt off. Though I noticed that goosebumps were starting form on his skin. I looked at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to put your shirt back on?" I wondered.

"No, no, I'm fine," Pete insisted, taking another hit. I rolled my eyes.

"If you say so," I said. I took another hit from my joint and laid down before blowing out a lungful of smoke. Pete laid down next to me, his arm brushing against mine. I couldn't help but shiver slightly as he did so.

"Are you all right?" Pete asked me.

"Yeah," I said, "Just a chill."

Pete sat up slightly and looked down at me. I was about to ask if something was wrong when he reached an arm across my torso to grip my shoulder. Then he leaned down and softly kissed my lips. My breath caught in my throat for a moment before I slowly started kissing him back. I had no idea what had suddenly brought this on, but Pete was a good kisser, so I wasn't going to complain.

He gently kissed me over and over, caressing my lips in a tender way that made my spine tingle. As we kissed, I felt Pete slowly inch his way on top of me. He reached up and ran a hand through my hair. The feeling of his fingers in my hair made me sigh in pleasure, and the moment I opened my mouth, Pete took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. Tingling, I threw my arms around him, pressing him closer to me. I started running my hand up and down his back, which made Pete shudder.

"Firkle," he breathed, pulling his mouth away an inch, "Don't do that! You're turning me on!" I smirked at him.

"Well maybe you should put your shirt back on then," I remarked.

"Smartass," he hissed at me before leaning down and capturing my lips again.

We kissed and kissed until eventually Pete rolled off of me, breathing hard. I chose to ignore the small tent he had going in his pants, after all he had said I was turning him on with my actions. I laid next to him, panting slightly. That kissing had really taken a lot out of me.

"Hey," Pete said after a moment, "Thanks for letting me stay here tonight. I really appreciate it."

I gave him a small smile. "Any time," I replied.

I'm going to end the chapter here because this chapter is getting really long. A lot longer than I meant it to be. Next chapter will start with Pete and Firkle but we're also going to get Ike's decision about the party. Trust me, you're going to want to see that. Anyway, until next time be sure to leave a comment!