"Hey!." Jeff says excitedly. Mark pulls the window down. "I told you that I might pick you up from school. You don't mind do ya?. I know I didn't call. I hope I'm not early, I'm not familiar with what times your supposed to be picked up by."
"No, your fine. I'm supposed to be in the gym class. But I've done all my other classes. So we can go. If you want?." Jeff whispers.
"Your gym class is the last one, you don't have anything else."
Jeff smiles "Nope, Just the gym class and then we usually go to the computer room until 3:30."
"What do you do in the computer room." Mark asks.
"Nothing, Just surf the internet."
Mark nods "Okay, well I guess we can go then. Your telling me the truth right?."
Jeff smiles again "Yeah, of course." He laughs. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Who needs Science class anyways. I mean really?. When are we ever gonna use any of those things that they teach in that class. It's just a waste of time. And besides, spending time with Mark or going back to class, does he really think I'm gonna tell the truth?.
"So what have you done today?" Jeff asks.
"Nothing much, just fixing up some pipes in the house."
"Mark.." Jeff whispers
Mark turns to look at Jeff. "Yeah."
Jeff places his hand on Mark's thigh. ".. Can I tell you something?"
Mark smiles "Sure, you can. You can talk to me about anything."
"I've never had a girlfriend before, and there's this girl in my class. I think she likes me."
Mark smiles "Oh, really. How do you know that."
"She always wants to sit with me every-time we're in the same classes. She comes up to me in the cafeteria, wanting to sit next to me."
"You don't like her."
Jeff shakes his head. "...No... I like you."
Mark smiles and pats Jeff's hand. "So tell her your just not ready yet. I mean don't allow her to think that you like her when you really don't. She doesn't deserve to be lead on. I know it's tough, but you need to be honest with her."
"But I haven't told her I like her, I haven't done anything to suggest that I'd like her. Why can't she just get it. Why do I have to hurt her feelings. I don't wanna do that." Jeff whispers, his head bowed down low.
"Your a sweet kid, Jeffrey." Mark whispers turning to smile at Jeff.
Jeff blushes.
"I'll see you later okay." Mark says as he has his head leaning out his side window.
"Sure, thanks for picking me up. I had a nice time talking to you."
"Sure thing, I enjoyed it myself. Don't forget to be honest with that girl."
"I will. I'll see you later." Jeff walks up to the Jeep. He looks around before quickly kissing Mark on the side of his face.
Mark playfully pushes Jeff's shoulder "Go on, get inside. It's getting cold out." Mark hollers with a playful laugh.
Jeff walks into the apartment, his arms crossed. He still was upset with Matt over what had been said last night. He had hoped that Matt would have apologized already, but he was not at home, when Jeff got up to go to school.
"You have a good day at school?." Matt asks, his head looking down at the choices of some inscriptions for their father's headstone.
Matt looks up when Jeff doesn't answer. "Look." Matt whispers standing up and walking over to Jeff.
"I want to say I'm sorry, I wanted to earlier but I had things that I needed to get done. So I didn't have a chance then but I'm telling you now. So can we please, just forget about it. I only said those things because I was over-stressed. I don't feel that way at all. I'd never hurt you like he did Jeffrey. I love you, your my little brother." Matt explains.
Jeff nods his head, he relaxes his arms. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear."
Matt smiles and Jeff smiles back. They smack each others arms playfully.
Jeff takes a seat "Did you go to the cemetery?"
"Yes, I'm hoping that I can get everything together, so we can have dad's funeral either tomorrow or the next day. I've gotten just about everything that needed to be done, I'm just waiting for the guy to come pick up the station-wagon."
"You sold it?." Jeff asks
Matt nods "Yeah, for 350. I thought it was overpriced but I explained to the guy earlier on about our situation and he wouldn't take it for a lower price. I guess he was trying to help us out. Which he did, I was able to get dad's headstone and the insurance money should help pay for the coffin."
"Did you already go by and look at them?." Jeff asks
Matt nods yet again.
Jeff rolls his eyes "Will you do anything other then nod."
Matt looks up "Sorry, I'm just busy." He looks back down at the papers.
"Have you come to agreement on what coffin your gonna get him?." asks Jeff.
"Yeah, they got this pretty maple wood one for 450. I should have enough for that, if I sell some stuff."
"What stuff?."
"Well, my computer. I'm not gonna need it anymore. I can't go back to collage, not anytime soon anyways."
The funeral: the next day.
Jeff walks out the Jeep, he had invited Mark to come along. And he agreed that he'd take them but he wasn't gonna stand out in the open, he just didn't feel right about it. He wasn't family. But out of respect, he would stay and because Jeff asked him too.
Jeff looks back at Mark, he was standing near a big oak tree.
Matt had already taken a seat down near the coffin. Jeff felt sickly. He couldn't wait for this to be over.
He walks over to the row of seats, he sits down next to his brother.
Mark looks up towards the sky, it sure was a beautiful day. He thought about his own father's funeral. How he had to say goodbye to him at such a young age, he wasn't ready yet. And to have to say goodbye to your mother and brother all on the same day. It was something that Mark could never explain. It was so tragic. He thought of how that day was similar to today's weather. He remembered how blue the sky was, just like it was now. Not a dark cloud in the sky. It was weird. Mark thought that maybe it had some meaning to it. Maybe something to do with God?.
" Mark." Matt whispers after the funeral was over.
"I wanna thank you for giving us a ride and for staying. I know you probably didn't want too."
"It's alright, I promised Jeff that I would stay."
"You did?."
"Yeah, he invited me. Told me that he'd really like it if I stayed." Mark shrugs.
Mark heads over to the Jeep. I thought you were just staying to give us a ride back home, I should have known it had something do with Jeffrey.
Once home, Matt asks Mark to leave.
"Matthew!" Jeff yells after hearing that Matt basically tried to throw Mark out.
"He's my friend, and he's been really nice to you too."
Matthew stands upright, standing taller then Jeff by a few inches.
"Do you think your scaring me Matt. Look, he's my friend. If you don't like that well then too bad. Get over it. Because Mark's still gonna be my friend, no-matter how long you dislike it."
Mark had taken to standing out in the hall-way of their apartment. The door was wide open and Mark had tried to not listen in on the brothers argument.
"I didn't throw him out, I just told him that I think it would be best if he left. It is late. And you need to get to bed for school." Matt explains.
"No, you just wanna control me, like dad did."
"I never told Mark to leave and not return. And besides, what kind of man goes and tattle-tells on someone, at his age." Matt laughs mockingly.
"He didn't tattle tell Matthew, I just asked him why he was leaving so early for. I had hoped he could stay. We could eat, watch a movie or something. that's all. And you just hate that I have someone who actually cares for me don't you?. Your just so jealous ain't you?."
"Jealous, of an old perverted man. You really think he likes you." Matt whispers. "Because he doesn't. He likes what you can give him. That's all. Why can't you see that?."
" No Matthew, why can't you see how your completely wrong about this, about Mark. He isn't after nothing but my friendship. He wouldn't do anything if I said no too it. Because he knows that hurting people is wrong. Something that you need to learn. Because you hurt me with what you say." Jeff whispers. tears almost to the brink.
Mark steps in after seeing Jeff's break-down.
"Hey, are you alright." Mark walks up to Jeff, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Matt unexpectedly walks up to Mark and pushes him back "Why don't you just stay the hell away from my brother." Matthew yells.
Mark tenses up "I think we all are just upset over today's events. Y'all burying your dad today, I know emotions are high. I tell ya what. I'll leave alright Matthew. I just would like to say good-night to Jeff. If that's okay?." Mark asks trying to control his own emotions.
Matthew with his arms crossed nods yes after seeing that Jeff had taken a sit on the couch. He was visibly crying.
Matt walks in the bathroom. And Mark walks over to Jeff, he kneels down.
"Are you alright, are you upset over what Matt said?."
"No, I just buried my dad, who I killed." Jeff pushes Mark away.
Mark whispers "Come here." He pulls Jeff into a hug.
Matt walks back out in the room, right away he see's Mark's arms wrapped around his little brother.
"What the hell do you think your doing?." Matt asks yelling.
He walks up to the two, Mark gets up of his knee and stands.
"I was just comforting your brother, he's upset. Don't you see that." Mark asks trying not to lose control of his anger.
Jeff swipes at the tears that were falling "He was just trying to help me. That is more then what I can say for you."
Matt walks up to Jeff "I was leaving you alone, isn't that what you always want. To be left alone."
Jeff shakes his head.
Matt turns his attention to Mark, he points towards the door. "I'd like it if you left now. Please."
Mark grabs his coat. "Sure Matthew. I'll see you later Jeff. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer like you wanted. Maybe we can hang out some-more some other day."
Mark walks out the door and down the stairs.
Matt slams the door shut. "You are so foolish Jeff. He's just some child molester."
"He is not!." Jeff screams
"What kind of man hangs around a 16 year old kid." Matt asks, staring into Jeff's eyes.
"You just don't know him, you don't understand."
Matt gets right up in Jeff's face "Oh, I understand completely. Your just as sick as he is."
Jeff was shocked. He begins crying again.
"Your just so sensitive Jeff. I'm just telling the truth. What are you gonna do, run away. run back into the pervert's arms." Matthew yells while he watches as Jeff runs out the door. Probably going back to Mark, you've got problems Jeffrey. Look who's talking, Your drunk.
Matt grabs his bottle of pills, that were in his coat pocket. And you can't stop taking those damn pills. I say that Jeffrey is lucky to have someone look out for him. You could really use someone like that too. Oh shut up, what do ya know.
He grabs a beer from out the fridge, the same one's he had purchased earlier in the day, the same ones that he had downed secretly during and throughout the day. He could blame some of his actions today on the alcohol but some of what he said had truth towards it. He did find Mark wanting to spend time with his little brother strange. And Jeff was right that he didn't understand it because he didn't. It all just seemed unusual to him. Maybe if he'd give Mark a chance, got to know the person. He'd feel differently about it. But as for right now, he feels the way he does and there's nothing that Jeff or Mark could say that would change that.
"Man, I need to lay down. I've got a headache." Mark speaks out-loud as he falls down on the couch. His head spinning.
TBC
Thank you for the reviews:
IsidoraAngst: Thank you, I'm glad your still enjoying it!.
Slashdlite: Yeah, that's true. Let's hope he does eventually. Thanks for the review.
CannibalHolocaust: Haha, Yep. I agree with you there. Thank you for reviewing!. I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter.
Infection13: Yep, I agree with you. Thank you for reviewing.
Pooh bear: I know it is rather lengthy but I'm hoping that if people like it, that their continue to read it. If they don't, then I guess that's just the price I paid for having it drag out for so long. Thanks for the review. I hope that you like this chapter.
What's to come in the next chapter: Jeff stays-over-night with Mark. Will something happen between the two, I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see when my muse speaks to me. I think Mark is able to hold out but Jeff is still debating, you know he's got all those teenage hormones! lol