Touch My Heart...Chapter 6
A/N - Well hello again! Nice to see everyone sticking around for this story! Once again, Valorie818 and myself (RoxyGirl24) would love to thank each and everyone of you for the comments and kind words you fans are leaving for this story! They are amazing! Sorry for not posting earlier, with chapters over 10 000 words, it takes us a little longer to get them done and to edit to our satisfaction so thank you for being patient! Love you guys!
(Alex's POV)
"Jackson! Would you hurry up! We're going to be late for class!", I shouted out to Jackson who was locked inside the bathroom for the second time this week, "Jackson Kiriakis! Get you're ass out here this instant or I'm telling dad!"
Dropping a little threat here and there usually works, but today, not so much. Talk about being rebellious! Wonder what my little brother is up to in there?
Just as I was about to give up on trying to figure out what Jackson was up to, dad came out of his room and came over to offer his assistance, "So, he's still in there?"
"Yeah, he's still in there alright", I said to my dad in frustration, "He's being stubborn as usual."
"Or maybe he's trying to make himself look nice? Have you ever thought about that, Alex?"
"He didn't care about the way he looked before. So why now?"
My dad chuckled. Which I found very annoying to say the least, "Oh, Alex! I thought you of all people would have picked up on the signs before now."
"What signs?", I said to my dad playing dumb, like I had no idea what in the hell he was talking about when I actually did. I see the way Jack looks at Will with his girly eyes, flapping his long eye lashes at him. Argh! The poor guy's got it bad if you ask me!
"Well, son. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about, but I'll humor you anyways. Maybe Jackson didn't have a reason to wanna look nice before."
"And by reason would you be talking about Will by any chance?", I asked my dad in an over protective brother kinda way.
Dad smiled because he knew what I was getting at, "Look, Alex. We all knew this was bound to happen someday. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you that Jackson's the first one of you boys to show interest in the oppo- wait! Scratch that! Same sex. That should be for fitting for this conversation."
"You knew? I mean, that Jackson liked...Men?", I asked my dad, surprised that he's never mentioned it before.
"I think I've always know deep down inside that Jackson's never really been a fan of the female gender. Remember when we took him to the theme park and Minnie tried to offer him a balloon and Jackson wanted nothing to do with her? Well let me just tell you that Mickey didn't have that problem!", my dad explained to me and winked, "Listen, Alex. Jackson's a sixteen year old teenager who's got a crush on his new friend. Remember, Alex. This is all new to him. I'm probably sure he's confused and scared about the way he's feeling towards Will. I know you only want what's best for Jackson, but maybe you should try a different approach to reach out to him. Maybe instead of yelling at him to hurry you should ask him if he needs help instead. He might even surprise you."
"I know, dad. I get that, but I'm scared for Jackson. He doesn't know the first thing about love or relationships. What if Will doesn't feel the same way about him, dad? Have you ever thought about that? What happens then? Do I just sit back and watch Jackson get his heartbroken without even trying to protect him?"
"I'm well aware that Jackson's going to have to go though out this process alone. We can't stop him from having these feelings towards Will and same goes for Will. however, if his heart gets broken in the process, he his lucky enough to have a wonderful big brother like yourself to support him and guide him through it. I'm not saying it's okay for you to sit back and say nothing, I wouldn't never expect you to do that. But I also trust your judgement and I'm positive that you will know what to do when the time comes."
"let's just hope it doesn't come to that", I said, trying to be as optimistic about this unusual situation, "Well, guess I should take your advice now and try to get Jackson out of that bathroom before I miss my first class", I said to my dad just before he started down the stairs.
"Always the over achiever", My dad pointed out and laughed, "I'll be waiting for you boys down stairs. Joey and Victor Jr. as already picked up a ride with Jason's mom, so it's just you boys."
"Alright...Oh, and dad?"
"Yes, Alex?"
"Thanks!"
"Always..."
I waited for my dad to be out of sight before I tried my new approach towards Jackson. I took a minute to think about what I was gonna say to him, because usually, I go for the "Hurry the hell up", or the "What the hell are you doing", because lately, they haven't been working very well on him. If they did, well...I guess I wouldn't be standing here like again for the second time this week.
After a few agonizing minutes or reflection, I finally came up with something that might just work. Guess it's now or never, "Hey, Jackson. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier", I said loud enough so he could hear me through the closed-door, "I you need help with anything, maybe I could give you a hand so we're not late for class again", I suggested to him in hope he would respond to my offer.
I waited outside the door patiently for over five minutes for any sign of acknowledgment from Jackson, but nothing...The boy didn't even make a sound.
"Oh Come on Jackson, Would you stop being so stubborn and let me help you with whatever it us you're doing in there so we can just get to school already will ya?", I tried again when Finally, the door swung open and there stood a very frustrated Jackson.
"Oh, Fuck! Jackson!", came flooding out of my mouth without warning at the sight of my younger brother's latest experimentation, "What the hell have you done?"
(Sonny's POV)
I am staring at myself in the mirror and I am completely ashamed of myself. What did I just do, why didn't I just leave it alone and have someone else do it. Oh right, maybe because I freak out by the slightest touch from someone or if they get to close to me. But still, what was I thinking? I was so absorbed in looking at my big mistake, that I didn't even realize that Alex had stopped yelling at me through the door. This was strange, because I knew that he wouldn't have given up already, so I walked closer to the door and I could hear Alex and dad talking.
Quickly, I backed away from the door because I didn't want to be an eavesdropper. I have never been home sick from school at all this entire year so I knew that it was possible to take a few days off so I can figure out how to fix this.
When I heard footsteps move away from the door I assumed it was dad and I assumed that soon Alex will be banging on the door again but what I wasn't expecting was him speaking calmly; he didn't even raise his voice, "Hey, Jackson. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. If you need help with anything, maybe I could give you a hand so we're not late for class again."
I consider his offer, maybe he could help me figure all of this out but I was also really nervous and embarrassed that I even did this to myself. I stood there for so long warring with myself when Alex spoke again, "Oh Come on Jackson, Stop being so stubborn and let me help you with whatever it us you're doing in there so we can just get to school already will ya?"
Frustration at myself with my mistake and Alex's constant badgering me had built up and I swung the door open. I knew what his reaction was going to be so I braced myself for it. When Alex got a good look at me his eyes went huge, "Oh, Fuck! Jackson!"
There was a short pause, "What the hell have you done?"
(Will's POV)
I looked down at my watch and noticed it was a quarter to eight and that Alex wasn't here yet, "Maybe he's just running late", I thought to myself and hoped that them being late didn't have anything to do with Jack and the way I left him last night. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I did actually get here earlier that my usual five minutes before class schedule time and I decided to go look around the halls just in case I missed them coming in or something when I noticed T. and a few other people from his little group of minions where spread out across the hallway picking on people as the passed by, "Ah great! Just what I needed this morning!", I mumbled from under my breath as I tried to get by without being noticed. But I had no such luck.
"Lose something, Horton", T. said as he over looked his group of friends and started laughing. I continued along through the hallway like he wasn't even there, because the last thing I wanted right now was to deal with those dick heads when my first priority was finding Alex and Jack.
"Hey, Horton. I'm talking to you", T. said a little louder and made sure that I, and everyone else in our surroundings heard him loud and clear that he was talking to me so I would be able to pretend like I didn't hear him this time.
"What do you want T.", I asked him and turned over slowly to face him. Not that I wanted to see his the stupid smirk he had plastered all over his face, but what else could now? I could just ignore him after he made it very clear to me and everyone else for that matter that he wasn't about to let this go now or anytime soon. So, I stated the obvious, "I'm kinda in a hurry."
"Ah, I see that. Wait! Did you lose your little fuck toy again?", T. said and suddenly, a group or on looking peers crowded around us as if a fight was about to take place, because that's what usually happened when I was involved in a public dispute.
I took a deep breath to try to calm myself down and thought about Jack and what would happen if I did actually give in to T.'s profanity. Little did that do, because it kinda made things worst when T. notices my frustrations and how hard it was for me to hold back from punching h is face in.
"Oh, did I just strike a nerve there, Horton?", he said mocking tone of voice and took a few steps towards me and nudged my shoulder back slightly as if he was trying to provoke me into getting in to it with him,"Nice to see that you're little boyfriend's not around to see his night and shining armor get his pretty little face smashed in", and then he looked around the crowd quickly as if he was looking for something, or in this case someone and said, "Where is your little boyfriend anyways? Did you lose him again?"
"I don't have time for this. I'm outta here", I said to T. and made it very clear that I wasn't about to stoop to his level and turned around and tried leaving the scene.
Suddenly, I felt someone grab a hold of my jacket, preventing me from leaving the scene. A sudden anger emerged inside of me when I turned over and found myself standing face to face with T. I looked down at his hand that was holding a tight grip on my jacket and said to him in a grave angry tone and slightly shoved him backwards with my hand curled up into a fist, "Let go of me."
He retaliated right back, "And if I don't? What are you gonna do then, Horton? Hit me?"
It took everything in me not to smash my fist directly into his face, because that's the kind of stuff Will Horton would do, right? But lately, I've found myself at odds with person I use to be. Will Horton was class act son of a bitch would never back away from a fight. And now, I find myself standing here with one of the people I despise the most in the entire world and all I can think about is Jack. Honestly, I have no idea who I am anymore.
But the one thing that I do know is that I really don't wanna get in trouble for fighting again, because this could mean that I might not ever be able to see Jack again. The consequences to my actions were made very clear the last time I was in principle Carver's office. The first thing that would happen to me is that I would get expelled for fighting which means that I wouldn't be able to graduate in June with the rest of my class. Some people might think that's reason enough to stay calm and walk away. However, in my situation, that wasn't the case. I could care less about graduation or being expelled right now, because I really have nothing to look forward to anyways beside leaving this hell hole of a town and never look back. But that was only true to a certain extent now, because that changed a few weeks ago when I met Jack. He make's me wanna be a better person. Someone he can look up to. So I guess Jack is the main reason I'm holding myself back from wiping that obnoxious smirk off T.'s ugly face right now, because God only knows what this might do to him if I get in trouble for fighting, or even worst, what this could do to me if I ever lost him. This could mean that I would never get to see him again, to feel his touch upon my skin...
With that last thought, I knew what I had to do. And trust me, it was an easy decision to take, "You're not worth it T.", I uttered and back away before I did something I might end up regretting for the rest of my life. Because loosing Jack right now is not a price I'm willing to pay for my reckless behavior, so I simply walked away.
"That's it, Horton. Run off and go find your little boyfriend. Just make sure to keep your little freak on a leash before something bad happens to him."
I always knew T. was a total douche bag. Everyone at Salem High knew that. Make me wonder why I ever hung out with the guy anyways. But after hearing those words come out of his mouth, I knew he had finally crossed the line. That's when I totally lost it...
(Alex's POV)
"Okay, it's not has bad as it looks", I said to Jackson as I walked inside the bathroom and quickly closed the door behind me in a panic because I didn't want my dad to find out what Jackson did because he would flip out! Like totally flip out. Kinda like what I'm doing right now!
"Fuck! Shit!", I murmured from under my breath as I paced the bathroom floor while trying to think of a way of handling this situation without having to involve my dad or any one else for that matter. I let out a deep sigh and look up at Jackson who was standing there holding a magazine with a picture of the actor who played Edward Cullen in some vampire movie that everyone's been talking about and pointing towards his hair.
"Yeah, I know what you were trying to do, Jackson. You wanted your hair to look like his for Will, don't you?"
Jackson blushed and turned a deep shade for hiding his face away from me and smiled bashfully.
"It's alright, buddy. I know you like Will. You don't have to hide it from me. I wont say anything I promise, okay?"
Jackson nodded twice and turned over and looked at himself in mirror and frowned at the sight of his hair that was sticking up in every direction.
As much as I tried to hold myself back from laughing, I couldn't. Just the idea that my little brother would go though all this trouble just to make an impression on Will got me thinking that maybe his feelings towards Will were stronger than I thought imagine they were. Not that I'm one to talk, because I've never really been interested in anyone nor have I ever been in a relationship to know how someone should feel. All I know is that I envy my little brother for at least trying to do this on his own, cause I'm not sure I would ever be able to, "Word of advice? Maybe next time before you decided to cut your own hair, you should ask for help, okay?"
Jackson lowered his eyes to the floor and looked away in shame and started shaking his head from side to side in a panic.
"Hey we can fix this, alright? Don't worry about it. It's gonna be okay, buddy", I said to him in encouragement when suddenly, an idea popped into my mind that just might actually work is Jackson is willing to give it a try, "Jackson, I have an idea how we can fix this, but I'm gonna need your help, alright?", I asked Jackson and waited for him to respond.
Jackson quickly stopped shaking his head and then nodded once.
"Okay good. Now, I'm gonna need you to come and sit down here for a few minutes while I try to cut the rest of you hair so it can look like the picture you have in your magazine, okay?", I advised him and patiently waited for his reaction. I could see if he scared because if he agreed to let me do this, that would also mean he would have to let me touch him. I could see why this wasn't gonna be easy for him, because Will's the only person he's ever let come within a few inches from him without becoming hysterical. So I guess in a way I may had my work cut out for myself if he ever agreed to let me do this.
I could see he was hesitant to my request, so decided to try to persuade him a little further by talking about Will, "I'm sure Will's gonna love the new hair once we get it straightened out. He's not going to be able to keep his eyes from you, you know?"
With that, Jackson finally budged and slowly walked towards me and sat down in on the toilet seat and wait for me to start.
I took a look at the magazine that was laying on the counter thinking this might help to make Jackson at ease and handed over to him, "Can you hold this for me while I do this?", I asked Jackson who was practically shaking at the time.
He reached up and grabbed the magazine in placed it in front of him and I could see him staring at the pictures of the young actor and smiling down at them. I knew how much this meant to Jackson and how much he wanted his air to look just like him for Will. To be honest, it was kinda cute to see my brother crushing on Will so hard. As much as I was afraid that Will was just gonna break his heart, I knew helping Jackson was the right thing to do, "You ready to do this?", I asked him one last time as I picked up the scissors and waited for Jackson final approval.
He nodded once.
"Alright, here goes", I said to him as I placed the combed at the beginning of his hair line and ran it through his messy hair and at the same time, I brought up a portion of his hair in between my fingers and cut it so that it would even out the side that was shorter. At first, Jackson cringed when he heard the sound of the scissors. He probably thought I would hurt him or something because he jump off the toilet seat and almost made a run for it, but I managed to calm him down quickly and I continued on without saying word.
About fifteen minutes later, I was finally done with the trimming and it was now time to teach Jackson how to style it.
"Okay, buddy. Now this is the hard part", I pointed out as I place a bottle of hairspray and a jar of hair paste in front of him. Jackson looked over at me confused, "So, this is what you will need in order to style your hair so it looks like Edward from the movie. I'm gonna teach you how to do it, alright?", I asked.
He smiled and I could see he was getting excited. It was easy to figure out because the look on his face said it all, "Okay Jack. This is what you're gonna do", I said to him as I dipped my fingers in the jar of hair paste and took a small amount and rubbed in my hands, "First, you're gonna need to take some hair paste just like I did and rub in your hands. Don't take took much because we don't want you looking like a grease monkey now don't we", I said and started laughing.
Jackson hesitated a few seconds before sticking his fingers inside the jar and mimicking my movements, "Great! You did good, Jack. Now, you need to run your fingers through your hair like this", I pointed out as I ran my own fingers through my hair to teach him exactly what he needed to do to have that vamp looks he's been so keen of having.
"Alright, so when you have it sticking up like you want, you take this", I said to him as I picked up the bottle of hairspray and placed it near my hair and sprayed some over my hair style, "You just put a little bit, or your hair is gonna get stiff and you wont be able to run your fingers through it. You only want enough to make sure it holds with a natural look", I pointed out and chuckled loudly. When did I become such a girl?
Jackson picked up the bottle and sprayed some over his hair and looked over at me for approval. I smiled.
"Well, I guess we're done. You ready to have a look?", I asked him and moved over so he could take my position in front of the mirror and see his new look for the first time.
I could see he was nervous about seeing himself with his new hairstyle. I know how upset he was when he saw himself in the mirror earlier with his hair in a total bind. By the look of fear Jackson had on his face I knew he need some encouragement, so I did just that, "Come on, buddy. It looks great! Come over and see for yourself."
Jackson closed his eyes and walked over and placed himself in front of the mirror. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. At first, he tilted is head side ways so he could have a better look at the finish result. He smiled awkwardly before picking up the magazine and placed it on the sink next to him. I stayed in the back ground, because I wasn't sure how Jackson was gonna react after seeing himself for the first time with this new look. Jackson looked over at the magazine and back over at himself a few times in the mirror as if he was trying to compare the image of the young actor on the piece of paper to himself, "I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. You look amazing Jackson. All the girls are gonna be looking at you today", I pointed out, but Jackson didn't understand what I meant by that, "Sorry, buddy. I mean they are gonna like the new hair."
Jackson looked at himself in the mirror once again and shook his head in disagreement.
"Hey, what's wrong? You don't like the hair?", I asked and felt kinda bad, because Jackson did actually look kinda hot with the new do, but why wasn't he seeing this? That's when it hit me that it wasn't about the new style, or even the hair for that matter, and that this was actually about the comment I made just now about the girls liking it, "Ah, shit! I'm a moron", I cursed to myself before trying my shot at damage control, "Will's gonna love it, Jackson. He's gonna be blown away, you know? Those girls are gonna be so jealous."
I watched as a smiled slowly started to formed on Jackson lips, "See, I told ya you look amazing!", I pointed out as I took one last look at myself in the mirror over Jackson's shoulder and before I heading I headed out, "Wow! Guess I kinda look hot myself! Think I might reconsider my usual style", I said to Jackson and smiled, "So, you ready to head to class? Dad's waiting down stairs, and if we hurry, we might have time to make it before the home room bell rings?", informed Jackson as I placed my hand on the door knob to open the door when I felt something holding me back. It took me a moment to process what was actually happening when I turned over slowly and found a hand grasping at my arm. I took a deep breath when I realized it was actually Jackson's hand that was touching me, "Jackson...", I let out in one single breath.
Jackson looked up at me with gratefulness in his eyes as he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around me. At first I didn't know what to make of this because he kinda took me by surprise. I honestly wasn't ready for this, not in a million years. Feeling my younger brothers arms around me for the first time, felt amazing don't get me wrong, but I could help but feel nervous about it. The tears slowly started forming at the corners of my eyes when I realized what Jackson was actually trying to say to me, that this hug, was his own version of a "Thank you". Gently, I wrapped my own arms around him and held him close to my heart and whispered softly to my younger brother as I held on to him for dear life, "You're welcome, Jack."
I could feel Jackson smiling even if I could see his face. It was a perfect moment and one that I'm never gonna forget for the rest of my life. Because today, Jackson touched my heart...
"Come on, buddy. It's time to go..."
(Sonny's POV)
I fidgeted a little under Alex's stare but finally he broke it, "Okay, it's not as bad as it looks."
Alex hurried inside of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He started to pace, "Fuck! Shit!"
He paced like that for a while before he looked up at me. I pointed to the magazine I was using and pointed to my hair, "Yeah, I know what you were trying to do, Jackson. You wanted your hair to look like his for Will, don't you?"
I didn't want people to know that I did like Will because I was confused about all of it; but despite my embarrassment I blushed and looked down to the floor, smiling.
"It's alright, buddy. I know you like Will. You don't have to hide it from me. I won't say anything I promise, okay?"
I nodded my head and turned to look in the mirror. I really didn't like looking at it right now because it looked terrible. Alex started to laugh and I didn't like it, he was laughing at what I looked like, I just know it, "Word of advice? Maybe next time before you decided to cut your own hair, you should ask for help, okay?"
Shaking my head, I was trying to fight off the panic that was trying to rise up. This wasn't working out and Alex wasn't helping me at all.
"Hey we can fix this, alright? Don't worry about it. It's gonna be okay, buddy."
He thought for a while when a light went on in his eyes, "Jackson, I have an idea how we can fix this, but I'm gonna need your help, alright?"
I instantly stop shaking my head and nod my head quickly at Alex.
"Okay good. Now, I'm gonna need you to come and sit down here for a few minutes while I try to cut the rest of you hair so it can look like the picture you have in your magazine, okay?"
I knew that if he was to help me out then he would have to touch me and I was a little scared but I was also getting use to touching people but it was still scary.
He waited patiently while I tried to decide but what finally made me decided was what he just said, "I'm sure Will's gonna love the new hair once we get it straightened out. He's not going to be able to keep his eyes from you, you know?"
Well I guess since this was all for Will then I guess that I will just have to deal with it. I walked forward and sat down on the toilet seat. I was starting to shake when Alex took the magazine I was looking at and held it out for me, "Can you hold this for me while I do this?"
My hand was shaking when I grabbed the magazine and held it so the he could see it, "You ready to do this?"
It was nice that he was checking to make sure that I really was okay with this, he picks up the scissors and waits for me to respond. I nodded my head as I prepared for Alex to touch me.
"Alright, here goes."
He ran a comb through my hair and brought some up in his fingers. When I heard the scissors cut through my hair I cringed and tried to runaway but Alex stopped me and calmed me down.
After awhile he was done and I just hoped that it looked better, "Okay, buddy. Now this is the hard part."
I was confused, "So, this is what you will need in order to style your hair so it looks like Edward from the movie. I'm gonna teach you how to do it, alright?"
After that intense experience I was excited to learn something else, "Okay Jack. This is what you're gonna do."
He took some paste in his fingers and rubbed them together, "First, you're gonna need to take some hair paste just like I did and rub it in your hands. Don't take too much because we don't want you looking like a grease monkey now don't we."
I hesitated before I copied what Alex did, "Great! You did good, Jack. Now, you need to run your fingers through your hair like this."
He ran his fingers through his hair making it stick up in all the right places. I followed his instructions just like he did.
"Alright, so when you have it sticking up like you want, you take this."
He picked up the bottle of hairspray and sprayed it in his hair, "You just put a little bit, or your hair is gonna get stiff and you wont be able to run your fingers through it . You only want enough to make sure it holds with a natural look."
I picked up the hairspray and put it in my hair, when I was done I looked over at Alex waiting for him to say I did a good job. He smiled at me, "Well, I guess we're done. You ready to have a look?"
He moved over so that I had enough room to look in the mirror but I was too scared. I was afraid that I would see something worse than before Alex helped me.
Alex must have realized that I was nervous, "Come on, buddy. It looks great! Come over and see for yourself."
I closed my eyes and walked over to the mirror; I take a deep breath and I opened my eyes. I tilted my head to the side to get a better look and I placed the magazine next to me so I can see if it looked the same, "I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. You look amazing Jackson. All the girls are gonna be looking at you today."
I looked at him, confused, "Sorry, buddy. I mean they are gonna like the new hair."
I looked back into the mirror and shook my head, I didn't do this to impress the girls; I wanted to impress Will.
"Hey, what's wrong? You don't like the hair?"
I could see the wheels turning in Alex's head and when it finally hit him he looked guilty, "Ah, shit! I'm a moron. Will's gonna love it, Jackson. He's gonna be blown away, you know? Those girls are gonna be so jealous."
I slowly smiled as I fully took in my image and realized that I did look kind of good, "See, I told ya you look amazing!"
Alex fixed his hair a little before he started to head out, "Wow! Guess I kinda look hot myself! Think I might reconsider my usual style. So, you ready to head to class? Dad's waiting down stairs, and if we hurry, we might have time to make it before the home room bell rings?"
Alex started to open the door but I stopped him from opening the door by putting my hand on his arm. Alex slowly turned around and looked at me with shock on his face, "Jackson..."
I looked at him gratefully before I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. He froze up on me and I knew that it was because he wasn't use to me touching him but I wasn't as scared about it as I use to plus I wanted to say thank you to him. Finally after a while Alex wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back, "You're welcome, Jack."
I smiled at that because he knew me so well. He sighed, "Come on, buddy. It's time to go..."
(Will's POV)
A rush of adrenaline flooded through out my body and suddenly, I had T. pressed up against the lockers ready to shred him apart into a million pieces, "Don't you ever threaten to hurt Jack or else...", I stopped when I realized what I was actually about to say.
"Or else what? Come one, Horton. Just admit it! You're in love with him aren't you?"
"You don't have any idea what you're talking about", I huffed at T. before pushing him back up roughly against the lockers, "You don't know anything", I said to him as my grip on his shirt got tighter.
"Oh, but you see, Horton? That's where you're wrong. I do know something about you that I'm pretty sure the other here would like to know. In fact, why don't I just tell everyone about it right now."
That's when I started to panic and a thousand question started running through my mind. Did T. actually know something? Did he know about...? What if he tells everyone about...Something about..."Fuck!", I mentally cursed myself as the memories of the incident that happened a few years ago came flooding back through my mind. I tried not freak out more and give him the satisfaction of seeing my squirm right there in front of his own eyes. I didn't want to question him about what he supposedly knew about me, because that would only prove that I'm actually hiding something from everyone even if I'm not one hundred percent sure I'm actually hiding something. Maybe I'm just confused about the way I've felt lately. Maybe that's all it is in the end, plain and simple confusion.
So I decided to go with a more subtle approach to his threats without actually admitting to anyone, "Go ahead T., tell them! Tell them everything you know. I have nothing to hide. Go ahead...What are you waiting for, hun?", I repeated myself over and over, with each time, shoving him harder and harder against the metal doors, "Say it!"
Before I knew it, T. was trying to pull himself away from my hold, "Will, man. You're hurting me. Let go, please...", he admitted as he pleaded for me to stop, but I wasn't about to let him go that quickly. I wanted to make sure I understood that I was holding my ground when it came to Jack, "That's it! You begging me to stop? I thought you had something to say, man. Just say it before I beat it out of you", I growled at him and made it very clear what my intentions were towards him. I watched the boy squirm underneath my fingers as I continued to batter away at him, "Say it!"
Suddenly, I familiar voice erupted from the back of the crowd and pulled me out of my delusional state a of mind, "Will, stop...please, man. He's had enough!"
I slowly turned my head towards the voice and saw Alex pushing his way through the crowd coming towards me.
"Now you listen to me and listen good! Don't you ever, EVER make threats against Jack or so help me god I will make sure you live to regret it! You hear me?", I screamed at T. making sure he understood every word that came out of my mouth loud and clear.
"Y-yes", he said in a barely audible whisper that could have only been heard if you were standing inches away from his face like I was. But that wasn't loud enough to satisfy my anger, "I can't hear you. Say it louder!"
"YES!", T. screamed out as I released my hold on him and turned towards Alex, who was now standing right next to me.
"Alex, I'm...I'm sorry...", I tried to explain myself to Alex who just arrived at scene, "Alex, this isn't what it looks like."
"Well, it looks like you were about to beat the shit out of this douche bag you use to call you friend. Am I wrong?", Alex asked and looked down at T. who was bent over gasping for hair and trying to catch his own breath and waited for my explanation.
"He threatened to hurt Jack", was all I said when Alex totally flipped out.
"He what?", was the last words that came out of Alex's mouth before grabbing a hold of T.'s shoulder and swung his fist towards his face with everything he had in him.
"Holy Shit! Alex! Are you alright?", I asked as I watched Alex rubbing his knuckles that were slightly split open due to the impact of the punch.
"I'm alright now!", he said looking down at T. who was laying flat-out against the floor holding his mouth in the middle of the hallway. I must say, Alex was looking very proud of what he accomplished, "That will teach you to mess with a Kiriakis! Or A Horton for that matter."
The crows cheered Alex on as I stood there still in completely amazing at my friend's admission, "Dude, man, that was insane!", I said as I chuckled, "I didn't know you had it in you!", I admitted as I reached inside my bag and handed over sterile cloth to wrap around his hand.
"Seriously, man? You keep sterile cloths with you in your bag?", Alex asked as he took from my hand and wrapped it around his open wound.
"Yeah, I guess with a reputation like mine, it's best to always have some handy."
We both laughed out loud as we walked away from T., "So, I guess this means you're not mad at me for standing up to T.?"
"No, Will. I'm not mad. I'm very proud that you didn't throw a punch at him. To be honest, I kinda felt good to punch his face in."
"I know the feeling! So...", just as I was about to ask Alex where Jack was, my cousin Megan interrupted our little male bonding moment.
"Hey, Will", she said while turning her full attention and Alex, "That was awesome Alex."
"Well, thanks", Alex said and started blushing like crazy.
"Alex was great! Did you see the look on T.'s face when he realized it was Alex who actually punched him?", I asked Meg who was looking, I should say staring at Alex and making googly eyes at him.
"He sure was", she breathed out not even paying attention to the question I asked her.
I laughed, "Okay, if you say so...", I said as I looked around and noticed Jack wasn't around, "Hun, Alex? Where's Jack?"
"Shit! That's the reason I as looking for you. We gotta go, now!", he said as snapped out of his gaze with Meg and grabbed my arms quickly and headed towards the school entrance, "See you around Meg", he said as pulled me away.
"Alex, what's going on? Is Jack alright? Did something happen to him after I left?", I asked in dismay.
"I'll explain it to you while we walk. Lets go. My dad is waiting with Jack in the car."
(Alex's POV)
"Alex! What's going on?", Will asked as we approached my dad's SUV, worried that something bad might of happened to Jackson.
"Well, we kinda had a small situation at home this morning", I informed Will who face suddenly looked frightened, "Now don't worry. Everything is under control", I tried calming Will who seemed genuinely terrified.
"Alex, what happened?"
Without spilling all the details of my fun-filled morning, I warned him not to over react when he saw Jack, "Will, just try to keep an open mind, alright?"
"An open mind about what?", he asked.
"Jackson was experimenting on his own this morning and well...he kinda did something for you, but please. Don't say anything to freak him out. He's already self-conscious enough as it is", I pointed out as I opened the door and gesture Jackson to step out, "Come on, buddy. Will's here to see ya."
On cue, Jackson stepped out of the SUV with his head hanging down, never once looking at Will. Will on the other hand couldn't take his eyes away from Jackson.
"Jesus Christ!", was all that came out of Will's mouth before he took a step towards Jackson and lifted his chin so he could look into his eyes.
I decided to give them so privacy as I walked right pass them unnoticed and closed Jackson passenger side door and said goodbye to my father, "Thanks for waiting dad. Sorry it took us so long."
"Would that have anything to do with the bloody rag you have wrapped up around your hand now would it?", he pointed over to my hand and smiled.
"Oh, yeah. I'll explain that later he he. Don't be surprised if you get a call from Mr. Carver today. Just giving you the heads up!", I faked laughed and continued, "So, I think everything's under control here, so I guess I'll see you tonight then?"
"Sure will and thank you for the heads up. By the way, Alex. Do you need a ride home tonight?"
"No, dad. I have a student council meeting after school and a prom comity meeting after that. I'll just ask someone for a ride when we're done."
"Alright, so I guess I'll see you tonight then", I said to my dad when it suddenly occurred to me that Jackson had no way of getting home after school, "Oh shit! Dad, what about Jackson?"
Before me dad could even answer the question, Will weighed in, "I'll take care of him."
"So now he speaks to me!", I said and giggled at the fact that Will's been standing there the time listening to our conversation.
Dad giggled, "I guess those two really have it bad for each other don't they?", he whispered softly so Will and Jack wouldn't hear him.
With that cue, I got in the SUV so my dad and I could keep this part of the conversation private, "You think? I just hope it doesn't take Casanova Horton over there too long to figure it out!"
"Alex, I'm sure that Will's gonna figure it out in due time. I'm sure this isn't easy for him either."
"Yeah, I guess, but dad?"
"Yes, Alex?"
"Do you really think Will's into Jackson? Like into him? And you're alright with this?"
"To answer your first question, well yes. I really think Will's into Jackson as you young people say. It's not hard to see that there's something happening between them. I don't exactly know what it is yet, but I'm sure we will find out soon enough once Will comes to terms with his true identity. It might take him some time, but I'm sure if things continue to progress like they are, it shouldn't be long before Will starts coming around the house more often. As for your second question, the answer is still a yes. I am alright with Will and Jackson having a relationship."
"Even if it's a sexual relationship?"
"I wouldn't go there just yet, but yes. Will's a great young man and he really seems to care about Jackson very much. IfJust because Jackson has autism, it doesn't mean he can't be in a loving healthy sexual relationship with another man, Alex."
"Dad! Too much information!"
"Well, I guess that's settled then. So, I guess I'll be seeing you at home tonight. I have to go. I'm already late as it is. Goodbye Alex", my dad said as I got out of the SUV and waved him off as he drove away laughing. On the other hand, I still didn't think this was funny. Guess there is no back out of having "The talk" with Jackson tonight.
"I'm going inside Casanovas", I informed Will and Jack both as I walked away and headed back inside for class. It's not like either of them were even listening to me anyways, but I thought I would at least inform them of my departure.
(Sonny's POV)
It's been 15 minutes since Alex went in search of Will. I was too nervous to get out of the car because I was afraid of what Will and everyone else would think about my new hairstyle. I was feeling just fine when I left the house but as we got closer and closer to the school I started to freak out.
I was tapping my fingers on my knee when I saw Alex and Will come through the doors. I refused to open the door and Alex must have known that because he just opened it right up, "Come on, buddy. Will's here to see ya."
He gestured for me to come out. I huffed out a sigh and stepped out of the car. I kept my head down and didn't look up at Will.
"Jesus Christ!"
Will stepped forward and lifted up my chin so that I had no choice but to look at him. He stared into my eyes for a while before he leaned closer and whispered, "I'm glad you decided to show your beautiful eyes to the world. Your hair looks so beautiful by the way...and so do you, Jack."
He made me shiver and I smiled at him shyly as I placed my hand over his.
"Oh shit! Dad, what about Jackson?"
My attention was pulled away at the same time as Will's.
"I'll take care of him."
I was happy that he just offered to take me home but I was distracted when he whispered to me again, "I'll always take care of you. I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you ever again."
I smiled and blushed at him.
Alex let us know that he was heading to class and I got scared because that meant that we also had to head into the school. Will looked over at me and saw that I was scared, "Come one, Jack. We need to go inside."
I reluctantly followed him but when we reached the doors I stopped in my tracks, "Hey, what's wrong?"
I didn't realize that I started to shake and I tried to runaway for the second time today but was stopped again. Will pulled me aside and calmed me down, "Jack, I know you're scared, buddy, but you have nothing to worry about. I'll be right there by your side, alright?"
I resigned and nodded my head; I grabbed Will's arm and clung to him like my life depended on it. We walked inside without Will looking around and being embarrassed.
We walked inside and some people looked at us but there wasn't a bunch of people laughing like I had imagined. Some girls were looking at me and giggling; I didn't understand what that was all about but Will seemed to find it funny. There was some comments of queer and faggot but other than that there wasn't anything else that was the problem, "You see? It's not so bad."
(Will's POV)
The last thing I remember hearing clearly was the sound of Alex's voice tell Jack to step out of the car, "Come on, buddy. Will's here to see ya."
After that, everything became a blur...
I watched closely as Jack slowly stepped out of the car, right on Alex's cue. He was hesitant, almost scared to show himself to me at first. His eyes we're looking down at the ground as if he was ashamed of what he'd done, when the only thing he even did wrong was take a liking in me.
"Jesus Christ!", came running off of my lips when I notice how gorgeous he was. For the second time in my life, I had to remind myself how to breathe once again. Because I've never seen anyone so beautiful in my whole life.
He just stood there, waiting for me to say something to him. To tell him how amazing he truly was. I tried to open my mouth to tell just how beautiful he was, but not came out except for a gasp that I tried to hide due to the fact that Alex was standing right next to us. I'm sure Alex noticed it. If my half-open mouth and my loss of words were any indication of the effect Jack had on me, well...nothing ever would. To be honest, I was completely blow away by Jack.
He's like a ray of sunshine that came into my life just when I needed someone to be there for me. He makes my life brighter with every day that passed by pushing away the dark clouds that have hovered over me for so long. He makes me feel like...God! I can't even explain how he makes me feel, because these feelings are all so new to me. All I can say is that with each day that passes, it's getting more and more difficult to hide my true feelings for Jack. And now, seeing him like this...God! It's just a matter of everyone else figures it out and calls me out on them.
As I noticed Alex closing the passenger door, I take a step closer to Jack and with my left hand, I slowly reach out and cradled the side of his face with my left hand before sliding my fingers underneath his chin and lifting it up gently so I can see his beautiful staring right back into mine.
I took a second to admire them both equally. His eyes that is. I stare deeply into them as I learn in closer and softly whisper to him so he's the only one who could hear me, "I'm glad you decided to show your beautiful eyes to the world. Your hair looks so beautiful by the way...and so do you, Jack", I added at the end causing the younger boy to shiver before me. I knew Jack did this for me, and in so may ways, it was kinda my fault that he was feeling so nervous about everything. I couldn't help but feel guilty.
But then, Jack smiled bashfully as he placed his hand gently over mine. Savoring the touch of our hand connecting.
If he only knew how I felt about him was the only thing I could think about as I dropped my hand away from his face and stood there quietly, thinking of ways to suppress these feelings that I'm experiencing towards him. I knew it was wrong for me to feel this way about Jack. So wrong, that I was actually trying to figure out a way to stop then from happening all together. Because if I don't I'm not sure I'll be able to hide them away from the rest of the world much longer.
I'm quickly pulled out of my gaze when I hear Jack's name being mentioned by Alex, "Oh shit! Dad, what about Jackson?", I head him telling his father that Jack needed a ride home after school.
Before I knew it, I was offering my services to take care of Jack without ever being asked, "I'll take care of him", I said to Alex and Mr. Kiriakis before whispering to Jack once again, "I'll always take care of you. I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you ever again."
Jack smiled and his cheeks turned a bright shade of red.
As Mr. Kiriakis drove off, Alex informed us that he was heading inside. I looked aver at a now frightened Jack who was probably scared to show himself to everyone with his new look, "Come one, Jack. we need to go inside."
Jack followed along until we reached the front doors and stopped in his tracks, "Hey, what's wrong?"
Jack started shaking at tried to make a run for it, but I quickly pulled him aside and comforted him before he panicked, "Jack, I know you're scared, buddy, but you have nothing to worry about. I'll be right there by your side, alright?"
Jack shook his head once and grabbed a hold of arm as I opened the door and walked inside.
As I suspected, we received the usual stares that came with walking in the school just moments before the ball rang. There was also a few girls that giggled when they noticed how gorgeous Jack with his new style. I even hear one of them asking who the new kids was. That's when I laughed and looked over at Jack who was practically hiding behind me which I found rather amusing. Of course there was a few usual uncalled for comments from a few members of T. circle such as "faggots" and "queers" as we walked pass them through the study hall, but that was to be expected from them after watching their ring leader get his face punched in by no one other than Alex Kiriakis!
As it turns out, it wasn't as bad I imagined it would be. People just kept on going with their usual activities and pretended like everything was normal and that there was nothing out of the ordinary having me and Jack walk into school together, "You see, it's not so bad", I pointed out to Jack as we reached the spot where Alex, punched T. earlier where a group of ongoing spectators still crowded the area.
(Sonny's POV)
It was getting easier to walk down the hall but when we passed by Will's friend, the one that was meant to him and me the other day. T and his buddy's were crowded around some lockers. As we passed by I could see blood coming from T's mouth and I wasn't surprised the he got into a fight. Will stopped when he could tell that I was having a problem. He looked around probably deciding what to do, he ran his fingers through his hair, "Jack, it's gonna be alright, Okay."
He looked around nervously, "You're gonna have to trust me on this one, buddy. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you or make fun of you ever again, you hear me?"
I nodded my head and looked up into Will's eyes, locking mine with his. It felt like the world around us dropped away and it was only Will and I in the world. We stared at each other for a while and I swear that I could see him blush.
He was the most amazing person that I have ever met and I don't think he realizes that. I wanted him to know this so I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek. He let out a sigh and placed his hand on my hand. Whatever he was trying to figure out before he made a decision because he had that look in his eyes. He moved his hand around until he could laced our fingers together. He waited for me to do the same thing and so I smiled and laced them further together.
He turned us around and we finished walking down the hallway and I felt so much stronger with his hand in mine.
(Will's POV)
Jack had not idea what happened earlier between T. and Alex. And if I have anything to say about then he will never find out about it. My main concern was Jack's safety and I promised him I would do anything and everything to keep him safe, and that is a promise I fully intend on keeping.
I glanced over at Jack when I felt his grip on my arm getting tighter by the second once he spotted T. hanging out bu the lockers. The last thing I ever wanted was for Jack to get upset because of T. Just the sight of him caused Jack to cringe even if I was standing only inches away from him. So I tried to think of a way to make Jack feel at ease, and fast, and the only answer I could possibly come up with was for me to hold his hand.
I look around the hallway to look for wandering eyes if I decided to do just that. To hold his hand that is. It's not that I didn't want to hold his hand, because honestly, there was nothing I wanted more right now than to feel his touch upon my skin. The way our fingers laced together so perfectly as if they were made to be bonded together. The warmth of his touch and the feeling of having his skin brushing up against mine was enough to drive a sane man crazy. Maybe crazy is what I actually was for even thinking about going through with this. What are the other gonna think of me when they see me holding Jack's hand like that? I don't really wanna be the subject of everybody's conversations at Salem High for the rest of the semester for helping out a young man in distress. God! Why does everything have to be so hard?
I run my fingers through my hair quickly and look over at Jack who's just about to crawl out of skin. I turn over to face him and asked him to look up at me so I can try to calm him down so we can go to our respected classes, "Jack, it's gonna be alright, Okay?", I said to the frightened boy in reassurance, "You're gonna have to trust me on this one, buddy. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you or make fun or you ever again, you hear me?", I asked him as I got ready to make the one of the biggest decision of my life.
Jack nodded his head once and lifted his eyes up and locked them with mine. For a second, it felt like we were the only two people on the face of this planet where nothing or no one could ever tear us apart. It was like...magic.
I tried my best to hide the blush that was forming on my cheeks because that's what happened every time Jack looked at me that way. He always looked at me like I was the best fucking thing in the entire world. When honestly, I was just a simple lost soul waiting desperately to find his way through life. I knew that eventually would have to make sacrifices in order to be the person that I wanna be in this life. A person that's good enough for Jack that is.
Suddenly, I felt a hand gently brush the side of my face that pulled me out of my thoughts. It was Jack's hand. I let out a sigh...
If I wasn't completely sure about my decision before, I sure as hell know what my decision is now. Because once his amber eyes fixated my blue ones, I knew exactly what I needed to do and it all came down to the single most important person in my life. Jack...
There was no more turning back after this.
I reached down and laced my fingers with Jack's and stepped forward hoping he would follow my lead.
He did exactly that...
Together, we walked through the crowded hallway. I noticed a few people smiling as we walked pass them. As if they were proud of me for talking a stand against more of the homophobic assholes of Salem High. I looked over at Jack who was smiling from cheek to cheek, and I could help but feel proud of everything that he's accomplished in so little time. He's really that amazing.
About half way through the hallway, I paused and looked over at T. and his gang that were watching us as we passed. If I didn't know better, I would say was somewhat shocked at the sight of his former friend walking by holding another and guy's hand. The look on his ugly face said it all. Or maybe that was the damage that Alex did to him earlier. Honestly, I could care less about T. anymore. All I cared about was the person that was standing next to me. Jack...
(Sonny's POV)
We made it to my class and he still hadn't let go of my hand so I turned and looked him in the eyes. The smile I had on my face faded and I squeezed his hand harder. I didn't want him to go even though this has been a constant occurrence since he started hanging out with me in school, "Well, I guess this is where I say see you later?"
When my mood still didn't brighten he explained more, "Hey, you will see me at lunch and after class. Remember? I'm taking you home after school."
I could see that he was attempting to make me feel better but it wasn't working. I could only make a small smile. I was still upset by this and I knew that the reason for it was because I didn't want to let go of his hand.
We stood there for a while and I could tell that Will was thinking about something because he was staring off into space. Come to think of it, he does that a lot, but I just let him think about whatever he is thinking about because one, I didn't want to bother him and two, because it was an excuse to keep him here holding my hand.
After he was like that for so long I was about ready to get his attention when he finally looked at me and he looked nervous, "So, Jack. I...I kinda was wondering...maybe...shit!"
I couldn't help but laugh at how he was acting. For all the time that we have hung out he has never acted like this before. Finally after preparing himself again he attempted to ask me a question again, "What I was trying to ask you is, if you want, and if your dad says it's okay that maybe, if you want. Maybe we could watch a movie together tonight at my place?"
My laughing stopped when the question that he just asked me fully sank in and I could feel my eyes widening.
"Jack, you alright, buddy?"
Will's voice brought me out of my shock and I thought about what he asked me. I was excited that he offered for me to watch a movie with him but this was also new ground for me. I could see that he was waiting for my answer to I made a decision and I nodded my head in agreement, "Alright, now let's not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to ask your dad about it, but I'm sure he'll say yes."
He smiled at me, "Okay, so I have to go to class now before I get kicked out again for being late."
He released my hand, "See you later gorgeous."
That comment made me blush and I turned around so that I could go to class. I sat down in the back, pulled out my textbook and set it down on the corner. I watched as the teacher walked down the aisle to pass out the assignment from yesterday, but I wasn't interested in that because all I could think about way Will.
I was on cloud 9 again and nothing was going to bring me down.
(Will's POV)
Finally, we made it to the other side of the hall way and just in time for Jack's class. I walked him over to the door, never once letting go of his hand, and waited for him to look at me so we could say goodbye.
Jack's smile suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a frown. He gripped my hand tighter, so in way I guess he knew it was time or us to part ways.
"Well, I guess this is where I say see you later?", I said to him nervously and realized how lame what I just said to him sounded. I never really was one for small talk. I don't even know why I even bother with it. I just thought this might ease Jack's sudden mood change, but as I can see it's not helping, "Hey, you will see me at lunch and after class. Remember? I'm taking you home after school", I pointed out as I looked over at Jack for a reaction to the information I just passed on to him.
Jack barely cracked a smile.
It broke my heart to see Jack having such a difficult time with me leaving his side. It's not like it's the first time I drop him off at his next class and head on over to mine. But there is something about today that make leaving him like this harder than before that I can't really put my finger one. It might be the sad puppy face he's making when he's look at me right now, or it might just be the fact that I might not be ready to leave him either. Maybe, I just wanted to spend more time with Jack without having to hold back or having to explain myself for wanting holding his hand or to hold him in my arms without being judged or questioned about it.
I thought for a minute of a way I might be able to use the opportunity of take Jack home to our advantage and actually trying spending some quality time together outside school grounds, when suddenly an idea popped into my mind. And If I play this right, it might just work out, but I'll have to careful how I'm gonna approach this with Mr. Kiriakis and Alex this idea. I don't want either of them getting the wrong impression about this. The last thing I want them thinking is that I'm trying to take advantage of Jack, because I'm not. I would never do such a thing. I guess it's time to see what Jack thinks about
this.
This should be easy.
"So, Jack. I...I kinda was wondering...maybe...shit!", I tried asking him, but kept fumbling over my words.
Jack laughed when he saw me struggling to talk in a full sentence.
Guess this wasn't as easy as I thought it would be in the first place. I was nervous as hell. It kinda felt like I was about to ask this really hot chick on a date or something, when in fact, I was only asking my friend Jack over to watch a movie and hang out. Wonder why it felt like though.
I took a deep breath and tried my luck at it again, "What I was trying ask you is, if you want, and if your dad says it's okay that maybe, if you want. Maybe we could watch a movie together tonight at my place?"
I took a deep breath and wiped my free hand over my jeans to get ride of the sweat that had appeared and waited for Jack's answer.
His eyes his eye flew open just like a tarsier when he realized what I just asked him, "Jack, you alright, buddy?"
Jack stood there silently for a few moments like he was thinking about what I just asked him. It was funny actually. It was like he was playing hard to get. Usually, girls would just throw themselves at me without even thinking twice about ever saying no. Guess it serves me right for the way I treated most of the girls I dated. Who knew Jack was so good at keeping a guy waiting?
Finally, Jack nodded his head and agreed to the movie, "Alright, now lets not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to ask your dad about it, but I'm sure he'll say yes."
Great! One down, one more to go.
"Okay, so I have to go to class now before I get kicked out again for being late", I said to Jack as he released his hold on my hand and smiled, "See you later gorgeous", I said to him one last time before leaving him causing Jack to blush furiously.
I watched as him as he walked into class and took a seat at the back. He sat down and pulled out his text books and placed them on the corner of his desk and looked over at the teacher who was giving out his assignment. I smiled at the sight before me and made my way to my classroom, extremely nervous about what the night has in store for us.
To Be Continued...OXO
A/N - Remember guys! More reviews and follows means more chapter updates!