American Differences 5
**Disclaimer:
All other content or otherwise are works of my own imagination. All events are fictitious in nature.
****Any similarities to persons living, dead, or otherwise are purely coincidental.
This story contains strong themes of homosexual content, if this offends you in any way, please refrain from reading further. If you are not of legal age to read this, please leave now.
**A/N: I'd like to thank TalonRider for editing this chapter. Thank you.
American Differences
-By EmulatedLove
**Chapter 5: Let's Party!
**
I woke up that morning in a good mood; something which was quite rare for a school day. I wasn't sure if it was because of the party I was going to later or just because of life in general, I just knew that it felt good. Every morning since the sleepover, I'd shift backwards in my bed slightly, expecting, wishing for Jamie's form to be snuggled up behind me. Of course it never was, but I just couldn't shake that feeling from me. There was just something about waking up in his arms that affected me in a big way. In a good way. There were times when I'd give anything to be back there with him again, from his soft skin to the feeling of his warm breath landing on my neck. It was all magical to me and I wanted to experience it again. And soon.
I'd been trying to scheme new ways to get us in a sleepover position again, but every time I'd come to the same conclusion: that we couldn't do it because it'd be too obvious. I mean, even once a month would be pushing it. Maybe if we were twelve we could get away with it, but not at sixteen. If I wanted to wake up next to Jamie any time soon, I'd have to find another way. But that's the problem, there was no other way. Not that I could see.
School was very much the same with very little variation. I did see Hayley though, briefly. I paid careful attention to how she averted her eyes as I followed her. I wanted her to know that I was serious. That I wanted her to stay away from my boyfriend. She seemed to have understood the message though, as she didn't approach him during school. The rest of the day went past quickly once it was over, I could attend to some more important matters...
“Mmmm.” I moaned into his mouth as he cupped the back of my head. I reached down and kneaded his buns slowly, causing him to grind against me. Jamie pulled back.
“Stop.” He giggled.
I eyed his puffy, wet lips, “Why?”
“I don't wanna mess up these.” He replied, patting his jeans.
I blushed, “Oh.”
He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss, “I love you”
“I love you too.”
We stood there grinning at each other before I heard my mum call up the stairs, “Max and Connor are here!”
“We're coming.” I shouted back. I turned to Jamie, “You ready?”
He nodded, “Uh huh.”
I was about to walk away, but I looked back at him, “You look really hot, babes.”
He grinned, “Thanks. You too.”
We headed down the stairs to see Connor and a healthy looking Max standing there.
“Nice to see you up and about.” I remarked.
He smiled, “You know me. I'm always ready for a party.”
I stared at his attire, “So it would seem.” I replied in a posh accent, causing Jamie to giggle. I turned to Connor, “Are you ready?”
“Yep, I'm all set.”
“Right, let's go.”
*
Dean only lived about 10 minutes away so we just walked instead of getting a lift there. He lived in a large detached house with a fancy looking driveway that led up to the front door. It is well known in our school that Dean's family had money, but unlike what many other people would do, he would be the last one to flaunt it.
You could hear the music blaring away as we walked up the driveway, clearly we were in the right place. Max quickened his pace so he could reach the door first, before hammering his fist against it. A few seconds later, Dean's brother, Paul, appeared.
“Hi guys, glad you could make it.” He called out.
Max extended his arms in a display and repeated himself, “You know me.” He wasn't kidding there. Max was easily one of the most popular guys in our school, as such, he was frequently invited to many parties, but only went to those where we were all invited.
“Come on in and grab something to drink.” Said Paul as he opened the door for us to enter. “Dean's just out the back, you can go on out there.”
“Thanks!”
I walked through the door and looked around. Immediately in front of the door was a large staircase that led up to the second floor. To the right was the lounge, the source of the music, and over to the left was the kitchen. Because of the size of the house, there didn't appear to be a lot of people, but after looking about it was clear that over half the sixth form were there. I didn't really know anyone in the higher years, but I recognised some of their faces.
“Hey, Matt!” I looked over to my left to see a very hot looking Ayo standing there, holding a can of Coke.
I looked about, wondering why he addressed me, but noticed that Max and Connor had gone over to a table full of drinks in the kitchen. Jamie was still standing next to me, like the good little boyfriend he was.
“Hi Ayo, hows things?” I asked, reaching out to shake his hand.
“Good, good.” He turned to Jamie, “It's Jamie, right?”
“Yep.” Replied Jamie, offering his hand.
Ayo shook his hand, “It's good to see you again.”
“Same here.”
Connor reappeared, “I got you two a Coke each, Dean's dad is keeping an eye on the alcohol, not that you'd want any Matt.” He said, handing Jamie and me a can.
“That's cool. I don't drink either.” Replied Jamie.
Connor and Max looked at each other and then back at us, “Wouldn't they make the perfect couple?” Remarked Connor.
“What?!” Said Jamie and me in unison, causing the others to burst out in laughter.
I looked at Jamie and pretended to check him out, “Naah, he's not my type.”
Jamie grinned, “You're not good enough for me anyway!”
Connor giggled, “Alright, let's go outside.”
I nodded and headed for the kitchen. I had been around there a couple of times before, but the place was built like a maze, with a never-ending amount of doors and doorways leading off in all directions. The door to his backyard was at the back of the kitchen. The doors were already open so I stepped through and wandered outside. There was a large marquee that covered the width of his garden. There was only a few people out there, as everyone else were inside where the music was louder.
“I found these hanging around outside with the trash, I thought I'd bring them in.” Said Ayo jokingly as we walked outside.
Dean was sitting down at a large table, talking with Jon when he looked up, smiling when he noticed us, “Hi.” He said as he stood up and came over, “Come on over and grab a seat.”
“Hi guys.” Called out Jon.“Hey guys, how's it going?” Asked Connor as we sat down.
Dean took a sip of his Red Bull, “Yeah, it's going good.”
It wasn't long before we were all engaged in conversation. The music that was being played was quite good, obviously whoever chose the songs had good taste. I leaned over to Jamie, “What did you mean, 'Not good enough for you'?” I asked, grinning.
He giggled, “What did you mean, 'Not my type'?”
I winked at him, “I lied.”
He nodded, “You're still not good enough though.” He teased.
I flashed him a toothy grin and looked around the group when something came to mind, 'Where are the girls?' I thought to myself. Not that I was in desperate need of them, but it was quite unusual to see Dean without a girl, so I found it odd that his current girlfriend wasn't there, if he had one.
Max seemed to be having similar thoughts, “Where are all the girls?” He asked, looking around.
Dean laughed and looked at Max, “What? Tired of being single?”
He shook his head and laughed, “I'm just taking a break.”
He laughed, “Ok, sure.” He said before sipping his drink, “I did talk to Sarah and some of her friends, so they should be here soon.” He replied.
“Are you and Sarah dating?” I asked. I might not be interested in girls, but I sure as hell liked to know all the gossip.
“Yeah. Only since last week though.”
I nodded. Sarah was one of the nicer girls in our year and she was smart too. Very smart.
“I'll call her.” Said Max while standing up and pulling out his mobile.
“How do you have her number?” Inquired Connor.
Max shrugged, “I have everyone's number.”
Jamie leaned toward me, “I wonder if he has Hayley's?”
I choked on my drink, causing it to dribble down my chin.
Jamie patted my back and giggled, “Just kidding.”
I wiped up the spill and looked at him, “I hope so.”
“You guys going to the Chelsea game?” Asked Jon who took a seat next to us.
“Yeah, are you?” I asked. Jon was a notorious Chelsea supporter.
He rolled his eyes, “Of course.” He paused, “Hey, maybe we could go up there together?”
“Sure, that sounds like a good idea.” I replied.
He turned to Jamie, “Do you like football?”
Jamie shrugged, “It's alright.”
“Alright? Man! It's the best thing ever.” He replied quickly, “I guess you're an American football fan then?”
Jamie shook his head, “Baseball.”
“They're just around the corner. Sophie's dad is dropping them off.” Replied Max.
“Who's coming?” Asked Ayo.
“Sarah, Li, Beth and Tanya.” He replied. None of those names sent any alarm bells ringing. Me and the guys regularly hung around with them at school. They were quite a nice group to be with. Actually, they didn't even give Jamie any trouble since he started. They said 'Hi' of course, but they didn't throw themselves at him.
Connor looked up, “Beth?”
He nodded.
Beth used to attend our school a few years back, but she moved a few miles away and changed her school. Connor dated her when she was still in our class, but they broke up soon after she left. We still see her from time to time down town, but not as often as we used to.
“Do you still like her?” I asked.
He looked across, “She was one of the nicer girls I've dated.” That was true. For all his good looks and great personality, Connor did seem to pick the short straw far too often.
Max shook his head, “But do you still like her?”
“I haven't spoken to her in ages. I have no idea what she's like now.” He replied.
“Well, there's plenty of others to choose from.” I said.
Ayo turned to me, “Speaking of that, when was the last time you dated?”
Shit! Why the hell would he want to know that? I looked at him, noting that everyone's eyes were on me, “What?”
“You know, when did you last date someone? It must have been a while ago.” He said. I quickly looked at Jamie, he seemed to be as alarmed as I was.
I swallowed, “I...I'm too busy. Yeah, I don't have the time.” I said, feeling my cheeks beginning to warm.
They all just sat there for a moment, looking a bit puzzled.
I thought I'd continue, “Besides, it's not like they're going anywhere, right?”
Dean opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.
“Hey guys!”
I turned around to see a pretty looking Sarah walking out of the house, followed by the rest of the girls. I breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't have come at a better time.
Dean stood up, “Hey babes, how are you?”
I didn't pay attention to her response. I was just glad the pressure was off me. I looked at Jamie who was offering me a small smile, one that I promptly returned. I quickly glanced around the guys, all of them were paying attention to the girls, all of them except Ayo, who was looking directly at me. Not a threatening look, but one that quickly made me uncomfortable. He looked from me to Jamie before he drank some of his drink.
“Aren't you going to say hi?” Whispered Jamie.
I looked at him and realised I better address the girls, “Oh, sure.” I stood up and turned around, coming face to face with Li. Li was a very beautiful girl, with her Chinese heritage giving her a very 'cute' look. Her silky, black hair was quite long and gave her a very mysterious look, a look that was enhanced with her dark eyes. She was a few inches shorter than me and had a very slim appearance. “Hi Li, it's good to see you.” I said, smiling.
“You too Matt, how are you?”
“I'm good thanks, you?”
She smiled, “Yeah, not too bad.” She turned to Jamie, “And how is my favourite American?”
He flashed her a toothy grin, “I'm fine, how are you?”
She faced me, “Don't you just love his accent?”
“Yeah.” I replied quickly, before I blushed, realising what I said. 'Dammit! Am I trying to out myself?' I thought, but luckily Li didn't seem to notice.
“I'm good, thank you Jamie.” She replied before she went over to see the other guys.
Jamie turned to me, “Don't you just love my accent?”
I shoved him lightly, “Shut up.”
“Make me.” He giggled.
I smiled at him, but not before I noticed Ayo staring at me again.
*
“So I was sitting there in the sand pit, just building a sand castle, minding my own business, when somebody decides it's fun to pour sand in my hair.” Said Sophie who was glaring at Max, causing us to burst out in laughter.
Max laughed, “I did say sorry though.”
Sophie rolled her eyes, “Oh, well! That makes it all better then.”
“Oh, come on! I was like four years old.”
I faced Jamie, “See what we had to put up with in nursery.”
Jon waved a finger, “Don't you mean Kindergarten?”
“I think he gets the idea.”
Jamie laughed, “Ah! I feel for you.” He looked about, “So did you all go to nursery together?”
Ayo's stares were starting to bother me now. I had to talk to Jamie and soon.
“Anyone want something to drink?” I called out, standing up. We'd all eaten some of the buffet food a while ago, so I figured that some of them must be thirsty.
Once everyone told me what they wanted, I poked Jamie on the shoulder, “C'mon, you can help me carry them.”
He nodded and followed me over into the kitchen. Once we were out of the guys hearing, I turned to him, “I think Ayo knows.”
“Knows what?” Asked Jamie while stacking some cans.
“About me. Maybe even about us.”
He paused and looked at me, before glancing outside to check that no one could see, “How do you know?”
“He's been staring at me, ever since he asked me that stupid question.”
Jamie nodded and thought for a moment, “What should we do?”
I sighed, “I don't know.”
“Maybe you should talk to him, ask him what's wrong.”
That surprised me, “I'm not going to tell him, if that's what you're asking.”
“I didn't say that. I mean, if he asks you, then you can say no.”
I nodded, “I guess.” I thought for a moment, “Jamie, are we too obvious?”
He started picking up the drinks, “I don't think so...” He paused, eyeing me, “Unless you keep on dropping yourself in it.” He giggled.
I blushed, “I know, I just need to watch what I say.” I faced him, “You know this was a lot easier before you came along.”
“What was?”
“Being in the closet. At times I even forgot about it completely.”
He nodded, “I know what you mean.” He grinned at me, “But I wouldn't trade this for anything.”
I looked at him, “Me too, Jamie.” We shared a small moment until I glanced back down at the drinks, “Come on, we better deliver these.”
Fortunately no one seemed to notice that we'd been gone for a while, except Ayo that was, who was quick to point it out, “I thought you two had gotten lost...or something.” He said while I handed him a can.
I smiled at him, “Yeah.” I glanced across at Jamie. 'Perhaps Jamie had a point, maybe I should talk to him, see what his problem was.' I thought to myself. I moved closer to him, “Look, Ayo. Can I speak to you for a second?”
He looked at me and then at Jamie, “Yeah, sure.”
He followed me out of the marquee towards the other end of Dean's garden. It was a lot colder out here, without any cover from the wind. I turned to him, “Ok, what's going on Ayo?”
He frowned, “What do you mean?”
“You've been staring at me all night!” I watched him carefully, “Did I do something?”
He was silent for a moment before he shook his head, “No you didn't do anything.”
“Then what's wrong?”
“I shouldn't have asked you that question earlier, not in front of the others. I'm sorry.” He said quickly.
I frowned, “That's it? That's why you've been staring at me?”
“Well, no. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry.”
I sighed, “That's fine.” I paused, “Are you going to tell me what's wrong?”
He looked me in the eye, “I don't want you to get angry or anything...”
I nodded.
He paused, “Are you and Jamie together?” I didn't reply straight away so Ayo continued, “I really don't care if you are, my cousin, she's gay.” He stepped closer, “You can tell me Matt.”
I looked at the seriousness on his face. I knew he was being sincere. Part of me wanted to open up to him, tell him everything, including Jamie. But the other part wanted to remain locked up, away from prying eyes. I made my decision. I'd made my decision when I told Jamie that I wasn't going to tell anyone.
“No. No, I'm not gay.” I forced myself to laugh, “And I'm definitely not dating Jamie.”
Ayo continued to stare at me. 'Oh God! He doesn't believe me, now he knows the truth and that I'm a terrible liar.' I thought to myself. I watched his expression before he started to smile, prompting me to do the same.
“I thought I'd just ask, you know, just in case...” He began.
“That was nice of you to...check.” I replied.
He grinned at me, “Can we go back inside now, it's cold.”
I nodded, “Yeah, sure.” I watched as he turned, “Wait.”
He looked at me.
“Are you...gay?” I asked.
He giggled and shook his head, “No, I'm not.”
I smiled, “Ok, just checking.”
When we walked back into the marquee, Jamie's face seemed to be one of worry, until he noticed me. I quickly gave him a wink and a smile, letting him know that everything was alright.
“Jeez, where have you guys been?” Asked Max.
“Well, if I'm not mistaken, it's someone's birthday soon.” I said, looking at Connor. Connor's birthday was in around a months time. I figured it would be a good excuse to use here.
“Oh, that!” Said Max jokingly, as though he'd forgotten, earning him a punch from Connor.
Jamie turned to me, “You alright.” He said quietly.
“Yeah, we'll talk later.” I replied.
He nodded.
*
It wasn't long after before we started to disperse. It wasn't that late, only about 8:30 but the day after was still a school day. Who has parties during the week anyway? We waited outside until the girls got picked up by one of their parents before we set off. Once we neared our homes, Connor and Max went in the opposite direction as it would be quicker for them, rather than walk towards mine.
“See ya guys.” I called out.
“Yeah, bye.” Replied Connor.
Jamie and I started walking toward mine, he faced me, “Can we talk now?”
I smiled at him, “Of course.”
“What did he say?” He asked.
“He basically asked me if I was gay.” I paused, “Actually, he asked me if we were together.”
He nodded, “What did you say?”
“I said that I'm not gay and that we're not together.”
“Are you ok with that?”
I frowned, “What do you mean?”
“I mean you could have told him, but you didn't.”
“I told you that I wouldn't say anything, especially about us. That's something that we can decide together, when the time's right.”
Jamie smiled, “Good. I wouldn't tell anyone about us either.” He paused, “How was he about it?”
I nodded, “Really well actually. I even asked if he was gay, he isn't.”
“So he's accepting?”
“I think so. He said his cousin is gay. Perhaps he has a strong relationship with her or something that helped him in that way.”
“Yeah, that's good, to have someone on our side.”
“Uh huh.” On our side' I thought to myself, 'It sounds like we're going to war.'
We arrived outside my house a few minutes later, “I'll walk you to yours.” I offered, but Jamie shook his head.
“No, let me see you inside.” He replied. Awww, I loved him so much. I looked at him, the street lamps reflecting off his smooth skin, creating a glow to his face, like an angel. “You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you.” He whispered, after a few seconds of silence.
I smiled, “I know, I feel the same.”
“Maybe we can someday?” He asked.
I nodded, “Someday, I promise.”
“I'm gonna hold you to that, Matt.” He replied.
I stared at him for a couple of seconds, “I'll see you tomorrow?” I asked.
“You'll see me tomorrow.” He confirmed before I turned and walked up to my door, unlocking it with my key and opening it slightly.
I turned back to Jamie and smiled at him, ”Goodnight Jamie.”
He smiled back, “Goodnight Matt.”
I walked through and closed it behind me. I leaned against it for a couple of seconds and smiled to myself.
My dad walked around the corner and looked at me, “Are you alright Matt?”
“Yep, I'm fine.” I said as I walked past him.
“Did you enjoy the party?”
“Yeah, it was...interesting.”
“Interesting?” He asked.
I nodded.
“Well as long as you had fun.”
Spending three hours next to my boyfriend. Yeah, I'd call that fun. And then some.
Thank you for reading Chapter 5 of American Differences.
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