Dude What the Fuck

DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK CHAPTER FOUR

"How could you possibly forget that? You were the one driving the car?!"

Once again, Jeremy's mind refused to register just what was being said. He sat down, with his hands covering his entire face for a few seconds, before he looked up, and cocked his head sideways in sheer and honest confusion.

"Why...why are you doing this? Why are you saying all of this?" he asked, his voice slow and soft, a mere whisper if you would, only so, that Chad could barely make out what he was saying.

Chad desperately wanted nothing more than getting the hell outta there, but honest to God...this was the boy that he had kissed...not ten minutes ago. This was the boy that he was getting close to...against his better judgement...and beginning to harvest strong feelings for. This was supposed to be his mortal enemy, this was Jeremy Fucking Greenwood of all people, who he was perhaps, categorically designed to HATE being a rugby player...

...and what would you know. This boy had him on tender living hooks faster than you could say BUSTED. Dude...what the fuck...

But what Jeremy had just said...it really threw him for a gigantic loop. Fuck me sideways. Did he really...honestly now...really seem to think that poor David Gallagher was still alive? The entire school knows what went down...when the news of the latter's death spread through the school faster than Covid did, a year ago.

Everyone was still blaming themselves for not getting to know the dude better, other than being the best friend of Jeremy Greenwood, and majority of the kids really felt bad at what had happened, but more so, for Greenwood himself...because he had been the one who was driving that terrible late afternoon.

Chad hovered for a second, before he cleared his throat and made sure to swallow some of his pent-up saliva, before he pursed his lips...

"Greenwood...I'm not fucking saying all of this to fucking hurt you...couple of weeks ago, maybe, but not now, for God's sake...not after we just...we just...well, you know..."

Jeremy looked up, and smirked a little, before he nodded and clasped his hands together into a solid fist in front of him.

"It's just a fucking word, Chad...we KISSED...K-I-S-S-E-D! Okay? You can say it! What I don't understand, is why you would make up a ridiculous story about David being...dead? I just spoke to the dude last night!"

Chad's eyes lit up...if there was any chance that Greenwood was fucking with him, taking the piss out of him, he was sorely beginning to doubt it...his eyes were too genuine, the words too sincere. Could it be...he honestly believed that David Gallagher was alive? It's impossible! He sat forward, and looked Jeremy straight in his eyes. Blue and sparkling as they always tended to be.

"Greenwood...I don't wanna hurt you. I...you gotta remember that David died last year. On this same day, last year. You and him were in his car together, and another car smashed into you on the high-way from where ever you guys were coming back from. Okay? And...sorry to say this, but you couldn't have seen David last night, because like I said...he's dead."

Jeremy stood up, his injured ankle all but forgotten, or if he was feeling any pain whatsoever, it seemed to be completely and utterly dwarfed by the complete CRAP that Chad Tucker was spinning him. Wow. Seriously. He thought the dude had changed...he honestly thought that they were in a better place now...what with the fact that they had literally KISSED this afternoon...

...but he would NEVER forgive him for this. Never, in his bloody life.

"GET OUT!"

Chad stood up, and faced his new found friend...all the time it seemed for the world that it was way short-lived. Jeremy Greenwood was angry as he had ever seen him, and that was saying something.

"Greenwood..."

"I SAID, GET OUT!"

Chad sighed, and turned away. He slumped his body forward, as he walked to the front door, before he slowly turned around.

"I'm not the enemy anymore, Jeremy..." he said, immediately sensing the change in the boy's complexion the moment that he used his first name, instead of his last.

"If you...if you really...SEE David in your life, then you gotta get some help, dude! I mean it! I...damn it man, I fucking care about you! You MADE me care about you! You can't fucking shut me out now!" he hissed towards Jeremy, his voice trembling several octaves higher than it normally would have been.

Jeremy simply closed his eyes...he really didn't have the strength for this. The fact that David, only the night before, had told him to GO for it with Chad...that he wasn't a weakling for feeling like he did. That he was allowed to explore his sexuality...and what he felt towards Chad Tucker still didn't quite make sense, for someone who had been straight all his life.

All that he knew, deep in the pit of his stomach was...that kissing Chad felt right. The world didn't stop, it did not end. It was wonderful...and he honestly felt like he wanted to do it again, and again, and again.

David was his best friend. His confidant. His buddy. His pal. Ever since fucking Kindergarten.

"I think I would have noticed that my best friend was dead...so what you're really saying is, that I'm insane, aren't you, Chad? No really, according to you, I'm seeing dead people and I've actually been talking to them as well? Right?"

This time, Chad had nothing to say. He shook his head, and looked squarely across the living room area.

"Jeremy...David died...I'm sorry but you want me to pretend he didn't? Why would I even lie to you about something like that..."

"Because you're a God damn psycho...because your own life is so pathetic and worthless that you wanna ruin that of others! Why don't you focus on going pro with your soccer talent to get a better life for yourself and your mom and leave me the hell alone from now on!"

Chad gasped. The fucker...the total and utter...now Greenwood went too far, and he fucking knew it.

"Take that back...I swear...I'll fucking break your other arm too if you don't!" he shouted back at Jeremy, who simply smirked and ran his fingers through his hair...God, it felt like his scalp was on fire...

"No wonder your dad beats the shit out of you, when you talk crap like that..."

Chad's bawled both of his hands into fists. He was so angry that he could SPIT! He knew it...JESUS, he knew getting involved with someone as entitled and as rich and as ARROGANT as Jeremy Greenwood was going to bite him in the ass at some point...WOW. OH WOW!

He never, ever thought that it would hurt this much. He opened his heart and his deepest feelings towards this guy...and he fucking just pissed all over it.

"You know what...you keep on living in La La Land. Yeah? We good? Got it. See you never..." Chad said matter-of-factly, before he quickly turned around and slammed the door shut behind him. If he never, ever sat his feet inside that fucking mansion of a house, it would be too soon.

Jeremy sat back down...he really shouldn't have brought up Chad's father, but he was just SO ANGRY...why would Chad even say that David...his Davey...who was so full of live and so full of jokes...and so full of shit, was...was...FUCK, he couldn't even SAY it!

His head was pounding once more. It felt like was going to vomit out his breakfast at any given moment. He reached upwards and grabbed the sides of his face with both hands, massaging his temples like the coach had taught him to, when the migraines tended to get worse over time. It literally felt like his eyes were in the deepest, warmest inferno possible, it even hurt and burned him when he closed his eyes.

"Is he gone?"

Jeremy looked up from where he was still seated and his eyes lit up as he saw Davey walked from the upstairs down to where he was.

With a slight roar from his sore throat, he launched himself upwards, grabbed both of his crutches, his headache completely forgotten and tried to get to David as fast he humanly possible, before he grabbed his best and oldest friend in the whole world, and hugged him close to him. He felt David's arms go around his back, as the two boys held each other in complete contention.

"What the hell happened, my dude? It looks like you've seen a ghost!" Davey laughed, giggled, before he clutched Jeremy even closer to his own body.

Jeremy sniffed, before he pulled away, and stared back at Davey, as if he wanted to see every bit of his best friend that he possibly could, drink in his very being, if you would.

"Nothing...sorry, if I freaked you out. That bastard Chad Tucker was just here...and he said the most horrible things...I'm just glad you're here, safe and sound, man."

Davey giggled once more, before he playfully pushed Jeremy away from him.

"Don't be angry..."

"Why...what have you done now?"

David blushed and started fidgeting with his fingers, before he took a huge breath.

"I...I kinda saw you and Tucker kissing...I know I said go for it, but actually kissing him? Dude, are you sure you're straight? You're not bi or something?"

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders and blinked a couple of times, to get the right words out...he really didn't know what the hell he was getting in to, and to be honest, it was starting to scare the living daylights out of him.

"I dunno, Davey...I really don't know. I honestly started to like the guy. I really did! But he's...he's a guy! He's a dude! Man...I dunno what to do."

Davey smiled and placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulder, which he could feel was quivering at his touch.

"Jez...love is love. Look at me! I'm proudly gay, no matter what the fuck this age-old town says! And no one...no one has the right to tell you, that you only need to be attracted to girls!"

"I don't look at other boys and go...man, I wanna stick my dick in that, Davey!"

"Point taken...so why are you feeling like this over Chad Fucking Tucker?"

Jeremy grimaced and looked at his best friend's smile getting ever wider, by the mere second. He knew what was up. He knew how he felt.

It wasn't pity, it wasn't just a phase that he had to get over.

Jeremy smiled.

"You like him...I knew it, I fucking knew it!" David said, his eyes positively shining with happiness and glee.

Jeremy playfully once again, pushed his friend to the side, before he blushed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Shut up, will ya?" he murmured, but not before he stood still, and allowed his mind to think over what Davey had just said.

Did he?

Did he like, like Chad Tucker?

Maybe.

Yeah, the dude was okay.

But Jesus...why did he have to go and fucking spoil everything by claiming that Davey was dead?

Why would the guy be THAT cruel beyond imagining?

**

About two nights or so later, and Chad was lying in his bedroom, chatting to various of his soccer teammates on his phone's WhatsApp.

Everyone, that was everyone, was talking about the upcoming Winter dance that the school was going to put on that coming Saturday night, and who was going with who, was talked about like it was the second coming of Jesus. Chad in total, knew that he could probably, since he was captain of the soccer team and one of the more popular boys in school, that he could probably just LOOK at a girl and she would cream her panties to go with him. He knew that.

The thing was...ever since he had laid his lips on Jeremy Fucking Greenwood, he wasn't able to think about anyone or anything else.

He had lived and relieved that kiss so many times, dreamt about it for two days now, each time it was more different and more precise than it was in sheer reality. God...if one feather like kiss with Greenwood had horned him up that much, would the hell would the REAL thing be like...shoving his tongue down the dude's throat...kissing him like he was the last fucking boy on this earth...sometimes he forgot even with how annoying Jeremy was, how attractive he also was. Fuck...he reached down and gripped his stiff seven-and-a-half-inch boner with the mere thought of being with Greenwood right now.

Even if he was acting weird as fuck these days. Talking with dead David Gallagher? Seriously?

Maybe it was pain meds...he didn't know. That stuff had to be hella strong to heal that broken arm, perhaps he got a little drowsy and was back to normal by now?

Fucking hell.

Chad sighed. He literally couldn't stop thinking about Greenwood. He never, ever felt like this about any of his former boy crushes, and remember...there was a huge difference between them and Jeremy...he wouldn't DARE tell any of those boys that he was gay...never mind kissing them. Kissing Greenwood was his first ever...EVER kiss with a boy. It wasn't like he was ever going to forget that, was it?

"Honey?"

"YES, MOM!?"

"Dinner is ready, come on, we're all waiting for you!"

Chad sighed. He had heard his dad come home about a half an hour ago, and that was why he rather stayed in his room, and avoided another saga happening between them. He knew why his dad hated him...he was the only one between himself, his little sister Samantha and his mother that actually bothered to stand up to the loser. His mom always pleaded with him, to rather just...give Jonathan Tucker what he wanted, because it was simply easier that way.

Chad slumped his way to the living room where he saw that his father and Sam was already seated at the family dining table, where his mother was still finishing up at the stove. He had checked the electricity meter that same afternoon...he knew there weren't many units left. Damn...that was why he was putting EVERYTHING into his soccer career...it was his...their only chance to get out of his hell hole and to allow him to give a better life to his mother and Sam...Lord knows he didn't how to even handle his father anymore.

Chad sat down and Sam passed him a glass of water. Taking a sip, he saw that Sam had her grape juice, his mother had some tea made, and there Jonathan was...drinking a can of beer. By the state of him, it wasn't his first either. One of the more expensive ones that he always demanded that they get for him.

"Something the matter, boy?" Jonathan asked, his eyes now firmly situated onto his son, as if he was taunting him to actually say something.

"No Dad. Everything is just...just peachy..." he said, bawling his fists underneath the table and forcing himself to make idle conversation with his sister, before their mother, Dawn Tucker, placed their warm dinner onto the table before them.

"Tuck in, go on!" she said with a charming smile, before looking nervously at her husband.

Jonathan didn't say anything, but he also didn't make any sort of emotion on his face either. The moment that Dawn dished up their dinner...toasted slices of bread and scrambled eggs...Chad's heart sank. He knew that it was the middle of the month...money was tighter than it ever was before. His mother was a seamstress, and work seemed to come in less and less, meanwhile his father had to work long hours to even get a mediocre salary as a security guard.

Sam happily munched away at her two slices of toast and what looked like two eggs, whilst his mother only had some eggs on her plate, and no bread. Jonathan's plate, however was stacked with five slices of bread, buttered and with peanut butter on top, complete with what had to have been at least four or five eggs, also scrambled.

"Here, Honey..." Dawn said towards her son as she passed him his plate, complete with three slices of toast, one of which was buttered, and what looked like three eggs as well.

Chad's pulse quickened as he heard Jonathan sigh out loud, before he picked up his cutlery and started to eat, knowing full well that his father wasn't going to be satisfied having breakfast for dinner. He understood his dad worked long hours and was most probably tired coming home at night, but...even so.

After a quiet eight or so minutes, where everyone was eating their dinner, Chad was done after eating less than half of his food, and by so doing he scratched his belly, and gave his plate to his mother.

"Honey...you hardly touched your dinner, are you sick?" she asked, the concern evident inside her voice.

Chad's tummy rumbled...he hoped to God that no one else heard it...because until now, all that he had to eat this entire day was his two slices of bread that morning, as well as an apple for lunch at school. He was starving...to put it mildly. There was no way sixteen-year-old boys could live off only that, and that alone. He looked over at his father, downing one can of beer after the other, as if nothing was phasing him...and then over to his mother, who despite at having made the meal, had almost nothing to herself to eat.

"Yeah Mom, I'm sure. When I was over at Greenwood's today, he grilled us and another couple of dudes some burgers, so I'm good. You can have mine," he shamelessly lied, looking directly at her as he did so, before he excused himself and trotted off to his room.

About ten minutes or so, the bomb burst...the rate that Jonathan had been going through those beers, even Chad was surprised that it took his father THIS long to actually explode...Chad closed his eyes shut, before he sighed and ran towards the living room...there was no way that he could leave his mom and Sam to handle this on their own.

"...worked all fucking day, the least I deserve is some cold beers after I finish! I told you last night to get me some beers, you fucking do nothing all day while I burn to a fucking crisp watching rich bastard's car's from being stolen so understand when I'm asking...WHERE...IS...MY...FUCKING...BEERS?"

Chad stopped at the entrance of the room, meanwhile Samantha had done what she usually did when their father gets upset like this...she walked slowly and quietly over to the couch and curled herself up into a little ball, with her eyes tightly shut. Anger steamed over Chad. Someday...somehow...he was going to stop this. He was going to give his mother and Samantha the life they deserved.

FAR away from him.

Dawn stood up, and swallowed a few times, before she reached out towards the dishcloth which was neatly folded at the basin, as if from some form of support.

"Jon...please understand...I had to make a choice...see, there is hardly any money left and payday is still a far way away...I couldn't possibly buy your expensive beer and still have enough left over for food and electricity..."

Both Mrs Tucker as well as Chad shuddered in sheer fright as the severely drunk Jonathan smacked the dinner table top with a massive blow of his fist, and his breathing suddenly seemed to quicken with every passing second. His face was red as red could be, mostly from the alcohol, but now from passive anger as well.

"I don't fucking care! I don't care! I WANT MY FUCKING BEER!" he screamed at the top of his voice and Chad prayed to the heavens that the neighbours would have the decency to call the cops...that was all that could save them, as it usually did. If Jonathan could just...work off this drunken state away from them, then maybe everything could go back to normal...please.

"DAWN! I'M TALKING TO YOU, YOU USELESS BITCH!" came the scathing words towards his mother, and suddenly Chad had enough. More than enough.

"Don't you fucking DARE talk to her like that! Even with the little we have she still made damn sure you had a decent dinner!" he shouted back at his dad, the hairs on the back of his arm now standing as erect as they had ever been, his voice was shaking, his chest was heaving...Jesus, he had never, ever been this angry.

Jonathan cackled his head back manically, before he took his empty dinner plate, and with one defiant look towards his son, he smashed it right onto the floor. Dawn gasped, holding the dishcloth to her mouth in sheer and utter shock.

"Dinner? Can you even call it that? I work all fucking day taking other people's crap meanwhile I have to get home and eat that shit slop? The day...the DAY that you start earning and fucking paying RENT, is the day that you can tune me crap...until then, SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE AND GET...ME...MY...FUCKING...BEER!"

Chad folded his arms. He took a huge breath.

"We can't give you, what we don't have. I'm sorry, Dad. It's either food, or your beers. Your choice."

Jonathan's eyes narrowed. He was unbalanced on his feet from all the beer that he had consumed, and his eyes configured just that. He swayed back and forth, for a few moments on one space, before he turned angrily back towards his wife.

"Say...how old is that piece of shit now?" he asked Dawn, pointing a shaking index finger straight at Chad.

Dawn Tucker swallowed nervously, still with the dishcloth inside her hands, before she looked up at her husband.

"He's sixteen..." she whispered and took a few steps back as she did so.

A slow smile spread across the drunken man's face, before he turned towards Chad. A sense of...enjoyment, if not victorious, shone across the entirety of his face.

"Ha! Sixteen hey...big boy you are now...say, there are more than enough restaurants and coffee shops there around your fancy school...yeah I've seen all of them when I have to walk home from work because there's always "no money for petrol" going around..." he slurred, making fun of the way Dawn always spoke in the process.

Chad rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, so?" he asked.

Jonathan cackled.

"I'm off tomorrow. Me and you are going to all of those places...each and fucking every single one of them, and we ain't coming back here until YOU...you find yourself a fucking job!"

Chad stood back in sheer horror, and finally unfolded his arms.

"I'm sixteen! No one will hire me, it's illegal!" he shouted out in sheer disbelief.

Jonathan scoffed at his son's words.

"Ain't no matter, we'll figure something out. I don't care whether you end up waitering, wiping crap off the floor or mop the fucking place...you are earning your keep from now on! I suffer too much for someone who works his ass off! You'll go to school, and you'll damn well WORK in the afternoons, that's final!"

Chad's face fell as he finally realised what working in the afternoons would mean...

"But Dad, what about soccer practise? I'm the fucking team captain!" he shouted, in honest heartache and emotional shock, at the total unfairness at what was happening.

"Serves you right! Why can you have the life you want, when I can't?" came the cocky reply.

Chad looked nervously over to his mother, who simply shook her head sadly, before he glared angrily back at his father.

"You can't make me. I'll go and work on weekends if I have to, in the holidays, or whenever, but you CAN'T take soccer away from me!"

Jonathan smirked, before he launched his drunken features back to where his wife was. With the speed that betrayed his current state, he leapt over towards her, before she shrieked out loud as he TOSSED her right onto the clean floor with all the might of a fully grown adult male.

"YOU BASTARD!" Chad shouted, before he wanted to run to his mother with the last breath that he had, however, Dawn still had the willpower and the strength left, to signal to her son, to stay right where he was. Both knew what happened the last time Chad had dared to physically attack his father...the black eye he had gotten might have been gone, but the cigarette burn on his arm, would be engraved on there for eternity.

Jonathan looked down at where his wife was laying from where he had thrown her to the ground, before he gargled up every slither of saliva he had left in his mouth, and SPAT on her, like she was a mere dog in the street, before his flickering, calculated eyes once more landed on his son.

"Of course, I can make you. And I will. You challenge MY fucking authority again...and I won't take it out on you. No...as God is my fucking witness, I will beat this...this piece of worthless sack of bones down there, so hard, she won't ever be able to walk ever again. And after I'm done with her, I'm ruining Samantha's pretty face...your choice..." he warned, before he took what was left of his leftover can of beer, and stomping his way to the outside yard.

"Mom...Mom, you okay?" Chad hissed before he finally managed to reach his mother, and within no time, had managed to help her up from her position.

A quiet cry of pain escaped Dawn's mouth and throat, as she reclaimed her standing position, and for a moment, she looked at her son with all the love and tenderness that she had inside of her.

"Just...just do what he says...please..." she whispered, before taking Chad's hand inside her own, and kissing it like only a loving mother could, before she hobbled off towards their bedroom.

**

The school dance as in full swing and nearly done as Jeremy wandered off the outside. Of course, he had managed to find a date for the night, just so not to lose face to his peers, but she was the last person that he could think about. He had to get some fresh air...he just HAD to get out of there before it felt like he was fucking suffocating.

He sighed as he reached his beloved rugby pitch...glittered in all kinds of light and strobe coming from the gymnasium where the dance was being held, music blaring in the background, the sounds and noises of excited and horny teens evident for everyone to hear.

He looked up at the night sky, as if for some answers.

He thought...he thought that if he was here, with a girl at his side, then he would perhaps, forget about these...weird and insane feelings that he was suddenly feeling for another boy...a dude, another guy, what have you...if someone had told him that a year ago, he probably would have smacked them senseless. If you told him that guy would be Chad Tucker, he would have done it twice.

Fuck.

Chad was here. He was here with a girl too. One of those bitches who was always at his ex-girlfriend Leyla's side. Girls always fucking hunted in packs, they even always went to the fucking toilet together, what the hell was up with that? Chad looked...he looked really good. Jeremy smirked and shook his head, as he remembered the whole fucking night, he had tried his level best to just...forget about Chad and concentrate on the beautiful girl in his arms...fat lot that helped.

Every now and again, he found himself looking...searching...longing for him. Chad Tucker.

Maybe Davey was right. Maybe he was bisexual. Maybe he was straight up gay. Fuck knows, he didn't know what to think anymore.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jeremy smiled happily as he saw Davey appear from seemingly nowhere, to where he could clearly see him. A rogue rugby ball that had must have been left behind on the pitch after yesterday's practise was slightly rolling around in the sharp wind that had kicked off since he had been down here, and he quickly jogged over towards it, picking it up with the grace of a ninja.

"Hey Davey, think fast!" he yelled out as he swiftly passed the ball in true Rugby style towards his best friend, who, no matter his best efforts after all these years, still couldn't manage to catch a rugby ball even if you paid him, with said ball rolling meaningless onto the ground from where he had thrown it.

"You asshole! You know I'm fucking useless with all things macho!" David giggled, as he walked over towards Jeremy and stood next to him.

"You look...really good, Jez..." he whispered, his voice nearly getting lost in the now, icy wind that was seemingly picking up with every passing minute.

"Shut up...you always think I look good," Jeremy laughed, and playfully shoved his shoulder onto David's.

"Dude! If I have a bruise tomorrow, you're fucking paying for it!" Davey giggled and looked upwards as to where a movement was coming from.

"Someone's coming..." he said, his eyes flickering dangerously.

Jeremy turned around and immediately recognised the one person that he had been literally turning obsessive about these last few days.

"It's just Chad Tucker, relax Davey," he said, patting his friend on his shoulder.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm giving you love birds some privacy. You know what they say...three's a crowd..." Davey started to say, before he was swiftly interrupted...

"Davey no...look, can you stay? At least for a little while? Please?"

David's eyes blinked a couple of times, before he smiled reassuringly, and took another step towards Jeremy.

"For you...anything..." he softly said, before both himself and Jeremy turned towards the oncoming Chad.

"See you had the same idea as us?" Jeremy said as Chad looked around when he heard his voice, in turn, the boy pursed his lips, before he hesitated...

...sighing visibly, and seemingly making the decision to walk over to where Jeremy and David were.

"No big deal. I swear they have every fucking heater in that place on right now...and have you seen what they charge for a fucking Coke? Just needed some peace and quiet...which I'm obviously not gonna get..."

Jeremy smiled and took another look at Chad. For a dude, he was sure handsome. Man...he looked so God damn good in the simple t-shirt, jeans and jacket that he was wearing. In complete contrast to the ripped skinny jeans, buttoned shirt and leather jacket that Jeremy had going for him. It was quiet for a few moments, before Jeremy remembered that was forgetting all about David.

"Oh...yeah, Tucker, look who's here. The guy that you, say is dead. Go ahead, Davey, show him."

Chad swung his head over to where Jeremy was, and then slowly his eyes travelled over to where "David" was supposed to be. His eyes widened as he saw that realised that clearly...Jeremy was seeing something there, where there was nothing to see at all.

"Uhm...what am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked as carefully as he could.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and pointed directly to where David was standing, giving Chad Tucker his best smile that he had.

"Dude! How many beers have you had? Don't you see him? David, say hi to Chad!" he hissed towards his best friend.

"Hey there, Tucker...looking good, my dude!" David said, his eyes glimmering as it flashed over the insanely handsome boy before them.

"See? He says hi...and some more other stuff that we can just delete..." Jeremy said laughing, winking at Davey as he did so.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him that you totes have a crush on him," he continued towards Davey, with Chad staring at the scene happening before him in sheer and utter disbelief.

Sure, he had seen stuff like this on TV before...but never before in real life. Jesus. Jesus Christ!

Jeremy...really, truly believed David Gallagher was alive...wait...was he SEEING him? Are you for real? This...this was not normal...

He swallowed and took a few steps back...he had more than enough trouble with his own family matters...he really didn't know where even to begin with THIS...

"Hey where are you going? I wanted you to see how wrong you were! David is right here...living, walking and breathing! Why are you ignoring him? Are you THAT much of a douchebag, Tucker?"

Chad bit his lip.

Walk away...WALK AWAY...this was way more than you could handle...Jeremy was either a VERY convincing actor or he was really seeing this "David" dude in which case, he wanted to run away as far as he could from Greenwood himself.

The desperate look in Jeremy's eyes caught his attention.

Chad's heart positively jumped in his chest.

Jeremy needed help. That much was clear. If he was really...SEEING David Gallagher, who had been dead for over a year, then he needed to be helped!

The rugby ball...drifting in the breeze, a little further away from them, caught his attention, and an idea formed inside his head. Bracing himself for what he knew had to be coming, he took a deep breath, before smiling upwards at Jeremy.

"Okay. I believe you. Hey David...long time no see! Say Greenwood, since he's your BFF and all, tell him to kick that Rugby ball over to me. Let me see for myself if Rugby is really as lame as everyone say. Go on! Tell David to kick that ball over here!"

Jeremy smirked and looked back at Davey.

"Please? Just do it? For some reason, he doesn't believe you're here. I'll make it up to your sorry ass, I promise! I know you can't pass for shit, but just kick it to him, yeah?"

David's smile faded.

Jeremy frowned.

"David...Davey, is something wrong?"

A tear suddenly and miraculously escaped Davey's eye, and rolled down swiftly to his left cheek.

"Davey? David, talk to me!"

David simply shook his head...tears still dripping from his face.

A touch on his shoulder, had Jeremy shake his head to the back, and Chad was once more there, with him, at his side.

"He can't kick the ball to me, because he isn't there, Greenwood..." he softly whispered.

**

"NO...No, you're wrong. He's right fucking there! He's right here! Davey...Davey...tell him! Tell him! Speak, for fuck sake! Why are you now quiet? Dude, you're never fucking quiet! Tell Tucker you're here! Show him! Davey, come on, don't just stand there, crying, DO SOMETHING! Tucker is gonna think I'm talking to myself here! DAVEY!"

Chad's heart positively broke for what he was seeing...Jeremy literally, was on his knees by know, seemingly begging "David" to actually show himself to him. He looked nervously upwards to the gymnasium where the dance was still not finished, and then back to Jeremy...if someone should show up here and see this...he didn't even wanna think about it.

He knew they had issues...but he had to protect him. He had to.

He grabbed Jeremy at his expensive jacket, before he pulled him aside.

"What the hell are you doing? Davey!" Jeremy hissed at his best friend, before swinging around and gripping the sleeves of Chad's shirt.

"What...I don't understand...why is he crying...why is he just standing there...why won't he fucking speak, I don't understand..."

Chad pulled the boy closer to him, with the unexpected movement of notion surprising the already unstable Jeremy, as he literally fell onto Chad, the latter doing a super human job of keeping them both standing upright. Jeremy buried his face inside the crook of Chad's neck, and the tears were coming before he could even TRY and stop them. For a while, the two boys clutched at each other like two dogs in heat, and Chad just...did what came and felt naturally.

He caressed Jeremy's back over and over, willing the boy to calm down, to get it all out, to finally see what was in front of him this whole time.

"It can't be...you can't be right, he can't be dead..." Jeremy cried as he finally came up for air, and looked with helpless eyes at the boy in front of him.

Chad's insides were on fire...his heart went out to Greenwood...no, Jeremy. That was his name. Carefully, as if he was in a trance of his very own, he reached down...

...and took Jeremy's hand inside his very own.

Shocked as anything at the gesture, Jeremy's wet eyes widened as he saw what Chad was doing, before the latter spoke, cooly and calmly.

"Do you trust me? Jeremy...do you trust me?"

It took a few moments, and even more sniffs and swallows from Jeremy, before he slowly nodded.

Chad squeezed his hand, before he looked deep into his eyes.

"Come with me. There's something you have to see."

**

"Dude, where the hell even are we?"

Chad stopped as he took out his phone, switched on the torch function, and shined his way over to where he knew they needed to be.

"Greenwood, you said you trusted me..."

"...I do, but..."

"...so shut the fuck up and do that!"

Jeremy scoffed in reply.

A couple of minutes later, Chad stopped, and shined his phone onto the situation that was before him.

"Take out your phone and switch on your torch," he ordered, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"What the hell for?" Jeremy demanded mercilessly.

"For God's sake JUST DO IT! Don't tell me my pathetic excuse for a phone has a torch but your fucking iPhone doesn't!"

Rolling his eyes, Jeremy did as he was told, before he shined his phone's light onto where Chad was telling him to.

As the light fell onto the statue before him, it became clear to Jeremy that it was some kind of...memorial? He didn't even know this was here...they still had to be in the school's grounds, but he had no idea...

"Read it," Chad said, placing his hand softly on Jeremy's shoulder, and slowly pulling him to the middle, in order for him to see clearly.

Jeremy shined his phone's bright light onto the plague that he was seeing...

...and a horror RIPPED straight through his entire body, down to his very God given soul...

...as his eyes flickered over the devastating words.

"IN HONOUR AND MEMORY OF DAVID JAMES GALLAGHER

BELOVED SON AND FRIEND

REST IN PEACE"

Jeremy's legs felt like they were given way from underneath him. His stomach felt like jelly and his eyes felt like they were going to bulged out of his skull at any moment. He read and re-read the words...but it was like they were failing to register.

David...David was dead?

Jeremy sunk to his knees...

"Greenwood..." Chad whispered but Jeremy didn't even hear him.

Flashes and images suddenly appeared before his very eyes, scenes and happenings that he had no memory of, and yet...seemed as if they happened only the day before. It was like a gigantic heavy blank metal curtain of despair had suddenly been withdrawn, a ray of sunshine had peeped into the abyss...

...the complete blocking out of the sheer horror and trauma what he had suffered on that horrible day, was finally lifted...at last.

Jeremy sat down...his ridiculously expensive clothes getting dirtier by the second, but that didn't even bother him. His mind felt like cotton wool, his mouth dryer than the Kalahari Desert. His eyes once more flickering over the words on Davey's memorial.

"Oh my God..." came the whisper, deep and from where in the darkest fragments of his memory.

He felt Chad's hand...but now also his arm around his shoulder, as he realised the boy was now sitting in the dirt next to him. Together they sat in harmony...each with his own thoughts and snippets, before Chad's body stiffened as he heard Jeremy speak...

"It was...it was his birthday..."

Chad shuddered. It was Jeremy's voice, but it also sounded weird. Like it was a million miles away, even though the boy he had come to care about was right here next to him.

Jeremy's eyes were stiff as a doornail, as he continued.

"We went to Ratanga Junction for the day...it was where he wanted to go. We did all the rides, it felt...we shot the shit, we ate ourselves silly, drank a gallon of slush puppies...we didn't give a fuck what anyone was thinking, we were having so much fun..."

Jeremy stopped, and Chad, in sheer instinct, pulled him ever closer to him. Jeremy still seemed like was in some kind of trance...as his brain...who had been protecting its owner for the better part of a year from all the trauma and heartache that he had suffered...so much so, that he had managed to totally block out the events of that day and literally create a David alter inside his subconscious to stop him from remembering.

After a while, Jeremy blinked yet again...

"It had been sunny all day...before we knew it the weather changed...this is Cape Town after all. Suddenly it was pouring rain, and Davey said he had enough...we still wanted to go to Grand West that night to do some ice skating...we got to his car and I told him, it's his birthday...I would drive so he can relax for a change."

Chad thought Jeremy had stopped his road down memory lane when the boy had been quiet for more than a few moments, before Jeremy shuddered, his whole body shaking...it literally felt as if was transported back in time...his head pounding...his skull feeling like it would SMASH into a million pieces at any moment...

...before he somehow found himself back in that same car. Suddenly, in his mind...it was May of 2022.

**

"If you fall down on the ice tonight, I ain't picking you up, old man!"

Davey shrieked with pure teenage boy laughter; his cheeks red from all the excitement of the day.

"Fuck you, dude! You're fucking older than me!"

"By three months, Old man!"

Davey aimed a punch at his best friend, before switching on the music, allowing the beats of Eminem blast and flow their way through the car.

"REALLY? This is the crap you listen to?" Jeremy shouted out over the incessant noise.

"FUCK YEAH! It makes me feel ALIVE as hell!" David shouted back, his eyes glimmering.

The rain was really pouring down now, and in the end, David had switched the music off, because the sound of the rain coming down on the car was hampering the tunes. David was suddenly quiet, very quiet...too quiet. Jeremy saw his bestie was once more fidgeting with his fingers, which he knew for a fact, David only did when he was nervous as hell.

"Dude, it's your fucking birthday, lighten up, will you?" he said, playfully shoving David on his seat.

David smiled and looked up at Jeremy.

"This has totally been the best day ever...I honestly thought you would never allow yourself to be seen dead at Ratanga...and you went with me anyway."

Jeremy rolled his eyes, before once more keeping them firmly on the soaking wet road before him.

"Come on David...we've known each other for yonks! Before we could even wipe our own asses! Of course, I'd do anything for you, I love you, man!"

He could hear David gasp. Why, he didn't know.

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"Jez, I'm serious. Stop the car. Please?"

After a few seconds of contemplation, Jeremy scoffed at his best friend, but he did end up parking the car next to the side of the road, majority of the vehicles behind them hooting with irritation in the process. Jeremy switched on the engine, and turned towards Davey.

"What...why...dude...what's happening...where's the fucking fire?"

"I love you too!"

Jeremy sat back, flabbergasted at the words. The look on David's face told him that this was no brotherly love...this was a fucking declaration of being IN love. He knew...somewhere in the back of his mind he KNEW that Davey had somewhat of a crush on him, but never, ever did he expect "I love you" ...

David, however, wasn't finished there.

"I dunno...how or when you started to feel the same, or when you realised how I felt about you...Jesus man...now you can finally dump Leyla and her skank ass and BE with me...Dude, the fact that we are lifelong friends makes this all the more wonderful...I am so in love with you, Jez...so much it hurts. I'm just...I'm just so happy that this is FINALLY happening!"

Jeremy frowned and swallowed slowly...his phone showed him that it was nearly around seven a clock. The ice-skating session began in literally fifteen minutes and they still had some way to go. They can't talk here. No about this.

David sensed a change in his best friend, and he quickly placed his arm on Jeremy's leg, to which the latter SCATHED away from him as far as he could, inside the driver's seat. The hurt, devastated look on Davey's face was enough to break a multitude of hearts, as things were quiet yet again.

"I don't...Jez, you said you love me...you fucking said it...why are you..."

"IS THAT WAS THIS IS ALL ABOUT? Dude, I do love you...AS A FRIEND! I thought you knew that? Haven't me dating...a girl...and the past few months with Leyla taught you ANYTHING? I AM NOT GAY! Can we just go? Forget this ever happened, okay? Just fucking get over it, build a bridge and all that! We still have a couple of miles before we get to Grand West..."

Davey was quiet for a few seconds, and Jeremy felt like the biggest jerk alive as he saw the tears which was by now cascading down David's face.

"Oh, for God's sake, why the fuck are you crying now..." he complained, all the while turning the key into the ignition and getting the car started.

"You...you can't just say you love me and not mean it..." he heard the desperate whisper from his best friend.

"I told you...Jesus, I can't believe I have to repeat myself...I told you I love you AS A FRIEND! What part of that don't you understand?"

A cry of anger from Davey's throat escaped through his voice, to the point where he grabbed at the key, still inside the running ignition.

"Dude, what the fuck are you doing, let go, I said I would drive!"

David's face was distorted...it was pure and utter hate and anger...a mixture of them both. He had NEVER seen David like this in all the years and years that he had known him.

"You can fucking walk home! You mother fucker! You KNOW...you HAD to know how I felt about you, and you still fucking queer-baited me..."

"I don't even know what that MEANS!"

David's hand dropped from trying to get the key, to grabbing the steering wheel instead.

"You straight pieces of shit thinks you can do whatever you want with us gay faggots...not anymore! I'm serious, Jez! Get the fuck out! I'm going home and I never wanna see your fat ass ever again!"

Even back then...if there was something David knew Jeremy couldn't stand...

...it was being told off on his bigger physique.

The next thing both boys knew...was that someone...who's foot it was, they would never know...but a foot belonging to one of them, landed on the accelerator.

The car was PULLED forward as if from an unstoppable force as Jeremy tried his best to stop and regain control, but it was way too late.

The car...at the passenger's side...RAMMED straight into an oncoming car and RIPPED through the metal like it was sheer tin foil.

**

"He's dead...oh my God, he's really dead..."

Jeremy completely broke down inside Chad's arms, the latter doubling his efforts in order to comfort him the best he could. It felt like nothing he would do or say, could take away the pain that Jeremy Greenwood was now going through. But he had to try. At least.

Instinct had him softly leaning down and kissing Jeremy's forehead, his eyes, fluttering all over his nose and cheeks, to the point, where the only place on his handsome face that he hadn't gone, was his lips.

"He's dead...Chad...he's dead, he's never coming back..."

Chad held the boy even more tight than before, and once more kissed his forehead.

"I got you...I got you...I won't leave you..." he whispered.

And that, Chad Tucker knew...

...was a promise that he intended to keep.

**

THANKS FOR READING!!

GEEZ...that nearly destroyed me. It's only a story and I'm a weeping mess right now.

Any feedback, good or bad? My email is down below.

Peace!

liciousryan@gmail.com