DISCLAIMER This story may eventually contain depictions of male on male, graphic sexual interactions. PSA TO ALWAYS USE A CONDOM! The characters are highschool aged and sometimes have sex, if this offends you, why are you here? This is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to persons or events is purely coincidental. Enjoy the story and any feedback is welcome.Do not post this story to any other website unless you have explicit permission from the author. All rights reserved.
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CHAPTER 4
ASPEN
"Are you sure you don't want to throw a Halloween party in this place?" I asked as I followed Kennedy to the kitchen, "It could be wild."
"Who would we invite?" he asked, turning to face me as he reached the fridge at last.
"Everyone! You could invite the team and I could invite the Gardener's League. We could make a Facebook event about it. It could be a great time. Obviously, we would decorate it all spooky and everyone would wear costumes."
"Yeah, let's go to the Halloween store in Philadelphia," Kennedy said as he grabbed his keys.
"Right now? I haven't sung to Pamela yet," I said, glancing down at my data sheet.
"Pamela?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I named the ivy I sing to after Poison Ivy. Then the one that gets no music at all is Walter and the one who gets your iPod is named Beverly. I made little labels for their pots!"
"You made them labels?"
"Yes, they looked sad in their bland orange pots," I grinned to myself and pulled out the pretty labels I made. They were pink and gold and perfect for our little ivy plants, "Just let me sing to Pamela real fast and then we can go."
"Okay, I moved her down to the ballroom," Kennedy said with a sly smile.
"Okay, wait, you actually have a ballroom? How did I miss that during the tour?"
"I don't usually show people the ballroom. It was a special place where my mom and I used to go. C'mon!" he stood up and I followed him down the left grand staircase and into a huge beautiful room.
Like literally, it was just like the one in The Sound of Music. Huge floor length mirrors in beautiful intricately carved frames. A grand piano sat near a huge wall of windows, bathed in late afternoon sun. Pamela was perched on top of it, flourishing beautifully in the sunlight.
"This is amazing," I said, looking around the gorgeous room.
"Yeah," he smiled peacefully. Then he went to the piano bench and sat down.
"What song are we gracing Pamela with today?" he placed his hands on the keys like he was about to start playing.
"Hmmm," I thought quietly to myself, "Do you know any Lana Del Rey?"
"Only `American'," he replied and began to play it flawlessly on the piano.
"You make me crazy, you make me wild
Just like a baby, spin me 'round like a child.
Your skin so golden brown.
Be young, be dope be proud.
Like an American," I sang as he played. He watched me intently but I continued to direct my voice at Pamela. Otherwise the project would be compromised. As we finished the song I looked over at Kennedy, "I didn't know you could play the piano so beautifully!"
"I used to play and mom would dance around the room and sing. It was always a fun time," he said with a sad smile, "Welp, let's go spend my dad's money at the Halloween store in Philly!" I followed him out to his car and we climbed in and he started it up.
As we drove we talked about a lot of things. I learned that his favorite meal was spaghetti and breadsticks, he loved the color red, his favorite tv show at the moment was The Flash or Supergirl (it was a tossup). We discussed what we wanted for our futures and about where we wanted to be in the next five years.
Soon I felt like I had met a whole other person. He was funny and nice and he had a really great personality. When we pulled up to the Halloween store we were laughing like hyenas.
"We have to find the best stuff for the party!" he exclaimed. He hopped out of the car excitedly and I followed. Like children, we ran into the store and enthusiastically started perusing the vast collection of costumes and decorations.
"Okay, but the true question of Halloween is, what are you gonna be?" Kennedy asked as he pulled a risqué pirate dress off the rack.
"I'm not sure, I shrugged, it really depends on what Leon thinks. I really want up to dress as Peach and Mario but Leon doesn't really like when I dress...too flashy."
"Too gay you mean?" Kennedy asked, raising a perfectly shaped brow.
"Well that's offensive," I chuckled.
"You know what I meant," he paused, "I get the idea that Leon is very masc' and he doesn't like that you're a femme'." He did finger quotes around the words as he said them. Now it was my turn to raise a brow.
"What? I know the grindr lingo!" he laughed and hung the pirate dress back up.
"Well, you're not wrong. There are a lot of really cute things in my closet that I don't get to wear anymore because Leon doesn't like them," I sighed and thought about my favorite pink sweater with a unicorn bust on it.
"That's bull-crap. You should never be expected to change for someone who claims to love you so that they can feel more comfortable hating themselves in public. How dare he ask you to stop wearing what you like, he needs to get over his preconditioned attitude and accept that you wanna dress the way you wanna dress." He seemed very fired up and I felt a weird feeling in my chest. He made me feel so good about myself.
"He just doesn't understand me sometimes. He wants me to be this football watching, beer drinking, stud, and I'm just a smol gay who wants to wear pretty sweaters."
"That really grinds my gears. The more you tell me about your boyfriend, the less I like that shnook." He sighed and put the nun costume back, "I think I'm going to dress up as a slutty superhero for Halloween."
"Kira told me that she was going to be Luna for Halloween," I said suggestively with a nudge.
"Who?"
"Luna? Like, from Sailor Moon?"
He still had no clue.
"She's a cat. She can also assume a human form, which is exactly what Kira said she was doing. So, you should go as Artemis."
"Like the goddess of the hunt?"
"Well, yes, you're not wrong. But no, I was talking about Artemis, Luna's husband."
"Why would I do that?" he quizzed.
"Because, dummy, if you dress up as Artemis and she dresses up as Luna, then you'll be wearing couple's costumes. She's bound to notice you eventually."
"I don't know what any of that is from tho, she'll know right away that I'm a poser."
"So you get to know it. Listen, Sailor Moon was a manga before it was an anime. I'll let you borrow my collection, I have every Sailor Moon published, and you can read them and then you won't be lost."
"Really, you think that's a good idea?"
"I think it's a great idea. Now let's get some decorations so that we can throw a bomb ass Halloween party next week!"
KENNEDY
I sat in my room that night, reading the first volume of the Sailor Moon manga that aspen was letting me borrow. I felt my phone buzz and I picked it up to see that I had received a text from Leon.
LEON: Hey man, we need to talk.
ME: I have nothin to say to you.
LEON: I think you'll change your mind. Just meet me at the football field in ten.
ME: Fine.
I put on my jacket and grabbed the keys to my bike and set off. If hanging out with Aspen had taught me anything, it's that I should learn to try and look for the best in people. I was ready to make nice with Leon. And I was hoping he was ready to make nice with me too.
Soon, I was walking toward the football field. Leon sat on a bench hunched over. I approached him and he glanced up. He patted on the spot next to him and I turned and sat.
"Nice night, huh?" Leon said awkwardly.
"What's this about, Baxter?" I asked. His dark brown skin was glistening with sweat and I noticed his pits were drenched as well.
"Listen, it's clear that you are becoming a bigger part in Aspen's life. Unfortunately, that means you're going to end up being a part of my life more than you were before. I think it's time we bury the hatchet and try to be friends. I don't want stuff between the three of us to get awkward if you were ever invited to the same party as us or something," he said, staring at the ground. He then turned and looked at me and I made eye contact with him, "truce?"
Leon held out his hand and I grabbed hold of it and we shook.
"Tomorrow, Aspen and I are gonna go to the apple orchard if you wanted to join us."
"Uh, yeah, sure that sounds like fun," I smiled. Leon and I had once been best friends. I always knew that we could get along if we tried but he never wanted it so I let it be. But he was right, Aspen and I were getting closer and I would definitely be seeing Leon a lot more. It would be good to not always be cold and aloof at him.
He patted my shoulder and stood up. Then he jogged away after saying goodbye. I got up shortly after and headed to my home as well.