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 5
ASPEN
Leon came over early on Saturday. I was still asleep when I heard a faint knock on my door. I sat up and rubbed my eyes when he entered the room. I stretched.
"Hey sleeping beauty," he said sweetly before coming over and kissing me gently. His kiss soon became one of passion and longing. Electricity jolted through my body as he proceeded to make out with me, his kissing getting hungrier with every passing second. Soon he had me on my back and he was straddling my hips as he grinded into me and I kissed him harder.
He reached under the blanket and grabbed hold of my morning hardness and I gasped. My hands instantly grabbed his and I broke away.
"I'm not ready," I said shyly.
"You never are," he smiled sadly and pecked me on the lips again before climbing off of me. The thickness in his jeans making my mouth water. Yes, obviously, I wanted to have sex with him, I just wanted it to be special. I didn't want it to be some spur of the moment thing. I wanted this to be a good and special moment, because I didn't want to regret it once I'd done it.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too. Whatever though. Are you excited to go to the apple orchard today?" he asked, not looking at me anymore. He always did this when I shut him down. He'd refuse to look at me for an hour at least and make me feel like the worst for not being ready to give myself to him.
"Yeah," I knew my voice sounded sad. I knew I was on the verge of tears. I knew I wanted to cry, but I wasn't going to. Today was going to be a good day. Leon and I were going to have a fun date.
"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Kennedy to join us."
I climbed off my bed and went to my closet to pick out something to wear.
"Why would you do that? You hate him," I was puzzled. Sometimes Leon did things that didn't make sense but over the year that I'd been dating him, I was good at figuring out what his ulterior motives were.
"I don't...hate him. I just don't get along with him. However, it's clear that the two of you are getting closer, much to my dismay, and I have to deal with that. So I'm doing what I can," he shrugged and looked up as I exited the closet.
I had on some maroon jeans, a peach sweater and a floral scarf in pretty autumn tones.
"That scarf is a little..." he gave me an exaggerated limp wrist, "don't you think?"
"I like it."
"Well, I don't please take it off and wear something else."
"No."
"What?" he furrowed his brow and looked angry.
"I said no. From now on, you don't get to dictate what I wear. Kennedy is right, I am allowed to wear whatever makes me happy and I shouldn't be asked to change by someone who claims to love me," I said defiantly.
"Well, Kennedy isn't your boyfriend and he doesn't have a say in this relationship," Leon rebutted, "I don't like when people stare at us. They already stare because you insist that we hold hands. I don't need them staring because I have some froo froo sissy boy on my arm. You're a dude and you need to start dressing like it."
"Get out."
"What?"
"I said get out," oh man was I pissed. How dare he come into my house and tell me how to dress? Who was he to tell me who to be? Who was he to dictate my life?
"Get out so you can change?" he was genuinely confused and I could see it on his handsomely stupid face.
"No, get out and leave. Get out of my life. I am so sick to death and tired of you telling me who to be. I'm sick of you telling me that my clothes are too gay for you. I'm sick of you trying to make me some chest bumping idiot like your hyper masculine friends. You don't love me exactly the way I am and that bothers me.
"I don't need a boyfriend who constantly asks me to be someone I'm not. So, we are done. If you can't accept me as I am with no strings attached, then buh-bye. I will find a boyfriend who wants me even if I was in drag," I stormed over to the door furiously and threw it open. I crossed my arms and stood angrily next to it.
"You can't be serious. You're breaking up with me because I don't like your scarf?"
"I'm breaking up with you because I need to be loved and validated, not criticized and demeaned."
"This is fucking ridiculous, Aspen."
"No, what's ridiculous is that it took this long for me to finally realize that I deserve better," I pointed at the door again. He grabbed his jacket and stomped past me.
"You'll be crawling back before the week is out," he said smugly, "I'm just not too sure if I will still be there."
"Good riddance!" I slammed the door and slumped down against it and burst into tears. I listened as Leon loudly went to his car and sped off. About a half hour later, I heard the sound of gravel under tires. Then the doorbell. I stood up, wiped the tears off my face and went down to answer the door. Cypress and Dad were out fishing today so it was just me alone.
I opened the front door and Kennedy stood with his back to me.
"Kennedy?"
"Oh! I didn't hear the door open!"
I burst out laughing when he turned around. He had on a big pale blue sweater on. An image of a cat surrounded in pastel flowers was painted on the front. He had on a flower crown too.
"What the bliz are you wearing?" I asked, "Were you planning on going to Coachella?"
"Ha, I wore it to prove to Leon that you can still be a guy and wear feminine things without instantly being super gay."
"You look cute as heck," I laughed. It was funny to see a guy who literally always has on flannels wearing something that looked like it came right out of my closet.
"Thank you, you look...sad. Is everything okay?" he took off his flower crown and stuffed it in his pocket.
"Yeah...there was a change of plans. We aren't going to the apple orchard today."
"That's okay, did Leon bail or something?" he tilted his head to the left and awaited my answer. I cleared my throat as I choked back more tears.
"We broke up."
"What?" he looked so confused, "Why? Wait- you don't have to answer that. It's none of my business.
"To be honest, there are a ton of reasons. I just didn't see them till you showed them to me. I was blinded by love and you showed me that I didn't deserve that so-" my voice broke and I started sobbing again. Kennedy stepped forward and pulled me into a warm gentle hug. He caressed my head and rubbed my back.
"I didn't mean to break you guys up," he said sadly.
"This isn't your fault, Kennedy. It's been a long time coming. I'm just lucky that I have you for a best friend. To make sure that I have what I deserve in life."
"I'm your best friend?" he asked. I could hear a hitch in his voice like he was going to cry.
"Of course you are," I leaned back and looked up at him. He had a happy look on his face but tears in his eyes.
"No one has cared about me in so long and it's wild that you are the first. I'm the lucky one," he said. Then he hugged me again, "Listen, let's forget the apple orchard, I have somewhere better I wanna take you. It's quite a drive though, are you up for it?"
"Yes! Let's do it!"
KENNEDY
Clover Hollow is a magical little town about an hour away from Cherrywick. My mom used to take me here every October because they get really big into Halloween. In this town, there is a magic store that I knew what gonna knock Aspen's socks off. It had tarot readings and premade spells and potions. You could get anything there and as a Wiccan, I was sure Aspen would get a kick out of it.
To get into town, you have to enter under this beautiful wrought iron arch. The town was decorated with jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and strings of purple and orange lights covered the houses all the way into town.
"Oh my goddess! Did we just enter Halloweentown?" Aspen asked excitedly as he stared out the window at all the pretty houses.
"Something like that. Legend has it, that a group of witches founded this town and turned it into the magical sight you see before you. There is a fountain in the center of town, it has three statues of women dancing under the water and it's said that if you make a wish and throw a gold coin in, it's sure to come true," I explained. As we got closer to the town square. Today was the annual Halloween parade and I was originally going to miss it to go to the orchard with Leon and Aspen but now I didn't have to.
The Monster Mash was playing out of speakers around the square as Aspen and I parked and started toward the busy spot up town. People were dressed in their costumes and throwing candy as they walked through the streets and rode on their floats.
"This place is algebraic!" Aspen said as he grabbed hold of my arm and jumped up and down. I laughed as I saw the enthusiastic expression painted on his face. He looked so happy and I much preferred this look to the one he has when he's sad.
"I'm glad you like it! There's somewhere I wanna show you," I told him.
"Oh, can we please watch the parade?" he pleaded. I couldn't bear to say no so I nodded and we found an empty spot on the curb to watch.
"How did you know about this?" Aspen asked as we finally sat down.
"This is the town where my mom grew up. She used to bring me here every October to see the parade and look at the fun crafts that people sell," I told him.
"I love it. Why would you bring me here though? It sounds like a very private place for you, full of private memories," he said as he looked into my eyes. His moon-blonde hair seemed to sparkle in the late morning sun. His eyes were the prettiest shade of cerulean I'd ever seen. My heart jumped and I felt nervous all of a sudden. What the math was going on with me?
"I thought you'd like it," I shrugged and looked away from him.
"I love it," his hand found mine and he squeezed it. A jolt of electricity clawed its way through my body. I pulled my hand away and laughed. He sort of frowned but he then smiled and turned back to the parade.
"Can I ask you something personal?" I blurted. Aspen turned and tilted his head and grinned.
"Of course! You can ask me whatever you want- as long as it doesn't make me cry," he giggled after saying this.
"How did you know...you were..." I trailed off, hoping he knew what I was asking.
"Gay?" he raised an eyebrow. I nodded.
"You're allowed to say `gay' it's not a bad word unless you're using it as a slur," he punched me playfully in the arm and I faked a hurt look.
"I didn't want to be politically incorrect!"
"Pish, posh! I guess I knew I was gay when all the boys started noticing girls because I just started noticing boys instead. I had this one friend, back when we lived in Moon Valley forever ago, Logan. Logan Black. Oh, gods he was the cutest ever! I had the biggest crush on him in fifth grade. He would talk about girls all the time, and all I could ever think about was how much I wanted to kiss him. Then Daddy moved us to Pennsylvania and we kind of lost touch," he shrugged.
"Oh man that sucks. Is it hard to be gay?"
"I mean...it's just like being straight except you have a target on your back for being in love. Sure, it gets difficult at times, especially when it comes to dating, but I had Leon for so long that it didn't really matter. He always beat up anyone who made me feel bad for being gay and eventually it got to the point where no one bothered me anymore. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't grown up in Cherrywick, you know? I hate to think what it is like for the boys who live in much less tolerant places."
"I'm sure it's awful. I'm just glad that I'm not gay," I said absentmindedly. I noticed Aspen looking at me and I turned to see an unpleasant expression on his face.
"What?"
"It's not like being gay is the worst thing ever," he said in a pouty voice.
"That's not what I meant. I just mean that first of all, my dad would never except me if I were gay. Secondly, it must be terrible to be treated like trash simply because of who you love. It must suck to just be holding hands with your guy and get dirty looks because some asshat in the bible days decided to say it was sinful. Either way, I'm just glad to be a straight guy and not have to deal with all that."
"I see what you mean," he said sadly, "I just wish it wasn't such a thing. I wish that gender and sexuality and romanticism wasn't such a big hecking deal. Like it's no one's business what I do in bed except for the person or persons I'm doing it with, ya know?"
"Persons? You into that whole polyamory thing?" I joked.
"It's not my cup of tea. I don't want to share my boyfriend but there is absolutely nothing wrong with being polyamorous."
"You're so tolerant. You must be a Hufflepuff," I joked, I'm a Gryffindor, I like to believe I'm brave.
"And proud of it! Thank you very much!" Aspen said flipping hair that didn't exist, "oh yeah! That reminded me, Samhain is coming up soon and my family is celebrating it next weekend. Sunday, not the night of your party, obviously. Would you maybe want to go? I normally invite Leon, but that clearly isn't happening this year."
"Samhain?"
"Halloween. It's the Wiccan new year and my family always does this big shindig. It's actually where I met Logan. He and his mom used to throw a big thing at their place and since we didn't live near family, they invited us celebrate with them," he snagged up a lollypop that rolled his way.
"I don't know. Cypress wouldn't like that too much, I'm sure of it."
"Who cares what Cy likes? You said that Daddy likes you and I know I like you. Please come? It would be so much fun! Clothing is optional," at this he winked. My heart skipped a beat and I put on a face that looked confused.
"Ew! I didn't mean it like that. I meant that there are a lot of girls that come to this too and some of them are very beautiful and very confident with their bodies. I could even ask Kira to come!"
"Don't even think about it!" I almost yelled, "Fine, I'll go. It could be a wild time."
"Oh trust me it is!"
"Did you get your fill of the parade yet?" I really wanted to show him the magic store.
"Yes, I suppose we can go where you originally wanted to take me," he stood up and brushed off the back of his pants. Then we walked down the street. There was a stairwell that led down to the store and we took it. The front window was decorated with an image of a large tarot card.
"The Star. It means hope. What is this place?" Aspen sounded like he was getting excited.
"It's called Black Cat's Landing. It's a magic store but it's also a tea shop! I can't wait for you to meet Poppy, you're gonna love him.
As we opened the door the smell of dried herbs, incense and tea wafted around our noses. A bunch of tiny bells tinkled and Fleetwood Mac played softly in the background. We stepped over the threshold and were greeted by shelves upon shelves filled with all sorts of books, crystals, potions, wands, cauldrons, and tarot cards. A little table sat in the corner with a crystal ball atop it.
The store counter sat smack dab in the middle and had a doorway with bead curtains hung from the frame. An ancient cash register sat propped on the marble counter top. It also served as a display case for athame's and other ritual tools.
"It smells like...jasmine, lavender and... Hmmm, I can't quite put my finger on it," Aspen said as he took another whiff of air, "copal! It's copal. Must be a love incense."
"What a brilliant young man you've brought with you, Kennedy," Poppy said, emerging from behind the bead curtains. He was wearing pants and a matching top made in a dark blue fabric. Tiny flecks of gold made it look like the stars in the night sky. He had on a long black shawl and a pretty gold scarf wrapped around his balding head.
His cane tapped the floor loudly once and then he moved forward. He had on dark blue tinted glasses to cover his blind eyes. "A pretty little one too, don't you think?" he teased with a big grin. Aspen's eyes flashed up at me and his cheeks burned red. I didn't need a mirror to know that my cheeks were burning too.
"Yeah, he's very pretty," I muttered. Aspen blushed harder and looked down at the ground.
"Especially that moon blonde hair!" Poppy exclaimed, "Come now, my boys, time for a reading!"
"Oh we don't have the money-" I started.
"On the house! As a soul from The Lovers Star Group, it's my duty to always give readings to young love birds!" he said grabbing our hands.
"We aren't love birds, Poppy!" I said. Poppy stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped our hands and turned to face me. He took off his sunglasses and his milky blue eyes gazed into my soul, though I knew he could not see me.
"Forgive me, it's just that- So the two of you aren't dating? I sensed love, deep love, on its way to me. The incense confirmed it. But you say there is no love between the two of you?" Poppy raised a brow.
"Well...not in like a boyfriendy way," I explained.
"In fact I just broke up with my boyfriend today. Kennedy is straight and we are just friends," Aspen added.
"Funny, you deny each other, yet the way you feel is written all over your faces. Two souls destined to meet. Deny all you want but destiny will always take its course," he seemed annoyed.
"Sorry to disappoint, Poppy. Aspen's right, though, I am straight," I defended myself.
"Tell that to your heart, darling. Anyways, call on me if you need help with a spell or questions about a crystal or something," he turned gracefully and floated back to the counter with his cane tapping only so often.
Aspen and I went and perused through the shelves, the air between us now tense and awkward. He turned to look at me and started laughing as quietly as possible. He was so tickled that it made me burst out laughing too and soon we were doubled over, holding our sides.
"Did you know we were soulmates?" Aspen whispered.
"Destiny brought us together!" I chuckled.
We decided to beat our feet and we turned and walked towards the door.
"I hope I didn't upset you boys. I suppose this one time I could be wrong about predicting soul love. Have a lovely rest of your day."
"Thank you, it was very nice to meet you," Aspen smiled and waved. We turned and left and walked back to my vehicle.
AUTHOR'S NOTE Hello! So sorry for the long wait on this chapter! I've been super busy with final exams and the holidays and what-not. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this part! Email me with your thoughts and comments! Love ya! =^.^= Kit