Chapter Twenty-Eight

As summer rolled along, JJ and Travis became inseparable, having sleepovers at each other's houses every other weekend. And on days like today, when Travis had to babysit the twins, he brought them with him to JJ's house. David was chilling against the side of the pool while Asher and Bobby ran wild. Meanwhile, David's sister Shari and Amber were busy watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. 

JJ exited the pool to grab a pop, and Bobby and Asher pulled down his shorts, laughing as they ran away.

"You're dead when I catch you!" JJ said as he hoisted up his shorts. Running after the pair, he'd almost caught them when they split up. 

Screw them. It's too hot for this shit.  

He got a can of Mountain Dew from the cooler and chugged it, burping when he'd finished it. 

"Still wish you weren't an only child?" Travis said, smirking.

"Yeah," David said, laughing as he scratched under his cast.

JJ's heart skipped a beat. "Dudes, you scared the crap outta me. And no offense, Travis, but Bobby's peak r/EntitledKids material. And with Asher around, they're frelling monsters."

David chuckled. "Hey, Asher isn't that bad. It's Bobby that's the real monster."

Travis shook his head, laughing. "Dude, tell me something I don't know." He turned to JJ and whispered, "There's something I need to tell you."

JJ's heart went aflutter. Could this be the moment Travis declared his undying love for him, and they kissed and more? 

  "Earth to Josh," he said, waving his hand in front of JJ's face. "You listening?"

Cheeks flushing, he said, "Sorry, I zoned out for a minute."

Looking annoyed, Travis sighed, then sucked in his bottom lip. "I asked if you were busy later."

"Nope. What's so important?"

"I'd rather not say." He cut his eyes toward David. Then he slapped JJ on the ass and ran away. He gave chase, and when he caught Travis, he tackled him. They rolled on the grass, each trying to pin the other until Travis tapped out. 

Puffing twice on his inhaler, he sighed and placed his arm around JJ's shoulder. "You're quick for a shrimp."

"Oh, you can screw right off. You're only four inches taller than me," he said and play-hit Travis, starting a shoving match that turned into them wrestling on the ground again. JJ laughed until he felt Travis's erection against his, and Travis bolted for the pool.

After that, David and his siblings left, followed by everyone else, until JJ was alone. He cleaned up the chip bags and pop cans, then read comics and manga awhile before pulling up Two Peas in a Pod, one of his all-time favorite online gay love stories. He'd read it like a million times. It was your typical story about best friends who are secretly in love with each other but damn if it didn't always hit him right in the feels.

  Around five o'clock, his stomach growled, so he heated up some of his mother's famous lasagna. She'd made it as a peace offering for her and his father not being home like they said they would. They had to fly out to Singapore for another big deal, two days after returning from Dubai. 

He could literally count on one hand the times he'd seen his parents that year. He got that they needed to make money to keep up their lifestyle, but he'd rather they lived in a modest neighborhood like Travis's if it meant seeing them more often. He'd told them as much on several occasions, only to have them laugh him off. He didn't understand it. What good was it to gain the world but lose your soul in the process?    

This was too deep for him to figure out on an empty stomach. 

After eating, he cleaning his dishes, then hopped on social media to see what his friends had been up to. Their posts were mostly pictures of them doing shoots or smoking weed. God, what he wouldn't give to get high. While he was browsing and liking posts, he got a DM from Drew Long, a friend of a friend, asking him when his End of Summer Party would be. He'd forgotten all about that. Honestly, he had no interest in hanging with anyone besides Travis and the Squad, so he told him to spread the word there wouldn't be a party this year.

 Next, he set up a group chat with the Squad, and they decided to hang together sans Travis the next day since they were all free. Afterward, he texted Travis to let him know he'd be busy tomorrow.

Travis's reply was: OK

U mad?

No

What did ya wanna talk to me about? 

Forget it.

K 😕

Later 

JJ tried texting him again, but his messages stayed on read, so he went back to reading.

***

JJ belted out the lyrics to Welcome to the Black Parade, strumming his air guitar with gusto. When the song ended, everyone gathered in his room laughed.

Lance popped out his prosthetic eye and rubbed the hole where it used to be. "Dude, what's up with you today? Your spaz level is off the chart."

JJ glared, wondering why he bothered. "Nothing, I'm just being myself is all."

Lance blew on his eye and then popped it back in place. "Well, you're at an eleven, and Imma need ya to bring it down to a seven."

JJ ground his teeth, clenching his jaws. "If you don't want to be here, then leave."

Rachel looked up from her phone, frowning. "Hey now, we've barely seen you all summer, and you're being douchey AF."

JJ chewed on his bottom lip before saying, "Excuse me for not being the life of the party all the time. You know, I have feelings, too."

Matt looked at him sideways. "Jesus, JJ, what crawled up your vag and died?"

Rachel and Brianna shot Matt dirty looks.

JJ shook his head. "I'll tell ya what my problem is. I'm sick of people riding my dick so they can partake in my booze and hospitality."

Mouth agape, Henry did a double-take. "Who are you, and what did you do with our JJ?"

"Don't mind him. He's just extra salty that he can't hang with his boyfriend," Jason said from the doorway. 

JJ glared as Jason and David entered the room and sat on the beanbags situated around his bed. "Go screw yourself with a rusty hacksaw."

Jason laughed and flipped him off. "What? It's true. We barely see ya anymore, and when we do, you're always texting or calling Turner."

"Has it occurred to you that I like hanging with him more than y'all?"

 David shook his head. "You don't mean that, and you know it."

Brianna cleared her throat. "Really? Cuz I'm starting to wonder that myself."

Chomping his gum, Jason smacked his lips and then blew a bubble. "He's been acting different ever since he and Turner started hanging. If ya ask me, he's been replaced like in that movie with them pod people."

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers," JJ said, scowling. "And FYI, I'm just being myself. Something Travis likes."

Henry flexed his arms, his two-sizes-too-small shirt straining against his muscles. "Jesus. The way you keep bringing up Travis, it's like you're in love with the kid or something."

"I am not!"

"No need to shout," Lance said, eyeing him hard. "Bro, there's a party tonight, and you're going with us. Unless you'd rather spend time with your precious Travis?"

Frell me. If I don't go, they might start to suspect Travis and I are more than friends. Are we? Never mind.

"Alright, cum guzzler. I call your bluff. I'll go with ya."

 Lance smiled. "My man."

"On one condition: Travis comes with."

Everyone, save the girls, groaned.

"What? He's my friend, too, and he's never been to a party."

A mischievous glint came into Matt's eyes. "Then let's get him fucked up."

Right," everyone but JJ said.

JJ tugged on his ear. "I don't know about this. The kid drank vodka once max, and I don't want him getting too wasted. Ya feel me?"

Matt scoffed. "Stop being a pussy. Besides, that's all the more reason to get him hammered."

JJ gave several reasons why that wasn't a good idea until Henry cut in. "What you scared he'll hook up with a girl . . . or another guy?"

"Fuck you!"

JJ called Travis and told him about the party, but he declined. "Come on," JJ begged, "you've never been to one, and I'll be there." 

"Even if I wanted to go, I have to watch my siblings."

"Dude, they're plenty old enough to be by themselves. My parents left me home all the time, beginning when I was ten. Plus, your mom's working a double shift, and your dad won't be home till tomorrow afternoon. Plenty of time for you to go and be back without them ever knowing."

"What if Bobby and Amber tell on me?"

"You'll get grounded, big whoop."

"All right, I'll go."

"Yes!"

He told Travis to be at his house at nine o'clock sharp and to wear something besides his standard hoodie/tees and sweatpants/basketball shorts. Travis grunted and ended the call.

For the rest of the night, JJ and his friends listened to music, which they voted JJ couldn't choose since he was acting all extra. Then they played video games and laughed as they told stories about old times. But JJ couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen at the party.

***

At eight o'clock, he brought out the vodka, and they each had a couple shots as they waited for Travis to arrive.

At ten to nine, Travis called, saying he'd was walking up JJ's driveway. When JJ saw him, he could hardly contain himself. Travis had parted his hair down the middle, gelled it, and was wearing a beige polo with matching khakis and Hush Puppy shoes. 

"You look good," he said, trying not to let on how turned on he was right then.

Travis laughed. "Yeah, Mother got me this outfit last Christmas. Though, why she still insists I attend church is beyond me. Jason, David, good evening."

When he got to Brianna and Rachel, he bent and kissed their hands. JJ swooned, wanting to be them hella bad. "Ya Goddamn phony."

Travis laughed and threw his arm around JJ's shoulder. "Someone's totes jelly."

"As if," he said and then whispered to Travis if he'd been browsing urbandictionary.com again. "Fo' shizzle my gnizzle frizzle."

At this, everyone laughed, save Jason, who was sending Travis death glares. JJ would have to talk to him about that later, but right now, he was too busy enjoying Travis's company to care. He offered Travis a drink, but he declined, saying he would have something at the party. 

"Who'll all be there?" Travis asked. 

JJ ticked off names, but Travis stared at him with a vacant expression. "Aside from you guys, I won't know anyone there."

Brianna wrapped her arm around Travis's waist, and he flinched, but only JJ was perceptive enough to notice it.

"My mans, the point of a party is to get wriggity, wriggity wrecked. And besides, I met all these assholes, no offense, at one of JJ's parties. So maybe you'll meet some folks, too. Who knows, you might get lucky before the night's over."

Blushing, Travis nonchalantly wiggled out of Brianna's grip, and everyone laughed at him.

"I think Travis is a virgin," Matt said and laughed that foghorn laugh of his.

Travis folded his arms, inclining his head. "What's the matter, Mitchells? 'Fraid someone will get to me before you?"

Matt stared at him, grimacing, and then burst out laughing. "Good one, kid. But ya keep that shit up, and Imma get medieval on that ass."   

They bullshitted around a while longer until Jason announced he'd received a text from the host of the party saying it was time for them to head out. Jason requested an Uber SUV, and JJ requested an Uber black, and they split the fare.

"You're good for your portion, right?" he said to Travis as he entered the BMW Series 5.

"Yeah. Don't go leaving me alone, okay?"

"Keep saying stuff like that, and you'll make me think you like me."

Travis socked him in the arm, and they were off.

When they arrived, JJ tried to stick close to Travis, but inevitably, some friend pulled him away to catch up. As the night wore on, he lost track of Travis. He felt guilty at first but thought, Hey, he has to learn to fend for himself some time, right?

 

Author's Note: Next chapter, Travis gets his party on and has his first proper kiss.

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