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Last chapter Zach, Shane, Issac, Nick and Gage formulated a planned Shane's and Lucas' talk. Zach came up with the idea of having one of Gage and Nick's famous sleepovers. The people invited by Gage are Sam, Zach and Shane. While Nick is gonna invite Lucas Issac and Tanis.
So the sleepover is usually done with the cast of Gage, Sam, Matt, Nick, Peter, and Tanis, give or take some of people. So this chapter is mostly about Lucas knowing something is up but not quite being able to figure it out.
This chapter will go up to and include part of the sleepover. So without any further hold up here is chapter 13!
Chapter 13 – Good Times Gone
Nick's POV
So it's Friday now and Lucas has that look in his eyes that he knows something is up. He hasn't asked to many questions about the sleepover, thank god. Just 'who's all gonna be there' and 'do I need to bring anything'. But the look he has almost every time I see him, it's like he knows something is up.
It doesn't help that Annie wants to come too, either. I can't let him come over. I mean 8 guys sharing one room is already kinda hard to do. Annie tried pulling the 'I had you over before' card but I just explained that Issac was there when we thought of the idea and Tanis is my best friend. For why I chose Lucas over Annie though I couldn't really think of anything...
So here I am in Science class with a skeptical Lucas and a not so happy Annie. Jade is telling him to grow up and is helping a little bit. "Annie, he doesn't need to 'repay' you for you having him over."
"Why not? I had to get my mom to veto my dad's been over three times rules" I had forgotten about that. "I deserve to be going!"
"Annie!" No that wasn't Jade, it was me, "If I knew this was how you were gonna react I would have invited you. But as it stands there's gonna be 8 boys in one room, with 2 queens and 2 twin beds to sleep on." I was just really tired of hearing Annie bitch and moan. "So 1: there is not enough room and 2: your acting like a brat about it."
I didn't talk to Annie for the rest of class. He didn't really want to talk anyways. When the bell went he just left for his next class. Leaving behind even Jade, who he shared next class with.
"I'm sorry about Annie, Nick. He's been having a bit of a hard time with his brother Travis." Lucas would know out of anyone what's going on. I mean they are cousins. "But you gotta admit, your opening arguments weren't that great."
"I didn't wanna have to say there isn't any room for him. He would have played the 'we can make room' card and you know it."
"Ya, your right." Lucas seamed to go into thought of a sec, "So do you know who your bro is inviting?"
"I know Sam cause that's a given. I think he was talking to Zach last night. Other than that I'm not sure. His last one will probably be Kyle or Matt."
"I heard that Kyle was having Matt over this weekend. I just overheard it though, could mean nothing." Dammit he'd heard of that. Ya when Gage tried to explain the situation to Matt, why Tanis was going and not him, Matt just cut him off saying that he already had plans to stay at Kyles that night.
"Oh, I haven't heard anything about that from Gage." Bend the truth, bend the truth.
"It's okay, I'm just curious who's gonna be there is all." A little too curious is you ask me.
Almost everyday since Monday he's asked who's all gonna be their. I went with 'Gage never tells me who he's inviting' and then he pulled out 'You gotta have some speculation of it.' So I told him Sam was probably going.
And now I told him that Zach was. Everyone knows about him and Shane now. If they aren't boyfriends it's only in title, they act like a couple. At the Tech meeting this week Shane sat on his lap for god sakes. I had to fix my self... more than once.
Anyways back on the topic of school. I'm headed to English and Lucas is going to French. So we are headed to the same place. Normally Annie is with us but, ya I may have gotten him mad at me. So here we are about ¾ of the way there. With a sudden silence falling on us...
Luckily the last little bit of the walk is separate. He goes upstairs I stay downstairs. So we said our goodbyes and went to our classes. Issac and Tanis were waiting outside English for me like usual.
"Anthony looks pissed, what did you say to him?" Issac usually has some question to start the conversation.
"I told him there was no room for him and that he was being a brat about not being invited. Leave it at that?" Please....
"Woah, woah, woah, you told him he was being a brat!? That's awesome, your growing a pair!"
"Issac, I am a boy..."
"One that doesn't stand up for himself enough! Yes finally Nick has entered puberty!" Could he have shouted that any loader? The entire class is now looking at us, Issac and me pacifically .
"Issac... really..." That has to be the worst thing anyone could ever shout in a place filled with students from my grade, even worse, a classroom. I actually pulled Issac over to me to block my view from everyone else. Didn't stop me from looking over his shoulder though.
"You don't know the context, go back to your meaningless banter!" Issac turns around and looks at me, "Sorry 'bout that. I guess being around you has increased my volume."
"Oh so it's my fault?" Please know I'm joking.
"Yep!" He just goes to sit down. I stand there for a second and go after him. That was him knowing I was joking right? It's hard to tell with Issac.
When I sit down I see the look on Tanis' face. He's covering his mouth laughing. I just glare at him and he bursts out laughing. "You should have seen your face." was all he said once he finished.
Other than that English class went by rather normally. The ever so sly comment here... and a glare there... Just like every other Class. We spent almost the entire class talking about the sleepover.
It was near the end of class when Issac asked, "Is it okay if I come over after the whole Saturday school thing?"
"Ya deff, that way you don't have to go all the way down the hill to go back up."
"I'll be over probably around noon so..." Tanis and his 'I don't wanna miss any of the fun' attitude. He always does this, 'I'll be over when I get up'. I mean I don't mind but sometimes its bothersome... Like on a Saturday, I mean I wake up at like noon on Saturday.
"Well speaking of Saturday school... Have you thought about it much?" Dammit, why'd he bring that up. I've talked to Clair about the whole GSA thing and she's totally behind it. Gage over heard us and said something to mom during dinner...
Lets just say every time I've thought about it someone has always brought it up. It's not that I don't want to do it, I'm just worried about what people will think of me. I normally don't care, but the whole gay thing bothers me with all the negativity.
"Not really, to be honest."
"How bought you talk to your mom about it?"
"Issac that is not a good idea!"
"Why not?"
How is that a good idea!? Not only am I basically telling my mom I'm being bullied, I'm telling her I like guys too. I mean mom is gonna get why I am so insecure about people calling me gay. It's part of mothers intuition right? I can't talk to my mom and don't even get me started with my dad.
"It's just... not..."
"His mom almost has a gaydar in her. She knew about Gage and Sam before they even said anything." Tanis knows about them. It's hard not to in our group of friends. Pretty much the entire school knows. He was still rather quiet about his answer though.
"So, that just means that she could already..."
"Issac!" Shit did I just shout that? Luckily the bell went and everyone left before anything could happen.
Like usual we waited for Lucas at the bottom of the stairs. Issac has a 'I didn't do anything wrong' look, while Tanis had the 'I really don't know what to say' look. This all changed when Lucas came down the stairs and looked at us.
"Wow, who died?"
"No one, I just asked Nick a legit question and he flipped."
"I didn't flip!" That didn't help my case... "Issac was making me feel uncomfortable so I made him stop... by shouting."
"You could of told me to just shut up you know."
"Your my friend, I don't tell my friends to 'shut up'"
"Just when I thought you were growing a pair." Issac rolled his eyes and started to walk away.
" It's not my fault that people make fun of me. Every time I stand up to them I get knocked down. So why stand up?"
"Because it shows your not some kid who will take what other people throw at you! Because it shows those insecure assholes there is someone more insecure than them! They aren't gonna stop until you do something about it."
"What can I do to make them stop? No matter what I say, no matter what I do, they always say something along the lines of 'look at the faggot' or 'that was gay'. There is nothing I can do to make them stop!"
There was nothing left for me to say and I really didn't wanna hear what Issac had to say. I just felt like crying. So I marched all the way to the theater not even stopping when my mom asked whats wrong and went right into the booth.
John was there working on something as I dropped my bag an continued walking all he said was, "The dimmer room is a good place to have some alone time. Don't be surprised when someone comes up there though."
That's exactly where I went. I climbed the ladder to the FOH and made my way through the catwalks and around the bars and pipes that lay in the way and went right to the dimmer room.
Here's a rather poor description of the FOH. Its where most of the lights are hug to light the stage. It has wooden catwalks everywhere and goes from the booth at the back of the theater to the opening of the stage. It even goes onto the Pin-rail which goes to the back of the stage. Ya that's a overly pissed off grade 8's explanation.
So the dimmer room is right behind the Pin-rail and out of sight from everything. It contains a boxy thing that controls all the lights of the theater. Tech club has a nickname for him but I can't remember it right now.
Here I am by myself up in the FOH of the theater just thinking of all that's happened. Family and close family friends all knew about Gage when he came out last year. In fact he came out to mom and dad at the age of 12. So when he came out the only people to really learn it was everyone but Gage's close friends.
For me I've always been a bit of a girly guy. I would wanna play with my sisters Barbies or Polly Pockets or what ever she had at the time. Don't get me wrong I love action figures its just I liked playing with them.
At school I was always that kid that everyone knew something was wrong with just couldn't quite figure it out. So all the kids would just say 'looser' or 'dumby'. When Gage came out though everything changed.
It went from 'looser' to 'faggot' and from 'dumby' to 'gaylord'. I was always picked last for gym, even though I was really good at it. When it came to projects Tanis was the only one I ever worked with. I spoke like a champ but I could tell no one but the teacher was listening.
Then grade 7 ended and summer began. When ever I went swimming, when Gage went for his swimming lessons, all we heard once we entered was "Look out, gays in the room." I eventually stopped saying that swimming wasn't as fun when I was by myself.
Now in high school it still hasn't stopped. Jake on day one confirmed it. Jake has always been the one to start it, never to finish. Not everyone is as cold as in elementary school but it's still there.
Then I heard the dimmer room door close. I looked up to see Clair looking down at me, "Whats got you so down, Nick?"
"Everything."
"Well that's a lot to hold you down. Wanna talk about it?" I just nod. I hear he take off he shoes, to realize that they are high heels. She just walked through the FOH in heels for me... "So lets start with what got you up here."
So I told her about the whole lying to Lucas and then Issac's horrible theory. She sat there and listened for a good half an hour before I was done. "Then I came up here and thought everything over..."
"Well do you want my opinion?" I know where this is gonna lead... I just nod my head again. "I think Issac has a point, but your not the type of person that will do that easily." She's right, "Now, I told mom that I would talk to you and that everything will be fine after. So I have just two questions for you okay?"
"What are they?"
"Well, one: Are you for sure gay? Not bi, gay, like only likes boys."
"And this isn't going back to mom right?"
"That is question two. What do you want to tell mom?" She knows me way to well.
"I think so, and nothing!"
"You know I just can't go up to mom and say 'oh ya nothing was wrong he was just having his period'." I had to punch her for that.
"I said 'I think I'm gay' not a girl. Get your 'G' words right."
"Well, what do you want me to tell mom? If I don't give her a good answer she'll come and talk to you and you know it."
"Tell her I'm getting bullied. Leave it at that."
"She'll come and ask you stuff and you know it. Seriously Nick, if you don't want mom to know right now your gonna need something better."
"Tell her you'll handle it. That'll get her off me right?"
"And how will I handle it?"
"Say that you have the names of the kids and plan on having a big sister talk with them. That will work, right?" Please say yes, please say yes...
"That's as sound as we're gonna get. I'll just pull the 'If you talk to him I'll kill you' card. Then everything should be fine. Your a Phoenix remember?"
"Ya ya, I rise up from being down all the time, I know. Thanks Clair..." I had to give her a hug. I mean if anyone didn't hug their big sister after that, your a dick. Not a literal one, just a... Oh you know what I mean.
"So since you asked my second question, I got a new one." Oh god this can only be bad. "Any crushes?" That got her a smack to her shoulder. "You little," Before she could finish I had left the room giggling. Clair sure knows how to make me feel better. I'm glad she is my sister.
Lucas' POV
Nick has been acting weird. Well I guess the whole being angry at Issac thing was justified but other than that it's been weird. I mean him not knowing who his brother is inviting. Always having excuses and stuff about why. It's just not like him.
So here I am at Anthony's before I head up to Nick's. I promised Anthony to hang out with him before I go up that way it shut him up about the whole I'm not going thing. Until I got here and he's been mentioning it all the time now. And now that its about 3 o'clock he is mentioning it a bit more.
"So you'll be heading home soon to get your stuff." Anthony had jealousy, anger, and overall childlike tone.
"Seriously, your still on that?"
"Yes, I should have been invited!"
"I know your reasoning, but you can't expect things to favor you all the time."
"They always favor Travis, why not me?"
"'They' refers to your mom and dad not your friends. They don't know about your and Travis' relationship."
"What relationship? The only reason we get along is he wants to show me off to his friends. When we fight I always come out the looser, not matter what." Anthony and Travis have always not gotten along. Travis has a way with words that makes it look like everything has always been Anthony's fault. The only time Anthony doesn't get in trouble when they get in an argument is when I'm there.
"Look Anthony, you can't address your anger for your brother towards your friends. It's not fair, you need to talk to your dad about it, okay?"
"Talking to my dad about that will happen as soon as you talk to Shane and like hell that will ever happen."
"You know what happened, why should I talk to him?"
"Because you should, I mean I know your side. Only he knows his side."
"I'm pretty sure Gage knows his side. Zach prob does now too. I mean it's been almost a whole year since it happened. If Shane really wanted to talk he would have talked to me by now."
"You sounded pretty serious when you said to him, 'And don't ever talk to me again!' in your story." Ya I did say that to him. I was not very happy that day.
"How did this turn into a 'you should talk to Shane' conversation?"
"Because you need to talk to him more than I need to talk to my brother."
"Okay here's the deal. You can't be angry at Nick anymore because of your brother. I can't rant to you every other day about how Shane is bothering the living hell out of me in Gym and Socials. Deal?"
"On condition, you supply me with naked pictures of Shane" Anthony has always had a thing for Shane. He's even gone on one of Shane's mock dates. It was really entertaining cause I was at the movies that night. This was before me and Shane got into our fight.
"I can't promise that, especially now that he's seeing someone. So just accept it."
"Fine! But if you ever get the chance take it!"
"Okay."
Just when we went back to playing our game Aunt Jill called me, "Lucas, your father is outside waiting for you!"
"Okay thanks, I'll be out in a second." So I grab my coat from the pillows and turn to say bye to Anthony, "I'll see you latter Anthony."
"Remember, if you get the chance, naked Shane pics. Oh and naked Nick wouldn't be bad either." I just smile and close the door behind me. Aunt Jill hands me some cookies for the road like she always does and I go out to my dad.
I hop in and my dad starts to drive off, "You don't need to go home, right?"
"Right, I left everything I needed in the trunk remember."
"Was making sure. You know my memory these days."
"Ya, bad!"
It only took like five minutes to get to Nick's place. Issac was just getting there actually so I jumped out, grabbed my stuff and rushed to the front door. Issac waited for me to get there before he knocked.
"So you and Nick still in the disagreement?" I had to break the ice some how...
"No we talked about it last night, everything is alright now." That's good.
It only took like a second after that for Nick to answer the door. He was all smiles as usual. He showed us where to put our shoes and coats and then headed up to his room.
On the way up we heard a dog bark from the backyard and Issac flinched. "Nick, you don't have a dog do you?"
"Kirin, he's really nice."
Issac started playing with his bandanas on his arms. "Am I... gonna be seeing him at all?"
"Maybe if your lucky and he comes up stairs. He usually fallows mom around all day."
"Okay... good."
"Why don't like dogs?"
"Long story, for another time...." Issac quickly rushed into Nick's room and waited for us to get in.
Sam and Tanis were already here so that means that Gage's mystery quests have yet to get here. Seriously though who would Nick not know that Gage would invite? Gage was texting when I got into the room.
When I took a closer look at the room it looked quite spacious. Gage's queen size bed took up the corner to the right of the door, while Nick's double sized bunk beds were on the wall to the left. Between them was a tv stand holding a ps3 and Xbox 360. For the tv, it was a 40 inch with lots of different stickers on it. Beside on a bookshelf was another tv with another 360 attached to it.
The tvs currently both had Gears of War 2 on them, horde mode no less. They were already on wave 13 when we got their. Sam almost immediately offered his controller, Issac said he hadn't played the game so I took it. It only took us like 10 minutes to get to wave 19 and then the door bell went.
Gage pause the game, "I'll be right back, must be Zach."
When Gage left the room I noticed Nick's attitude change. He was all jumpy and loud during the game and now he almost seamed distant from me.
"Nick whats up?"
"Lucas you have to promise not to hate me."
"Hate you, for what?"
"Just promise me that you'll stay for the sleepover no matter what happens." Okay seriously, what is going on with Nick.
"Of course I will." When the door opened Nick tensed up. I looked over to greet Zach. Mid wave Shane comes out from behind him... Suddenly I am not so happy to be here.
Shane's POV
So here we are standing outside Gage's house for like the past five minutes and I haven't stopped freaking out. "Lucas is gonna be pissed and never be friends with Nick again, I know it, I know it!"
"Shane you need to calm down. It'll be fine." Not working, not working! "How bought this, I'll go in first and you can come in behind me."
"It's not gonna stop the inevitable. Lucas is still gonna hate Nick."
"Okay my dad always said this to me: The faster you face your challenge the faster the humiliation or triumph will be. So go on full steam ahead and face it."
"That barely helped."
"Good then I'm gonna ring the door bell."
"Zach no!" It was to late he had already rang the door bell. "Zach." Puppy dog eyes please work!
"Those wont help you now." Dammit!
Then Gage opened the door, "Good, Lucas is up stairs he doesn't suspect a thing. That is if Nick isn't saying anything right now."
"Lets get this show on the road then!" So we walk in and put our stuff away.
"Have I ever told you guys I hate you?" No seriously cause I kinda do right now.
"I love you too, Shane." Zachie placed a kiss on my cheek, okay super calm now. That is until we get to the door and Lucas starts to wave his hello to Zach.
When I appear his face goes from happy to a 'what the hell' kind of face. He's gonna hit me, he's gonna hit me, he's gonna hit Nick! "So you've seen Zach around right Lucas?" Thanks Gage for opening that.
"Yes I have..." As cold as he ever is talking to me.
"He... he..." Yes that is my attempt at saying 'hey' right now! "Hey Lucas..."
He turns to Nick, "So this is why you wanted me to stay."
"It wasn't his idea Lucas, I wanted to talk to you and I asked Gage for some help. He didn't want to lie to you but we made him." That seamed to calm him and Nick down a little bit. "Don't hate Nick for this he was doing me a favor."
"And what if I don't wanna talk about it in front of everybody?"
"We have a basement that you can talk in. Of course though Zach and I would be going with you."
"Why do you have to come with us Gage?"
"It makes you look less suspicious. I could say I'm showing you the basement and I would merely listen to what you two have to say."
"Did you know about this too Issac?"
"I was there when the plan was made... remember?"
"Lucas please can we just talk about it? I have no idea why our friendship has ended up the way it has and I really wanna know what I did wrong." Come on Lucas you of all people should know how I want to hear both sides of the story.
"You always have wanted to know everything." He seams to have calmed down, just a little. "So the only ones who will hear the story are you guys right?"
"None of us will say anything without permission from you and Shane. We already decided that. You may talk freely." Thank you Zachie.
"First I'd like to say: I don't hate you Nick. I'd actually like to thank you. I was talking to Anthony about this exact topic today and I said I needed to have a talk with Shane, kinda. Anyways w should really start at the day I first met you, Shane, cause that's where it all began..."
The end
So there is chapter 13! Hope everyone had a good valentines day. Valintimes sure hope you did! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions for the story send them to kuragari129@hotmail.com and I will gt back to you asap.
On other news I have started an official fan page on facebook! Here is the Link: http://www.facebook.com/LifesExpectations?ref=ts&fref=ts. It has a couple of polls already on it and has exclusive access to the original chapter one. If more people like the page I may even put up the original chapter 2 and 3.
These chapters were written during the summer of 2012 and I didn't get my comp fixed till like October. So when I read them over I didn't think they worked that well, with their grammar and stuff. So instead of checking them over I re wrote the first chapters.
It also has a couple of pictures I found online that I thought represented the story pretty well. Though they are not 100% accurate they work for now. So if you have some form of drawing talent and want to draw a character or two put them on the page.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to like the page!