Chapter 5

I was released from the hospital three weeks ago after spending two days there. I was released early Monday afternoon. Must to Drake's disappointment I made him go to school Monday morning promising that he could pick me up when I was released. Drake and Archer stayed the whole weekend with me. Archer had also helped talk D into going to school that morning. I was allowed to attend school two weeks ago per dad.

Drake, Archer and Bianca visited every day and always brought me my homework so I didn't fall behind. They would usually hang for a few hours before going their homes to do their own work. With Kevin and his two idiot friends, all three were brought up on charges and are in sitting in jail awaiting trial.

"Jace, is there anything going on between you and Bianca?" Jacob asks me as he joins me sitting on the couch in the living room after dinner.

Glancing over at my brother in confusion I ask, pausing the movie I'm watching, "What do you mean, Jake?"

He sighs heavily while looking at his fingers that are in his lap. "Are you two more than friends, like do you like her in a sexual manner?"

I can't help but laugh at him. "No, she's my friend and if you remember I'm gay not bisexual," I manage out in gasps. "If you like her ask her out, bro."

Jacob glances up at me with his cheeks tinted pink. "You think she'd go out with me?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah, she might she always seems even more shy when you're around if that's possible." He nods and agrees to ask her out tomorrow at lunch.

The next day at school the morning drags on and on with people staring and whispering about my face. Finally lunch time arrives and Drake meets me at our lockers before we head to the cafe.

"Dude, I cannot wait until the warmer weather so we can surf," Drake says as we grab our food and sit at our table. Grinning over at him I agree, surfing is another sport that Drake, my family and I enjoy together.

Jacob sits down at the table with us, nervously waiting for Bianca to arrive, who usually does with Archer and Julie; smiling at my brother as he picks at his food until she arrives.

Clearing his throat he gains Archer and Julie's attention but Julie ignores him while she yammers on to Drake, who really isn't listening to her. "Um, Bianca, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute in private?" he stumbles over his words causing her to giggle. She nods and standing with Jacob and walking over to the doors that lead outside. They talk for a few moments before returning to the table both grinning brightly as they sit next to each other. Sliding Jacob his tray I can't help but smirk at him when he mumbles thanks to me before continuing to talk to her.

Drake gives me a confused look as he takes in the sight of Bianca and Jacob, so damn close that if Bianca was any closer to him, she would be sitting on his lap. I giggle at Drake's confusion and I whisper that I'll explain it to him later and he nods.

Finally the end of the day rolls around. Heading to my locker instead of finding Drake there to give me a ride home, I find Archer. "Hey man, what's up?" I ask quietly my nerves kicking in.

"Hey man, Drake has a doctor's appointment right after school that he forgot about." I open my mouth to ask why he didn't say anything to me about it in our last class, but Archer cuts me off. "He had to leave in a hurry and couldn't wait to let you know, so he asked me to take you home." 

Archer looks nervous now. "I hope you don't mind because I don't mind giving you a ride home."

Smiling softly as I feel my face flush a deep red. "No, I don't mind at all. We're friends after all," knowing damn well that I'm terrified about riding alone in a vehicle with my crush. Archer smiles broadly, his nervous completely gone.

"Come on, man, let's roll," he smirks at his horrible joke.

Giggling at his silliness we head toward the parking lot when a thought suddenly stops me. "Wait a minute, Archer," I say causing him to stop and turn around facing me with a raised eyebrow.

"Um, will my chair fit in your vehicle, since I didn't feel like using my braces and crutches today?" I'm nervous and embarrassed now since I don't want to be a bother and I know and Jacob and Bianca have left already along with my sisters for home about ten minutes ago.

Archer smiles at me as he walks around behind me making me twist my upper body to follow him. He surprises me when he takes the handles of the chair in his hands to tip me backwards slightly so I'm looking up at him upside down. His smile is broad and intoxicating causing me to giggle even harder at his playfulness.

"Yes, your chair will fit in the trunk of my Chevy Caviler, no sweat, Jace." Giggling I nod at him before he gently sets me back down. As I place my hands on the push-rims that are located on the wheels, Archer chuckles softly as he starts pushing me using the handles.

Glancing at him over my right shoulder I gasp in surprise, his chuckle becomes a little a little louder at my shock. "Come on man, I know you can do this on your own but after all the shit you've had to put up with Kevin and his to dumb goons, you deserve a break and I'm willing to give you it. Please just this one time," he whispers the last part.

Nodding my head in appreciation I allow him to do this because come on, if you had a willing sexy Greek God willing to push you to his car, you would let him, too. "Thanks, Archer," I shyly reply earning a welcome back in his deep baritone that I love.

Reaching his car, settling in the passenger seat as Archer folds the chair before popping his trunk and placing it inside. He closes the trunk before settling himself in the driver's seat before heading toward my house.

We sit in semi-comfortable silence on the drive there while listening to the radio. My eyes widen in surprise when I realize he listens to 'My Chemical Romance', a Swedish band.

"You listen to this band?" I ask not able to contain my enjoyment and shock; Archer hums in reply grinning at me briefly before returning his attention back to the road.

"Love them along with 'Backyard Babies," he says causing my mouth to drop in awe of this perfect man beside me. We love the same sports and music, what else can we have in common or willing to learn about.

"What else do you like, you know favorites?" I ask trying to remain calm on the outside but internally I'm anything but calm.

Archer chuckles at my question. "How about we play '20 Questions' so we can learn more about each other?" he suggest pulling into my drive.

Nodding I agree as we climb out of his car and enter the patio in the back of the house, settling ourselves in the patio furniture since my siblings and Bianca are in the living room watching a movie while working on their homework.

"Okay, go first since you suggest this," I say after transferring myself in a patio chair next to him.

He hums in response as he thinks of a question. "Alright, I'm just going to be blunt with this question," he says causing me to nod. "Are you straight, gay, bisexual, or pansexual?"

Opening and closing my mouth, I'm shocked that he's this forward when we're alone together, I love it actually. "I'm gay. Okay, my turn, same question to you, I'm intereged at your answer since I've never seen you date anyone."

Archer smirks at me. "I'm bisexual actually. I normally don't date people from school because no one has sparked my interest until recently actually," he wags his eyebrows at me with a smirk. Huh, I wonder who has peaked his interest recently.

"How old where you when you came out to your family and friends?"

Blushing at the fact he says 'friends' since up and until recently I had only one friend, Drake. "Um, I came out to Jacob first when I was 12 years old and I came out to the rest of my family when I was 13 years old at Jacob's encouragement." Smiling at how nervous I was about coming out to my family when I did. "I came out to Drake about a week after I meet him three years ago." 

"How old where and were the reactions what you were expecting?" I ask turning my body toward him more.

"That's two questions in one but I'll allow it," he smirks. Giggling at him he answers me. "I came out when I was 15 years old and my mom said she already knew and had no problem with it." I notice he's become uncomfortable; I try to tell him he doesn't have to answer that but he shakes his head as he continues. "My dad on the other hand freaked and he wanted to kick me out but mom wouldn't let him; they fought for a while about me until he decided that he wouldn't stick around and they divorced a year later."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my mom didn't handle it very well either. She won't let my little brother visit because she's afraid I'm going to pass my 'gayness' onto him because he's young."

I chuckle as to why if I do end of visiting her with my siblings, her current husband, and Gavin's dad, will take him out for that time. So, mom is punishing not only Gavin but the rest of my siblings not being able to see him. I explain all this to him, finishing with, "So, when they visit mom I stay home with dad so that way Gavin can spend time with them. Sometimes Noelle will bring Gavin here if dad is okay with them visiting and dad usually does since he sees Noelle as a daughter and he likes Gavin very much.

"Who's Noelle?" he asks baffled.

Smiling at him since I understand, I didn't explain who she is. "She's my older sister, she's 21 years old. She's mom's oldest from another relationship before she married dad."

We continue on for another hour and half until he has to head home for dinner and do his homework. Bidding our goodbyes, he heads home as I head back inside to work on my Biology and English assignments.

Annaliese calls me down for supper. Sighing I close my English book with the pen in where I left off at to finish later. Once everyone has settled at the table, Jacob turns to me with a serious look on his face and in his eyes.

"Jace, we're going to mom's this weekend, Friday night to Sunday afternoon. You're coming with," he demands telling me I'm going not giving me the option.

"Nope," I say popping the 'p' at him. "You know if I do, mom will send Gavin away with Timothy and that's not fair to Gav or the four of you, either. I'll stay home and hang with dad and see if Drake, Archer or Bianca are free," I say shrugging my shoulders as I take a bite of taco trying to not only convince them I'm okay with not seeing Noelle and Gavin.

"Jace, how can you be okay mom not letting you see our little brother ?" Abigale demands.