Always - 27. Aggressive Much?

Ms. Jacobs called her class to order, and Jeff, Drew, and Luke took their seats. Luke took out his sketch book, and began working on his latest sketch of Drew while Ms. Jacobs began lecturing the class on Classical Greece.

Luke was working on the shading of Drew’s jaw when Ms. Jacobs called his name.

“Mr. McGowan, since you absolutely love to listen to my lectures, when were the Olympic Games founded?” Ms. Jacobs asked with her hands on her hips.

Luke looked up from his sketch trying not to look too guilty for being caught not paying attention. He was suddenly glad Drew had lost the remote to the television the night the History Channel had a special on the Olympic Games.

“The Olympic Games were originally a festival to honor Zeus, the Greek god of the sky. They are traditionally dated to being founded in 776 B.C.,” Luke replied.

Drew watched Mr. Jacob’s become upset for some reason as Luke answered her question and offered extra information. Drew and Jeff were looking at her in surprise. Ms. Jacobs had been one of the few teachers that had been nice to Luke.

However, as Drew thought about it, Ms. Jacobs had been cold to both him and Luke lately. When Drew had smiled at her in the hall a few days ago, she had frowned at him. Then, earlier this morning when he had waved hello on his way to his second class, she had snubbed him with a flip of her hair. When Drew thought about it, Ms. Jacobs had been acting rather odd.

“Seems that your head is not completely empty,” Ms. Jacobs sneered. “Since you seem to know so much without listening, tell me if women were allowed to compete in these games.”

Drew was getting angry at her tone with his boyfriend, and the class seemed to be surprised at their teacher’s attitude.

“No, they were not,” Luke said as he put down his sketch book and continued to speak. “Women were not even allowed to be spectators.”

“How did the competitors dress during the games?” she asked with a smile.

“Trick question: all competitors competed in the nude,” Luke said. “Is there a reason I am being singled out or did you just decide to be a complete bitch for no reason?”

Ms. Jacob’s face was turning a very bright shade of red. Drew glared at her.

“I should have known that someone like you would have no problem disrespecting an authority figure,” she snapped. “No wonder he doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

Drew had had enough. He stood from his seat.

“Just what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that this piece of filth belongs in a prison not a class room.”

“Ms. Jacobs, I suggest you remember your tact as a teacher and stop verbally attacking your student,” Drew said calmly.

“I suggest you sit down, mind your own business, and allow me to teach my class!”

“Your definition of teaching seems to be lacking the right meaning,” Drew said as he placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder.

“You will sit down Mr. Knight,” she growled.

“I will sit down when you apologize to Luke,” Drew said.

“I will not apologize to that delinquent. To the principal’s office with the both of you!” she yelled.

Drew and Luke began to gather their things when Jeff began doing the same.

“Just where do you think you are going, Mr. Rower?” Ms. Jacobs fumed.

“I’m going to give the principal my witnessed account of your bullshit,” Jeff said, leading the way out of the class room.

In the hall Drew was beyond confused at Ms. Jacob’s actions, but Luke knew exactly why she had acted that way.

“What the hell was her problem?” Jeff asked.

“Really. She didn’t jump down Elision’s throat for obviously texting through the first half of the lecture. Not to mention the way she talked to you,” Drew said to Luke.

“Yeah, well to be honest I was expecting it,” Luke said. “I did call her a bitch.”

“Do you know something that we don’t?” Jeff asked, confused.

“Well, during lunch Matt was telling me that Ms. Jacobs is Uncle Ben’s new girlfriend. I was expecting her to go a bit crazy on me. I mean, it’s not like Uncle Ben would have been telling her what a wonderful person I am.”

Drew was a bit surprised at the news. Dr. McGowan and Ms. Jacobs just didn’t make sense to him. Ms. Jacobs was always so sweet and bubbly. Dr. McGowan was full of hate.

The principle was surprisingly understanding, especially since two other students, Naomi Vrett and Samantha Cole, came gave their account of the incident.

As they were coming out of the office Jeff hugged both the girls. Drew and Luke followed their lead.

“Thanks for sticking up for us girls,” Jeff smiled.

“We couldn’t have our captains suspended before the big match this Friday,” Naomi replied with a grin.

“Plus, Ms. Jacobs was way out of line talking to you like that,” Samantha said to Luke, who smiled at her in return.

“Thanks, Sam,” Luke replied.

Samantha and Naomi were the girlfriends of a couple of Drew and Jeff’s teammates: Joey Saveya and Ryan Castel. They also happened to be the best friends of Rose. Naomi was a curly red head while Samantha sported long black locks. Both girls were very talkative. When they were mixed in with a crowd that included Rose, there was never a dull moment.

“Drew,” Naomi began as they walked toward the lobby, “Rose asked me before class if I could come and help her with Jordan’s hair tonight. She said she didn’t trust Jeff enough to be her second arm.” Jeff shrugged and nodded. “I told her I would be fine with that, so she said for me to ask you if it was alright since I had class with you.”

“Uh, yeah sure,” Drew smiled. “I don’t think Jordan would object to another pretty girl in the house. Invite Joey to come along if he wants. Sam, you and Ryan can come, too. I’m going to give Jordan a call and make sure that he is cool with everyone stopping by. I think it has turned into kind of a party. I don’t think it would bother him. Socializing may be what he needs.”

“Yeah, it might bring him a sense of normalcy,” Jeff said. “Besides, Jordan seems like real people person anyway."

“You have a valid point, but I still want to call and make sure.”

Drew and Luke finished up the rest of the school day without any more problems. Drew had also called Jordan who said he was fine with everyone coming over; he even sounded excited about it. Drew didn’t tell Jordan that David would also be attending, but he figured he would deal with that when he had to.

Drew and Luke met up with Rose and Jeff in the parking lot after the final bell. As they were walking to their cars they saw David about to get in his truck.

“David!” Rose yelled as she motioned him over to where they had stopped.

David gave a small smile as he neared.

“Jeff and I are going to run to Clearwater and pick up some hair dye for Jordan. After that, we are heading on over to Drew and Luke’s,” she smiled.

“Oh, I invited your friends Samantha and Naomi along with Joey and Ryan,” Drew threw in, speaking to Rose.

“Yay! I was hoping Sam wouldn’t forget to ask you!” exclaimed Rose.

“You going to follow me and Luke?” Drew asked David.

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Are you sure everyone will be alright with me being there?” David asked, unsure.

“Dude, you’re our friend, and you’re welcome,” Jeff said, slapping David’s shoulder.

“Alright, I guess I will follow you then,” David said to Drew and Luke.

Everyone got into their respective vehicles and went on their way. Luke had opted to drive instead of Drew, who was enjoying lounging in the passenger seat. The ride home was silent and peaceful. Both boys were lost in their own thoughts about their day.

The fact that Ms. Jacobs had been so cruel had thrown Luke for a loop. Sure, his uncle wasn’t his biggest fan, but his uncle wouldn’t feel the need to turn his teachers against him. If anything Ms. Jacobs probably began to believe the rumors that still floated around school since she realized that even Luke’s uncle preferred to keep his distance. That, or she just hated homosexuals. Either would be a good possibility.

As Luke tried to come up with reasons for his previously favorite teacher's new hatred for him, Drew was wondering when Tyler’s killer would make the next move. The note had said that their days were limited. The question was: how limited? Drew kept going over the evidence against David’s father, but he knew none of it was even close to proving he was the murderer.

Originally, Drew had planned to ask Brett and Mike to find more information, but he refused to place them in danger. This wasn’t their fight. Besides, now that David was on their side, he could search for clues in his own house. With any luck their former enemy would be able to find solid evidence.

Drew was about to find out the answer to his question as Luke pulled into their driveway beside Jane’s Explorer. David parked beside the curb behind them. Jordan was sitting in one of the porch chairs reading a book when he looked over to the three teenagers headed his way.

“Hey, lil’ bro,” Drew smiled. “You ready to get rid of that awful blond hair?”

“You bet. What’s he doing here?” Jordan said looking over at David.

“David is a friend, Jordan,” Drew said slapping David’s shoulder with a smile.

Jordan just gave David a glare and went inside. Drew followed him in. Luke moved to go in as well but stopped when David seemed hesitant.

Luke smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, David. He doesn’t like me either,” Luke said with a laugh.

That seemed to ease David’s mind. He smiled before following Luke into the house. Drew had taken residence on the couch, while Jordan sat in the recliner.

Luke flopped down beside Drew, who immediately put an arm around Luke’s shoulders and pulled him into his side. Luke sighed contently. David awkwardly sat down on the couch.

Drew turned the TV on and began flipping through the channels before stopping on ESPN. Jordan sighed. Drew laughed.

“Drew, can’t we watch something remotely interesting?” Jordan whined.

“Dude, your sixteen and built for sports. I don’t understand why you hate it so much,” Drew said.

“Just not my thing,” Jordan shrugged.

“You know you can kick ass at soccer. Why don’t you join the team at school next year?” Drew asked.

“I’m not a team player you know that. That is why I used to board; no one to blame but yourself if you lose.”

Drew smiled and dropped the subject.

“I’m going to go change into an old shirt for them to dye my hair. I’ll be back later,” Jordan said before walking out of the living room.

“When he said boarding did he mean skateboarding?” David asked.

“Yeah, kid is a skater at heart. Why?” Drew questioned.

“I was just curious. There is a skate shop over in Clearwater if he ever needs anything,” David said.

“David used to be pretty good on a board,” Luke explained.

“Well, I haven’t seen Jordan on a board since we got him back, but I guess he just needs time,” Drew said.

Drew was actually concerned that Jordan hadn’t been using his skateboards. To Drew that was even more worrisome than Jordan's breakdowns. Even when they were in L.A. and using different names, Jordan never went a day without boarding. The first day that the three of them moved into the dumpy apartment Jordan was outside in the hall with his board.

As Drew thought more and more about Jordan and his skateboard, a thought crossed his mind.

“David?” Drew asked, and David turned his attention to him. “Since we are all friends now I was wondering if I could ask you a favor.”

“Sure,” David said.

“If you can get Jordan to warm up to you, do you think you could try to get him to start boarding again?” Drew asked.

“Drew, I am not about to say no, but to be honest your little brother scares the hell out of me. I think even more than you did.”

“He is only sixteen, David. He isn’t the boogieman,” Luke laughed.

“Yeah, you have a good two years on him,” said Drew.

“No, you and Luke have a good two years on him. I’m only seventeen, and my birthday isn’t until the end of August,” David said.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were so young,” Drew said with a smile.

“Hey, most people graduate when they are seventeen,” David replied defensively.

Just then the door to the kitchen swung open, and Jordan walked in with an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt on. He plopped back down on the recliner. He looked at his brother and Luke sitting next to David. To Jordan, it was times like this he really didn’t understand his big brother.

Jordan thought back to Drew’s friends in Washington. Never in his life had he met more shallow people, but Drew didn’t seem to notice at the time. That was one of the reasons Jordan kept his eye on Luke. In Jordan’s eyes, Drew didn’t have the best track record with people or relationships. Now, Drew had gone and made nice with the guy who tried to kill the apparent love of his life. Was he the only one who saw something wrong with this?

“So, who all did you say was coming over?” Jane asked as she came out of the kitchen in a rush.

“Jeff, four other teammates, two of Rose’s girl friends, and Rose herself,” Drew said. “I thought you were going to be home tonight. At least that was what you told me when I called you after our last class.”

“Well, I was but Fran called in with the flu so I promised I would cover for her tonight. You kids will be alright here, but if I come back to find this house trashed I will hang you all out to dry,” Jane said, grabbing her purse.

“Love you too, Mom,” Jordan and Drew said in unison.

“Don’t forget to feed Coral,” Jane called as she went out the door.

“You have a dog?” David asked.

“No, Mom found a coral snake in the garage and kept it as a pet,” Drew said. “She keeps it in her room.”

“I prefer snakes to spiders,” David said.

“Figures,” Jordan muttered. “Snakes do prefer their own kind.”

David just stared at Jordan, who kept his gaze trained on the front door. Silence enveloped the room before Rose and Jeff entered several minutes later. Jeff was laughing as he carried a drugstore bag and bright pink case.

“You just wait until Naomi and Sam get here. They will back me up,” Rose smiled.

Luke raised an eyebrow from the couch.

“What will they back you up on?” Luke asked Rose.

“That Jeff is a horrible driver!” Rose exclaimed before sitting down on the couch between Luke and David. “Seriously, he just hit a bird! Feathers flew everywhere!”

Everyone began laughing at the mental image that Rose had provided. Drew looked over to Jordan, who was smiling. Drew sighed in happiness. His brother was smiling; that meant progress. All Drew wanted was for Jordan to know he was safe and wanted.

“So, you ready to become a ginger again?” Rose asked Jordan.

Jordan smiled and nodded.

“You have no idea how sick I am of this bleach blond mess,” he said.

“You could do with a good hair cut as well, but that is Naomi’s area of expertise. Don’t worry; we will got you taken care of,” Rose said and gave him a smile.

The conversation continued on between the friends. Soon it was accompanied by laughter and the throwing of couch pillows. The playful hits and comments escalated to play fighting when Brett and Mike arrived. They didn’t settle down until Sam and Naomi knocked on the front door accompanied by Joey and Ryan.

It was Drew who opened the door and invited them in. Jordan was laughing hysterically as Brett came out of the kitchen holding Coral. Quietly he snuck up behind Drew and tapped his shoulder. Naomi squealed, ducking behind Joey. Samantha laughed as Drew turned around and immediately backed up into Samantha and Ryan.

“Dude, put that thing back in its cage!” Drew exclaimed.

Brett fell to his knees in outrageous laughter until tears leaked out of his eyes. Taking deep calming breaths, he lifted himself off the floor and turned to Luke who was still in a fit of laughter.

“You were not kidding when you said he was afraid of snakes,” said Brett as he wiped his tears with his free hand.

“Yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want. Let’s get on with fixing Jordan’s hair now that everyone is here."

Brett put Coral back where she belonged and Drew relaxed. After moving into the kitchen, the girls set about their task of cutting, washing, dyeing, and styling. They all talked about boxing strategies, cars, and the end of the year. Surprisingly, the evening turned out to be a nice distraction from their current troubles.

“You know, Rosabella,” said Naomi as she was putting the final touches on Jordan’s new hair cut, “you really shouldn’t make fun of the girl holding scissors."

Rose had just made a remark about the first time Naomi had cut her own hair, which ended with her mother taking her to the salon to straighten out the mess.

“Your first name is Rosabella?” Drew asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yes. You got something to say about that?” Rose glared.

“Naw, I think it is pretty, “Drew laughed. “What is your middle name?”

“Rose doesn’t like her middle name much,” Naomi giggled.

Drew raised an eyebrow and looked over at Luke.

“Essence is her middle name,” Luke said with a small smile.

“That’s not too terrible. It has sort of an elegant hippy vibe,” Drew said trying to keep a straight face.

“Watch it,” Rose growled.

“Seriously, your name is very pretty and very unique. Just like you,” Drew said. He knew he was saved when Rose gave him a brilliant smile.

“You don’t have much room to talk, Laurie,” Jordan said.

Jeff choked on his Pepsi. “Laurie,” Jeff said when he finished coughing.

Drew felt his cheeks burning. Luke was trying not to laugh which in turn made everyone else burst into outrageous laughter.

“Hey! It isn’t my fault my mom is insane when it comes to naming her children,” Drew exclaimed.

“Hey, she was only crazy when it came to you. My middle name is Austin,” Jordan said.

“Alright, so Laurie definitely beats Essence,” Rose said.

“Nope, I think Essence is still a bit stranger,” Sam said.

“What’s yours?” Drew asked.

“Beth, Jeff’s is Aiden, David’s is Levi, Luke’s is Austin, Joey’s is Miguel, Ryan’s is Aaron, Brett’s is Barrett, and Mike’s Taylor,” Sam said as she finished mixing the hair dye.

“How did you know all that?” Brett asked.

“I work in the front office doing all the filing. I think I know just about every seniors’ middle names plus nearly half of the junior class’s,” Sam said.

The evening continued on with easy banter and the occasional teasing session. By the end of the night everyone was all laughed out and extremely tired.

Jordan’s hair had turned out wonderful. Rose never had to lift a finger thanks to Samantha and Naomi. Sam had gotten Jordan's original dark red hair down to a T, while Naomi had given it a short cut that she styled to give him that “tousled/I just got laid look.” Needless to say, he would have all the girls, and probably most of the guys, drooling. David was certainly taken aback by Jordan’s good looks.

David wasn’t quite sure what captured his attention most: the way the color of Jordan’s red hair made his green eyes more vibrant than emeralds in the midday sun or the way he smiled when he looked at himself in the handheld mirror. There was something about Jordan that made David stop and look at him in the most forbidden ways. There was a feeling of guilt that followed those looks, though. How could David think of Jordan in that way when he was still grieving over his first love?

“You better quit staring,” Jeff said quietly from behind his drink. “Drew will go ape shit on you if he even thinks you’re attracted to his brother.”

“I wasn’t staring,” David mumbled as everyone began leaving the kitchen.

David made to follow them, but Jeff grabbed his arm.

“I’m not going to make a play for him, Jeff. That would be stupid, and I’m still very much in love with Tyler, dead or alive,” David bit out.

“Wow, easy man, I know you won’t make a play for Jordan. I was just going to ask if you are doing okay. You’ve been quite tonight.”

“Well, I’m not exactly the most loved person here. Jordan hates my guts, Naomi and Sam give new mean to the phrase ‘if looks could kill…’, and the guys are just trying to contain themselves because Drew asked them to.”

“Dude, they don’t all hate you. You just have to earn their trust back, but that isn’t what is bothering you, is it?”

David was silent as he looked at the white tile beneath his feet.

“Come on, man, what’s up?” Jeff prodded.

“Dad, he… he hasn’t talked to me since I came out. Before he would smile and clap me on the back even thought he knew about all the awful things I was doing to Luke and everyone else. This morning before I left for school he looked at me with such disgust in his eyes when I walked past his office.”

“You really think he is behind this?”

“Jeff, we both know my father has been involved in some shady things. He may not be at the status that Drew’s father was at…”

“Step-father,” Jeff corrected.

David nodded, and then continued “Yes, but my Father is far from being just or moral. That makes him dangerous in the position he holds.” David paused as if he was deciding to say something. “I was going to wait until the end of the night. I don’t want to ruin it for everyone, but I need to tell someone.”

“Go ahead, man.”

David pulled up his shirt. Jeff gasped at the sight before him. Large bruises covered David’s entire torso. None of them looked old.

“What happened?”

“After I saw the look in his eyes, I started to leave. When I reached the front door, he yanked me back by my shirt. Then he just started hitting me…I was shocked. I just took it. When he was done, I just laid there on the floor. I kept hoping that maybe I could give him the benefit of the doubt, but after this morning I just can’t. To me, ending this is just about acquiring proof that he killed Tyler and threatened us.”

“David, I wish I knew what to say.”

“I knew he was fucked up morally, but I never thought he was capable of this. I’m his son, Jeff, but I think he would rather I be dead than gay.”

Jeff was silent for a minute before he placed his hand on David’s shoulder.

“Maybe you shouldn’t stay there anymore,” Jeff said.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go, and he won’t kill me when I’m at the house. He will want it to look like an accident—as in an open and shut case. Besides, when he leaves for work in the morning, I will have a chance to search his office for any type of proof.”

“We should tell Drew,” Jeff said as he started into the living room.

“Naw, let them have a good night. I’ll look for proof tomorrow, and then we can fill him in.”

Jeff nodded in response. The two of them went to join the rest of the group.

Convened in the living room, everyone paired off into couples. Rose had suggested they watch a movie. . Drew and Luke had snuggled into the recliner. Rose and Jeff curled up on the floor with some pillows and blankets. Samantha and Joey parked themselves next to Rose and Jeff, while Ryan and Naomi sat next to them. Brett and Mike took one end of the couch, sitting far enough apart to appear straight. That left Jordan and David to take to other end of the couch.

Jordan paid no mind to David, but David couldn’t keep his mind off the beautiful boy beside him. David was glad when the movie was over, and they were all able to say their goodbyes.

When everyone had left, the boys had cleaned up the kitchen and living room. Jordan bid Drew and Luke good night before going into his room. Drew and Luke made their way to their own room and began to get ready for bed.

Drew watched as Luke pulled off his t-shirt and slid off his jeans before sliding into bed in only his boxers. Luke was smiling as he waited for Drew to join him in bed. Not wasting time, Drew followed suit. He crawled into bed next to Luke. Drew smiled as Luke’s hands began to roam over his chest and sides.

“Feisty tonight?” Drew asked as Luke began to place soft kisses to his neck.

Luke just let out a groan in response before he let his kisses become more heated. Drew let out a soft moan as he felt Luke lightly bite down on the tender spot between his neck and shoulder. Immediately, Drew pulled Luke into his lap. Luke just smiled as he rocked his hips and enticed another low moan out of Drew. Luke continued to kiss and bite Drew’s neck.

“God, you have never been this aggressive before, but I am definitely not complaining,” Drew rasped.

“We were practically on top of each other in that chair. All I wanted to do was drag you to the bedroom and have my way with you. I was lucky I got my excitement to go down before we had to get up and see everyone off,” Luke said in a husky voice.

“I thought you seemed a bit excited,” Drew smiled.

“Yeah, just a bit,” Luke whispered before attacking Drew’s mouth with his own.

After that, their boxers were discarded. Drew and Luke worked out their excitement as quietly as they could manage. Afterwards, they both lay there sweaty and panting.

“Damn,” Drew said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Luke, who was lying in an exhausted heap on top of him. “That was utterly amazing. I think I will be walking a bit funny tomorrow.”

Luke was still in the process of catching his breath but managed to get out the words, “Yeah…amazing…possibility.”

“I love you, Luke,” Drew said with a smile.

Luke rolled off Drew and then curled into Drew’s side. He laid his head on his chest.

“I love you too,” Luke said. He smiled into Drew’s chest before his breathing evened out. He promptly fell asleep.

Drew just smiled as he let Luke’s soft breath lull him into a dreamless sleep.