Rumors started going around. Quiet, little whispers, bouncing from one ear to the other. It started slow but spread fast. I was the last one to catch on. The way people glanced at me didn't seem right, the way the guys would whisper to one another and start laughing. I shrugged it off for weeks but it eventually caught up to me and I needed to know.

"Hey, is something going around?" I pull myself up onto Geo's bed. He shuts the book he was reading and looks up at me.
"What do you mean?" He asks with a tilt of the head.
"People have been acting weird around me for weeks, what the fuck is it? They're looking at me as if I sprouted another ear." His face changes but I can't read it, all I know is that something was up. His face showed it.
"Nah, I haven't heard anything." He shrugs and looks down to the floor. He's so cute when he lies but he's terrible at it.
"Geovanni you know I can tell when you're lying, now tell me." I was being serious and he caught onto that quick.
He looks around to the people in the room but no one is paying attention. His voice drops low. "There's just been some rumors going around about you. They sound fake, though, I don't believe them." He's twiddling his fingers around, as if he's a kid that was tattle tailing on his sibling.
"What's the rumor?" I push.
"That you're gay... apparently Harry was going around telling everyone that you tried to hook up with him." He mutters, his eyes fluttering up to meet mine. "Please don't tell anyone I ratted, they'd kill me."
I shake my head and tap my finger on my leg, furious. Harry couldn't have actually said that, could he? "Thank you," I jump off the bed and turn to leave, half expecting Geovanni to say something more; but he doesn't.

I find Harry and am able to get him alone without anyone noticing.

"What's up, babe?" He says smoothly while putting a cigarette in his mouth. "You got a lighter?"
I smack the cig out of his mouth. It falls and hits the ground, buried in the grass. Harry looks down then back up in utter shock. I almost feel bad for reacting this way, but I can't control it. "Are the rumors true?" I question, looking him dead in the eye.
"What rumors?" He asks innocently.
"Don't act like you don't fucking know." Our bodies are close together, I feel like I could snap in any second. I haven't felt this violent in a long time and it freaks me out. Why am I even this upset?
"Okay, okay. No, they aren't. I promise. You really think I would do something like that to you?" He puts a hand on my shoulder and I flinch away. "Aidan, calm down. Look, I don't know how they started but I didn't say anything. I would've told you when I first heard but I didn't want to worry you. I'm sorry." He looks genuine.
I put my arms up, running my hands through my hair, breathing out as if I was holding my breath. I can't believe I let these stupid rumors get to me, of course they weren't true Harry would never do that. I open my eyes and look at him. I open my mouth and at first nothing comes out. I sigh. "I'm sorry... I just got caught up for a second." Guilt floods over me.
"It's okay, I understand." He says then pulls me into a hug.
We hung out for the rest of the night, catching up on everything. And more.

•

That same night I was shook awake. I'm the type of sleeper that can't process things until twenty minutes after waking up. Especially when you're waken at 2:36 in the morning. Not cool.

I'm with Geo and we're at the library...

I don't know why or anything but we're right outside of it.

"What's happening?" I mutter, the lack of sleep is audible in my voice.

"We're going to look into my past. Where have you been the past twenty minutes?" Geo says, his hands in his pockets. I moan and rub my face. "Why did it have to be done at three in the morning?" I meant to think this, but apparently I said it out loud.
"Because I know I'd change my mind by the morning, and it's driving me insane. Let's go." He says then walks to the side of the building. There are few lights on in the library, due to it friggin being the middle of the night and ergo closed.
I'm worried about breaking into here, not for my sake but for Geo's. I don't think he knows the consequences, or didn't think them through. I, on the other hand, have been through much worse than breaking and entering.
Except, technically we aren't breaking anything. Geo, being the smart guy he is, put something between the window and the sill so he'd be able to open it when he finally got enough courage to look into his family.

We get in the building quiet swiftly and safely. Well, except for Geo, who fell onto the table under the window and then onto the ground. He's too clumsy to be sneaking into places.

It took a long time for me to get any actual information; but I got it. After digging and digging through the Internet and all the documents and hacking I finally found his family. Of course by the time I am done with this Geovanni is asleep. I decide to go through it myself before waking him, just in case.

What I found wasn't too tragic, it could've been a lot worse but it also could've been a lot better. His parents are deceased, his mother died giving birth and his father... he went down a dark path after his wife died. He started drinking and got into drugs, eventually committing suicide after he had his sons taken away. Yes, sons. Plural. Geovanni has a brother.

Jimi Novak.

That's Geovanni's twin brother.

I let out a loud sigh without thinking and this stirs Geovanni. He mutters and lifts his head up, squinting at me. "Did ya find anything?" His voice is deep.

I nod my head with hesitation. "Yeah...I, uh, I did." My heart is so heavy, this is going to be tough. He sits up with surprise and disbelief in his eyes. And hope.

I just look at him.

"Well? Are you going to tell me or what?" He almost shouts, almost too cheerful.
"Uh, Geo, are you sure you wanna know?" I don't mean to freak him out or anything, I just don't want to give him any more weight to carry when he doesn't need it.
"Yes, positive. Hundred percent. I need to know, I can't go on anymore like this." He says, his voice is strong.
I sigh once more. "Okay, so, unfortunately both of your parents have passed." I look at him to make sure this is still what he wants. "Would you like to know how?"
He just nods.
"Your mom died giving birth, your dad... her death took a toll on him. He became an alcoholic and drug-addict. He couldn't take care of his kids, so they were taken away and when they were.... he- he killed himself." My voice cracks on the last part. Geovanni just sits there looking down. And then on instinct I'm by his side with an arm around him reassuring him. He doesn't cry, or anything, he just looks numb.
"Geo?" I whisper, turning my head to look at him. 
He nods.
"Geo...you have a brother. A twin." I finally say. This changes something, starts a spark almost. But he doesn't say anything. He sits there like that for a few minutes. Then he just nods at the ground and rubs his face. He looks at me, his eyes glazed over, but he smiles the most faint smile. "Thank you, Aidan." 

We hug and then we're out of there in a second. We don't talk the way back, both of our hearts too heavy. There's something extremely heavy about it all. Figuring out about the people who would've been your family, the what-if's. Even though you don't remember them, there is still a burden on your heat from it. Something you'll never be able to get rid of.

•

The rumors only got worse. Not that I care- I've learned from a young age to not let other people's opinions define me- but it's gotten to the point where people are confronting me. People have made comments hinting at it in front of me, as if I was oblivious. I didn't retaliate, not letting it get under my skin. There's one thing about me though; I do well with handling people's shit, but when it comes to the point where something has to be done I have a very short temper.

So when the kid that just moved in comments: "What are you going to do, faggot? Drug me and rape me? Go pay a hobo to suck your cock." I don't take it lightly. Not because he called me a faggot, but because he used that disgusting word in the first place. Not because he joked about me raping him but because he joked about rape at all. That's not shit you throw around and joke about. That is serious shit that happens everyday to innocent people, who is he to have the right to joke about it?

"Don't joke about that shit." I tell him, my body tensing up. He's a shorter guy, scrawny, looks like your average douche-bag.
"What? Are you still upset because your little crush doesn't like you back?" He mocks in a baby tone.
We're just outside of the foster home. I know I can't make the first move or I'd get kicked out in a heartbeat. I take a step closer to him.
"No, I'm upset because you're joking about rape and calling people who have every right to love whoever the fuck they want a nasty term." I say this calmly but yet stern. I'm testing him.
"Oh, I'm sorry am I offending your kind?" He says looking up at me. I inch closer.
"Why do you give a shit who I like? So what if I liked guys? It's none of your damn business. You're just jealous because no one likes you." I say, putting a finger on his chest. Technically not harming him. His face turns red in anger.
"Don't fucking touch me!" He yells and then he does it, he shoves me off of him. Enough to give me the green light. I throw one. That's all that's needed. Connecting right with his jaw. He twists and falls to the ground. Nearly a KO. He lets out a high pitched half-scream-half-gasp. He reaches up to touch his face, his hand coming up bloody from his nose. I glare at him one more time then head inside. Ms. Joan is at the entrance in an instant.

"Self-defense." I claim, not making eye contact or anything, and keep walking.

•

I didn't get away with that, of course. She was not easy on me for weeks. Constantly having me work and getting very few breaks. But I didn't get kicked out, and I am grateful. The homophobic dick on the other hand got thrown out. Ms. Joan doesn't handle any type of hate very well, and when she heard he was joking about rape? Well that was it, he was long gone.

The guys praised me for what I did, even though it compares to nothing like I've done in my past. And for the rumors, they died down shortly after that. People get scared when they learn you aren't.

"You're an idiot." Geovanni mutters- the first words he's spoken on our walk.
"What was that?" I ask, turning my heads to smirk at him. A weight is lifted off of me when I finally hear his voice.
"You're a complete idiot. What were you thinking?" He speaks up now. He's tugging books to his chest and watching the ground as our feet move forward.
"I was thinking the guy deserved it! He was a complete asshole, I wasn't going to let him get away with it."
"You coulda got kicked out." His voice drops low, in a sad tone, and my heart skips a beat.
I let those words sit a bit, them floating out into the empty air, left there to analyze.
"Yeah, but I didn't. Can't get rid of me that fast." I joke, slightly pushing Geovanni. He flinches, it's hardly there but yet it is, nonetheless.
"You're reckless, Aidan Presley." He shakes his head and glances at me with a smile.
"That, I am."

His eyes flutter, still watching the ground intensively. We haven't talked about his brother ever since he figured out, and it is killing me to know what is going through his mind about it. I know it isn't something I can ask, however; it's something that just takes time to resurface.