New Edit: Guys, you'd notice that among the chapter list, there are new new ones; exclusive chapters also known as Story Branches. So after reading this part, if you want to see an alternative side to which this chapter could have gone, then you absolutely need to read the branched part.

Preview of the the Chapter 27 story branch: Israel doesn't believe Sky's lie and one thing lead to another and Sky confesses to an illness.

I really can't bare the thought of something happening to Sky, I like him that much now. He's been like this light in my life this past few days and without him I'd be so lost and back to being Israel that barely talks. The tears fall and I quickly wipe them up and reach up to cup Sky's face. He's frowning at me but it's not an angry frown, it's looks like one that's saying he's stuck and confused. "I probably can't help but I want to be here for you. What drugs are you taking? And- and if it's the Molly kinds, why did you take it? Are you a drug addict? Can't help yourself?"

Please check out the story branch for more juicy details. x

*

° just be with me.
we'll figure out the details later. °

Chapter 27

We don't watch 'Call me by your name anymore' even though we stay awake until 1 am defiling my mum's rule of going to bed early.

When Sky and I return back to his house, we are already tired from all the walking and running. Well, I am, I'm not sure about Sky. His dad and girlfriend already left the house, leaving no trace of themselves behind. Sky says he once yelled at his dad for not cleaning up after their dates so now, his old man cleans us everytime, leaving the house as tidy as he met it. I can't imagine yelling at my dad, with or without my mum present but I guess if he littered places...I might?

Nah.

Anyway, we share the dinner my mum packed up for us and after that, we do some studying. Sky just happens to be a genuis in math and since I'm not struggling too bad, the session goes smoothly as we solve questions, switch notes and quiz each other. I don't think I've had a more exciting study session ever. I think we study more than we planned because when Sky sees the time, he burst out laughing calling us both nerds and closing everybook in sight.

After that we talk about the LGBT community and Sky explains a lot of things to me and shows me some stuff on YouTube. It's not as easy as I thought it be and the information settles in my throat like a bitter stubborn pill refusing to go down. It'll definitely have to take some getting used to and I have a lot of work to do in order to get the chant - "Homosexuality is a sin" out of my head. It keeps ringing at the back of my head like some engraved lullaby with every new picture of guys kissing or girls and every new information.

Sky notices my discomfort so he stops and we decide to watch a movie instead.

I'm too full for popcorn but Sky's not. At this point, I don't think he can ever be full, I think he can eat and eat all day and still eat some more again. Sky makes small popcorn and joins me in his living room where I'm running my fingers over the lonely ceramic panda.

"Does it have a name?"

"Huh?" He drops a bottle of water on the table before sitting on the sofa with me.

Yeah, another thing is he drinks a lot of water. A lot. I turn to look at him, and point at the panda, "does it have a name?"

He looks at the panda and scrunches his face, "um..." The he runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. "Nope, just a piece of furniture."

I gasp loudly, "Sky! That's so harsh."

He chuckles, "fine. It's that Panda in that animation Kunfu Panda. Happy now?"

I shake my head but smile too, "yup." I relax back into the sofa, folding my legs under me and trying to get comfortable.

Sky pokes my cheek, making me look at him. He moves his brows, "wanna go upstairs?"

I crane my neck to look up the stairs. Do I?

"I just think we'd me more comfortable there with warm blankets. We could watch on my laptop without any-"

"Okay."

"Okay?" He looks a bit surprised. I nod and smile, getting off the sofa and grabbing his water while he took his popcorn.

"I do like your room," I say while we climbed the stairs.

"Me too, it's the best place in the house."

Sky's room is dark when we get there but he turns on the light and they just happen to be blue lights, casting a blue glow around the room. I don't remember what the lights were when I was first here but this one is so cool too. His room also happens to be warm so I take off my jacket and long sleeve, leaving just a shirt on. Yeah, I wore two shirts in, I don't like the cold at all and it's just beginning.

Sky starts pulling his jeans off and when I look at him, he shrugs, "I don't like sleeping with the jeans, it becomes itcy."

I nod in understanding, I just didn't think he'd change right in front of me. But I guess we kinda already did this at the party so would going into the bathroom to change be weird? I got my pajama bottoms out of my bag, still thinking about what next. If I changed in front of Sky, I'd blush and burn. And if I go into the bathroom to change while he changed in front of me, it'll be awkward, wouldn't it? Sky saves me from further debate when he enters the bathroom. I sigh in relief and quickly change into my pajama pants.

Alas we're are settled and cozied up on the bed, the comforter over us. I don't even think about his bare legs brushing against mine. He puts the laptop in our middle and Love, Simon starts playing on the screen.

I like Nick Robinson and Alexandra Shipp— she looks like Nessa. I tell Sky this and he hums in agreement, crunching pop corn.

"Did you ever crush on anyone in school?" Sky asks, about thirty minutes into the movie.

"Yeah."

"Who did you crush on?"

"Me?" I ask, even though I heard him correctly. He nods and I bite my lip, not in thoughts because I can never forget my biggest crush ever, but in embarrassment because I've never said it aloud. I've never told anyone. Jamal knows but I didn't tell him, I don't have to tell him things, he just somehow knows and that's so annoying most times.

Sky moves so his touching me, "don't be shy, tell me." He crushes another popcorn. "I might not even know the person...unless it's Jamal?"

"What? No way."

He laughs lowly, "then who?"

I exhale heavily, twisting my fingers underneath the blanket. "Um- Lou."

"Lou?" I nod. "What's that?"

I almost face palm. "Lou. Louie St Martin."

Sky coughs, the shifts a bit under the comforter. "Louie?!" I nod again. "Damn, Israel."

"What?" I ask, now actually covering my face.

He chuckles and runs a palm over his face. "I'm so jealous."

"Jealous?" Now I laugh. "Why?"

"Because Louie is like the coolest boy in school and so good looking, he makes me insecure."

Now I really laugh, my face warm. "You're not serious, Sky."

"I am really," he shifts closer to me. "I knew you liked Louie though."

"Really?" I shake my head, wondering if everyone knew. "Why did you ask then?"

"I wanted to here to hear from the horses mouth?" He shrugs. "I like that you like Louie, he's a really good guy."

"But you're jealous-"

"So jealous," he throws popcorn into his mouth.

"I saw you both at the party, do you know him?"

Sky nods, "yeah, he's like my best friend."

"What?" I was not expecting that.

"Correction," he starts again. "I don't have a brother, but Louie is like one to me."

That's what I use to say concerning Jamal. Just replace 'brother' with 'best friend'.

"I honestly can't wrap my head around the both of you being close friends," I confess.

"I met him at the hospital, about six years ago."

Oh my God, what?! "What was wrong with you both."

Sky shrugs, "normal hospital check up for me and I can't remember what he was in the hospital for." I nod. "His mum too lives in the city but his dad is here. I guess we just hit off base on common grounds and when I came here he was the only one I knew. He's a family friend of some sort."

"Wow," was all I could say, I was speechless. "Did you like Lou too? Like that?"

"Nah," he laughs. "We're like brothers."

I pick at his popcorn, taking my eyes away from the movie to look at him. In the dim light, it's like his skin glows and his lips look really pink. "Who did you crush on in school here?"

"Israel Taylor."

Smiling to myself, I snuggle closer, resting my head on him, the heat radiating off his body, really comforting.

-

I don't know when we fall asleep but I wake up in the middle of the night after a nightmare I don't really remember. Sky was smiling soundly beside me and with a small smile, I lay down back, staying as close to him as possible. Right now, in this moment I don't have to worry about anything, I just have to sleep close to him because I wanted to. Because I like it.

I wake up before Sky and I take a shower and start prepping my hair. I don't hear the door open and the groggy "Good morning" startles the life out of me.

I turn to see Sky relaxing lazily on the door frame, his eyes on me. "Jesus Sky, you startled me."

He gives me a crook smile, "sorry."

I still has his shirt and shorts from last night on and he looks like he just crawled out of bed, which he just did. His hair is all over the place, sticking out and looking adorable on him. He still has a swollen sleepy face on and I can't even explain how he looks so good and is messing with me even in this state. I look away from him before he notices me blushing, "Good morning too."

He nods while yawning and stretching, his cracking bones making me laugh. "God, I had such a nice sleep. I loved last night so much, Issy."

"Me too," I shyly say, struggling to keep my eyes on the mirror and on my hair.

He walks into the bathroom, standing behind me and then he suddenly hugs me from behind. His really warm skin on my kinda warm one and I'm the one who just took a warm shower for Christ sake. It's then I notice that I still have nothing except my boxers on.

"Sky-"

"You smell nice," he kisses my shoulder and I gasp, my heart jumping into into my throat. Then he rest his head on my shoulder and smiles at my reflection in the mirror. "I like how you give so much attention to your hair, it's so cute."

I'm still not over the shoulder kiss. That spot burns nicely.

"A-are you still sleeping?" I ask for lack of what to say and because he actually still does look sleepy. It's like he's barely keeping his eyes open and it's almost seven thirty am.

"Maybe," he mumbles, snuggling his face into the crook of my neck and holding me tighter.

I'm liking this way too much. I'm about to have a sensory overload.

I manage to twist around and free Sky's hand from me, I can't help that I'm smiling. "Sky wake up, we have to be in school by eight and you have to shower."

"Mm-hm." He makes to hug me again and I laugh, trying to hold him in place.

"Sky, shower."

He smiles, pulling away and dragging a hand over his face. "Sorry, I'm really tired though. It's the--"

"The?"

"Popcorn," he says, then smiles at me. "Thanks for being here Israel."

"Thanks too, Sky."

I leave him to shower while I get dressed. When we come down the stairs by some minutes after eight, the aroma of eggs is all over the house. My heart skips a beat when we enter into the kitchen and meet Sky's dad making breakfast there. He's a huge man, tall and big. Not fat at all, just big. He and Sky share the same hair but his skin is paler and his eyes a light brown.

"Morning Dad," Sky greets, getting milk out of the fridge.

His dad grunts out a reply and when he turns around, his eyes meet me and I see that he as an apple hostage with his teeth. His eyes flick to Sky after I greet.

"My friend, Israel. I told you he was coming over."

"Taylor?" His dad asks biting off from the apple and I nod. Then he smiles, he looks like Sky when smiling. "I know your mum, fiesty and stubborn."

I nod, "that's her alright."

He exchanges a look with Sky that has Sky rolling his eyes. Then turns back to me, "Eggs?"

After the silent breakfast, Sky stays to have a talk with his dad while I go out and wait by my car. When he's done, I ask, "was that about me?"

"Nope," he dangles his truck keys. "Race you to school?"

"No bloody way."

---

It's different in school.

Sky walks by waving at me and I can barely look at him. I feel like everyone would know we spent the night together and shared some intimate moments. I think of the word Gay and the eggs in my stomach churn slightly. Why is it not going away? Would it ever? Can I even do this- be myself?

Am I really really gay? Part of that community? Me, Israel?

The banging of Lou's locker breaks me out of my thought and automatically, my eyes flick there and I see him having bro handshakes with his friends. His hair has grown a little bit over the buzz cut he usually carries and I know it won't be long before it's back to the normal level again. I watch him walk away with his friends, not once glancing this way and I sigh, my eyes fluttering close and seeing Sky sleeping soundly beside me.

I am gay.

"You look frightened," Jamal says, startling my up as he slaps a hand on my locker. "What's bothering you?"

I shake my head, "nothing."

"Issy, I can smell your lie a mile away," he says and it's then I see that he's chewing on a bagel.

"Mal-" I want to tell him. Say it out to somebody else but the words don't come out.

"Did Sky do something?" He asks, eyes wide.

"No," I shake my head. "Nothing."

"Are you feeling anyhow?" I nod. "Is it physical, mental or emotional?"

I think about it. "Not physical."

"Is it here?" He pokes my chest, right over where my heart is. I nod. "Hurts?"

I nod, and point to my head. "And here too."

Jamal studies me for a moment, before he drags my hand, making us move. "It's okay, Issy. It'll hurt a lot but it'll be okay and tell your head to shut up."

"That's very hard to do."

"I know," we walk silently. "But did you study for the test?"

"Yup."

"Okay, think fast— what is the integral value of exponential five sine x."

"Jesus Mal," I chuckle, then think, "give me a minute."

"Five seconds."

"Wait, we haven't done integration."

"Three seconds."

"Um-"

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