Does Archie know?

☆

Bay steps foot off the bus, in the district where Mark lived. Ambergate. It was an understatement to say that this was the more affluent part of the suburbs. This was the home of doctors and lawyers and anyone else who had some kind of professional status. Bay looks down at his supermarket branded trainers. It was evident he didn't live around here to any onlookers, but to his luck, the suburban streets were quite sleepy. The hour is still early, with Bay's haste to leave the questioning from his sister. He now had to find Mark's house and hope he didn't mind the early intrusion. 

Number 74. He stands outside on the pavement in front of a metal gate with a panel attached to it. The white rendered walls made the place look like a Spanish villa. A strange juxtaposition against the grey clouds in the sky. He stands a moment more, staring at the brushed steel button, before he raises a finger to press. 

BZZZZ

The sound alone made Bay feel like his body was on high alert. A sense of fight or flight consumed him. He was about to enter the home of popular Mark Lester. Beyond maths, did he even know him that well. He had told Gia he had other friends, but could he really call Mark a friend? 

"Yeah…"  The sound of a tired male comes through the speaker. 

"Sorry I'm early. It's Bayley." Bay feels like a fool as he leans into the speaker, wondering if he is doing it right. 

"Bay… Come in." The voice of the male changes in an instant as the gate is released, allowing Bay to push his way inside. It swings back on itself to close behind him as he heads for the entrance, equally as grand as the gate, with the two identical shrubs either side on the tiled porch, surrounding a large wooden door. 

Before he is even close enough, the door before him opens, to reveal the occupant. There in the doorway is Mark, looking like he had just rolled out of bed. His joggers seemed ill-fitting along with his loose black t-shirt with its baggy neck, so much so, that it nearly hung from his shoulder. Bay found his eyes being drawn to the patch of exposed skin around his collarbone. He pulls his eyes away to look up at Mark. "I know I'm early." 

"It's fine." Mark steps back to allow Bay inside, with Bay's eyes soon being distracted by the rather large entrance hallway, which opens up onto a large kitchen diner. He sees Mark head that way as Bay finds his feet follow. "I haven't had breakfast yet. Have you eaten?" 

"Yes…no."  Bay says, a little caught off guard by the question.  

"So you have eaten or you haven't?" Mark asks once again, with a half laugh. 

"I had breakfast, but I didn't eat it" Bay grins, as he looks down. 

Mark finds himself smiling at how shy the boy seemed. "Take a seat. I'll make some toast." He gestures towards the stools lining the breakfast bar. 

Bay pulls out a stool to sit on as he lets his bag rest on the floor. His eyes seemed to follow Mark who was busy posting white bread into the toaster, before pushing down the button, then automatically finding two glasses in a cupboard and getting them down to pour some juice. Bay smiles to himself at how the thought of Archie enters his mind. Not in the way he expects, but how in that moment, Mark reminded him of him. How he was doing something so innocently. Just making toast and pouring juice, caring for him, even if in this instance it was on such a superficial level. 

"What so funny?" Mark says, catching the smile on Bay's face as he offers over the juice. 

"It's nothing." Bay shakes his head. "It's just, you reminded me of someone just now." 

"Who?" Mark wonders as he takes his own drink to his lips. 

"Just…. Just Archie. He does this kind of thing for me. Y'know, looks out for me….makes sure I eat." Mark can see Bay's stare drift off into the distance. 

It causes him to think, to wonder if he should say it. That thought in his head. The one which may just change everything. Mark takes another drink before placing the glass on the counter. He tilts his head to one side, making his hair fall over his face, a little dishevelled. "Bay…does Archer know?" 

Bay's attention turns back to Mark. He exhales a sigh. He should probably confess.  "He knows about me tutoring you. I kind of told him about it before you and I spoke. But he's promised not to tell. I trust him. I tell him everything."

"Do you?"  Mark bites his lip in wonder. "Do you really tell him everything about you?" 

Bay wasn't too sure if this was some kind of trick question, he tries to laugh it off. "What do you mean?" 

Mark takes a step closer to Bay, who was still on the other side of the breakfast bar. "Y'know…. That's not quite what I meant when I asked if Archie knows." 

Bay feels his throat constrict as he gets the urge to swallow. "What…what do you mean?" 

Mark smiles as he looks at him as if he knew something Bay didn't. "Does he know you're gay?"

He feels his eyes go wide at the question Mark was putting to him. "I…I don't know what you mean?"

Mark stays as he is, not backing down from his corner. "I saw it with my own eyes Bay. You, him, Lena, at the cinema. I saw how you reacted to that kiss they had. At first I thought it was Lena who you may have had feelings for, but it isn't…is it?" 

Bay gets up from his seat, ready to leave. "I don't know what you're talking about." He utters, with not much conviction behind the words. He leans over to grab his bag, with his mind on one thing only. To escape this conversation. "I should go…"  But as he stands, a hand reaches out.

"Wait!"

Bay looks at the fingers wrapped around his slim wrist, then he dares to look up at Mark, half expecting altercations or foul words. "Let me go." Bay pulls his arm from the grasp as he stands in place. 

"But you haven't eaten." 

"What?" 

Mark looks at the toaster, as in that moment, as if on cue, the ready made toast pops up. He looks back at Bay, who still didn't know what to say or do. "Just have breakfast with me." 

Mark heads back around to the toaster, with Bay as if on autopilot, finding himself sitting back down. He stares at the back of the older boy, finding a new sense of intrigue. Mark was the one asking him the questions, but was Mark in fact trying to tell him his own truth?