I went downstairs after grabbing my phone and iPod and looked around. “Mom, where’s Trace?” I asked, going into the kitchen.

                She looked up to answer and her eyes widened. I mentally punched myself. The bruise! Shit! I forgot about the bruise and the hickey!

                “Kory, who hit you? Was it Trace?” mom asked flatly, standing up and coming over to get a better look at the bruise.

                “No! It wasn’t Trace!” I cried honestly.

                “Who?” she demanded.

                “Well, you see…I, uh, stubbed my toe on the counter. So I yelled out ‘GOD DAMN COUNTER!’ and, you know, that’s using the lord’s name in vain. He got mad that I did that, so the big guy in the sky just came down and punched me in the eye. Told me not to do it again,” I babbled nervously.

                “Kory! Who the hell hit you?” mom demanded angrily.

                “Mom, it doesn’t matter! Trace and Zeke took care of it! I swear,” I said gently.

                “I thought you and Zeke broke up?” she asked.

                I nodded in confusion. “We did,” I said. What? Zeke couldn’t stand up for me just because we had broken u- Shit.

                “So who gave you that?” mom asked, pointing at my neck. Shit, shit, shit! I nervously pulled my shirt up to cover it.

                “Gave me what? I think you’re seeing things. You should probably lay off the drugs you crack whore. Oh gosh. I didn’t mean to call my mom a crack whore. I meant…well, stop doing drugs! Are you crazy? They’re bad for you!”

                Mom slapped a hand over my mouth before I could continue and I resisted the urge to lick her hand. She raised an eyebrow at me and slowly removed her hand.

                “Kory, as your mother, I would like to know who is sucking my son’s neck that hard,” she said simply.

                “Well, as your son, I would like to plead the god damn fifth!” I said defensively, swatting my hands at her.

                “Kory, what have you been doing and who have you been doing it with? Just tell me. I won’t get mad at you,” she said, looking into my eyes.

                “I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything. Nothing bad. Nope, Kory’s a good boy. Like the movie. Remember that movie? With the alien dog? Ah, good movie. So the weather seems ni- I SWEAR I’M INNOCENT!” I cringed back at my own lame voice.

                Mom eyed me carefully before shrugging. “Just tell Trace not to break the skin next time he gives you one of those. And tell him if he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass,” she said with a wink before walking away and out the side door.

                I stood, my mouth hanging open in shock. She…but…I…and…bananas…and…Trace…and…WHAT THE FREAKING WHALE SPERM JUST HAPPENED?!

                How did my mom know it was Trace who gave me the hickey? Did Brandon know? Was he mad? Where was Trace? Did Trace know our parents knew? Was it only my mom that knew? Why did I always use so many freaking question marks? Was there a law against that many question marks? Was I going to jail? Prison? Getting raped by someone who wasn’t my sexy stepbrother? Ew…

                I blushed and made my way out of the house. I noticed that Brandon’s car was gone and mentally sighed. Where had Trace gone?

                I pushed it out of my mind and made my way to Zeke’s house, ringing the doorbell and waiting until a man opened the door.

                “Hello,” he greeted.

                “Hi, is Zeke home?” I asked and he nodded and let me in.

                He led me up to Zeke’s room and knocked on the door. Zeke opened it and smiled at me. “Kory!” he said happily and stepped aside to let me in.

                “Oh, dad. Mom said there’s a message for you on the answering machine,” Zeke said and his dad nodded and smiled at him before leaving. Zeke shut the door and locked it.

                We sat on his bed together and I bit my lip. “Zeke, I needed some to vent to. Be my venting buddy?” I asked with puppy dog eyes.

                “Duh,” he said and rolled his eyes.

                I sighed and nodded. “Okay, so I think Trace is having second thoughts about our relationship,” I said quietly, hating to say it out loud.

                “You fucked him,” he said. It wasn’t a question, but I nodded slowly anyways.

                “Just did,” I said with a sad sigh. “And now he’s having second thoughts. Man I must suck in bed.”

                “Kory, I don’t think that would be it,” Zeke said, laughing. “He’s probably just wondering if you’re mad at him for not being openly with you.”

                “Maybe,” I mumbled.

                Zeke hugged me tightly. “Hey, come on. You’re not meant to be sad and upset Kory. You’re way too hyper and happy of a guy for that shit. Smile. For me?” He gave me a puppy dog eyes and I returned it with a weak smile.

                “Come on. Let’s go get ice cream. I hear it makes depressed girls feel better so who knows? It might work for some gay guys,” he said and pulled me to my feet.

                We went downstairs and led me into his kitchen. “Hey dad, can I have some money so Kory and I can get ice cream?” he asked and his dad nodded.

                “Here, here’s $20. Pay for him too Zeke,” he said and smiled.

                “Thanks dad,” Zeke said and I smiled gratefully before we left the house.

                “You’re dad seems pretty cool,” I said as we began to walk towards the ice cream place. Zeke smiled and nodded.

                “Yea, he is,” he said happily and leaned over. I jumped onto his back and he began to walk again, whistling to himself.

                “All my life I’ve been different! Keeping 110% real!” I sang.

                “No, I like my whistling better!” Zeke whined. I grinned and licked his cheek. He pouted. “Kory!” he whined. “Not nice!”

                “Psh! You know you love me Zeke!” I cried. I licked my finger and properly stuck it in his ear. Zeke yelped and jumped up and down, shaking his head violently as I laughed and held onto him tightly so he wouldn’t shake me off.

                “Gah! You can pay for your own ice cream!” Zeke grumbled once he had calmed down.

                “But Zeke! I wubbles you!” I said and stuck my lower lip out.

                He sighed. “Fine, fine, fine. Now stop being a jerk!”

                I fist pumped, nearly falling off of Zeke. We sang different songs until we got to the ice cream place. We went inside and ordered before sitting down together with our ice creams.

                “So, are you going to be okay? Or do I have to knock some sense into Trace for you?” Zeke asked me as he licked his ice cream.

                “I hope I’ll be okay. Just…the look on his face today…Zeke, what if he breaks up with me? I love him. I know I do. I don’t want to feel like he just used me or something,” I whimpered.

                What if that was all I had been? Trace’s experiment to see if he was gay? Would he do that? Was he that cruel? No, no, no. Stupid Kory! Of course Trace wasn’t like that!

                Zeke wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He looked deeply into my eyes and frowned.

                “Kory, stop. He wouldn’t use you. If he hurts you, I’ll kick his ass. I promise. You don’t deserve to be hurt. If Trace is being secretive and being a dick to you, than maybe he doesn’t deserve you. I don’t know. That’s your choice. Just…Just be careful and protect yourself, okay? He’s my best friend, but he can be incredibly stupid at times. If this is one of those times, I don’t want you to get hurt because of it,” he said gently.

                He pulled his arm away from me and sighed, a sad look in his eyes. “You should go talk to him Kory. Just don’t let him hurt you. Please.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

                I stood up and hugged him tightly. “Thank you Zeke,” I whispered sincerely.

                “Hey, come on. Where’s the crazy Kory we all know and love?” he asked jokingly.

                “He’s up your doompah and around the corner!” I said and stuck my tongue out.

                “He’s up my…what?” Zeke asked in confusion.

                “Your butt! Your rump! Your tuckus! Your bum! Your behind! Your backside! Your back door! Your ass! It’s elementary, dear Zeke,” I said, rolling my eyes at him. Gosh, Zeke could be so stupid sometimes!

                Zeke rolled his eyes and waved to me. “I’ll be down at the soccer field if you need me,” he called as I made my way down the hill.

                I went to the house and inside. “Brandon! Where’s your son?” I asked, bouncing over to him when I spotted him in the living room.

                “He just left to go to the soccer field. Why?” he asked curiously. My mom had probably told him not to ask about my eye.

                “Just wondering. I needed to talk to him,” I said with a goofy smile.

                “Kory, do you swear that he didn’t give you that bruise?” Brandon asked nervously.

                I nodded. “Yea! He didn’t give me the bruise Brandon. I pinky dinky promise,” I said and held out my pinky. Brandon rolled his eyes and wrapped his pinky around it. He ruffled my hair and waved to me as I left the house.

                I walked all the way to the soccer field, wondering if Zeke was there yet. I kind of wanted to talk to Trace alone but at the same time, it would be good to have Zeke there with me.

                I got to the soccer field and froze, my eyes going wide in fear. Davey glared at me and pointed, turning to the group of guys gathered there.

                “That’s the fag that turned Zeke gay! He’s the reason Trace has been pissy with everyone lately!” he snapped.

                I searched the crowd of tough looking, not to mention slightly attractive, boys and didn’t see Zeke or Trace there. I didn’t see Sammy or Mikey either.

                “Hey Davey, let’s rip him apart before Trace and Zeke get here,” one of the guys called with a smirk.

                “No, no, no. That’s quite alright. I’ll just, uh, leave. Like a leaf. Leaves grow on trees. Money doesn’t. In other news…PEACE OUT MOTHER FUCKERS!” I took off at a mad dash as they began to chase me.

                I felt myself being knocked to the ground. I tried to struggle away but several of the boys were on me, holding me down and shouting things. Aw shit. This wasn’t going to end we-

                “Hey! Get off my boyfriend!”

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A.N.- Yea! ;D Do you guys think it was Trace or Zeke who said that? ;D

Vote and comment and I might just upload the next chapter tonight! ;DD So go! Vote and comment like your life depends on it!