Sitting on the bench outside the school, all Sean could think was...why? Why would Jake say all of that? After everything that has happened? What did they do for him to say such terrible things? His thoughts got interrupted when he heard somebody screaming.

"I'VE BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE MUSIC CLUB, DREW!"

It was... Jake and Sean decided to stay quiet so he could listen to what was being said.

"Someone recorded me at YOUR house, talking behind their back, and sent it to them! Now they won't even talk to me!"

So, he did not realize he was being recorded?

"Oooohhh."

Henry and Liam both looked at each other with an undescribable faces after hearing that. Did they know something about it?

"Well don't look at me!"

Drew seemed to begin getting defensive.

"Well, YOU'RE the one who wanted me to quit in the FIRST place! For all I know, YOU could've set me up!"

'Set me up?' what did that mean?

"And I'm telling you I didn't do jack! I don't know anything about a recording."

All Jake was doing was glaring at Drew, who then sighs and rolls his eyes. 

"So they kicked you out of the club, big deal. I'm sure there are other weird and creative ways to ask Daisy out."

Oh yeah, it was about Daisy...that was why he was in the club, and for some reason, this hurt Sean in a way. Why?

"This isn't about Daisy!"

Wait. What? Sean looked up as confused as Drew was at that moment. 

" Oh don't look at me like that. I know deep down you knew I wasn't doing it just because of her! You KNEW that I cared about this!"

'He did actually care? Then why did he say all of that stuff?' Sean thought to himself.

"That's not what it seems like the other night at mine! Jeez, don't act like we were the ones who made you say all that smack. And besides, I thought you figured out they were using you for their gain anyway."

'Using Jake? What?! We could never...' Sean kept thinking.

"They're not like that! If anyone was using someone, it was me! They gave me a second chance to prove myself and-, ...and I threw it in their face."

Sean was in shock, and Jake looked sad and...ashamed.

"It's not the end of the world, Jake. We're your actual friends, remember? The club was a waste of time anyway. Whoever recorded you did you a favor."

Oh, that line made Sean want to scream! His actual friends? Why would what occurred to Jake make them his actual friends? Would Jake have spent time with the club if he thought they were a waste of time? 

"You wouldn't understand."

That was the last thing that Sean heard from Jake before seeing Daisy. He then asked for help with talking to Jake. 

Hailey was not at school that day due to the circumstances that happened the day prior. However, the news that Jake was kicked out of the club spread like wildfire.  It got so aggravating to hear the whispers and Sean's fellow senior classmates asking him about it and what happened. 

Around lunch, Sean decided to sit by himself. There was no practice for that day without the club president being there. While eating, Sean looked up and saw that Henry and Liam were scowling at him. "What do you two boys need? I'm not in the mood," he said in a monotone voice. "So you have a problem with us being here but you have no problem stealing the girl Jake likes behind his back!" Liam said. Sean looked at them very confused. Stealing the girl Jake likes, what? "Oh don't act so blameless, you are dating Daisy, knowing that Jake likes her," Liam said, getting closer to him. 

"Look, I do not know what you are talking about, nor do I care, Daisy and I are good friends, that is that," he told them, expecting that would get them to leave him alone. "Don't lie Everett! If you really are just friends with her, explain this photo then!" Henry shouted plowing his phone in Sean's face, which pissed him off. Moving the phone away slightly, he saw an image of him and Daisy hanging out, Sean blushing as a rose is in his hair. "We were hanging out and she was teasing me about my crush, we aren't dating," he told the two boys with a cold stare. 

They had no choice but to believe him. They knew better than to mess with the oldest of the music club. Then they started to interrogate him about his presumed crush.

"So, you don't like Daisy?"

"No, I like somebody else."

"Who?"

"None of your concern."

"Hailey?"

"No."

"Milly?"

"No."

"Sadie?"

"No."

"Stacy?"

"No."

"Lia?"

"No."

"Maria?"

"No, and when did I state I liked a girl?"

"It's a boy?"

"Yes, and that is all that I am telling you."

"Is it Jake?"

Sean froze and turned as red as Liam's eyes. They just had to say, Jake, didn't they? He nodded and glanced down at his food. He continued to eat as the two boys were dumbfounded. Never in a million years did these two boys think that someone would admit that they like Jake. 

"Well then," Henry said randomly out of the blue. Sean looks at him in utter confusion. "What?" he asked. "You need to tell him, tell Jake the truth, about everything!" Henry told him in excitement.  Everything?! About him and Daisy? About his feelings?! The thought of that just terrifies him. He couldn't do that! No way!

But with the competition coming up, he knew that he had to tell him the truth. But he would want to hear the truth from Jake too, about that audio. 

Later in the evening, Sean was taking a walk through the neighborhood when he sees a girl walking down the street. It was Lia. "Hello there," she told him. Sean said hello back and asked her where she just was. "I was at Jake's place, why?" she asked him. "I need to talk to him about some stuff," he answered.  "Stuff? What sort of stuff?" she asked him. Sean then started to get fidgety and nervous after that question. Lia took note of how red his face was getting and giggled and told him how to get to Jake's house.

When he got there, he was shaking like a leaf. 

Did he want to do this? 

Not really but he knew he had to.

He then knocks on the door. Opening the door was a little boy who almost looked like Jake, however, he had green eyes. "Uh hi, is this Jake Sterling's house? And if it is, is he here?" he asked the little boy. "One second, I will go get him...come inside though, don't catch a cold," the little boy told him as he ushered Sean in. Sean stood there as the little boy disappeared into a room of the house. 

While Sean was waiting for the little boy to return, Sean felt something sniff his leg. He looked down to see a black and white dog. Sean then bends down and looks at the dog's name. 'Oreo, cute name, maybe Jake named him that'. Sean thought.  He smiles at Oreo and begins to pet him, watching as Oreo started to wag his tail.  He was so invested in petting Oreo that he did not notice that Jake was standing right in front of him.

"Sean?" he heard him ask. Sean looked up at the peach-haired boy to whom he wanted to talk to. Giving Oreo one last pet, Sean stood up. "Hey Jake," he replied to him. They then stood there for a minute in silence. "Is this your boyfriend Jake?" he heard the little boy say as he walked inside the room.  Jake's face grew red as the little boy smirked. "Milo!" he yelled at the little boy. 'So that's his little brother,' Sean thought to himself. "Come on  Sean, let's go to my room," Jake told him with an embarrassed look on his face"So...what is it? Milo said you wanted to talk to me," Jake asked him. Sighing Sean looked down. 

"I want to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"About what you said in that audio."

"What about it?"

"Did you mean it? Why did you say it?"

Jake was surprised, someone from the club wanted to actually speak to him, and let him clarify everything! "No, I did not mean any of it! None of what I said was true!" he exclaimed. "Then...why did you say it?" Sean asked. "Well, the other day, when I was with Drew and those guys, they told me about you being with Daisy, which I am completely fine with, but at that moment, they kept saying horrible things about you all and...I fell under the pressure and said all that stuff, I feel so awful Sean! I am so sorry! I did not mean it!" 

After stating all of that, Jake began to cry. Sean then walked over to him and gave him a hug to comfort him. "No Jake, I am sorry, we should have listened to you, but we didn't, we were horrible..." Sean responded. They held onto one another for a while hugging, not desiring to let the other go. 

For some reason, Jake's heart began to beat a little bit quicker, and his cheeks started to feel a bit warmer when holding onto him, why?

"Also, I am not dating Daisy..." Sean responded.

"What?"

"Daisy and I are not dating, that picture you saw of us, we were simply hanging out, the reason I was blushing was that she started to tease me about a crush of mine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sorry if it seemed like we were."

 Boy, Jake felt like an idiot. His face immediately grew a deep shade of red. Was it from embarrassment? Why would he be embarrassed?  

"It's ok, I just did not know you two got along."

"Yeah."

"Also, who is your crush?"

Sean's face then began to turn red, he didn't want Jake to find out that he liked him.

"I-It's not important Jake."

"Come on, I can help you confess to them! Who is it?"

"Jake, really, it is not important."

"Yes, it is man! You like somebody! I want to help!"

"You can't help Jake."

"Why not?"

"Cause it's you!"

As soon as that last sentence left Sean's mouth, he wanted to take it back. His face became bright red and he ran out of the house, leaving a shocked Jake standing in his room. 

The next day at school, Sean found the club and told them everything. Zander did not want to hear any of it. "Think about what he has done for all of us! He has done something for each one of us!" Sean shouted, shocking the club. Normally Sean was the calm one, but seeing him like this meant that he was serious. After about 5 minutes, Hailey decided to speak up. 

"Sean is correct, he has done something for each one of us, and in return, we booted him out. What sort of friends does that make us?" Hailey stated. Sighing, Zander recommended that everyone should pair up to look for him so they can all apologize. "I'll be on my own for this one, you all go ahead and pair up," Sean responded, leaving most of the club a tad confused, all but Milly. Milly was the only one who knew about Sean's crush on Jake. Giggling and nodding, Milly agrees with Sean and goes off with Hailey as Zander goes with Luke in search of Jake. 

Looking around, Sean found Jake at the top of the school. Just standing there, alone. Sean tried to move towards him but for some reason, he couldn't. What could it be? It was fear. Fear that he would be screamed at for blurting out that he likes Jake. Fear of losing him. 

"Sean?"

Looking up, Sean notices Jake, who was mere feet away from him. How did Sean not notice Jake walking over?

Stillness descended between the two boys. Why? Why was Sean that frightened to say anything? Why was he so terrified to do anything? What was his reason for being so scared?

Rejection.

That was why he became so frightened to do anything at this moment. 

Afraid that Jake was going to reject him and hurt him. He thought of how if Jake did not reciprocate his feelings, and if he would be welcomed back into the club, would things be awkward between the two of them.

 Is this how Zander and Luke felt before they confessed to one another?

So many beliefs were racing through Sean's mind with the dread of rejection making him tremble and tear up. Jake notices him trembling and tearing up. He then holds his hand. Sean then looks up at Jake, who was giving him a smile.

That smile.

That was the smile that Sean fell in love with. 

"Why did you run off yesterday?" he heard Jake ask him. Still shaking, Sean replied, "I was scared that you would reject and hate me." Jake looked at him in shock, "Sean, why would I hate you?" he asked. Sean chose to look away when he gave his answer, "It is clear you only like girls, seeing how much you like Daisy..."

This shocked Jake even more. "You mean, how much I did like her." It was Sean's turn to be shocked. He began to stutter, not being able to get out what he wanted to say. "It is true, I did like her, however, I do not anymore," he said, thinking it would help Sean calm down. 

It didn't, Sean continued to stammer and stutter. 

"I like you, Sean," Jake stated, finally making Sean calm down. He looks at the peach-haired boy, who was now blushing and looking away. Sean looked down squeezing Jake's hand and walking a bit closer to him. He got so close, the two of them were almost kissing. 

With his other hand, he grabbed the side of Jake's face and kissed him. Jake was taken aback by the sudden action but kissed back anyway. They stopped when they hear an "Aha! I knew it!" Both boys jumped back to see Milly taking a picture of them. 

"Milly, I thought you were with Hailey!" 

"She went to the bathroom and I continued to keep looking."

"Delete that photo"

"No, I am showing the club this, this is what you get for teasing me about Elliott! "

Before Sean could say anything else, Milly sped off. Jake grabbed his arm and sighed. "Let her be her Sean, she's just happy, and plus, it's Milly, what do you expect?" Chuckling, Sean agreed with him. You could not stop Milly if you wanted to.

"Sean?"

"Yeah, Jake?"

"Why did you not get mad at me like the others?"

"Cause I trusted you, you offered something to me when I thought I lost something, and I believed that you would not say horrible things about the club just like that after spending all that time with us."

Jake started to tear up a bit. Sean then begins to wipe his tears. 

"Thanks Sean."

After that, the whole club is up on the rooftop and hugging Jake apologizing. Sean stood back while this happened and he gets a message on his phone. It was from Milly. It was the photo of him and Jake kissing, along with a message. Thought you would want this as your phone background. Typical Milly. 

They then walked down to the club room for a practice, Sean and Jake followed behind them, hand in hand.

Their love was new, but it was a love that was built on trust.