Chapter 14
1521words
All Sebastian had wanted to do, was make a new friend. Someone who knew nothing of his past. Someone who might not have even cared about it. Someone his father might even approve of. Jake fit that description. But Jake turned out being a massive asshole. Sebastian didn’t know what Maple saw in him. Other than being attractive, in a nerdy sort of way. Not that Sebastian thought Jake was attractive or anything.
Waylon stood a few feet behind Sebastian. “Don’t screw this up.”
Sebastian grunted in response, while Jake handed his glasses to his father. That was a shame. Sebastian had been hoping to break them.
Barry made his way towards the two men. “The rules are simple. The first person to give up or pass out, loses. And no cheap shots between the legs.”
Jake held up his fists, readying himself for the fight. He revealed himself to be an inexperienced fighter. The idiot didn’t even have his thumb across his knuckles. His punches would be weak.
“Ready?” Barry didn’t wait for a response. “Fight!”
Jake punched first. Sebastian blocked with his forearm, then countered by striking him under the chin. Jake clutched it, wincing. Sebastian threw in another jab. And another. The crowd cheered as a trickle of blood ran down Jake’s cheek.
Jake dodged the third punch, and kicked him behind the knee. Sebastian lost balance and fell into a fetal position. Jake threw punches at his shoulder. But they barely hurt.
“Give up?” Jake snarled between punches.
Sebastian shoved him away. “No. You don’t even know how to punch right.”
Jake went for a punch to his head. But Sebastian rolled to his feet, caught Jake's arm, and twisted it behind his back.
Jake struggled to break free. Sebastian slammed him against the metal bars of a decorative fence. Jake swore.
“No swearing in front of the ladies,” Barry called out.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jake muttered under his breath.
Sebastian still had Jake’s arm twisted against his back. “Do you give up?”
Sebastian twisted it harder. Jake yelped. “Where’d you learn to fight?”
“Camp.” Pain shot through Sebastian’s leg, and he released his hold. Jake lunged. Sebastian side-stepped. He grabbed the front of Jake’s button-up shirt, intending to slam him back against the fence. But Jake pulled away. In the process, the buttons on his shirt became undone.
Sebastian released his hold as he ogled Jake's exposed chest. There wasn't much hair there, and it was slick with sweat. An urge to run his fingers over it struck him. He knew he should look away, but he didn’t want to. That fact filled him with self-hatred and disgust.
And yet, he couldn’t stop staring at that sliver of skin.
Meanwhile, the crowd had fallen silent. Jake stared back at Sebastian with a stupid grin on his face. “Are you checking me out?”
“No!” Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s gross.”
But the crowd broke into whispers and mutters. Waylon glared at Sebastian, rage in his eyes, shouting something he couldn’t hear.
Pain shot through Sebastian's stomach. Jake had kneed him. Sebastian fell, clutching it. Jake shoved him onto his back, and hovered over him, knees holding his hips in place. Jake used his hands to pin his wrists as well.
For a moment, Sebastian imagined Axel in Jake's position. Axel, pinning him down and straddling him. The thought left Sebastian aroused and nauseous. He closed his eyes, willing the fantasy away. “Let me go!”
“Only if you give up.” Jake’s mouth was close to Sebastian’s face. Close enough for Sebastian to feel his breath on his cheek. Jake tightened his grip, lowering his body so there was only an inch of space between them. “Do you?”
“No!” A burst of strength shot through Sebastian. But not enough to break free. He couldn’t even free himself of his disgusting thoughts about Axel. Thoughts that sapped his strength.
More mutters shot through the crowd.
“I bet he’s enjoying that.”
“I knew that camp didn’t work.”
“He’s still gay.”
“They’re both gay.”
Sebastian wanted the gossip to stop. He wanted the fight to stop. He wanted the tight feeling in his pants to stop.
“Fine,” Sebastian said reluctantly. “I give up.”
“What was that?” Barry asked.
“I give up! Now, let me go.”
Jake released him, and buttoned up his shirt. Sebastian got to his feet. The pain from his injuries hit. Mostly his stomach and leg, though his shoulder and jaw ached a bit too. He wiped his mouth and saw blood on his hand.
There was a bit of blood on Jake’s face too. He put his glasses back on, and walked away with Will. Maple caught up with them, and exchanged words with Jake.
The crowd dispersed. Waylon came up from behind Sebastian, and grabbed his shirt. “What the hell was that?”
“I got tired.” Sebastian glanced at his leather jacket in Waylon’s hand. “Can I have that back?”
Waylon shoved it into his arms. “We’ll talk when we get home.”
Barry walked over to them. “I didn’t expect you to be such a good fighter,” he said to Sebastian. “Have you been secretly training or something?”
“Something.” Sebastian would rather not reflect on one of his many horrible experiences at Camp Hope. And he knew his father would jump in and say it didn’t happen. That Sebastian was making up stories for attention.
Stellaluna couldn’t believe that fight she witnessed. Barry, of course, wouldn’t have wanted her to watch it. But lucky for her, Barry didn’t notice her in the crowd. She kept her distance. Her closest friend and neighbor, Zailey, was there too. They covered their open mouths when Sebastian nearly tore Jake’s shirt off. Neither woman had ever seen such a thing. And the way Jake had Sebastian pinned down in the end... The sight was absolutely scandalous.
“Do you think that camp really worked?” Zailey asked Stellaluna, as the crowd dispersed.
“It’s hard to say.” Stellaluna rarely interacted with Sebastian. But Barry was convinced it had. And if Barry was convinced, Stellaluna had to be convinced as well.
Sebastian was winning that fight up until he saw a sliver of Jake’s bare chest. That alone made it hard for Stellaluna to believe.
“I don’t think it did,” Zailey said. “Nole never believed it worked.”
Nole being her husband. Zailey walked away from the scene. Stellaluna followed. “Barry swears it did. But...”
“You don’t think so?”
“Don’t tell him I said that. But, yes. I never believed it actually worked. Some things can’t be changed.”
“I agree with you there.”
“Stellaluna, there you are!” Barry walked over to the women, along with Jake, Will, Maple, and the Henderson brothers. “I hope you two ladies weren’t watching that fight.”
“What fight?” Stellaluna asked.
“There’s a good girl.” Barry patted the top of her head, though he had to reach his arm up to do so. Stellaluna was the same height as him. “It was far too violent.”
Jake had a bit of dried blood on his cheek, and parts of his face were red. Despite that, he beamed. “I totally kicked that prick’s ass.”
“Language,” Barry said, while Maple let out a giggle. “And Sebastian did great. I don’t know what went wrong.”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Walker said. “Sebastian hasn’t changed. He’s still as gay as ever.”
“Sebastian’s gay?” Jake blurted out.
“He’s not gay,” Barry insisted. “That camp fixed him.”
Jake narrowed his eyes. “What camp?”
“If it did such a good job of fixing him,” Walker said, “then why did he start losing after ripping open Jake’s shirt?”
Barry shrugged. “He probably got tired.”
“He was winning that fight,” Carter said. “I was impressed. But after seeing a man’s bare chest, he submitted to him like a bitch.”
“Do you really need to use that word?” Jake asked.
“What word? Bitch?”
“Yeah. It’s offensive.”
Everyone stared at Jake, Zailey and Stellaluna included. Stellaluna wasn’t fond of the term herself, but she wouldn’t dare mention being offended by it to a group of men. She was certain Zailey was thinking the same thing.
“Sorry,” Carter eventually said. “He submitted to him like a whore.”
“That’s not any better!”
But the men laughed. Except for Will. But he didn’t voice disapproval either. Not that Stellaluna expected him to.
“That’s another man we’re crossing off the list for Maple,” Walker said. “I don’t want her marrying a fag.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you people!” Jake shouted.
Barry frowned at him. “Language!”
Without another word, Jake stormed off, Maple right behind him.
“What’s his problem?” Walker asked.
“He’s still trying to adjust to the culture here,” Will said.
Personally, Stellaluna found Jake refreshing. She'd never met anyone quite like him, and wondered if she ever would.
