Figuring that Alex was fleeing from something in particular, Jake went into that direction and judging from everyone's reactions as he had fled he was going in the right direction. Once he made it through the sea of people at the party he found Bryan with cigarettes.

Hey, they might not be friends anymore, because Alex had swooped in and took over, but he knew that when Bryan was upset he smoked. He usually didn't like to smoke because it messes with his breathing and he kinda needed that to do his football or whatever. He didn't nor had he ever reall like or gotten the point of football. 

"Sup?" He asked, coming up to him and nodded at him, circling to get so that he was facing his old friend." Long time no see... whats eating you?" He asked, looking from the cigarette between the other's lips to his eyes.

-

"Yeah? Why do you think I'm standing here? Because I like standing in the cold? "Alex returned with a little more venom in his voice that was really necessary. He was taking this out on Nathaniel and it wasn't even his fault. He wasn't even mad at him! But he had always had anger issues and he always took out his anger on the wrong thing and people.

Whatever. He wasn't a therapist and he wasn't going to see one, so he didn't know how to let off steam unless it was with Bryan and he wasn't about to march himself back into that house to talk with Bryan about why he was pissed at him. It just defeated the purpose of running away from him.

He huffed again loudly. 

Bryan glanced at Jake before sighing. "Hey Jake" He spoke breathing out a puff of smoke before sighing. "You didn't catch it threw a window or something?" He asked refurin to teh whole 'what's eating  you' comment. It was actually awkward to see Jake again. He hadn't hung out with him in a while. Hell he sorta neglected the poor dude a while back when Alex showed up.

He averted his blue gaze to the floor before shrugging. "I sorta took advantage of Alex in my very intoxicated state" he frowned, still not off his drunken state but was pretty much back to normal. Cigarettes were amazing when they wern't giving you cancer and causing lung disease. "Take note....don't kiss Alex in front of thw whole school" he sighed takin anouther puff of his cigarette and just now realizing that his face actually stung a litle bit. "*censored*....he hits hard with a damn cup in his hand" he complaind bringing his free hand to his cheek.

-----

"Dude....You want me to take you home? I wasn't drinking tonight" Nathaniel sighed kind of expecting to be yelled at. It wasn't the first time he's had people yell at him for no reason at all. "Your pissed and I understand that. What Bryan did was wrong but hey....you can't really change things now. You just gotta move on" He srhugged. He was never good at advice. Singin was his talent.

"Don't worry bout it though. It's highschool....trust me this whole thing will be blown over in  matter of days" He *censored*ured not really sure how to comfort Alex. It had been quite a wihle since he had actually hung out with him. Somehow he got swept away in all that jock bryan crap.

"My bad for kissing the guy i've liked for years" Bryan sighed messing with the end of his cigarette in his hands. "I don't know, Jake. I shouldn't have done it though so technically it really is all my fault. Drunk or not" He frowned shoving his free hand in his pocket as he leaned agaisnt the wall that was behind him before placing the cigarette back to his lips.

Yes what he did was a stupid thing and now he knew it. He just made things complicaed infront of the whole intire school. He sorta felt bad for Alex now but there was nothing he really could do about it.

------

Nathaniel shrugged slightly focusing on Alex. "Your fine. You were mad and i'm used to being yelled at" he shrugged watching him. He frowned listening to him. Even though he wanted to ob
ject he had to agree. It was high school and people would know exactly what happened and every detail of it. Poor Alex.

"Honestly....they'd know most of it tonight or well, right now actually" He spoke up shrugging. "Can't really do anything but defend yourself on this one" he shrugged not really sure what to do to help him.  

"Hey, he shouldn't have acted that way. Everyone know that you are the way you are. Especially him. And you can't do anything about it now.." Jake said,  shrugging slightly, suddenly itching for a cigarette as well though he didn't smoke. 

He leaned against the wall heavily, crossing his legs and arms as he did so, relaxing. "So what now? You gonna run after your frog prince or... what?" He asked, he never had liked Alex all that much. Stupid pretty boys made him sick. Especially if they were smart and talented pretty boys.

He was hoping that Bryan wouldn't but he didn't like seeing him like this.  

-

"Oh, thanks." Alex responded, scoffing and kicking a small rock with his boot at Nathaniel's comment of news spreading even faster. And yeah, he knew that Nathaniel was right, and he knew that this was only going to get worse for him at school tomorrow and he was even willing to bet that even the teacher would be looking at him the way the guys had back at the party.

He sighed, thankful that at least Nathaniel wasn't pas.sing the same judgement as the others had just before. Even though he'd kinda neglected him lately. "Sorry for being an *censored* lately." He added, he might as well get everything out while he was in the mood to apologize though oddly enough he didn't want to apologize to Bryan.

"I kinda got sucked into the whole football thing and uhh.... the not being treated like trash thing..." He said with a frown, before joining the football team he was really a no body. No one would have noticed if he skipped a couple of days of school or his grades dropped. But when he joined the team that all changed and suddenly he was one of the stars.

"Naw i'm not running after him. If he wants to go he can go. Why make things worse than they already are?" Bryan asked exhauling the smoke. He sighed afterwards not really sure what to do. He had messed up yes, but was it his fault intirely? He did have multiple people he dated at once and everyone knew it. He was a player and everyone was cool with that. He was the type that could get away with hitting on a young teacher and not be called in for it.

He growled slightly inhaling his sweet intoxication trying to get his mind of things but it wasn't working. "I donno, Man. I'm at a loss right now. On one part I do want to go after him but on anouther he needs room to breathe. Maybe think about what can b----" Bryan cut himself off by balling his fist so that his finger nails dug deep into his palm. What was he saying? Alex was scared of homosexuality yet alone embrace it full on in one night and give him a chance. He was an idiot to think so and was an ever bigger idiot for letting himself fall for a straight guy.

-------

"Sorry" Nathaniel shrugged leaning agaist a nearby tree watching Alex and listening to every word. He let out a sigh before nodding. "You were a jerk by ingoring me yes, but then again I understand. Football is a disease. You get sucked in and everything goes to your head. Your famous, your at the top of the school, you matter for some reason" He spoke clearly out of dispite but managed to compose himself.

"But, it's not your fault. Byan sucked you into it. Following in his footsteps and out of the ones that you were so used to walkin in. Just....lets hope you hadn't lost yourself" Nathanel spoke clearing his throat.

Jake watched his old friend go through his little emotion thing. He was glad that he wasn't interested in anyone at this particular point in time because the feeling really sucks. He sighed, "Hey, it's ok." He as.sured the other. "This will all blow over soon and you guys will be paling around school again soon. He'll be fine in a few days." He said, shifting weight slightly. 

"And if it doesn't this feeling will go away. Promise. It's not the end of the world yet."

-

Alex scoffed, "Of course I didn't lose myself. Don't go hippie on me now, buddy." He said with a smile, though it was really kinda forced onto his face. He didn't feel like smiling right now. "So, you still wanna drive me home or have I managed to piss you off too?" Alex asked nonchalantly, looking up from the ground to Nathaniel

Bryan focused on Jake before he shook his head lightly ignoring the black strands falling in his face. "This feeling has been here for a while. I just didn't know being rejected like that would hurt so much...physically and mentally. I mean....i'm never rejected. I dont know if the feeling is because of Alex or just the pure thought of being rejected" he frowned tring to figure it out before shrugging.

"I guess your right though. It's not the end of the world yet but hey, it might be when all this ends" he chuckled figuring it would be a while before Alex had enough balls to come back to him or yet alone speak to him again. Stupid homophobe...well, it's not like he was though. The thought of being with anouther guy or seeing him with one was just uncomfortable to him. He never really protested any voice to it when he was bringing boyfriends by football practice. He just tried not to pay attention that's all.

------

"Who's going hippie?" Nathaniel asked straightening up and holding out his hand. "Of course i'm driving now gimmie your keys" he spoke smirking at Alex awaiting for the metal ob
ject to be placed in his hand. No way he was letting Alex drive mad and drunk. That was a bad combination. "It's hard to piss me off actually....I have a homophobic father who calls me an 'it' or 'thing' so i'm cool" he laughed ore to himself than anything. He was pathedic if he really took the time to look at himself but that didnt' mean he couldn't have a good outlook on life.

Jake chuckled, it must be nice to the the football star at school and have everyone love you and pay attention to you. Though he really didn't mind, these were only teenagers. He was going to be a rock star someday, so he could wait for his fame and glory. All of this would soon fade...

"Its probably being rejected in general." He responded with a nod, "Its not that hard to turn a straight guy though, just gotta heat things up a bit." He said with a smirk, kisses usually didn't always cut it on their own if you caught his drift.

-

Alex dug into his jacket pocket for his keys. Feeling the cold metal he pulled it out and handed the clinging pieces over to Nathaniel. "Forget your dad, he's a loser anyway for thinking you're an 'it'." Alex said, getting off of the side of the car. "He should at least upgrade you to 'thing'." He joked and walked around the front of the vehicle.

He could see his breath in the cold air and noticed that he couldn't really feel his hands or toes at this point but didn't really care either. He liked the cold and would always prefer it to the heat.  

"I know how much fun it is to mess with a straight guy, but i've never attempted to change one" Bryan admitted. Messing with straight men was his game on a daily basis. Just simply touching or acting inersted in one of those guys and they'd loose all face and just turn and run if Bryan gave them the chance to. Sure he's gotten decked a few times but that's the whole point of the game. To mess with as many people as you can just to see their reactions.

"Hmmm. Maybe I do, but I have given him quite a bit of my life though. You'd think he'd be warmed up to me by now with just my ways" he shrugged. "Awww I should place flowers in his locker" He chuckled feeling the cancer stick starting to take effect and boy did that hit hard. Sure he was calm but now his mind seemed to be relaxing finially. "Okay that sounds lame" he couldn't help but laugh at himself for even comming up with the idea. What quarter back put flowers in his friends locker?

-----

Nathaniel took the car keys into his hand before walking to the driver's side door and unlocking it, and also unlocking the door for Alex to get in. He chuckled softly at Alex's comment before nodded. "What really sucks is he's gotten into therapy so he asks me all these questions and tries to tell me i'm going to hell. It gets annoying but after a while I learned how to amuse him and play along with my whole....revelation of seeing god" Nathaniel chuckled climbing into the car.

"Just to piss him off though cause like a day later he'll see me with a dude and get all red in the face. His 'it' is hanging with anouther boy and that's something he does  not tell his buddies. I'm not even his son....i'm a kid from my mom's side that was abandoned and taken in. Kinda sad if you look at it" He frowned. He had a really screwed up family but he didn't mind. He had shelter over his head and had some food on the table at night so when things came down to it, he was happy to be called an 'it' or a 'thing' by his father.

{[  Oh yay! I thought I lost this. Glad you bumped it. }]

Bryan focused on Jake before frowning. "you know, I wouldn't do it to piss him off but to apologize. Roses, chocolates, and flowers are supposed to be romantic" he spoke taking anouther long drag of his cingarette. "Although...." he spoke glancing up at the pitch black sky seeming to think before shaking his head. "Naw... A rose or two here and there would work or should hopefully" He shrugged not sure what to do. He'd have to figure things out tonight and act upon those thoughts tomorrow morning. He couldn't have Alex mad at him for weeks on end. He was his best friend and he sorta needed him.

Without him his stessful moments he'd resort to the very thing that was probably goign to slowly kill him. Cigarettes. Alex in a way was his drug and without him he needed other ways to clam down and cigarettes was the only thinkg he could think of ever since he was young.

------

Nathaniel glanced over at Alex before nodding. "He doesn't....yet. Though I fear if I push him to far he might" he spoke putting the keys in the ignition and starting up the car so they could have heat. It was a little cold outside and freezing to death while talking was no something the both of them needed.

"Although....there are tiems where I wish my life was normal. Have accepting parents and all that great, grand stuff. To see how the other side lived for a change. Don't they say gras.s is always greener on the other side. Well don't you tink it's about time there was thruth to that?" Nathaniel asked just leaning back in teh seat for a moment. "Though I can't complain really. Minus the thearapy sessions and the names....I have the necesities" He shrugged unsure of what to really say. "So. Your place or are we just getting out of here?" he asked curiously watching his long time friend.

Jake raised his eyebrow at his old friend. Was he seriously going to send roses, cholocates, and whatever else he said that he was going to send? He didn't say anything else about that matter, figuring that that part was up to him and he should just leave it alone from there. 

"Ah...." He sighed, looking around the party. It was actually kinda lame. Always the same music, faces, and things going on. People doing things they regret immediatly and breaking things. Yep. same old foot balls parties.

-

Alex listened to Nathaniel as he spoke, it had been a long time since he'd talked about his family matters to anyone other than Bryan. He knew everything there was to know about Alex. He was an open book to theat guy. And talking to someone else for a change felt good, if not a little weird. "Yeah..." He responded, "as long as we get out of here I dont care where we go. You're driving now, buddy." He responded, glancing back at the lit house he'd fled from.