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Boys Like You

Chapter Four: Empty In Between

Jude buckled up before his right arm went over the back of the other male's seat, twisting in his seat to look back over his shoulder, pulling out of the parking spot. "No worries. I'm gonna get something to eat anyways. I'm frigging starving. I didn't eat at lunch," he replied, seemingly unfazed by the other male's indirect invitation, the trip to the cafe already on his agenda for the afternoon. Staying to eat and then giving the lemur a ride back wasn't really any kind of hindrance for the feline. Heady guitar chords poured from the speakers in the car, no vocals, just instrumental, which Jude turned down as he drove out of the school's parking lot, the engine purring.

A surprised look went over Mercers face as he turned the the neko. Confusion marked his tone, the bewilderment at Jude's motivation lending a vocal to the guitar's background sound, "Why did you skip lunch? I mean, there may not be anything edible here, but you could bring something from home or something." The neko was thin in Mercer's opinion, almost too thin, though he had to admit that Jude had his own charm about him that brought a bit of concern to the lemur's mind.

"Mm, I was busy, so I forgot to," the neko replied, giving a half shrug, making it obvious that it had happened before. "So is that the reason you're taking drama; 'cause you wanna be an actor?" he asked, changing the subject from his eating habits and creating idle chit chat as he took a right, heading down the block and a half to the coffee shop, getting stuck at the lighted intersection right before the block the cafe was located on. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel to the beat of the music idly, the bracelets on his wrists making soft jingling noises as his hands moved. He rarely stayed still, needing to be moving, tapping a hand or a foot, forever fidgeting

"Yeah, I kinda want to be an actor I guess. I mean, I'm pretty comfortable in front of people," he said with a shrug in response before he continued speaking, not ready to let the subject of Jude's skipping meals drop just yet, "So why didn't you grab something anyways and just be late to class?" He was sure that Jude, being that he was aware of the neko's habit of skipping gym, would not have cared if he'd been a bit late to class in order to get something to eat.The little taps drew the lemur's attention. He caught the movement because it matched the time of the instruments, the bracelets adding some percussion to the edge of his perception.

Jude pressed on the gas as the light changed again, glancing at Mercer from the corners of his eyes "I was still too pissed off to eat," he replied simply, knowing the other male had seen the altercation at the end of lunch.

"Yeah. He was a little out of line there. Does that happen all the time?" Mercer questioned, watching Jude, deciding now was as good a time as any to find out a little bit more about Jude in turn, maybe find out how much of the gossip was just that.

Jude shrugged, "Often enough I guess. Usually it's their girlfriends. Girls are much nastier than guys. A girl actually slapped me and called me a home wrecker once. It's not my fault she wasn't any good at giving head," he said with a snort, "As for guys like Gregory, they're all the same. They want it until it's over, then they can't admit it was the best they'd ever had so they have to act like jerks to make themselves feel like they're still men, as if sucking dick makes me less of a guy than any of them."

He pulled into the asphalt lot belonging to the cafe, parking between the faded yellow lines with practiced ease. Pulling the key from the ignition and unbuckling, he glanced over at Mercer, "Can you grab my wallet out of the glove compartment?"

"Please," he added with a smile, eyes twinkling, catching the sunlight as he looked at the lemur, mischievous heat lurking in the depths, knowing that the other would see the condoms and lube he kept in there as well. He would have gotten the wallet himself, but it would have involved leaning over the other male's lap and he'd promised to keep his hands off. Besides, the other male's reaction to the other items in the glove box might be fun.

"Glove compartment; why can't yo-" the lemur began, interrupting himself as his reasoning quickly followed the same path as Jude's. If he'd reached over, his hand would end up in Mercer's lap. Clever... he thought idly. The politeness and the begging tone made him sigh, reaching to open the glove box.

When he opened it up and reached inside to retrieve the requested wallet, his cheeks and ears burned. Condoms and lube, plenty of each met his gaze. "Oh..." he swallowed audibly, uncertain about what to say. "Safety first, huh?" he commented, hoping his voice wasn't as shaky as it sounded to his own ears as he reached in tenderly. He wrapped his fingers around the wallet, careful to avoid touching the other items and lifted it out before offering it to Jude. He avoided the other male's eyes as he closed the glove box, sealing the offending items out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

Jude laughed outright as the other retrieved his wallet, making an awkward, nervous comment about the other contents. "Of course, who wants to get something from one of those idiots at school. Mm, the lube's not even opened," he replied, getting a kick out of making the other male squirm without really doing anything at all. He took the proffered wallet, soft fingertips brushing against Mercer's for the briefest of moments as the leather wallet exchanged hands.

He opened his door, getting out just as gracefully as he'd gotten in, dark tail lingering on the seat for a moment as he straightened, his ass and legs visible for a few seconds before he turned, leaning back inside, "Coming?"

Making him squirm was one thing, just knowing it was in the car for Jude's immediate use was entirely different. As the wallet was passed off, the lingering touch burned under Mercer's fur long after the neko had pulled away. "Yeah," he agreed, not really hearing the words the other had said, acutely aware that he couldn't stand up right then, not without looser pants anyhow.

When Jude stepped out of the car, he looked over, unable to avoid getting an eyeful of that pert rear and sleek, black tail.He gave an involuntary gulp and quickly averted his gaze to the other side. He looked rather silly, spaced out like that, he was sure. "Alright then, sorry," he apologized awkwardly before slipping out the passenger door. His tail trailed behind him, looping around his front discreetly, giving a few twitches as he walked out once again finding himself holding the door for Jude.

The lemur gave himself a little shake, deciding it would be best to pick up the previous conversation, thinking it would be safer than the alternative, which was asking Jude about the items he kept in his glove compartment. "What'd you say to Greg anyways? Stiffened him up like a board," he inquired, clearing his throat inconspicuously after he'd spoken. He watched Jude, trying to get a read on him. Apparently the neko enjoyed his behavior, at least enough to continue on with it even through being slapped and insulted at any rate.

Jude grinned wickedly, "I told him that I'd post the video of him crying my name like a little bitch while he came in my mouth on furbook and youtube for all the world to see, apparently he likes being threatened as much as it terrifies him," he quoted, shaking his head at the memory. Jude raised a slim brow, noticing how the lemur had curled his tail over his pelvis discreetly. Hiding something? he thought to himself, not having realized how the previous events might have affected the other male before. He chose not to voice the observation as he turned towards the cafe, smiling over his shoulder as the taller male held the door for him.

A somewhat shocked and impressed look crossed the lemur's features as he was fed that little tidbit of info. Jude kept videos? That would certainly give him power over anyone. It would definitely shut Mercer up, if it were him. Having that kind of power over someone guaranteed that Jude wasn't treated with blatant hostility, if for no other reason than keeping reputations intact. He found himself wondering how many videos he had,but he figured it best not to ask.

"You're quite the gentlemen," Jude remarked impishly as he stepped inside the coffee shop, sauntering over to the counter. He smiled at the husky he'd gotten the latte from earlier, watching the other blush and fidget uncomfortably as he asked him what he'd like to order looking between Jude and Mercer, trying to figure out their relationship.

"Habit, I guess. Besides, I keep beating you to the door, " the lemur teased back. Having long legs and a tall frame meant that when he wanted to go somewhere; he typically arrived quickly. He adjusted his pants again and when he was fairly sure no one was looking, adjusted something else, hopefuly to keep it from being too obvious. And saving himself some very awkward and embarrassing explanation.

"I'm gonna have the grilled greek veggie wrap, and a cranberry juice," Jude said batting his lashes and tapping his fingers on the counter, black lacquered nails making small clicking sounds over the hard top. The husky stuttered as he gave the pretty boy his total. Jude smirked at him as he handed him a twenty and took his change which the husky very nearly dropped. He leaned over the counter slightly, "Can you put extra dressing on it too?" he asked in a seductive tone. He glanced at the lemur behind him as the husky nodded and turned to make the wrap which was pretty much premade, just adding the extra greek dressing before he folded it up and stuck it in the sandwich press to grill, returning with the cranberry juice and setting it on the counter in front of Jude.

"This place has the best service," he commented with a cheeky grin as he stepped aside, drink in hand, leaning a hip against the display case of pastries and other baked goods. The husky's blush intensified, barely managing to ask for Mercer's order.

Judes order, the greek veggie wrap sounded good enough, but Mercer found he was in the mood for something else. "Hmm," he murmured, eyeing the menu, taking Jude's earlier reccommendation on the wraps into consideration. When the husky behind the counter had collected his wits enough to ask what Mercer would like, he'd already made his choice. "Well, the chicken wrap looks good. Italian dressing," he placed his order casually, watching idly as it too was placed on the grill, "Um, I'll take a cranberry juice as well." He figured the bittersweet drink went withpretty much everything and he wasn't all that picky. He paid with cash as well, pulling a ten from his own wallet.

The husky's eyes went between himself and Jude, lingering on the latter. Jude's mere presence seemed to be making him blush as the neko leaned against the baked goods, seemingly unconcerned with the attention. It was almost amusing really.

Jude pretty much ignored the husky, watching the lemur as he ordered a wrap and cranberry juice as well. He could feel the eyes lingering on him as the husky blatantly stared at him, apparently content to watch the neko instead of paying attention to the grill. Jude's gaze slanted to the sizzling sandwich press. Their wraps were definitely ready. His eyes narrowed as he finally looked at the enamoured husky.

"You gonna let our wraps burn there Brian?" Jude asked sweetly, giving the other male a pointed look, gesturing at the grill. The husky blinked several times, abruptly coming out of whatever fantasy he'd been conjuring up in his mind and rushed to get their food before it was ruined. Jude glanced sidelong at Mercer, shaking his head a little, the corners of his lips quirked up in a slight grin.

The blushing canine returned with the delicious smelling wraps momentarily, apologizing profusely. Jude merely waved him off as if he didn't care about the near inconvenience.

"Wanna sit outside?" he asked the lemur as he took his paper covered wrap and napkins in hand, his attention back on his companion.

It was true what they said; the best places in town really were the ones located just off the main streets. The food looked and smelled good, though the husky seemed like he was rather distractable as far as Jude was concerned. Luckily he had gotten ahold of himself before the point where the food would have been burned, though that was more out of the Neko's intervention than by a sudden burst of willpower, Mercer suspected. The lemur shrugged in response to the sidelong glance Jude gave him. He, himself, had spaced out a bit in the neko's presence, so he couldn't blame Brian, the cafe employee too much. Then again, Mercer wasn't the one with a job to do.

"Yeah, might as well since it's nice out and all. It'd be a shame to waste it, no?" he agreed to Jude's suggestion to eat outdoors. He gestured to the door, waiting for Jude to get it this time.

Jude nodded in agreement, leading the way back to the door, using his hip to push it open and waiting for the lemur to exit before he followed after him. It would be a shame indeed since the day was really very nice, probably one of the last decent days to be outside for any length of time before the winter set in and it got too cold.

"There are tables just around the corner," he said gesturing to the right hand side where several small, round metal tables with umbrellas and stools were set up. He moved fluidly as he made his way to one of the tables, straddling one of the stools and setting both his drink and food on the table. His tail hovered in the air behind him, the tip flicking back and forth in the pleasant breeze.

"So, did you move here 'cause of your dad's work?" the neko asked as he twisted the cap off the bottled juice, taking a sip before licking any excess juice from his lips with a pink tongue.

Mercers movements weren't quite as fluid as Jude's, though he managed to seat himself without incidence. Raising his head as a breeze passed though, a single, dark tan, rounded ear twitching in response to it. "Mmhm, his work had us move. The party thought he could swing this district or something like that," he shrugged noncommitally, obviously displeased with the move, "It's happened a few times. Getting integrated into new schools has become a routine." He took a drink of his own juice, looking at Jude over the rim of the bottle before setting it back down and unwrapping the wrap from its paper wrapping.

"I mean sure, I get the house to myself, but that hardly makes up for it and with the elections coming up this year, I'll probably be bored out of my mind there for the next couple months. I dunno what I'm gonna do for a ride then, if the bus doesn't change routes or I don't get a car," he said after he had finished unwrapping his food. He very much doubted that either one would happen any time soon.

"Hm, that's shitty. I was lucky; my dad retired before I ever had to move around. When I was a kid, he'd just go on tour and leave my mom and I at home. He decided it'd be better to retire when--" Jude paused, uncertain about sharing something as personal as what had happened with his mother. He didn't talk about her to anyone. It was too painful.

"When my mom died, so he could take care of me and we wouldn't have to move around while I was still in school. That was right before highschool started," he explained, not giving anymore detail about his mother's death. He unwrapped his own food and took a bite, chewing and swallowing as he watched the other male, admiring the handsome lemur as the breeze ruffled his short hair, an ear twitching cutely.

Jude looked thoughtful, considering what Mercer had said about the upcoming election taking place the following month and about his dilemma. "I could pick you up and drop you off, if you give me twenty bucks a week for gas," he offered after a few moments deliberation, making the offer without an ulterior motive. He was rather enjoying hanging out with the other male and wouldn't mind making the chase last just a little longer. Might be nice for a change...

The lemur winced sympathetically. He had been right about Jude's dad being a single parental figure, though he hadn't been expecting something as extreme as death to be the resoning behind it. Saying sorry to Jude wouldn't bring her back and so he didn't give the generic apology in response to the statement. An extra twist of pity got to his gut as he remembered some of the rumors he'd heard about the other male. They had started when Jude was a freshman, right around the time Jude had just said his mother had passed away. He didn't know the full story, no did he really feel that he needed to, but he suspected that these outside events had something to do with it. Perhaps other things had played a role; the reputation was probably poorly earned.

"Twenty dollars a week? Sounds fair," Mercer agreed with a nod. With Jude giving him a ride, he would get home at a decent hour and wouldn't have to be picked up by his dad or by his assistant. And he would have an excuse to hang out with the feline again, which he found he very much wanted to do. Everything worked out. He would still be by himself for several hours a day, but it was better than nothing. He was willing to take the offer at face value, as Jude had proved to be nothing, but chaste as far as he was concerned. He'd kept true to his word and hadn't laid so much as an unwanted finger on Mercer thus far. Aside from the subtle and not so subtle flirting, their outing had been completely innocent, just two guys getting a bite to eat after school.

Jude gave an inward sigh of relief when the lemur didn't apologize, didn't comment on his mother's death at all. It just pissed Jude off when furs apologized to him. They didn't even know the circumstances. They just apologized so freely, thinking it was polite when it just made it worse in the neko's opinion. It was part of the reason he rarely told anyone about her at all. What was the point if they didn't even really mean what they said in response?

"Alright. You'll have to let me know when you want me to start picking you up," he replied, a little surprised that Mercer had agreed to the arrangement without any bartering or conditions. Jude smiled genuinely. Apparently, he'd changed the lemur's impression of him just a little. He took a drink of his juice before eating some more of the wrap, getting full quickly, even though he'd been starving when they'd arrived.

Mercer's own wrap was steadily shrinking. He wasn't eating it quickly, taking bites at regular intervals between chatting with the other male and sipping his drink, but it was vanishing nonetheless. "Yeah. It'll be about a month yet, so don't worry about it. I'll keep you posted." He caught Jude's smile and returned it in kind. He hadn't thought of any conditions to add; thus far, no advances had been made, so he didn't feel the need to set boundaries.

Jude soon wrapped the last third of it back up in the wrapping and leaned a cheek on the palm of his right hand. "You know, people might spread shit about you too if I'm acting as your chauffeur," he said after a moment, the thought having just occured to him. And for once, he was actually a little regretful of his reputation. It could potentially ruin this chance for him.

When Jude had set aside the rest of his for later; Mercer was just polishing off the last of his own. "T'ch, I'm willing to trade a few whispers in the halls for a ride home. Besides, what will they have to whisper about? The Republican's son getting a ride home after school by the homosexual cat with the corvette? Like really, who's going to believe that we're doing anything more than that? Pfft, several guys know I need it, but not a single one offered," he said, scoffing at the implication. Sure, there would probably be some ridiculous aligations and alleged sightings of nefarious acts between he and Jude, but they would be flimsy at best, especially if they didn't hang out during school hours.

Jude sucked on his bottom lip. He didn't think the whispers would be the kind the other wanted to have following him, but he didn't try to argue with him. If Mercer said he could handle it, Jude wasn't about to push the issue; he wanted to drive the lemur after all. Jude snorted, "Of course they didn't offer. Most of them have to drive their mom's minivans if they even get to have them for the day."

The neko pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a hit off it before resting his hand on the table as he exhaled smoothly, leaving the pack on the table in between them in case the other male wanted to try his hand at smoking once again. He dug his cell out of his pocket and checked the time. It had only been little over an hour, leaving the lemur with at least another whole hour before his ride would show up.

"You want me to take you back to the school now or you wanna go somewhere else?" he questioned, willing to spend a little more of his free time chatting and hanging around if the other wanted to. He could always play guitar or something if they waited at the school or went to the nearby park. Otherwise, he'd just head home and finish up his song for the following night's performance.

This time Mercer had passed on the cigerette; he figured he'd already made enough of a fool out of himself trying to finish the first one. Trying again would just be a waste of Jude's smokes. He used the time Jude spent smoking to finish up his drink, crushing the bottle and tossing it in the recycling bin next to the one for trash. He had been raised with manners if nothing else and knew how to clean up after himself. It had been something his dad had insisted on since he was small and it had simply been made habit.

"What else is there to do here in town?" he asked curiously. Other than the McDonalds, the highschool, the bar he'd been told about, and now the cafe, there didn't seem to be much else around. Sure, the place had that 'small town charm,' and was probably picked by his father to keep him out of trouble, but it didn't serve to dispel the creeping boredom he had toward the place. Jude was the most exciting thing he'd managed to find so far.

Jude considered the other activities that were often favoured by the teenagers in the small community. "Well, there's the park, the mall, the theater or the arena if you like watching hockey," he counted off, closing one rose-coloured eye as he took another drag off his cigarette. He didn't go to the movies often and when he did, he went alone to the late show; he'd never been to the arena to watch a game and only went to the mall when he needed to shop since he didn't find it particularly amusing to mull about in the food court or wander from shop to shop, just looking around; it irritated him. As he thought about it, he considered that he might actually not mind seeing a movie with Mercer sometime. They seemed to be getting on fairly well, which was rather surprising, since the lemur had obviously heard the rumors and clearly knew he was in Jude's sights. Jude wasn't about to complain though; he was rather enjoying their interaction.

As they got to know each other more, Jude was becoming a little weary. He'd only wanted to fool around with Mercer, just like all the others on the long list, but he was actually starting to like the other male, which was cause for concern in Jude's mind. The neko didn't do friends...

He leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table as he smoked, a pointed ear flicking idly as he mulled over his thoughts. It was fun teasing the lemur, but if he wanted to actually be friends with the other male, fooling around with him was out of the question...

"Perhaps. Well, I've got another hour to kill," Mercer shrugged. It wouldn't kill him to hang with the neko a little longer. He picked one of the options at random. One hour was too short for a movie, and he doubted there was anything exciting going on the arena at the moment, the park would be alright, but it would be getting chilly soon as the day wore on. The mall seemed boring, but he may as well learn where it was. "How about the mall," he suggested. Jude didn't seem half bad, though part of him was concerned. He had made it a point not to get too heavily associated with the 'rejects' and the like, yet here he was, chatting amiably with the talk of the school. And it seemed Jude wasn't even trying too hard to get in his pants.

Where the neko was worried about getting closer to him, Mercer was worried about keeping his newly formed reputation intact and the more he dwelled on it, the more he worried. He knew how teenagers were; if he spent too much time with Jude, he would no doubt end up as ostracized at the other male. That was his main concern. After all, the right kind of connections were everything.

"'Kay, we can do that. It's not all that exciting though, just warning you now," the dark-haired neko said, nodding as he stood up, turning towards the direction of his car as he flicked the mostly finished cigarette away. He stretched slim arms above his head languidly, revealing the tattoo on his lower back once more, before his shirt covered it once again, arms back at his sides.

"It's not really that far away from here either; nothing really is. The school's pretty much in the middle of the whole town," he remarked, glancing back at the other male before collecting his leftovers, wallet and his unfinished drink before stepping off the patio towards his car. He dug the keys from his pocket once again, hitting the unlock button on the remote. The corvette gave a little yip, announcing that it had been sucessfully unlocked. He stuck the leftover wrap in the backseat next to his notebooks, closing the door and opening his own, still holding his drink and wallet in one hand as he waited for Mercer to get in before he followed suit.

The dark ink on Jude's pale skin showed in blatant contrast, drawing Mercer's eye. It could only be a tattoo. The lemur couldn't help but wonder about it and made a mental note to ask the neko about it. It could make for an interesting conversation piece. "Yeah," he acknowledged, flicking his eyes back up and away from Jude's back. Even after the tattoo had been covered by the neko's shirt, Mercer's gaze had lingered there until Jude had spoken and begun moving. Mercer jogged to catch up with Jude as he made his way to his corvette. "But what else can I do for the hour...? I can hardly walk home," he added as an afterthought.

"Small towns are all like this. Rarely anything interesting happening," he remarked casually, clearly having lived in other small townships before. He slid into the passenger seat once more and waited for the neko to slip in before he posed the nagging question about the tattoo. "Not many highschoolers have tattoos; when'd you get yours?"

"True enough. Nothing of interest happens in small towns. That's why I can't wait to get out of here," the neko said as he slid into the driver's seat, sticking the key into the ignition as he closed his door. He buckled his seat belt, settling the juice between his thighs, tail furled around his waist out of habit. The same strains of guitar filled the car as he turned the key, starting the corvette. He held his wallet out to Mercer, "Can you stick that back in the glove box?"

"Hm?" he said, confused by the unexpected question regarding the inking on his back. It took him a second to realize that the other must have glimpsed the tattoo when he'd stretched or bent over or something earlier. "Got it for my fifteenth birthday, so like a little over two years ago I guess. It was a gift from my dad," he said, reaching over the lemur's seat in the same motion as before, pulling out of the parking spot. He gave Mercer a sidelong glance, raising a thin brow, "You like?"

Mercer took the wallet, sticking it back in the glove box without question. He'd known what to expect, so he didn't freeze up out of shock again. He tossed it unceremoniously over the condoms (there were quite a lot of them really) before closing it up, a slight shade of pink in his ears as he dismissed the thought. His amber depths focused on the road as his blush faded, ears slowly returning to the deep tan they usually were.

"Maybe. I only saw a few black lines of it earlier, so it's hard to say," he replied noncommitally, unable to give a definite answer without seeing the rest of the tattoo in question. The side glance Jude gave him as he backed out made him feel guilty, hearing an accusation that just wasn't there, as if he had been caught doing something sinful. "Why did you want a tattoo?" He hadn't even thought about getting one himself because he had no clue what he would get even if his father would allow him one.

"Hn, maybe I'll let you see the whole thing sometime," the neko commented as he began driving further away from the school towards the mall. "It's in memory of my mum. She had one similar. There's a line of lyrics from one of my dad's songs too, though you probably couldn't see that much," he explained easily enough to the lemur's question, humoring him in his curiosity. He wondered why it was that it seemed easy to talk about his mother to the other male. Maybe it was because Mercer hadn't given him that pathetic feigned sympathy that most gave when they were confronted with a person's death. Lacquered fingertips pattered against the steering wheel unconsciously to the humming guitar chords playing in the background of their conversation.

He took a left at the next intersection, weaving through the afternoon traffic, clearly comfortable behind the wheel. "Why so curious? You planning on getting one or something?"

Mercer shrugged one shoulder, taking in the explanation, his curiosity being sated for the time. "No, just a few lines, not much at all," his response seemed more to himself than to Jude as his eyes went unfocused for a moment or two. He hadn't seen anyone with a tattoo on their entire back before and he could imagine that it had likely hurt... a lot. Mercer nodded along with the music as the neko effortlessly guided them through the streets of the town. He seemed to come back to himself when Jude spoke up once again.

"Well, maybe. My dad would probably kill me though and I don't know what I would even want to get," he replied belatedly. His dad would kill him if he ever did any of several things; get a tattoo, let his grades fall under a 3.0, borrowing the car, cutting class and any number of other things his father considered rebellious or unbecoming for his son. Uptight was a profundly astute description for his father.

"Hm. Something tribal would probably look pretty hot, maybe on your upper arm or on your shoulder blade or something," Jude observed, glancing over at the lemur for a moment before dragging his eyes back to the much less interesting street in front of him.

"What daddy dearest doesn't know won't hurt him. Why not get one somewhere he won't see it? Besides by the time you're eighteen, he'll have pretty much lost his power over you, right?" the neko said, making another right, the mall now within their view a couple blocks ahead on their left. It was difficult for Jude to imagine Mercer's life, to have such restrictions placed on him. Jude would have run away, he was sure. It made him appreciate his own father's laidback and easygoing manner all the more. "Does your dad get to control every aspect of your life? Are you even allowed to get laid?" Jude asked, feeling a little miffed at the politician on Mercer's behalf. The poor lemur was even afraid to bring up his future career choice with his uptight father.

The lemur looked taken aback as Jude quickly was able to come up with a tattoo that would look fair on him, then again, he had suspected that he was in Jude's sights. That fact didn't bother him nearly as much as it should have though.

The lemur shrugged. He was used to the constant intrusions on his life. Most of his apparel could be summed up in polos and dark jeans, all of which were father approved; he would fit right in at a 'fraternity' as his dad insisted he called the wretched things. "I guess, but that's another few years down the road," he shrugged again, skeptical of any freedom he would gain at eighteen.

"Well, kinda... When he's around anyways," he replied to Jude's first question, looking out the window when he was asked if he was allowed to have sex, avoiding Jude's questioning stare. He took a long moment before answering quietly, "He would rather I didn't."

Jude gave a hollow chuckle. "I wasn't being serious. God, your dad actually wants you to be chaste, like as in waiting until marriage or some shit? That's so... Archaeic..." Jude said, sighing, "Then again, I suppose it's better than turning out like me, huh?" The question didn't really require an answer as it was obvious what Mercer would say.

"Yeah. He didn't want me to even know what sex was for forever. Perfectly innocent, upstanding son and a bitch wife who abandoned us both. Sympathy voters and values voters all at once, I guess," he muttered, bitterness seeping into the words uncosciously as the lemur spoke. He had gotten an earful of it when he had been caught with a girl in his room once, not that they had really gotten into it all that far. He hadn't even enjoyed it that much. He perked up, grinning at Jude's comparison between the two of them, so completely opposite. Jude had a point and a bit of humor about his rep apparently.

"Hm, you've got it pretty rough; you should try to let loose once in a while," he suggested, changing the subject as he turned into the plaza that held the shopping mall, finding a spot as quickly as possible and pulling into it. He didn't leave the car right away when they arrived at the mall, sharp eyes catching on a familiar group of jocks and cheerleaders, including Gregory and the girl that Mercer had been eyeballing earlier that day. He didn't say anything about the group, just sat in his car, watching them, waiting for some kind of cue from the lemur.

Mercer moved to get out of the car then stopped short as he saw his football friends and the cheerleader girls grouped together outside the entrance. He went back down in his seat, realizing belatedly that Jude had seen them too. "Ah..." his voice trailed off quietly, uncertain what more could be said, when he and Jude both were thinking the same thing, he was certain. Both his and the neko's hesitance was a fair indication of their similar thoughts.

Jude felt awkward for the first time in a long time, knowing the other male didn't really want to be seen hanging out with the likes of him. It would surely ruin whatever reputation the lemur was hoping to achieve whilst attending their school. He inhaled a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh. "Guess the mall's a bust... Well, at least you know where it is now. You wanna head back to the school?" he asked, not looking at the other male. He was a bit pissed off, mostly at himself and at the injustice of society's views of what was and was not acceptable. Jude's lifestyle was unacceptable in the eyes of people like Mercer's father and others like him, their children too. He sucked on his lower lip, tapping his foot, annoyed with the whole situation, having put a damper on his outing with the handsome lemur. This was why they couldn't be friends. Who am I kidding? he questioned inwardly.

"Yeah... Back to the school then, I guess," Mercer agreed, guilt creeping along under his skin. Jude seemed nice enough, but really. They didn't run in the same circles; they couldn't really. He wanted to be a high achiever, get into the best college he could, make his father proud, maybe act somewhere or something, marry a nice good girl and have some grandbabies for his father. A life his father would hopefully approve of, if a bit boring and structured. Mercer only hoped he wouldn't be too miserable. He wasn't to know that the very lifestyle that his dad had taught him was ideal was going to drive him mad. He had his reputation on the line. Jude would understand, probably. The moment was awkward for the lemur and he wished he knew something diplomatic to say to Jude to make it a bit better. But he didn't think there were any words that could make the situation less awkward and overall hurtful than it was. Besides, I'm not Jude's type, too uptight, a bit too straight and way too focused on reputation. And it'd take me ages to get past all that anyways, he justified in his head. He wasn't sure what he was trying to convince himself of, that he really wasn't Jude's type or that he didn't want to be Jude's type...

The neko's jaw twitched and instead of agreeing verbally, he merely nodded, starting his car once again, reversing before driving out of the parking lot. It wasn't fair that this had happened. It should have been simple. He shouldn't have offered to go to the cafe with Mercer or drive him next month. Now, he liked him. It should have been simple; teasing Mercer, seducing him, fooling around and nothing more. But it was too late now and he was surprised that it hurt. A pained expression flickered across pretty features, too pretty for a guy. The look was gone as quickly as it had appeared on his face as they stopped at the red light.

He had nothing to say now, shocked silent by his own realization that he'd broken his own rules, rules that were in place to avoid just this situation. He didn't need friends... You couldn't be hurt if you were alone, if you never let anyone in. I even talked about my mother... Fuck, this is a mess... he thought, running pale, slim fingers through his hair, desperately wanting a cigarette suddenly.

He didn't have friends because you couldn't fuck friends. If you did, things got complicated. Mercer was a friend now. And Jude didn't know how to go about removing that title from the other boy. He wanted to kiss him, to fool around, but it was more than that now and that scared the shit out of him. I'll just pretend... I'll go back to normal tomorrow. I'll flirt with him and tease him, but I won't touch him...It'll be as if this never happened...

Mercer suddenly felt completely exposed and out of place in Jude's car. His eyes focused outside, trying to look at anything, but Jude, his hand kneading his own leg unconsciously. Boys like Jude. They were trouble anyway. The lemur had something going; it could work for him if he played it right, but he didn't like hurting other furs, not intentionally anyhow. It wasn't his forte, never having been much of a bully, more of a bystander. He needed a drink. What a mess.

He sighed heavily, breath making the window next to him fog up slightly. He would have to make this up to Jude later somehow. Assuming Jude would even be willing to speak to him again after he'd so obviously chosen his reputation over the neko's company. Damned self image, he cursed inwardly, We would have been just fine if no one had shown up...

It was then that he realized, with the taste of bile rising on his tongue that he would have picked his reputation anyway.

Well Damn...

He had found a less than superficial friend, one that Mercer could actually see himself getting close to, trusting even and it turned out that he was the worst kind of fur to associate with in the name of lifestyle alone.

Jude stayed silent the entire ride back to the school, unable to think of the right words to say, unable to fake a flirty smile and make a move on the lemur. The only sound in the car was the melancholy chords of guitar playing out of the speakers. Jude's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as the notes he'd composed and played, recorded and burned made his eyes cloud with unshed tears. I will not cry about this... I am the one that made it this way...I am not lonely... I don't need friends... I don't need him...

Finally, they pulled up to the school. It was just passed four thirty and Jude didn't think he could spend any more time with the other male, not until he had a chance to collect himself. Tomorrow would be better. He chewed a plump bottom lip as he stopped at the front of the school.

"I can't stay, but it's been real," he said, turning guarded magenta eyes towards Mercer, smiling as if he were perfectly fine. "Lemme know if you ever wanna let loose. I'll come pick you up anytime," he said, winking at the other male.

After what had seemed like eternity to Mercer, the corvette pulled up in front of the school. Jude gave him a send off, albeit a distanced and chilly one compared to how he'd spoken with him at the cafe. Apparently he had fouled up badly. The smile seemed forced, but at the very least, he seemed to be okay, if not a little cold. A flirty wink and an open invitation was what he'd expected and he wasn't disappointed when Jude ended with just that.

With a guilty nod, Mercer slid out of the car. "Ha, I'll keep it in mind," he tried to laugh, to give the impression that nothing had changed when it clearly had, simply giving the neko a two fingered salute before moving out of the way. He stood on the curb closest to the bus stop, watching Jude's car speed off with another heavy sigh. He had a thirty minute wait and he was pretty certain it was going to be the longest thirty minutes of his entire life.

"Well, I fucked that one up," he muttered to himself as he sat down on the grass lawn and waited for his ride to come.

Jude went home in a pissy, depressed mood, annoyed and angry at himself and Mercer and life in general. Once he'd gotten home, he'd waved his father off when he'd asked how his day had been, his guitar slung over one slim shoulder haphazardly. His father had given him an understanding look and didn't pry, accepting his son's obvious intention to be alone.

The neko spent the night working over the songs he would play at the bar the next night, neglecting to eat once again, too engrossed in his work to even notice the rumble of his stomach. It was far into the wee hours of the morning by the time he finally stopped and crashed. When he didn't get up on time in the morning, his father peered in at him. Leaning in Jude's doorway, his father watched his son curled up surrounded by crumpled, scribbled pages containing notes and lyrics, still fully clothed, looking rumpled and forlorn with dark circles under his eyes. He'd obviously had a rough night. His father gave a half smile, reminded of himself in his younger years, staying up all night to work on his music until he'd drained himself. Instead of waking him for school, he let him sleep. He had a big night ahead of him after all; he could probably use the rest.

The daily ritual for Mercer went as follows: go home, see dad, sit through interrogation masked as conversation about his day in the most superficial way he could, check furbook and add the jocks and cheerleaders, and finally go to bed. Easy really. The next day, he was definitely going to apologize to Jude, had decided to dress up for it and rehearsed what he would say. He slept like shit that night.

To his surprise, the neko was gone, nowhere to be seen. Both classes they shared lacked Jude's presence. Even when he'd went out looking for him over lunch at the cafe and in the parking lot, there was not a single sign of him to his immense disappointment. His friends were the football jocks, so it was with them that he hung out during breaks and at lunch and in gym class, getting an invite to the bar with all of them. One of them had even taken the liberty of procuring a fake ID for him.

It worked out well for Mercer thanks to another weekend trip on his fathers behalf. His father had leaft early that morning, complete with the 'Be good. Don't let me hear about any trouble' and 'I'll have Trevor check in on you so be home safe!' Bullshit really. It was all an act his father put on, using Mercer as a career pawn, good PR and all that. Still, he made the best of it and after school, he met up with a bunch of the football guys just as they'd all agreed. Gregory was there, boasting that he had 'taught the little faggot a lesson' to restore himself after the episode the day before. It was all bull of course, since Mercer had been with Jude after school the day before, but he didn't correct the other. Mercer just smiled and nodded instead, satisfied that the neko and himself hadn't been seen together.

He had even manged to get an in with the alpha bitch, spending a good portion of his day making light passes at her and recieving them in exchange. By the time the last bell had sounded, they were officially a beta couple and the deciding factor would be how things went at the bar. It would be simple and he wouldn't be expected to lay with her either, which was a perk of sorts. Queen bitch she may be, but school whore she most certainly was not.

Even without Jude there, he seemed to be an object of consideration, Mercer noticed. The other students talked just as much about him while he wasn't there as they did when he was, maybe more so even. It seemed that though Jude had only skipped school a hanful of times on account of 'work injuries', it was suspected and assumed that that was what the neko was getting over.

It was now that Mercer realized exactly how much truth there was to the rumors and how much was simply speculation and fabrication. It was pretty clear to Mercer that the rumor as to Jude's absence was a flat out lie as he knew for a fact that the other male would have had to work awefully quickly to get a guy in bed after spending so much time after school with Mercer himself.

Lost in his thoughts after school, he mechanically told Trevor that he had a ride and not to worry about him, he'd call him if he needed anything. He was pulled along for the ride with his new 'friends'.

Jude hadn't been exaggerating; everything was near the school. The bar was just down the street opposite to the direction of the cafe he had visited the afternoon before. Mercer and Co. were lightly buzzed before five o' clock even rolled around and the neko had faded to the back of his thoughts with every sip of alcohol he took.

TBC...