Pledge

18. Oh, Heck

18. Oh, Heck

"Mitch, c'mere," Jax mumbled the next morning, falling into stride with Mitch as he walked to class.

"Fuck no."

"Please?"

Mitch was surprised by the tone of his big brother. He rolled his eyes, taking a seat on a bench and waiting for whatever bullshit that was going to inevitably spew from the man's lips.

"I'm so sorry, Mitch. I don't know why I said those things to you."

Mitch fought the urge to slap him. "Go on."

Jax sighed. "You know how hard this is," he mumbled, looking at the ground.

"How hard what is?"

Jax's eyes widened. "C'mon, Mitch."

"Say it."

"I'm.... I'm bisexual, okay?"

"And?"

Jax's eyes became teary. "And I'm seeing Scott. And I'm not ready to tell people."

The words stabbed Mitch in the heart like tiny little knives. "And?" he choked out.

"And..." Jax searched his face for a sign of what his little was looking for. "And... I bent the truth to get you out of the way," Jax whispered.

"And?"

"Mitch."

"Tell me what I need to know."

"I don't know what you need to know!"

"Tell me that Scott is doing this... whatever this is... because he wants to. Not because you're making him."

Jax's eyes softened. "Of... of course." Jax's voice cracked. "I would never do that, Mitch. I wouldn't take advantage of a pledge like that. God, you think I'm that much of a monster?"

"After the threats you made to me the other night? Jax, you were disgusting."

Jax cringed. "I know. Please know that I would never... I would never do that. Not to you. Not to him." He gripped Mitch's shoulder, shaking it slightly. "I care about you so much, Mitch. You're my little. One of my best friends."

"Do you ruin all of your best friends' chances of happiness, or am I the only lucky one?"

Jax sighed. "I don't know why I've been acting the way I have been. I know it's been ugly. I swear to you, though, I'm not making him do anything he doesn't wanna do."

"So, what happened then? You told Scott that I hate him, and then he leapt into your arms and confessed his undying love for you? Somehow I can't connect these dots."

"The opposite, I guess?" Jax muttered, desperately. "I told him how I felt. We've been... hanging out... ever since."

Mitch scoffed. "Is that what they're calling it, these days? So who knows, then? Obviously at least two people do. Joey, and who else?"

"You know Joey is like my Kevin. My absolute best friend, so I told him." Jax fiddled with his hands in his lap, and Mitch knew that this was hard for him to talk about.

He almost felt bad. Almost.

"Joey wrote the one on his chest. 'Will suck dick to make friends.'" Jax cringed at the words. "I don't know who wrote 'faggot slut'. And... well... Zach wrote the one about hearing that he has a talented mouth. I don't know who wrote the one about the fact that multiple brothers want to fu..."