The Signs (#Merome!)

Tree Tops

Jerome's POV

I wake up the next morning with shirtless Mitch in my arms. I never realized he was shirtless last night. Actually, now that I think about it, he may have been and I just never paid too much attention. I slowly untangle my arms from around him, only to make him roll onto his back. Now that the sunlight is shining into the cave, I get to see him. The definition of his muscles, his abs, everything. He is very attractive. Too bad he wouldn't fall in love with a bacca, or me for that matter. A guy like him could never love another guy. He must have girls lining up at his doorstep. I hear him start to wake up from under me.

"Morning, Jerome." He says turning over to me.

"Morning Mitch!" I say back, jumping off the bed. I walk around the small cave now lit up with the morning sun. Oh shit, I was supposed to be home last night. I think I better go explain some stuff to my parents. "Uh, Mitch. I gotta go. It was nice talking with you." I exclaim.

"Yeah, same here. We should do this again sometime" he says.

"Yeah! Well I know you will be here for the next little while so I guess I'll just come and visit you when I get the chance. If that is ok?" I say

"Oh sure, I'll be here for the next month so stop by whenever you want." With that I thank him for everything and scurry out the front of the cave. God, I cant wait to tell my friends.... wait I can't tell anyone. If they find out I've been hanging around a human they will have my head on a stick. Only my best friend knows I'm gay, just telling people that was hard. I can't imagine how a human would sit with everyone.

I climb up the vines of the nearest tree and jump from tree to tree. God I love this. I landed funny on one branch and I was reminded that I had hurt myself last night. I guess I'll be having to take it easy for the next few days and not be that crazy bacca all my friends and family know me as. I keep going a little bit when I see the faint outline of my village in the trees. Everything was made of jungle wood. All the little huts, and market and even the meeting hut. Everything is so nice here. I reach one of the far bridges that we had made and walk back to my place. I never really had breakfast so I think I should get something to eat. I'm only half way there when my best friend Cheyenne catches me.

"Where were you last night?" She asks walking in front of me.

" I was out, nothing to worry about Chey." I answer.

"Doesn't look like it. I can see it in your eyes. Don't think you can hide things from me, we have been best friends since birth after all." I just look away from her. I don't know how to tell her what I just found out. Or how I'm even feeling about it. Yeah Mitch is cute and all, but I can't have feelings for a human. Bacca's can't have that, it's against out nature. "Oh my god! You found someone didn't you!" She says.

"SHH!" I snap, "I don't want anyone to know." She snickers and starts to skip around chanting quietly,

"Jerome has a crush, Jerome has a crush.." I pull her off the bridge to a lower branch and motion her to follow me. She follows and we get a little bit away from the main part of the village so that no one could hear us.

"Chey, you cannot say ANYTHING to anyone about this, do you understand!?"

"Yes, Jerome, I do. Now who is he. Is it Martin, he is so cute!"

No, Chey, you don't understand. Here I want you to meet me here tonight at dusk and I will show you." I say

"Alright Mr. sneaky whatever you say. I'll wait for you here." And with that I run off, saying good bye to Chey and heading back home. Chey is one person to talk to and be able to explain things to, my family however, not so easy. My mom is pretty understanding. My dad however, being one of the top bacca's of the tribe. Yes believe it or not, we do not have one chief like most people assume. We actually have around 5 or 6 bacca's who discuss and figure out new rules and laws around the village. It makes sure everyone has their say in what goes on. And I like it. I get home and see my mom in the kitchen cutting up some raw meat.

"Oh hey Jerome, where were you last night. You didn't come home" she asks. I try to avoid answering it when my dad comes in.

"Jerome, were you out last night trying to hunt?" he asked. I sighed in relief knowing that I now had some sort of escape route.

"Uh, yeah dad. I was. Found nothing though." I hesitated, not knowing what else to say.

"Well be careful. There have been reports of a human entering the jungle. If you find it, let us know and we will dispose of it. We don't want it finding our village or exposing us to the human world. Last time a human did we lost more than half our population."

"Yes dad, I will." I answer walking out of the room. I head upstairs and lock my door. I go under my bed and take out a box, I unlock it and take out it's items. Every human thing I have come across. It may not be much but I want to know what it is. I have only wondered and know what they taught us in school. I want to actually know what humans use it for. I grab a bag and fill it with items. Including my trusty axe. I got it when I was 10. Every bacca gets a special gift to them when they turn 10 years old. Because when we turn 10, we are officially known as adults and can take on roles for being a soldier. My dad taught me to fight at that age but he never enrolled me. It might be because of my mom being a worry wart. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he didn't. Especially now when the main threat is a human and my new found friend is our so called enemy.

The day passed rather slowly. Nothing to extravagant happening. I did my house hold chores and made sure the weapons and stock room of the village is cleaned out and all the dull axes get resharpened and make more arrows. I don't mind doing this job. It gives me time to think and I don't really have to go out and patrol the jungle every day. I know it all by heart anyway but I don't have to be in a patrol with like 4 other baccas. It's too much stress having to worry about everyone else. I get back home just as the sun is about to set. Welp I better go meet Chey at out meeting place and make our way towards Mitch's cave. God I hope no one has found it yet. He seems pretty careful. You have to be pretty much traveling at ground level to even see any light. So my family shouldn't see anything. I grab my axe and bag and run off to go meet her.