I Kissed A Boy.

27.

**Ziggy.**

"Wait up guys!"
He was only seven at the time, and the slowest runner in his class.
Everyone was leaving him behind.
But it didn't stop him from trying to catch up to the rest of the kids running.
His heart pounded against his chest.
No matter how fast he ran, everyone was too far away.

"Geeze, you're fast!" Another boy sighed as Ziggy turned, his eyes on a boy with light skin, messy brown hair and dark brown eyes.
He leaned over trying to catch his own breath, before standing up straight with a cheeky grin.
"I thought I'd never catch up!" He laughed.
Ziggy stared back at him.

"Was I really that fast?" He found himself asking.
The brunet grinned.
"The fastest! I hate running, but I saw how hard you were trying to catch up with the rest of the class, and it inspired me to run after you." He said.
Ziggy blinked before his eyes fell on the others opened hand.

"I'm Monty Baker." He introduced himself as Ziggy stared, his eyes on the others hand before smiling brightly.
"I'm Ziggy Jones!" 

My eyes opened laying in bed.
It's been weeks since everything happened.
No one will say it.
But I ruined everything.
If I didn't go and talk to Devi, thinking I might actually change something.
This wouldn't be happening.

And now..
I was dreaming of an old friend.
Someone I haven't seen in nine years.
It was so weird..

I walked down stairs into the kitchen where the others were.
"Good morning, Ziggy!" Mitzi greeted me first as she ate her eggs.
I blinked before taking a seat.
"Good morning." I replied as my eyes fell on Hyde who turned to me with a plate, he smiled softly.

"Sleep well?" He asked.
I stared before nodding.
"I did.. actually, is.. Is it normal to dream of someone you haven't seen in nine years?" I questioned looking at Hyde who blinked.

"Of course it's normal, you could both be thinking of each other and that's what caused the dream." He explained.
I blinked.
"Oh.. I guess that makes sense."

"Who were you dreaming about from nine years ago?" Rixley questioned, eating her toast as she looked at me curiously.
I looked at her before rubbing the side of my neck.
"O-Oh... his name was Monty Baker, he was my first friend in elementary school.. but he moved before my parents died, I haven't seen him since." I said.

Mitzi frowned softly at me.
"You said he was your first friend-"
"Well, my only friend." I smiled softly, keeping my hand against my neck as I looked at her.
"No one else wanted to be friends with the kid who was confused."
Mitzi rolled her eyes at that.
"There is nothing wrong being confused or gay, those kids are all just close minded, but you got away from that lame ass school."

"Wish we could." Rixley commented.
Mitzi grinned.
"And then you'll never see Hailey." She pointed out.
Rixley sighed heavily.
"Fair enough."

I looked to the time and frowned.
"I'll see you guys later."
"Heading to school?" Mitzi questioned.
I nodded.
"Kaiser's waiting on me." I smiled before leaving.
----------
I walked down the street, my thoughts everywhere as I looked to the trees.
Why did I dream of him?
I didn't hate it.
But it made me sad.

I walked into the parking lot and found Kaiser who walked up to me first, he smiled softly taking my hand as his lips pressed to mine.
"You walked again?" He asked.
I blinked before nodding.
"The air.. it's nice." I told him.
Kaiser looked at me before frowning softly.

"Are you okay? You look upset about something." He pointed out.
My face flushed as I shook my head.
"I-I'm fine, I just had a dream that brought up memories of the past." I told him.
Kaiser frowned softly, his hand brushing my cheek.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned.
I looked at him with a soft smile.
"It was just a dream about an old friend, nothing too serious." I said.

"Zigzag!" My eyes fell on Rocky as he stood with Devin and Jayce, who lost a lot of weight after Devi came and took Joshua from him.

"Hi." I approached the three as Rocky looked at me.
"You look like crap, bad night?" He asked.
I stared before rubbing the side of my neck.
"Just weird dreams is all." I said.

Around Jayce?
I felt like I had no right to feel bad about anything.
He was the one going through it the most right now.
Seeing his brother walk the halls and act cruelly towards the other.
It made me hate Devi, more and more.

Devin made a face.
"Weird dreams?" He questioned.
I frowned at the other.
"About an old friend of mine.." I grabbed my upper arm frowning softly.

"Ziggy."
I looked to Jayce who was frowning at me.
"I want to talk to you." He left Dorian's side who looked confused.
I was hesitant before I followed after the other.

We were almost in the woods before Jayce finally stopped, he turned to me with anger in his eyes.
"Stop it." He told me.
I made a face, frowning at the other.
"Stop.. what?"
"Tip toeing around me!" Jayce glared.
"You are not the one who lost everything, I did, my parents don't even know who Joshua is. They barely know who I am, and because of Devi... I've lost everything! I appreciate you wanting to be considerate of my feelings, but you are not helping when you think I'm going to explode any second!" He frowned at me.

"Like.. now?" I frowned softly at him.
Jayce flinched before glaring.
"It's been weeks since you, Kaiser and Rocky went head to head with Devi, I don't even know what you were thinking when you went on your own to talk to Devi. You are human, I am human." Jayce had tears in his eyes glaring at me.

"First I lost Rocky, then Devin and now Joshua.. If you keep acting like Devi won't kill you, you're going to be the next one that DOES die, and I don't want that to happen to you." Jayce cried now.
My body was frozen as the other stood in front of me, sobbing all over again.
"You're my friend, Ziggy, the humans in this school are almost zero to none, you and I.. we have to stick together, but we can't do that if you keep tiptoeing like you're going to set me off." Jayce looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"I wanted to hate you, I wanted to hate Rocky and Kaiser as well, but I couldn't make myself do it because at the end of the day? Joshua still CHOSE Devi over me, he knew the risks and he took them anyway.. maybe this is me trying to convince myself that things are better this way, I know it's not healthy, but I'm all out of options. I just want us to come to school and be friends, not be cautious and scared we're going to hurt each other's feelings." Jayce looked at me with sadness in his eyes.

"I know you wanted to talk to Devi about Joshua, I know you wanted to help, and every day I wish you hadn't.. you really are an amazing guy, Ziggy, but as a human? You have to know your place here, especially around Devi." Jayce stepped forward as he looked at me.

"Please, don't act reckless like that again, I don't want to lose you." He told me.
My body moved on its own.
It's only done that with my parents, Monty, Kaiser and now.
Jayce.

I wrapped my arms around the other, tears in my own eyes.
"I-I promise I won't act reckless again, I'm sorry." I cried, hugging the other.

Our friends were on the hill, watching us as Jayce refused to let me go.
I didn't move from this spot as he clung to me.
There was trust here and I wouldn't lose that, not with Jayce.

Stetson looked to Dorian.
"You look jealous."
Dorian watched the two before looking to Stetson.
"Oh I am, but this? Jayce needed this." He replied.

I stood there as Jayce finally let me go, he wiped his eyes as I looked at the other.
"Jayce-"
"I'm sorry.. for getting loud with you, you didn't deserve that-"
"No it's fine!" I exclaimed blushing at the other whose eyes slightly widened.
"I-If yelling at someone helps you feel better, yell away, it's.. healthy to get stuff off of your chest." I told him.
Jayce stared before finally giving off a genuine smile.
"Thanks.. come on, before we're late for class." He told me heading back up the hill.
--------
"Are you two okay now?" Kaiser asked me at the lockers.
I held my books to my chest before nodding.
"I.. I think so, Jayce really needed someone to vent to, I'm happy it was me." I told him.
Kaiser smiled softly cupping my cheek now.
"I think I fall for you every day, especially seeing you grow into someone you're comfortable being." He said before pressing his lips to mine.

I smiled but it vanished seeing two certain vampires lingering at their own lockers.
"It's healthy to get stuff off of your chest."

"Kaiser, I know I asked you this before, but.. do you trust me-"
"Yes." Kaiser smiled softly looking at me.
"I hesitated on that question before, when I should have answered you with yes the first time." He told me.
I blinked but smiled softly.
"I trust you as well." I told him before leaving the others side.

I inhaled deeply before walking over to the two who were fixing to walk to class.

"Zeke!" I yelled which made the other come to a complete stop.
He turned to me with a soft glare.
"Who the fuck-"

"I just wanted to let you know, I'm changing." I told him, glaring softly at the other.
"It's taking time, a-and I know I'll get there, but you should know." I looked down before looking back at him with furrowed brows.
"When that time comes? You won't scare me, you're just a bully as a vampire, and I plan to overcome that fear." I told him.

Zeke was grinning at me.
"Look at you~ keep talking big and you'll come to regret that." He responded.
The fear returned as I stood there.
Zeke walked right up to me, Asher's eyes were locked on Kaiser who was glaring at the lockers now.

"You think growing a pair is enough to make me back off? You seem to forget about the difference between you and I." Zeke leaned in.
"You're human, if you keep talking big? You'll be reminded painfully of your place, if your guard dog wasn't at those lockers right now? You and I would have a date with compulsion, but, I know it took a lot for you to even open that mouth of yours." Zeke smirked softly, his lips to my ear.
"Is praise what you wanted from me?" He asked as my face flushed red.
"No-"
"Don't forget, Ziggy, just like that friend of yours that Devi owns? You can also be ripped away from your own friends, word is that it almost happened, this ballsy act you're trying to pull? I'd back off of it." Zeke's eyes locked with mine.

"Now, be a good little boy and go back to that guard dog of yours, before you piss me off." He told me.

I stepped back, my mind blank before returning to Kaiser who immediately took my face, scanning my eyes as he glared harshly in Zeke's direction.

"Ziggy-"
"I wanted to use my own advice I gave to Jayce, and it totally backfired." I smiled sadly with tears in my eyes.
"I don't think Zeke will ever change, even if I manage to." I told him.

Kaiser's brows furrowed before bringing me into an embrace.
"Who cares if he doesn't change? All that matters is that you're trying to change, and that makes me so proud of you." He smiled softly.
I looked up at him.
"E-Even if I didn't change?" I asked.
"Even then." He confirmed, his lips pressing against mine.

"Let's go to class." He said taking my hand as we walked down the hall.
I nodded but paused.

"Hey.. Kaiser?"
Kaiser turned to me.
"Yeah?" 
I frowned softly at him.

"If.. If things between us last, if you're okay with it.. I think I'd like to remain human for as long as I can." I told him.
Kaiser blinked before tilting his head with a curious smile.
"I can respect that, but can I ask what brought this on?" He questioned.

I looked at him.
"I made a promise to Jayce that I wouldn't act reckless, and.. he pointed out how there are less and less humans in our school now, in our group of friends.. we're sort of the last two, and we have to stick together.. so-"
"Ziggy." I looked up at Kaiser who smiled softly.

"I would never turn you unless you asked me, and honestly? It wasn't on my list of things to do." He told me.
I felt my eyes slightly widen.
"Oh.. it wasn't?" I asked.
Why did that disappoint me?

Kaiser smiled softly, taking my hand.
"Of course not, especially if it's not something you want, but I do have a question." He looked at me as my eyes met his.
"If the situation was bad, say you were close to death and the only option in saving you would be bringing you back as a vampire, would you agree then?" He asked me.

I stared at him.
"If.. If I was going to die, then yes, I'd want you to save me.. even if it meant turning." I answered.
Kaiser smiled softly, leaning in.
"Okay, but as long as I'm here? You won't have that worry, you'll stay human until you're old and gray." He told me.
I blinked.
"Would you still be with me, even then?" I questioned.
Kaiser smiled, his lips almost touching mine.
"Even then." He promised.

"Ziggy..?"
That familiar voice.
My heart raced as my face flushed.

I turned around with wide eyes, brown ones staring back at me with shock.

"Monty?"