What Is Love?

Street Smarts?

The pic of this chapter is Sierra!
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The next month was awesome and Cooper and Wes were together happily and Nick got his license. Cooper gets hers also. The pain of Blaine's death fades away a little more and lets me be happy with Nick without feeling guilty for dating him.
I walk up behind Cooper's locker and when she slams it shut she jumps. "Jesus!" She exclaims. I laugh and use a line from a recently watched movie "Nope it's just me." Somebody comes up behind me and grabs me. Familiar tan arms wrap around my chest and shoulders. "Ahaha, you can't scare me!" I exclaim. Nick laughs in my ear and releases me. Cooper laughs and says "Are you guys coming to my place?" I shake my head "Can't. You know how my parents are doing the foster thing? They're bringing home two kids tonight. I asked mom and she said only Nick tonight." Cooper nods and grins "You can at least come walk me back to my place, right? I mean yah Wes will be with me but he still has Zero street smarts and doesn't know how to defend himself like we do." I sigh and say "Fine but if I get in trouble it's on you guys." Cooper nods.
We walk out of the school building and find Wesleigh waiting for Coop. He sees me and Nick with her and almost deflates. I say "Hey now I know you love us, but don't get too excited to see us." Wesleigh still isn't used to my humor. Cooper shoots me a stern look but there is an amused glint in her eyes. She says "Nate and Nick aren't coming to the house with us, they're walking us home. Nate got in trouble and he lost his car for the week and I can't use mine, I have a stupid flat tire. And Nick's sister has his car. We have to walk, but it is usually faster this way anyway." Wes asks "So why do they have to come with us?" I sigh and say "You have NO city street smarts and it's not okay for my best friend to be out after dark with a guy that has no street smarts and doesn't know how to defend himself agains a mugger or someone like that. You could see a homeless man on the street asking for change and bend to give him some then the next thing you know someone has you pinned against the wall of an alley at gun point." He looks stunned at the reply. I say hastily "That particular event did not happen to me but to...an old...friend's brother." Nick and Cooper nod and she says "Yah, I have been jumped, Nate has and Nick has. Thank God for the school uniforms. They don't have pockets whereas you on the other hand have pockets." He nods and says "Okay Okay I get it lets jus go."
As we walk down the sidewalk, I feel a sudden familiar feeling. The feeling of being watched. I entangle my fingers with Nicks and whisper "I think we're being followed but don't look." He nods and I lean towards Cooper and repeat the statement. She nods and says loudly "Did either of you two bring any money for dinner or coffee or anything?" Wesleigh turns to look at her and starts to say "I-" but she cuts him off with a quick kiss on the mouth. He looks surprised and doesn't try to continue his sentence. Cooper laughs. She puts her arm over my and Wes's shoulders and leans toward him and whispers something to him. When we get close to the familiar coffee shop with reflective glass windows I glance into it and confirm my guess. There is a man in a grey and black hoodie with a smaller guy beside him. The man's eyes are just visible beneath the hood, and he is starring at Cooper. I think a minute. 'Should we pretend to stop and get coffee or keep going? Stopping could give them the chance to corner us so we keep walking. I make another split second decision. I whisper to Cooper "They're still following us. We have to stay on the city roads in front of people. If we veer off into the neighborhood they won't have to worry about being seen Lets stay on the main roads for now." She nods.
We continue this way until we reach the darker side of the city. It's less populated than the rest of the city. I think 'Shit Shit Shit! Stupid! I'm such a fucking Idiot!' Suddenly we find ourselves between two dark empty streets. I can't react fast enough. The men seize their chance and grab me and Cooper from behind. Two more come out of nowhere and grab Wes and Nick. Next thing we know we're pushed up against the alley wall. "Where are your wallets?" The man holding me demands. I think for a moment "I don't have mine, you know, detention then having to come home straight after school and not having time to change." The man looked confused for a minute then glances at his friends. They shake their head. I think harder and the mugger demands again "Where are your fucking wallets!" I shake my head and reply "We don't have ours. Our uniforms don't have pockets." The man slaps me hard across the face. I blink and spit out a little blood. "Fine I will find it myself!" The man says. He searches me like a police officer would at an airport. He doesn't come up with anything. When he bends to check my pockets and shoes and knee him in the face hard, hard enough to knock him back. Cooper knees her mugger in the groin, Nick knees his attacker in the stomach. Wesleigh's mugger lets go to help his partners and we seized the chance and took off. We were almost back to the city when someone grabbed my hair and yanked me to a stop. I saw a blood covered hand in my field of vision but nobody else. 'Ow shit my hair! Ow Let go of my Hair!' I think. I glance up at the mugger who has a bloody nose. He has anger blazing in his eyes. I swallow and am about to say something when I happen to glance at Nick. His face is red and his face pinched in anger and his hands are fists. Nick starts toward the man and he tightens his grip on my hair and wraps and arm around my neck in a headlock. I cry out a little. It was disoriented so it probably sounded like mumbling "Ow Fit My Chucking Hayer!" Rather than backing down, Nick runs straight at the man and kicks him in the lower region. The man lets out a yell and let's go of me. I run gasping for air, Nick right by my side holding my hand.
We finally get back into the city and we stand under the glowing coffee shop sign. Wesleigh looks terrified and I can't help but smile a little. Nick holds me close to him, arms around my waist. I throw my arms around his neck and breath in the smell of his cologne mixed with the smell of his uniform. My breathing comes out a little shaky. After a few minutes, I let go and turn to look at Wesleigh. He still looks really shaken and freaked out. I smile at him and say "Are you ok, you look a little...shocked." I was the one directly nice or caring thing I'm pretty sure I have ever said to him, he better not get used to it. He nods a little and says "Why did they go for you first?" I shrugged and replied "Eh probably because I am the short, blond, gay looking kid." Cooper says "Not true!" Nick agrees with her. My smile gets wider and I reply "Okay fine. That was the same guy that mugged me last time I'm pretty sure. I'm sure he recognised me or something, I mean it's kind of hard to forget the kid that...never mind." Nick says "Come on we should probably keep moving." I nod in agreement. Cooper and Wesleigh walk hand in hand down the sidewalk, away from us. I turn to Nick and say "Heading to my place after this, what do u want to do?" I smile wickedly and pull on his tie. He rolls his eyes a little and says "Watch a movie?" I grin and laugh. I pull him closer by the tie and kiss him. He kisses me back. Just as I start to open his mouth with my tongue, Cooper interrupts, clearing her throat and saying "Hey you guys can continue that later, people are starting to stare. I pull away and roll my eyes mockingly "Let them stare, I could care less." I grab his hand intertwining our fingers, and reluctantly follow them. I catch a disapproving look from several passing strangers but ignore them. I'm pretty sure I caught a slightly grossed out look from Wesleigh to no one in particular.
When we get to Cooper's house I make sure to say hey to her mom and sister. I give Sierra a hug and pretend to step back and take in her appearance. "Looking lovely as ever in those sweatpants and old T, Sierra." I tell her. She laughs and rolls her eyes at me. Her mom likes me too. I hug her and she frowns at my hair. "You hair is sticking up, Nate! First time for everything, right?" I chuckle and push the rebellious strands back. Her father doesn't like me very much. He usually is in his office or at work when I'm over. I don't like him very much either he makes homophobic comments even when I am around. He lays on the couch pretending to read while I visit a little. "Who is this gentleman Nate? I don't think I have met him." Sierra says. I introduce them quickly "Sierra this is Nick Sinclair, Nick this is Cooper's sister Sierra." She nods and shakes his hand. I whisper "He is my newerish boyfriend. I just didn't want to mention anything in front of..." I trail off a little. She nods. Mrs. Quinn asks "Have you already eaten? If not we will be pleased if you were to join us!" I smile at her "Oh no I couldn't! Thank you for the offer, Nick and I are heading back to my place, my parents are bringing home the fosters tonight or in the morning I'm not sure when so they agreed -after a lot of begging- that Nick could come and keep
me company." Mrs. Quinn nods and I take the opportunity to excuse myself and run to the kitchen to grab a water bottle out of the refrigerator. To my absolute horror Mr. Quinn comes into the kitchen. He glances at me and says "Is that your Boyfriend in there?" He almost spits out the word boyfriend. I nod politely "Yes sir he is." He snorts and shakes his head. "What happened to the other one? The blonde one? Did you get rid of him for that one?" I realise he means Blaine. I swallow hard and bite my lip. I shake my head "No sir." Mr. Quinn doesn't seem to notice the sudden tension. "Oh I see he dumped you for another boy." I again shake my head and take a deep shuddering breath. The man looks me hard in the eye. I look down, willing the sudden emotions to go away. I close my eyes as the unwelcome tears threaten to come when Mrs. Quinn, and Wesleigh come into the room. She looks from me to her husband. Wesleigh stands behind her awkwardly. I take another shuddering breath. Mrs. Quinn must have noticed my pale face because she demands angrily "What the hell did you ask him Charles?" He takes a sip casually from his soda and shrugs. The threat of tears becomes more than a threat a few tears start to come. I wipe my eyes quickly. Realisation crosses Mrs. Quinn's face when she sees my tears. She whips around at her husband and demands loudly "I know you did NOT ask him about Blaine!" Mr. Quinn nods. She starts yelling at him. Wesleigh looks confused again. Sierra and Cooper come running in, Nick hot on their heels. He takes one look at me and rushes in. I wipe my eyes again. Cooper hugs me and asks me "What's wrong? What did he say to you?" I just shake my head. "Clearly I have overstayed my welcome. Come on Nick." I pull him out of the kitchen. Mrs. Quinn and Sierra stay and fuss at Mr. Quinn while Wesleigh and Cooper follow me out onto the porch. Nick goes inside to grab my blazer from the living room. Cooper apologises "I am So sorry about that, Nate. He knows about the incident too! I don't know why he acted like that!" I just shake my head "Don't worry about it. He knows it gets to me easily that's why he does it. We both know that." Wesleigh asks cautiously "Why doesn't Mr. Quinn like you? I expected him to hate me but..." He trails off. I reply "He doesn't approve of his daughter being around all the public school shit so he sent her to Brooklyn Academy. There, on her first day of school she came home and said she found herself a new best friend. They asked who and it was me. They soon found out I am gay and his mom accepted it but her dad hates my guts. Before I had Nick, I had another guy named...named Blaine. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver before my own eyes. Going home from my house. Called 911 got him in and he died. I was with his family when he got the news and everything. Cooper helped me get through it, but her dad knows this and he knows I am still weak. His continuous taunting used to be like a stab in the gut with a knife and twisting the knife. Now it's more of a reopening cut or scrape but it still hurts. Don't get my wrong I love Nick with all my heart and soul, but Blaine was... I don't know." Cooper finishes
-making sure to keep her voice down and making sure Nick wasn't there- "He was one of the few sources of happiness Nate ever got. He was not like Nick, Blaine was just different, out there, wild, crazy. Nick is better for you though Nate. I think you know this too." As much as I hate to admit it, I know she is somewhat correct. He was wild and crazy and loved to party and have a ton of fun and you could tell he was dominant in our relationship. Nick is loving, caring, fun, funny, and not as dominant. Nick shows more vulnerability than Blaine did. I chuckled and said "I got used to his craziness, and dominance, I missed it and didn't know what to do. I do know though, I am a lot better. Less need for dependence on someone..." Wesleigh hesitates then asks "By dominance...you mean..." I grin and laugh "You don't want to know." Cooper laughs with me. "Do you truly want to know?" She asks him. He nods slowly. "Leader-dominant. Leader in the relationship, leader in where you go...What You Do." She emphasises the last part. Wesleigh's face flushes. I nod rapidly.
Nick comes outside and hands me my blazer. He notices my smile and asks "You guys are fast to cheer him up aren't you!" Cooper nods and pushes him into me. He grabs my arm for support. We laugh at him a little and my phone rings. My ringtone is set as Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I answer "Hello?" It's my mom. "Are you at home right now?" My eyes grow wide. "Um sort of. Why?" My mother's voice is thick with suspicion "Just making sure. We will be home around...12 I think, if we are on time." I nod even though she can't see me "Yep, Okay. Got it mom." She hangs up. I stare at my phone. "What was that about?" Cooper asks. "My mother just hung up in me!" I exclaimed. She laughed, as did Nick. "She said they will be home around 12 which basically means 1, then she hung up on me. We will have to be up for a while won't we Sinclair?" He smiled at me and said "Yep. But you know it's like 10 now right?" I mock gasp and say "We had better get home then. Race you there!" Cooper rolls her eyes at our humor and says "Go on. Stay clean don't make me go check on you guys!" I laughed again "Stay clean? Who do you think I am? Say bye to Mrs. Quinn and Sierra for me!" I turned and waked back out into the sidewalk, dragging Nick behind me.