All The Way

Chapter Twenty Four: Background

**Mark's POV**

"I hope you all took advantage of this weekend, and practiced your plays. We will be starting presentations on Monday. Today, you can go through props, and practice on stage if you'd like. Go ahead, and get practicing," Mr. Avidan sighed, running a hand through his grand array of frizzy brown curls. 

Jack muttered to himself, looking down at the script in his hands. I leaned towards him, kissing his cheek gently. He tensed beneath my quick touch, the paper in his hands tearing slightly as his fingers twitched. I sat back in my chair, and grinned to myself. Jack looked at me, a mix of anger, and wonder in his bright eyes. I bit my lip, admiring the slight reddish hue in his cheeks, and the youthful twinkle in his eyes. 

"You're absolutely adorable, you know that?" I whispered, smirking flirtatiously at him. 

"Will you knock it off? We're performing on Monday, and I haven't seen you look at your script in years!" Jack griped, his voice a high pitch from his frustration. 

I chuckled, and rolled my eyes, pulled my phone from my pocket. As I pulled up a picture of my script, my phone buzzed. I switched over the screen to look at the text from Tyler. Jack yelled at me for playing on my phone, but I brushed his squeaky voice aside, as I read the message.

"Hey, Jack?" I asked, sending Tyler a simple reply. 

"Yeah?" Jack asked, his voice evening out, the frustration in his eyes flickering to concern.

I smiled at his change in mood, and asked, "Do you want to go to Tyler's house? He and Ethan want to hang out."

Jack's eyes widened, the red flush returning to his pale cheeks. "Um, uh... Am I invited?" he stumbled.

I laughed, and leaned forward, stealing yet another kiss. I let my lips linger on his, unafraid of the prying eyes. Jack pulled back in embarrassment, but didn't knock my hand away, which lingered against his cheek. 

"Of course you're invited, silly," I smiled.  

"Okay, let's go," Jack smiled, his eyes still filled with some uncertainty. 

**Felix's POX**

Those two really don't give two shits about what anyone thinks? I thought to myself, while watching Mark and Jack get all lovely dovey in the middle of class. Cry hummed to himself, as he scanned the shelves of props in the small backstage area, while I sat on the steps leading up to the stage. I didn't recognize the song he was humming, but the harmony sounded beautiful on his lips. He didn't have his mask with him, and he had left his hoodie back at our seats, leaving him more revealed than usual. Although he wore a basic black t-shirt, and black skinny jeans, I felt that too much of his skin was exposed. I wanted to wrap my jacket at him, and his at any eyes lingering to long on his precious face. I cleared my throat, and sat up, trying to knock the ridiculous thought from my head.

"Um, Cry?" I muttered.

"Mhmm?" Cry mumbled, while placing a top hat on his head. Strands of his jet black hair pressed flat over his piercing eyes, as he gazed up at me with an incredibly attractive expression. 

God, I want to make out with you right now. "Um, do you want to go to the movies after school?"

Cry pulled the hat off his head, and tossed back his hair with a smooth jerk of his chin. Fuck. Cry smiled, a hint of a blush on his pale cheeks. 

"You mean, like a date?" Cry whispered, although the word date seems to attract attention, like flies to shit. 

Although a few eyes fell onto Cry and I, I swallowed my nerves, and nodded. A few judgmental, and curious whispers followed, but bright smile blurred everyone else. He was all that mattered.

**Jack's POV**

I sat across from Mark, who was sandwiched between Tyler and Ethan on an old grey couch. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my thighs, curling my fingers in a hole around my knee in the black skinny jeans. Mark laughed deeply, as Ethan and Tyler bickered, and filled him in on a bunch of juicy gossip, I could see Mark didn't really care about. A light flickered in his squinted brown eyes as he laughed. He loved these guys. 

I felt kind of awkward, but Ethan and Tyler didn't seem to notice. They welcomed me, just as they had when they first met me, as if I were an old friend, yet I felt so out of place. Mark wiped his smile away, and studied my expression with soft eyes. What's wrong? he mouthed. I smiled, and shook my head. Ethan climbed around Mark like a monkey, and sat on Tyler's lap. Tyler grinned, and kissed the blue haired boy deeply. I smiled lightly, and met Mark's gentle gaze. 

"Oh my god! Jack, do you want to see baby pictures of Mark?" Ethan shouted, jumped from the couch, and bolted from the room before I could comprehend his words.

"Do you want to die young?" Mark groaned, but couldn't help but smile. 

Tyler chuckled, and rubbed his temple. Ethan skipped back into the room, and sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table. Mark's smile flickered with a hint of worry, as he sat up to look over Ethan's shoulder. I chuckled, and slid off the love-seat to sit across from Ethan. Ethan flipped open the old photo album.

"This is Mark on Halloween of 2005. He dressed up as Mario, and Tyler was Luigi, and I was Toad."

I leaned over the album, and grinned at the young Mark staring up at me. Fucking cute. I looked up at Mark and smiled at the sight of him blushing. 

"And this is us at back to school night, in third grade."

I looked down at the picture, and studied the man standing behind Mark. Something in his eyes closely resembled him, and the sad expression flashing over Mark's face told me what I was thinking was right. His father. 

"That's enough, Ethan," Tyler whispered, squeezing his thin shoulder gently. 

Ethan bit his bottom lip, and closed the album. "Sorry," he whispered, and shuffled off to put the album away. 

I studied Mark's sad expression, a knot twisting in my hollow stomach. Mark sighed, and licked his dry lips. 

"My dad died before my freshmen year. He was my best friend. He was someone I still strive to be like: someone who made others happy. Now, I live with a pedophile of a stepdad," Mark whispered, a stray tear escaping his left eye. 

Tyler wrapped an arm around Mark's shoulders, and pulled him against his chest. Mark cried against his chest. My heart ached at the sight of him crumbling. A tear slid down my cheek, the knot in my stomach tightening. 

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.