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June 12th, 1999
12:00 pm, Noon
Today marks the evening of the Jumpers traditional get-together dance. Bonnie Jumper is 17 years old. 17 years after the family's feud begun. Not once has he learned of the boy next door. But he has known all his life of the Griffin family while being reminded of it daily at dinner time with his parents. Bonnie begins his evening getting dressed for the dance. This dance isn't like any other. You dance with your family that has been flown across the globe for generations. You see familiar faces, see new faces, and yet they miss each other when they're gone. Invitations are spread around with the location, time, and date for all family members.
Bonnie stands in front of the mirror in his room. Eyeing himself down and making sure he looks as stunning as possible and not a trace of gay to be seen. He sighs in relief, as being gay is a crime in his family. He smiles softly at himself as he runs his long fingers through his own hair. He's surprised he can pull off a tux. Yelling can be heard coming from downstairs as he is being told to hurry up or they'll be late. Bonnie smiles once again and walks out of his bedroom slowly as he shuts the door behind him. His kingdom of isolation being shut out from the world. He just likes it better this way.
Meanwhile, next door lies a male and a family filled with an equal hatred for the Jumpers. This family is the Griffins. Link Griffin lays on his bed, wishing for a happier life to have. A life full of smiles and not secrets. Around every corner in the Griffin, household is secrets. Not once can he breathe and be told everything is the truth. Not every family is collected and perfect like how the Jumpers presume to be. He sighs, wishing for love. Wishing for something bright to come without ties and favors. He gets out of his bed and heads downstairs, hearing yet another fight between his mother and father over god knows what now. He quietly heads outside and towards the mailbox to check the mail. When he arrives at the end of the driveway and opens the mailbox to see an envelope addressed to the Jumpers, he instantly without hesitation began to walk towards the Jumpers household.. but stopped. He stopped in the grass and looked at the envelope... He thought that maybe this was the brightness he was looking for in his stormy days... So what did this poor soul do? He opened the envelope to find an invitation to a get-together dance. Masks were allowed, formal attire was required, and names were not needed. It was perfect Link thought. He could have a night to himself, a night with a family he grew to hate. Not because of the stories his family told him, but the perfect persona they spread about themselves. He wanted that. He dreamed of having that kind of family and so for once, he can see if they hold up to that legacy.
7:00 pm, Sunset
At the get-together dance, everyone was masked. This was only because you needed to talk to people, to know who they were. That alone made this dance more interesting to an outcast such as Link Griffin. As for Bonnie Jumper, this was boring. He was used to this type of dance over the last 17 years. He hasn't yet met a new face as he enjoys the presence of himself. He doesn't like talking to others much in which starts his ways of talking, the studdering.
Link spotted a booth in the corner of the room where a DJ would be. The DJ was taking requests for Karaoke. Yet again, another tradition they hold at the dance. Link smiled as he loves to sing and makes his way over to the booth. When he finally makes it, he is asked what song he wanted to sing.
"I'd like to sing Cups by Anna Kendrick, Please my kind sir."
The DJ only nodded, he had never heard this voice but he was yet not apart of the family enough to judge who this masked person was. The DJ then told him when he would be up on the stage.
"You are up after this young lad up on the stage, break a leg, fella."
"Thank you," Link says while replying to the DJ.
Bonnie meanwhile sits at a table, listening to the singing of his younger brother, Blake. Blake is only 7 years old and Bonnie is proud that he is able to sing. He enjoys hearing his brother trying to find his own voice in this rotten world. It brings a smile to his face as his brother ends his song.
Blake is seen leaving the stage and over towards Bonnie as a masked boy takes the stage after the young boy.
Bonnie had never seen this build before, he focuses on people's bodies at these dances in order to figure out who is who as he isn't much of the talkative type at these types of dances.
Link walks up to the mic, as he sees everyone in the room look towards him after making the mic make a loud sound after being hit on accident. He smiles as a nervous reaction and clears his throat before singing, Cups by Anna Kendrick.
"I got my ticket for the long way 'round
Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?"
"When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone"
"I've got my ticket for the long way 'round
The one with the prettiest of views
It's got mountains, it's got rivers, it's got sights to give you shivers
But it sure would be prettier with you"
"When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my walk
You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone"
Link then looks out at the crowd as he finished the song and is kind of nervous about the reactions he may see. Was it too straight forward? He just wants company before he is gone. His family will miss him when he is gone, is what he hopes for.
Bonnie meanwhile is stunned. He is at a loss for words. Did this boy really just sing this song so perfectly and so amazingly that it leaves his heart beating for more? Did a male just make him feel this way? NO. he cannot have this, and what does every angry male do when upset? Bonnie got up and walked towards the stage, shoving past people in the crowd to make his way towards Link faster. His anger is seen from the way he grits his teeth. Instead of loving the feeling, he was taught to be disgusted by it. He cannot have this! He cannot be feeling this way!
"HEY!"
Link looks towards the yell, still on the stage, and about to walk off as he sees a man forcing his way through the crowd. He sees anger in this man's face and starts to panic. He then gets off the stage and starts to walk quickly towards the exit. Link is being chased by an angry man and he can be marked down as scared at this moment!
Everyone in the room is whispering to each other about what's going on but then continue dancing.
Bonnie reaches this masked man who made him feel this way and he grips him by his sleeve and pins him against the wall while using his body to hold him against the wall. They are out of view from everyone.
Link at this moment can be marked down as scared and horny.
"Who the hell do you think you are!" Bonnie yells at this man while gritting his teeth.
"I- I'm sorry but I don't know how i-"
"you made me feel this way and YOU RUN!?" Bonnie grits his teeth, his bunny ears clearly visible to Link.
Link's eyes widen, he thought he just got caught for being apart of the Griffin Family, not for making this man feel a certain way... he sighs in relief.
"I'm sorry for running away.. can we talk civilly?" Link says in a monotone voice.
Bonnie grits his teeth, angry, and then lets go of him.
"Fine," He huffs as he gets off of him.
"Lead the way," Bonnie rolls his eyes.
Link and Bonnie head outside of the building and see the sunset. It's beautiful and seems to make them both seem at peace. They both then find a seat on a bench outside and sit together on it.
"What is your name?" They both say at the same time.
"I-" Link says, caught off guard.
Bonnie only laughs, he didn't expect that.
"You go first." Link says.
"My name is Bonnie Jumper," Bonnie smiles lightly at him.
"and you are?" Bonnie says curiously as the smile fades into confusion.
"My name is Link..." Link has to think quickly and looks at the sky and then looks back at bonnie.
"Link Space," He says with a nervous smile as he hopes it works.
"Link space? I've never heard of that type of last name before." Bonnie says curiously.
"Y-Yeah, well I'm staying with a family and it's barely used," Link says nervously.
"well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Space."
"Aswell to you, Jumper."
They both smile to each other, oblivious to how deep this secret will go one day.
