Chapter 13

Daniel really didn't want to come home, but he knew he couldn't stay outside indefinitely. As usual, he was greeted with an interrogation from Jackson.

"Where were you?" Jackson asked.

"What does it matter to you?" Daniel replied, in a dry tone. "And what about your slutty girlfriend?"

Jackson frowned. "Daniel, stop."

"Stop what?" Daniel asked.

"Stop insulting my girlfriend."

"I would stop if she stops being a bitch," Daniel exclaimed. "Since she's been here, you've only been spending time with her. You don't even consider me anymore."

"That's because she's my girlfriend," Jackson replied firmly. "She's my girlfriend, Daniel. That's how it is."

"Yeah, and I'm your best friend," Daniel said, on the verge of tears. "I'm your best friend," he whispered softly.

"And nothing will change that," Jack assured him. "You will always be my best friend. My buddy for life."

"I don't just want to be your friend," Daniel thought. "I want to be more than that."

"Daniel," Jack began as he approached. "What's wrong? What's going on with you?"

"You don't seem to pay attention to me when you're with her. You don't spend time with me anymore. You..."

"Okay. But it's you who don't want to hang out with us."

"It's because..." He hesitated to admit to his best friend that he was jealous. "I feel left out. I don't want to be the third wheel. The one who ends up alone." Jack started to laugh.

"No one is leaving you out!" His friend told him. "You are my best friend. You were here way before her."

"But you care more about her than me." Dan replied. "If you had to choose between her and..."

"I would choose you. You. Because you are my rock. My best friend. My brother…" Dan couldn't help but laugh.

"A brother with whom you have sex!" He joked.

"Yes, that wasn't my best argument."

"But... I understand what you mean." Dan was relieved to hear that his friend had prioritized him over his girlfriend.

"And... where is..." He was about to say something nasty about Joy but seeing Jack's expression, he thought better of it. "...Joy?" He sighed as he pronounced her name.

"Where is she?" Jack responded. "She's at her place. She has plans with her friends."

"When is she coming back to our place? I don't like it when she comes here as if it's her own place."

"Maybe, but she has the right to be here because..."

"Because it's also her boyfriend's place? I know. But could you do your "business" outside or in a hotel? I'm tired of hearing your moans and screams when you're making love."

"It actually turns you on. Don't lie," teased his friend, while Dan looked at him in disgust, which made Jack laugh even more. "Okay, okay. We won't do it here anymore. But she's not going to stop coming here."

"Doesn't matter," Dan said as he walked away, but Jack grabbed his arm and pushed him onto the couch. "What are you doing?"

"I want you," Jack said, taking off his shirt and undoing his zipper, moving closer to Dan's ear to nibble on it, their weakness. "Come on, Danny! My buddy. I have the 'beast that needs to be fed'."

"Are you serious?"

"I am," he said, removing his shirt completely.

"How do you get an erection at a time like this? We were discussing something serious."

"I know. But the 'beast has reasons that reason knows not'," and they both burst out laughing.

"Go get a condom!" Dan ordered and Jack rushed to get one.

"There was only..." Jackson exclaimed as he came out of his room and found himself face to face with his mother. Fortunately, he quickly threw away the condom and closed the door.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Luckily, his mother was busy putting her key in her bag. Jack took the opportunity to zip up his pants.

"Do I not have the right to visit my son?" she asked, pulling Jack into a hug.

"Yes, but... you should have let me know beforehand. And what would have happened if I wasn't home?"

"I asked your lovely girlfriend about you, since you don't keep us updated."

"The traitor!" Jack exclaimed, a smile creeping onto his face as he sat down next to Dan while his mother inspected the house.

"How did she get in? She didn't see you naked, I hope!" the boys whispered.

"Of course not. And... she had a key to the house."

"What?" Jack exclaimed.

"Keep it down!"

"Sorry. But how did she get a key? I have the spare key."

"I don't know, but she has a key."

"Thank goodness she..."

"Does Joy come here often?" Jack's mother interrupted, catching the boys in their hushed conversation.

"Yes, occasionally," Jack replied.

"All the time, yes," Dan thought.

"Why are you asking?"

"The house is in order. And..."

"Oh, that's Dan's job. He's in charge of sweeping and cleaning the house," Jack explained, and his mother narrowed her eyes.

"Joy should be the one living with you. You would have a..."

"We're here to study, mom."

"I know, but..." Her eyes fell on Dan, showing the disgust she felt towards him.

Jack's mother didn't appreciate Dan. She had never really liked him, because of the love story between Dan's mother and her husband in university, but that wasn't really Dan's fault. It wasn't his fault that she hated him. Well, maybe...but not entirely.

She was especially afraid that her son would also become homosexual, viewing homosexuality as a contagious disease.

Dan apologized and left the room, leaving the mother and son alone.

"You shouldn't be friends with such a..."

"Abomination?" Jack was used to hearing his mother refer to his friend in such a way. "Aberration," "abomination," "sinner,"... "He's my best friend, Mom. And I want you to accept him."

"Never. I don't want you to become like him."

"I'm not gay, Mom. I like women. I'll give you beautiful grandsons, you'll see." His mother smiled. Meanwhile, in his room, Dan felt sad, hearing the whole conversation.

"If only..."