Chapter Nine

            After dropping Jinyoung off at work Mark texted Youngjae and said,

Mark-Hyung: Don’t take the bus, I have a surprise

            Youngjae’s reply was almost instant saying,

Youngjae Dongsaeng: You better not make me late or I’m never sharing my candy with you again

            Mark laughed at his friend’s response, before driving towards Youngjae’s house. To say that the boy was surprised would be an understatement. Mark thought he might actually have to scoop Youngjae’s jaw up off the floor when Mark pulled up in Jaebum’s white BMW.

            “Where did you get that? Mark did you win the lottery? I will marry you right now, I swear it.” Youngjae said running up to the car.

            “You’d only marry me for my money?” Mark asked jokingly as Youngjae got into the car.

            “No…your face is like a six so there’s that.” Youngjae said pinching Mark’s cheek. He was looking all around the car, poking this and that.

            “Please if I’m a six you’re at a three!” Mark said hitting his friends shoulder before backing the car out and driving towards their school.

            “But seriously Mark how’d you get the car, you gotta tell me.” Youngjae said, leaning the chair back so he could lounge.

            “Uh, Jaebum and Jinyoung are letting me borrow it, I have to pick up Jinyoung after school.”  Mark said, his eyes focused on the road, his jaw clenched. He was happy that they both wanted him around, at least for the day but he didn’t want it to be because of these circumstances.

            “Wait, Jaebum as in your brother JB. Like the one you don’t ever get along with?” Youngjae asked with disbelief. As long as Youngjae has known Mark, Mark has never spoken one good word about his older brother, ever. The two practically were at each other’s ankles whenever they were in a room together and now Jaebum was just letting Mark use his car and pick up his boyfriend, that didn’t make sense.

            “He’s not all that bad…and besides I kind of can’t go home at the moment so I’m back at Jaebum’s. Did you know that Jinyoung moved it, about time right?” Mark asked trying to change the subject but Youngjae would have none of that.

            “Oh no, do not try that with me Mr. Avoid-a-lot. What happened at home? What happened to your hand?” Youngjae asked, looking at the bandage that was wrapped up around Mark’s hand. Why hadn’t he noticed beforehand, he had just been so excited he didn’t see how tense Mark was.

            “I got into an argument, I left the house and Jaebum found me at the park. That’s all there is too it.” Mark said pulling up into the senior’s parking spot, beside the empty one that was registered to his boyfriend. Jackson and BamBam weren’t there yet because Mark had left extra early to have time to drop of Jinyoung and then pick up Youngjae. He also did so because he knew his friend would throw a fit once he told him what happened.

            “Bull! There has to be more to it than that, did you hit your dad?” Youngjae asked, dead serious. He knew Mark had a temper and wasn’t afraid to fight, is that why his friend was staying with Jaebum?

            “God no! What kind of person do you think I am? I know people judge me for being violent or whatever but I’m not like that, you know I’m not like that right?” Mark asked turning to his friend. This was the one thing Mark had wished to never see on Youngjae’s face, judgement. Youngjae was always there for Mark and he was usually the one that told him to ignore the voices on the outside but to see him looking down on him felt terrible.

            “Y…Yea but Mark you’ve been getting into more and more arguments with your dad and you just look like you’re gonna crack at any second. I’m sorry for saying that, look I take it back okay? Forget I say anything, what actually happened?” Youngjae tried to ask but Mark was shaking his head no.

            “I don’t want to talk about it okay? Just know that I’m not at the house.” Mark said before getting out the car. Youngjae got out as well and tried to follow Mark but the boy just walked around a few cars, leaving Youngjae behind.

            Youngjae turned around when he heard Jackson calling his name and quickly walked up to the boy.

            “Where’d Mark go I could have sworn I just saw him?” Jackson asked, lugging his backpack up further on his shoulder from where it drooped down.

            “I…I think I made him mad by accident, you should probably go find him. He likes to hide behind the library staircase because it’s pretty secluded.” Youngjae told Jackson, watching the boy nod and head towards to main school door. Youngjae soon saw BamBam walk into the distance, panting a bit. Jackson must have ran when he spotted Mark.

            “Where’d my brother go?” The short brown haired boy asked, his cheeks dusted a slight pink color from running.

            “He went to go find Mark, let’s go to our locker and leave them alone.” Youngjae said slinging his arm around the small boy. Youngjae was sad that he couldn’t help Mark, but with Jackson here he was hopeful that he would heal his friend’s heart.