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Chapter 7

"Yellow." Hayley said, making a Y with her pinky and thumb, shaking it. I copied her and did the same with my hand. I was sitting on her bed in her room while she went through the colors in ASL. Hayley showed me all the colors of the rainbow before we took a break to get a snack.

It was a Wednesday, which meant that Gale was playing his violin on the street. He told me he did it for a little extra money because in his family, money was tight. I think he's really self concious about it, because whenever I ask about his family or his background, he says little and keeps it vague.

"Can't you teach me more important stuff? I won't really be using colors." I said to her as she dug through the fridge. Hayley withdrew two Cokes and rummaged through the pantry. I waited patiently for her to find what she was looking for

"Those are important!" She answered finally and handed me a bag of mini cookies. "You never know when you'll need to sign colors."

I rolled my eyes and plopped down on the living room couch. She sat next to me and tore open her packet.

"Yeah, right. Because the word yellow is going to be super important." I snorted. Hayley just shrugged. While we sat, the doorbell went off. We both groaned and Hayley stared at me.

"What?" I asked. She nodded towards the door.

"Go answer it."

"What?! This Is your house. You go answer it." The person at the door rang again, but we didn't get up.

"I'm teaching you to sign at no expense, and I offer you cookies and soda out of my own fridge. The least you can do is answer the door." Hayley said, trying to make me feel like I was mootching off of her. I laughed.

"Ok, rock-paper-scissors. Best two out of three." I suggested and we began to play. All the while, the doorbell was still ringing.

"Dammit!" I exclaimed when I lost. "Whatever Hayley, you cheated!" She laughed as I raced to go answer the door. As soon as I opened it, Shannon shoved past me with gigantic shopping bags in her arms.

"What the hell took you so long?" She snapped at me, dumping all the bags in the living room.

"Where's your key?" Hayley countered and Shannon glared at her. Before she could snap back, someone stumbled in with at least ten shoe boxes piling up, completely covering their face. Yeah, Shannon is a bit of a shopaholic.

"Just set them down over here, Gale." Shannon flicked her wrist towards the coffee table. Wait, Gale? I looked over and recognized his coat with the many buttons. I rushed over and helped him put the boxes down.

"Shannon, Gale doesn't work for you!" I threw her a dirty look. She raised her hands in defense.

"Yeah he does. He offered to follow me around and carry them for me if I have him twenty dollars." Shannon said. Gale shrugged and looked away. Every time he does that, he reminds me how cute he is.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He smiled and hugged me, resting his chin on my chest, as he looked up at me with his big blue eyes.

"Hey." I mumbled and kissed his lips softly. He smiled against my lips and pulled back when I tried to deepen the kiss. Gale stepped away from me and signed something. I though hard trying to remember what I had learned. Gale signed it again.

Can I...something something...you...something something. It's not...something something... I just....ride.

Um, what? I frowned and thought over what he had signed, trying to fill in the blanks. Hayley laughed and turned to me.

"He said-

"No, no, shut up!" I interrupted her. "I can do this!" Gale smiled and signed what he'd said again. I have no idea how he's so patient with me. He could go date someone who signs as well as he does, like Soren, yet he puts up with me.

Can I...ask you for a favor. It's not...anything big...I just...something something....ride.

"Can I ask you for a favor. It's not anything big, I just need a ride?" I looked at Gale and he grinned at me and nodded. Hayley clapped enthusiastically and Shannon rolled her eyes as I did my happy dance.

"So where do you need me to take you?" I asked him. He signed back to me.

My violin needs to be repaired. Can you take me to Vick's.

I nodded and grabbed my keys and Gale grabbed his violin case. Vick's is the place you go for anything music. At Vick's, you can get everything from old records to new high-tech stereo systems. They also sell and repair instruments.

I grabbed Gale's hand and walked him to my car, which made him blush. He kept looking around to make sure no one was looking but I could tell he only did it for me. I didn't want to come out tothe school or my family yet, and frankly, neither did Gale. We both agreed to keep it a secret. Me bacause I wasn't ready, and Gale because he's Gale. He worries a lot.

When we were in my car, I automatically turned on the radio. A popular Chris Brown song came on, and not knowing what Gale was into, I left it on. For a few seconds, I drove in silence until Gale sighed and turned to me

Can I change it?

"You don't like it?" I asked and he shook his head. Smiling, I gestured to the radio.

"Thank god! I didn't really know what you liked. Go for it." Gale reached over and skimmed through several stations before he found a song he liked.

"My Chemical Romance." I commented, bobbing my head to their song, The Sharpest Lives. Gale nodded and shrugged.

They are good.

"What other stuff do you like?" I asked. Gale started to sign quickly, but stopped when hesaw my confused face. he took out his notepad and scribbled down what he wanted to say.

Panic at the Disco 

AWOLNATION 

Imagine Dragons 

Blackstreet

"You are my hero." I said shocked and he shrugged, smiling shly. "Seriously, your music is awesome!"

The rest of the way there, I let him control the radio. All the music he played was right up my alley, and he gave me new stations that I could listen to. By the time we got there, I had found ten new songs to add to my iPod.

Vick's was crowded today, so Gale and I couldn't hold hands or act like a couple. I walked inside and Galefollowed behind me, a few feet apart. Most of the people in there were kids from our school, so when we walked in together, they all stared. I wondered why they stared, but didn't thinkmuch of it. Gale, however, shifted uncomfortably under the eyes of our peers.

We turned down an aisle and he turned to me, signing quickly.

I'm going to take my violin to Vick. It'll only take a few seconds.

I nodded and he scrambled down the aisle. While I waited and flicked through a CD rack, Reyna Pitts, the girl Danny hooked up with, strutted up the aisle. Instantly, my guard went up. Reyna doesn't talk to people outside of her group of sluts unless there were rumors flying around.

"Heyyyy, Jasper." She tittered, stretching out the hey. She teasingly twirled a strand of silky brown hair around a finger, Although, to me, Reyna looks fifteen, somehow she's eighteen. She always dressy preppy and looks innocent, but she's anything but innocent.

"Hey." I said stiffly. The best way to handle her is by saying as little as possible and by not reacting to anything she says. One slight slip up,and she'll catch it. A simple frown can turn into a whole new rumor.

"Looking good Jasper. Have you been working out?" She threw her arms around my bicep and squeezed it. "It's totally showing."

I fought the urge to shake her off of me. Ugh. I can't believe Danny did her.

"Do you have something you want to say, Reyna?" I asked, trying to ignore her big breasts that were pressed up against my side. I'd choose Gale's firm, flat chest over her squishy one any day.

"There's a rumor going around that your gay." Reyna blurted. My eyes widened as I realized what she said.

Ok, so I know I said you weren't supposed to react when talking to Reyna, but come on, I didn't expect that. Of all the crap she could've said about me, it had to be that. Not to mention she was right for once. So when I heard this, I kind of flipped out. Just a little bit.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed, and the entire store got quiet. People on the top floor looked tme from over the balcony, and Reyna gawked at me. Ok, I flipped out a lot. I grabbed Reyna by her arm and hauled her outside. "Where the hell did you here that?!" 

"Weeellll...Jessica heard from Maddie who heard from Corrine who was told by Heather who was talking to Gabriella who was sitting behind Vivian who overheard Leslie and Olivia talking to Jojo about hearing from Toby who was with Damian and Danny who said that you were really excited about dating your boyfriend." She rambled all in one breath.

I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair.

"I don't have a boyfriend." I said, praying to God that Gale didn't pop up out of no where. That wouldn't really help my case. Unfortunately, God really does have something against gays because Gale came outside, violin case in hand.

Our eyes locked and I tried to tell him to go wait by the yellow truck, but I forgot how to sign yellow! Damn Hayley! Why does she always have to be right? Reyna noticed me looking over at Gale and waved to him.

"Hey, you! New kid! Come here!" She beckoned him over, and he hesitantly approached us, his head down. I wanted badly to just reach over and lift his chin up, but I couldn't. Frustrated, I glared past Reyna.

"Are you Jasper's mystery boyfriend?" She asked him head on, and he stared at her, shocked. He glanced at me quickly and shook his head.

"It's totally ok if you are. You don't have to lie." Reyna said, but I could hear the venom in her voice, She was lying through her teeth. She kept an eye on me to make sure I didn't interfere. Reyna may not be good at holding relationships or keeping her legs closed, but she is good out spreading rumors.

Gale continued to deny our connection, and I continued to glare at her. I looked at Gale and he was beginning to geta little panicky, so I stepped in.

"Look, Reyna, stop scaring him. We're just friends. Your friends probably just heard wrong.I don't have a boyfriend. I have a girlfriend." I mentally slapped myself as soon as those words left my mouth. Great, now she's gonna ask me-

"Oh, really, who's your new girlfriend?" Reyna asked and Gale glanced at me, curious on how I'd get out of this.

"Aww, Reyna, I'm dissapointed in you." I smirked, trying to turn things around. "You of all people should have figured that already. I mean, Katy already knows."

Katy was the co-captain of the cheerleading squad. Reyna was the captain, and those two always competed for everything, This tipped Reyna off, and she looked pissed.

"What, and she didn't tell me? That bitch!" Reyna stomped back into Vick's, thirsty for Katy's blood. As soon as she went around the corner, I grabbed Gale's arm and sprinted towards my car. We quickly climbed in, and I peeled out of the parking lot.

I glanced over at Gale, and he looked troubled.

"You ok? I'm sorry about that." I said, placing my hand over his and tracing my thumb over his palm. He looked up at me, his eyes big.

I'm fine. I thought you were mad at me, He signed. I frowned and shook my head.

"Of course not. It was Reyna I was pissed at." He smiled and intertwined his fingers with mine. After all the craziness, the feel of Gale's hand in mine made it worth it. Something in me told me that Gale was the one, but I'd never admit that to him.We've only been together for three weeks...

Wow, we've been together for three weeks, and we haven't even gone on a date. What kind of boyfriend am I?

"Hey, do you want to go out on a date?" I asked randomly. Gale, who had been staring out the window, looked at me and nodded.I smiled and thought about it. Now I have to figure out where.

-

Dedicated to Frozenemptyheart because I LOVE ZOMBIES AND BOYXBOY STORIES. Brain Dead was like a two in one for me!

And...that was not what I had in mind. I have no control over what my fingers type, because something totally different was supposed to happen. Luckily, I kind of like this better. Also, I'm really tired and honestly, I'm not even supposed to be on the computer (I'm grounded), so there might be some errors. By all means, feel free to point them out.

Picture of Reyna Pitts to the right ----------------->

So the guy I put up as Gale, I might change him. I mean, I found the jacket, which was perfect, but I don't know if the guy is Gale. Usually when I see picture, I know if it's one of my characters or not. I'm not sure about Gale, though.

Also, I'm going to be working on a new story called Chamomile Tea and Orange Ribbons (I know it's a weird title. It'll make sense later on.) Right now I only have the Prologue up, but you should check it out. It might sound like your kind of story. I don't want to give away much, so I'll just say it's a little sad. And of course it's boyxboy.

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