Rumors

Author's Warning: I am almost absolutely sure this story is going to involve slash. If you don't like slash, turn back now. Also includes drug and alcohol references, and bad words. (Oh noes, bad words!) You've been warned.

Rating will change. Title has changed, may change again.

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“Lee, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting out of it today.” Jake kicked his friend in the lower back lightly. Lee, sitting on a low bench, grumbled something, and Jake glared at him. He came to sit next to Lee on the bench, shoving him over to make room “You’ve been acting weird for a couple days. Something up?” Lee looked away, scowling.

“You know me too well.”

“Nah, I know you just enough that I can tell when you’re in weird mood. Is it that skank you were crushing on last month?” Lee swung around to look at Jake, mouth hanging open.

“We’ve been dating for two weeks already. You are so out of the loop, man.”

“It’s not my fault I hate her enough that I don't bother to know anything about her. Well, maybe it is. But I told you, Lee, she’s bad news. I heard she’s put out to the whole football team.”

“That’s a rumor, Jake. I know it’s not true. I would know, since I'm kind of on the football team. But I trust her enough to tell me the truth about stuff like that.”

“You trust her? Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I don’t have a reason not to. Why do you hate her so much, for real? And none of that ‘bad news’ B.S.”

“She dresses like a whore, and she flirts with everybody she thinks she can hook up with.” Jake looked up at the cloudy sky, furrowing his brow “She was rubbing my leg the other day, and saying stuff like ‘Why don’t we be friends? I like you, and Lee likes me, and you two are friends, so why can’t we be friendly with each other?’ and I’m sitting there glaring at her and thinking ‘whore, whore, whore’ over and over again. And she just stares at me like 'what?', and then she says 'Great! We should hang out on weekends!' and dude, she gave me the look."

"That sounds a little out of character, but I still don’t have any reason not to trust her. Jake, it almost sounds like you might’ve made that up.”

“When was the last time I made up something that somebody said, Lee?”

“Not often, I know. But that doesn’t sound like her.” Jake jumped to his feet.

“How long have you two known each other, Lee? Two months? I’ve known you for years! I wouldn’t lie to you like that and you know it.” Someone cleared their throat behind Jake, and a hand gently grabbed his shoulder.

“Jacob, are you jealous?” A girl in a short pink dress sat next to Lee on the bench, putting a hand on his leg, and smiling softly “Are you interested in Lee, and that’s why you’re trying to sabotage our relationship?” Jake stared at her, mouth hanging open.

“Mandy, Jake’s not like that. I mean, not that I’m assuming he’s gay or not gay, but he’s too good of a friend to me to do something like that.”

"Lee, you can never assume things. I always keep an open mind about people. And I do know more people than you do, so it's a good thing." She glanced over at Jake, still standing dumbstruck at her insinuation "Jake, are you okay? It's alright. I've guessed it for a long time. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings, hitting it on the nose like I did."

"I'm not gay! I'm not even remotely interested in guys!"

"Well, for someone who's 'not even remotely interested', you sure do hang around my Lee-Lee a whole lot."

"Lee-Lee?" Lee gave her a confused look.

"I hang around with Lee because we're friends, you conniving bitch! I'm not interested in guys, so just because I don't want a piece of your skanky ass, doesn't mean I hate girls!" She glared at him, and Lee showed mixed emotions, the most obvious of which was anger.

“Mandy, what’s with you? I know Jake isn’t gay, and you know it too. So why are you accusing him of it?”

“Lee, I’m not accusing anybody. I’m just saying… if he doesn’t like you like that, why are you two so close?”

“Well, I don’t go around calling you a lesbian just because you have a bunch of girls you hang around with all the time! I have enough common sense to realize that you’re just friends!” Jake could barely keep his eyes from watering. At least he had Lee on his side. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure what he would have done.

“Mandy, he does have a bit of a point there. You have plenty of friends, and you’re closer to some of them than I am with Jake. Nobody here is gay, alright?” Lee gave her a smile, and a slightly sympathetic look. Mandy glanced at him, then at Jake, and he caught an evil glint in her eye before she turned and began walking away.

“I’ll see you later, Lee-Lee. I want to go grab a Low-Cal shake before lunch ends. See you after school.” As she waved goodbye, and disappeared around the corner, Jake felt a chill travel up his spine.

“Dude.”

“What? Are you going to keep insulting her behind her back?”

“No. I just feel… like something bad is happening. Like right now.”

“Like what kind of bad?”

“Like Mandy is going to make my life hell for that whole conversation.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“High school girls have the ability to ruin anyone’s social life with only a sentence. Why do you think I hate your social butterfly girlfriend? If you decide you’re going to break up with her, instead of the other way round, she can make you wish you’d never been born.”

“I don’t know if you’re paranoid or just plain insane, Jake. She isn’t going to make my life hell. And for the record, I don’t plan on breaking up with her anytime soon."

"Yeah, but I just know she'll make my life hell. She hates me, dude. And really, the feeling's mutual." The end-of-class bell rang, and Lee looked towards the door.

"Well, I hate to say it, Jake, but I think you're paranoid. Mandy isn't the person you think she is, and I swear, if I find out you really are trying to sabotage our relationship because you hate her, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Dude." Jake looked at Lee seriously, "Why would I do that? And when was the last time you kicked my ass, huh?"

"Well, I can damned well try."

"Chill out and we'll get to class, okay?" Jake gave a slightly uncomfortable smile, "I promise I won't break you guys up."

"Alright then." Lee got up from the bench, and he and Jake strolled back into the school, joking and laughing.