Ghosted by JoshLanyon

Author:JoshLanyon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay Mystery, M/M Romance,
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2024-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Archie had no specific memory of the first time he’d seen Beau Langham.

Starting high school, even in a new town, had been nothing compared to what he’d already been through that terrible summer. He’d been utterly indifferent to everything except getting through the next few years as quickly as possible so that he could regain control of his life.

Perhaps somewhere in the very back of his mind had been the nebulous idea that once he was free of John’s guardianship, he could somehow return to a semblance of his old life, but that had simply been a grief-stricken kid’s wishful thinking, a yearning for what was lost forever.

The beauty of not giving a shit was his imperviousness to the usual high school jockeying for social status. Not only did he have zero interest in infiltrating the cliques of “populars,” “jocks,” “floaters,” and “good-ats,” he had no idea who those people even were. Ironically, the teenagers surrounding him mistook his emotional detachment for a kind of ultimate poise, which gave him a certain new guy cachet.

Anyway, it turned out that he shared a few classes with Beau Langham. Since they both favored the back row of every classroom, they frequently sat near each other. Even as a freshman, Beau had been a big man on campus. Maybe it came from being the son of the police chief, maybe it came from his already notable athletic prowess. Whatever it was, Beau had an enviable confidence. He had not been the class clown, by any stretch, or a smartass, really, but he didn’t hesitate to voice his opinions out loud—or make little jokes under his breath.

He was actually pretty funny, and occasionally Archie laughed, very quietly. Eventually, it dawned on him that those little jokes were for his benefit, that Beau was directing his commentary to him. Once in a great while, Archie would make a joke, too, and Beau always laughed. If Archie glanced over at him, Beau would smile right into his eyes.

Archie had understood a few key things about himself since junior high. He didn’t think Beau shared that self-knowledge. But he did know that Beau was not accidentally locking gazes with him, and it was the nicest thing that had happened to him in what felt like a very long time.

It was always an odd friendship, though.

Beau’s pals were all other jocks, and they didn’t see whatever Beau did in Archie.

Archie did not want problems or distractions, so he’d mostly tried to avoid Beau when he was with his crew.

But the other thing about the teenaged Beau was that he was very kind.

His dogs—he had two—were both strays he’d rescued. Nobody got hazed or bullied or mocked when Beau was around. He carried groceries for old ladies and raked the leaves for his widowed neighbor. He humored his parents and went to church every single Sunday morning. He was…soft-hearted.

So, it was possible that his initial efforts to befriend Archie had been motivated by the instinct to be nice to the new orphan in town—Archie’s sad backstory was common knowledge in Twinkleton.

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