RECAP:

"you can't act like we never happened." jack whispered, finally twisting the doorknob, getting out of the room and closing the door behind him. he joined his friends as they all conversed, set up their sleeping positions, picked a movie, and waited for their food.

but for the rest of the night, even when finn was comfortably settled in next to jack on the floor, he couldn't help but feel that guilty feeling nagging at him, deep in his stomach.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

finn woke up the next morning before anyone else, or so he thought. everyone was scattered around the living room, almost every person in a different position from where they fell asleep. jack, however, was still by finn's side; quite literally. his side was touching finn's, and jack had his head on the older boys pillow. finn smiled softly and moved a curl from jack's forehead, taking in his features. jack was beautiful. finn didn't know how else to describe him. since it was summer, his freckles were more eminent than ever, his long lashes almost seeming like they could get tangled in the soft dots sprinkling his nose and cheeks. he was starting to grow a small moustache, and finn couldn't help but chuckle to himself. he was growing up. he remembered the pre pubescent jack who would tease finn about growing a moustache, not the other way around.

"you didn't give up." a voice spoke up, and finn's head snapped towards the direction of the voice. it was jaeden, standing in the door frame of the bathroom, having just come out. finn didn't know how he hadn't noticed him gone, but he simply shook his head and looked at the boy.

"what?"

"you didn't give up," jaeden grins, leaning on the doorway. "the way you look at him."

finn looked at him cluelessly, his head tilting to the slightly to the side. jaeden laughed before continuing. "your heart still skips a beat when you hear him laugh or when your phone lights up from a text with him. you feel a sinking feeling when he mentions an ex girlfriend or ex lover because you hate the thought of anyone loving him but you. you can't help but notice how pretty he's always been, despite you knowing him for years."

finn jumped up quickly, shaking his head and stepping over his sleeping friends before reaching the bathroom. "you're wrong," he huffed, stepping past jaeden and spinning around, his hand on the bathroom doorknob. "maybe you feel those things about wyatt, but-"

jaeden placed his hand on the door, stopping it from closing.

"you didn't give up."

with one last push, finn shut the door in jaeden's face, taking a deep breath and walking to the sink, splashing water in his face and looking in the mirror.

he didn't want to admit it, but the boy in the mirror knew the truth. jaeden was right.

he didn't give up.

he could never give up on jack.

and he hated it.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

"you suck, sophia, you suck! i so won that." jack grinned, jumping up and down and swallowing the last chocolate chip he had successfully caught in his mouth. he had created a competition between him and sophia, to see who could catch more chocolate chips in their mouth at once.

sophia rolled her eyes, fluffing jack's hair and taking a seat at the table with jaeden. wyatt was helping a sleepy jeremy make pancakes, chosen was sleeping on the floor (still) and finn was asleep in his and jack's room, after being in the bathroom.

jack was disappointed when he woke up without finn by his side. he vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night cuddled up to the other boy, and clearly remembered falling back asleep in his arms.

"i'm gonna wake finn and chosen up," jack said, starting to walk to the living room. "it's almost ten, this is ridiculous!"

jack ran into the living room, quickly pulling out his phone, putting dancing queen by ABBA on, and singing along. chosen laughed and threw a pillow at him, getting up as fast as he could. jack stuck his tongue out and raced into his room.

"finn!" he slammed the door behind himself, giggling and jumping onto the bed next to him. "wake up, wake up!"

finn pulled the blanket over himself more, and jack simply threw the blanket over himself and laid down facing finn, although he wasn't able to make out his face in the darkness under the blanket. the music came from his phone (which he had dropped in the floor in the hurry to hide from chosen.

"what are you-"

jack blindly put a finger to finn's lips and laughed. "shhh. we're hiding." he whispered.

"how old are you?" finn remarked in a joking manner, jack's finger still on his lips.

"i'm 16, 17 in a few months. you?"

"oh, i'm already 17. you're such a baby." finn played along.

"i'm not a-" jack squealed as he heard the door open, and his sides being tickled.

"help!" jack laughed hysterically, ripping the blanket off of him and finn and trying to fend off chosen. "you know how ticklish i am!" he gasped between breaths. "finn!!"

"alright, alright, i'll help!" finn put his hands up, sitting up on the bed. he grew a mischievous smile, and quickly started tickling jack himself.

jack grew hysterical and started shimming around like a fish out of water, trying to get away from chosen and finn. finn couldn't stop laughing hearing jack's laugh, and neither could chosen. finally, jack escaped by rolling off of the bed and grabbed his phone, bolting out the door.

he made it to the kitchen and grabbed wyatt, hiding behind him, and almost using him as a human shield.

"save me from them, wyatt! i almost peed my pants laughing!"

wyatt laughed and shook his head, putting his hands up to stop finn and chosen from getting to jack. "calm down, boys. pancakes are ready. plus, i got a text from andy."

finn and chosen gave in and left poor jack alone, who was all tickled out. he kept the music playing on his phone as everyone gathered around the table, before jaeden made him turn it off because it was distracting.

"so, what did andy text you?" chosen asked, a mouthful of pancakes and maple syrup. jack preferred to douse his pancakes in everything from whipped cream, to sprinkles, to blueberries, to chocolate sauce, to which finn laughed and insisted he try a bite from across the table,

"well, he told me we're doing something today."

"like what?"sophia asked, stealing a blueberry off of jack's plate.

"we're going to an amusement park. remember, bonding?"

"an amusement park? awesome!" jack grinned, looking at the others. "we have to go on the tallest rollercoaster! unless you guys are pussies."

"i'm no pussy." sophia teased. "where are we going, wy?"

"canada's wonderland." he replied.

and for the rest of their pancake breakfast, jack urged the others to finish, even helping them with their plates. they quickly started their shower rounds, (jack timed them each to only a couple minutes in the shower) and before they knew it they were dressed and ready, on their way to meet andy, barbara, and their parents in the lobby.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

that was on god the shittiest chapter and i haven't even edited it, i just felt like i needed to update. i'll try to update more tonight or tomorrow, but thank you for reading!

-courtney