Scout's Honour

"Do you want to be my best friend?"

Jem looked up at the boy with the dirt-stained khaki shorts, his smile covering most of his face. Jem shrugged, continuing to play with his sand castle.

"Sure" he replied, not completely sure of what ‘best friends' were supposed to do.

"Can I help you with your sand castle?" the boy asked. He was full of questions. But hey, it was the first day of kindergarten, why not be as friendly as obnoxiously possible?

"Well," Jem looked at his sand castle, then back at the boy, "as long as you don't ruin it,"

The boy shook his head and kneeled down beside Jem. "I won't," the boy assured.

"You promise?" Jem asked.

The boy held up three fingers, saying "Scout's honour" as his way of promising.

"What does that mean?" Jem asked, cocking his head.

"Well, if you're a boy scout, it's like promising the scout officer that you'll do something," the boy answered.

"Are you a Boy Scout?"

"Yeah"

Their conversation died a little as they both concentrated on their sand castle, which Jem would admit was looking better than before.

"I'm Kyle," the boy announced with a smile "What's your name?"

"Jem," he answered, not as cheeky as Kyle.

They heard their teacher announce that recess was over, so they left their sand castle and got out of the sand pit.

"Race you to the line?" Kyle asked.

Jem didn't answer, instead, he ran as fast as he could, trying to get there before Kyle would be able to.



Jem found out what best friends would do ten years later. They would stay with each other throughout their school years, even on the first week of their freshman year in high school.

"Did you see that girl in Science? She kept checking me out, I swear, man,"Jem rambled as if Kyle would really care if some bimbo was looking forward to get into his pants.

"Yeah, okay. Dude, I know you have a big ego and all, but I didn't know it'd actually give you hallucinations," Kyle replied, reluctant to take a bite of whatever there was on his plate. School lunch is gross.

"Shut up, Boy Scout, 's not my fault that you can't get a girlfriend," Jem retorted.

"You know, I don't know why you still bother me with that. I convinced my mother to take me out a long time ago,"

"Like, seventh grade," Jem mumbled.

"Why am I your friend?" Kyle muttered.

"I don't know, you offered" Jem answered with a large grin on his face.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I saved you, you're welcome"

"Whatever. I was thinking about doing hockey this year" Jem announced.

"Oh, cool, me too," Kyle smiled.

"Oh God, no, don't" Jem sighed.

"What, why?"

"Because you're fucking spectacular at sports," Jem responded, his tone thick with sarcasm.

"Whatever, I'm joining. I doubt I'll be that bad, anyway,"

"Whatever you say,"

"Scout's honour," Kyle grinned. Jem couldn't help but smile back, followed by a "Shut up, prick,"

"Hey, you guys mind if we sit here?"

Both of them looked at the girls standing beside their table, Jem immediately recognising one of the two as that girl from their science class who couldn't seem to get her eyes off him.

"Go ahead," Jem answered, smiling again.

Kyle concentrated on the lunch that all of a sudden seemed appetising.



"How do I look?"

Breathtaking,

Gorgeous,

Amazing.

"Fine," Kyle breathed out as calmly as he could. Jem smiled back, nodding in satisfaction and turning back to the mirror, shaky hands fidgeting with his tie.

"I hate this fucking tie," Jem muttered under his breath.

"Let me see," Kyle offered, moving in front of Jem to help him out with his tie. Jem was right, his tie was messed up, then again, Jem was never good at dressing formally.

"Yeah, it's a bit messed up," Kyle mumbled, smirking.

Jem sighed. "My own fucking wedding and I can't dress myself properly,"

Kyle's chest stung at that, but managed to let out a light chuckle at what Jem said.

"You're lucky I'm here," he responded, feeling Jem nod as he worked on his tie. Once he finished, he let go of Jem's tie, looking up at him with this look that Jem paid no mind to.

Before he started creeping Jem out, Kyle moved away, making sure he looked decent as well. He would be at the altar too, after all.

"Man, thanks for everything, I really didn't think you'd agree to be my best man, you know, with Mikayla and all," Jem mused.

It was no hidden secret that Kyle had a dislike towards Jem's fiancé, Mikayla. Jem thought it was irrational, but led it slide anyway, knowing he probably had a reason. And Kyle did, really, she messed everything up for him. He was eventually going to tell Jem that he was gay, that he had this terrible attraction to Jem that he knew he wouldn't be okay with, but couldn't control.

Maybe during high school, when he first figured it out. Maybe after high school, after he got over his fear of how Jem would react. Maybe even during college, thinking they were old and mature enough to understand each other. Maybe after college. Now. Even if it was too late. Now. Ten years later. Now.

"It's fine, I wouldn't want anyone else to take my place," Kyle replied, letting out a slight smirk, knowing he had let someone do just that, by being a coward.

"This is it, can't believe I'm getting fucking married," Jem murmured, staring at himself in the mirror, scared, nervous and anxious all at once.

"You think I'm ready?" Jem asked, spinning around to face Kyle. Kyle nodded softly.

"Yeah," he almost whispered.

"You sure?" Jem asked again.

"Scout's honour," Kyle smiled, holding up three fingers.

Jem smiled, walking over to Kyle and hugging him, less ‘manly' than the other few times they've hugged. No, this was a real hug. One that would actually mean something, and honestly, Kyle never wanted to let to of Jem.

"I don't think I'm ready," Kyle mumbled, and it was the only honest thing he'd said while in that room.

Jem laughed a little, brushing it off and walking towards the door, out of the room, looking back to check if Kyle was following him.

And as much as Kyle did not want to, he did.