Dear All,

Here comes edited and improved chapter 7 and I hope you will really much enjoy it! So, please let me know ^^

In here we will have another POV to let us see things from a different perspective and also, to introduce this sweet cinnamon roll better. He is an important character and we will have his POV in here 😊

My old readers, I think we will understand even more about our cutie here and also, of Travis in a way.

The mystery thickens in a way, on why our cutie is scared of them, but we will discover everything in due time.

I would like to very much say a big THANK YOU to all of my readers, amazing people who are either reading this story for the first time and giving it a lot of love through votes and comments and also, to my many, many re-readers! Knowing I wrote a story you feel like taking in your hands again is simply amazing and therefore I want to give you the best I can.

I won't add anything more, aside saying, happy and magic reading to you.

Enjoy it!

"A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow," by William Shakespeare.

JASPER POV:

I walked beside Travis and I wasn't sure he realized what he was doing or if he did it on purpose, but his hand was tightly around mine as we left the school, still shaken by our encounter with them. I peered up at him and I still couldn't believe I became friend with someone like Travis. He was so different from me, but in some ways so very similar, and his personality had the wonderful gift and skill to make me feel good and at ease when I was myself. Also, I felt I could open up and be relaxed, something that didn't happen very often with me and mostly only with my brother or my other friends.

The first time I saw him was when he arrived at our school during his first day, and oh boy, it was impossible not to notice him. Most of the students here were sort of boring, I mean, very calm and not as exceptional and extravagant as he was, and uhm, quite snobbish and rather pompous in their attitudes sometimes, probably many of them coming from families like mine. But I wouldn't know much, for I kept for myself since the first day of my first year, never being able to blend with my classmates and schoolmates, never being able to become closer to anyone in particular. There were no activities that interested me, and I tried once to join some sport clubs, but it ended very badly, because I was short and some thought I could not be athletic, even if I was in my own way. Therefore, every day I was eager to leave this place and run to meet my real friends, super nice and funny guys I met through my passion for skateboarding, with whom I could be myself without having to worry about anything or watch for my back. Sadly, they all went to another school, but my parents didn't approve of that one obviously, especially my mother, who thought that this even was as good as she wished.

We did hang out together at Carlos's or Steve's house when it was raining, skateboarding when sunny and our butts didn't freeze, or sometimes we simply went to the cinema to watch a movie together. We ate snacks and junk food together, especially at Carlos's place that was always well stocked with every sort of sweet, savory, spicy or any sort of flavor I could think of for a snack. I missed them in school every single day, every single hour. Boy, every single minute.

Being shy and quiet as I was didn't work the best if you wanted to open up and meet other people, especially most of the students in here, who looked down on me for reasons I never completely understood. I realized with time that my simple and skater-boy style was not very welcomed here, as I read it in their faces, because I didn't really care for branded clothes. Mother wished for that, but at least in this matter I managed to somehow win the discussion.

I had also made the incredible mistake of admitting my being gay and that signed the ticket to a sort of hell and constant bullying. A group of bored jocks, who had nothing else to entertain themselves with aside football and their girlfriends, decided I was the best pastime and began to shove me into walls, lockers, doors or, well, whatever was there for me to be pushed on. I remember trying to explain the situation to my parents, but all I got was a dry reply from my father, saying something like "Jasper, you need to man up and face difficulties with your strength alone. Only in this way you will become a real man." Yup, that had really been what my father told me and from then, I never once went back to him for advices or asking for help. I weathered everything alone, sometimes not always able to avoid the worst.

Uhm, his idea of being a man meant not to be gay, obviously. As if you could decide and change it from one day to another, pressing some switch inside of me. Nope, it definitely didn't work in that way. When I first discovered, or perhaps I should say completely realized and acknowledged my sexuality, it was during a super-hot summer afternoon, and I think I was around thirteen years of age. My friends and I were doing skateboarding, trying new tricks, when a group of older guys joined us, complimenting us and me in particular for what we were doing.

One of them was shirtless, sweat on his tanned skin and had headband on to keep his long dark blonde hair from falling into his very handsome face, green eyes smiling at us nicely, friendly. When I saw his muscles and his abs flexing while he skated in front us to show a different and more complex trick, twisting his body in the air and laughing while doing it, something twitched inside of me and I felt like I couldn't stop staring at him, suddenly finding him very beautiful and nicely shaped, suddenly noticing his muscles even more. It was then I completely realized I was attracted to a guy. Boy, at first, I blamed the heat of that day, but then it happened again, and again and again, until I fully acknowledged my homosexuality. I was gay and there was nothing else to do about that. I was gay and period.

My brother Nicolas was my father's perfect model of son, the best and highest grades in college, having attended Harvard, a master's degree in law, successful, extrovert, intelligent, ambitious, with a beautiful girlfriend and a brilliant career.

My wonderful and beloved older brother. Sure thing. He had everything of that, aside one tiny detail; Nic had no secrets with me and I had none with him, too. I loved and missed him very much, for we were really close and attached, always able to count and rely on him for everything, but he left home after college to start a new life on the other side of the country, far away from our house, far away from mother's dictatorship, because this is how I should have described the regime she imposed in our house, on our family. So, uhm yeah, I did not have a warm and happy family, quite the opposite about that, and they definitely didn't support me in pretty much anything. Exception made for my brother, obviously, who did his best in supporting me in everything, always there for me if I needed a word or just a quick chat. He was the best brother I could ask for.

And then I met the very extravagant and also very affectionate and unique in my eyes Travis, when he saved my butt from John Collins. It was silly to admit it, but when that happened, I thought he was a sort of dark angel. I wasn't kidding and I knew it sounded very gay and rather ridiculous, but that didn't matter to me. He really gave me that idea, with his bleached white hair, pale skin, dark clothes and with his being so attractive that he was absolutely stunning, dazzling even with his smile. And most important in all of this, he stood there for me and helped me.

That had never happened to me before.

I thought he was the most good looking and handsome guy I had ever seen, and I still believed that, for I hadn't yet met anyone else would could change my mind on that point. Boy, his sarcasm was one of the best parts of him, just like his "cat-like cockiness", as he called and described it himself, not forgetting how much he swore, with quite a colorful and very rich imagination. I-I believed that not even my friends swore like him and for sure, they never came up with such rather funny and peculiar curses as he did.

However, in my eyes Travis was such a contrast, an amazing and smiling contrast.

He walked around with elegance and style, his chin always up and his back always perfectly straight, his shoulders pushed back (which was later explained to me it was due by his being a ballet dancer), white hair perfectly styled every single day, black eye-pencil and a hint of black mascara sometimes, a body to honestly envy, because uhm his very adherent clothes left little to people's imagination and you could see how fit and incredibly shaped he was; yet, he was always alone and silent. But then, when he would suddenly open his mouth to speak up or make a point, oh boy, that could really shock everyone. I wasn't exaggerating, because the first time it almost shocked me, in particular when he declared with complete ease and a touch of pride that he was gay, something I didn't expect at all.

I had to muster not little courage to go there and talk to him, considering how frustrating it was getting, for nobody seemed to know him personally, or where he spent his time and where he had lunch, given he pretty much never showed up in the school cafeteria. Everybody noticed him since day one, everyone knew who he was, but not well enough to guess where he was. I felt almost like a stalker for having to investigate so much about him, finding out where he could be, and I was afraid he would shout at me, telling me to get lost and leave him alone, because I heard that Collins was giving him a hard time since that day. That made me feel terribly guilty and thus, I wanted to meet him even more, even if I was afraid of his potential reaction.

But he didn't and none of my silly fears actually made any sense.

Travis welcomed me immediately with a sincere, kind and very dazzling smile, pushing me to open-up with him, to relax more, and it did really happen around him. I mean, you couldn't resist him even if you tried, no kidding, because his enthusiasm was warm and wrapping around you like a comfortable blanket, his personality was like burning and crackling fire, almost storm-like in its intensity and genuineness. I-I had to admit that being with him wasn't difficult at all, and little by little, I became more at ease and grew closer and closer to him. In fact, it was very easy because he was the sort of friend who would welcome you and make you feel good in your own skin. Without realizing it, I found myself quickening my steps whenever I had to see Travis and surprising him by jumping on his back and hugging him.

I giggled thinking about that. Boy! He liked that, because he was a person that enjoyed physical contact with the people he liked and felt close to, a person that openly showed his feelings and attachment, something I very much missed from my parents, something I actually never received from them. Travis was my friend only, but sure thing he was a special friend.

I was so super happy he saved my butt from Collins! But I really felt guilty for having created troubles for him, something he told me that was complete nonsense – even though he had used a very different word – and to forget it, given he could take care of himself and of that "peanut size brain waste of space who possibly suffered of micro-penis complex". Yup, that was exactly how he described John Collins and just thinking about that made me giggle out of the blue. Travis was priceless when it came to conjure up ways to call people he didn't like.

I truly wanted to see him dancing, as I was sure it was going to be awesome; he showed me some pictures and short videos and just from them I was super impressed. I never imagined he would be that much talented. Maybe he would like to meet my friends and join us for skateboarding, even if he just looked at us. Maybe, why not? But the truth was that I was too shy to ask him, because the usual doubts nagged at me: what if he didn't like the idea? What if he thought I was being silly?

He invited me to his house, well more like penthouse from what I understood from him, and I was very nervous about it, yet excited at the same time. Uhm, inside I jumped like a kid, as Travis just transmitted to me his warm enthusiasm. But even with that, I was still very nervous, afraid I could do or say something that would displease them, especially his mother. What if she didn't like me for some reason? What if I said or did something silly or embarrassing? What if...oh boy, I needed to calm down and stop thinking in this direction, because sure thing was that Travis explained what kind of mother he had and from his description I had a feeling I was going to like her very much. If she resembled him of just one tiny bit, then everything was going to be fine. Yep, sure.

I nodded to myself, happy for having sorted out my nervous state and I walked to his locker as he instructed during our lunch break, and I saw him right there, immediately feeling warmth rushing on my cheeks and a smile spreading on my face. I was happy to see him, so I almost ran towards him, sure thing smiling like some silly kid. I think I had a crush on him, but more like a friend crush, a brother crush. Not in a romantic way, oh boy that absolutely no, even if he was that stunning and handsome. It was just that in little time he had completely changed my life in school and I still couldn't believe it. I-I wondered if maybe it would change even more? Everything was possible with Travis, yup.

"Travis, sorry that I am a bit late, but the professor kept talking for longer than usual," I cheered and quickly explained as soon as my eyes locked on his face and he immediately returned my smile with a dazzling and shining one.

"No problem, Jas." I almost chuckled at the new nickname. Better than cutie, I guess, even though I didn't mind that at all. It was very Travis-like. "I am happy to see you," he added and my smiled widened, because it wasn't something to which I was really used, hearing such words, and the fact was that he really meant it. And it was the same for me.

I turned my attention to the person he was talking to, a very tall and attractive guy, which I already noticed around the school, with a lovely shade of milk-chocolate skin and a welcoming smile. Were they friends? Uhm, strange, because he never mentioned him, but well, nothing very strange actually, because they could have classes together and who wouldn't want to be friend with Travis? Then I noticed someone else standing there and I froze on the spot, my heart giving a sudden strong beat for the shock.

I saw him.

What was he doing there? Why was he talking to Travis? Wait, were they even talking together? Were they friends? No, I think he would have mentioned them, because he was a very open and honest person, liking to share his school life details and episodes with me, and I did the same. So why was he there? I felt a drop of sweat rolling down my neck, down my back. I felt a bad and bitter taste in my mouth. I felt cold. What on earth was he doing there? His mere presence was able to make me tremble.

Go away, go away, go away, I chanted at my fears in my head, because nothing was going to happen right there in school, I-I wasn't alone. Travis, yes, look at Travis, Jasper!

My eyes shifted at him and sure thing he saw how nervous and distressed I became at once, although he didn't understand the reason behind that. He arched his pitch-black, perfectly styled eyebrows and sent me a confused and puzzled look, as if asking me what was going on. But I couldn't really say or do anything in that moment. I felt petrified on the spot, my nervous state having the best of me, tying my tongue even more than my usual shyness. Uhm, w-what to do? I...I d-didn't know. I was just so scared. Travis looked at me more, obviously concerned, and then he gave me a warm and reassuring smile, and just with that I immediately felt better, safer.

Oh boy, I was super happy we were friends!

"Is this your friend, dude?" Asked the guy with a very nice light brown skin and cheerful voice, by then way too nervous to notice the rest. I think he was smiling at me, but I wasn't really sure of that. I tried to concentrate my attention only on my friend.

"It's Travis," he replied rolling his eyes. "Travis, dude. Yeah, this is my friend, so please meet Jasper." He gestured towards me, in the obvious intent to get out of there very soon, because I-I probably looked very bad right then. "Jasper," he spoke to me, but I barely moved my eyes away from him just to quickly peek at the other guy. "This is Derek and Aleksandr and...Dmitri, am I right?" I gulped silently at his name, not looking at this direction, because I was really scared and my heart was beating very fast, making me physically uncomfortable. I had learned that crossing his way wasn't something wise to do and I hadn't dared it.

"Right there, man," they replied, the dangerous looking Aleksandr saying nothing and looking down on me as if I represented a piece of dirt on the floor.

I swallowed down again as he looked at me, but Travis was then standing right beside me and I felt his sweet and calming perfume wrapping around me, his presence comforting and warm.

"Uhm, err, ni-nice t-to m-meet you," I managed to utter somehow, feeling a complete fool for behaving like a very shy child instead of standing my ground as I should have done. But it was easier to say it than doing it.

"Well, let's go Jasper," Travis said, with a nice and warm voice, and he pulled my sleeve. The little friendly gesture melted away part of my fear. "See you around, guys," he added, mostly to be polite, because he pretty much was no longer really looking at them. They all greeted us once more, him still looking at me, until we moved away, and as we went to reach the exit of the school, I noticed how Travis had slipped his hand in mine, squeezing it tightly as to say not to worry, because he was there. I just smiled at that, feeling much, much better.

We walked outside the school, the fresh air feeling nicely on my face and restoring a bit more of my calmness, very glad Travis didn't ask or say anything about what happened; but, if I got to know him a bit during these days, I had a feeling he would ask sooner or later, when he judged it best for me. Suddenly he stopped, spotting a black and shining Mercedes on the other side of the street. He waved vigorously and shouted.

"Mom, mom, I'm here!" The car replied by flashing the headlights twice, and so, he looked at me. "Let's go, Jasper, mom is waiting there for us."

When we stopped in front of the car, the door opened immediately and a beautiful woman with styled short to her shoulders light brown hair and Travis' ink black eyes greeted us with a warm and sincere smile. I understood from where his enthusiasm and beauty came, because his mother was very elegant, wearing a long black coat and black shoes with rather high heels, and extremely good looking, appearing quite young also, with a playful light in her eyes that completely reminded me of him.

"Travis!" She hugged him and he returned the gesture, something completely natural and spontaneous for them both.

"Hey mom, thank you for picking me up from school and yeah, meet Jasper, my friend," he said with a grin that reached up his eyes and ears.

"Jasper, you say?" She turned her attention to me, and my eyes widened at the smile she had for me. "Jasper, what a pleasure is to finally meet you...a friend of my Travis. He spoke a lot about you." The way she spoke those words expressed the love she felt for her son and the true happiness, which made me remember Travis explained he had had very few friends in the past and never good ones. "I am Michelle, Travis's mother obviously." She first shook my hand and then observed me, in the same intense way her son did sometimes. "Oh, it's true what Travis said: you look very cute! I am so happy you are his friend," she sincerely repeated and then, she hugged me out of the blue and in an instant my cheeks were red and hot.

OK, right then I also understood from where his frankness and exuberance came. Oh boy, this afternoon was going to be particularly challenging for my shyness, but well, they both seemed to have the same gift: making people around them feel at ease.

"Yes, I am Jasper, ve-very nice to meet you, Mrs. Henderson." Travis told me about his family and that he lived only with his mother, having taken her surname and completely denied his father's one. I believed he had his good reasons; he never went into details, but I had the impression that man had been awfully bad with them. But he had a mother he loved very much, because it was impossible to miss how close they were. For a moment I felt almost, irrationally jealous, because he had a parent like her, who seemed a caring and loving person, not like my parents...but it was silly and gone in a moment, for I was just happy for him.

"Oh please, Jasper, do call me Michelle only. I feel old if you address me as Mrs. Henderson, too formal I might add," she told me going to open the door for me. "Shall we go, boys?" I nodded and timidly thanked her, going to sit in the back while Travis sat beside her in the front seat. He then turned around to look at me, while she started the engine.

"So, cutie, wasn't I right? Didn't I say mom is very cool and not to worry?"

"Yeah, you said that," I replied quietly and shyly, seeing how Mrs. Hend...oh well, Michelle quickly peeked at me through the rearview mirror.

"And?" He asked with cat-like curious expression, which made me giggle somehow.

"And, what?" How was I going to survive the afternoon with him and his mother? But to be honest, it was refreshing, so different from the usual cold and stiff atmosphere I had at home, where I had to pay attention on how I sat at the table.

"What do you think?" They both looked at me, Travis from his seat and Michelle with a brief glance through the mirror, and I froze from my shyness. They were so spontaneous they basically were disarming, charming in fact.

Oh boy, I blushed even more thinking about that and I think I was at my limit of blushing.

"Well yes Travis, you were right, she is very nice," I just said, admitting loudly what I thought.

"Aww, thank you Jasper, you're really sweet and cute, and you also seem a very nice person," she told me, smiling so openly that I did the same without even realizing it.

And then, I noticed something that pleasantly surprised me: with Travis and his loving mother all the tension and fear from before, from having to see and meet him, had melted totally away.

The afternoon spent with Travis turned out to be one of the greatest and coolest I ever had, and with his mother of course, who was nicely curious to know more about me and talk a bit, probably wanting to understand why we became friends and if I really was a sincere person. She prepared some snacks and enjoyed them a bit with us, keeping us company for a while, until she had to go to prepare her documents and packing for the business trip. She was like Travis and I honestly liked her.

Their house (I mean, you couldn't call that a simple apartment, because it was super cool and very big) was beautiful, had a warm and serene atmosphere, a family-like air around it, decorated with British and American style perfectly mixed.

I decided that my favorite rooms were the kitchen, where you could see they indeed enjoyed cooking together whenever possible, tidy but not maniacally tidy like it was in my house, with a counter and tall stools and a table as well with nice chairs you could normally sit on, the living room that was huge and had a comfortable big couch, armchairs, a wide plasma TV, coffee tables they explained sometimes were used when they had either dinner or breakfast there, a soft carpet, a modern fireplace and many, many pictures of them on the walls or furniture. And then Travis' bedroom, which was rather spectacular, almost bigger than mine and definitely much more colorful and personalized than mine. Boy, you could see it at first that it was his bedroom.

We ate healthy snacks that Mrs. Henderson – ops, I should say Michelle as she reminded me twice during the afternoon – prepared for us, watched a bit of Netflix in the living room commenting about it, discovering we liked some similar series, lazing relaxed on the large couch and then, we watched a movie in his bedroom, while he showed me his countless CDs and pictures taken from his dancing performances or even just training. He truly was amazing and when he spoke about that, you could hear his love and passion for it, which was almost contagious, as I found myself asking questions related to that.

When the time arrived for me to leave, for I couldn't impose on them and abuse of their kindness and hospitality, considered she was about to leave for a few days, I almost felt sad, because I really felt good and pretty much giddy the entire time I was there. I said I would take a bus or the subway, but Travis insisted he would drive me home and nothing could make him change his mind on that.

"You must come and stay more with us, Jasper," his mother said. "It really was a pleasure to meet you and to spend some time with you, and actually, sorry if I intruded your time, but I really wanted to get to know you more, since my son spoke so much of you." Exactly like Travis, she had a tendency for speaking quite fast, but not as fast as he did.

"Mom, that's nonsense, you weren't intruding," he told her, playfully poking her sides, as if wanting to tickle her, but she obviously wasn't ticklish at all, not like me who would have been rolling already on the floor.

"Thank you, uhm, M-Michelle, it was a real pleasure for me, too, and thanks again for the snacks and Travis is right: it was nice to talk to you," I honestly said, still feeling quite embarrassed in having to address her by the first name, but well, she wouldn't have it different and also in that, they were very alike.

She smiled at my words and once more, she surprised me with a strong hug, for then giving her car's keys to Travis and saying goodbye.

"My mom totally loves you, Jas," Travis told me once we were alone in the car, him driving me home.

He explained that after Christmas they were going to order his own car, which consisted in an earlier present for his birthday. He was already eighteen years old but completed the exams for his license only a few months ago. I didn't ask why, for he seemed not yet willing to explain the reasons behind that and I had the impression Travis went through quite a lot in the past months and years, even if you couldn't really see it on him. It was just a feeling and maybe I was wrong.

"I like her, too. She is truly amazing and as you said, yup, very cool," I admitted blushing madly.

"Hell, I know, she is damn fantastic, and I totally love her," he enthusiastically replied, looking happy we had liked each other at first.

"True."

After exchanging a few other words, we kept silent, a comfortable and quite soothing kind of silence, with My Chemical Romance singing in the background. When we reached my place, I felt a lump in my stomach, my mood somehow immediately dropping of many degrees, but what could I do about it? It was my home and I had no other place to go; my parents were yes very cold and distant, but they still were my parents, providing me with many things. Travis was impressed by the size of our house, uhm well, mansion should be maybe called, and said it looked super cool. I promised to show it to him one day and he nodded.

"Thank you for driving me home, Travis," I told him, hearing my voice not being as cheerful as it was before.

"Anytime, cutie." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes, going to open the door.

"Jasper?" He then called, stopping me in the motion.

"Yeah?" I turned, gazing into his dark and sparkling eyes.

"I am really happy we are friends." I blushed and then beamed like a child. "I really mean it," he added, and we smiled at each other more, my mood slightly affected in a good way by his words.

"Me, too, Travis. I am super happy we are friends," I replied in all honesty.

Because I really, really meant it.

Before leaving, probably sensing my change in mood, he asked whether he should maybe speak to my parents and meet them, just to introduce himself, but I said it was not necessary because I knew today they were out for some important social event, some charity event or I didn't even remember what, for they often took part to those things. He observed me quickly and then nodded, saying he could introduce his fantastic self another time. And once more, the mood slightly improved.

I had been very lucky in meeting him and even more lucky in becoming such good and true friends.

Author's chit-chat:

So, what did you think our cute and super-sweet Jasper? Do you like him as character?

I must say I am having very much nice time writing parts in which he takes place.

I believe his POV offered us better insight in Travis's life and character, in the story itself, but also in Jasper, who I repeat once more is an important character (not the main protagonist, but still very important).

What will happen in the next chapter? Any guess, thoughts, memories from the re-readers?

Now, just wait for chapter 8, edited and improved version and happy reading to you.

Lots of Love, Magic, Hugs & Meows,
-TheWitchAndTheCat-