No Need to Sleep Living in a Dream (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 5: 36 hours

Evan Cooper

If Evan had had hopes that knowing Junior's secret would bring them closer, he couldn't have been more wrong. Junior was doing everything in his power to push Evan further away, like he was terrified that any moment Evan would let everyone know about the secret. And yet, Evan had no intention of doing so.

It wasn't his secret to tell, and if Junior wanted to stay in a house like that, Evan was going to respect his decision. He was going to do his best to make Junior tell someone about it though. Junior would have to be the one who asked for help, not Evan.

What worried him, though, was the injury on Junior's side. The fight had been over a week ago, but he didn't seem to be in any less pain. If he hadn't shown it to the nurse, who knows how bad it was?

Fortunately, during the next two weeks or so, Junior seemed to be moving his body less cautiously. Unfortunately he didn't seem to be thinking any less ill about Evan.

***

When the house was quiet and it was dark outside, Evan climbed down the fire ladder and tiptoed out of the yard. There was a car waiting for him at the end of the street, and from the car he found Damien, Chase, Kingston and some girl named Celia. Apparently Celia was Chase's date for the evening.

They were heading to a party in some 4th year's house, where everyone was supposed to be that night, according to Chase. It was a fine house with two floors and a swimming pool; a perfect place for such a huge party.

Someone handed Evan a drink as soon as he walked in and he took a big gulp of it. Being a jock didn't come without benefits: when they walked in, they were served drinks and soon there was a place in the middle of a room cleared for them. Evan was in the team purely because he loved hockey, but he had to admit that sometimes being popular came in handy.

"I wonder how many gays there are in our school." Kingston said as he spotted a girl from their school kissing another girl on the dance floor.

"I guess you'll never know." Damien continued, smirking. He was about to open his mouth, probably to add a slur or two, but Evan cut him short.

"Just so that you know, I'm bi." He stated, matter-of-factly. He was open about his sexuality and he wasn't going to take any homophobic bullshit, not even from his friends.

"Oh, really?" Damien snorted.

"Yeah, really." Evan answered with a tone that suggested Damien would have to pick his next words carefully.

"Okay, cool." Chase shrugged, cutting in before Damien could start a fight. They left it, moving along to much less controversial topic.

Dario Ortiz

Dario was staring at his reflection from the bathroom mirror. He could hear the music all the way to upstairs, and wondered whether the neighbours could hear it too.

His hair was a mess, his pupils dilated and his eyes red from the alcohol. Dario had been up for 36 hours and even without alcohol his body had started to do all this weird stuff, but as he was drunk.. it was an interesting combination, so to speak.

Dario washed his hands one more time, then carefully dried them and opened the bathroom door. He bumped into someone much taller than him, almost knocking himself down in the process.

"Sorry." Dario muttered an apology and walked past the guy.

"Dario? Are you okay?" A familiar voice called behind his back. When Dario turned to take another look at the stranger, he realized he did know him more than well. One could even say too well.