Good Night, July

Chapter 1: Calm

February 10th. 2027.

The classroom bell rings. The school hallways are filled with noise as the many students, including me, make their way to the lunch hall. Accompanying me are my two friends, Lance and Mark.

"Yo July, got any plans for this month?" My friend Lance is a normal looking dude, with short hair and a pretty short height to accompany it. He has a very prideful personality, yet he lacks any of the genuine talent that he always boasts about

"Yeah July, we both know you don't have a girlfriend." Mark, in stark contrast, is a tall guy who has a really humble personality. Mark is a lot more laid back than Lance is, which I can respect since dealing with him can get tiresome.

"You dumbasses, I don't have a girlfriend, nor do I have any plans." And that's me, Julian, People call me July for short. I'm taller than both my friends, but I wouldn't go as far to say I look better than both of them. I look decent, I guess. I have a few hobbies like cooking, playing a few instruments and drawing, but sadly, I'm bad at both of them.

"Well, if you're free, we can hang out at the arcade this coming Friday. You down?" Lance asks

"Huh? Friday? Why specifically Friday?"

"Oh, so you do have plans then?"

"Well, any other day of the week I'm free, but Friday is a no go." Friday is February 14th, Valentine's Day. Which is in 5 days. I was really not looking forward to having to explain it to these two but... I guess they deserve to know.

"Why? You actually got a girlfriend then?" Lance says in a snarky tone.

"No, but I do like somebody."

"WHO?!" Mark and Lance both say at the same time, very loudly too... Was that really such a shock to them? "JULY, WHO IS IT!?" They're practically trying to beat it out of me with all the back and forth shaking that's going on. "You don't know them, they're not in this school."

They both back off "Pshh, Lameeee."

"Still though, you of all people, liking somebody? Did they pay you to say that?" Mark asks.

"Is that weird? I have feelings too, you know."

"I don't know, you just don't seem like the type to be interested in romance." I never usually talk about love or dating with the both of them, so naturally they'd think I'm just uninterested in it. Seeing as this is the first time I'm ever talking about it, I can get where Mark is coming from.

"Well, there's just some things I don't tell you guys. Simple as."

"But we're bros! You're supposed to tell your bros everything, remember?" Lance interjects.

"Like your Wi-Fi password, your email password, your..."

Me and Mark laugh as Lance continues to list down very personal information.

We made it to the lunch hall. I purchase a pizza roll and an orange juice, then I go to our usual eating spot. Since nobody ever buys the school pizza rolls except me, the line is the shortest, so I'm the first to sit down at our table in case anybody might use it.

Seeing as I have some time to kill, I pull out my phone from my bag and go to my messages...

- July "Hey Belle, you eating lunch yet?"

- Belle "Class"

- July "I see... Have fun then :P"

- Belle "Stupid >:P"

Belle S. White, the girl that I just messaged, is a childhood friend of mine. She and I have known each other far before I ever met Lance or Mark. We were neighbors when we were younger, and the first time we met was when I was playing at the sandbox of my local park, and Belle approached me asking to make a sandcastle with me, like most kids do.