[BoyxBoy] Butterfly and Toad ✓

11 - Signs

Nothing is given so freely as advice

Used to indicate others' willingness to give advice about the correct way to do something or how you should approach a problem, whether you want that advice or not.

• o 🦋 o •

It was windy that day. The fresh buds on the trees stubbornly waited for the wind's attack to pass while their elders were being swept away.

It was during lunch at school that I'd gone outside to look for Riley who had been acting weird.. Well, weirder than usual lately. I found her sitting on a low branch of a tree near the school. She had a peanut butter sandwich in her hand, which she wasn't eating. She seemed to be sulking.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Riley met my gaze by pouting at me.

"What?"

She didn't answer.

"What's the matter with you?!" I insisted.

"I could ask you the same thing!" Riley accused.

"Huh?!"

She jumped off the branch and stomped over to me. "You're keeping secrets from me!" She accused, pointing her sandwich at me.

Me (who hated peanut-butter) instantly repulsed, I pulled back.

"W-what makes you say that?"

"You're always busy when I ask to hang out-"

"That was one time-"

"SUSPICIOUS! SUSPICIOUS, I TELL YOU!" Riley exclaimed.

"Would you calm down?"

"And when I peek at you during class-"

"You peek at me during class?"

"I always find you grinning to yourself!" Now she was putting on some sort of old English accent.

"Why are you-"

"SUSPICIOUS!" She went on.

I was quiet and waited for her to continue her rant.

"...That was it." She said in her normal voice.

I nodded.

"What's with the accent?"

"I watched a British high-society drama last night." Riley frowned in thought.

"I see."

Riley squinted at me in suspicion.

What could I say? I couldn't possibly tell her how I was crushing on the cute ballet dude she'd introduced me to a couple months ago? Not because he was a guy, but because... Well, because she was Riley. And Riley would try to get involved and then it would get awkward. Or worse! She'd blurt out that I like him and he'd totally get freaked out and hate me. So I couldn't tell her.

Riley looked down at her shoes. She seemed so sad. I felt bad.

"You don't trust me anymore, do you?" She mumbled.

The wind blew into her hair, whipping her braids across her face.

God, she was like an abandoned puppy! So helpless and sad. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I didn't trust her. I did! I just wasn't ready to share that part of my love life (if you could call it that) with her.

"Of course I trust you!" I said.

Riley wouldn't look at me.

I sighed. "I'm in love." I admitted.