𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 [Christopher & Matthew Sturniolo]

ᴇxᴜʟᴀɴꜱɪꜱ

ꜰʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋ

Sᴇɴɪᴏʀ Yᴇᴀʀ
⁰⁴/²²/²⁰²⁰

Paige Withlock

It was one o'clock in the afternoon when I finished getting ready to go out with Nate. I was a little worried because I had spent part of the day texting him but he wasn't answering. Did he realize that this was a mistake? I think I'll try to stay positive. Nathan is not the kind of person who sets people down.

The fact that Taylor was not here with me at this moment made me uneasy so I decided to wait for her on the steps of the front door. I didn't know when she would be back, but hopefully soon. I stayed outside for about ten minutes when I saw a movement in the front house. It was Christopher. He opened the front door to take out the garbage, and before he got back inside he noticed my presence and for some reason decided to walk over to me.

"You know he's not coming, right?" he spoke as soon as he got close enough and I browned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Nate's not coming, Paige" he warned "Lizzie told him about what you and your sister were saying about us at your slumber party" he said with his arms crossed and a critical look on his face.

"What do you mean? We didn't say anything" I stated still confused "We just had a fight, but it was between us, nothing to do with you guys" I tried to explain the situation

"Well, that's not what she said" he undid his crossed arms "Yesterday she showed up in the middle of the night at our house, said that you were talking shit about us, and that you didn't want to go on a date with Nate, that you only accepted because you felt sorry for him, and when she didn't agree with what you were saying you threw her out in the middle of the night" he told me and that made me flabbergasted. How could she tell such a big lie without any remorse?

"That's just not true" I raised my tone as I got up from where I was sitting.

"Honestly, I kind of figured" he said and his expression was softened "I don't really trust the things she says, but the boys don't hang out with her like I do so they just blindly believed what she said" he shrugged.

"If that's the case I need to speak to Nate but he's not answering my messages" I pass my hands through my face not believing this was happening.

"Well, I know he's at the hockey practice now so I can take you there if you want" Chris hid his hands behind his back, with a caring look.

"You don't have a license" I said and he rolled his eyes.

"I have legs" he replied in a sarcastic tone "And it wouldn't be right to let you walk alone to there" he tried to sound as inattentive as he could and I looked at him suspicious as why he was being so nice "Or you can just stay here and let him hate you" he turned his back and took small steps towards his house, I ran to him and hold his arm interrupting his movements.

"No, can you take me there, please?" I tried to be polite and he just nodded.

We proceeded to walk in silence to the Hockey place. Chris was silent during the whole way, which was unusual for him. The boy had always been very extroverted and talkative since he was a kid, he still like that when he was around his friends, yet his quietness was now extremely strange to me. I didn't say anything, though. We weren't that intimate.

When we finally arrived at the place, Chris told me to wait outside because Nate probably wouldn't react very well if he saw us walk through the door together. I did as requested and stood outside and watched the children who passed by. After about five minutes Chris came back out with a lost glance.

"Well?" I said bringing his attention.

"He's not here" he noted "One of the boys said he skipped it because he said he was sick" Chris looked troubled.

"Let's go to his house then" I said and Chris took his phone from his pocket.

"You don't understand, Paige" he said as he opened his messages "Nate doesn't miss hockey practice, like ever" the boy stated with all the reason he had and that made me even more concerned. I can't believe that that cunt caused all this, and for what?

"So what are we going to do?" I questioned.

"I'll go to his house, alone" he stated.

"No, I have to go with you" I demanded and he shook his head.

"No, I will talk to him and then we can manage something, believe me, If he finds out I'm hanging with the girl that he thinks has talked shit behind his back he would be disappointed" Chris said while he intensely typed a message to his best friend.

"I think Nate knows better than this" I said while walking on his slow pace but he didn't seem to listen to me.

"Whatever, I'll walk you home so I can go to his house and make sure he's ok" he said finally looking at me while putting his phone back on his pocket and I decided to follow his plan.

"You are always there for Nate, it's so admirable" I commented trying to not have a quiet walk like before, and he kept quiet, giving me a side eye "I mean he's one of my best friends too but your friendship and loyalty to him it's way out of my reality" I tried to explain better where I was coming from so it wouldn't sound weird "Goes the same with your brothers" I added "Is there any specific reason for all this devotion to them?" he shook his head trying to disguise a smile.

"They are my friends, that's what friends do" he answered shortly.

"You really don't know how to talk to people, do you?" I mocked his lack of communication skills. The brown haired boy wet his lips and seemed to think whether he should answer or not, I thought he would just ignore it the tease, but then I heard his throat being cleared and his voice sounding low.

"When I was young, there was this song that our dad used to sing to us. It talked about a road that was long and a brother who had to be carried on it" Chris' eyes would run to all the parts of the street while we walked side by side "The lyrics said the brother wasn't heavy. That he was, simply, his brother" his voice had a little of comicality in it when he said the last sentence "And that line repeated again and again" he swung his head "He ain't heavy. He's my brother" he stated the lyrics "And something about the way my dad sang these words got stuck with me. I didn't understand at the time because I was what? Nine, eleven?" he slightly shrugged "But now I understand that this is love. This is caring. This is all what relationships are about. If the road is long, it doesn't matter what they weigh... I will carry them" I didn't think this would ever happen but the day has come. The day Christopher Sturniolo left me speechless for the first time. The day he also changed my mind for the first time. Before that I thought the only reason why he had this bond with his friend group was because of a weird search for validation from them. Not once I would imagine him admitting it was genuine love "I don't know if that made sense" he brought me back and I could see how the no response on my behalf made him self cautious.

"You should talk more" I say and I smile so he doesn't know I'm begging, or that I really mean it.

"I do talk, you probably just don't listen" he said not looking at me.

"Well, I just never thought you said something that matters" I was more honest than expected.

"Exulansis" he said.

"What?"

"Exulansis" he repeated "It was on that book of yours, it's the tendency to give up trying to talk about something because people are unable to relate to it" he explained.

"Did you read a book?" I asked in complete shock "Who are you and what did you do with Chris?" I laughed and pretended to be scared of him and he ran his tongue through his lower teeth, annoyed.

"I hate that you see me like that" he grumbled and my smile fell apart.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm stupid or something" he seemed not only piqued, but properly downhearted "You always do that, since we were kids" he mentioned looking at me to see my expression and I couldn't help but feel bad "And I had a crush on you back then which makes everything worse"