It Wasn't That Way

Chapter 4

And it seemed like the distance between them just kept growing.

Cake did his best to spend time with Eiw as often as he could, but P'Rin was his first girlfriend. She was pretty, older, and exciting. She was everything he wanted in a girl: charming, popular, easy on the eyes, and oh-so attentive.

P'Rin had long, glossy black hair that she liked to comb during their time together. Cake loved watching as she ran her fingers through it like it was some kind of silken harp as she pulled it into her signature ponytail. She liked to put on red lipstick, but it would never stay on as she always bit and licked her lips when they were together. But what he liked the most about her were her sharp and mischievous eyes.

He liked that despite the way she complained about how sweaty he got after playing football, she always brought him something cool to drink. He liked that flirty look in her eyes when she attempted to pull him away from the game. And he really liked that she was just as jazzed to be with him as he was with her. He was so flattered by the way she wanted all of his time.

Cake got such a kick out of holding her hand behind the main building before school and he liked walking through the streets pressed against her side while they meandered around looking for after school snacks. The ginger and saffron scent of her perfume was crisp and effusive, just like her. It made him tingle whenever she came close enough that he could smell it. He liked trying to make her blush and he liked the stern look she sent him in retaliation. He liked calling her late at night on his new phone, playing with the loose threads of Eiw's blanket while he asked whether she had any homework or not.

Together they talked for hours, even when there wasn't anything to say. And sometimes, they kissed too. He would pull her behind the school and they would press their lips together. Afterwards, she would wipe his mouth with her handkerchief and they'd giggle together when it came away stained with her lipstick.

It was all so thrilling and new, to be a teenager and to date a girl for the first time; Cake happily let the waves of puppy love sweep him away.

But the more time he spent with P'Rin, the more he missed Eiw. Not only did he not see Eiw as much as he used to, but it seemed like instead of keeping his distance at school, Eiw had just straight-up started to avoid him. He didn't wake Cake up for school regularly like he used to, and when he did, he just had this somber air around him that made Cake feel unsettled. And when they went home, Eiw was reluctant to spend time together, preferring to be alone instead.

They used to hang out all night while Eiw did homework and Cake wasted time reading comics. He was supposed to spend every night lounging in bed with Eiw begging to copy his homework, and Eiw was supposed to chide Cake affectionately, only to cave in at the end. Then if they were at Cake's, Cake would cajole Eiw into watching him play video games, and if they were at Eiw's, they would snuggle and talk about their day.

Eiw kept to himself more and more, just sitting and waiting for Cake at the bus stop for hours while he spent time with P'Rin. Cake encouraged him again to join a club so he wouldn't just be hanging around with nothing to do, but Eiw didn't listen.

Cake started seeing Eiw less and less. They didn't really have sleepovers much anymore, and when they did, Eiw was distant. Cake would try to catch him in the morning wanting nothing more to hug him or ruffle his hair, but each time, Eiw pulled away. They even stopped going home together, and Cake felt so hurt. No matter how long he made Eiw wait for him after school, he never once let him ride the bus home alone. How could Eiw let him? All of their rituals were being erased one by one, and Cake didn't know why things had changed.

Before this, Cake never really had the chance to miss Eiw. Eiw had always been right there, so eager to give Cake all of his time. But now that Eiw was pulling back, Cake realized just how much he wanted him in his life. Cake began to feel guilty, he and Eiw had never had this kind of space between them before.

Had Tar been right? Was this the personal space he'd been talking about? Or was Eiw mad at him? Was that why things had changed?

Cake wanted to reach out to Eiw, but he didn't know how. He didn't know how to approach this new Eiw who was so prickly and looked at him with misty downcast eyes that whispered of sorrow. Cake wanted to tell him that they should be prioritizing sleepovers and hanging out more than ever, especially since he spent so much time with P'Rin now, but Eiw simply wasn't around.