After Darkness

*5. The Homecoming*

Krist had gone to get ready for the party at New's house. The two were planning to have a drink before heading to the party to get them in the right celebratory mood.

Both were excited, but Krist knew New was more. This party would define whether he and May were really well again or if it was just a small relapse of hers. And his friend would want to impress the girl.

This wasn't the kind of relationship Krist wanted to have. He thought this whole thing about couples fighting and getting back together all the time wasn't healthy. It wasn't the kind of relationship he expected for himself. But he would never say something like that to New, because he knew his friend wouldn't want to hear it. It was okay to keep your opinions to yourself sometimes.

"So, vodka or tequila?", New asked, walking through his father's drinks.

"Vodka! Take a bottle", Krist answered. He was really in the mood.

"Any plans to fuck someone tonight?", New joked but not really.

"Why are you like this?".

"Because I'm horny!". New was directed like he always is.

"Is Mike in love with someone?", Krist asked, remembering that talk earlier that week.

"I'm not sure", New lied. "He is strange, different lately. I think he is, but he would never tell me. You probably would be the first one to know".

That was true. Krist and Mike had become inseparable friends since they met when they were freshman. But New was still his best friend. The two were part of the normal people crowd and had been friends since childhood. As different as they were, there was a certain loyalty to their friendship that made them a unique pair within that group.

And just as Mike had drawn to Krist, Gun had drawn to the group because of New. They were a Fantastic Four, until Off took an interest in Gun and started hanging out with them. Now Krist didn't think there was room for anyone else.

When they finally arrived at the party, the crowd was already wild. There were people dancing quite drunk, people lying in corners, a couple of couples dancing on the floor. And Krist knew that if you looked in the right places you would find the pot group. For obvious reasons, they need to be hidden from the judgmental eyes of teachers.

As soon as he spotted the duo, Mike approached them. Mike looked gorgeous, Krist had to admit. He knew there were probably a lot of girls and boys fighting for the guy's attention right now. Mike was one of the most desirable players on the basketball team.

"You are handsome!", Mike commended him.

"Thanks. You are actually pretty good yourself", Krist said. Mike gave him an easy smile. "So, you already know who will owns your heart tonight?"

"Yeah..."

Mike gave him a look, that Krist misunderstood. So, it was true that Mike had a crush into someone. But who is the lucky one?

"Are you gonna tell us?", Krist asked.

"Maybe", it was his short answer.

"I can't wait to see it", New said quietly, so his friends couldn't hear.

Mike asked if New would mind if he took Krist to dance. New said he was okay. If anyone was going to win Krist's heart, he really hoped it would be Mike. Despite not being very fond of his basketball friends, New knew that Mike wasn't like the other players and that he would respect Krist's feelings and make him happy. It was all he wanted for his best friend.

Mike and Krist started to dance. Shortly after, a slow song started to play, and it seemed that Mike's dreams were coming true. The two approached, Mike placing a left hand on Krist's waist and holding his hand with the other, while Krist's right hand rested on his back. The two began to dance slowly, bodies close, almost in a romantic mood.

"That's nice", Mike said, trying to set the mood to his confession.

"Yeah! Do you know, I never danced like this before", Krist confessed. He always sees people dancing like that on the movies, but this never happened with him before. Until now.

Mike opened his mouth to confess his feelings but lost his nerve. He didn't think he'd found the mood to make the confession yet. He needed to continue with the conversation, slowly moving the subject towards an area of ​​interest.

"Do you really like someone?", Krist asked, taking Mike by surprise.

"Actually, I do", if Krist would helps him, so there was the time.

"New told me earlier that if you really liked someone I would the first person to know", Krist told him, keeping moving his body to respond for Mike's movement.

"Why did he think that?"

"Because me and you are bests, right? I know we are closer than you and him", Krist answered.

"Krist...", Mike starts saying.

But he stopped.

Mike took a while to understand what had happened. And actually, nothing had happened. He simply stopped dancing and stared at the table where the drinks were. But Mike couldn't say what caught the boy's attention.

"What...?", Mike tried to ask.

"It's nothing. I just saw someone that I thought I would never see in this party", Krist answered.

But could he really say such a thing? How well he knew Gawin to say whether or not the boy liked to go to parties. He had just thought that someone who didn't like having friends wouldn't feel comfortable in a crowded space. Would he spend the entire party drinking and dancing alone like a loser?

"Who is it?", Mike asked.

"It's nobody. I'm a little tired, can we stop for a second?", Krist said, giving Mike a kiss on his check. "That was an amazing dancing. A dream one", and he meant every word.

Krist walked through the crowd looking for New. Where would his friend be? The party was already quite crowded and finding someone in that space wasn't the easiest thing in the world. He took out his cell phone and texted his friend.

Krist: Where r u?

New: With Gun, on the bleachers.

Krist: I'm going...

New: Kay

He slipped his cell phone into his pocket and started walking through the crowd. Krist tried to get around it by walking away from the dance floor, which was quite crowded now that the dj had started to play some more upbeat songs.

A couple screamed pasting by him, bumping into him, and spilling some of their drink on his clothes. Great! It was all he needed. Krist backed away to avoid bumping into another girl and ended up pushing someone else.

"I'm sorry", he apologized.

"It's ok."

The person was smiling. Krist couldn't believe that they met again in that same way. But he couldn't stop his heart to race when Gawin said:

"We have to stop meeting this way."