Learn How to Love (Boy x Boy)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖

Luke shook me awake, yelling at me to wake up. I sat up in bed, looking around wildly. The room looked lopsided and funny, and my head felt fuzzy and out of it. Luke grabbed my face with his hands. 

"KYLAR!"

"Ah!" I yelled, falling backwards.

Luke grabbed me again. "It's gone! It's gone!"

I looked up, extremely groggy and even more sleep-deprived after so many nights of staying up with Luke. I swear, he was taking over so much of my time. But even that I felt like I would miss. "What's going on? Are you hurt? Did you lose something?"

Luke grabbed my hands and planted them on his head. Still half-asleep, I didn't register what was going on. I felt around his head for a few moments. Than my eyes widened. I felt around some more. Holy fucking shit. "They're gone?!" I exclaimed. Luke nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. 

"They're gone! The ears and the tail both! It feels so weird. I can still feel them there, though, like I got so used to having them that I can't really register that they aren't there- you know? You probably don't, but still!"

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "That's great news, Luke!" I leaned my head on my hands. "So who's the boy?" 

Luke frowned. "Huh?"

"The boy. The one you 'learned to love'. Who was it? Why didn't you tell me?"

Luke blinked rapidly. "O-Oh, uhm. It's kind of a secret, I guess. But that isn't important! The curse is broken! I don't have to wear the stupid beanie anymore, but I think I kind of got used to it and I kind of like it now, and I don't have to wear your heavy sweatshirts, but I like those too so I might keep wearing those, but the tail and the ears are gone and everything is so fucking amazing and-!"

"Seriously, slow down," I said. I yawned again. "I'm still groggy."

"Right, sorry."

I rubbed my eyes. "So, you beat the curse? You learned to love, like my grandmother wanted you to?"

Luke shrugged, a goofy grin on his face. "I guess so?"

This didn't make any sense. How had Luke found a boyfriend in such a short period of time? How had he fallen in love with someone so quickly? I had to admit, it kind of hurt. Especially since now Luke had to leave... "Well, do you want me to pack you some pasta to go? I can bring food to your house."

Luke's smile faltered. "Huh?"

"Well, when you go back to your house. I don't want you starving again."

Luke blinked rapidly. "I-I don't understand. W-Why can't I stay here? With you?"

I shook my head. "You were only staying her for the curse. After we fixed it, we're supposed to go back to our normal lives once the curse is broken. You told me that that's what you wanted, remember?"

"Well obviously I've changed my mind!"

"What do you mean 'obviously'?"

Luke huffed. "Well I guess not to some people!" He crossed his arms. "I thought we were friends, at least. We went through all this shit together, figuring it out and breaking the curse. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

I winced at his harsh tone. "Of course it did! But that's not the point-"

"IT IS THE FUCKING POINT!" bellowed Luke. "Why are you trying to act like everything can go back to normal? Obviously-" he emphasized. "Things are going to change! I don't want to stop being friends with you- are you fucking heartless? Do you not fucking care about what we did?"

"All I did was help you with a curse that my grandmother cast on you. That was it. Just  because it happened doesn't automatically mean we're going to be best friends or something. Besides, Sadie hates you."

Luke threw up his hands. "SO?! Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me that we haven't gotten closer together?"

"Maybe we have, but we're not friends! We aren't compatible! Don't you get it?" I pleaded. "We would never be here, hanging out, exchanging thoughts, if you hadn't been cursed! That is the only reason you said one word to me other than an insult. You're only my friend because of convenience!" Hot tears began to sting the corners of my eyes, but I brushed them away. Luke was clutching the weighted stuffed animal, and I felt its black eyes staring at me and increasing the rock of guilt I felt in my stomach. I had known this was coming. I needed to get Luke out. Out of my life, out of my treehouse for fuck's sake. "Just because we've had a couple heart to heart talks doesn't mean that we're buddies for life. You're still friends with Justin and Frank, and I'm still friends with Sadie. They won't get along!"

"Then I'll leave them!" he cried. 

I crossed my arms over my chest. I wouldn't show how much this hurt me. I was firm. Luke didn't care. "There isn't any reason why you would want to stay with me other than your house sucks, your friends sucks, and I'm the only person that knows how to help you. None of those include you actually caring for me."

"But I do care about you-"

I held up my hand. "Stop. I don't want to hear it." I looked away, at the dirty floor. "We're not meant to be friends. None of this would be going on without that stupid curse. I get that you want someone to talk to, but I'm not that person. I want you to take whatever shit you need, and to go home." I grabbed my bag off of the floor. "I'm going to school. I don't want you here when I come back. I'm bringing Sadie, and I'll tell her you broke in,"  I added.

Luke stared at me, his eyes brimming with tears, but his body quivered with anger. "Why would you say that? What do I have to do to show you that I care? Huh?" Luke reached for my arm but I pulled away, staring at it like a feral animal. Luke held his head in his hands and paced for a few moments. "I just- I just thought- I thought that we were more than friends, you know? I thought that we had something."

"That's a side effect of being gay, I guess. You fall in love with the first ever queer person you meet. It's a matter of circumstances, not real emotions."

Luke whipped around. "Shut the fuck up! Stop talking out of some fucking book like a robot! I know you care, and I know you're pushing me away! What do I have to do to make you understand that I care? That I want to be with you?"

I pointed to the trap door. "Go."

"You're joking, right? That's all this was? Fix the curse and then treat me like dirt?"

"You treated me like dirt first! You acted like you were so much better when all along you were gay too, you just couldn't fucking accept yourself! Do you expect me to forgive me for everything you've said? Everything you've done?"

Luke blinked back tears. "I'm trying to be better. I need you to be better, I can't do this without you! Kylar, Kylar please don't push me away. Don't kick me out, don't hide. I care about you so much. I thought you cared about me."

"You were wrong."

I kicked open the trap door. I met his gaze one last time before I disappeared down the ladder.