More Than Friends (boyxboy)

Chapter 24: Olive branch

A kiss doesn't lie." 

☆

The words spoken by Bay had cut him deep. For Archie turning his back on him was all he could think of to do. Hoping Bay would run after him. Stop him from leaving. He would pull him back around and then the truth behind the change of mood would surface. But it didn't happen.  

Lena pulls away from their kiss, resting back on the headboard of Archie's bed. "Where are you?" She questions as she navigates the expression of his face. 

"What do you mean? I'm right here." Archie looks at her, doing his best to convince her with a smile. He leans in to resume the kiss, but she pulls away. 

"No, where are you in there?" She puts her index finger to the centre of his forehead, making his head move back an inch. "It's like kissing a mannequin." 

"Wow Thanks." Archie frowns. 

Lena sighs. "I don't mean it like that. It's just like you're not into it. I can feel it.  A kiss doesn't lie." 

Archie exhales a sigh as he lets his head fall back onto the pillow. "Bay isn't speaking to me. We had a fall out yesterday. He is acting differently around me and hanging around with Mark." 

"Mark… Mark Lester?" Lena sits up a little with sudden interest. 

Archie rolls his head to one side. "Don't tell anyone. I promised him I wouldn't." 

"I won't. But that makes no sense. I've never seen them together around school." Lena furrows her brow. "What would they possibly have in common anyway?" 

"Maths." Archie chuckles to himself. "He was tutoring Mark."

"Are you jealous?" Lena tilts her head to one side in wonder.

"No. I just worry about him, that's all. It's only been us and now…"

Lena reaches forwards, she gently strokes Archie's cheek with the pad of her thumb. "You need to try and talk to him. Maybe the changes have gotten you both out of your confort zones. He's tying to fill the void of you not being around. "

"What do you mean?" 

"Think about it. If you weren't with me right now, where would you be?" 

Archie look to the ceiling. "Bay and I would be hanging out together. Probably at his house or maybe mine." He grins at the thought. 

"So there is your answer." She smiles back. "Just try to understand how he feels. Jojo is like it too sometimes when I am with you. Being friends with Mark Lester is probably his way of showing you he is ok. That's all."

"So I guess I should talk to him." Archie sighs. 

"Yes you should." She smiles, feeling a sense of accomplishment greater than Archie could possibly imagine.

***

So there he stood waiting outside the school gates, taking little notice of the others walking past him to get into school. His eyes were trained on one thing only, as he stared into the distance, waiting with a nervousness for the familiar school bus to appear.  He feels an extra beat to his heart as he soon sees the headlights of the vehicle coming into view. He takes a step towards the roadside, straightening his posture as he pulls at the bag strap on his shoulder. 

The bus pulls up to the curb. The passengers disembark and soon he is greated by Lena. "I'm going with Jojo. Good luck. " She says as she pulls on her friend's arm, with Jojo displaying a more cheeful disposition than her usual one of pained gloom.