Autobookography-McPriceley

Kindest regards,

One life lesson Kevin learned:

Don't try to spoon on a cramped couch—especially if you're the little spoon.

When Kevin woke up, his neck was cramped and his body felt stiff. He groaned as he opened his eyes and shifted his body, only to realize he was on the floor and had a tall man hovering above him. He was startled awake before he realized the tall man was his father staring down at him with a displeased expression. Kevin was painfully aware of his bare chest (which may have also been covered in purple spots).

"Kevin," his dad growled, "Connor slept over?" There was a rule in the Price household: no girlfriends or boyfriends stay the night. Apparently, that still stood if they were the same sex as you.

"Uh," Kevin said, sitting up and stretching his neck. He blinked as he looked around groggily. "I don't actually know. I think he left."

"Hm, like your shirt? And dignity?" His dad asked, with not enough of a joking tone.

Kevin's face flushed, "Dad!"

"I'm just saying, Kevin," his dad said, still lecture-y, "You know the rules. Boy or girl, no significant others are allowed to spend the night."

"I know, Dad," Kevin said, "I'm sorry."

"You're running late," his dad said, smiling lightly, "Get a shirt on and eat breakfast."

Kevin smiled back as his dad turned and walked to the kitchen. Kevin stood up, stretching his aching body more and ran to his bedroom. He quickly changed and fixed his hair (his bedhead was awful) before racing to eat breakfast. He sent Connor a text containing a bowl of popcorn and the mountain emoji that had become synonymous with their relationship before driving himself to school. Connor hadn't responded to the text all day, but Kevin assumed he was busy. When Connor didn't show up for The Seminar later in the day, Kevin began to worry. They'd had a great day the night before—despite all the crying. They had shared deep conversations, kisses, popcorn, and more kisses. Kevin was starting to worry that Connor had regretted it. When he got home after school, Kevin sat down and emailed Connor a short note:

Hey, noticed you weren't at the seminar today. Just checking in. Making sure you're okay. You didn't answer my text earlier, either. I'll be home all night if you wanna stop by :)

-Kev

He got no answer. Kevin began to worry that the night before—the incredible night before—was a dream or a one-off thing. He knew it wasn't a dream; his dad had talked about Connor that morning. Somehow, the second option hurt worse. Had Connor visited for one night before deciding to stay away? To ghost Kevin completely?

Kevin's appetite was non-existent, so when he barely ate his mother's signature casserole, his parents gave one another sad glances. They asked Kevin if he'd heard from Connor and Kevin just shrugged, sinking into his chair. They'd seen how happy Kevin and Connor were the night before, how Connor quickly became part of the family. Seeing Kevin's demeanor shift back to how it was right after the breakup, his family worried. Jack even offered to do the dishes despite it being Kevin's turn. At night, Kevin held himself tight as he fell asleep, trying to replicate the feeling of Connor's arms around his.

The next morning, Kevin sent the mountain emoji text to Connor again, hoping the other man was just busy the day before. When he got no answer by lunch, he tried to call Connor. No answer. He was distraught now—not just upset that Connor was ghosting him, but worried for the other's well-being. Was he hurt? Is he okay? Maybe his phone broke? But the email... Maybe his phone and computer broke? Or maybe Connor realized how annoying Kevin was? He sent another text, one saying: are you ok? Pls answer me. But the bubble was green, indicating Connor's iMessage was turned off. What was going on?