To my dear boy

Chapter 2

Seventh grade had started and time was flying by for Andy. Nights of staying up talking to Matt, then going to school and sleeping during class. It was a miracle he wasn't failing every subject by now. But even if he would have been failing, he couldn't have cared less, because he was happy. Or, as happy as one could be in his situation. He had accepted that there was nothing he could really do about this crush. He had tried everything to make it go away, and nothing seemed to work, so the only thing left was to live with it. And that's what he did. So far, it was working out in his favor. It had been a long time since he'd been this happy and content with his life. He'd stopped trying to answer every question, because no matter how many of them he'd find a satisfying answer to, more would always pop up. He started living in the present, embracing every feeling and letting it devour his entire being, instead of pushing it down. There was nothing more freeing than letting the butterflies course through him every time Matt glanced at him, with no guilt attached. He allowed himself to enjoy every tingle that rushed through his body. Nobody had to know what went through his head. It would be okay.

January soon came around, and with it, Luke's birthday was also approaching. Luke was one of the guys in their friend group. He was turning 14, finally catching up to Andy, who was actually the oldest in their class.

"Aw, the baby's finally turning 14?"

"Shut the hell up, Andy, you're only two months older than me. Plus, my birthday's next week. And, about that, you guys are still coming to the party, right?"

"Yeah, of course we are. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I can't wait to see Matt shove your face in the cake," he smirked, trying to mess with Luke.

"Oh, great, cause now he totally won't know it's coming..." Matt said sarcastically, the corners of his lips curving up slightly in a small smile.

*

The following week, Friday night, Luke and all of his friends met up at his place. His parents weren't home, and as far as they were concerned, he was having a sleepover with two of his close friends, not a full-on party with over ten guys. It was obvious to everyone present that it was going to be a wild night.

Things started out pretty tame. They all gathered in the living room to watch a football match, drinking some beer and munching on chips. Luckily, their favorite team won, so that gave them even more of a reason to celebrate. A huge variety of booze was brought out, all the way from vodka to whiskey and tequila, as well as whatever other cheap liquor they could get their hands on. They probably shouldn't have all been mixed together, but nobody gave a single crap about that. It didn't even cross their minds; they were downing whatever they could grab. I mean, after all, what more could you expect from a bunch of unsupervised teenagers? Soon enough, they were all drunk, so much so that they could barely form coherent sentences anymore.

"Hey, Matt, get your fuckboy and come over here for a sec!" one of the guys yelled out.

Andy instantly turned red. Mostly because of the embarrassment, but also because a part of him secretly wished it was true. After all, he was already following Matt around everywhere he went, like a little puppy. It was almost as if it was obvious to everyone else, except for him. Unless...

Matt didn't take the guy's comment so well, however, and the alcohol in his blood wasn't helping. The rage in his expression was obvious. He clenched his fists, taking a few steps forward.

"Who you calling a fuckboy, huh?"

"Your friend over there, you fag! Got a problem with that?"

In that moment, Matt couldn't think straight anymore. He was fuming, his breathing heavy and his face red with anger. Without a second thought, he punched the guy in the face, knocking him over. Maybe he wouldn't have stumbled backwards, had he not been so surprised by the sudden hit. He growled as he got back up, wiping the blood from his nose.