Angelo & Julian [Boyxboy]

Chapter 22: Dizzy

AN: I've never been so consistent with anything in my life lol. Also, I'll probably eventually go back and edit the earlier chapters. There are way too many similarities between this school and my own haha! And it's bugging my friends who read it and making me feel like I have no imagination. No characters names or events will ever change.

oo

After a day of basketball with Julian entertaining the girls on the bleachers, the boys headed back and showered and dressed for a night out.

Angelo had the option of riding in Cameron's car, but he chose instead to ride with Julian in his coupe. Cameron seemed annoyed. But that was increasing, day by day, his annoyance with Angelo. His dislike of Julian. Angelo also thought that maybe he was jealous, that Julian was so nice to him, and so indifferent to everyone else. Cameron was easily the stand out amongst their group of friends. He was the loudest and the most arrogant. But not in the same way as Julian, who was only boastful as a joke and arrogant because it was a fact that he was better. Cameron's boasting could easily make him come off as an ass. Maybe Cameron hated Julian for that too. But there were many other reasons, like how Julian didn't hide his dislike of him either.

Angelo thought mildly while he sat in the car with Julian, following behind Cameron's silver Toyota.

Then he was struck by a thought, and the situation felt far removed, (though he knew it wasn't) so he spoke.

"I'm surprised."

"'Bout what?" Julian's plaintive tone caught Angelo's ears but he was sure it meant nothing.

"That you forgave me so easily..."

Julian huffed a laugh. "So, you admit to being wrong," he stated.

"I admit to being wrong first."

Julian chuckled but said nothing else.

"You're not gonna say anything about that?"

Julian sighed like he was tired of the conversation already. "I'm not so petty that I can't understand where you're coming from."

"So, you're saying I'm childish for expecting you to?"

"Angelo—" Julian laughed dangerously. "You're trying to start a fight when I'm telling you to fucking let it go." He looked over at Angelo with serious eyes and said, "Let it go." There was finality in his tone and Angelo felt the argument die on his tongue.

Was he being petty and childish? Was it just that he expected a fight, and when one didn't come it felt like unfinished business? Like they were avoiding the inevitable? He felt the irony that he'd missed Julian's party for a shot with Angie, and now Julian was here celebrating with him. It felt weird. Like two streams that weren't supposed to cross. Two parts of his life he wanted to keep separate. Julian only regarded Angie in clips and growls, and whenever Angelo spoke of him to her she'd adopt a deadpan tone in her voice.

"I'm surprised too." Julian's voice was small and Angelo looked over at him where he drove with a single hand on the steering wheel, the other arm resting on the armrest between them, his eyes staring out at the road. "And when it happened... I was pissed. And I felt betrayed... But brothers don't stay mad at each other." And he glanced at Angelo briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

Warmth bloomed in Angelo's chest and spread into his ears and down to the soles of his feet, buzzing and vibrating the flesh from within.

And he was too warm to say anything. And his jaw felt too weak, as though if he opened it it would just hang there.