The Original High (Koli) ✔️

35: When He's With Me

                 
Though I kind of assumed that Oli would go to sleep and I'd hit the couch, we ended up talking all night. Or at least, for as much as it was still night anyways. The sun had already risen again, and we just sat there, slouched down on the couch, having our god only knows how many-eth cup of tea.

It was weird, but I loved listening to Oli talk. There was just something about the way he spoke that made me want to keep listening so intensely. "Kell, would you believe it if I told you that the majority of the population actually thinks I'm straight?" He told me at one point.

I nearly spat my tea out of my mouth as he spoke the words. "Oh my god, seriously? You, straight?" I asked sarcastically, wondering if I had heard him right. I actually expected that he was, too.

He nodded and laughed. "Yes, seriously." He confirmed. "But I like to keep those people guessing. I mean, why is sexuality so important anyways?"

I took another sip of my tea and nodded knowingly. "Yeah, you're so right. I mean, my sister for example. . . she's a lesbian but she can be very, well. . . boyish-looking. And she used to make out with her boss, who is a dude, lord knows why. It kept people guessing for the longest time, too. Although, between you and me, I think she kinda enjoyed it, honestly."

"Well that's exactly what I mean. . ." Oli then continued. "I mean, I'll be honest with you, I used to have about the biggest man crush on this friend of mine, Vic, that you can possibly imagine, but something like that doesn't make me gay. . . and finding a woman like, oh I don't know, Lynn Gunn attractive doesn't make me straight either. However, I am gay, just so you know."

This time I really did spit out my tea. Did he just... did he just mention Vic? My Vic? Well, not like my-my Vic, but. . . you know. . . Wait, what was I even thinking? More guys on this planet were called Vic. But then why did I make this connection so quickly? Oh my god. "Did that shock you, love?"

I chuckled lightly. "It's not every day that I hear a guy say that he had a crush on a guy with the same name as I used to. . . who is also my best friend." I murmured, before I even realized what I'd just said. Or everything I just told him, for that matter. So much for clearing my own name. . .

"So, you know him then? Vic Fuentes?"

I slowly bobbed my head forth and back. "Yep, went to school together." I decided to simply admit. "We're still pretty close, actually."

"And you two never dated? Dear lord, love, I would've been all over him if I would've been you."

I chuckled and shook my head at his comment. Yeah, I definitely wasn't going to tell him much more about my past with Vic. . . because oh boy did I try. "Is that your inner fan boy speaking?" I then asked mockingly.

Oli just smiled at me, flashing his sparkly white teeth and cocked his eyebrows up and back down, taking in what I'd just said. "You never seize to amaze me, Kellin Quinn Bostwick."

I felt a blush creep up my face from the way he looked at me when he spoke those words. Until something suddenly hit me. . . he just called me by my full name. How the fuck did he know my full name?! Did he talk to Michael? Did he know who I was? Did he know about my reputation? Oh god.

Oli smiled at me and got up from the couch, excusing himself before he went off to the bathroom. I was left there, stumped. My mind running a mile a minute, flooding with questions.

How the fuck did he know?

How. the fuck. did he. know?

I rubbed my fingers over my temples, trying to fight a sudden headache that was slowly surfacing. Even the questions in my head no longer made sense. "What the fuck?!" I found myself growling as I closed my eyes.

But doing that only made things worse. Flashes of things that I couldn't remember ever happening to me shot by like a reel full of nasty bloopers. It was all blurry, though, and it didn't make sense. 

"Love, is everything all right?" Oli's voice echoed through my head. 

"No. . ." I grumbled softly. "And don't 'love' me, how the fuck do you know my full name, huh?" I then demanded to know, as I finally looked back up at the Brit.

He looked back down at me, a strange look of worry and sympathy lacing his eyes. "I can explain that. . . sort of." He offered a little hesitantly. 

I shook my head, declining his sentimental offer. I didn't really care right now, anyways. The headache was just too much. I couldn't focus. "I have to go." I then finally excused myself, more pain shooting through my skull as I jumped off the couch and made my way to the hall. 

He was just going to have to tell me some other time. Or not at all. . . like, ever.

I didn't want my life chasing me down here. This was supposed to be my new fresh start. But right now, it wasn't exactly working out the way that I hoped it would. 

Oli took a couple of big strides, following me to the other side of his loft. "Kells, watch out for that-" 

He tried to warn me, but it was too late. My head bashed into a wooden beam that hung low from the ceiling, which was attached to the slanted part of the roof. I felt myself fell backward, my ass hitting the hard floor as my vision blurred.

"Oh god, Kells, are you okay?" Oli asked worriedly, dropping down on his knees beside me as he put an arm around my shoulder and gently cupped my face into his free hand. 

"I'm fine." I whispered a little dreamily. I didn't feel the headache anymore, but I could feel that I was fading out. And I wasn't sure yet why I said it, but the words left my mouth before I could even think of them; "I was always fine when you were with me, so this time I'll be fine, too."

"What?"

But before I could answer him, I blacked out.