Danny and Olivier

Part 3- Evan

February.

02/01

it’s about three am here, and i can’t sleep.
i know all i’ve ever talked about is this ex-boyfriend of mine, and about being poor. but i literally cannot think about anything else. i can’t control it. i can’t make myself think about anything else.

but i’ve realized why i cannot stop thinking about him. i cannot stop thinking about him because he treated me like i was his equal.
it all boils down to the fact that he treated me like i was just like him. like i wasn’t poor, like i wasn’t deaf. he treated me like a prince, even if i am the lowest of the low.
and now i know that there will never be another person out there who won’t judge because i’ve got this ratty old shack we call a house or the fact that i simply cannot afford to buy anything. there may be people like him, but there will never be another person who is him.
there will never be another person who first treated me like i was his everything.
and that is exactly why i cannot get over him.

Olivier closed his laptop and hid it under his pillow, sighing. I will never get over Danny.
             I guess this is why people say you never forget your first love.
             Olivier suddenly sat up in bed. No. No no no no no. I do not love Danny. I simply liked him a lot.
             He had an argument with himself the whole night, trying to convince himself that he merely liked Danny. I was never in love with him. I swear to God I never was in love with him.

             Yeah, right.

Danny took a nervous gulp of his coffee as he sat down in a circular two-seater, waiting for Evan. He tried thinking happy thoughts, like the fact that his song had almost a million hits on YouTube, or how Delilah had made him feel like heaven two days ago. But it was no use.
             What the hell are you doing, Danny? Why are you meeting up with the boy that gave you the last reason to be mute? Why are you opening up yourself to be hurt again?
             Danny didn’t have time to answer his own question, because Evan came strolling in. Evan with his surfer’s body and his beautiful year-long tan. Evan with the beautiful smile that popped up when he spotted Danny.
             “Hi!” Evan sat down across from Danny, taking a sip of the drink in front of him. “Gosh, it’s so cold outside.”
             Danny merely nodded, fazed by what was in front of him. He had avoided Evan for two years, until Evan moved to some hokey-pokey private school near the financial district. Now, Danny thought, He’s back.
             Danny, what are you doing here? Danny suddenly snapped back to reality. It wasn’t his voice that he heard in his head, but it was…Olivier’s. Danny was thinking in Olivier’s perspective now.
             Danny, Evan’s the boy who literally played you for God-knows-how-long. If he does it once, he could do it again.
             Danny, don’t you miss me? Don’t you wish you could pick up the phone and call me, so we could stay up until three in the morning, listening to each other breathe? Simply doing all the things that Evan never did?
             Besides, Evan may have been playing you. The relationship might’ve been fake. But the words, the things he said and did- that was what made you come back to him, wasn’t it, Danny?
             Danny.
             Danny.
             “Danny?!” Danny’s head snapped up as he spotted a tanned hand waving in front of his face, trying to catch his attention. “Danny, are you okay?”
              Danny simply nodded, drinking his coffee again. Out of pure habit, he had ordered a peppermint mocha. It wasn’t until it was too late that he realized he had ordered one, and now, as he sat sipping away at his drink, each sip made him remember about Olivier, and how his face had puckered up when he had first drank one.
             “Danny…” Evan spoke up, playing with the wrapper of his drink. “First, I want to say I’m sorry. I was such an idiot two years ago…I don’t know what came over me.”
             You played me, you fucker. What do you think came over you?
             “…and thank you, for coming to visit me today,” Evan sighed, hanging his head. “I’m really sorry for…about that time.”
             Danny nodded his head once. Fine, Evan. You might be sorry. But you had two whole years to do it. To apologize. Why are you doing it now?
             “Anyways,” Evan cleared his throat. “Would you like to take a walk? By the pier, maybe?”
             “Fine.”
             Evan looked surprised as Danny uttered one word to him, standing up.
             But Danny walked ahead. He walked to the concrete block where he had first sang Olivier’s song, now, jumping up onto it, full of emotion. Then he began singing.
             He didn’t care who was watching, who was judging, or who was listening. Because all that mattered was the emotion that was pouring out of him. Someone handed him a guitar, and he took it and began adding chords to his song, playing randomly and out of spite.
             “…Because I’m walking to you…” No you’re not, Danny, you’re too chicken to.
             “…and don’t you believe, that things could be different…” Yes, Danny, you do. But you’re not willing to take the chance.
             But Olivier let you go. He caught you, then he dropped you. Shouldn’t he be the one picking you back up?
             Danny set down the guitar to the applause of a crowd around him. Evan quickly jumped up and hugged him, but Danny shook him off. He paid no attention to the crowd around them and instead, began walking home.
             “Danny! That was great!” Evan held up a videocamera, showing Danny singing. “That was amazing!”
             Great, you fucker. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
             Danny seemed to be hating everything these days. He hated his life. He hated his family. He hated how his songs were always about the person that seemed to care about him the most. Or used to.
             And this is what you got for loving Olivier, Danny.
             Danny stopped in his tracks. Wait. No. I do not love Oli. I merely just liked him for a period of time.
              Shut up, Danny. You just turned seventeen. You know the difference between liking Kenny Johnson in sixth grade to ‘liking’ Olivier.
             “Mind if I upload this on YouTube?” Evan piped up behind him, waving his camcorder around. “I’ll make sure to put your name on it.”
             Danny waved his hand and brushed it aside. “Fine. Whatever.”
             They reached Danny’s house, and Evan stood on his porch step. “It was nice seeing you again, Danny.” Evan smiled softly and leaned in to kiss Danny.
             Danny didn’t move. He didn’t kiss Evan back, either. He simply stood there as Evan’s lips lingered on his. It felt familiar, though, Danny thought, as he looked down on Evan.
             “Can I see you again?” God, Evan’s persistent.
             But a part of Danny couldn’t help but think that Evan was being genuine. That Evan truly was sorry and wanted to get back together.
             “Maybe.” Danny mouthed clearly, offering the smallest of smiles at Evan.
             Evan, not used to rejection, merely stared at Danny.
             “Uh…well…bye.” Evan smiled awkwardly and walked off, swinging his videocamera by the string. “I’ll call you!”
             Sure, you’ll call me, Danny thought as he closed the door and locked it. But you’re not the person that I want to call me.

Later on that day, Olivier was trolling around on his laptop once his mother was out of the house.

             AMAZING TALENT! MUST SEE!
             OMG IT’S BEEN 5 DAYS, HE’S AMAZING!
             SO CUTE! GAHH!
             Olivier’s curiosity peaked up as he went down the page on YouTube, reading comments from fangirls, most likely. He clicked on the video out of curiosity, thinking it would’ve been Christofer Drew or someone as cute and famous. When Olivier saw who was singing, he nearly had a heart attack.
             Danny.
             Olivier turned up the volume and listened as Danny sang on a concrete block on the pier, with that familiar black guitar and another familiar notebook in front of him.
             Olivier immediately knew what he was singing about.
             Oh my God.
             He went onto Danny’s page and clicked the second video, which had been uploaded that day. He watched as Danny belted out his next song, but quickly paused at the end.
             A blond boy with a nice tan hugged Danny afterwards, then snuggled deep into his neck. Then the video cut.
             Olivier replayed that scene over and over again. It hurt each time he clicked replay, but he just had to see it.
             Evan. Danny told me the story of Evan. Olivier clicked on the profile of the boy who had uploaded the video.  A nice picture of a tanned boy coming out of the surf was below the username, which clearly stated EvanHanes45.
             Evan.
             Olivier slammed his laptop shut and sat there, looking out the window. He’s moved on. He’s gone.
             Are you going to win him back, Olivier?
             No. Because Evan’s too much for me to compete with. He’s your typical Adonis. He’s got that beautiful blond hair and that skin. Hell, he’s got abs. It’s simply too late.
             And what are you, Olivier?
             The opposite of Evan. That is what I am.
             Olivier knew that Danny technically wasn’t his anymore. But all Olivier could think was Please, Evan. Don’t take him. I know you can, but don’t.
              Please.