I Didn't Want to See You (Solangelo)

1: New York, Old Friends

"You know, sometimes I can't believe I let you go out of the house without me," Maddi says to me, her brown eyes narrowed by the grin on her face.Her laugh rang out, almost as intoxicating as rum. I pout at her, knowing she was referring to how I had almost taken a face first fall down the stairs of the subway.

"Yeah, yeah," I laugh back her, pulling an arm over her shoulder. She casts up a warm smile , the yellow light casting dancing reflections onto her iris. Her hair slowly ruffles in the humid air of the subway platform, a sign her train was coming.

"See you tonight," She mutters to me, rapping her hand in to the fabric of my shirt to quickly kiss  before she heads to opening doors. School, it was both of our last years, then we would graduate. I see her grab the handle above her, beautiful against the dingy background of the station as it speeds away. 

She was a beautiful girl, someone I had given my heart too, the first time in a long time. Well, I guess only my second time, but it had been a long time. But yet their was always this doubt in me, that what I told my friends I had lost touch with years back, that maybe I wasn't meant to be with a girl.

I shook the thought out of my head, what did those druggies have to do with me now? I love Maddi with every ounce of my soul, I'd be nowhere without her. Maddi knew about them, I had told her. She didn't care what had happened, that if things changed they changed and if i ever change my mind she has my full support. I turn towards were my train would come in, pressing my eyes shut. I push my hands into my pocket, keys, phone, wallet. It was ritualistic, an anxious habit. I didn't have classes today, and Maddi did, so I was alone for the day.

I slip out of the metro onto Houston Street, the April air warm against my skin. I walk down the streets, searching for something to catch my eye. I was tired. Why Maddi had signed up for 8:30 classes was beyond me.

I drift down the streets, my hands tucked into the pockets of my jeans. My head snaps to the side to a familiarly unfamiliar voice, or what ever that means, yells out, "Nico di Angelo!" I glance to the side to try and source the chirpy voice. I had know idea who called it, but it was kinda my celebrity moment in my head, like I would turn around and be accosted by paparazzi. A cold hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me to the  outer wall of little cafe with a few table lining its edges.

"What the hell! Who do you think you are?" I yell as I snap my head towards the girl holding my wrist, I scan over her face, quickly drawn back. "What?" I say, full of suprise at the girl in front of me.

"Yeah, it's Cleo," She says to me, her voice calmer.

"As in Cleo Rasmussen?"

"That would be the one. First names Cleo, middle name Patra. Well not actually but you know that," She says back to me, running her fingers through the ashy blonde hair, going on a typical tangent if i knew her at all. She looked different without the bleached hair, but her cat like green eyes still traced me, piercing me in a way I didn't like. "Come on bitch, I have a table inside."

I hesitate, not sure if it was good choice to reopen my past with her. "Uhh. I'm-I'm not sure thats a good idea."

"Okay alright kid, but since when have you had any good ideas?" She spoke like we were still best friends, her voice mocking.

Defeated, I follow her into the cafe, which was surprisingly empty. She sits down, gesturing towards the seat next to her. She looked more mature, everything about her a step up then before. She was wearing a pale pink silk slip dress and adidas superstars, shoes I knew Maddi wore often. Yet she still looked other worldly, almost like a runway model. Not necessarily beautiful, but striking, something to stir emotion. She was piece of modern art. "So, what's happened to you?"

"Er-well a lot I guess?" I say back, not sure how to speak to someone I hadn't talk to since I was 18. The truth is, I couldn't think of a single thing that felt important to say, maybe life wasn't that eventful or maybe being around Cleo again just had me at a lose.

"Who's this?" A warm voice says, my head snaps back towards the voice, drawn back at the boy behind me. "Nico?" He says, utterally shocked.

"Will?" I say back to the boy behind me. He looked different too. His mess of golden hair had been tamed a little. Shorter on the sides. He looked like every indie kid you see on the internet. He had on navy blue chinos, a vintage band shirt tucked in and ratty white converse he probably had since he was 18.

"Wow I love saying names we all know," Cleo deadpans to Will.

"What are you doing here?" He asks breathlessly, a hint of smile on his lips.

"I saw him walk by and grabbed," Cleo shrugs.

"What the hell Cleo. You can't do that," Will says back, Cleo rolling her eyes. I swallow, caught between the two obvious friends.

"So," Cleo says, Will looking shocked at her overbearingness. She props her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her hands. "What have you been up to?"

I move back, overwhelmed by the question. So much had happened since I had seen them, and honestly I wish I hadn't. When I left for college, I had ended what excised between us. I had never believed we were dating which I knew he didn't like, but I just couldn't deal with it. "Uh, well. College?"

"Wow, I'm enthralled by your life. College, glad to see thats all you've done since you were 18," Cleo says, rolling her eyes.

Will sneers at her, a grin quickly replacing it. "Uh," I stammer, "I majoring in marketing at NYU. And..." I was about to start on about Maddi, but then I remembered, they both think I'm gay. "Well, I'm dating someone. There majoring in fashion business management at FIT."

"What's his name?" Will asks, a hint of something on his voice.

"Her. Her name is Maddi. Maddi Prince," I say, a look of shock on both of there faces.

"Nico, you were gayer then a...I don't know. Straight person?" Cleo says.

"Well, things change. And I was probably high on zanex for about a two years, so just keep that in mind," I say, Will's blue eyes keen on me. God, his eyes, they hadn't changed at all. They were still as pretty, as bright and stunning as years ago. I shake it out my mind.

'Well, I've gotta go, nice to see you Nico. Tell me if become gay again or get married, " Cleo says to me and Will, she slips out onto the street, seemingly unaware of everything around her.

"So, what happened to everyone else?" I ask, not knowing what had happened to them.

Will almost laughed. "Oh, them. Yeah. Well, Reyna is somewhere in California. Brandy went there too, but from what I've heard they can't stand each other anymore. Except for like every other week, then their in each others pants. Right now there probably hitting each other, and in 15 minutes they'll be making out," He laughs, and I do too.

"Honestly I don't expect anything else," I say, a laugh still on my voice.

"Yeah, Mason and Cleo still talk a lot. He's still up in Port Morris, in my honest opinion dealing drugs, Cleo says he's doing alright though. As for Cleo, like expected, she didn't go to college dispite the small fortune that could have gotten her there. She models, I guess. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew your girlfriend, she seems to know everyone."

"And you?" I ask.

He shifts nervously. "Yeah, I'm going to be a doctor. I'm in med school now. I really don't do much beside that, really," he say. It felt strange that Will didn't have a boyfriend. As much as it would be harder to find, he had always been good at getting on with people.

We talked more, he asked about Maddi. He seemed a little out of his element, just slightly nervous to be around me. "You alright?" I ask, watching him tense up.

He sighs shakily, "Ugh--it just honestly feels blasphemous to be around you knowing your dating a girl. You know, I never really got over you, and that's not something you say to your ex, but you've got me."

I stare at him, my face slack. Will starts talking again. "Uh, I guess in the long run I want to be friends again, only friends if thats what it is."

He gives me a little smile, little lines at the corner of his eyes. "Yeah, as friends," I say back.