OPEN [boyxboy] ✓

forty-three:: when you resemble an overly-emotional Clark Kent.

[Rudy Francisco quote; Riot by Bibi Bourelly]

CAUTION: THERE'S A LOT OF CRYING IN THIS CHAPTER, I APOLOGIZE.

FORTY-THREE: when you resemble an overly-emotional Clark Kent.

Sitting down at lunch, there was still a smile on my face, my life seriously felt as if it could end in the next two minutes and I'd die 100% happy. My boyfriend was perfect, my college career was coming into perspective, my relationship with my dad was slowly repairing itself.

Life was good, insanely good, absolutely perfectly good and I couldn't be more content at that moment.

There was still a grin on my face, a grin that hadn't been there in a while so when a tray was placed across from me and Andy took a seat, he'd eyed me weirdly. "What's got you so happy?"

Shrugging, I bit at my lip and averted my eyes to the table. I was attempting to decide how to tell them, waiting for everyone to come to the table so I could share what just so happened to be the best thing that had happened to me throughout my entire senior year. You know, right up there with Paul becoming my boyfriend. Life was looking up and although there was a feeling of doubt and an itch that everything would come crumbling down... I was happy.

The boy across from me gave me a side-eye, leaning back and turning away from me. Looking around for the others, his eyes set on Will and Will only and he'd jerked his head to the seat beside himself. "Where is he?" He was gesturing to Caspar and I smirked over at an annoyed Will.

Her eyes had rolled at Andy's question, pulling her legs up into the chair to wrap her arms around and lean her cheek on her jean-covered knee. Sighing heavily, she shrugged, "Smoking most likely."

"Hiding probably." I'd countered and she nodded before looking over at the entry hair herself. They were best friends and I sympathized with her, knowing how it felt to somewhat lose a friend. I knew that if they didn't end up together, things would be weird for a while.

With furrowed brows, Andy gave me a look and I copied Will's shrug. Deciding to poke his food in the stale lunch-room pasta, he shoveled a fork-full in his mouth and looked back at her. "Why?"

And she didn't look like she wanted to answer, burying her face in her knees and letting her dark hair cover her. Her small hand was gripping at the heart pendant on her chest and I could tell it was something symbolic of their close friendship.

"He kissed Will this morning." I informed when she hadn't spoken, knowing it would come out eventually and the shock on Andy's face had me silently chuckling.

"What?"

"Shut up, Julian!" Her voice was loud, almost a shriek and she'd thrown her fist out to catch me in my arm. Gripping my bicep, I hid a frown at the feeling, she was quite heavy-handed and I did bruise easy.

"I didn't believe it either, they were just talking and then he kissed her." I elaborated watching the way she fought back a smile. I was acting like Ben and the whole ordeal was kind of amusing. "Right on the lips and then he kinda vanished."

She scoffed at that, attempting to smack me over my forming bruise and I jerked out of her way, her hand coming back only to smack me in the back of my head. "Was that a ghost joke, loser?"