"Whatcha doing after school?" Connor glistening with curiosity.
"I don't know, I'm probably going to see Callie." Jude kind of whispered.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"No that's okay, you probably have something better to do anyway. I'll go alone."
"Fine, but you have to come to my house after."
"I promised My moms I'd go right home." Jude lied.
"I feel like you're just trying to find a way to avoid me."
"I'm doing you a favor. You didn't want me in your life, so you should be happy that you don't have to be around me today." Jude started to cry. He hasn't been able to have a civilized conversation with Connor without breaking into tears.
"Judicorn,-" Connor reached for his hand, but Jude pulled it back.
"I gotta go." Jude let his cheeks become a faint pink while he hugged his books and walked away.
Connor found himself mentally slapping his face several times. The bell rang signaling he was late for class. This time he actually slapped himself upside the head then grappled to the office for a tardy slip.
~~~
"How stupid are you?" Alex blurted out. He found himself sitting outside against some tree with Connor.
"I wasn't thinking. I was mad about the Blake thing and it just slipped out. I regretted it as soon as it came out my mouth." Connor put his head down on his knees .
"Dude don't worry. You and Jude are like soldiers. He can't stay mad at you forever, but in the meantime you need to man up and grow a pair and show him you didn't mean any of that." Alex tried to sound supportive.
"But how do I do that?" Connor inquired with his head still hovering on top of his knees.
"I don't know, but you better think of something fast before he leaves."
"What do you mean before he leaves?" Connor rose his head with confusion.
"He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"NYU offered him an early acceptance and he was considering taking it." Alex turned back to scribbling in his notebook. Connor became dizzy with the idea that if he didn't make things right with Jude he would find himself almost 3000 miles away from the love of his life.
"I gotta go." He hopped to his feet and sort of lost his balance in the process.
"Don't do anything stupid...again." Alex reminds as he watched Connor sprint away.
"Noted!"
~~~
"Why don't you ever take your problems up with him?" Jude breathes out, his toes barely touching the ground as Bryce holds him against the wall. The two were alone in the empty class.
"Because its more fun to mess with you." Bryce pulled back his fist then connected it with Jude's stomach.
Jude felt tension raise throughout his body. As Bryce punches him again and again, he waits for the moment when Connor comes and scares them off. Just like he always does, but then he remembered. Why should he suspect Connor to magically appear when he doesn't want anything to do with him. Jude let his body fall limp.
"Hey Foster. Why aren't you fighting back?" He could feel Bryce stop.
"What's the point? It's not helping me and isn't gonna make you stop anytime soon."
"It's no fun if you don't struggle." Jude didn't respond. He didn't anything, which made Bryce mad and start to punch again.
The door swung open quiet enough that neither of boys heard it. "How many more attempts of suicide will it take before you actually drop dead?" Bryce hit him again.
