PERFECT│s.m

TWELVE

"What does she mean by fresh start?" Simon asked in a frantic manner to Josh. The poor boy was so lost and confused, his eyes had built up with tears. "I-I promise I'll pretend she never kissed me, but please, Josh, I-I can't just forget everything we had."

Josh watched with an aching heart as his best friend started to fall apart in front of him. He couldn't do much because when he tried to hug Simon earlier, he was shoved away.

Simon was pacing the floor as Josh sat on his bed, gnawing on his fingernails.

"If we start fresh," Simon starts, "then that means she regrets dating me."

Josh shook his head. "Simon, she loved you. And you loved her, you showed it. She wouldn't have regretted anything that happened between you two besides the break up."

Simon stopped in the spot he was in, chewing on the flesh of his fingers. Josh stood quickly, pulling away the boy's fingers.

"Don't start that habit again," he whispered. Simon's eyes glistened as he stared at Josh, the pain he was feeling really showed in his eyes.

"I don't want a fresh start," Simon growled. "I will forget about the kiss. I promise. But I just- I can't forget about our history. That's so special to me."

Josh nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "It's also over a year of your life you'd have to forget."

"We dated for a year and a half," Simon clarified, annoyed by the fact that Josh didn't know the exact amount of time.

"I'll call her, okay?" Josh asked. Simon shook his head, storming over to his closet. He grabbed a hoodie and slipped it over his head, glaring back at Josh.

"I'm done with the back and forth phone calls," he muttered before rushing out of the house. He gazed at Andrea's car, sighing. Then he jumped in his Range Rover and sped off to her complex, Josh not far behind him.

♡♡♡

Simon burst through the door, Andrea's eyes darting over to where he entered. Her heartbeat picked up speed as he stomped over to her.

"Can I sit?" he asked, a tint of anger in his voice. With nothing to say, she nodded. Simon fell onto the couch bedside her, not removing his gaze from her which Andrea felt uncomfortable under and squirmed in her seat as she felt the intensity. "You want me to just throw away everything we had?"

Andrea's eyes snapped over at him as she shook her head quickly. "I didn't mean that."

"Josh said you wanted a fresh start," he grumbled.

"Well Josh got the wrong message then," Andrea retorted. Freya sunk in her seat, finding out she was the one who didn't understand Andrea's wants.

"What the hell else would a 'fresh start' mean?" Simon shouted. Andrea flinched, Simon's heart dropping. He licked his lips, realizing his mistake. "I didn't mean to raise my voice."

"I'm stupid, I know," Andrea whispered, moving her gaze to her feet. Simon shook his head, grabbing her hand closest to him with both of his.

"Andrea, you're not," he whimpered.

"When will this night end," Simon heard her mutter. Simon dropped her hand, Andrea's eyes floating up to his. A smile flickered on her face, her hand slowly rising toward his face. She placed her palm on his flesh, rubbing his skin gently with her thumb.

"I missed you loads," Andrea confesses, "and us."

"Me too," he sighs.

"Friends?" Andrea questioned.

Simon's heart shattered. He thought this conversation was going the exact opposite direction. With regret, he nodded.

Andrea hid her pain behind a smile. Freya noticed it quickly, same as Josh with Simon.

"Lets go home, yeah?" Josh questioned toward the boy. Simon removed himself from the couch and glanced at Andrea one last time with a longing only Josh and Freya saw. With a wave goodbye, the boys vanished.

As the door shut, Andrea broke into a mess of sobs. Freya slid to her best friend's side and comforted her.

"Maybe it's best. You guys need to catch up and find out what's happened over the past four-ish years," Freya mumbled.

"What if I found out he's got his eyes on another girl?" Andrea whimpered.

"Trust me, he's got his eyes on the same girl they've been on four years ago."