When It's Time

Chapter Six

A/N: A short but necessary chapter. I added this to up the word count. I hope everyone is having a nice day.

School was hell. Everywhere Jeremy went, there was Jared. Ready to leap out of the shadows and start making out with Michael. He hated having to walk around alone while he waited for Michael to get away or finish putting concealer over the hickies he got when Jared dragged them both into a bathroom stall. It was honestly so gross and Jeremy was seething.

He'd always thought of himself as a supportive friend who would be happy as long as Michael was happy. Turns out this wasn't true, he just wanted it to be him and he hated how awkward it was to be around the two boys. He could have sworn Jared was part octopus and he just wanted him to stop touching Michael so much.

After two and a half weeks of this the rest of the group was starting to get annoyed as well. It probably would have been fine if most of them didn't hate Jared already.

Despite this, Jared never sat with them at lunch and Michael never once flaked on them to go somewhere with Jared, and he always spent his Friday night (and indeed many other nights of the week) with Jeremy.

Michael seemed happy but he never spoke about Jared when he was with his friends and he never invited him on their group outings. This was something Christine readily reminded Jeremy, who had taken to crying over the phone a lot while talking about his crush.

"Look, as I see it, he's got to be trying to make you jealous. Did you see how Rich looked at you today when Michael sat down at our table during lunch? He was so upset, him and Michael are totally scheming together."

"I just feel like shit Christine. And I want to punch Jared in his ugly face."

"Exactly!" She said ecstatically, "That's how Michael wants you to feel!"

"Somehow...that doesn't make me feel any better."

"Jeremy, you gotta promise me this, the instant Michael and Jared break up, you need to be prepping yourself to confess alright? Just do it."

"But what if he hates me for doing that? What if I ruin everything?"

"But that's not going to happen, because you know that the bond of friendship, especially yours and Michael's, is stronger than anything in the world and he loves you enough not to let that be ruined."

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right!" She said, "It's better to give Michael a shot than to feel miserable for the rest of your life, right?"

"Okay,that definitely doesn't make me feel any better." Jeremy flopped back on hisbed in defeat.