Paper Planes • s.g + c.b

chapter twenty three

Prepare yourself, the next few chapters are going to be a train wreck. This chapter was originally more than 1000 words but I changed it so suffer with this short chapter.

Also I'm literally crying, it's almost 2am and I wanna die bc I have to get up at 5am for school, kMS.

——

"So, this is it?" Colby followed Sam from his room to the edge of the stairs. Since the house was now completely empty their voices echoed in every room of the house.

"No." Sam swiveled around to face the brunet, "This isn't the end. I'll come back, Colby. I couldn't imagine forgetting you. I turn eighteen in two years, I have a car and I'll come visit over the summer. I love you." He didn't realize the way he had wrapped his arms around Colby's waist and the way he rested his head on top of Colby's.

"I don't think I could ever forget you." Colby didn't trust the use of his voice, he knew the minute Sam left he'd break down. "Are. . Are we going to break up?" He whispered gingerly.

"If you feel that'd be easier. But I know when I see you again, the first thing I'm going to do is kiss you."

"Then we won't."

——

Colby watched the moving truck disappear into the distance, Sam's white car right behind it. He should be crying, why isn't he crying? He's watching his boyfriend, the only person he's been close to in over six years leave and he isn't crying. He stared down the white car and made a break for it, he ran as fast as he legs would carry him, a shortcut through an open backyard and he made it to the end of the next street before them.

"Sam! Wait!" He yelled and jumped in front of his car, which was a rather stupid decision but the white convertible skidded to a stop.

"Colby?" Sam hauled himself out of the car and ran up to him, "Are you okay?! Did I hit you?!"

"No, I'm fine. I just. . . I love you." Colby blurted out as he heaved from the lack of oxygen flowing through his lungs.

The kiss came out of nowhere. One minute Sam was staring at Colby incredulously, the next he was kissing Colby, his hand clasped gently into the back of his hair, pressing in softly. The kiss obliterated every thought. For the first time in forever Colby's mind was locked into the present. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. His usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, he had no wish for the kiss to end but after a few seconds they broke away and Sam smiled, "I had to do that, even if it was for the last time."

"You should probably go." Colby cleared his throat even though he wanted Sam to linger around for one moment longer.

"I want to stay."

"But you have to go."

"And that sucks." Colby chuckled as Sam responded with an eye-roll and a furrowed eyebrows.

"You'll make new friends." Colby tried to brighten the mood, noticing his mother had stopped the moving truck to wait on Sam.

"But I want you."

"You'll make new memories."

"But I want my memories with you."

"Airplane Boy, you're making this incredibly difficult for both of us." Colby sighed as he felt Sam embrace him.

"I know. I'm sorry." Sam apologized as his arms secured themselves around Colby. The world turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. The taste. The smell. Everything was just gone. Colby paused trying to hold back the strange feelings rumbling inside him but he couldn't. A lone tear traced down his cheek, and just like that, the floodgates opened. So many tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down his face. Colby's chin trembled as if he were a small child. He breathed heavier than he ever had before. Colby was gasping for air that simply wasn't there. His throat burned forming a silent scream.

"Colby, Colby," Sam pulled Colby away from his chest and grasped his shoulders, "look at me and breathe." He stared at Sam with blurred vision as he tried to regain his emotions. "I've got you. . . Do you want me to drive you home?" Sam asked once he noticed Colby had calmed down.

"No, I'm okay. You need to go anyway, your mom is probably impatiently waiting at this point." Colby forced a chuckle out of his burning throat.

"Are you sure?" Sam looked at Colby with concern but he just forced a smile on his face and nodded.

"I'm sure. Don't worry."

"I love you. I'll come back over the summer and see you okay?"

"Okay." Sam pressed his lips to Colby's for the last time, at least for a while. He pried himself away from Colby and gave him a sad smile as he got back into his car and slowly drove away.

——

Colby had finally made it home around seven at night. He felt his feet wobble as he grabbed the near by stair railing, his throat screaming, begging him to just let out everything he was holding in. So he did. Colby cried as if his brain was being shredded from the inside. Emotional pain flowed out of his every pore. From his mouth came a cry from so raw that made he dogs cautiously come over to check on him. He grabbed the railing tighter so that his violent shaking would not cause him to fall and from his eyes came a thicker flow of tears than he had cried for Sam earlier that evening. He stumbled up the stairs, toward his room so he could wallow in his own self pity and wonder why he ever let someone get so close to him.

He was just glad his mother was still at work.