trilogy [one-shots and poems]

VI

SIX:
Boys
(2/3/18)

Caden liked a lot of girls growing up. From 7th grade all the way to 10th, he found a repeating pattern in all these girls. It was that they never lasted more then three weeks.

He felt so unattached. At first he'd be all headfirst in love. He'd go to Pete, and tell him about it.

Yeah. He'd go to Pete. His actual crush. 

It was so stupid. Because out of all these crushes on girls, and even guys sometimes that he kept to himself, the longest one was Pete. The longest one, that lasted all the way from 7th grade to 10th, never went away. He'd grown so used to it that it never felt like it was there — but when he was separated from him, he'd think of him constantly.

It sickened him.

Another pattern that he realized that, is with all these people he liked, there was always something of Pete.

"Pete —" The freshman bowled toward his friend, trying not to run into him with the unbalanced weight of his backpack. "Pete, I'm in love"

"Not again." Pete muttered.

"You know that girl? Shellie?"

"Uh-huh?"

"She's so cute." He gawked. Pete stifled a groan, stopping on the sidewalk and turning to face him. Caden recognized his features and melted instantly. Okay, forget about Shellie.

"It's attraction. Not a crush."

"You're so bad at this." Caden joked. And it was true. Pete's never had a crush, from what Caden knows, and clearly doesn't show interest in girls. Ever. Caden's convinced Pete's either probably very embarrassed about it, or his puberty is very slow. Which isn't a lie because Pete is still really short.

"I know. So don't tell me about your ugly crushes." Pete grinned, and Caden gasped. His friend went on walking, and Caden quickly matched his step. "They're not ugly! Shellie is so pretty!"

Plus her eyes remind me of you, He thought.

"What does she look like again?" Pete asked, pausing before the two crossed the road.

"Green eyes." Caden said immediately, pursing his lips, pausing, hoping Pete didn't notice. "Uh — uh — blonde hair. Messy braids, usually. Freckles"

"Reminds me of that my little pony." Pete giggled. "You know? The Texan one —"

"You're so STUPID!" Caden grinned. Pete was laughing.

-:-

Caden was a mess when he found out Shellie was dating this guy named Henry. Anyway, that crush passed after not even a week.

-:-

Pete, on the other hand, has different experiences with crushes.

He actually never really thought about any type of attraction until him and Caden had their first kiss. Before that? Well, yeah. He thought people were cute. He'd glance occasionally. But he never would get so invested and upset like Caden would — how Caden would end up ranting on Pete's bed about something stupid involving a girl. Pete never actually paid any attention.

Girls. Let's just say Pete hated them.

And he never really thought of it until Caden finally asked him.