We're Sempiternal, Baby (Kellic)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Vic - I Hate Everything About You

Kellin and I are parked down the street from Austin’s and Alan’s house. Kellin is driving for once—it seems I’m the person who’s going to be carrying out this part of the plan, so I’m in the passenger seat. Kellin’s job is to be my escape. Alan is in the back—he doesn’t really have much of a purpose at this point in the procedure.

"Got the invitation?" Kellin asks.

"Check." I hold up the folded slip of paper, which has Austin’s name written on it in Kellin’s fancy-shmancy cursive handwriting. Inside, this slip of paper reveals that Austin has been "cordially invited" to a "special" meal at the same pizza place that he and Alan raced to when I first met them. We even mentioned peanut butter pizza, which apparently is Austin’s weakness. He’ll probably know automatically that his boyfriend has something to do with it, but according to Alan, he’ll come anyways because curiosity (and peanut butter pizza) will inevitably get the best of him.

Okay, so this plan isn’t exactly genius, but it’s all we’ve got, and it’ll at least do something. So Kellin says, “Okay. When you ring that doorbell, pretend that you’re running from lions. Bring out your inner child. You know, the one who rings people’s doorbells and then runs away laughing maniacally.”

"Thanks for the pep talk," I tell him, opening the door and climbing out. "Don’t worry; I’ve got this."

I walk up to the front porch quickly, scanning the area to make sure that no one else is watching me. Then I set the paper down at the front door. I ring the doorbell, and as soon as I hear Austin’s footsteps, I run to the side of the house, just in case he gets to the door before I can reach the car.

Sure enough, as soon as I round the corner, I hear the door opening. “Hello?” Austin calls. I hold my breath.

A few seconds later, the door shuts again, so I peer out around the side to make sure that he took the paper. It’s not on the front porch step anymore, so I sprint back to the car, and just as I reach it, I hear the door reopen and Austin call out, “Alan!”

“Shit shit shit go go go,” I say, and as soon as I close the door, Kellin attempts to floor it while looking as if he is not flooring it.

Alan glances back out the window at Austin. “He’s looking the other way right now,” he reports. “He’s—shit, turn a corner!”

Luckily, we’ve just reached the end of the street, so Kellin makes a sharp turn around the corner and keeps driving.

"Okay, I can’t see him now," Alan says. "I don’t know if he saw us, but he might’ve heard us practically burning fucking rubber."

"Well, that went well,” I say sarcastically, taking a deep breath. “Knew it wouldn’t work.”

"Stop being so cynical," Kellin says. "Who says it didn’t work? He’s got the invitation, so he’ll come. He and Alan can make up and remember that they do not, in fact, hate each other, and everyone goes home happy."

"Is it really that simple?" Alan asks.

Kellin and I exchange glances. “Not all the time,” I say, always the bearer of bad news. “But it worked for us last night. What you and Austin planned.”

Alan smiles a little. “Well…that’s good.”

"You’ll fix it," Kellin says, discreetly reaching across the center console and taking my hand.

"How do you know?" Alan asks.

Kellin sends me a knowing half-smile. “Because if we can fix our relationship, then you can sure as hell fix yours.”