Lonely For You Only

Chapter 2: Unknown

"And that," Lukas declared, "is how the Cold War began."

Milo blinked at his younger brother, momentarily taken aback.

"Well, essentially," Lukas continued, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I assume you'll fill in the gaps later." With a flourish, he gathered the scattered papers on Milo's bed, organizing them into a neat stack.

Lukas had always been the smarter brother in the family. Each of them had their own strengths: Milo had a knack for photography, Lukas with the brains, and Adrian, well, he was simply Adrian—and that was more than enough.

"Wait, so this forty-four-year debacle—"

"Forty-five," Lukas interjected.

"Right. So this forty-five-year debacle was just a standoff because Russia and the US couldn't share their toys at playtime?" Milo tilted his head, eyeing Lukas as he edged closer to the door.

"Well, in less juvenile terms, yes," Lukas replied, standing tall with a satisfied yet impassive expression.

"Okay... but—" Milo started to argue.

"Milo, honestly, I've helped you as much as I can," Lukas said, exasperation creeping into his voice. "It's time for you to pull this paper together on your own. Getting your fifteen-year-old brother to do it for you? Well it's sad really." A teasing tone accompanied his words, lightening the mood.

Milo rolled his eyes with a fond smile. He and Lukas had always shared a special bond. While the three of them were exceptionally close, each brother connected in his own unique way.

Milo was about to respond back to his brother when is phone chimed.

"And with that, I shall leave you to your solitude. Try to remember to indent your paragraphs." With a playful bow of his head, Lukas turned and swiftly exited Milo's all of a sudden frigid bedroom.

Milo sighed and shut his laptop, feeling he'd had enough of schoolwork for the night. Cracking his neck, he reached over to check his phone.

Hey buddy

The light from his phone illuminated his face. He frowned as he noticed the unfamiliar number.

Sorry, who is this?

He sighed and set his phone on the nightstand beside him, hoping it had nothing to do with Alex or Saul. He'd never forget the chaos from sophomore year when Reid had ticked them off over some argument during a hockey game. Even after all the matches he'd attended to support Reid and Willow, Milo still didn't quite grasp the appeal of such an aggressive sport.

The whole friend group had gotten pulled into the drama, resulting in a flurry of messages and, at one point, a poorly written letter filled with grammatical errors. It was more comical then threatening, really. Although their feud had cooled over time, Reid still caught the occasional dirty glance in the hallways, and they maintained a cautious distance during practice. It was a silent agreement—an unspoken truce that lingered beneath the surface.

Another chime interrupted Milo's unpleasant memories. With curiosity, he quickly reached for his phone, eager to see the stranger's response.

Are you coming to the game? Pleaseeeee?

It was Willow this time.

Milo didn't know whether to feel relieved or slightly disappointed by the discovery. He settled on relieved, but his curiosity about the identity of the sender lingered.

Can't today Will. Cold war is due on Thursday. Good luck! <3

He awaited Willows response.

Reid says he's going to drive over and bang on your door until you're ready.