17 again.

8

"Well I can see the telltale signs
There's something else on your mind
See I know that expression (It gets better in time)"

Cole

I was in a strangers bed, naked as the day I was born. Luka was already up.

"Oh you're up." He said once he slid his shirt on to his lithe frame, grinning slightly. "Thanks for last night."

"Did we...?" I was pretty sure we did.

"Nah, I just stripped you and crawled into bed with you to nap." He smirked down at me from the foot of the bed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You needed a distraction. I was bored and had nothing better to do, so yes we had sex."

I stayed silent, slightly in shock. I wish I could blame it on alcohol but I wasn't even a little hungover, and I promised myself I wouldn't have a drop anyway. Not that I'm that good at keeping promises.

"Please don't tell me you're regretting it." He scrunched up his eyebrows cutely, looking concerned. "I had fun, don't let him ruin yours."

Even as he said it I still felt guilty. Which was stupid, Fin and I weren't dating and he was all giddy over Lacey anyway. I shouldn't let him tie me down. I got up to my feet, keeping the bedsheet wrapped around my waist as I did even though he'd already seen me naked, and took a deep breath.

"You're right. Thanks for last night."

Luka grinned, showing of pearly white teeth. I decided then and there to move on with my life, even if it took a hundred one-night stands.

🎵🎸🎵

Easier said than done.

The moment I sat next to Fin and he grinned up at me my heart melted. How does he always manage to do this to me? We were in English-Lit, listening to Ms. Kim drone on with attendance. Ms. Kim was nice and much younger than a lot of other teachers. I never did amazingly when it came to her class but she seemed to understand that some people just weren't good at certain subjects no matter how hard they tried. She was still disappointed when students didn't try and had done her best to try and get me back on track.

"We're meeting at my place tonight so I can help you with your Literature paper, right?"

I nodded, silently glad we weren't going to my house, it was kind of hectic with my dad moving out, but still dreading going to his place. I didn't feel like facing his parents right now.

"Good." His grin got wider and my heart melted a little more. "But be warned, I may go a little overboard."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Classes blurred together after that and soon enough I ended up back in Mr. Green's office. It looked exactly like it always did: the same cheesy motivational posters, the same diplomas on the wall behind the same large oaken desk and the same bland wall paper. The only real difference was the rainbow flag that now hung above his desk with his diploma.

It wasn't huge but the colours were more than enough to draw my eyes to it almost immediately. That definitely wasn't there before.

"That's new." I noted as I took my seat across from him.

"I thought I'd let my lgbt+ students know where I stand." He shrugged. "I've managed to rile up my more religious students with it though. Still don't understand what the big deal is."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't and he shrugged it of before getting back to business.

"Well Cole, you've submitted the needed Classwork and Homework for Physics, what subject are you moving on to now?"

"Literature." His brow arched in surprise, I couldn't blame him I really was that bad. "Fin's helping me."

He seemed to understand then and moved on. "Your on track at least but remember, you've still got projects to do for every subject." I nodded, I remembered and I was dreading it. "Good, now that that's settled there's something we should talk about."

"What?"

"Fin."

Almost immediately my fists clenched in my lap and my to breath struggled stumble its way out. I could feel my walls coming up already as I rented up. "Judging by that reaction I know there's a lot to talk about."

"There's nothing to talk about."

He sighed, he always seemed to be doing that a lot with me. "We've talked about everyone else: You're mother..." deserves better. "...you're father..." ...is a deadbeat, to busy in his own world of drawing up contracts and watching sports to help take care of the family he helped create. "...you're friends..." ...are good at heart but really terrible for me in the long run, they've got their shit together enough to afford to loose it a little. I on the other hand do not. "Even your brother. There's no one else important enough to you left."

Was that really it?

"You've managed to push all you're other old friends out of you're lives but you let him stick around, or rather you stuck to each other. What makes him so special?"

I love him. "He's my bestfriend, and much to patient with me."

"True, but that's not all is it?"

"If you're so sure something else is going on why don't you just spit it out."

"Fine." He conceded, much to my surprise. "I'd rather you'd admit it to me yourself but you're obviously too stubborn." He took a deep breath then, without further ceremony said: "You love him."

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I think this story's going to be a lot shorter than all the others I've started and have planned.

- I. Tamilore Onkọwe

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