In a Heartbeat

|Chapter Twenty-Three|

"Sherwin!"

Memories came flooding back to him. Tinley, in the seventh grade, saying hi to him for the first time. Tinley, meeting Haylee, smiling and looping an arm between hers. Tinley, afraid and vulnerable after her dad died. Tinley, comforting a heartbroken Haylee, hurt by Joey once again. For once, everything was about a girl, everything was about Tinley, and everything Sherwin realized then and there happened in seconds. It was strange, how he hadn't seen it until now, until looking at her smiling dimpled face waiting for a response. Tinley was lonely. She was sad and scared and hurt and she tried to cover it up by helping everyone else. God, how hadn't he seen it before? He was her best friend, how was it that he figured it out only after recalling every moment he'd had with her?

"Sherwin?"

Another voice. Softer, deeper, warmer. Sherwin turned towards Jonathan. His blue eyes were filled confusion. "Who is this?" He asked. Sherwin sighed. Where to even begin? "For the record, I'm gay. She's not my ex." Jonathan nodded. "This is Tinley. My-uh, old best friend." Sherwin continued, finally making eye contact with Tinley, who smiled warmly. She was wearing a Mania shirt. Of course. Tinley loved Fall Out Boy. She was also tentatively holding a waffle cone with strawberry and mint chip, both of which were dripping down the side of the cone. It was what Tinley used to order every time they went out for ice cream. This was his best friend, if he could call her that anymore. But still, she seemed different, like some immense and invisible thing had changed.

"That's me!" Tinley said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "And you must be Jonathan? I've heard tons about you. Well-maybe not tons, but certainly some things back when Sherwin was young and closeted. Seems it all worked out in the end!" She cheerfully added. Why did she look so happy? It was certainly infectious, if not a bit unsettling. Jonathan chuckled lightly, his hand finding its way into Sherwin's. "So, can I sit?" She asked, pointing at the empty chair across them.  Sherwin nodded. "How've you been?" Tinley's brown and pink hair swayed back and forth, and it didn't go unnoticed the way she brought up a hand and twisted it around her finger. "Er-Good. I mean, uh, this-" Sherwin held up his and Jonathan's intertwined hands, "-is pretty great. Um, Haylee's good. Still got the stuff with-uh, Joey, you know. And Arabella is arrogant as ever. We got a dog, too. H-His is Atticus. Short for Attington. That was Haylee's idea actually, I-um, yeah." Sherwin trailed off, becoming aware of how ranty he was getting.

"Cool! We actually got a dog, too. Her name's Callie and she's a German shepherd." She sounded happy, too. But Sherwin had seen her in her worst moments, and they were bad. "So, what brings you here? It was to my understanding that you moved away?" Jonathan asked politely. And Sherwin loved him. How was it that all his emotions were coming to him in a flood right then? Anger, that Tinley was pretending to be happy, and sympathy that she had to pretend in the first place. Love, because Jonathan was here and he was understanding and sweet and funny, as well as comfort, because Jonathan made him feel safe. "My mom wanted to come and visit some of her friends for a while. We're staying at their house for about a week." Tinley replied. "Uh, cool. You should-you should come over sometime. Um, I think Tinley would like that." Sherwin stuttered. He did that a lot, actually.

"Oh yeah, definitely. How is she?" Tinley asked, finally paying attention to her ice cream and licking the drip off the side of the cone. "Good,"  Sherwin mumbled, disinterested. Jonathan and Tinley made eye contact. She smiled politely, and Jonathan smiled back. "Well! We should probably go!" Sherwin abruptly stood up, and dragging Jonathan behind him he rushed out the door. He was still dragging Jonathan until he gently tugged on Sherwin's arm, getting him to stop.

"Hey-what's wrong?" He asked softly. "Why'd you run out of there so fast?" Sherwin sighed and wrapped his arms around himself, relishing in the warmth of his sweater. "I-I don't know," He admitted, shuffling his feet. "She was just...just different. I couldn't really handle it, I don't think." Jonathan leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around Sherwin's smaller body. "You should give her a chance, babe. She might have changed but you'll never know if it's for the better or not." Sherwin wanted to cry. Jonathan was so sweet, and somehow he always knew what to say. And as much as he wanted to believe it, how could he? Couldn't anyone else tell how fake she seemed? All those too-wide smiles and little twirls of her hair, ripped jeans and dyed hair and band shirts and worn-out sneakers. "So? Will you give her a chance?" Jonathan softly asked. He couldn't. And Jonathan's eyes were so blue.

Sherwin nodded.

||a/n: hey so. this is. a thing. also. im seeing dan and phil tomorrow :) fuck me :) its uhhh ii milwaukee?? if y'all are there?? hmu?? i'll be on the balcony ooff. anywaysss bye bye loves hope u liked this chapter xx||