the oak tree.

I can't really tell you when it started.

When the stares became obvious, when I started to forget other people's names. When nothing seemed to matter anymore.

It was just me and him.

We were ambling to school, finding familiar comfort in each other. I could tell you, it was a weird mix of platonic and romantic love. We wouldn't go kissing each other, but we would probably hug each other at night and sleep together. It just worked that way. We knew everything about each other, and we were the only support each of us had.

Again, I can't really tell you when that started.

"Hey, Vic? You okay?" He questioned, gesturing to our feet which were now walking out of sync. My face twitched a bit, forgetting we even did that.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I comfort him to get him off my back, looking down to step in sync again.

His direct gaze made me feel broken. If he felt something was off, then everything was. I felt like I didn't trust myself anymore.

Only him.

"Vic, you really don't seem okay..." He asked again, a foreign look on his face as he stopped walking. I stopped beside him, hitching my breath.

"Lucas. Please," I mutter sharply, keeping my eyes away from him. "I'm fine."

Both of us knew I was lying, but neither of us knew why.

"Hey, Lu, we have English first, right?" I ask, the scene from the trip to school pushed away for the day.

"Sure do. Don't remember what we were doing, though," He gives a quiet laugh, clenching his books to his chest as we walked side by side to the classroom.

"Really? It was in the document the teacher sent to everyone last night!" I reprimanded him for not keeping up to date, but it brought a warm, playful atmosphere that put me at ease.

"Um, Vic, can we stay back a little after school?" Lucas requested, his voice almost shivering, like he was testing the waters.

I glanced at him with an odd look. "Well, yeah, we don't have anything on..."

A beat passes.

"Why?"

Another beat of silence.

"I'll tell you then. I just, I feel like I need to bring something up. It isn't anything bad!" He comforts, noticing the look of discomfort on my face.