Meadow Of Flowers ≫ Jarchie

39

"Why are you at my house, Tyler?" Archie seethed as he opened his front door the next day.

"I wanted to see what it looked like in daylight," Tyler answered, smirking as Archie rolled his eyes. "We can't just be two friends who walk to school together?"

"We're not friends," Archie huffed as he grabbed his book bag, stepped outside, and locked the front door behind him. "We've never been friends."

Tyler stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head.

It was annoying how attractive he was. He didn't have too try too hard at it. He wore simple clothes that complimented his tall stature. He wasn't as fit as Archie, but still fit enough to guess that he works out. He had a low quiff, but that still didn't stop his dirty blonde hair from messily going in whatever direction the wind decided to blow it. He had dark brown eyes that looked soulless at times, but when the light hit them from the right spot they sparkled.

Archie sighed and began walking in the direction of the school with Tyler trailing close behind.

"So you really haven't had sex since you've been talking to your new boytoy," Tyler asked, as if that was appropriate conversation.

"Why would I talk about my sex life with you?"

"You must be miserable," Tyler continued on.

"I don't want to fuck you. I thought I made this clear yesterday," Archie mumbled.

"You don't want to now," he emphasized with a smile. "But when the summer comes along and your fake boyfriend breaks up with you because you still couldn't get the balls to come out, we'll go back to having our annual rendezvous and all will be right again."

Archie scoffed and walked a bit faster. "There's plenty of guys in this school that you can mess with. Stop hanging onto the past," he demanded.

"But none of them are you," Tyler replied, matching Archie's new pace so that they were walking side by side.

"That was corny," Archie grunted. "Since when do you even care?"

Tyler seemed hurt that Archie even asked that question, but Archie played it off as a trick of the light. "I've always cared about you."

"No," Archie scoffed. "You've never even shown this much interest in me since the day we first met. This is probably the longest conversation we've ever had. You're just not used to being shot down and you're mistaking your surprise for intrigue."

Tyler thought it through and titled his head to the side as if he knew Archie had a point. "So?" He finally asked.

"The fact that you don't see anything wrong with that is concerning," Archie said in disbelief. They continued walking, and soon the high school could be seen in the distance.

"Archie, this is us. You can't be seriously thinking that this is just going to end because of some random guy that probably isn't going to be enough for you?"

Archie stopped in his tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I know you," Tyler beamed. "I've never seen you tied down with one guy in your entire life. You care too much about what everyone thinks to actually come out. This secret life thing you have going on is exciting for you and it gives you everything you want."

Archie ducked his head down and bit his lip. Tyler didn't know him, but he spoke with conviction. He was always good at manipulating him into believing the things he said, even if they weren't true.

"And c'mon, you've never thought of the possibility that we'd be together some day?" Tyler continued on, knowing he had Archie now.

"No, because I'd never be enough for you. Never have, never will. It used to make me upset, but it doesn't anymore. You're second rate and I'm better than you anyways," Archie snapped. He grinned at the angry expression on Tyler's face and stepped back into his long stride.