Trapped (egobang trans)

Chapter 54 - Reconnected

A/N: oh my god this picture of Arin ^^ x-x dead

"Wow, long time no see," said Kevin with a light laugh, "What were we, like, 10 when we last saw each other?"

"Y-Yeah, something like that."

"So... how have things been?"

"Good, I guess, how about you?" This conversation is so awkward already.

"Pretty good. Got a weekend job doing this, doing okay in school, do karaoke with my friends sometimes... Are these your friends?"

"Uh, y-yeah, they're-"

"I'm Suzy. This is Rachel," Suzy introduced more confidently with a smile.

"And I'm Ashley," finished Ashley.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kevin, but uh you probably realised that, heh. Are you guys just having a day out or what?" Kevin asked curiously.

"Oh, we were actually helping Arin pick out some clothes. We found a really cute pink dress," explained Ashley, gesturing to the carrier bag next to Arin.

Kevin blinked in confusion, looking down at the bag and then back up at Arin.

"Dress? I didn't know you were into cosplay, Arin," he said.

"Oh, I-I'm n-not, um..." Arin squirmed, feeling herself start to sweat nervously.

She and Kevin had been really good friends when they were younger. They'd met on the playground when they were maybe 6, and instantly got along from their shared interest in the slide their school had. Many break times spent playfully fighting over it, and soon enough they were inseparable. Kevin wasn't judgemental, he didn't care that Arin didn't like boy things. That was just who Arin was, and that was fine by him.

They'd been best friends ever since then. But despite all that Arin had never told him about her secret. Not even on Kevin's last day at their old school, when they were both 10 and Kevin's parents had just bought a new house. Even as they'd hugged each other outside the school that day, vowing that they'd keep in touch, she never told him. The thought had crossed her mind countless times, though.

They'd talked for a few months after that, but eventually Kevin made new friends, and the vow was broken. Arin didn't hold grudges, she knew that it would happen. She'd hoped against hope that it wouldn't, but it did and Arin had been alone ever since. Then she'd also moved schools, and then she met Danny. It had all worked out in the end. Still, seeing Kevin in the flesh again was somewhat surreal for Arin, like her past was creeping up on her.

As Arin tried to find the words to break the news to her old best friend that she was actually a girl, Kevin's head snapped to the side and he blushed.

"Oh shoot. Sorry, we're really busy cause, lunch rush and all, so I gotta get back to work. Uh, I'll bring you your food when it's ready!" he flustered, hurrying away as another table of impatient looking customers began to moan to him about slow service.

Arin looked back to the other girls and flinched as she saw them all looking at her.

"So, who's the cutie? Ex boyfriend?" whispered Rachel with a grin.

"What? No, Kevin and I were just friends! Besides... he doesn't know," Arin replied, looking away slightly.

Arin was unwilling to share much in her discomfort, so the conversation topic was quickly changed. In her wandering mind Arin vaguely heard Ashley telling some story about Danny, but she tuned it out, not wanting to get jealous. She'd taken a liking to Ashley today, but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth with how close she and Danny were getting. It was stupid, but she couldn't help it.