Dilemmas

09

The acquaintance party became the gist of the entire school. Shaun already heard "friends", "party", "fun", "acquaintance party", and "last Friday" too many times, and school wasn't starting yet!

Shaun felt guilty somehow as he sat down on his chair. All around him, they were talking about something he didn't go because. . .

The kiss.

He just placed his face flat on the table and groaned, loud enough for only him to hear.

Don't tell anyone. This could ruin everything.

Even now, he was still surprised he wasn't making a big deal out of it. He just kissed a guy. Or more clearly, Ryan kissed him.

A voice was enough to interrupt his thought. "Hey, are you okay?"

Shaun shook his head in confusion. "Um, what?" he muttered.

Drake waved a hand at Shaun's eyes. "Dude. Are you okay?"

Shaun looked at him. He got angry somehow. "Um, yeah," he said, standing up. "Now could you please leave me alone?" Shaun's voice resonated around the room.

Drake was taken aback. He looked so flustered. Then he sighed. "If you want to talk to me, you can. . ." He just left the classroom.

Shaun was relieved. But more than a dozen pairs of eyes locked onto his.

Then the door opened again and Shaun dreaded it was the teacher only to get something much, much worse.

Kaden stepped into the room, rocking a new slicked look unlike last week, which Shaun thought was a mess. His face looked like. . .well, Jason. It was like Kaden's twin rose from the dead and decided to come to school.

"Well, he is his twin," Shaun muttered to himself. "So they almost look the same. . ."

"What gibberish are you talking about?" Adam, the guy in front of him, asked, his head turning to face him.

"Nothing."

Kaden walked to his table and once he sat down, he was immediately bombarded with many of his classmates, who were chattering and complementing him.

Shaun managed to pull one of his classmates aside. "Amanda, tell me what's going on?" he hissed.

"You didn't see it?" she squealed with delight, and joy—a little bit too much joy—sparkled in her eyes. "Kaden totally floored everyone in the ball!"

Shaun was curious. He maintained his cool. "How exactly?"

She frowned a little bit before her smile returned. "You were there watching the band, right? They suck! Kaden danced with Julie! They looked so cute together."

"Oh my god, he did?!" a few girls behind he and Amanda exclaimed, placing their hands on their mouths in shock. Shaun thought it was fake. Then they squealed.

Amanda was about to go when Shaun grabbed her hand. "What?" she screamed, annoyed. "I need to um, complement him!" Then she forced her hand away.

Shaun was frozen as he watched the group go about with him. It was then he remembered the moment he ditched her.

Kaden. . .he thought. He took Julie to the dance. He took Julie to the dance.

The ditching was where it all begun. It was the seed, for something more. . .

•

He saw Kaden smirk at the distance. It was ironic especially when a week ago he sat and talked with him.