The Eccedentesiast

Chapter Twenty-six

—
Chapter Twenty-six
—

Emma queerly barged into the packed book store and inhaled the aesthetic smell. "My favorite."

Henry smirked, he leaned against the front of the register and looked at her with his hands hidden deep in his pockets. "You look quite happy."

Emma turned to him. She walked around the resister and stood behind the counter. "I fucking am."

Henry laughed and turned to face her. "That's weird. What happened?"

Emma slightly jumped to sit on the tall stool and let herself loose. She closed her eyes, an actual smile resting upon her rosy lips.

"I don't have a crush on a boy."

It was quiet between them. The people in the background were chattering.

"Huh?" Henry raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms on his chest. "I don't understand."

Emma gestured for him to move aside as a line was already forming. She took the first person's book, scanned it and the woman paid before leaving. She started doing the same with the man that stepped forward.

"So, I thought I was crushing on this guy, right?"

Henry nodded. "Uh-huh."

"I had already had a thought in mind that I might just like him for his skills in bed. And turns out I was right!" The woman that stepped forward while Emma was talking to Daniel slightly pushed her toddler behind her legs—shielding him from an early loss of innocence.

Henry ran a hand through his hair and shrugged his shoulders, letting them sag immediately. "I don't get it."

Emma tsk'd him and finally attended to the last customer that was currently paying.

"Boys."

Henry shook his head, mumbling random stuff under his breath as he turned around and started fixing books on shelves.

𖨆

It's been two days, and it's finally here Halloween night. The best night of the year; according to Emma and her 'bitches'. It was like Christmas to them—Christmas with more fun and candy.

𖨆

They ended up in second place again in the costume contest at their school. Daniel was frustrated and was ready to quit for the following years. He hated the senior group of boys that always won first place. He was just glad that it was Saturday and the only thing they were there for was the Halloween carnival or he would start throwing hands.

"Next year," Brian had told him. "We'll get them."

Daniel didn't believe in this anymore—with the whole weird deal with Xavier that went on, they haven't spoken. He knew this wasn't healthy for them, he knew this wasn't how relationships were supposed to work. And it's been days, felt like years for him since he last saw him.

It was now that Xavier surprised him by dressing up as a stripper. He obviously couldn't have worn this at school so he had a large bear costume over the stripper one. All Xavier wanted was to make Daniel smile—Daniel did love Halloween more than his birthday.

Daniel and his friends couldn't stop laughing. "Look-Look at the fishnets!" Emma pointed at Xavier's legs as she held onto her abdomen with her other arm. "He's thick!"

Xavier blushed when Daniel was simply looking at his face; admiring his masculinity—what seemed to be left of it.

"You guys ready?" Gabriel's laugh subsided and he held on tightly to Sammy's leash as he stepped out of the double doors.