Disclaimer: This work is of pure fiction and any resemblance of the characters and settings to real life persons, events, circumstances, etc. is purely coincidental. This work involves the youthful discovery and pursuit of love between two teenage boys in contemporary time. If you are not a fan of this kind of literature, please proceed somewhere else. This is not a quick jack off story.

Now, seeing as you're enjoying Nifty's wonderful archive, maybe it's time you let Nifty enjoy a share of your cash. Dont be shy to click here Donate

A/N: This should serve as a guide in reading this:

Paragraphs in italic are intended to be as flashbacks.
Otherwise, all other paragraphs in regular, unformatted font adheres to the present time perspective.

Copyright kkrimson 2013

Chapter 6
~ In Person ~

~*~*~*~

I wasn't one to believe in Santa Claus. My dear brother ruined that joy for me. He actually woke me up one late night by dragging me off of my bed and down the hallway that led to the stairs connecting the first floor. We hid behind the corner as he held his hand to my mouth and told me to keep quiet. Our overly large Christmas tree lay before my eyes, just by the far corner of our living room. It had delicate ornaments that hung on its trifling branches that almost brought a tear to my eye. It was magnificent to look at and bask in the light that shone off the biggest star on its top. But the thing that actually brought tears to my eyes were the two persons by the tree. They were dressed up in Santa's costume – one female and one male. My mom and dad. They were kissing under the nearby mistletoe with wrapped gifts in their hands. Having broken the kiss, my dad said something that hurt my fragile and young ears. I was six years old.

"Peter's been a good boy this year. He'll love these. And I'm glad we get to dress up as Santa. You look sexy in those."

So here I was now, pondering on what miracle or predicament I brought myself into. Actually, I was dragged here by this miracle. This `miracle' was one of the last persons I expected to cross paths with, along with Santa and a lot of other made up people. I stared down at my coffee, squinting my eyes at the quaint lady printed on my cup with a crown on her head that had a huge star at its center. It reminded me of that Christmas tree.

"Don't you like your coffee?" the person on the opposite side of the table, facing me, questioned.

"It's warm," I said, to be on the safe side. I hated coffee. I despised its bitterness and scorn at how artificially sweet it tasted.

"I thought by now you'd grown to like these stuff. I may be wrong," he said as he smiled at me and took a sip of his own coffee.

I remained quiet, not sure on what to say. I awkwardly shifted in my seat, avoiding eye contact by looking down at my lap. The peaceful atmosphere we were in didn't help in calming my nerves as I heard faint laughter from the table far to my right and hushed voices from the people behind me.

"It's been a long time, Peter. You've grown a lot. I know this is a bit awkward for you, but I wanted the company of someone familiar," he admitted. His accent was very noticeable.

"Almost three years, to be exact," I commented, taking a hold of my cup of coffee as I battled with my thoughts whether to drink it or not.

"Already? It seemed only yesterday. Your sad face is still clear in my mind," he told me.

Yes. It seemed only yesterday. But time has its way of distorting facts and figures.

~*~*~*~

The airport buzzed with people arriving and leaving for their destinations. There was a lot of activity as families and friends greeted each other while others bid their farewell. I wished I was here as part of the welcoming party, but sadly, I needed to see someone board the plane while we wistfully said our goodbyes. I hated how torn my heart was at the moment.

"Are you okay, hunny?" my mom patted my shoulder and I just nodded. "Let's go."

~*~*~*~

"Why'd you come back?" I blurted out without thinking. This might have taken him aback as a short silence loomed over us.

"I know this might be surprising for you," he finally answered. "There's really nowhere else for us to go and this place is just filled with fond memories."

I heard him clearly. Fond memories. I wished to keep it that way. I never expected any of those to come back to reality and crash into me in the present. My cup of coffee stood still in my hands and I could feel it getting colder.

"Sorry," I said, softly.

"It's okay, Peter. I don't know exactly what's bothering you, but he missed you a lot. He can't stop thinking about you. I could definitely tell that," he said as he took another sip of his coffee.

He missed me, huh? Then why did I feel so forgotten all this time? Why hasn't there been any hints of him missing me? Why did he choose to keep quiet while I pestered him with numerous emails, messages and unanswered calls just to ask how he's been or if he had anything bothering him? Did he care that I stayed up all night, waiting for his replies that never got through the seamless internet? Did he care to send me a greeting for my birthday? I could have waited for months long, however late it was, just to read his heartwarming messages. Did he care at all, after all this time?

I gripped on my cup of coffee tighter and felt myself tense up. I couldn't take any more of this atmosphere. I couldn't stay here for much longer just to hear and see other people having a good time relaxing. And how I hated my coffee.

"I have to go," I said, not wanting to keep this conversation going on.

"I understand, Peter," he said as I stood up to leave. "You'll see him around, soon enough."

"Bye, Charlie. Thanks for the coffee," I told him and started on my way without looking back.

~*~*~*~

"Hey, Andre," I called his name. I loved the way that sounded through my lips. I hoped he loved that as well.

"Promise," he finally said as he got back to his game.

~*~*~*~

"You okay, Peter?" Luke brought me out of my thoughts. He was standing in front of me with his baseball gloves in his hands, looking worried.

"Yeah," I said as I offered him a weak smile. "Just a bit tired from walking."

"You should've taken the bus, you know," he told me as he sat beside me.

"Maybe. But I still made it in time, right?"

"I wouldn't care if you were late. I'll just have to look for you myself," he said, putting aside his gloves and returning my smile with his more radiant one.

"I know you would," my smile got wider. "It's getting late. I think we should..."

"Later," he cut me off. "Wanna hang out for a bit? Just us."

"Sure," I answered, breaking eye contact.

We both stood up and started down a familiar path, just beyond our school's baseball field. It was past sun down and there were only a few people left around the school. The path we were walking on led to some place hidden from most unwanted visitors and distasteful eyes. Near its end was a small hill that overlooked the nearby soccer field. It remained hidden mostly because of the big tree at its top. Luke and I discovered this area way back when we were driven to look for some place private given the circumstances of our relationship. No one else knew of this place. That's what we thought since we saw no one else pass by us when we were there, leaning against the tree with my head on Luke's shoulder and his arms around me.

We sat by the tree trunk once again, making ourselves comfortable in each other's company. In the distance, much farther away and down beyond the hill, were some kids playing soccer with their figures mostly forming silhouettes under the sunset's dim light.

"I just love this place," Luke whispered into my ear as he held my hand in his.

"Me too," I whispered back, looking at him and noticing how peaceful he looked as his eyes stared into the far distance before them.

The gentle wind played with his once golden red hair which was now defined by some streaks of crimson. The bridge of his nose still had a few freckles which littered even his cheeks. His lips, forming into a smile, were the same red and full. His soft green eyes were almost black as the shadow of the tree's leaves and branches covered half his face.

I adjusted myself to lean on his side instead of the tree's woody bark, still holding hands with him. His shoulders felt strong and dependable. Years of playing baseball sculpted his body well. He wasn't overly muscular, but his arms were a lot more firm with lean muscles defining the sharp outline of his body.

"Dillan wasn't at practice this afternoon," he said.

"I noticed," I admitted and wondered where he was going with this.

"He texted me earlier," his voice became a bit more serious, but he still sounded concerned. "He told me he saw you at the mall with someone. You were having coffee with him."

My body tensed as he mentioned that. Luke must've felt my almost rigid response as he shifted himself gently to look at me. He looked worried and his eyes were furiously searching my own.

"Who was he Peter? Dillan said you looked a bit unsettled when you were with him. Did he hurt you?"

I remembered feeling really unsettled earlier with Charlie. But he didn't hurt me. It was just the awkward kind of unsettling feeling as I was not expecting to spend some of my afternoon time with him, much less to share a conversation over coffee. For a minute there, I thought Luke became jealous. But his eyes didn't show any hostility towards me. Instead, he was worried for my own sake.

"It's fine, Luke," I told him. "He was just an old friend. I was only a bit surprised seeing him around after a long time."

"Was he," Luke paused, gathering his words. "Did you go out with him...once?"

"Oh," I quietly said, as I realized that Dillan left out some critical information about Charlie. "Luke, he's the same age as my dad! I would never go out with someone way older than me."

Luke sighed, relief drawn on his face as he smiled gently at me. I smiled back at him, but my mind was drifting somewhere else. What if it was Andre I spent the afternoon earlier with? Suddenly, Charlie's deep voice ringed in my ears, `You'll see him around, soon enough'.

"C'mon. It's getting dark," Luke said as he stood up, offering me his hand which I gladly took. "I'll walk you home."

"But you also have to get home," I told him, but he just shrugged it off.

"I can take care of myself," he simply said, walking downhill.

"I can take care of myself, too, you know" I protested after catching up with him.

"I know, Peter," he said, slowing down as we got to the bottom. "I just want to be the responsible boyfriend that I am," he added with a smile which made me blush a little.

Our school wasn't far from where I lived. It was barely a mile and a half away and the way home was safe enough to tread on foot. Luke and I engaged in small talk, but mostly, I felt awkward around him. This bothered me since I never felt awkward with him. He didn't seem bothered at my lack of eager responses as we turned around a corner and came into view of our neighborhood.

"Well, I'll see you in school," I told Luke as we stopped at our doorstep. "You sure you don't wanna come in? We're having roast beef for dinner."

"Some other time. I have some things to take care of," he said with an air of ambiguity in his words. "I'll see you tomorrow," he added as he turned around to leave.

"Luke," I stopped him. "I love you. Take care."

"I will," he answered, not bothering to turn around and face. "I love you, too."

I saw him leave and turn around the same corner earlier without glancing back towards me. I could tell that something was bothering him. Something that he clearly left out of our conversation earlier. I sighed, reminding myself not to overthink things. As I entered the living room, the wonderful smell of my mom's cooking invaded my nostrils.

"Peter, hunny, is that you?" my mom called out from the kitchen.

"Yes, mom. I just came in. I invited Luke, but he had somewhere else to go," I said as I moved into the dining room and sat down.

"Dinner will be ready in five minutes," she said as she went through the microwave, the stove and our table setting up everything. "Oh, and someone came to see you earlier."

My mind started overthinking again. Was it Andre? Did he drop by our house to see me? What was he thinking, just showing up like that like nothing happened.

"Who was it?" I asked, barely able to keep my voice from trembling.

"Peter," my mom started, looking at me with concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Who was it, mom?" I demanded, failing to keep my anxiety in check.

"I believe it was Mikey. He said you'll be teaching him this Saturday and he can't wait," she said as she moved to the table and sat down, facing me. "Did something happen, Peter?"

"Nothing, mom," I sighed. "I was just overthinking some things."

"You know you could talk to me anytime," she said, as she went back to cooking.

We had a wonderful dinner that night as a family. Kyle went to a university in Houston and was supposed to start the first term next month. He took up a course in music, at my parent's eager approval. My dad still taught at the same college and my mom still worked at our local theatre. Ever since I came out to them, I've never felt so secure and comfortable around them. I was glad to have them in my life.

"You wouldn't believe who I saw at the theatre earlier," my mom started, but she directed most of her attention to me as I was heartily going for my second fill.

"Was it the president?" my dad asked with mild laughter.

"Well, no," my mom continued, eyeing me conspicuously. "I'm not really sure, but I think it was Andre."

I felt myself choke on my food. The dining table was no longer filled with laughter and fervent chattering. I could only hear the last syllables that my mom spoke. Andre. She saw Andre. Andre was definitely here in Dallas. And I was bound to see him soon.

"Peter, you look pale," my dad said, as he noticed my stoic expression, with my eyes still staring at my mom.

I reached for my glass, drowning the half-chewed meat in my mouth along with the emotions that seem stuck down my throat. I gulped as I finished my entire glass of water in an instant.

"Did you," I began, after finding my voice again. "Did you talk to him?"

"I wasn't really sure if it was him. And I was in a hurry going inside. But he looked a lot like Andre. He was really interested looking at the posters there, though," my mom said. "Did something happen between the two of you, Peter? I know I shouldn't be interfering with your life this much, but I'm your mother. And it is in my interest to know what's got you so down for a long time now."

"I don't know, mom," I admitted, looking down at my plate. "We never really talked again much."

"Well, whatever you have going on between you two," she said as she stood up, "Fix it. I've never seen you laugh as much as when you were with him. So, who wants dessert?"

"Wow. I never thought being gay was hard. Boyfriends, huh," Kyle teased me, to lighten the mood.

"Fuck off, Kyle," I said as I turned down dessert.

~*~*~*~

"Blue," Andre said, matter-of-factly. "My favorite color's blue."

"Me, too. Why don't we both perform together someday," I suggested as we met my mom inside and enjoyed the show being performed. It was some high school music act.

~*~*~*~

The rest of the school week breezed by without much concern. I didn't see Luke around school during that time. It got me a whole lot worried and as soon as he texted me, it only got me worrying some more. He told me that he had some things to take care of. Family problems. He never told me what exactly, though. So I welcomed the suspicion that he may have decided to come out to his parents and maybe that's when things started messing up for him. Maybe his parents didn't accept him. Maybe he was dealing with rejection. Maybe he was getting disowned. I told him that I'd come over to his house after school on Friday, but he turned my offer down saying that it would only complicate some things. He just told me not to worry too much and that he'll tell me the whole story as soon as the next time we see each other. He'd return to school next Monday. He'd be gone for the whole weekend before that.

Michael, or Mikey, the kid my mom was talking about, and the same kid that took guitar lessons back when I was still under Ms. Jane's instruction and he was still five years old, came by our house later that Friday afternoon. He lived a few blocks away from us so it wasn't really that stretch of a walk. Besides, his mom dropped him off. He was literally jumping up and down our doorway as he told me how excited he was for the next day. I was going to teach him how to play the piano. As it turned out, I ended up volunteering half of my Saturdays and Sundays to help out at the little music school as a simple gesture of gratitude towards Ms. Jane. She was glad that I was willing to help out.

"Peter! You're going to teach me right?" he said as I invited him inside.

"Well, that depends," I answered.

"On what?" he questioned, the eagerness in his voice earlier fading away.

"If you beat me at Risk," I challenged him, sounding so confident despite my lack of skill in that game.

"That's not fair! You're big and smart and...and...I don't know how to play," he replied sadly, his head hanging low. I knelt down to face him as I held him by his shoulders.

"Hey," I said, acting out like some concerned older brother. "I was kidding, okay? Of course I'll teach you."

"You mean it?" he was sounding hopeful with his big brown eyes staring into mine.

"Yeah. And I'm not really good at that game anyway." I stood up and led him to our living room. "You're mom's going to pick you up later, right?"

"Nope. She's working late again." He hopped onto our sofa as his eyes wandered around the room.

I felt sorry for Mikey. His parents got divorced, from what I learned from my mom, last year. He lived with his mom after they bought a house in our neighborhood. As time passed by, he found interest in me. I was glad having him around as well. I felt like a big brother looking out for him. During my last year under Ms. Jane, he went home with me and my mom. I could tell that he was glad having me around as his `big brother'. We got along pretty well as he often ended up spending several nights at our house while his mom worked some late night shifts. And I didn't need to worry about doing perverted things with him. I wasn't one to ruin a child's innocence.

"Where's your overnight bag?" I asked as I only saw him carrying a small backpack.

"I don't need one. I left my clothes here last time."

"Oh, right. I'll ask my mom where she put them. Want something to drink?" I sat beside him.

"No, thanks," he said politely. "Can we play a game in your room?"

"Well, I don't have games that doesn't involve killing stuff. You're too young for those," I told him as I turned on the TV. "How `bout we watch a movie instead? Your pick."

"Hmmph," he huffed disappointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyebrows furrowed and his cute little button nose wrinkled a bit. He managed to pout with his adorable lips that looked similar to mine when I was his age. "Fine."

We spent our afternoon watching Despicable Me, at my suggestion and at Mikey's hesitant approval. He said he was too old for that stuff, but it seemed to me that while he held down most of his laughter, his eyes still showed a lot of interest in animated film. He was just a kid after all. No need to grow up in a hurry.

Dinner was casually served with Mikey's little chattering voice surrounding our table. My mom was fond of him and I could tell that she missed the times when Kyle and I were still at that age. Dad, too, was friendly towards him. He understood that Mikey no longer has a father to look up to and he was glad to teach the little fellow certain things in life that would come in handy as he grew up.

The next day, my mom dropped us off at the studio. There were several new students enrolled this time. This year, there were 15 students in several classes. Erika and the rest of her group, aside from Mikey, didn't need any more lessons so I didn't see them around anymore. She went to a different high school from mine so we didn't see each other around campus as well.

We entered the building as Mikey led the way, hopping and running around excitedly. I was here mainly as some volunteer tutor for piano classes. I didn't have much expertise to teach anyone how to sing. Ms. Jane got that part covered. I only taught the basics to some students and they were all very eager to be under someone that was closer to their age group.

As I entered the overly familiar hallway, I heard some distinct melody being played from inside one of the rooms. It wasn't really played that much often around here, but I knew that composition very well. I urged Mikey to go on ahead as my curiosity led me towards the source of that sound. I stopped by the doorway, hidden from the view of those inside, as the music came to a halt. I could hear hushed voices, but couldn't make out whom it belonged to. I inched closer to the door, placing my ear against the wood to listen more intently.

"I see you've learned a lot." It was Ms. Jane. "And you just taught yourself how to play?"

"I actually only know how to play this one. It was fairly easy to learn." The voice, a boy's own, sounded familiar, yet foreign at the same time.

"Well, it's not late to start learning how to play. And I'm sure you'd get along with one of the tutors here. I remembered how you got along so well the first time you met." Ms. Jane's voice sounded nearer while I moved closer to the gap between the door and its frame.

"Things might be different now, Ms. Jane." He sounded sad and regretful.

"It might be. But that doesn't mean you can't change that back again to how it was." There was a short pause before Ms. Jane continued. "I'll see you around..."

Just then the door opened and revealed my whole presence to the two people inside the room. I didn't even hear Ms. Jane walking towards the door as I was too preoccupied listening in to their conversation. I looked at Ms. Jane, feeling embarrassed for intruding. Then I looked over at the boy seated in front of the piano, his blue eyes holding my surprised ones. It was Andre.

"Peter," Ms. Jane said. "How long were you standing here? You could've come inside. Well, Alexander's here. So I'll just leave you boys alone." I stepped aside as she walked towards their lounge and went it.

I was standing still by the doorway, not believing who I was seeing before my eyes. Those same mop of golden brown hair partly covering his even bluer eyes. Those same pale skin, rosy cheeks and upturned nose that gave him an almost angelic look. Those same thin and pink lips that parted slightly in disbelief. He didn't look that much different, only more mature.

"Peter," he said quietly and I could only squint my eyes at him.

As much as this was totally inevitable, I wasn't ready to face him yet. This was the meeting-him-again part that I was doubtful on how to handle. I could feel my heart racing, solely from the internal turmoil I had. Andre was right here, a few steps away from me and all I could do was stare at him.

I didn't bother saying his name. I backed away, tracing my steps as I headed for the building's entrance. He called out to me, but I didn't look back. I wanted him to feel how I felt when he was the one ignoring me. I couldn't spare him any mercy right now. I was outside in no time, catching my breath.

"Peter!" Andre called out once more as his voice got nearer. He sounded a whole lot different. His voice was deeper now. "Peter, wait!"

"What the hell, Andre!" I shouted at him, turning around to meet his eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Peter. I'm sorry," he sounded really sad, but I was not one to buy that.

"Sorry? Is that all you got? You show up after so long and just say sorry? For what, Andre?" I was furious as I approached him.

"I know this is hard on you..."

"You have no idea!" I cut him off. I didn't want to give him a chance at explaining himself. "You kept saying all that stuff and had the guts to write me that letter just for nothing? Andre, how is it supposed to be easy on me?"

"Let me explain, Peter."

"Just shut it. I don't need to hear this. It was so much better when you were not around. Why now, of all times?"

"Peter, please," his voice was shaking.

"Quit it, Andre." I breathed in deep, running my hand through my hair to calm myself. "I have some things to do so just leave now. If you want to talk, send me a message and see if I care." I walked past him and headed back inside.

I found Mikey behind the corner of the building's entrance. He looked up to me and asked, "Who was that Peter?"

"No one. Let's go. I'll be teaching you, remember?" I said as I led him towards their room.

I didn't see Andre for the rest of the day around the studio. I was glad for that. I didn't need any more explosive outbursts as I was already feeling exhausted from earlier. Ms. Jane didn't bother asking me what happened. She knew where she stood between me and Andre. She minded her own business. Mikey went home with his mom after his lessons.

I didn't receive any texts from Luke. I tried calling him several times, but his phone was just out of reach. I just hoped he was okay. I thought of coming over to their house again, but held against it as I was afraid of steering things into further complication, from what Luke told me. I desperately needed someone to talk to. Seeing that there was no one else that knew of my problems, I texted Kieran and hoped that he would meet up with me at the mall. He replied minutes later and was glad to help me out.

"Talk to him," Kieran simply stated, enjoying his chocolate milkshake as he sat opposite from me.

"What?" I couldn't believe he suggested that. My strawberry milkshake lay forgotten on our table.

"He wants to talk. And you want to clarify some things. I don't see how this won't work out," he pointed out.

"But...but..." I was still very doubtful with the talking thing.

"You want me to talk to him?" he offered.

"No!" I instantly said. "I mean, it's...our problem."

"See? It's your problem. Only the both of you can fix it." It was so much easy for him to say.

"But, I want to think this over first," I told him, finding my milkshake uninteresting.

"If you keep on thinking, you'll just confuse yourself more. Andre wants to talk. Talk to him. Besides, you'll end up talking to him anyway."

"But what if Luke finds out?" I asked him, wondering about that myself.

"If he does, then he does. You can't keep things from him forever. That includes Andre." He finished his milkshake at looked over at mine. "You gonna drink that?"

"I'll talk to him the next time we see each other." I sighed and pushed my milkshake towards him. "Thanks for the milkshake, Kieran."

"Hey, what did I tell you? I'm here when you need me. Oh, and you're paying for these, you know." He smiled at me while he leaned against the table.

I sighed again as I paid for our drinks and went home. Kieran stayed at the mall as he was supposed to meet his girlfriend there. I made up my mind to talk to Andre and maybe tell Luke the whole story about us. He deserved to know. And I can't risk explaining things at the last minute. That might only complicate stuff. I hate complicated stuff.

The next day, I went back to the studio and met Mikey there. He was so eager for us to continue his lessons as he had so much fun with me yesterday. I taught him the easy stuff first and reminded him that it won't be so easy for long. But as long as he remained under my coaching, he'd breeze through any lessons quite easily.

"Peter," Ms. Jane said as she entered the room. "There's someone here to see you. I believe he wants to talk to you."

"Was it that boy from yesterday, Peter?" Mikey, who was seated at my side, asked.

"Maybe," I answered. "Stay here, okay? Keep practicing."

I left the room with Ms. Jane. She told me that Andre was waiting outside as she got back on her routine of checking on all the students. I thanked her and went on to prepare myself to face Andre. Kieran was right. I wanted to clarify things. And Andre was willing to talk. If I could only listen without my patience testing me. I sighed.

He was standing just outside the entrance with his hands buried in his pockets. He wasn't facing me. The air blew through his thick hair and I could tell that he was enjoying the breeze. He looked to still be taller than me by a couple of inches. His body was more defined as his tight pants wrapped around his slender legs. His pale blue shirt embraced his broadening shoulders as it went down to cover the gentle curves of his torso.

"You wanted to talk?" I asked, keeping a short distance between us.

"Peter," he said as he turned around. His eyes were the same blue from before, but it looked fazed. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

"It's fine here," I hastily answered.

"I know, Peter," he moved closer to me, but stopped halfway as he saw me retreating. "How about KFC?"

"I thought you wanted to talk? It's too loud there."

"We could talk later. Let's have lunch first, my treat." He sounded hopeful.

"Fine," I said as I felt hungry all of a sudden. And who was I to turn down KFC? "But don't think that we're okay just because we're having lunch together. Got that?"

"Okay. I know it'll take more than just sharing lunch to be friends with you again. But I'll do anything for that to happen," he told me, smiling.

"Whatever. You talk too much and end up lying, anyway," I said as I began walking towards the sidewalk. "You coming or what?"

He ran and caught up with me, walking by my side. His presence felt warm and I know I've missed having him around me. But I still needed some explanations. As much as I wanted to hug him, the hole he left in my heart was just too big to ignore.

"You still love Kentucky so much, huh?" Andre said as he sat down in front of me with his own original recipe chicken, large fries and coke. It reminded me of the first time we had lunch at KFC together. That was a long time ago and here we were, enjoying the same delicious chicken from that time.

"Not all things change, I guess," I replied quietly, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

"Yeah. Well I know my feelings for you haven't changed, Peter." His voice sounded distant as I looked at him and saw him staring out the window by our table.

"You're so good with words, aren't you Andre? You expect me to believe that after what you did?" I felt myself getting angrier with each passing second. I took a deep breath in to calm myself and lower my voice. I didn't want to attract too much attention right now.

He remained quiet as he looked at me. Damn, he still had those same beautiful eyes. His slightly parted lips, like almost on the verge of saying something, appeared almost hesitant to talk. He sighed and starting poking his chicken and I did as well. This was getting awkward real fast.

"I've read your messages," he began again. "You know one more thing that hasn't changed, Peter?"

"What do you mean?" I felt unsure asking the question.

"Not once did you tell me that you've broken up with me," he said.

I remembered sending him countless messages that contained as many things as I could tell him. During those times when he didn't send any more replies and we haven't talked again, I never sent him any messages telling him that I've broken up with him. I remembered feeling hurt, but I didn't want to lose my connection with him. In the end, there was no clear conclusion to our relationship as I stopped bothering him with any more emails and unanswered calls. It may have crossed my mind, but I never did admit to breaking up with Andre. I got together with Luke while forcing myself to forget about him.

"Well, I'm with...someone now. I've cut ties with you a long time ago. I didn't see the need to tell you because you don't bother with my messages," I told him flatly. I wanted him to know that I was serious.

"I get that. And I'm glad you found someone." He smiled at me, but his eyes showed a much deeper sadness and maybe some regret.

The rest of our lunch went by quietly. We never talked about anything else. I saw him often looking out the window while his fist clenched and unclenched on the table. He was battling with himself inside and the frown on his face strained his delicate features. We left KFC and looked for somewhere we can talk in private. Seeing that there were no other places, I suggested the only place I know.

"There's this hill by our school that has a big tree on top. It's pretty much hidden. I guess we could talk there." I knew that I should have kept this place a secret between Luke and me. But there was nowhere else to go to. My parents would be at my house and Andre's dad would be at theirs and that could only make things more uncomfortable than it already was.

We went to the hill and sat by the tree trunk. I made sure to leave a distance between our bodies as we leaned against the bark. The breeze felt cool and the tree offered enough shade from the unforgiving sun.

"You wanted to talk, right? I'm listening." I wanted this to be over with fast.

"I don't know if you'll forgive me, Peter," he said as he shifted and drew something out of his pocket. "My dad said you looked really hurt when he saw you a few days ago. And I knew I couldn't ignore my conscience any longer so I finally gathered enough courage to talk to you. Sorry if it took me this long."

"Almost a year, Andre. Of course I'd be hurt! You left me without an answer, damn it!"

"I'm really sorry." He moved closer to me and I let him. He placed something on my lap and my eyes narrowed at a smiling face before me. "His name's Kristofer."

I picked up the photograph showing a smiling boy with a classically designed building behind him that had distinct letters which read `STADSTEATERN' on the roof by its entrance. The boy had medium length blonde hair. His eyes, partly covered, were beautiful emerald orbs. His pink lips curved into a gentle and shy smile. He had a tiny blush on his fair cheeks that crossed over the bridge of his nose. He was wearing a red jacket which wrapped around his undoubtedly slender frame. In the back of my mind, I knew pretty well that I've never gone to any other place in the world except Dallas. But here I was, my unbelieving eyes staring at a thin mirror in the palm of my hands. This boy looked exactly like me.

~ End of Chapter ~

Damn. I hate how time seems to be a luxury for me these days. I can barely manage my writing and other stuff. My mind juggles lots of thoughts and ideas and I can't seem to repress them completely. Anyway, I'm doing my best (I think) in every thing I do. And please forgive me for the lack of 'bed scenes' in this chapter. I wanted to explore the intimate, non-sexual stuff of the charaters' relationships first for you to understand how and why they'd react and play out as such. I believe this is a very helpful foundation for the next chapters as I see myself building with lots of foreplays and hopefully exciting stuff later on.

To you, who has the time to read this little piece of work, thank you so much. I couldn't ask for more than to have my story span the screen of your computers once in a while.

I'd love to hear from you. Comments? Suggestion? Violent reactions? Or just anything you have in mind. Send me your thoughts here: krispykrimson@gmail.com