Etho's Perspective-

Two Days Later-

Etho was back at school and nervous.

He had just gotten back from the hospital due to fainting from dehydration.

"I heard he just fainted." He heard a guy tell a girl in the halls.

"Yeah, I saw it happen, he just fainted. His boyfriend, Joel started panicking." The girl said, "I would too if I were Joel. I mean, imagine if your partner just collapsed in the halls."

The guy nodded, "Yeah apparently Joel rushed Etho to the nurse's office and then an ambulance came."

"But they didn't tell us why the ambulance came." She said.

"Should we ask?"

Etho sped walked away, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.

He wanted to hear the truth from Joel, not from people in the halls.

Joel's not my boyfriend.

Etho told himself as the bell rang.

He walked into his dorm, luckily school was in session, but he didn't have to go.

He crashed into his bed and tried to remember something, anything, after collapsing in the halls.

But all he could remember was when he woke up in the hospital.

He sighed and fell asleep.

-

"Now you could wait here with him until the ambulance arrives or go back to class." Ms. Lume said.

Etho looked around but his eyes were closed, so he could only hear what the people were saying.

"I'd- I'd like to stay here." Joel said, sounding like he was crying.

Joel? Etho wanted to sit up and reach for Joel's hand.

But he couldn't.

It was like he was frozen.

"It'll be okay." Ms. Lume said and then the door opened and closed.

Etho then felt someone hold his hand, it was Joel.

He could tell by the feel of it.

Someone then kissed his forehead.

Joel.

"I love you." Joel whispered.

-

Etho shot up in his bed.

He checked the time.

1:55.

It had been an hour and a half.

He had a couple of minutes before fWhip, and Joel would be back.

Etho felt his forehead.

It felt... real.

The kiss.

The holding of hands.

Joel and Ms. Lume's voices.

It was like... a memory.

Just then the door opened followed by two voices.

The voices of Joel and fWhip.

"You WHAT?!" fWhip gasped, causing Etho to jump.

His door was closed and neither Joel nor fWhip knew he was home.

"It was just his forehead." Joel muttered.

Who's forehead?

Etho felt the place where Joel had planted his kiss in the dream.

Did that really happen?

"But you told him you loved him." fWhip pointed out.

"He couldn't hear me." Joel said.

"He could've. You just confessed your love to your crush, and he doesn't even know." fWhip sighed.

Joel threw down his bag and a cry escaped his lips.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." fWhip said in a calming voice.

"It's just so stupid," Joel said, catching his breath, "I love him, and I thought he was going to die, and I thought it was the only moment I could... you know... tell him that I love him."

"Hey, I'm sure I would do the same thing if that had happened to Sausage." fWhip said.

Etho blushed, he was stunned.

So it wasn't a dream.

He wanted to exit his room and tell them, but he then stopped.

They would think I was eavesdropping, and Joel would probably hate me now if I go out.

Just then, Joel sighed.

"It's fine. He'll just never know the truth."

The dorm door then opened and closed.

fWhip sighed and Etho walked out of his room.

"Gah!" fWhip shouted, startled.

Etho chuckled, "Sorry. Startle you?"

"Ya think?"

They both laughed.

"So did you hear what we said?" fWhip asked.

"Er- yeah..." Etho said, "Please don't tell him. I want to tell him that I like him back."

"Cool! Go do that!" fWhip said, practically shoving Etho to the door.

"Wait! Not now!"

"Why not now?"

"Because he's not in the right spot."

fWhip shrugged, "Oh and here's the makeup work. Might wanna get started now."

fWhip handed Etho a paper that had a list of things to do.

Etho sighed and grabbed his things, "Thanks fWhip. I'm going to go to the library and try to do all of these."

"Have fun."