I don't know exactly when it happened, but I started losing feelings for Tanner. Don't get me wrong, he was a great guy, funny, smart, I just couldn't see him as more than a friend anymore. And yeah, part of it might be this other wonder I have my sights set on, but also feelings can change. I knew there was nothing wrong with that, and I knew Tanner would understand, I just didn't want to ruin our friendship.

Psh, of course it was going to ruin our friendship, I just jinxed us by saying that. Although, I still wanted to let him down easily. I was even hoping he was feeling the same way. Really, really hoping.

I'd never been the best at breakups, they always tended to hit me harder even when I was the one breaking up. Jolie had been a natural heartbreaker, so we were exact opposites in that case. Granted, she'd been in love with Brant since she was five and they'd met at the pet store. They both wanted the same hamster, deciding to share it. Honestly, it was the cutest meet-cute ever, but that's besides the point. Brant was the only one on her mind all of her life. Whenever any boy asked her out, she'd reject him without hesitation. She didn't want some random boy she didn't know when she could just keep the boy who loved her the most.

Sometimes I wish I had someone like that, someone I've known was the one all my life, but I've also enjoyed getting to have different relationships, different crushes. I just hated the part where it ended.

I had asked Tanner to meet me at the park. It was pretty big for the quaint kingdom, and very pretty and green. It would've been an easy, peaceful place to break up with somebody. Until it rained of course. So instead we met up at my house. My dad was at work and my mom took the triplets to hang out with their new friends somewhere, so it was just us there.

I didn't want to lead him on, I wanted to get straight to the point. The only problem was, I didn't know how to start the conversation.

"Listen Dex, I need to talk to you about something." Tanner looked over at me from his spot on the couch next to me. I hated to admit it, but I was crossing my fingers hoping he was about to say what I was going to say.

"Yeah, what's up?" I could hear the hope dripping off my words, but I hoped he couldn't.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we're really, uh, working, I guess? I don't know, but I think we would be better off as friends. What-"

"Oh thank God!" I hadn't even realized it was me who shouted until Tanner looked over at me confused. Oopsies.

"Um, what?" He looked slightly hurt. Doubles oopsies.

"Sorry. Uh, I feel the same way and I'm really bad at breakups, so I'm just happy that you said it first I guess. I didn't mean to get so excited though."

Tanner just smiled. "I should've guessed. No offense, but you are way too awkward to be able to break up with someone." Now I was the one smiling.

"I probably should take offense, but you're right. I've never been good at breakups." When we locked eyes, I almost regretted what was happening. We hadn't been together for long, but it was one of my best relationships. My first relationship with another guy. I almost didn't want it to end, though I knew it had to.

The silence afterwards was pretty awkward. We both looked everywhere except for each other.

"If you want, can I get you something to drink?" I asked, hoping to break the newly formed ice.

"Nah, I think I should probably just go. Thank you, though. You're a great guy." He smiled as he got up to leave. The thing I hate most, his smile was genuine. Even though I wanted a breakup, I felt like I just got rejected. I mean, I just asked him if he wanted something to drink but still. He said no and walked out the door.

The end of my first relationship with a guy. My first relationship after realizing my sexuality. Over.

Oh well, time to move on! I'll just go hang out with Sophie.

Nevermind, Sophie was severely depressing me. I had jumped through her window and landed really cool but she didn't even react! She didn't even watch it happen!

When I stood up, I slipped and fell on... was that her lamp? Her room was a complete mess, it was like a tornado went through it. Books and clothes were everywhere, some of her posters were torn down, the lightbulbs from her ceiling were laying on the ground. I decided to take the subtle approach.

"Wassup buttercup?" She was laying on her side in bed so I walked over and sat right on the side of her stomach.

"Ugh get off!" She rolled to the side, causing me to fall to the ground. "Not right now Dex, can you just leave me alone?"

Okay, wow. I was tempted to ask her if it was that time of the month, but she'd probably beat me up for it. She went back to scrolling on her phone.

"Hey, what's up? You haven't acted like this in a long time." The last time I remembered, it was after Jolie died. What was going on?

"I just want to be alone, please." She wasn't even looking at me, just focused on her phone. I moved over to a different spot on the floor so I could actually talk to her face.

"You'll talk to me, right? Something's wrong, you'll come to me? It doesn't have to be right now, I just want to know what's going on and how to help." Finally she looked at me, starting out with a glare then softening when she actually saw my face.

"Were you crying?" She lays her phone face down, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Psh what? No! I don't cry!" I quickly scrubbed at my eyes but they were dry. How'd she know I was crying?

"Your eyes are all bloodshot and the iris is brighter, like when you've been crying. Plus you just tried to wipe away tears. So yeah you were crying, what happened?" She moves to lean against her headboard, patting the space in front of her. I sit down, staring at my hands.

"Tanner and I broke up." Her face quickly changed to anger so I had to clarify. "I wanted to break up with him, it was a mutual decision. It's just hard."

"He was your first boyfriend." I nodded, glad she understood. She was always able to read me perfectly, something I was insanely grateful for.

Sitting face to face with her, I finally noticed how dark her under eyes have gotten. And her hair was a greasy mess too. I got that it was school break, but that's not an excuse to get no sleep and not wash your hair. She really needs better hygiene.

"Have you gotten any sleep?" I asked her. Sophie's eye twitched a little in the few seconds of silence before her response.

"Not really. Drank a bunch of Pepsi."

"Oh, nightmares. Just don't drink Pepsi?"

"Screw you." Her foot slammed into me, kicking me off the bed. She then turned and laid on her side so she was facing away from me. After a minute of her just laying there, I left.

School started again once break was over, and Sophie wasn't doing any better. If anything, her dark circles got darker and her eyes were really red. She looked like she was on drugs.

Keefe seemed to notice too, sticking by her side and making sure she didn't run into too many people or fall on her face.

After fifth period, I noticed two of the guys from our first real day in Eternalia, one of whom tried to start a fight with me. They were both on either side of my cousin, practically carrying all her weight. They walked right up to me before the guy on the left let go, making the guy on the right hold onto her.

"Dex, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, who are you?" I honestly couldn't remember their names.

"Audric, this is Carter." I remembered that Carter was the guy that tried to start beef with me, but now he's just holding onto Sophie and keeping her up. She looked dead asleep, or maybe just dead. Her face was really pale.

"What happened to her?" I asked. Carter very gently passed her to me. I picked her up so she could maybe sleep (or be dead) peacefully.

"I dunno." Carter answered. "She kinda halfway fell asleep in class, we dragged her out when it got over because she was still a little awake and we were trying to make her walk by herself. She fully zonked out somewhere on the way here."

"And you guys are her only friends in that class?" I asked suspiciously. I felt like there was someone else in that class she knew.

"Yep." Carter said. He must've noticed my glare, putting his hands up defensively. "Calm down, carrot head. I actually like that thing," he gestured to my cousin, "which is surprising, but she kinda has this way of annoying you until it becomes weird when she isn't."

"Yeah, that checks out. Thanks for bringing her. Where's the nurse's office?" I asked.

"Just across the street." Audric pointed in the direction.

"Isn't that the hospital?" Is he dumb or something?

"Yeah, duh." Now he was making me feel dumb.

"There's not, like, an in-school nurse here?" He just shook his head, giving me a look like I was the weirdo.

"The hospital is where we go. How do you guys do it in America?" I just shook my head and walked away. I wasn't going to waste a hospital bill when I knew Sophie probably just collapsed from exhaustion. Instead, I carried her up to the Principal's office.

"Sophie passed out, I'm taking her home." I told Dame Zombina. Sophie was pretty much still her favorite student so I knew the zombie didn't really care we would be missing classes.

"Oh no! Not Poofy! Go ahead and take her home, Desk, I'll mark you both with excused absences." I ran out of there as soon as she finished. She really freaked me out.

Half an hour later I was back home, Sophie was tucked into bed, and I was very relaxed on my sofa, in my house, by myself. It was the most peaceful it had ever been in my house without the triplets or my parents. Just me and My Little Pony-I mean Top Gun! And Die Hard! At the same time! I'm that manly!

A couple hours later my mom came home with the triplets and my peace was ruined. I quickly changed the TV so it was playing... wait, The Idea Of You? No, that's a no no scene!

"What are you watching? The Idea Of You?" My mom asked in horror, shoving my siblings out of the room.

"No! No! I was watching uh, Top Gun, but that wouldn't be good for the triplets so I switched it! To the wrong thing though." Nice save. Wait no, that wasn't a save because it was the truth!

"Sure... Though I think the triplets seeing you watch My Little Pony would be better than that." She gestured to the movie, which had then passed the inappropriate scene.

I rolled my eyes and went up to my room for the rest of the night. Besides dinner of course, I've gotta eat.

School the next day was pure torture. Sophie was doing a little better after sleeping all day, but she was still pale as a ghost and her eyes were way too bloodshot to be normal. I didn't see her for most of the day, only first period because we drove to school separately. In fourth period I had written some lyrics and sent them to her, seeing if it'd make her feel better, but she just left me on read.

I was with Marella over to her car because we had our last class together, and Sophie had already left. Right when I was getting ready to leave, Keefe knocked on my window. I rolled it down, noticing his puffy eyes.

It looked and sounded like he was still crying when he spoke.

"Did you know?"

"Know what?" I asked, confused. He seemed to realize that whatever it was, I didn't know.

"Sophie broke up with me."

teheeeeeee. lol. haha. anyways hope you guys liked the chapterrrrrrrr, i was seriously beefing with the idea of you movie so yeah. like age gaps are okay yk, it's okay for the woman to be older... but 16 year difference? no thank you. at some point the age gap is too much and they crossed that line. that's just my personal opinion of course, so if you believe otherwise that's okay too. and i hope you guys really liked the ending and the chapter as a whole! love you all!

Avery, out ->

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