Darian's eyes widened. "Arya..." He took a step towards her, but she pushed him back.

        She kept her attention on Alissa. "There's something you need to know, Alissa."

        "Arya, don't do what I think—"

        "She deserves to know, Darian," Arya said, focused on a confused Alissa.

        "What the hell are you talking about?" Alissa finally asked, and Arya shifted her gaze to me and then to Clay before returning to Alissa.

         Wait a minute...

        "I heard from Darian that you and Clay are dating?" Arya asked, and Alissa perked a brow. "Am I right?" Alissa nodded with caution. "And you and Kenji are friends again?" She nodded again, and Arya laughed. "Might wanna re-evaluate your life, girl."

        I didn't like where this was going.

        The others glanced at one another, appearing confused, but I wasn't. Darian kept his head down, avoiding my gaze, and it confirmed what I already knew.

        Clay told me about his altercation with Darian over our middle school fling. He also told me about how that was the source of their "beef." That tension between them all made sense now. It was stupid, but it gave me clarity.

        I was surprised that Darian knew and never brought it up though, but what really concerned me was Arya's sudden desire to talk to Alissa.

        Darian wouldn't tell her.

        I was going to trust him with that.

        "What's wrong with you?" Honoka finally broke the silence once Arya's laughter died down.

        Arya turned to Alissa. "You might wanna dump his ass,"—She motioned with a flick of her head to Clay—"Or cut his ass loose." She motioned to me.

        Alissa slit her eyes at her. "Why would I do that? Especially at your request?"

        "Because—" Darian grabbed Arya's arm and yanked her back.

        "Arya, stop," he said through a clenched jaw.

        She frowned. "You know. Why can't she?"

        "It's not the same," he said.

        "What makes you so special?" He didn't reply. "She's with Clay, so she should know what she's getting herself into."

        No.

        Darian wouldn't tell.

        "What the hell is going on?!" Alissa yelled, drawing all attention to her. Then she narrowed her eyes at Arya. "You need to either spit it out or get the hell out, and stop wasting our time because I'm done with your bullshit."

        Arya's lips quirked up at the corners, and Darian winced.

        "Alissa," Darian said while approaching her, "I don't know if you wanna hear—"

        "He fucked your boyfriend!" Arya pointed at me, and Darian halted in his step.

        Honoka and Alissa gasped. Clay's eyes bulged out so much, I was afraid they would literally come out of their sockets. The main person I focused on was Darian, who refused to meet my stare. A crease lined my forehead.

        Did he tell her?

        "W-What are y-you talking a-about?" Alissa asked, all traces of anger gone and replaced with confusion.

        "Kenji and Clay had a little thing going on in middle school," Arya elaborated. Honoka peeked over at me and Clay, and all we could do was avert our gaze to the floor. "They're do stuff to each other. Hand-jobs. Blowjobs. You name it. I wouldn't be surprised if they took turns fucking each other up the ass."

        "We never did that!" I blurted out, drawing attention to myself. "We never did ass-play." Alissa's eyes went round, and she clasped her hand over her mouth.

        Shit!        

        Arya's face brightened. "You see!" She turned to Alissa, who watched me and Clay. "He didn't deny it. Just because they didn't do ass-play doesn't mean they didn't mess around."

        Clay remained frozen beside me while Honoka and Alissa continued to stare at us. "Is this true?" Honoka asked.

        I bit my lip, not responding. Clay didn't either.

        "Is it true?!" Alissa shouted, moving closer to us. We said nothing. "Will you answer me?" Arya stood back, watching the catastrophe she created unfold, while Clay and I peered up at Alissa.

        "Alissa." Clay reached out for her, but she pulled back, and his face fell. "'Lis..."

        "Don't touch me!" She shot daggers at him. "I want you to answer my damn question. Is it true?" Clay clamped his mouth shut, only staring at her as they held a silent conversation with their eyes. The tension was so thick in the air that I could hardly breathe. Once it grew too much, Alissa turned to me. "Is it true, Kenji?" I looked over at Clay before returning to Alissa. Clay and I finally nodded in unison.

        Alissa's shoulders slacked as she stared at us in disbelief. "Alissa," Clay said, trying to grab her again, but she pushed him away this time.

        "Don't fucking touch me!" She glared at me and Clay. "How could you guys keep this from me? From us?" She motioned between herself and Honoka. "Didn't you think it would have been nice to know? To hear it from one of you instead of her?" She gestured to Arya who frowned slightly.

        "I'm sorry, 'Lis," Clay pleaded, begging her with his eyes. "I'm so sorry. It's in the past, I thought—"

        "Save it!" Alissa yelled. "I don't wanna hear anymore. Screw you, Clay." She turned around and headed for the door with her purse and phone in hand.

        "Alissa!" Clay shouted as he maneuvered around the apartment to reach her. "Please, babe, can we talk?"

        It was no use. Alissa had already grabbed her shoes, and she slammed the door behind her, right in Clay's face before he could get to her.

        Then it hit me. Darian and Arya didn't take their shoes off. I would have laughed at my lack of priorities if it wasn't for the issue at hand.

        "You fucking bitch!" Clay barked, advancing towards Arya, who took a step back.

        "Whoa!" Darian got between them and shoved Clay back. "Back the fuck up, dude."

        Clay moved his glare to Darian. "You good-for-nothing jackass! You told her, didn't you?"

        I couldn't even be angry at Clay for yelling at Darian because I felt like doing the same thing.

        He told Arya.

        "He didn't mean to tell me," Arya said. "I overheard your conversation a few days back when you and Darian where fighting over Kenji."

        "We weren't fighting over Kenji," Clay made sure to add. "You're making this sound like some gay love triangle."

        "Well," Arya began while twirling a strand of her hair, "you were sucking his dick in middle school."

        "Geez." Honoka began massaging her temple, and I sent her a look. "I'm not judging." She lifted up both hands.

        "There's no fighting necessary," Darian said. "Me or Clay? The choice is easy."

        Clay chuckled without an ounce of humor. "Fuck you." Darian sent him a sarcastic grin in return. "And fuck you, too, Arya." His expression dropped into a frown.

        Arya smiled. "You might wanna fuck yourself, Clay, since Alissa obviously won't be fucking you tonight."

         I wiped my mouth as I exhaled loudly.

        Why?

        Today was a good day.

        I caught a glimpse of Honoka watching me from the corner of my eyes as the other three continued bickering.

        "You four might wanna work this love square out," Arya said to Darian, as if Clay wasn't right in front of her.

        By now, there was no joy left.

        Only nothingness.

        "There's nothing to work out!" Clay yelled, moving closer again, and Darian pushed him back some more. "I'm with Alissa. I love that girl. And Kenji and Darian are their own... Whatever the fuck they are! There wouldn't have to be any 'working out' if you didn't go around fucking everything up!"

        "Dude, chill," Darian said, holding Clay back from Arya.

        My frown deepened.

        Why was he defending her? Even if she overheard them, I had a feeling he was the one who confirmed everything.

        "You should thank me," Arya said. "I made things easier for you, so now you won't have to keep that burden on your shoulders. If you really care about Alissa, wouldn't you want to be honest with her?"

        "Of course, I would," Clay said, "but on my terms, not yours."

        Arya snorted. "Your terms meaning you'll never tell her."

        Clay's nostrils flared as his fists blanched from the force he exerted on them.

        "Leave." All eyes fell on Honoka, and hers stayed on Arya.

        "Huh?" Arya leaned closer to Honoka.

        "I said leave," Honoka repeated in a calm voice as she walked towards Arya. "You said you wanted nothing to do with us, and we've accepted that. Now, follow your own wishes, and stay out of our lives." Honoka stopped in front of her, and her eyes bored into Arya's. "Get out of here, Arya. You're done with us, and we're done with you. There's no reason for us to associate with each other anymore." Arya briefly looked away. "We don't need you screwing things up even more, so do us all a favor and leave. And don't come back."

        Honoka smiled innocently at her, and the room fell silent. Damn.  I wasn't the one at the receiving end of her words, but even my feelings were hurt.

        Arya scoffed. "Screw you, Honoka." She went for the door.

        "Find another comeback, Arya." Honoka winked, and Arya rolled her eyes before walking out. She made sure to slam the door as loud as she could.

        My shoulders relaxed at her exit. Arya was a constant reminder of our failed friendship and what happened to Camila. I didn't need that reminder.

        As soon as she was gone, the three of us moved our attention to Darian. "You should probably join her, too, Darian," I said.

       "What?" His brows knitted together.

       "You should probably leave, too," I told him. "I need some time alone."

        I was thrilled to see him before, but now, I just wanted him to leave. I didn't want to be around anyone.

        Darian laughed, but there was no trace of joy in it. "You're kidding me, right?"

        "I'm afraid I'm not." I shrugged. "Plus, I have a feeling you're Arya's ride."

        "She can take an Uber."

        I shook my head. "I don't think so."

        He glared at Clay. "But he's staying?" I didn't need to answer that question, and Darian huffed. "You're unbelievable. Why don't you just break up with Alissa?"—He pointed at Clay—"And why don't you just end things with me." He moved his finger to me. "Then you two can screw all you want and leave us out of it."

        "Darian..." Clay started.

        "Shut the fuck up!" Darian hollered.

        "Darian!" I scolded him.

        "Hey!" Honoka jumped in, scaring all of us with the assertiveness of her voice. "Okay, Darian. You need to leave. We need time to think, and you're obviously not in a clear mindset."

        "Oh, I'm in a clear mindset, all right," he said.

        "Okay, I'm out." Clay gathered his things and moved to the door to put on his shoes. "You'll feel better if I leave?" His attention was on Darian. "Then I'll leave. I don't have time for this. I'm done with you, specifically, Darian, and Arya is a close second."

        "Like I give a fuck," Darian said with his arms opened out. "I couldn't care less what you think, Clay."

        Arya was gone. This shouldn't still be going on.

        I squeezed my hands together, anything to distract me from this ridiculous scene before me.

        Darian smirked. "I hope Alissa dumps your ass."

        Clay stood up straight once his shoes were on. "And I hope—" He paused. "Wait a minute, Kenji can't even dump your ass because he's not your boyfriend." He walked over to Darian. "You're getting this mad and this salty over a guy you have no claim to. Just because you sucked his dick a couple times and got him to break up with his girlfriend doesn't mean shit. Once you get to that boyfriend status, then you can come at me, bruh." Clay opened his arms up and got in Darian's face.

        Darian laughed for second before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and slamming him against the door.

        "Darian!" Honoka shouted as she tried running towards them, but I blocked her path with my arm.

        "You son of a bitch," he sneered at Clay, who held a stoic expression. "You think can talk smack, left and right, with no consequences?"

        "Kenji." Honoka tried passing by me, but I continued to hold her back.

        I wanted to see if he could come back on his own.

        "I'm not afraid of you," Clay stated.

        "You should be, motherfucker." Darian slammed him against the door again, and he winced this time. 

        He wasn't going to.

        I released Honoka and ran forward before she could.

        "You do not wanna test me, Clay, or I swear I'll—" I yanked Darian off of Clay and pushed him back.

        We held eye contact, and I didn't miss the apology in his eyes, but that didn't change what I saw.

        He looked like a fucking bully. The same bully who tormented me junior year, and he was being an asshole.

        The same asshole who was the reason we weren't dating.

        "Kenji," Darian said, seeming to snap back into himself, "I'm sorry."

        "I'm not about to die over this." Clay opened the front door. "Hell no." He slammed it on his way out.

        Why was everybody slamming my damn door?!

        "Follow him." I pointed my thumb at the door, but Darian's gaze was only on me. "Out the door, I mean, not to his car to beat him up."

        "I'm so sorry, baby." Darian grabbed my arms to keep me close. "The whole situation with you and Clay brings out the worst in me, and I'm sorry you had to see that."

        "You're acting like a man-child, Darian." I removed myself from his grasp. "Man enough to threaten people, but childish enough to be mad over something that happened in middle school. Who else are you gonna attack? Rosalyn? Kimiko?" Darian's expression hardened. "Every other girl I've slept with or dated?"

        He took a couple steps back.

        "You're not the only person I've been with, Darian," I continued. "You have to get over that. There's been people before you, and there'll probably be people after you if you keep acting this way."

        Hurt flashed across his face.

        "Kenji!" Honoka sent me a warning look, but I wasn't having it.

        He helped ruin one of my good days.

        "Just leave," I said with an exhausted sigh. "Arya needs her ride, and I need to be alone."

        "Okay," he muttered, and he headed for the door.

        He wasn't resisting anymore, and Honoka continued to scold me with her eyes.

        But I didn't care

        I didn't care about anything at this point.

        "I'm glad it's all confirmed." Darian stopped when he was halfway out the door, and he sent me a sad smile. "I guess I'll always like you more than you'll ever like me."

        And he walked out.

        I closed my eyes briefly.

        That wasn't what I meant.

        "Kenji..." Honoka made her way over to me, but I walked passed her. "Kenji, where are you going?"

        "To be alone!" I shouted as I made it to my room and slammed the door behind me.

        Fuck being social.

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* What do you guys think of this chapter? Arya exposing the secret? This beef between Clay and Darian? How the situation was handled? Darian's sad confession about his feelings for Kenji?

* My new year's resolution is for me to write more, organize my life more and to take care of all aspects of my health. If I follow this through, this story will benefit greatly so let's hope I do. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! 😊