The only people who went to the drive-in theatre anymore were the teenagers. The adults had long ago forgotten it, lost in their busy life and petty problems that looked so large to them.

The drive-in was conveniently situated at the end of the town where the woods started and so it was best place for high schoolers to hang out at. No babies crying. No busy person on their phone talking loudly to their boss. Just occasional giggles if it was a comedy movie that night or an eventual surprised scream if it was a horror.

Wynter stood quietly to a side, watching Julian and Reagan arrange pillows and blankets in the open trunk of Julian's car. Julian seemed happier that day. He smiled more, made more crazy theories about underground cities, hugged people a little tighter, his laugh a little warmer. Wynter suspected this had something to do with Reagan.

Wynter looked up when he heard Julian's voice. The green-eyed boy was on the phone with an amused expression. Almost as if he was enjoying the conversation with the other person.

" Ren...calm down. Yeah—no—no don't bring the black liquorice. Ren...stop. Just get here on time before the movie starts or I'll kick you to the Andromeda Galaxy.......yes there's a galaxy named after the Greek lady. Your neighbour? Don't be ridiculous. Her name is Andrea, not Andromeda. I'm hanging up. Seriously. I'm—no I'm not hanging myself to death...I'm hanging up the phone. Be here in ten. Bye"

" Was that Ren?" Reagan asked him, tearing open a pack of Doritos and offering some to Wynter who shook his head in reply. She shrugged and popped a few Doritos in her mouth before looking to Julian for an answer.

" Yeah he's super nervous. Are you sure you're interested in him? Because if you're just playing with him then I've gotta tell you—"

"—I'm not playing. I genuinely want to know him better...he's just, such a cute person you know? Personality wise I mean. Also he's blond which is a bonus. His hair is amazing..."

" Stop," Julian grinned, " I know you're whipped. You don't have to prove it again"

Reagan flipped him the finger " You'll know when you take someone out on a first date"

Saying so, she walked off to answer her phone that had been buzzing in her pocket since the past few seconds.

Wynter frowned in the other boy's direction " Reagan and Ren? Didn't they meet like yesterday?"

" Ren believes in love at first sight" Julian shrugged, shifting a little to stand beside the dark-haired boy. It had taken a lot of convincing to get him here. Despite Hayden being at a birthday party that would possibly end at about ten-thirty at night, Wynter had flat out refused to come watch the one and a half hour long movie. Julian had to plead and sulk and pout until Wynter finally agreed.

" Do you? Believe in it?" Wynter asked suddenly, his cold attitude slipping away like a cover being pulled off antique furniture. All evening he hadn't said more than a few words and now that he had initiated a conversation, Julian couldn't help the smile on his face as he replied.

" Depends" Julian said with a tilt of his head to the side as a way of saying that he himself was confused about it.

" Depends on what?" the dark-haired boy inquired curiously, leaning towards Julian slightly, eagerness showing.

" On who we're talking about" Julian answered.

" Who are we talking about?" Wynter asked, a slight smile decorating his lips.

" I don't know" Julian lied easily, the real answer pressed down deep and buried. You.You.You.

" You've never liked anyone?" Wynter asked, leaning in curiously, waiting for an answer in anticipation.

In that second it took everything in Julian to not step closer and press his lips to Wynter's. And it was a difficult task because Wynter's eyes were locked with Julian's green ones. Julian had always found Wynter's brown eye beautiful. It changed shades according to Wynter's mood while the grey one remained the same. Julian had memorised all its shades along with moods because he liked to guess how Wynter would react to his words in different situations.

" I've never liked anyone" Julian said, smiling secretively as if he was challenging the dark-haired boy to find the true meaning behind his words. To understand the true meaning. Understand that Julian never liked anyone. Past tense. Until now.

Wynter didn't understand. He was too busy concentrating on the sudden invisible punch that he had felt in his abdomen. It felt horrible. He wanted to curl into himself and....have Julian put his arms around him? This whole feelings thing was weird as heck. Wynter knew that the invisible punch was because of Julian but he also wanted him to comfort him.

Julian glanced at the dark-haired boy for a second, drinking in the absolute beauty of him. Then he turned in the opposite direction, eyes following Ren as he weaved between other cars with packs of liquorice and boxes of raspberries filling his hands. Ren walked forward and tripped over randomly, dropping a pack of liquorice.

" Ren! Over here!" Reagan called loudly before Julian could stop her.

Ren looked in the direction of the voice and promptly tripped over the liquorice pack he had bent to pick up.

Julian smacked a palm to his forehead. Shooting Wynter a small smile, he strided off to help his cousin carry the raspberry boxes.

" God's sake, Ren." Julian mumbled.

" What? I wanted to pick up the licorice" Ren pouted, handing his cousin half of the boxes he was carrying.

" Yeah and you tripped over it...and why'd you drop the licorice in the first place? By tripping over air" Julian reminded placing the boxes in the trunk and then popping a raspberry into his mouth.

Ren blew at his bangs to get them out of his eyes and slid past his cousin to put down the licorice. " It wasn't my fault there was an invisible rock" he protested.

Julian shot him a flat look " And I'm Superman"

Julian looked away immediately when Reagan threw her arms around Ren's neck and leaned up to kiss him. He walked back to Wynter who had his eyebrows raised at the Ren and Reagan. They had pulled away now and were whispering compliments to each other.

" I guess we're third-wheeling then, huh?" Wynter mused.

He couldn't be more wrong. Ten minutes into the movie he started to think it was more like a double date judging by how Julian was practically glued to the dark-haired boy's side. Julian was basking in the warmth radiating off Wynter and he probably didn't even realise it, eyes totally focused on the screen as he munched on raspberries. Wynter had asked Ren why he had bought along raspberries instead of popcorn. Ren had answered that Julian's popcorn had always been Raspberries and Liquorice, making Wynter think back to all the times Julian had come over to watch movies with him and Hayden. Julian had never mentioned anything about Liquorice to Wynter.

With a sigh, Julian pulled his legs upto his chest while nibbling on the red liquorice. Wynter's hand rose up to brush away a stray thread from Julian's hair. The green eyed boy turned to look at him with an innocent but questioning look as if he had just woken up from sleep. Wynter just stared at him, the pupils in his eyes widening and lips parted.

Julian tilted his head to the side " Yeah?"

" I—why'd you never tell me you liked Raspberries?" Wynter asked.

Julian laughed softly before throwing an arm over the other boy's shoulders. He leaned in with a wide smile and raised his eyebrows " Why would you want to know that?"

" I just like to know things" Wynter answered defensively.

" What kind of things?" Julian teased, lowering his voice to a whisper when Reagan smacked his shoulder because he was being too loud.

" All kinds of things" Wynter mumbled looking away towards the screen.

" Because you like to know all kinds of things I'm going to let you know...I like you. Go out with me" Julian said, the grin on his face not giving away anything.

Wynter's heart stopped for a second. His face must've looked too shocked or taken aback to Julian because after a few minutes the green eyed boy let out a laugh.

" Well?" Julian wiggled his eyebrows and Wynter's stomach tightened. Julian had been joking. It was a joke.

" That was the only thing you wanted to joke about?" Wynter demanded, hoping none of his emotions were showing in his voice.

Julian plastered a fake smile onto his face despite the sudden pain in his chest. Wynter took it as a joke.

" No...I want to joke about everything" Julian said and resumed his licorice feast.

About everything...because right about now, Julian hated everything. For unknown reasons. Well...partly known.

A/N:

**chews on her licorice while trying to avoid laser glares**
What?
**glares intensify**
Okay! Sorry! But it's progress...right?

Also! A BIG HUGE THANKYOU!!! to everyone who has clicked on this book and decided to give it a chance. Thank you for not leaving Julian and Wynter's side ( and mine).

A lot of readers have been encouraging me by adding this book to their reading lists and voting.

And trust me it makes my day when I log onto Wattpad and realise that the views on Underneath The Surface have increased. That people actually find my writing worth reading.

And to you...yep. You...
I love you so much!

Keep on livingxx