Julian was bored. It wasn't that the party was boring...just that it was basic. Routine. Normal. Drunk teenagers, reeking of beer. About hundreds of body odours mixing together. The loud music and chatter. Couples making out and disappearing into the nearest rooms. Drunk people dancing on the table while others cheered them on. Puking sounds from the washrooms and loud squeaks from what Julian suspected was probably a bed and not rodents.

And because Julian was bored, he turned to the one person who could never bore him.

Wynter was definitely not bored. His eyes kept wandering around in interest, observing his own species slowly turning into animals. Some started laughing for no reason, some started crying and some simply went to sleep. In that second Wynter decided that he would never drink the vile poison they call alcohol. By never he meant Never.

Julian leaned his chin in his palm and stared at the other boy, smiling a little. With a flick of his wrist Julian downed the vodka in his cup.

It was funny how the one thing that you want with all your heart is the one thing that is so difficult to have. He wanted Wynter so much, it hurt. It hurt that he couldn't tell him the three words. They were simple and easy.

I like you.....then why were they so difficult to say out loud?

Wynter felt Julian's eyes on him. He was half tempted to just turn and kiss the other boy but he just sat still, eyes flicking from person to person.

His thoughts were loud...loud enough to drown out the voices that were threatening to break through and swallow him up. Wynter wondered if they were back because he wanted them back....he wanted them to convince him that he wasn't good enough for Julian. That he could never make Julian happy. Because Julian didn't seem to care that Wynter was this...broken....lost...person.

Julian tilted his head, smiling a little when Wynter's leaned back into his chair with crossed arms. Julian didn't know why he was smiling....maybe it was because Wynter was humming along to the tune of the song that was currently playing. Or maybe it was because Julian didn't know what else to do. He couldn't just look Wynter in the eyes and tell him he had feelings for him. He could only smile. And so he did.

" Guys! We're gonna do a hide and seek! Wanna come?" Ren appeared out of nowhere with Reagan piggybacking on him. She giggled and then raised her eyebrows at Julian in question-Did you tell him?

Julian didn't answer. He just stood up and nodded " Sure. It's been a while. Wynter...you wanna come? It'll be fun"

Wynter got to his feet hesitantly " I don't know....we aren't kids anymore. Hide and seek?"

Julian let out a laugh and stepped towards the other boy " Let's be kids for a while....our future won't allow it again."

A few minutes later when they were seated in the basement, Aaron Dexter was explaining the rules while his twin Aiden was busy hitting on everyone who had walked in. Before he could direct another one of his horrible pick up lines at Wynter, Julian put a hand on his shoulder and pushed Aiden away from the dark-haired boy gently.

Aiden just grinned " What?"

" No" Julian answered calmly, ignoring the drill of the dark-haired boy's eyes into the side of his head.

" O......kay!" Aiden smirked and wandered off towards Janelle who replied to his pick up line by smacking his head and warning him about how she would shave off his eyebrows next time. He pouted and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled slightly and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

" If he likes her...why is he flirting with other people?" Wynter asked Julian in a low whisper.

" For attention. She hasn't said yes to him and it's been three weeks since he asked her out. Janelle says she just wants to be friends with him but Aiden knows she's lying....he'll always see through all her lies and facades...."

Wynter's next words made Julian's heartbeat skip for a second.

" Just like I can see through yours...."

It was just a statement. But it was powerful. Julian's head was filled up with thoughts now. No space to process what joke Ren was telling him.

Did Wynter know? Did he know that Julian liked him? Did he know that he had asked him out genuinely? Did he know that the past two hours had been hell for Julian? That it had been hell because he wouldn't touch Wynter? Because he was afraid that if he would touch him he would start to fall faster....

" You're overthinking again, aren't you?" Wynter mumbled as if he had known this would happen.

" Yeah" Julian answered honestly, looking into the other boy's eyes for the first time in four hours. The last time being after kissing Wynter's cheek.

To overthink was a part of Julian....he liked to expect various scenarios before they happened. But right now he didn't know what he should expect. As always, the dark-haired boy's face was devoid of expression. Not giving away anything that he was possibly feeling. It frustrated Julian.

" Okie-dokie! Before starting ...I'd like to repeat the rules once again to prevent a situation like last time....I'm sure you remember when Brea lied that she slept with Aiden and had her hair extensions pulled out by Janelle-" Aaron started.

A few hoots and cheers of appreciation rang out in the room which Janelle acknowledged with a cheer of her own.
" Yas bitch!" she hollered, planting a kiss on Aiden's lips announcing her claim on him that resulted in more cheers.

Aaron continued, " Yeah yeah my sis-in-law is amazing. Moving on. There'll be two people on a team. No more no less. If your hiding spot is discovered then you'll join the other seekers to search for the rest of the people who are hiding. If you're found....you will not curse or rile up the seeker just for your own enjoyment. Aka don't be a Brea. Everyone pick a chit. Whoever gets the chit with a circle on it will be the seekers. One game is fifteen minutes. If the time is up and you wanna play the next round, return to this room. Questions?"

" I won't put my hand in that jar...." Sammy scrunched up her nose, eyes on the jar that contained about ten pieces of folded paper.

" Yeah...Brendan puked in it last time there was a party here" Julian reminded.

" Don't blame me! I voted for the fishbowl...it's resident is dead anyway!" Aaron laughed out loud, earning a kick to his shin from Sammy.

Aaron cleared his throat " Okay...pair up! Sammy go with me?"

" I'll go with Julian!" A voice announced, cutting through the chatter easily. It was pleasant and light. And familiar to most. Excluding Wynter.

He instantly disliked the voice and it's owner. A tall boy with deep chocolate brown eyes and messy black hair. He was toned....as if he worked out every day in the gym and he had a smile on his face. The kind of smile that made alarm bells go crazy in Wynter's head. A threat.

" Caleb?" Julian demanded in disbelief.
" Surprise!"

The next second Julian's arm was gone from around Wynter's shoulder as he walked towards the other boy and hugged him tightly " I hate surprises"

" I don't think you hate me though..." Caleb said teasingly, running his fingers through Julian's hair gently.

Unnoticed by anyone, Wynter slipped out of the room. Wasn't that the same guy who dated Julian before he had to leave for college?

Wynter couldn't breath. And it wasn't because of the stairs he was climbing to get as far as possible away from the goddamn basement. His chest felt heavy and a sudden invisible punch rammed into his ribs. His throat was burning and he couldn't walk straight. He wanted to punch something. Anything.

A hand landed on his shoulder. And it wasn't Julian and it made Wynter want to scream and yell and destroy everything around him for some irrational reason. The brunette smiled at him and stood on her tip toes, resting her lips on his ear lobe as she gripped at his arms " I'll make you forget" she whispered.

Serena had followed him out. First time she laid eyes on him, she could tell he was falling for Julian. And now Caleb was back and the dark-haired boy was in pain. Serena didn't like to see anyone in pain. She liked to make people forget pain for a little while. To make them forget about the world. To feel loved. To make her feel loved in return. Pleasure exchanged without any commitments. Commitments that will eventually lead to heartbreak.

" Will you make it go away? The pain?" Wynter asked, breathing heavily when she pressed her lips to his pulse point.

" Anything you want. Anything. I'll make you feel loved. Don't worry. Let your heart break. That's why they exist. So that they can be broken" Serena whispered, putting her forehead to his....guiding his arms to her waist.

And then they were kissing. Wynter pulled her closer, letting her push him back against the wall. She smelt like roses and jasmines. Nothing like Julian. Julian always smelt of the leather of his car seats and the citrus detergent of his clothes. Wynter pushed away his thoughts, trying to float away with the kiss. Bites and tugs and gentle licks. His first kiss lost to a stranger. Serena's hands were everywhere, on his chest and his back and around his neck, in his hair.

With a sudden rush of impulse he picked her up and flipped them around, replacing their positions. And when she hooked a leg around his hips, he lifted her up and let her wrap her legs around his waist. Her lips were on his neck now, teeth pulling at his skin and wet lips sucking at the red skin soothingly. Wynter's head was thrown back, his fingers hooked into the stranger's hair as she made him forget.

And then she kissed him on the lips again. And he returned the kiss eagerly, both hands cupping her face as he held her against the wall.

" Wynter...."

Julian had known this would happen. But knowing that it would happen did not lessen his urge to cry or throw up. Wynter's hair was sticking up everywhere, there were marks on his skin. On all the places Julian had wanted to mark him at. Wynter was breathing heavily. His eyes wide and lips swollen from kissing. And the girl was still in Wynter's arms, head against the dark-haired boy's chest as she tried to catch her breath.

Julian pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. And then he smiled a big fake smile " I'll leave you to it. See you later"

And then he was walking past them towards the front door. Ren was going after him, pushing at Caleb and telling him not to come along. Reagan and Ren shot identical glares at Wynter and then they too disappeared in the crowd after Julian, leaving Caleb standing alone.

Julian was leaning his head against the cold windows of his car. A tear rolled down his cheek as he closed his eyes. Flashes of what he had witnessed came rushing back to him.

Wynter's head tilted backwards in bliss and fingers curled into Serena's hair.

Wynter holding the girl's face and kissing her so gently....with so much care.

Tears rolled down Julian's face, dropping to the ground one by one. It was his fault. He shouldn't have had high hopes. He should have controlled his feelings. But he didn't and now it hurt. It hurt so much.

And when a minute later Ren was by his side, he told him through his sniffles " It hurts so much, Ren"

Ren stroked his back comfortingly. Julian turned around and hugged his cousin. He needed somebody to hold him. He needed comfort so that it could hopefully make the pain fade away.

" It hurts so much" Julian repeated, sniffling into Ren's shoulder.

" I know Jule....it'll go away. I promise"

A/N-

** pouts when people glare at her again**

Caleb is nice.....i promise.

** starts eating raspberries while cowering under glares**

Ok I'm sorrayyyy. Please wait for the next chapter before yall kill me though....ok?ok!

Love yall!
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Keep on livingxx

P.S- I'm also thinking of making an update schedule. Whatdya think?