Monday had come too soon, Cole had decided as he walked through the front doors of Valley Falls. He had a good weekend, spending most of it at work, but spending some more time with Henry and a bit with Sarah Sunday night.

He wished that Monday's were a part of the weekend.

Improvements had been made, he realized when he walked into the senior and junior hallway and immediately, Henry's eyes raised to meet his. Typically, Henry would look away from him quickly as if he didn't recognize him, but this time he dipped his head in a quick nod.

Collier felt his whole face light up with a smile that seemed to surprise Henry for his eyebrows raised and his mouth turned up, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

It was the same look Henry had give him Sunday morning. Collier had been woken up by the the boy standing over him, holding a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. "You really weren't kidding," Henry said, and it was then that Collier registered he was on the floor along side of the bed.

And then Henry looked at him like that, and Collier's heart leapt in his chest. What a beautiful boy.

That morning, maybe it was just because he had been tired, Henry had been uncharastically sweet to him, giving him his breakfast, talking softly and with patience. He had even driven him to work and kissed him gently before he left the car.

It was romantic, but of course it didn't mean anything. Henry had been sure to say as much multiple times.

Before Collier could go over the the boy down the hall, an elbow was delivered to his side. Jumping a foot in the air, Cole turned and immediately began hitting Ian, who laughed and just ducked away from him.

"Why are you staring at Henry Stone?" Ian asked and Collier felt his face flush. He had yet to tell any of his friends about his kisses shared with Henry, so it would be hard to really explain their relationship to anyone.

Honestly, it was hard to explain to himself.

"Can you really blame me?" Cole asked, and Ian glanced back to Henry for a second and shrugged.

"I guess not, but I never really thought of him that way".

"What way?"

"The way that would have me looking at his as you were just looking at him," Ian said simply, and before Collier could make a fool of himself by stuttering, Ian changed the topic. "So how are you and Sarah doing?"

Over the past weekend, Collier had called Ian to vent about Sarah. It had been when he was still upset with her for sleeping with Emerson, though of course he didn't say this to Ian. What he had said was "Sarah's just not taking our friendship seriously anymore," though he felt foolish about it now.

Sarah had picked him up from work unexpectedly Sunday night with his favorite ice cream Sundae (caramel; and she promised not to be mad if he spilled) and told him everything about her night with Emerson and even apologized for breaking their truce.

"We're good," Cole said, and then quickly asked, "how are you and Ryan?" So they didn't have to talk about Sarah anymore. Collier wasn't really all that great at keeping secrets that weren't his own, and if they stayed on that subject he would most likely blurt out that his best friend was no longer a virgin.

Sarah didn't want to go around telling people. She had made that clear to him the night before.

"Amazing," Ian said, his voice very different than it had been moments ago. When Ian talked about Ryan, he seemed lighter somehow. "His birthday is next weekand we-"

Collier turned him out. It wasn't that he didn't care about Ian's relationship with Ryan, it was just that it rarely changed. Every story was the same. One of them would plan something ridiculously romantic for the other that left Collier feeling empty inside since he wasn't in a relationship himself.

As Ian talked, they moved down the hall towards the art room. Cole was excited to see Jake after working with him the day before. Nothing special had happened, but Cole decided he was just an entertaining person to be around and couldn't wait to find out what they'd talk about today.

"-isn't that sweet?" Ian asked, stopping before the art room door. Students who weren't art students didn't go in the art room. It was an unspoken rule.

"Very sweet," Cole agreed half heartedly and Ian looked amused, his mouth parting to make some snide comment but he was interrupted by a smiling Jake who suddenly showed up in the doorway.

"Good morning pretty boy," Jake greeted and Cole turned to him quickly with wide eyes. "Oh, and hi Ian".

Collier could feel Ian's gaze boring into the side of his face, but Cole wasn't about to look away from Jake, who was beaming at him.

"Long time no see".

With a groan, Cole mumbled a "bye Ian," before pushing past Jake into the art room.

"Yeah bye Ian," Jake said, and then he was at Cole's side. "Hi".

"I didn't realize that you and Ian knew each other," Collier grumbled, knowing he would never hear the end of it from his friend now.

"He's in my last class of the day," Jake explained. "But enough about me. How are you doing?"

Since Jake had told him that he'd get him to open up, he had spent almost the whole day at work yesterday directing question after question towards him.

"I'm absolutely wonderful," Cole claimed, dropping his backpack on his stool. Jake must have gotten there early, because he had already set up his own stand with his canvas and Collier's, including his favorite paintbrush. Cole picked it up and looked at it for a second before turning to Jake. "Thanks for this".

"It was no problem". Jake took a seat on his own stool, but he faced Cole instead of his painting. "So-"

"It's my turn to ask a question," Collier interrupted him, pushing his backpack to the floor so he could take his seat.

"We're taking turns now?" Jake asked, grinning and Cole just nodded. "Alright, shoot".

"What have you done in Florida so far?" He asked immediately and Jake's eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean what have I done? Like, would you like a detailed description like, I've slept in Florida and I've pissed in Florida and I've walked in Florida, or would you just like me to tell you the important parts, like I've gone to Disney world and I've-" Jake paused for effect, "met a very cute boy".

Collier flushed, but otherwise ignored this. "You went to Disney World?"

Collier, even as an inhabitant of Florida for his entire life, had never gone to Disney World. He was a bit jealous.

"Yeah I went to Disney World," Jake said, turning to his easel and after moment Cole did the same.

He had begun painting the ocean again, though this time the Atlantic rather than Pacific, though he believed that the Pacific was far more beautiful and exciting that the one on his own coast.

"What else did you do?" Cole asked, picking up his paintbrush and running his finger over the bristles. "Did you go to sea world or anything?"

"Nope," Jake said, sliding off his stool and bending forward to rifle through the cart of paint beneath his easel. Collier climbed of his own seat and began doing the same with his colors, which he had picked at the beginning of class the last Friday, though he regretted some of his choices.

Not wanting to have to go and mix more paint, Collier asked Jake, "do you by chance had a Pacific blue in there".

Jake took a moment to glance up at Cole's easel. "For the Atlantic Ocean?" Cole was pleased with him. "Anything for you, dear".

A mason jar of blue paint was thrust towards him and Collier took it with a smile. "Thank you". Jake just hummed, his mind already back on the paint.

Or so Cole thought, but it was proven untrue when the tall boy asked, "so what did you do this summer?" Telling Cole that he had actually been deducing how to open him up this whole time.

"I'll bite," Cole offered at this, letting Jake know he knew what he had done, and that it was on purpose. Jake, his face still turned to his paints, smiled. "I was actually in Washington state, right on the coast".

"Really? I've never been out there, what's it like? Did you go to Seattle?"

"No. I kind of just stayed at my aunt's house the whole time. When I did leave it was to go to this small town that was about a twenty minute walk down the coast". Collier smiled at the memories.

He'd have to call his aunt later to see how she was doing. They had talked briefly yesterday for the first time since he had returned home, but they only got around to talking about his flights before Cole's mother interrupted and demanded he get off his phone and Cole talk to the family.

Before he could tell her that he was talking to his real family, his aunt had assured him it was okay and they'd talk later, though she had never specified when later was.

"Your aunt lives in the coast?" Jake asked, pulling Cole back into the moment.

"She does". Cole opened the paint and dipped his brush in it, bringing it to the canvas. "On a cliff. It's really beautiful over there".

"Is that where you're planning on going to college?" Jake asked and Collier blinked.

It was kind of terrifying to think of college, and not because he didn't know what he wanted to do, but because it was so close he could almost taste it at this point. It was terrifying that in a year, he wouldn't be going to school with Sarah or Ian or anyone that he knew.

"No. I'm planning on going to the art institute in Fort Lauderdale," Cole said and Jake hummed thoughtfully.

"That's not too far. About an hour away. Why did you decide to go there?"

"I want to go to school for art, and it's closer than the school in Miami," Cole explained and Jake shifted back on his stool to look at his painting. He was painting flowers for his mother, or so he had said.

Class still had yet to start, so they were the only two in the art room, not counting Mr. Moore who was hunched over his desk looking through a new book on Andy Warhol.

"What about you?" Cole asked, painting a wave with his brush. "Where are you gonna go to school?"

"Wisconsin," Jake said quickly. "Florida's great, but the only thing I like more here is that my grandma is here, but she's not going to be here much longer, so I don't really have a reason to stay, you know? I️ mean, the weathers nice but I'm going to go back home for college to room with my best friend since kindergarten".

"I wish I could room with Sarah. She doesn't want to stay in state for school though".

"Sarah Olsen, right?" Jake asked and Collier nodded, a bit impressed that Jake seemed to know everyone he was talking about after only being in school with them for a week. "She's beautiful. Dating Emerson right?"

"Yeah," Collier said, "who will one day be step-brother, my mother".

"Really?" Jake asked, putting his brush down to look at him. It was clear that he wanted to know more about this, and Cole chewed his lip for a moment as he looked back at him, debating with himself whether or not he trusted him to talk about his problems.

Strangely enough, he decided that he did.

"This is a long story," Collier warned and Jake just nodded as if this wasn't a big deal. "Alright, so, the day I got back from Washington-"

***

"-so my dad won't be back for a while and I'm forced to stay in that house with my new family," Cole finished as Jake and him stopped in front of the language arts room. "Oh my god, I've been talking for so long. I'm sorry for ranting to you. You must have been so bored-"

Jake cut him off by pressing a thumb against his lips. "You clearly needed to get that out, Collier. And I don't think you're boring. Not at all. Actually, I think you're really cute-"

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted and Collier turned quickly, his eyes widening a fraction at the sight of Emerson and Henry standing there looking at them.

"Uh, yes?" Cole asked in a week voice, his eyes on Henry who looked back at him with a blank expression.

"You're in front of the door," Emerson explained with a grin and Cole's eyes widened a bit and his face heated in embarrassment.

"Oh, um," Cole turned to Jake, who was looking at Henry and Emerson, though Colliers's movement directed his attention back downwards.

"I've done my duty," he said to him. "You have gotten here safely. I'll see you later, beautiful".

"Oh my god," Collier groaned, slapping his hands against his own face to hide his blush. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Because you turn the slightest shade of pink," Jake said, his eyes flicking over to Emerson and Henry for a moment since they were still blocking their way. He leaned in then, his lips coming to Collier's ear. "It's very cute," he whispered.

Cole's eyes widened as he took a quick step back, looking at Jake for a second longer before shaking his head and moving into the language arts room, leaving the other boy to laugh loudly behind him.

Ian was already in his seat, and Collier went to sit next to him. He could hear Henry and Emerson walking behind him, but he didn't want to address what had just happened with them.

Cole didn't want to address it with anyone. Not even himself. He didn't really understand it anyways.

But Emerson had very different plans and continued to throw pencils at Cole until he turned around to glare at him. "Was that Jacob Oliver?"

Ian turned in his desk quickly then, dropping his phone onto the wooden top. "What is it with you and Jake then?"

Cole looked between the two boys, not daring to shift his eyes to Henry, even though he could feel his eyes on the side of his face.

"It's nothing," he said, because it wasn't. "We just work together".

"He's at the gallery too?" Ian asked and Cole nodded. "Wow. They barley hire anyone there. He must be good".

"He's amazing," Collier said quickly and Ian grinned at him. "As in, as an artist".

"You should date him". This was Emerson, who was still leaning forward to be a part of the conversation. Collier choked on his spit and coughed for a good three minutes.

"What?" He demanded.

"He's cute," Ian said, "and he thinks you're cute".

"Everyone thinks I'm cute," Collier argued half heartedly and Ian just snorted.

"Do you find him attractive?" Emerson pried and Cole laughed sarcastically.

"Do I find him attractive?" He repeated. "Of course I find him attractive. Even you should find him attractive".

"His jawline is-" Ian began but Emerson cut him off.

"Watch it," the blonde boy said jokingly. "I just may tell Ryan".

Ian rolled his eyes but turned around in his desk, facing the front. Collier did the same, hoping the conversation was over.

There was one thing he found bothersome about the situation though, and it had nothing to do with Jake.

It was that Henry had yet to say anything to him. This wasn't out of the ordinary, but since he had clearly been listening in to their conversation, it was weird that he hadn't even made a single comment. Collier didn't know why he expected Henry to care.

This bothered him throughout the whole period, had him fidgeting with his pencil absently as he thought only of the boy sitting behind him.

Would this affect their relationship? Would they just stop kissing from here on out? Would Henry stop talking to him?

This last question was proven false at the end of the class, within five minutes of the bell ringing.

As Cole had played with his pencil the whole hour, spinning it between his fingers, but he was clutzy, and had also dropped his pencil multiple times. It was probably the twentieth time he had picked up his utensil when he felt Henry's lips right next to his ear, his hot breath hitting his neck.

What is he doing?

But this questions was answered only a second later. "If you drop your pencil one more time, I'm going to cut all your fingers off".

Jumping in surprise, Collier's pencil slipped through his fingers, clattering down onto the floor. It was quickly followed by the sound of Emerson laughing.

Henry growled.

A/N I kinda feel the need to clarify that that was a joke and Henry isn't actually angry at him (and he won't actually cut his fingers off).