Stay (Boy × Boy) ✔

CHAPTER 11

As they say: nothing good lasts forever. Nothing, even if it's just mostly good or as good it's possible to ignore the parts that aren't, lasts forever.

Actually, or let's say factually, things had been pretty much easy peasy lemon squeezy, compared to what was about to come. William had money — more than he could possibly spend — a hobby that meant everything to him, good grades and even a couple of people he could call friends in a good day.

Surely there were the constantly aching heart and uncertainty whether Aydan would stay as he was or if he was going to change back to something he wasn't.

Then there were the words William still kept repeating in his mind, but isn't that something everyone does when they're young and insecure? There were other things as well, of course, but other than that, everything was pretty much easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Like getting up at 4 am to make it in time to the morning practices, when he got to do it with Aydan. Like going to school, even if William had no real friends to talk in between the classes, when he could see Aydan, James and Randy later at the practices. Actually, everything was pretty much easy peasy lemon squeezy, as long he had Aydan and the swimming pool.

Until, of course, it was William's birthday and the lemons life started giving to William could by no means be squeezed to lemonade. Because, you see, no matter how bad you thought things were, it could always get worse — and for William, the devolution was only just getting started.

***

He was walking in a sunflower field. All around, as far as eye could see, was a sea of yellow flowers that swayed gently in the breeze. Above were blue summer sky and the blazing sun. Next to him was Aydan, his light hair softer and his blue eyes brighter than ever. They walked amongst the sunflowers that towered over their heads. William was smiling and he was full of warmth and affection. There was nothing missing from his life and everything was as well as it could possibly be.

He blinked his eyes and there was a girl, in a lavender coloured maxi dress and barefoot. She had long dark brown hair, beautiful hazel green eyes and a flawless smile. Aydan didn't have to talk for William to know this was Claudia and he had brought her to see William. His blue eyes were fixed on her and she looked back at him, like there was nothing in the world but them.

In the middle of the sunflower field was a swimming pool, its blue water gleaming on sunshine. William kept walking, but Aydan and Claudia halted few steps behind. He turned to look at them and by accident walked right in the water. William got frightened when the water was cold as ice and he realised he couldn't swim. He waved his hands and screamed under the water, but Aydan and Claudia were looking away. He couldn't see their faces, but he knew they were smiling — and all along William was drowning in the icy water.

It was 15th of November, when William woke up shivering. The mansion was always well heated in the winter, but that morning William had managed to kick his quilt off the bed and he woke up feeling cold.

It was still early, a little past 3 am, but he got up. Sophia had, not so surprisingly, gone to a business trip, this time to Estonia, so the house was empty and soundless.

William had coffee and toasts for breakfast, browsing his phone absent-mindedly when he realised it was the day he turned 20.

He didn't realise it by looking at the date, but when one of his old classmates from elementary school congratulated him via Facebook. A text from Sophia William got after the morning practices, but other than that it was just a day like any other.

The school day was loose, almost like the teachers had wanted to give William an indirect birthday present, by not giving them pop quiz or making them write notes incessantly. So, instead of having to think about some complex formulas or trying to remember what the teacher had taught them last time, William thought about swimming.