Life is unfair.
It favours some people and laughs in the face of others. But I guess life never promised to be fair, just kind of offhandedly mentioned that it was a possibility. Still, if life decides to laugh in your face while giving out natural...
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Axel and I make out for two glorious minutes before his phone buzzes, and we both jump as though we've been caught. He looks like he's considering ignoring it, before he caves and pulls it out of his pocket to check it.
He goes completely pale. Dread pools in my stomach, deep and heavy.
"Is it..."
He shakes his head a little, still staring at the screen. "Um. It's-" his voice cracks. "It's Daily."
I mean, I feel like that's significantly better than his parents texting him that he's been disowned, but clearly it's still bad. I watch him, concerned as he swallows.
After another moment, he gingerly places the phone down on the bed between us, facing it towards me so I can read it.
Daily: Hey, just wanted to check in on you? You seemed kinda down today, and you and Nash were kinda awkward around each other... did you guys break up or something?
Oh.
There's more, saying he's there to talk and whatever, but none of that is really significant. The main part is that Daily also knows about Axel and I.
I read it a few times. He doesn't say anything about how he came to this conclusion, though the overall tone of the message implies that he hasn't told anyone else and isn't planning to. But still. It's like with Keira- it's not that it's Daily who figured it out, it's just that someone was able to. And this time, someone closer to Axel, who might have figured it out through his behaviour. Which would mean...
Axel and I both stare at the phone for a few more moments, then at each other. He looks helpless, his eyes wide and scared as he looks at me. I want to help him, but I don't know how.
"I'm going... to call him," Axel says quietly, picking up the phone and tapping it a few times before holding it up to his ear. He waits a moment, then says, "Hi, Daily. Are you alone right now? Can anyone else hear what we're saying?"
There's a pause.
"Okay. Well. Um- how did you know? About Nash and I?"
There's a longer pause this time, during which Axel looks increasingly nauseous until he finally says, "Right. Um. Okay. Well... please don't tell anyone. That I'm gay, or about Nash and I."
He starts to pull the phone away from his ear, which allows me to hear Daily's, "Wait, wait, wait, so did you guys break up or not?"
Axel sighs, says, "I don't know, Daily," and then hangs up the phone. He drops it back onto the bed, looking overwhelmed and sick to his stomach. I don't feel much better.
"Axel-"
"No- Nash, I- I think we have to... end this."
I look at him for a long time, and he looks down at the bed. Finally, I manage to say, "If that's what you really want to do."
