Sunshine, Lollipops, & Rainbows [GAY/AF]

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Completely and utterly humiliated, wet and drying from cold vent air, I was definitely going to be sick. But that was the least of my problems. Who knows how long I just sat there staring at the air before voice static fuzzed in my brain, one of the weirdest sensations I've experienced.

[[ Hey its Veda are you free? ]]

I needed to get a phone and fast because this felt too weird. "Um yeah, I'm free though a...situation happened. I'll sneak out. Where do you want to meet?" This could be the perfect distraction. I basically booked it to my room no Aito, Rabby, nor Dawson in sight, and changed my clothes before making a quick exit.

Having snuck out I met up at the spot Veda appointed. She was with someone, a man.

"Max...D rank," he stuck out his hand and I did the same, "Shiloh A rank." I stayed at a reasonable distance.

Veda hurriedly explained, "He's one of my colleagues and a good friend, he wanted to meet you."

He gave a shy smile looking almost embarrassed. He had tanned skin and a lean body my height which is around 5'8. His glasses slid off and he had to manually slip them back on his nose. "I'm curious about the A ranks is all, I mean sometimes people make you out to be gods...but you look normal."

Having still not gotten over what happened earlier I was running off steam so I gave a subtle nod, "Yeah I'm pretty normal I suppose." I mean honestly, there was nothing special about me, if anything there are more negatives than positives. Aito must've just been really horny he wasn't in his right mind. What about me could anyone like romantically? I'm a mess.

"I think you are interesting though," Max's brown eyes squinted when he smiled moving closer than comfortable for a stranger. I instantly frowned taken away from my thoughts. Suspicious. I thought immediately. Those with bad intentions were like dead fish sticking out of a calm lake. I noticed the hunched shoulders and hair that stuck to his eyes, a common tactic to appear less. As if self-conscious, he could really just be nervous to the point of shrinking himself. But I didn't see that. I saw a foster parent who acted in front of the cps agent as if nothing was wrong in the house. Then...when the doors closed they straightened and bore the teeth of an angry bear.

"Shiloh?" Veda tapped my arm, I snapped out of it looking over and she leaned close to my ear a little on her tiptoes. "You stare at him with anger," She whispered and looked at me questioningly. I leaned back to whisper, "Is your friend very nervous?" That just made Veda even more confused.

"Let's just go, I have movie tickets," To lighten the mood Veda cheered and I reluctantly let the guy come with us. When we got to our seats Max tried to sit next to me but I prompted him to sit next to Veda, his friend. The way I did so was silent and challenging.

The movie was a romantic Korean drama and let's just say by the end...I teared up. Veda was a crying mess. When I glimpsed at Max his eyes were closed fallen asleep. He suddenly opened them staring straight at me. I grimaced. After Veda calmed down we went to get some food at a hotdog stand.

It was odd, everyone here was an Esper. Everyone. No human was here yet everyone here acted as if it were normal and if anything I almost forgot were not considered "human." The hotdog stand guy, the people we played volleyball with, the random people going about their lives. There was always that looming paranoia that enshrouded the island with occasional guards on duty passing by. The reality is that something bad could kill everyone here anytime if we were caught.

I ate my last bit of relish hotdog, "Do you have a question or something?" The hostility had been noticed by Veda since the beginning but all she could do was frown. Max kept looking at me without saying a word, getting on my nerves. He shrunk even more when I spoke aloud. "Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, I just want to get along and be friends."

My mood was terrible and I had to bite my tongue from going off on the guy. I decided I should head back, apologize, and drown myself in a hot bath.

Yes, that's what I should do.

"Hey I'm going to head back, you two have fun." We wave each other off and I noticed as I turn the corner down the sidewalk Veda shoving Max who laughed at something funny. I decided to stop then just out of sight with no particular reason but to eavesdrop. Maybe I would get some insight as to how Veda got to be friends with this guy.

"I wish you weren't my partner, you make things so obvious."

I froze.

That voice had no lit of an accent it was as if it were someone else, but the tone was definitely Veda. My heart began to pound and making a decision I left quickly.

Too many problems. I shouldn't worry about liking these men, thinking of relationships like someone who was still hormonal. This new reality can't even be trusted.

Veda and Max. On my way to the estate, my thoughts ran rampant. I was overthinking, literally everything. Every single person I met up till now, was it even real?

I accidentally shoulder rammed into a guard making eye contact he apologized going on his way. Anxiety was eating my throat I couldn't say a word when rushing away. Could that guard be trusted? I wanted to cry. I wanted to curl up in a closet and just close my eyes, pretend reality isn't in the moment and just be gone from existence. Too afraid to go inside I went to the garden in the back, well kept and maintained. Also, an easy place to get lost in.

I found a bench, plopped down, and sighed heavily.