F.R.I.E.N.D.S

18.

Changing Perspective;
Accepting Some Bitter Personal Truth.

Simon Ember.

No one anticipates for everything in their life to implode, no one wants their life to change, Simon hadn't anticipated anything that had happened at the beginning of the school year but accepted it as a good kind of change, now he wondered if it was either a mistake or a largely bad decision to accept the change that Love brought into his life.

"Come on, I would understand why he's angry, you slept with both guys that he had feelings for, and despite that he forgave you for one of those and the other one sort of went off the rails and confessed everything, making it hard for you to tell anything to Love, I would be pissed, but I know Love, he'll come around." Madison comforted but it did little to soothe Simon as they sat by their usual table outside.

"I don't think so, I messed up, good thing my parents don't know or they would've disowned me." Simon groaned but Madison, Finn and Lee laughed at his statement. "I think Madi is right, give him time and space, but aside from your sexual escapades with both Charlie and Maverick, who are you going to choose, you can't keep rolling in the sheets with both guys, leave one for some of us." Finn pointed out earning more chuckles.

"I already made up my mind, I just haven't told any of them yet because I've also been avoiding them." Simon muttered his response. "You do know you can't avoid them forever, at some point one will confront you and if I know anything about Charlie, it's soon, so better prepare." Finn urged on, despite how apprehensive it made Simon feel, he knew he was right, he had to face them and own up to the things he did.

"What about work, how is that going?" Lee finally asked having bumped into Simon in the business district earlier in the week. "Really good, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy working there for a long time, all thanks to Love." Simon answered, his face dropping with his voice when he spoke about his best friend, he wanted to beg Love for forgiveness, reason somehow but he knew, wherever Love's anger stemmed from, was justified.

"Cheer up, what the hell is he doing out of jail." Finn was going to cheer Simon up but when his statement changed to a low growl he knew something wasn't right, so he looked to the direction where everyone outside was looking, it was Hale walking outside wearing his letterman jacket and that awful smirk, Simon wanted to get lost in rage and stomp over there to punch him but he knew he couldn't.

Why, because another equally stunning person walked out of the cafeteria, it was Charlie walking alongside Maverick and they seemed beyond serious in their conversation. Simon didn't want to jump to conclusions, but how they seemed to be tense air between the two made him wonder what they were talking about, it was very hard to control himself.

"What the hell is going on at this school?" Lee questioned looking around frustrated at the lack of information. "Beats me, we're the Willows squad, without Love here we don't have all the details first hand, we're lost like everyone else, is this how it feels to be clueless—." Madison released a disgruntled sigh. "I hate it." She grumbled inwardly whilst getting back to her food.

"Lets just mind our own business, and eat." Simon finally muttered turning to his own food despite the razor sharp butterflies in his stomach over the apprehension of everything that was taking place, he didn't feel in control like always and it terrified him to some extent. "Easy for you to say." Lee chortled but as they all tried to mind their business, a shadow loomed over their table.

"Can we talk?" Simon knew that voice, knew which body it belonged to and despite how he didn't want to react, he did. "Yea—h, yeah sure." He stuttered trying to calm himself as he turned to take a chance look at Maverick who seemed devoid of emotion over his face. Simon had no choice, he grabbed his bag and followed Maverick who led him back into the main school building then out to the smaller assembly hall, as they sat by the bleachers he wondered exactly how this would end.