NO Love Club (Boy × Boy) ✔

59) I PROMISE.

Cole Walker's POV

They say that time flies or goes by in a blur, but that's not entirely true. The rest of my final year of secondary school did in fact not go by in a blur, not when I had a final examination piece to work on, tutoring and one pissed mom to appease. Time doesn't pass by any faster and it definitely does not fly, but what actually happens is that looking back we forget all those tedious hours and classes we spent staring at the clock on the back wall.

On our graduation day, there was no huge ceremony. We didn't throw hats or choose valedictorians, but just had a brief good-luck-and-so-long speech from our teacher and then patted our classmates on the backs promising we would keep in contact. I knew myself well enough to know that the only people I'd ever see again were X, Declan, Wilder and Noah.

"I'm going to kill you dead if you don't take the time to come see me before you leave." Declan declared, theatrically wiping his eyes into the sleeve of his green polo shirt.

It was just him and I for once, as X had hurried home to get ready for our little graduation dinner thing and Wilder had dragged Noah to talk with his parents. There was no sign of Theo, but I don't think that surprises anyone.

"I feel like I've heard this before." I pointed out, pulling Declan into a one handed hug. Then I ruffled his gelled hair, just because I knew how much he hated it. Yeah, yeah, I'm a terrible friend and all that. Predictably, Declan groaned and patted my hand away.

"I mean it." He insisted.

"I know, and I will, don't worry." I promised, then glanced at where Wilder and Noah stood. Wilder's parents were wearing well kept but old-fashioned clothes, his mom's dress ill-fitting on her bony build. She had a freckled face, while their father sported a bushy pair of eyebrows. "What about you and Wilder? Are you going to keep in touch?"

"Yeah, sure." Declan hummed, sending a quick smile towards Wilder. Then he sighed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his beige khaki pants. "Just not maybe as.. you know. More than friends. I know he's ace, but I don't think he's aromatic, so I guess.. but also, probably not."

"I'm not going to pretend I know what half of that means." I nudged Declan's shoulder, in an attempt to cheer him up. Declan chuckled and flashed me a grateful grin.

"I never want to lose him, he's a good friend." Declan shrugged, then slung an arm around my lower back and started pulling me towards his car. "But enough about that, your boyfriend and fam are waiting."

"Who would have guessed that you were ever going to say that about Wilder?" I told Declan, earning another grin from him. He didn't say anything, but just opened his car with the remote control. When I sat down, I thought out loud: "Times change." 

"Oh, that they do." Declan agreed, taking the driver's seat. He didn't start the engine, but stared at the now smaller figures of Wilder, his family and Noah from the distance. "We were both pretty fucked up before, weren't we? All that posturing and thinking that everyone was hating on us.."

"That and thinking that everyone is a bully or a homophobe.." I joined in, shaking my head.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since the accident and this whole mess with Wilder, and.. this is going to sound so stupid, but I think I just needed something to put the blame on, because otherwise I would have been the one that's full of shit." Declan let out a small laugh, but still kept his eyes on Wilder and away from me.

"You're not full of shit." I was quick to say. I was used to hearing about his guy troubles, the ones before Wilder, and how he felt like he didn't fit into our school, but this was a whole new level of honesty. Was he high? On our graduation day? I mean.. probably.