The Photographers Bad Boy

ABSENCE

"Payton, please wait!"

"Payton!"

Dean continues calling out for Payton, closely following him as he storms out of the auditorium.

"Payton, would you just stop, please?"

Payton stops in his tracks, not yet turning around to face Dean. With his heart beating fast and an expression of both betrayal and hurt on his face, he lets out a single tear while dropping his head in what almost seems like defeat.

A heavy silence fills the empty school hallways, and neither of them speaks for what feels like an eternity.

"Why?" Payton asks, still looking down with tears flooding his face. He speaks so softly and his tone of voice sounds almost gravelly, which comes from his continuous crying.

"I didn't-"

"Why!" Payton's voice turns from soft and gravelly to loud and angry, wiping away his tears while still daring to not turn and look Dean in the eyes.

"I tore them down for you."

"Tore what down?" Dean asks with confusion, yet his tone sounds worried.

"My walls, walls that have taken me years of miserable fucking life to put up so that I can protect myself!"

Payton turns around and meets Dean's eyes in a glance, wiping away tears to not seem more vulnerable.

Dean steps forward in an attempt to get closer to Payton, but he gets rejected as Payton steps back with every step Dean takes.

"Payt-" Dean is once again interrupted by an angrier-toned and louder-spoken Payton.

"No! I trusted you, I confided in you, my heart believed you, Dean."

"Payton, I swear to you I didn't do this. I would never, I-I could never betray you. Please, you have to believe me."

Payton's body becomes less tense, yet you can still see the expression of anger and hurt in his eyes.

He moves closer to Dean until the two are face to face, looking into the piercing blue eyes of Dean. No breaking eye contact as tears still fall from his eyes, yet he's smiling and laughing, which brings a worried yet confused look across Dean's face.

"You know, trust in my life has been an absence. I've never really been the person to open up to anyone. Hell, I never thought I could be that person. But then you came along. Sharing parts of me that I haven't with anyone has been amazing, and I thank you for that."

Dean pulls Payton in gently by his waist, bringing their faces together ever so slightly, closing their eyes, just listening to the other talk.

"I know that it has taken us time to get to this point, so you have to believe me. I didn't do this."

Payton releases himself from Dean's grip to meet his eyes with an almost deadly cold glare in his eye.

"I want to believe that, I do. But right now, everything is showing me maybe this picture isn't as perfect as we were beginning to think."

Dean's eyes widen as he realizes what Payton is trying to do. He steps closer once again, but yet again Payton steps back, pulling his body away.

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is, I think I-"

PAUSE... LET US START FROM THE BEGINNING...