These Oceans between You and Me

Return

"So, is he really back?" Julia asks.

I nod and stare pensively at the floor. "So I've heard. I haven't actually seen him, but yeah, people say he's back."

"Who's back?" Zack butts in the conversation as he walks into my room.

"Adam." Julia answers for me.

"Who's Adam?" Zack asks, confused.

"He's the guy who used to be Ben's best friend, before you took his place." Julia teases.

"Theoretically, you're the one who took his place, Julia." I correct her.

"Are you saying Julia is your BFF and not me, Benjamin?" Zack places his hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded, and falls heavily on the old beanbag at the corner of the room. "You kill me, bro."

"Aren't you listening, Zackary? Adam is his BFF, not me or you. He's back and we're being disposed of," she says and gives me a cute pout of her lips.

I shake my head at their silly antics. "You don't need to worry, guys. No one's being disposed of. I doubt Adam wants anything to do with me anyway."

"Why?" Zack asks while he munches on the snack he brought into the room with him. "What did you do to him?"

I suddenly feel uncomfortable and start to fidget on my bed.

It took me a long time to get over Adam. I guess I'm not as over him as I thought I was. Even after all these years, the mention of his name still makes my throat constrict.

"We had a huge fight right before he left and we stopped talking after that. He probably doesn't even remember me anymore."

"What was the fight about?" Zack asks nonchalantly. He seems completely unaware of my discomfort. He's always been blunt and tactless about sensitive topics.

Julia, on the other hand, is always overly sensitive and picks up on every subtle change of mood.

"Can you be more rude and intrusive, Zachary?" She berates him with a scowl.

"I can try!" Zack grins, taking the reprimand as a challenge. "Was the fight about the fact that you had repressed feelings for him and just didn't have the guts to tell it to his face?"

"No." I glare at him, not amused by his joke. "It doesn't matter the reason. It was a stupid fight. I was a stupid kid back then."

"D'aw, Benny! Don't say that, you are still very stupid." Zack coos and tosses a snack at my head.

"Thanks, Zack. You have fill my heart with all your love." I mock.

He gives me a goofy grin.

"You know, I think I remember the guy. He was quite good looking," Julia muses.

"Yeah, all the girls were crazy about him, if I remember correctly." Zack adds his two cents in the conversation. "Adam Hopper or something, right?"

"Cooper." I correct.

"Yep, that's it." Zack nods. "So, this Cooper fellow is back in town?"

I glance away from them and stare out the window.

My voice sounds hoarse when I speak, because my throat constricts and makes it hard to talk.

"Yeah. He's back."

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Song Video Credits: Wild by Troye Sivan