This Pain Is Our Love {EDITING}

Falling Stars -Sample-

Chapter One - Adrian's Beginning

"Adrian."

I looked at Vince, he was holding out a folded piece of paper, as I went to grab it my friend, Dominic, grabbed it instead. "Thanks buddy!" Dominic ran away with the letter, biting the paper and beginning to eat the note. Vince only scowled and stormed away. I watched Vince intently, it seems every time he tried to tell me something, Dominic was here to chase him away.
"Adrian, forget that jerk. He always has something stuck up his ass." Dominic wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he said this. Dominic leaned in and brushed his lips against mine to which I pulled away. "Dominic, please." I felt my face go red but I turned away, continuing to work on my current arts and crafts project. I had began making bracelets from yarn and small metallic chains used to weave things into bracelets. I would weave together seven pieces of yarn and intertwine it into the metal, creating a nice little bracelet. At first, I used this as a method to calm my nerves until people noticed the bracelets. Everyone began asking for one, some even paying me money.
As I continued weaving the yarn, I thought about Dominic. He is always telling me he loves me and was always chasing Vince away. I didn't like that Dominic wanted all my attention when I, of course, had other friends. Vince was a bit hotheaded as it was and Dominic did nothing to help with Vince's temper, seeming to only make it worse. "Adrian, I'm the one that's your best friend." Dominic whined and I rolled my eyes, "I've known Vince longer though." I mumbled and Dominic only scoffed. "Adrian, when will you return my love?"
I bit my lip, continuing my work with the yarn, Dominic snatched it away. "Answer. Me." Dominic demanded and I only looked down at my desk. "I...I'm sorry." I mumbled and Dominic gave a 'hmph' sound, handing back my yarn. "Come by my place tonight, 10pm." Dominic ordered and walked away, standing tall as he usually did. I knew he wouldn't give me room to argue. After all, it was his way or no way. I couldn't help but feel as if he were controlling me, not giving me freedom to speak against him.
"You're not actually going, are you?" I heard Vince's voice and I turned to face him. I played with the ends on my hair, pulling at the dyed strands. "Well, I don't want to be a bad friend."
"Adrian, he is the bad friend! It's clear that this so called friendship is completely one-sided. You're so keen on being friendly that you can't even stand up to someone that's bullying you!" Vince sat in the desk next to mine and I let out a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry."
"See there, stop apologizing for everything." Vince poked my forehead and I sighed, beginning to pack my things, "are you ready to head home?" I asked and Vince smiled, nodding his head. "I'm just your ride home, I'm ready whenever you are."
I pulled my bag onto my shoulders and followed Vince out of the classroom, still weaving the yarn in my hands.
"Adrian! Is that one mine? It's beautiful already!" Kelsea smiled at me as we passed her in the hallway. Kelsea was my cousin, the daughter of my father's sister, her mother was also my mother's best friend. "Yes, it is." I smiled and Kelsea passed me a small hand-made envelope. "If you're paying me I'm just going to give it back. Why would I charge my own family?" I scoffed and Kelsea rolled her eyes. "It's actually a gift from my parents and I. We know how it's been since you dad...left." Kelsea gave a bitter-sweet smile and walked away.
"Let's go." Vince patted my shoulder and we headed out of the school. "Adrian, do you have the homework from 3rd period?" Austin asked, joining Vince and I in our walk. "Yea, I can send you pictures of the problems you're having trouble with, just text me." I smiled and Austin gave a thanks before walking back to his girlfriend. "You're too nice. No wonder everyone in he school loves you."

"Come on Vince. Not everyone likes me."

"Name one person." Vince challenged and I really couldn't think of anyone. "You see, you have no secrets. You have no bad sides. You're just friendly. I mean, in middle school everyone thought you were just an emo kid, but after you showed your true self everyone came to love you. I honestly don't think you have a single bad bone in your body." Vince ch called and I opened the passenger door to his car, sliding into the seat and setting my bag into the floorboard.
I continued to weave the yarn, finishing it as Vince drove. I began to tie the yarn into the metallic bracelet, looping it through the openings and tying the end and putting an attachable clip on it. "Kelsea is off my list." I chuckled and placed the bracelet in my book bag. I turned to look at Vince, both hands on the wheel, both eyes focused on the road. I wonder, what does Vince think of me? Everyone has told me how they felt, that I was a good friend, I was a crush, like a brother, whatever they wanted to tell me, everyone has told me. All except to Vince. Sometimes I wonder if he even likes me, if he just tolerates me. I mean, I tell him everything, my worries, everything but my depression.
"You know, since it's Friday I would stay over tonight, but you have to go to Dominic's place." Vince scoffed and I looked out the window. "He's my friend." I simply mumbled and the car went silent, accept for the soft music Vince had playing. It was a Bullet for My Valentine cd but it was low enough for us to be able to talk but still hear the music.
I thought about Vince, as I did often. I had experimented many things with him, kissing being one. The first person I ever kissed was Vince, but that was because I had gotten a boyfriend and had no clue how to kiss. Vince taught me. The first person to give me a cigarette was Vince. I've learned a lot from him as he was slightly older, by two years anyway. I guess you could say the only thing I haven't done with Vince is sexual stuff. To that, I'm still pretty much innocent. Well, besides giving a hickey and being given one. The happened two years ago. I had asked Vince about it and he gave me a hickey and then allowed me to give him one. Temporarily marking each other, even though we were nothing more than friends. I actually wouldn't mind having sex with Vince though. Thinking that could only mean twos things, one I'm in love with him, which I am...or two, I'm just a pervert like any other guy my age.
Vince pulled into my driveway, next to my mom's car. We got out, grabbing ours bags and heading up the stairs. "Mom, I'm home." I called out and Vince followed me in, "yea mom, we're home!" Vince called out happily. My mom allowed Vince to call her mom as his mother had died shortly after giving birth to him. Vince never really had a father either, his father being a drunk who stayed out all night and only returned in the early hours of morning. Because of this, Vince lived with his Mother's parents, they were the ones to raise him from two months old until now.
"Welcome home boys." Mom hugged us both and gave us both a kiss on the cheek. "Kelsea gave me this, her parents wanted me to pass it to you." I handed mom the envelope Kelsea had given me. "Alright. Also, I'm making dinner and it should be ready in a bit." Mom went back to the kitchen as Vince and I headed upstairs to my room, guess you could say our room because he practically lived with us two weeks out of the month, spending the other two weeks at his grandparents' house. Vince had a closet in the guest room he kept his clothes in, he also kept an extra inhaler here, just in case he left his at the grandparents' house.
I sat at the desk, Vince sitting on my bed and he laid back, staring at my ceiling. "I like it here, you know." Vince sighed and I snorted, "gee, I couldn't tell with how much you stay here."
Vince flipped me the bird and I only chuckled. I stood from my chair and walked over to the bed, sitting next to my lifelong friend. "I'm nervous about tonight. Dominic seemed upset earlier." I mumbled and Vince sighed out, "Don't worry. I'm sure he wouldn't want to hurt you. As much as he 'loves you.'" Vince held up his hands, making quotations with his fingers. "You act as if you're jealous."
"Me? Yea right." Vince laughed so hard he began to hold his stomach, almost beginning to cry. "Come on, just because I gave you a hickey? That was one time." Vince smiled at me and I nodded, chuckling to myself. "Whatever you say."
I stood from the bed and walked to my closet, opening the door and looking through my clothes. I chose a grey and black flannel to go over a simple black t-shirt and I pulled off the shirt I currently had on, pulling on the two new ones. Afterwards we went downstairs and sat in the kitchen until the food was ready.
****
Vince followed me up to my room and we sat on the bed. "When do you want me to take you to Dominic's place?" Vince asked, turning on my tv and beginning to put a DVD into the DVD player. "Well he wants me there by 10, so let's head over around 9:30ish." I shrugged and Vince came back to the bed, sitting and leaning against the headboard with his left shoulder against the wall, as I had the bed pushed up against said wall. I sat next to Vince, pushing my way I between him and the wall. I used his shoulder as a pillow as I stared at the tv screen. "Comfortable?" Vince chuckled and I nodded my head as he pressed play on the remote. We had at least two hours until I had to be at Dominic's.
"Are you still nervous about going over there?" Vince mumbled and I sighed, watching the beginning of Silent Hill, Rose screaming for Sharon. "A little." I mumbled back and Vince wrapped an arm around my shoulders, holding me to him. "Then maybe you shouldn't go, just stay here with me." Vince mumbled. "Then he'll get mad at me." I spoke altitude louder, watching as Rose ran through the tunnel under the road. She dropped the teddy bear, something a good mom with never do with their daughter's favorite toy. "I don't care if he gets pissed off or not. I care more about...look, just don't go if you don't have a good feeling. Usually, you should listen to that gut feeling." Vince growled softly and I rolled my eyes.
"He wouldn't do anything drastic." I mumbled and Vince scoffed, "then don't go. If he won't do anything drastic then that means he won't do anything when he gets upset because you didn't go." Vince's hold on me tightened which caused me to look up at him. "Vince, is there something wrong?" I questioned and he shook his head, "he got all your attention at school today. After school is my time with you. Besides, I'm your best friend, not him. Despite what you let him believe."