Pent up

Friendship

"Where are you, dude..." I almost don't hear him but since it's so quiet I could clearly make out his voice.

"Over at Clara's" I say and the woman in question turns to me and smiles, gets under her covers and snuggles further into the mattres "Maybe I should go?" I mouth at her and she nods "But I'm on my way there. What's...up?"

It felt kind of weird right now being so casual with him but anything other than casual and it would be even more awkward. Normalcy was the better alternative and it was easier that doing a 180° and treating him differently because of a small argument.
"I'm on the park with Cris... He wants to apologize"

I was allready on my way from the parking lot to the street when he muttered this words and I stop dead on my tracks.

Cristopher wants to apologize to me?

"Ok"

After half an hour, I finally arrive back at my own campus, but instead of going inside, I cross the street and look for the two guys I ditched earlier on the day, and surely, there they where, Diego rubbing Cris' back and him hunched over and wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Earlier, I had made my resolve, with the help of my girlfriend, to apologize to both of them, so before they can even register my presence, I take a deep breath and step in front of them "I'm sorry"

Cristopher looks up surprised, his eyes wide as saucers, but Diego just nods, understanding and smiling, telling me to keep going without having to say it outloud.

"I'm sorry for all of this. All of it. For playing with your feelings, for hurting you, for making you confused and leading you on. I'm sorry for being so stupid and for not being more honest with you, but I hope we can be friends and we can move past this...And I'm sorry, Diego" At this, it's his turn to took at me, baffled, and for the taller one to smile at me "For ignoring you and not talking to you about any of this. I know we are friends and I should have probably given you a heads up but I was so in my head I didn't think about the fact that you guys are friends and that this would affect you too. I'm sorry..."

They both share a look, a silent conversation between them, and I feel kind of jealous I don't have such a close friend who I can have mental conversations with, but I wait patienly for them to look back at me.

They finally do, standing up almost at the same time, so close to the other they are bumping shoulders.

"We're sorry" The say in unison and I have to stop myself from cringing. That's creepy.

"Sorry for pushing you into something" Cris begins and the tears that had stoped flowing with his earlier surprise come back "even though I knew you weren't sure about your feelings... And then getting mad when you decided your long relationship was more worth it over me...who you honestly barely know" He wipes a few stray tears and smiles softly again. My heart flutters in happiness and relief at his words and we hold our gaze a little longer that needed, that is until Diego coughs.

"And I'm sorry... I don't know what I should be sorry for, you were honestly and asshole, but I'm sorry anyways."

At this we all chuckle and cackle, throwing our heads back and clutching our stomachs. After so much drama, leave it to Diego to lighten the mood.

"Friends?" I stretch my hand out, just like I did last week when we were finally introduced properly, and a warm feeling creeps up on the back of my neck at finally being something more concrete than -maybe fuck buddies? Not official Boyfriends for a while? Barely friends with benefits?
So much has happened since we first met it's crazy.

"Friends" They both say, again in unison, and we all shake hands. Diego with me, Me and Cris, Cris and Diego, Diego and himself... freaking clown.

A lot of giggling later we finally settle down and sit to talk for a while but soon it's too late, and it's dark and cold, so Diego sneaks Cristopher into our room.

We toss him a shirt and pants to sleep on, as it's a little too cold to sleep in just boxers, and as we are getting ready for bed a nagging thought eats at my brain...

Did I do the right thing? Everything felt right, and a warm, happy feeling filled the air of our shared room, yet I was still hesitant to accept things as they were.

What if I had broken up with Clara that day?