F.A.F // H2OVanoss [Completed]

Chapter 18

Evan: hey, me and my friends are having a sleepover this weekend

Evan: it's at Tyler's house, and I wanted to know if you wanted to tag along

Evan: I'm not forcing you or anything, but just know u can come if u want to

Jonathan: yea I'll go :) sounds fun

Evan: sweet, see ya at school

Jonathan: see ya

Evan knew it was better to ask before school started, rather than being around his friends who would be looking over his shoulder while all Evan could do was imagine them laughing if they saw how much his hands shook as he typed, how he held his breath as he waited for a reply. He knew that they were all cheering him on, each having a role in the get together of the two teens, but only a select couple of them knew why. Evan assumed it was Tyler who wanted to keep the bet quiet, instead infecting the group's mind with the great idea of getting Evan a boyfriend for his senior year.

To be honest, Evan felt a small part of him he thankful for what Tyler had done, give him a reason to talk to Jonathan, a reason to go after what he wanted after he had spent so long ignoring it and pushing it down. If Evan was crazy, he would have even thought Tyler had done this because he knew how much Evan liked him, but he wasn't crazy, he knew that the only motive behind this cruel agreement was that Tyler wanted to prove how much charm Evan had, how Evan could wrap anyone around his finger with a smile and some good jokes.

Evan didn't always have the intentions of covering up his feelings with one night stands and alcohol, no, he used to have some common sense. He liked to believe his spiral began in eighth grade, where he started it out as happy and carefree and pushing his thoughts of Jonathan all the way down because they were unnatural and he had plenty of friends without the need for one more. He was content.

He used their groupchat everyday, always having a nagging thought that he was annoying yet he couldn't stop himself from texting. He didn't single anyone out, didn't want anyone to feel like they were lesser than anyone else in his eyes.

Then Tyler came. Or rather, a high school senior came along, and behind him came Tyler.

The senior's name was Ash, it was a nickname, but that was all Evan knew, because he never had a reason to know anything else. Except, that he was the beginning of the end. The end of the genuine Evan, who's only lie was that he liked guys, or rather, one guy. That used to be his only lie, until freshman year.

But getting back to eighth grade, where it was Tyler who singled him out. Not in an obvious way, but gradual and slow. Tyler privately texted him for nearly everything, whether it be a funny picture or a random thought just to start a conversation, he made Evan pay attention to him.

Slowly, he faded away from the groupchat, but it wasn't something that happened suddenly, it was a healthy kind of slow. Thinking back on it, Evan isn't sure if this is exactly how it happened, because it seems so absurd that such a strong friendship can grow from private, three-am conversation about favorite colors and questions about desert islands. Exchanging of hilarious pictures and smack-talking English teachers. With such a strong personality being focused on him, Evan consciously knew he was changing, but he found nothing wrong with it. In a way, he took his mind off Jonathan, who still held a prominent place in his thoughts.

He met Ash at a parent-teacher conference. Evan had volunteered to get NJHS community service hours, because he still needed three more. The job was easy, pass out cookies and treats to teachers for some odd reason and stay until 7:30. That was it. Which left the small group with quite a lot of free time, since they finished by six.