The Spring that Seemed to Last Forever

Saturday, 10:53 A.M.

Hazel approached me tentatively, picking up that it probably didn't go well. Her attention was pulled away, however, when she noticed Leid walk over and stand at my fallen corpse.

"Leid, get out of my apartment," I snapped, not in the mood to converse with anyone besides my close friends. I turned over to face away from him.

He snickered. "I though' ya might need some moral suppor', y'know? Even I'd need some therapy if tha' 'appened ta me."

I growled and flipped over on the couch, facing the back cushions. Hazel sat at the other end and sighed.

"Leid–your name was?–if you insist on being here, at least shut up and go eat Ash's ramen or something," she ordered, and watched as Leid scurried off to raid my pantry.

I rolled my eyes, "Great, now he's going to steal all my food and I can't do anything about it." I wasn't really angry at Hazel, and her sarcastic humor could always cheer me up, though I had to admit that I was a bit traumatized by the whole encounter.

All I could think about was Nick's face...how he had looked embarrassed but hadn't even said anything. He could have at least explained himself! ...and it was my fault for not saying anything either. I came over there to say sorry, and was faced with...that.

Leid came back out with a juice box, a bag full of Cheetos tucked under his arm, and a cup of ramen in his hand. I couldn't help but smile and wipe away my tears, internally both laughing and crying. I was quite the emotional mess, wasn't I?

"Gotta admit, broke college kids go' the bes' food 'round 'ere," Leid said through a mouthful of food. I sniffled and sat up, grabbing the abandoned bag of Doritos of the table and shoved them into my mouth, laughing and looking at Leid. He looked as if he was around thirteen or fourteen years old. Still young, still unbroken. "Hey, y'kay?"

I shifted. Pain, guilt, and a string of jealousy were still present in my being. By no means was I even close to okay, but I was better thanks to him and Hazel. Well... mostly Hazel.

"Yeah," I said, clearing my throat. "I'm fine." I averted my eyes and looked at Hazel, who was staring at me sympathetically. I set down the Doritos and licked my fingers, closing my eyes and trying to pretend none of this was actually happening.

"No you aren't–"

"No y'ain't–"

Leid and Hazel spoke at the same time. I rolled my eyes and hid a smile behind a cough, almost -but not quite- hating how well they knew me.

Hazel put a finger to Leid's mouth to shut him up before she spoke. "Ash, it's okay not to be okay. You just have to accept that. So what if he doesn't like anything other than girls? If he's jerkish enough to give up on you so quickly just for that reason, then he's not worth your time."

Leid moves back from Hazel's finger and took a sip from his juice box. "I reck'n ta love th' pers'n, not th' body." He put the box back in his mouth before drinking it like a three-year-old.

"Exactly. Thank you, Leid. See, he gets it. Ash, forget about him. Time heals broken hearts, but that doesn't mean the heart can't heal itself."

"But time is also there to make things more awkward, Hazel. What am I gonna do next time?" My hysteria came back. My chances for being his friend was probably crushed. "Go up to him and say, 'Hey sorry for walking in when your neighbor and you were making out, by the way, you suck now, haha.'"

Leid took the juice box out of his mouth for a moment to laugh at my sarcasm. "I'm all fer this plan. I act'ally kinda wanna prank 'im."

"No." Hazel and I said simultaneously. Leid just laughed obnoxiously and put the juice box back in his mouth, sipping it like he wanted to watch the world burn.