A Little Less Lonely Now (boy)²

eight

Caden's P.O.V.

I told my Dad I was going to walk home from church; we only lived a few blocks away. My phone buzzed a couple times when I turned it on after church was over. All the notifications, ten in total, were from random people that were at the party. Asher, wondering where I disappeared to after the interesting game of dare or dare. Lynda and Maggie, the twins that seem to love being at my side, asking when we can hang out again. Gosh, I hate them. Why do I hang out with them? The message from Simon was at the top. I swiped it over and typed in my passcode to open my phone.

You have three new voicemails. If you wish to listen to the first voicemail, please select one. If you wish-

I tapped the one on my phone's screen. It started to play Simon's message, and I forced myself to listen.

"C-Caden? Why did you leave? I just don't understand... W-what was wrong with you last night? Were y-you even d-drinking?" I heard him choke back a small sob before continuing, "Caden, I, why? Why would you do something like that? S-someone could have walked in on it. You would h-have been ruined. I-I'd be tormented even more, I-if that's possible. Why would you play with my feelings? Why? Why would you- why am I even calling you? W-why am I saying this. Where's the d-delete button." My phone beeped again, signaling the end of the message.

Every word had hit me like a freight train. Why did I do that? Why did I leave? Why did he call me? Why did I play with his feelings? What does that even mean? This is too confusing. I bet he hit send instead of delete. He probably doesn't even know I heard this. What a predicament one kiss can make. I need to talk to him in person and get this all sorted out, wait. I need to talk to myself and get my mind sorted out.

I walked across the rusting park down the street from my house. It was a hidden park, deeper into the forest area of our neighborhood, so not many people know about it. I found it randomly one night when I went for a walk to calm myself down, and I've come here ever since when I need a peaceful place. I sat on the left of the two swings, just like every time I've come here. The chains creaked softly against each other as the swing moved slightly back and forth because of my foot pushing the ground a little. Through the small creaking noises a slight rustling of the wind, I thought I could hear stifled sobs. Quietly I searched around the park, which only consisted of the two swings and a small platform with a tube. Inside of the sickly green tube, a small figure was curled up. I could see a small pool of tears next to their face, and a few still sliding down their cheek.

"Um, hello?" I whispered in the most soothing and welcoming tone I could muster.

The person sniffles, but didn't look at me.

"Are you all right? Do you need any he-"

The person sat up and dove into my chest. I was startled at first, but then I hugged them. The person smelt like bananas and coffee. An interesting combination, but I don't question how good it smells or why. The person's fists held bits of my shirt as their body racked with sobs. After a good ten minutes, they had calmed down enough to pull away. It was Simon sitting practically in my lap, crying, and holding fistfuls of my shirt. Realization struck, and he scurried off of me and into the tube I found him in.

"Simon.."

"No, *sniffle* go away. I d-don't want to see you."

"Simon, please. We need to talk."

"You're just going to m-make fun off m-me with your friends *sniffle* tomorrow! W-why should I t-talk to you?"

"I'm not going to make fun of you Simon, and anyone that wants to can go through me, but we still need to talk."

"F-fine."

He slowly crawled back out of the tube, and sat on the opposite side of the platform.

"About last night Simon.. First, I wasn't drunk; I hardly had anything to drink. Second, I don't know why I felt I had to kiss you. Third, I left because I was too confused to think straight. And forth, what do you mean 'playing with your emotions'?"

"Then why were you acting so drunk? Wait, you heard the voicemail?" He turned paper white at the thought.

"Well, I was dared to act drunk and go upstairs to scare you, I couldn't back down from the dare, but then I saw you in the bed sheets. Your eyes were all scrunched up, and you had jumped when I opened the door. I could have left there, but something just pulled me into the room. I continued the drunk act so if I did anything regrettable, I'd have a cover. And yes, you must have hit send when you were trying to delete the voicemail."

"O-oh. What is wrong with me?!"

"Now answer my question. And nothing is wrong with you, you just hit the wrong button." He looked away from me, like he refused to hear anything but my explanations.

"Caden. Do you regret what you d-did last night?"

I don't know. Yes? No? Maybe? It wasn't bad at all.. I guess.. I..

"I hate that I left you alone to walk home. I am sorry scaring you."

"D-do you regret kissing me?"

"Simon.."

"Do you?"

"I.. I... No. No I don't regret it." He looked shocked, and before he could say anything else, I pulled him into a hug a didn't let him go.