Cool Kids [p. parker] || SLOW UPDATES

TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
( PEOPLE AND THINGS CHANGE )

Late August, 2016

NOTHING STAYED THE SAME. Absolutely nothing. Things get old, rot, break and get torn; as did people. So, really, no one was surprised Nicholas Berry changed when his mom just up and left him and her husband. Who wouldn't change when something like that happened in their lives? He became more closed-off, and everyone understood why. Marty, Anita, Peter, Olivia, and every one of his friends were patient with him. They comforted him and stuck by him. None of them understood what he was going through, not really, but they promised to never leave him. Exactly why he wasn't happy with Anita at the moment. And, well everyone, really.

With becoming closed off, Nick became a bit more harsh and refused to really talk about what was going on with anyone. It wasn't like that at first; he used to willingly cry and mope. Up until the sudden fear of everyone leaving him and hating him just like his mom grew in his head. That was when he became harsher, built more walls, and pushed people out. Slowly, he pushed people away one by one.

First went Anita, who got tired of dealing with the version of Nick she didn't grow up with. Then Olivia and Marty, who were on Anita's side of things, making Nick angrier and sadder. Then a few others after that: Gwen, Harry, Shawn and Ned. Somehow, though, Peter was the last one to be pushed away. Everyone believed the brunet wouldn't be pushed out of Nick's life, especially because the dipshits were finally dating, but they were all wrong. One day, the couple was fine, happy and going on dates whenever they were able to. The next? Peter was crying to his brother and aunt, and Nick was sulking in his room alone wondering how the hell he made that big of a mistake.

Nick groaned to himself at the thought, instantly chugging down whatever alcohol was in the red solo cup, and frowned afterwards, looking through the crowd of teenagers. He was at a party on a Saturday, thankful that Harry Osborn was throwing it that day because Nick really needed distraction from his negative thoughts. The fifteen year old spotted a few of his soccer teammates, the boys spotting him seconds later and making motions for him to hurry over. Not only did Nick push away his friends, but he stupidly traded them for the more popular crowd.

His eyes spotted Olivia deeper in the crowd as he looked away from the other soccer players, laughing with Anita and Gwen about something. Nick looked away as if the sigh burned his eyes and lowered his gaze to the cup in his hands, strands of hair falling on his forehead. It wasn't white anymore. It used to be a couple days ago, but the white hair made it easier for his friends to spot him and he didn't want that. So, he got James Rogers to dye it black again.

"Nicholas, are you moping again?"

The freckled face boy looked up quickly, about to respond when he noticed that the person who asked the question was Anthony Green. An annoyed sound escaped his lips, but Nick made no effort to leave. "Fuck off, Anthony," he said.