[Twice Featured Noteworthy Novel & Staff Pick on Tapas.io] ✔
[Previously featured on Tapas.io's LGBTQ+ Community collection] ✔
One night. That was all it took for Senn Reyes' life to change drastically--and permanently.
Senn Reyes is a seventeen-y...
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Monday
Despite the huge disappointment he got on Sunday evening, Senn felt... okay. Nowhere near good, not exactly happy, but not like slowly dying bit by bit either.
Which was a big improvement compared to the week before.
It meant that he had managed to stay in school all day, actually pay a decent amount of attention to what the teachers were saying, and he wasn't sent to the principal's office once. He also hadn't fallen asleep, and he had successfully ignored the stinging pain whenever Elio made a joke and flashed him a goofy smile that had a whole other effect on Senn than Elio intended.
He wanted to kiss Elio again, so, so badly. He wanted to spill the truth to him and tell him exactly how much the kiss had meant to him. That he simply had been too scared to admit because he wasn't ready to come out. That he was exactly like that, and he wanted Elio to be like that too.
But, he ignored the screaming need to either tell or show Elio what his goofy smiles and kind words did to him. He instead opted to sit next to Lucas during lunch and ask Lucas to hang out after school.
Which was kind of a surprise, since Senn hadn't exactly been enthusiastic about hanging out at all in the past few months. It already had surprised Lucas and Avan that he came out on Sunday to play videogames like they always used to, during better times.
"Oh, I didn't think you'd wanna hang out again already," Lucas replied sheepishly while he toyed around the key to his bike lock. "Thought you might need a breather."
"Well, no." Senn shrugged. Truth be told, he missed hanging out with them and on Sunday it had—only shortly—felt as if nothing had changed in his life. As if everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be. "I enjoyed hanging out yesterday and I kinda realize that it is something I miss right now. I mean, the things I miss most are gone forever but I still have you guys and I know I fucked up by not showing my face or letting you know anything for so long but I... I don't know... I was hoping, you know..."
"Senn," Lucas cut him short, placing a hand on his shoulder while chuckling awkwardly. "It's okay, we get it. We agreed to hang out at the river today. Just our little group, our rock, some alcohol and maybe some weed if Avan can get his hands on it."
"That honestly sounds amazing. Beats sitting in a room that suffocates me."
"By all means, join us. I'm going to pick up alcohol with my fake ID on my way to the river."
"I'll wait outside. I lost mine after the accident."
Lucas nodded and together, they rode their bike towards the local liquor store while chatting about their day in school. Lucas complained about his too strict Chemistry teacher and Senn complained about his Spanish teacher who kept telling Senn he should know this by now because she taught them the year before.
It was actually nice, talking to Lucas about everyday things without feeling awkward or as if Lucas was treating him any different. It was all helping him to feel better, and distract him from his mind and heart fighting over what to do with Elio.
