pizzaface | ✓

35.

NOEL WAS standing outside of the park, he could see right by the large oak tree, Myron was sprawled on the grass with his headphones on. He seemed to be watching a group of children chasing each other around the water fountain and making petty wishes. Before Noel ventured into the park he began to call Myron.

Call declined.

Noel forced down the bile in his throat, it was one thing to not call Noel but it was another to decline his calls.

Without thinking Noel marched into the park and nudged Myron with his battered trainers forcefully. Myron jumped and in turn ended up slipping his headphones off.

"What's going on Myron?" Noel spat out angrily, he was seething, bouncing up and down on one spot in an attempt to simmer his anger. "Why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you." Myron's voice was surprisingly small, he focused his attention on the group of kids who had now all fell into the fountain, erupting in ecstatic childish laughter, it made Myron's chest ache.

"So what are you doing?"

"I just needed space." Myron could visibly feel Noel's mood change from anger to sadness. "No, not, it's not about you, I just needed to clear my head for a bit, focus on myself, and what I want."

Noel slumped next to Myron, keeping a visible space in between them. "Why." Somehow Myron knew it wasn't a question, but a statement, that required nothing but a truthful answer.

"Dylan said there was no way I could have been your soulmate." Myron swallowed nervously. "That, I spend so long trying to make other people happy I neglect my own issues." Myron began to scrub at his short hair, biting at his lips intensely.

"So I decided I was just going to cut myself from everyone for just a week, and focus on myself...I found I was able to finally have dialogue with my parents about my sisters and I no longer was trying to please everyone in the football team. But Dylan was wrong about one thing." Myron finally peeled his attention from the group of screaming wet kids and looked Noel firmly in the eyes.

"He was wrong about you. I don't have to try and please you, it isn't effort being around you, in fact it's one of the easiest things in the world, you make my day so much brighter and that's a good thing." Myron then closed the gap between him and Noel, placing his tan hands onto Noel's pale ones.

"I'm sorry, I've been such an idiot."

Noel leaned into Myron's shoulder, his eyes sparkling with tears. "You talked to your parents?"

"Yeah..."

"Then whenever you want to have space, have space, just let me know please."

"But Noel, I just realized, you are my space."

"That was so cheesy!" Then Noel bumped Myron playfully, the tears that were welling up in his eyes now having been evaporated.

"Hey...why weren't you in school for a week?"

"You didn't hear any rumours?"

"Might I remind you I went AWOL for the entire week."

"Oh right...let me just say, I've got to talk to my mom too."

"You know you can tell me anything, right? I'll listen." Myron went to tuck one of Noel's stray curls behind his ears whilst giving him a small smile of encouragement.

"Myron! I need space!" Noel joked mockingly, earning a playful shove from Myron. "But I know I can talk to you...and you can talk to me...it's just important my Mom knows first."

Myron nodded silently. He watched as the group of kids trudged out of the water fountain, wet and dripping and cold, yet they had huge smiles on their faces. Myron tugged on Noel's hand. "Come on, let's go to the water fountain." Noel followed after Myron's surprisingly ecstatic frame.

He reached into the cold water and brought out a few rusted pennies, placing them into Noel's hand and his own.

"Let's make a wish." And they threw the copper pennies into the air, watching the coin spiral effortlessly before landing with a loud plop in the water.

"What did you wish for?" Myron put his arm around Noel, bringing him closer.

"If I tell you it wouldn't come true." Noel responded teasingly. "What did you wish for?"

"Mine has already come true." Noel scoffed loudly, fighting back the burning in his cheeks, in retaliation he pushed Myron into the fountain, falling into a bout of uncontrollable laughter at Myron sloshing about in the park fountain.

"You are not getting away with that!" Then Myron grabbed at Noel so he too had fallen into the fountain. They began to splash each other, laughing like little kids. Myron then picked up a slaught of coins from the bottom of the fountain, proclaiming loudly "to my soulmate- Noel Adams" then he dropped the coins back into the fountain. Noel followed suit, giggling like a deranged hyena.

"To my soulmate - Myron Akil."

"To chipotle!"

"To riding around in your really nice car!"

"To life!"

"To Steven Universe, we owe you everything!"

"Let's sing the theme song again!"

"Myron, no, you're going to make me hate it-"

"WE ARE THE CRYSTAL GEMS..."