The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Chapter 31

Austin loved performing. He loved being watched and admired by hundreds, captivating them with every small movement. But this performance had been better for other reasons... Because he knew that somewhere in the flooded auditorium was a dark-haired boy watching him.

He half-heartedly accepted compliments as he weaved his way through a crowd. His face was wiped clean of the obnoxious makeup that was too pale even for Austin. He had ditched the costume he hated and had thrown on a black cover-up. He wasn't looking to be admired by countless strangers... He was looking to be admired by Jullian.

"Looking for someone?" Clarissa hummed as she happily wrapped her arms around Austin's. They weren't friends... But they were at the same time... The passive-aggressive, competitive, and condescending kind of friends. Austin didn't mind it... Clarissa was the best dancer there and he liked the competition.

"Not to your knowledge," Austin deadpanned. He went on his toes to peek over a few strangers, hoping to see Jullian's familiar face. But with each person that passed by, he was beginning to think that Jullian wasn't there.

"Austin" Austin's face involuntarily lit up and he spun around to see Jullian holding a small think of red roses. It wasn't anything extravagant. The flowers were small and simple... But they made Austin thrilled.

"Hey, Jules" he found himself smiling as he went on his toes to place a kiss on the boy's cheek and pulling his arm away from Clarissa.

"Hey...?" Jullian gave Austin a surprised look before handing him the flowers. "You did great"

"How have we been dancing together for months and I never knew you had a boyfriend?" Clarissa let her messy and tightly wound black curls from her bun. She had similar features as Markos now that he thought about it... They had the same angled face and daring green eyes. The same hazelnut skin and long legs too.

"He's not-"

"It never came up" Austin shrugged, making it a point to lean further into Jullian. He didn't know why he felt the need to be so... Petty? Maybe it was the fact that Clarissa was pretty and every guy he danced with had a thing for her. Or maybe he just wasn't thinking clearly and liked feeling above it all. Or maybe he wanted it to be true. Maybe.

"We should talk more then"

"Mhm... We should" Austin pressed his lips into a thin line knowing very well that he had no intentions of keeping that promise.

"I'll leave you two be" Clarissa hummed before walking off, leaving Austin in an awkward situation.

"Boyfriend, huh?" Jullian mocked with a small smirk, instantly getting punched in the shoulder.

"Don't let it get to your head" Austin muttered, glaring at the door and feeling his cheeks begin to flush.

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Beau sat in the back seat of his mom's car, curled up with his knees to his chest and staring out the window. He watched the familiar farms roll by as he neared his own hell... The place where Lukas screamed the loudest. Where the fire screamed and burned his skin... But this time Aiden was with him, listening to music on his phone as they arrived in Tennessee for spring break.

"Mama, can you turn that down?" Beau sighed. Shelby glanced up at her son from the rear-view mirror.

"What's the matter, hun?" She asked as she turned down the radio. Beau's eyes betrayed him by glancing over at Aiden... His mom knew how he felt about him. How difficult it was for him to think about Lukas around him. How difficult it was for him to have Aiden walk on the same grounds as Lukas once did... Yet it still helped to have him there. Aiden helped him sleep. He helped him process things... "Beau-"