𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 | 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞

⁰⁷ | First-day shitters

"I don't know. He called me and just asked if he could. I think he's upset about something."

"Will you just call him your boyfriend already?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Adam shakes his head, blushing like crazy. "I don't even know if he wants a boyfriend."

"Yeah, because he's just coming over to tell you that he has a big fat crush on Julie or something."

"Do you think he does?"

"Jesus, Adam," I laugh. "I was being sarcastic."

"I forgot how demented your humor can be sometimes."

"Besides, Julie's been all about Dean since they first met."

"You think so?"

"I shared a room with the girl for months. I know so."

☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆

𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃 that I'm going to stop thinking about everything. I'm going to stop thinking about the fact that today is my first day of high school. I'm going to stop thinking about Bombay quitting on us (That's what Charlie was so upset about, and why he needed to talk to Adam). I'm going to stop thinking about the 1,460 days until I can find something that I really love far from this place. I'm going to stop thinking about my Dad. I'm going to stop thinking about Guy and Connie.

Thinking--it ruins everything, really.

"It'll be fine, honestly, M," Adam convinces, more like persuades me, actually. "I think it would be weirder if you didn't come."

We're sitting on my front steps, his rollerblades tied in perfect bows while mine lay on the pavement at the bottom of the stairs. Adam wants me to skate to school with him and the rest of the original ducks. I feel super shitty because I came back to be with them, but being with them has sort of become the last thing I want to do.

"I don't know. Don't you think I'd be kinda ditching Russ and Kenny if I don't go in with them?"

"They're with Julie, Dwayne, and Luis. They're fine," he says. "Maeve, I'm serious. These are your friends."

"I know they are," I try to laugh, but really it just sounds shaky and pathetic. "I just...I don't know. Am I overthinking this whole thing?"

Adam half frowns and half smiles at me. "You don't have to keep feeling sorry for leaving and growing up."

I don't know if he's talking about when I left here, or when I left my dad to be back here. But it could apply to either of those, truthfully.

"Do you really think they've all forgiven me?"

"I spent the last two years with them. I know so."

I smile a little more naturally now. "And Connie and Guy? How shitty is that going to make me feel?"

He shrugs. "It might be a little funny, watching them try to be a healthy couple."

"Okay," I laugh. "Why not, I guess? I've seen them together before. It can't be much different than that."

"Exactly."

I manage to lace my skates up before they get here, leaving a little time to further interrogate him about Charlie's visit the night before.

"I told you a million times, Maeve. He came because he was upset about Bombay."

"Holy crap, Adam. You're the most oblivious person on the planet!"