What Remains (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 10

6 years ago

6 months before

"My turn!" Melanie smiled before she crashed a popcorn between her teeth and looked around the group as they laid onto their stomachs in the circle in Melanie's bedroom, celebrating her 12th birthday. They were playing Truth or Dare and they already had to reveal embarrassing secrets to each other and laughing about it. It was already dark outside and the dim light of Melanie's lava lamp that had been put in the middle of the circle lit up the room. "Alyssa, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Alyssa said and also ate a piece of popcorn.

Melanie thought about a dare assignment for a moment before she looked back up at her friend. "Give Pax a kiss on his cheek!"

Paxton immediately grimaced and Alyssa narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh come here you big baby," she said while rolling her eyes, grabbing Paxton's head and leaned in to press her lips against the skin of his cheek.

Paxton let out an audible "ew" and wiped his cheek with his hand, leaving the rest of the children laughing.

"Now you're just exaggerating," Alyssa frowned. She rolled her eyes again before looking out at the group. Her eyes traveled over the faces of her friends before they settled at Carter's. "Carter," she said, "truth or dare?"

Carter shifted up a bit, not really sure what to choose. Though he was rather comfortable at the moment, laying there on his stomach next to Josh. "Truth," he answered finally.

Alyssa looked at her hands, thinking about a question for a moment, before her eyes went back up to look at him. "Do you like someone? As in, do you have a crush on someone?"

Carter's eyes went a little wider at the question and he looked away. For some reason, he immediately thought of Josh. Was he in love Josh? That couldn't be, he was his best friend after all. Though he couldn't help but think about him and his cheeks got a little warmer. When he was younger, he had thought about marrying Josh and how he would stay with him for the rest of his life, until he found out that it was apparently wrong to feel that way about another boy. But that feeling never really left him, despite knowing that he shouldn't feel it.

Even now, when he had to think about someone he had a crush on, Josh was the first and only person that came to mind.

"Maybe..." Carter answered softly. "I think so."

"You think so?" Alyssa asked. "So, is that a yes?"

Carter swallowed and fiddled with his own fingers, feeling the warmth of Josh laying next to him radiating against his him, suddenly feeling his presence a lot more clearly. Liking someone, having a crush on someone, that must create the feeling of always wanting to be with that person. To want to touch them, be close to them and maybe even kiss them. Thinkin about Josh, he probably wanted to do that all.

"Yes..." he finally replied. "I have a crush on someone."

He felt his heart beating steadily in his chest as he realized his own feelings, and saying them out loud. He was suddenly in such a high, thinking about his true feelings. He was in love with his best friend, the boy lying next to him.

There was a moment of silence before Alyssa spoke again.

"Who is it?" she asked.

Carter felt his cheeks flaring up and looked shyly at the carpet they were laying on.

"Hey, he just had to answer one question," Josh defended him. "He answered it, so he doesn't need to answer another one."

Carter was too embarrassed to look at Josh now, but did smile at how quickly he was to defend him when he was clearly feeling uncomfortable. Even the sound of his voice gave Carter a certain feeling within his stomach right now.