The Good, the Bad, and the Harrison Boys

prologue

"Smile!"

The camera flashed brightly, little stars dancing in the corners of my eyes. I tightly held the scroll and held my pose as the photographer rushed over, fixing a strand of hair and adjusting the maroon graduation cap.

"You are doing great! We're just going to take a couple more and then you're good to go!" She giggled obnoxiously and went back over to the camera. I glanced at Kevin, who sat in the far corner, as he was trying to hold back his laughter. I sighed and shook my head, flashing another smile to the giddy photographer. She snapped a few more pictures and happily sent me on my way.

"You looked stunning!" Kevin mimicked the photographer's high-pitched voice as we exited the library and headed to my locker. I rolled my eyes and smacked his arm, earning a loud laugh from him.

"It's too damn early to be that fucking preppy." I grumbled as I fumbled with my lock. Kevin simply smiled with a shake of his head.

"I was serious, though; you looked very good." He nudged me. "I've got the hottest best friend in the entire world."

I whistled. "Wow, I've upgraded from the entire school to the entire world? Kev, I'm honoured."

"Fuck off." He said and I chuckled. I dropped all my makeup in my locker and grabbed my hoodie-well, it was Reece's hoodie but I had now claimed it as my own-pulling it over my head.

"Have you gone dress shopping yet?" Kevin asked.

"No, we're so focused on prepping for the baby-he or she is coming any day, now." I closed my locker and we began to walk to the cafeteria. The house was complete chaos. The baby's nursery wasn't finished yet because Hanna and Liam couldn't decide on a good gender-neutral colour since they didn't wanna find out the gender of the baby until the birth. In addition to that, Hanna's emotions were all over the place, which was A) putting a strain on her relationship with Liam and the boys because she was just so unnecessarily mean sometimes, and B) not helping her situation with me because even six months after her big revelation, I was still utterly furious with her.

If all that wasn't bad enough, she was so anxious for the birth that at every given opportunity, the woman thought she was in labour. And ironically, it happened to be at the most inconvenient times for literally everybody, but regardless we'd drop what we were doing to go to the hospital, and spend a few hours there only to find out she wasn't in labour yet.

"For the sake of that family, I hope it's a she." Kevin and I sat down at a table close to the big window. From there we could see our friendship tree, which was currently vacant all the time due to the fact that it was ungodly cold outside.

"Me and you both." I sighed. "But hey, I wouldn't mind if it's another boy."

"She does make cute sons." He nodded and I smirked.

"One who happens to be of your liking." I wiggled my eyebrows.

"I'm not going for Cody!" He kicked my leg under the table. "Stop trying to set us up because we're the only gay guys you know."

"I'm not!" I kicked him back with a laugh. "I genuinely think you're into him."

"He's cute, but no, and that's final." Kevin folded his arms over his chest.

We sat for a few more minutes before Jaiden and Oliver joined us. Jaiden slid in beside me and draped his arm over my shoulders. "Hey, babe."

I rolled my eyes. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that? Reece doesn't like it."

"But Reece isn't here, is he?" He smirked and I shook my head, shrugging his arm off of me.

I smiled at Oliver and reached over, touching his arm. "Hey,"

"Hi," he barely looked at me. I had been dating Reece for eight months, coming up nine, and since we got together my relationship with Oliver had been strained. We tried not to make it awkward, but I think we were both trying so hard to not make it awkward that it was becoming more awkward than I had to be. He didn't talk to me as much, and frankly avoided me as much as he could, except when the whole group was hanging out together.

"Where are the rest of the girlies?" Jaiden asked.

"Probably getting ready for their grad pics. I'm pretty sure they're all today." Kevin looked at me for confirmation. "Hunter just finished hers."

"That's why you're out here looking all pretty and shit." Jaiden nudged me with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Yummy."

"Do you ever stop?" I laughed, and he joined in.

"I can't believe we're graduating." Kevin whistled.

"I can." Oliver said. "I'm ready to get the fuck out."

"Amen, brother." Jaiden agreed.

"Isn't Reece moving out after graduation?" Kevin asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, like two weeks after."

"Are you gonna move in with him?" He suddenly got very excited. "Oh, that would be so cute!"

Oliver glanced up from his phone and locked eyes with me. I sighed and shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. He's brought it up and I've avoided the topic completely. It's a big commitment."

Kevin hummed in agreement. "I get that. By the time graduation rolls around, you guys would've been together for what, a year and a half?"

"About, yeah." I said. "I don't know, man. He seems so excited when he talks about it and even though he claims he doesn't wanna pressure me to go with him, I know he'll be super disappointed if I don't go with him."

"But you shouldn't feel pressured. Like you said, it's a big commitment." Jaiden said. "Plus y'all would've just turned eighteen. If he really loves you, he'll respect whatever decision you make."

"I know, I know." I sighed.

Oliver looked down at his phone again. "Speak of the devil..."

I closed my eyes as a kiss was placed on my cheek. "Hey, beautiful."

"Hey," I smiled up at the blond haired boy. Oliver mumbled a goodbye before standing up and leaving.

Reece raised an eyebrow. "Is he okay?"

"He's probably going to the bathroom. Dumb bitch is lactose and just had a frap from Starbucks." Jaiden chuckled. "I'll go check on him. Bye y'all."

"I'll come." Kevin winked at me and left with Jaiden. Reece sat beside me and started talking, and I simply smiled and nodded through it all, trying to ignore the stinging in my chest.