Sweet like sugar, Bitter like coffee.

Chapter 8

Arlo let his imagination run wild, "Hm... why? Do you like me like that?" He teased.

"Only in your dreams." John scoffed, "It's just something that came to mind. I just wanted to... meet your girlfriend if you had one." He smiled sadly.

Arlo arched an eyebrow, "Oh really?" He said slowly, not really believing it. "Well, I don't have one. I don't have any love interest, and I'm not looking for one yet." He fiddled with the pencil in his fingers.

John looked bummed, "Really? That's so sad." John sighed. That's the cue. He's not looking for someone to love, so he better stop crushing on him. John adverted his gaze, he's sad, a little hurt in the heart.

He knows that he needs to stop, thinking about Arlo in that way... but can he really stop? Can he really control his feelings around Arlo?

Instead, he pushes Arlo away verbally, "Oh, shut it." Arlo wasn't completely convinced that John didn't feel something for him. Infact, maybe he liked him back as a friend? Or was it something more?

The thought of being something more made his heart skip a beat.

He turned back to look at his work. To John, it's like child's play while for Arlo, he need to put more effort in it. John gave a half-lidded gaze, he was hurt, but he used the fact that he was bored to cover it up.

He focused up pointing out the mistakes in Arlo's work instead of the problem in him.

John involuntarily started to stare at Arlo again. He couldn't help but feel the blush rise up to his face, he miserably looked away. He's never felt such despair, all this because of a single crush. Does that make him a pathetic human being?

Arlo looked up from his work, "John, do you have a crush?" Arlo asked.

John turned back at Arlo, "...Yes, I do. I do, I do..." He sighed.

Arlo frowned, why was John looking so miserable? "What's wrong?"

"I'm the worst..." John mumbled, "I have a crush on them even though I know they won't love me back. God, heart break is the worst." He sighed miserably.

"Um... is this because of me?" Arlo asked. John gave him a confused look, with a bit of shock. "Was it me... that you like?"

"...How did you... come to that conclusion?" John asked, his heart dropped to his stomach. He made this too obvious... Fuck. He's not ready for heartbreak and plain out rejection, no, he's not ready!

Arlo looked at John sympathetically, "Well, it's kind of... obvious." He was biting his lower lip, when John shot up from his chair. He's uncomfortable, he does feel something for John as well, but was it really to that level?

John's having a cold sweat, "I-- I have to go. I'm sorry I can't." John didn't bare Arlo one more glance, he just picked up his backpack and bursted through the door. Arlo didn't try to stop him, does he like John like that?

John stumbled outside, that's-- he just ruined everything. He didn't wait for Volcan and ran home, everything just happened too quickly. By the point he was infront of his front door, his memory was a blur. A shaky image.

He just wanted to get out of there, away from Arlo. Because he didn't like Arlo that way. He kept telling himself that as if that will make it a little better. He opened the door, he wanted to go to his bed and sleep, because he had work later.

He opened the door and walked up the stairs, muttering a phrase to his Mom. Volcan obviously noticed that John was feeling not quite like himself but she just left him alone for now.