Alex couldn't remember the last time he'd been this excited for his birthday. In about two weeks, Halloween would come and he would be eighteen years old. Then October would be over, and his father would be happily married, and he and Ziro would be brothers. Life was going to be vastly different, all in the span of two days.
The group insisted on throwing Alex a party, and for the first time in his life, Alex agreed to the idea. He still wanted some part of it to be a surprise, though, so he'd decided that he didn't want the group to let slip any of the party planning details, and lately his volunteering at the school library was becoming the perfect way to avoid their party planning committee.
And now, while hauling a cart occupied with a unorganized load of graphic novels over to a far back shelf, Alex was beginning to find it increasingly difficult to contain his growing excitement. He'd been smiling so much that several other students and teachers he'd passed by had sent him puzzling stares.
"Quit it," Lev groaned. He appeared from the other side of the shelf flipping through a comic book.
"I can't help it," Alex whined. "After today, it'll be one more day closer to my birthday. You're just grumpy cuz I'll be older than you."
Lev lifted the flabby comic book and lightly thwacked the side of Alex's skull. "I'm grumpy because you decided to start volunteering three times a week instead of the usual two. But I will admit, it is nice not hearing any bad jokes for a couple hours every other day."
Alex grabbed the comic book and gave Lev a mild smack to his forehead. He retreated quickly then, to the other side of the bookshelf when he heard Lev growl, and tried as best he could to shield himself despite getting some distance away.
"I would get you back for that, but I have a stupid essay to start, and Evan keeps texting me to hurry. I have to tell you something though. Come here, I'm not gonna hit you."
"Promise?" Alex meekly grinned.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Come on."
Alex waddled back towards Lev and scooped up his outstretched hand. Lev then pulled him in with a gentle tug, leaving their noses mere inches away from touching, and their eyes in each other's orbit. Alex was glad this was happening where no one could see them; he couldn't see his cheeks but they felt hyper-inflamed.
"I'm gonna make this as short as possible, and then we're never gonna talk about it ever again. Got it?" Lev said.
"Y-yeah, I got it. Tell me."
After a long breath, Lev continued. "You remember the version Ziro told about the whole 'Nick' thing, and me?"
"Yeah..."
"Okay, just to have the record straight and out there, it was all true. But...there was an important detail that Ziro wasn't aware of then. Nick manipulated me, and I fell for the whole thing until it was too late...and he kissed me. I kissed him back too...it was my first kiss, and I've been wanting to finally tell you since we had a sleepover..."
Alex retracted his hand from Lev's, and went in wrapping his arms tight around Lev's shoulders. Alex felt Lev tense a bit, but he didn't take long to settle into the embrace.
"Is that all?" Alex asked softly. Lev shivered against him, his lukewarm breath caressing Alex's neck.
"Y-yeah," Lev stammered.
"...I'm so sorry that happened, that he did that to you..." Alex told him.
"You're not mad?"
"At you? Course not, but I am pissed at Nick. He hurt you, he lied to you, he used you. Why the hell would I be mad at you?"
YOU ARE READING
Moonhaven 2 (M2): Round 2
Teen FictionBook 2 of 2 in the Otherworldy series. It's been three weeks since Alex Prior had his lethal meeting with a drug dealer, and a baneful encounter with a sinister individual known as Eric Hyve. It hasn't been easy keeping his feelings about those rece...
