THE GROUP was sitting at the lunch tables, Stella reading off a newspaper to them. "This years Halloween Bash will best be remembered for the powerful performances by surprise standout Lemonade Mouth!" Stella exclaims, showing the newspaper to Zhen.
They all gasp in shock, excited that they were finally getting recognized. Charlie peeks by his shoulder, reading a sentence. "A champion for students sidelined by the high school privileged and elite."
"Can you believe it?" Mo asks. "Our first review." Lee chuckles. Three girls walk by the table, a blonde girl waving and giggling at Charlie. Zhen looks back at her and Charlie, confused.
"Huh. I think they like us." He says to them, smiling. This makes Lee laugh, "I'm not sure it's us they like, Charlie." Zhen read her lips, feeling a slight jealousy in him.
To make it clear, he officially hated those girls. Why were they giggling at Charlie? Why not someone else? Why did they look so happy staring at HIM?
Lee noticed Zhen's angry expression, coughing a bit to ease it up. "I mean, what if it was Wen?" She remarks, "What do you mean?" He was now confused. Zhen just got up and left the table.
Charlie looks behind him, sighing. "He must be in a hurry. I'll see you guys later."
Zhen has ignored Charlie all day. He hasn't felt okay. Especially since that stupid incident in the cafeteria. But why the hell was he like this? This was all so dumb. He hated the way those girls—especially the blonde one, looked at him.
He was laying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his phone on the other side of him. Stella texted him and said to go to the Pizzeria with them, but he said his dad won't let him go out.
Zhen hated this feeling. Why the hell was he so angry over this? Why was it bothering him so much?
He thought the dreams were gonna mean nothing. Zhen can never like Charlie, it would go against everything in his life.
He sat on his bed as his leg bounced up and down, anxiety caving him. He felt hot, sweaty. Zhen doesn't know what to do right now. Maybe those crazy dreams mean unnecessary things. You can't like your best friend especially if their the same gender, right?
All he could do was think and think. Maybe if he got his phone and got onto decent internet sites, he could get his answer in no time.
No, he didn't.
It had been twelve consecutive minutes of internet searching. He typed things such as, can you like a guy, who do I like, how can I even find myself, where did all this even come from?
His fingers just went all over the place and typed uncontrollably, before he threw his phone across the room. Zhen turned over and immediately put the covers on him, closing his eyes as he breathed.
Finally, his eyes opened back up and he heard a faint ringing from his phone. Zhen grunts, before getting up from the bed and grabbing his phone. "Hey, I hope I see you at Olivia's."
Aw shit.
...
Felix tosses the rock into the lake, Hope watching from the bridge they were standing on. The two hung out after school. They chilled at the park, walked, got food, and now they're here throwing rocks in a lake.
Hope enjoyed this. He liked his company, he's never hung out with someone like this, even with Ray's sister. "Thank you for hanging out with me." Hope softly spoke, a smile growing bigger on his face.
Felix like at Hope, feeling a little warmth on his cheeks as he felt flustered. "Of course." Was all he could say as he fixed his posture, then his shirt from how hot he was. "Have you ever swam before?" Felix questioned. "Mhm. I use to when I was little. I just don't know why..but I don't swim as much anymore."
He nods, understanding. "You don't do a lot of things anymore?" Hope stayed quiet, making the other nervous. "I-I'm sorry." Felix looks down,
"I just don't want you to get tired of me in any way."
Hope sighs, "that can never happen." He shrugged. "I stopped a lot of things because I left." Felix nods, he's obviously heard the stories. It was everything students wouldn't stop talking about. How Hope stared at the football boy Ray while he was changing, after kissing his sister whom left the school because of the event.
Felix felt horrible for Hope. He didn't know the full story of what happened, but he knows mistakes get made. Even if this was a huge one, Hope literally tried killing himself because of what happened. How can you drive a person to do such a thing?
"Hope.."
He glances back up at him. "I know you won't talk to me about what happened. But I wanted to tell you, Im sorry. A person like you shouldn't have to go through all that." He explains in sorrow. "When you are ready, I am not be the best at comforting, but I am at listening."
Hope stares off into him, the words sending a shockwave to his body as he felt the need to cry. "I had a friend and..he didn't make it when he attempted." Felix blurts out quickly, sighing. He didn't get to help his friend, Michael. He didn't talk to him enough, listen to him like he should've.
All Hope could do was wrap his arm around Felix's shoulder, bringing him close into a side hug. "Thank you. Everything will be okay." He whispers softly, before the two continued to look at the water.
"Why don't we back to the park real quick? There's something I forgot to do with you."
Hope was a little confused. When they walked back to the park, stopping at a tree stump." What is this?" Hope questions. Felix pulls out a small pocket knife, "I literally only got one for this specific reason. Would you want to..." He struggles to ask him.
"Are you asking me to carve our names or something?" Hope spoke up for him. "Well, I was gonna say initials. But that works also. Just as a..memory to look back on! Like..oh my gosh! And if we get another friend they can add theirs so it wouldn't be—Felix." Hope stops the boy from rambling fast.
He chuckles a little, grabbing the knife from Felix's hand. Hope carves a capital H on the stump, before he handed it back to the blonde boy.
Felix was glad he got the memo. Why was asking him so fucking terrifying? Jesus.
"Wanna go back to my place and watch a horror movie?" Hope smiles softly as Felix carved his initial next to Hope's. "Alright. What are we watching tonight?"
Felix stands up, the knife getting put away and into his pocket. The two boys walk away together. "Hmm..I was thinking Orphan. This family adopts some kid and something's wrong with her. Mentally."
He laughs a bit, "alright. Orphan it is."
Zhen was thankfully let in by Olivia's grandma, heading towards the backyard with a deep breath. The group was sitting on the grass, talking. None of them realized he was there yet. "He should be fine." Olivia shrugs, looking down as it went quiet.
Zhen really didn't know what to do. They still haven't turned around? He walks on the grass, going in front of them which clearly got their attention. "Zhen!" They all exclaimed in happiness before a lot of people crashed into his arms.
He chuckles, looking at Charlie as they pulled away. "Are you okay?" He signs. Zhen stares himself off, before he replies with a thumbs up. Charlie hugs him again, this felt way better than when they hugged the first time.
He actually felt close to him with this hug.
Charlie let's go, before asking Zhen if he wanted to go swimming with them. And this obviously went for a yes.
They swam together, water guns, Zhen even wrote a couple songs with Olivia's help on the materials. He actually had so much fun. "See you at school?" Mo asks, Charlie and Zhen nodding as they waved goodbye.
They finally left the house, walking home. Charlie sighs before he glanced at Zhen.
"Look, from what I saw. I think he was a little...mad or jealous about the girls looking at you." Wen whispers to Charlie as they were walking in the halls. Everyone was staring, only because they were in the band lemonade mouth.
Charlie makes a face, "jealous?"'
Wen nods, "try to talk to him. I'm gonna head to class."
Charlie taps on his shoulder, making him look at the male. He didn't know how to ask him this. "Were you mad at me?" He signs.
He looks back to the ground, nodding a bit. "I didn't like the way that girl was looking at you." Zhen looked away as he signed this back. Charlie was a bit shocked. He didn't know what to say.
"I don't like her. If..that's what you think."
Zhen stops in his tracks, making Charlie stop as well. "I'm fine if you do. Whoever you like, it's going to effect me. I don't want to lose a friend tonight. So please, let's just continue walking home and forget about this."
Zhen opens his door, leaning himself on the back as he sighed. He sees his father sitting in the living room. "Where were you?" His father signs.
Zhen walks a bit closer. "I was at my friend, Olivia's house. I told you before you fell asleep." He replies. "Was Wen there?" He makes a face, confused. "Why does it matter?"
His fathers expression changed quickly. It was scary. "He was."
"I'm just asking why you didn't invite him over. I'd like to meet your friends." Zhen felt a bit bad. "Sorry. I'll talk to him." He couldn't though. How was he supposed to explain this?
—LIV!
can school like not come back.