𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 08
3𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐯
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— "THANK YOU AGAIN, you two are such a cute couple by the way." She told them with a bright smile, she walked away before they could tell her they weren't a couple.
Left alone again, they stared at each other uncertainly until Sam approached, Colby seemed to realize he was still holding Jasper and backed off with a quiet apology.
They moved on and continued to the cafe without acknowledging anything that had happened while Sam wasn't there and if Sam noticed their gazes being drawn to each other even as they avoided looking — well, he wouldn't say anything yet.
"You guys get us a table, I'm gonna find a bathroom." Sam told them as they walked into the cafe they'd found nearby. Leaving no time for protest, he rushed away. The two glanced at each other awkwardly before Colby cleared his throat and led them through the small cafe to a table in the corner that was empty.
Taking his spot, he fought disappointment as Jasper took the seat on the opposite side of the table, however when their eyes met his disappointment faded away.
"So uh- Kansas?" Colby blurted out, forcing his gaze away from the blue eyes he nearly drowned in.
Jasper blinked in confusion, "huh?"
He cleared his throat, twisting the stylish rings on his finger around, "You didn't answer my question earlier," he said, his eyes drawn up from his hands to Jasper's lips to his face, "about where you're from?"
Jasper's gaze flickered away guiltily. "Right..."
He took a breath.
Just do it, Jasper. He told himself — Rip the bandaid off. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway, he reasoned.
"Stanley." He said finally, "Stanley, Kansas."
Colby's eyes shined with surprise as he stared at Jasper.
Before Colby could even think, or ask the question he knew was coming, the blonde spoke, "I went to Blue Valley High until Junior year, we shared a class together." He said it as fact and then added, "I think. But that summer, my parents moved. I didn't — couldn't say goodbye t-to anyone," blue eyes found blue, and the words finally escaped, "To you."
"I knew you?" Colby asked feeling strangled by the words, he knew the answer and yet he couldn't find it on his own.
He nodded. "Once." Jasper chuckled, "I looked a bit different then. Hadn't dyed my hair yet so it was brown and I had glasses for a while too so..." he told him like it was supposed to be comforting, excuses without request for why Colby didn't recognize him the moment they met again.
He stared at him, past mixing with the present as he envisioned Jasper a few years younger, hair brown with glasses that criminally covered those ocean blue eyes. It didn't take long for the image to settle in his mind, he knew the person he pictured like the back of his hand from the way his eyes shined in the light to the way his hands danced in the dark, what he struggled to imagine was that the Jasper before him is the same one he knew then.
Finally, Colby spoke with certainty, "I know you."
＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊
Colby shuffled into class tiredly in the early morning hours. Too early, he resolved as he fell into a chair in the back of the classroom. It was one of the few classes he didn't share with his best friend, Sam, or any of his band friends, so he spent most of the class bored out of his mind and wishing for a Time Machine to get him out.
Most of the time, he completely zoned out. He didn't pay attention to his classmates, he barely paid attention to his teacher. He memorized little facts about those around him but couldn't remember names for his life which may be why he didn't recognize the blonde sitting beside him when his teacher announced they would be working on the next project — worth 50 percent of their grade — together.
They'd agreed to meet after school and get it done as soon as possible so they could both move on, but when the project took longer than either wanted neither complained. When the project ended, Colby threw out a few lies that they were paired for another project so he could spend afternoons usually with Sam with the new blonde that captured his attention.
He didn't understand his feelings for a long time. He'd never felt anything like this towards a boy. He didn't understand why he craved moments where their hands would brush against each other, or Jasper would get too close as they went over notes, why he found himself loving the feeling of drowning in those blue eyes.
He didn't understand any of it and he understood it even less after they shared their first kiss but he found after that he didn't care for an explanation so long as it never ended.
It lasted until summer — when Colby finally worked up the courage to head to Jasper's house and ask him to be his boyfriend — when Colby found Jasper's house empty, the door left unlocked with a for sale sign on the front lawn.
He never got a letter or a goodbye from the blonde, only a heartbreak.
Colby didn't expect to see him ever again and after a while, he was okay with that. Until now.
＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊
"YOU DID." Jasper spoke, snapping Colby out of the past and straight back into the present, "Once."
Tears welled in his ocean eyes that pained Colby to see. He shook his head, "Jasper..." his hand reached across the table without even a thought, and then...
The chair beside him squealed against the floor as Sam sat down, Colby's hand flew back and fell onto his lap as he stared at his best friend who looked up and cleared his throat, "Am I interrupting?" He asked sheepishly.
Didn't I give the lovebirds enough time? Sam nearly groaned.
"No." Jasper said at the same time Colby said yes. He glared.
Sam looked between them with newfound uncertainty, "It's fine, Sam." Colby assured, glancing at Jasper before picking up a menu although food was the last thing on his mind. Jasper followed suit after a moment leaving Sam the odd one out as he glanced between the pair before picking up a menu if only to not seem strange.
What followed was a very awkward lunch that left Sam dying for an exit which he gave himself as they walked out of the cafe, "How about we head back to the hotel? We've got an early flight anyway." He suggested for his own sake.
Colby and Jasper walked behind him, agreeing easily, distracted by the way their hands grazed each other and their eyes met — past mingling with present as a strange new yet familiar feeling settled between them. Colby didn't even think when he sat beside Jasper in the car, silent the whole way as their hands sat on top of each other — not intertwined but together nonetheless — memories played through his mind, moments from the past and present bleeding together into one as he sat beside the first love of his life wondering what could've been — what still could be.
He blinked and they were at the hotel, their hands falling from each other as they tore apart left separate even as their thoughts drifted back to each other, drowning in blue even when they couldn't see.
＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊
1,244 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
— not what you expected?
Secret High school lovers turned friends with tension turned... more?
We'll see what comes next...