~ BRAD ~
...Thursday morning...
Brad and Tristan walked down the corridors like everything was normal. They were holding hands and people were looking at them, although not in the usual way.
Some of them looked at Tristan in disgust - something Brad had never seen anyone do in front of Tristan before. The more people they passed by the corridor, the more they wanted Tristan to feel rejected.
"Are you alright?" Brad asked Tristan, who just gave him a slight, frustrated nod.
"Tell me what's wrong." He told his boyfriend, then their group of 'friends' approached them.
"You can kiss your asses goodbye on our lunch table. You're no longer allowed to sit with us." One of them told the both of them sassily, and Brad just returned a confused look.
"Wait, what the hell is going on?" Brad asked all of them, and their 'friends' just guffawed at him.
"You can't talk with us anymore, either." Another one of them said, then they walked away and went by James' side. To Brad's surprise, James ignored them and Connor wasn't with him.
"That's good. I've always wanted to break free from the grip of snakes who take people for granted." Tristan said as they kept on watching the scene, which made Brad giggle. He stopped giggling once he remembered something.
"Have you seen Connor?" Brad asked Tristan, who widened his eyes in surprise.
"Nevermind." Brad immediately told his boyfriend after seeing his reaction, then they went to Tristan's first class.
"Love you, B." Tristan told his boyfriend, who was smiling in return.
"Love you, too, T." Brad told his boyfriend, then they shared a hug before going their separate ways.
Brad started looking for Connor, but instead, he got in the way of a girl who looked like she was rushing to her first class.
"I'm so sorry." Brad told the girl, who was surprised by the impact, then she picked her books up.
"It's alright." She told him, then Brad helped her pick her books up.
"Thanks." She said as she positioned her books in her arms and fixed her glasses. She gave him a wide-eyed look once her glasses were straightened.
"Brad, right? Like, Tristan's boyfriend?" She asked him, then Brad replied with a small nod.
"I've heard about what happened to him. Can you extend him my condolences?"
"Wait, what?" Brad asked the girl.
"Haven't you heard? Tristan's parents died years ago in an accident. He's actually a scholar who used his popularity to keep his secret from being known."
"Seriously?" He asked the girl, who nodded her head as a reply.
"I have to go. I apologise for what happened earlier." He told her, then he started running around the corridors until he found Connor, who was conveniently near a janitor's closet. Brad immediately approached him.
"We need to talk." They both told each other at the same time, then Brad led Connor to the room behind him. Brad closed the door once they were both inside, then Brad started talking.
"You first." He told Connor, who let out a sad sigh.
"Who is James' mum? He never told me anything about his past."
"James' mum left him and his family when he was young. He's broken because of that. He doesn't want anyone to know about that because he thinks it's embarrassing, and that no one would understand him. Instead of focusing on his problems, he focuses on his family and his studies instead." Brad told him as he recalled what James told him in the cliff.
"Is that why he hates her so much?" Connor asked Brad, and Brad nodded his head yes. Connor buried his face on his palms in regret.
"What have I done?" Connor said to no one in particular, and Brad just rubbed his back in attempt to comfort him.
"I didn't want to tell you because I promised not to tell anyone else. You know what I mean?" Brad told him, and Connor nodded his head.
"I do, and I apologise for doing the same." Connor told him. "You found out about Tristan's secret, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did. It's alright, though. Tris and I are still cool." Brad said with a smile, but then his face fell when he saw Connor's sad face.
"James and I stopped talking."
"Wait, what?"
"I was insensitive. I told him that his mum taking Sophie was good."
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, it was mine. Anyway, I told him the truth on why I didn't know anything about it at all, but he didn't believe me." Connor told him sadly, and Brad just gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Look, I'll explain everything to him soon, okay? Don't worry, I don't mind doing this at all. You will both be talking again." Brad told him, but then he felt something in his heart - the same feeling he felt when Tristan was unintentionally hanging out with Connor.
Could this mean that he's jea--
"Thank you, Brad." Connor told him, then they shared a small but meaningful hug. The school bell suddenly rang, and they both went out of the room and ran to their classes.
---
"Tristan?" Brad asked his boyfriend, who was strolling along the corridor with him. They were already dismissed, and he's not going to lie - the day passed by quicker than he thought.
"Yes, B?"
Brad took a deep breath before telling Tristan what he wanted to say.
"Can we go somewhere private, please? I really need to speak with you."
Tristan nodded his head, then they went to the toilets. They both made sure that it was empty before they started talking..
"Promise me that you'll believe every word I say, okay?"
"Okay."
Brad took a deep breath.
"If I tell you that Kath, your cousin's best friend, didn't die the way her parents told everyone, would you believe me?"
"Well, considering that you and I don't really know her very well, I guess I would."
Brad took a deep breath. "She died because of me."
"What?"
"Two weeks ago, Connor wished for something that made me switch minds with him. We woke up the next day in each other's bodies, then Kath revealed later that she was the one who made us switch minds, and that she had magic powers. Because the magic she used was too powerful, she had to go."
"Wait, so, in a way, I kissed Connor?" Tristan asked his boyfriend, then Brad nodded a yes.
Tristan, the tall human that he is, suddenly fainted. Brad caught his head before it touched the ground, then he shook Tristan awake. Once he was awake, Brad helped him up.
"Wait, did he tell you my secret? You know, before it was no longer a secret?" Tristan asked him once he was standing, then Brad shook his head no.
"Holy crap." Tristan said, not believing a word Brad told him. After a few awkward moments together, Tristan started talking.
"I can't fully grasp what you told me just yet. However, I do need to ask you something." Tristan told him, then Brad gestured him to go ahead.
Tristan kissed Brad full on the lips. When they pulled apart, Tristan asked him a question.
"Did you feel a spark?"
Brad badly wanted to say no. He wanted to clear it all up. He didn't feel the same sparks anymore. He felt nothing - as if all the fireworks have been used up for something else.
Or maybe someone else in this matter...
"No." Brad sighed sadly. He looked up at Tristan, who Brad knew was probably tearing right now. To his surprise, Tristan only had a small, nervous smile on his face.
"Me neither." He said sadly, and Brad couldn't believe it.
"You don't feel any sparks?"
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Three weeks ago." Tristan told him straightly and sadly after letting out a deep sigh.
None of them said a word. They just stood there, looking at each other. Unlike most situations like these, though, there wasn't any tension in the air, just Tristan's deep breath.
"I think this means we're better off friends." Tristan told Brad, then Brad looked at the ground. He had no idea what to say.
There was an awkward silence between the two until Brad decided to break the ice.
"I still love you as a friend, though." Brad told him, and Tristan smiled widely at him.
"Me too." Tristan replied, then they went closer to each other and gave each other a hug.
"What does this make us, then?" Brad asked his former flame.
"Best friends?" Tristan asked him while he put his hand out.
"Best friends." Brad told him as he shook Tristan's hand. They shared a hug, then they went out of the closet.
Tradley may have broken up, but their friendship remained strong. Their break-up wasn't bitter, unlike most break-ups - no, their break-up was more of constructive than destructive, they did it because it was needed to be done.
Brad knew for sure that this break-up won't separate the two of them, but instead, make them closer to one another.
~ TRISTAN ~
...Friday night...
Tristan was basically chilling - all the money he earned from taking over his brother's job was used to buy James' medicines, and he was feeling a lot better now. He even told Tristan that he'll take over his shift now, but Tristan said no. He wanted his brother to rest.
He was mixing a customer's drink when he heard sounds of bottles clinking in the cellar. He finished mixing the drink then he went inside the cellar.
"You've stolen way too much bottles of vodka, young lady. I've been waiting for the day that I finally catch you." His boss said as he pinched the vodka-thief's ear. She looked really scared, and awfully familiar.
"Sophie?" Tristan asked the little girl. To his surprise, she looked up at him, and he was right.
"You know this little girl?" His boss asked him angrily, possibly because of his mood. He's been mad lately because someone kept stealing the vodka - and there she was.
"Yes, she's my friend's little sister." He said as he approached the trembling teenager.
"I'll pay for whatever she stole. It's alright." He told his boss, then he nodded his head.
"Better teach her a lesson for stealing then, okay?" He said as a final word, then he went away.
"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be home with James?"
"My mum took me to her place days ago. She was the one who always asked me to steal a bottle of vodka from here or else she'll starve me to death."
"Has she always been that abusive?" He asked her. She just nodded her head.
"Okay. Stay with me, then. My shift ends in 2 hours. You can sleep at the lockers."
"But what about mum? She's going to be mad at me."
"She won't. She has no choice. She could be reported by what she's making you do." He said authoritatively, then they went to the lockers. He made her sleep on the sofa, then he left the room.
"Who was that?" His co-worker asked Tristan once he came back to the counter.
"My friend's little sister. Her mother threatened her so she would get a bottle of vodka here everyday."
"Finally. I thought I was the thief all along." He joked, then they both laughed brightly.
When Tristan finished his shift, he woke Sophie up from her peaceful sleep in the locker room.
"Come on, Sophie, let's go." He told her, but she stopped in her tracks.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I'm actually planning to take you home to ours for a while, then I'll take you to your house tomorrow."
"Wait, why can't you just take me there now?"
"Your brother and I aren't really in talking terms."
"Oh." She said. Of course she knew how hard it would be to ask for her brother's forgiveness.
After going inside their house, Tristan led Sophie to the basement, then he opened the door. He saw that James and Millie were still awake, and they were both busy watching a film.
"Tristan!" They both said at the same time, then Sophie stepped in the room.
"Sophie?" Millie asked her, obviously surprised by her presence. "What are you doing here?"
"She's going to stay with us for a while. It's pretty late so I'm just going to take her home tomorrow." Tristan explained to his siblings, who didn't seem to mind.
It was decided that Sophie would share a bed with Millie, who invited her to go to a party tomorrow. Sophie said no, though, because she still had a lot of things to catch up on. Before he went to sleep, Tristan thought of how he was going to give Sophie to James without angering him.
🌟🌟🌟
Last night, Kat's boyfriend told me that Kat was rushed to the hospital yesterday because she got a massive headache and later became unconscious. She woke up just this morning, and she told me not to worry about her at all and that she's doing a lot better now. I badly want to visit her but she lives too far away. Wish her the best or leave her a sweet message, maybe?
This book is nearly over, by the way. Only 4 more chapters to gooooo 😊😊😊
Thank you for reading and for your patience! May you have a great day ahead, as well! xxx
~ Dani :) (and Kat because she's the best and I wish her the best because she deserves it 💕)
Published: 26/01/17
Updated: 27/02/17