"Maria, why'd you stop talking to us?" John asked one day. It was a couple years later, 5 to be exact. They were now in middle school.
"Because." Maria looked down and avoided their eye contact.
"And why are you wearing long sleeves? It's like 80 degrees out here" Charles asked.
"I get the chills."
"Maria, something's up."
"Look John, Charles, I'm fine. Stop asking." James came around the corner and put his arm around Maria, glaring at the two before putting on a fake smile.
"See you guys met my girlfriend Maria" he said nicely. Maria looked down at the ground. The school bell rung.
"James, I gotta go to class" Maria said quietly.
"Okay. Bye Maria." Maria walked away, leaving the boys alone. James had a scowl on his face as soon as she was out of sight.
"Listen shitheads, one look at her and your dead meat!"
Four years later~
"Jackie guess what?" Charles practically tackled John.
"You almost made me drop my croissant! What doofus?" John began eating.
"I got a girlfriend!" John coughed, slightly choking on his french pastry.
"Dude no way!"
"Yeah- I asked Martha and she said yes!" John high fived his best friend.
"Dude that's great! You had like the biggest crush on her for years!"
"I know. You find any cute gay guys lately?" Charles asked. Charles was the only one that knew John wasn't straight, beside Maria.
"No" John said.
"But I'll be happy being your third wheel!"
One year later~
"Martha broke up with me."
"Why?"
"She said that she had feelings for someone else."
"That sucks man."
The next week~
"Hey John!"
"Hey Martha."
"I was hoping that we could still be friends even though, ya know."
"Yeah. I don't know Martha. I'll talk to Charles about it and may-" Martha took John's face and kissed him as Charles walked around the corner.
"Dude, what the fuck?" Charles stormed away before John could protest.
"Martha, what the hell?"
"John, I like you. And I kissed you because I wanted to make him jealous." John looked at her in disbelief for a good moment before storming away.
"Charley got dumped by his girlfriend" Levi taunted. James walked over to Charles before he could get away.
"Look, we know John the asshole stole your girl. Ditch him and join us."
"But..." James put his hand in his shoulder, Charles tensing up at his touch.
"Cmon Charles. It's meant to be. We'll practically rule the world. All you have to do is ditch the loser, tell us his secrets and you're in." James extended a hand. Charles shook it.
"Deal."