The flare (definition):
The process in which one reaches an enlightenment as to their assigned soulmate, and they are gifted with the visual introduction of colour.
Example: Did you know he had his flare the other day? I always knew they would be each other's soulmate when they first started dating.
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"Dude come on we've gotta go or we are gonna be late!" Sean called from the front door of the house.
"Relax dude, joshs place is only five minutes from school we aren't going to be late." Julian replied, mouth stuffed with food as he threw his backpack over his shoulder before pulling the front door closed behind the two.
"It's the first day of senior year and you're really going to turn up with your hair looking like that?" Sean teased, Julian's head whipping up to see him hastily make his way towards the car before he could reach his hand out to slap the back of his head in retaliation.
"Oh that's cold." Julian said as he climbed into the passenger seat, finding Sean still chuckling away to himself.
"So you plan on asking Kaycee out this year or are we going to be waiting until we are all in retirement homes?" Julian said as they were approaching josh's house, shooting him a text to let him know they were about to pull up.
"Dude come on are we seriously still going on about this?" Sean cringed, fighting hard against the blush threatening to stain his cheeks.
"What are we bullying him about this time?" Josh said as he jumped into the backseat.
"How did you even-?" Sean started.
"I could see your look of mortal discomfort from the front door." Josh laughed and Sean groaned as they pulled away to finish the short drive to the school.
"Seriously you guys need to drop it, it's not like that, it wasn't like that, and it has never been like that." Sean said stubbornly.
"What do you mean?" Julian asked exasperated. "You two were together every time we hung out over summer and you seriously aren't going to ask her out?" He teased.
"I've told you guys, it's not happening, and in case you forgot, there was like 15 of us hanging out for most of this summer, you really think it means anything that I was just with her a lot?" Sean tried to play off nonchalantly.
"Yes!" The two replies, and Sean whipped his head around to josh.
"You weren't even here when this conversation started?" He let out.
"Didn't need to be, I know a flare when I see one." Josh smirked and Julian laughed loudly.
"Well I can promise you now, I haven't had it yet." Sean admitted, glad he finally wasn't lying to them about something this morning.
"Oh dude trust me I know, you really think we couldn't tell by the fact you've got on a navy shirt with black joggers and grey shoes." Julian teased as they pulled into the parking lot, and was met by Sean slamming on the breaks as he reached their spot, looking to Josh with wide eyes, before they both turned to him, and Julian realised what he said. "I'll see you guys at lunch." He let out quickly, before jumping out of the car and making a b line for the entrance.
"Holy shit." Sean breathed out.
"He got his flare." Josh finished the sentence, neither knowing what to do, before they were both thrown out of their shock by the bell ringing in the distance. They got out of the car in silence, walking towards the entrance they'd just seen their friend run through in a panic.
"We can try at lunch." Josh said, reaching his hand out to Sean to fist bump him before they walked their separate ways.
"Try being the key word." Sean joked, extending his fist to his, and he saw joshs face break out into a smile as he rolled his eyes before they went to their classes.
Sean walked into AP calculus, and was instantly greeted by Bailey, Gabe and Jenna, who called him toward the left hand side of the room. He dropped down into the seat next to Jenna, greeting the three and joking about how long it had been since they'd seen one another, when they were all in fact together the prior Saturday. Their conversation was cut short when they heard the door close, and saw their teacher walk in, a smile on his face as always.
"Settle down settle down. I know you all want to catch up on your summer, and I can promise you there will be plenty opportunities to do that. But right now, seeing as you are all going into senior year and made the bright idea of enrolling onto AP classes." He said with a dumbfounded look and they all chuckled. "We need to set out the curriculum for the upcoming year, but if we finish that before class is over, you are free to talk amongst yourselves."
The group remained relatively quiet, making the odd comment to each other as they went through the syllabus, and by the time Sean even thought about talking to them about summer, the bell rang.
"So what's this about one of the group getting their flare?" Will asked as he met up with Sean on the way to the cafeteria for lunch.
"Wait what?" Sean asked quickly, his surprise at anyone knowing feigning as shock that he had no idea.
"I know, amari said something about it during third period." Will said with a shrug of his shoulders. They were interrupted by the bustle of the cafeteria as they entered, turning to make their way to the table they normally found themselves out before they heard a loud whistle. They turned to see Ken waving them over to the middle of the cafeteria, most of their group already sat down.
"I guess they've changed it up?" Will said and Sean looked to him before looking back at them confused. His confusion was quickly wiped away however when they all greeted each other happily, and he realised why they'd moved.
"I keep forgetting how big this group got" He said with a chuckle, the group of previously just six boys now being added to by an additional six girls and another boy. He sat down next to Julian, nudging his elbow with his to catch his eye.
"You good?" He questioned lowly.
"I'm fine, I'll tell you guys at some point just give me some time?" He asked.
"Of course man." He said, patting his hand on his back before he was met by someone dropping themselves down into the chair on his other side.
"Well good morning sunshine." He chuckled at the beaming girl, and saw her cheeks tint a light pink as she turned to face him.
"Afternoon shamu." She chuckled, bumping her shoulder with his as Nat and Amari sat down too.
"So why are we sitting in the middle of the cafeteria now?" Tahani asked the group.
"There's too many of us now to just sit over by the door and seeing as most of us are separated for classes I thought why not." Ken said confidently.
"Do you not think that the more, how do I say this without making us sound like actual losers, popular kids are gonna be pissed off we took their table?" Jenna asked.
"Well unless they plan to literally pick us all up over their shoulders, I'm kinda comfy where I am." Ken retorted cockily and they all groaned at him as he laughed, followed by everyone laughing as Gabe threw a chip that hit him in the centre of his forehead.
They fell into their comfortable routine, one Sean was unsure would transfer from their meet-ups over summer to in school, but the group chatted amongst themselves, conversations blending with one another as they talked about their class schedules. Sean was dragged from his thoughts as a notification lit up his phone.
KayceeRice_x has tagged you in a photo.
He looked over at her to see her now engaged in a conversation with Nat and Gabe, but could tell she could feel his gaze on her. He swiped to unlock his phone, smiling as he saw the photo bailey had taken of them a couple of weeks prior. He felt the small buzz of excitement in his chest about the fact she had even posted the photo, thinking it would just be kept like the hundreds taken of their group over the summer.
Julian looked over Sean's shoulder and saw the screen before smirking at him, causing Sean to send his elbow back lightly to meet his stomach to stop him before anyone else saw his deepening blush. He saw Kaycee smiling at her phone out of the corner of his eye, realising she was reading the comment he had posted underneath it, chuckling to herself at his light flirting.
The bell rung out causing a groan from some of the teens, as they all said their quick farewells.
"My place this Saturday? You can all stay the night?" Will said as they left and the group all threw in their replies, the general consensus somewhere along the lines of "sounds good to me," before they parted ways, and Sean and Kaycee began walking in the same direction.
"Wait what class do you have now?" She asked him timidly as he read the timetable.
"Photography, room 318." He said as he slipped the paper back into his pocket, his hand dropping to his side and brushing against hers.
"I'm in journalism next door, meet me after?" She asked as she looked to him.
"Um, yeah sure, sounds cool." He stumbled and she couldn't help the smile that fell on her lips at his attempt to hide surprise.
"See you then." She said with a side smile, sending him one of her mega watt smiles before stepping into her class.