Friday
Going home with Elio, skipping school to go and do sexual things hadn't been the best plan Senn had ever had. Not that he had any regrets about their activities—on the contrary. Being intimate with Elio had brought them closer together and it was getting increasingly harder to not show feelings in public, and most of all not in front of Joyce. It wasn't so much the fact Senn was still closeted when it came to his sexuality; Elio was too.
Mostly at school and in public.
Elio's family knew about it, and they were accepting of it. Which meant they could openly show their feelings whenever they were in his home, weren't it for the fact they both got in some trouble for skipping school again.
It took Senn two whole days to get Tessa and Dean to agree on him going out with his friends on Friday. Elio wasn't going to be there—he really didn't like going out to drink alcohol and end up drunk—but Avan, Lucas and the girls would be there, and Senn wanted to spend some time with them.
Which was why, on a Friday night, he found himself in the middle of drunk, high, screaming teenagers in Elmer McCoy's villa not too far away from his old home. The living room was turned into a dancing area, and just like Senn remembered, Elmer—who was solely popular in school for throwing these amazing parties—hadn't spared any effort to transform the property in some sort of club.
With a DJ in a booth on a small stage, two bartenders not much older than they themselves were, pouring teenagers every drop of alcohol they asked for, and bouncers at the door to keep uninvited guests and curious by passers out so that a chance for a visit from the cops would be limited to a minimum.
The garden and the pool were used by drunk girls, both from Senn's own class and girls who were slightly older and still friends with the McCoy brothers while they were in college already. Some had taken off most their clothes, while some didn't need to because their white clothes hardly hid any details about their bodies.
Senn didn't mind looking at them while they were tossing a ball around the pool, wrestling each other, singing loudly and jumping up and down in the shallow end of the pool. He definitely still appreciated girls with hot bodies.
Which made it easier to hide the fact he was into guys from Joyce and Samantha, while Avan and Lucas were too occupied by taking in all the beauty as they sat on the porch of the pool house with beers and spliffs in hand.
"Isn't that Julian?" Samantha asked as she pointed a finger towards a group of older guys on the other side of the pool.
Senn followed her finger and found him in the middle of the group, telling a story that made most of them laugh. It made Senn smirk, seeing him like he remembered him from months ago. Julian, always the joker, with the funny stories that nobody knew if they were true. But nobody questioned him, since they were funny.
"Did you hear about his dad?" Joyce turned to Samantha shortly, before looking at Senn. "Did he tell Killian or you about it?"
"He did, yeah." Senn nodded his head in reply, still admiring the fact Julian was here, entertaining his drunk friends at a party, while at home his father was too sick to get out of bed. Time wasn't on his side, yet Julian was here. He wasn't hiding from the world like Senn himself had done for as long as he possibly could.
"Isn't it great that he's still able to enjoy himself? I'm not sure if I could," Joyce said with a soft voice. "He must be aware of all the rumors and gossip about his return, and the fact their father isn't working in their business anymore."
"Let's not gossip as well, okay?" Senn replied as Julian turned and their eyes locked. "I know from my own experience that it's suffocating to have people talk about every detail of your life, and still pretend to feel sorry for you while all they do is seek sensation."
Joyce's mouth snapped shut again, and with a small pout she sipped from her wine as Julian started making his way around the pool, and Senn decided he rather met him in the middle instead of in front of his friends.
"Be right back."
Julian already smiled when he noticed Senn was walking towards him, and without words they walked away from the crowd, the music, and all the yelling. They settled on a spot just outside the front garden, where nobody was going to interrupt them, and nobody was there to hear them talk. Senn needed to talk to Julian.
Julian, however, apparently had no intention to talk. Instead, he pulled Senn close enough to connect their lips in a sweet kiss. One that felt safe and familiar to him, but didn't give him the same feelings that he got from kissing Elio.
Which was why, even though it was probably seconds too late, Senn pulled back, and created distance by stepping away from Julian. He looked how Julian's smile dropped, and his shoulders slumped down.
"I..." Senn started, but Julian raised his hand to stop him.
"I'm sorry," he said, sitting down on a small brick wall that separated the sidewalk from the grassland behind it. "I noticed things were different between us. You weren't really there whenever we talked, or kissed, or even in the treehouse. Who is the lucky person that caught your eye?"
Senn swallowed while sitting down next to Julian. "His name is Elio, and I have no idea how it happened. He's new, and he's... different from anyone I know. He makes me feel all sorts of things I never felt before and he singlehandedly managed to distract me from all the shit that happened."
"He sounds amazing. Just the person you need."
"It's not about needing him, though." Senn chuckled. "I wasn't looking for anything serious, it's just that I want to be with him every single day. And you already know I really didn't want to see anyone for a really long time."
"Killian told me how you locked yourself in your room all the time. He was wondering why you suddenly went out again." Julian smiled warmly, grabbing Senn's hand in his. "I really like you, and I was hoping you felt the same. I'm glad you found someone who makes you feel good though, and I hope we can at least remain friends."
"Of course we can stay friends," Senn replied, squeezing his hand. "I wouldn't want to lose you or miss out on your funny stories."
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Love, June