Each day after the flower incident seemed to make me more… devastated and just the slightest bit angrier. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, really, but who would? I had people pining after me just for being on the football team, and I was stuck on one boy who clearly probably wanted nothing to do with me anymore.

The only thing that kept me from giving up was the knowledge that he was my angel bound to get hurt—even worse than he’d been by me. I made a stupid mistake, sure, but it had been in his best interest. Oli is the kind of person to make someone live through a Carrie prom scene.

I just wanted Jack to be happy with me, and I—

“Dude, you’ve been glaring at Oli and Jack for, like, five minutes now,” Monster said, snapping his fingers in from of my face and pulling my glare from just Oli and to him instead. “I get that they’re dicks, but—”

“Don’t say that,” I snapped, allowing my gaze to return to where it’d been. Oli had his arm wrapped around Jack’s shoulders, allowing my ex to snuggle into his side. He had his eyes closed and a small smile stretching his lips. He’d look up every now and again, causing Oli to look down at him. They’d say a few words to each other before Oli would kiss his nose or cheek, and then they’d go back to how they’d been before, just like nothing had interrupted the flow.

“I’m just saying what we’re all thinking,” Monster defended himself. “Besides, we all know you’re thinking it, too. Just let it out, dude. None of us would really blame you. We just want the old Alex back.”

“Jack didn’t do anything wrong; I can’t be mad at him,” I argued back, earning me a scoff from Monster as well as everyone in the immediate area who had decided to eaves drop.

“He’s the one who broke up with you, man,” Monster emphasized, turning in his seat to look back at them, “and he didn’t just break up with you—he broke up with you for Oli, of all fucking people. That’s, like, as low as a person can get.”

Needless to say, Franceschi was still the only one who knew the full story about what had happened.

Ignoring Monster, I went back to my staring and thinking. I knew what I was going to do next, I just didn’t know how long it would take me.

---

“You want me to teach you how to play guitar?” Ramsay asked, his eyebrows scrunching together on his forehead as he looked me over. “Like… really? Do you even have enough time in the day to learn how to play? What do you even want to learn?”

“Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran,” I answered honestly without putting too much thought into what his response would be. When all he did was stare, head tilted to the side and eyes drowning in exasperation, I could feel my confidence dwindle.

“Tell me, Gaskarth, why do you want to learn this song?” he asked, faked interest in his voice. I shrugged as an answer, to which he sighed. “Fine, whatever, just know that this is probably a waste of your time and it’s going to backfire in your face, and then I’m gonna laugh at you.”

I nodded and he stood from his bed to move across the room, grabbing his acoustic guitar and turning to make his way back over to me.

“This is gonna sound super lame and cliché,” he said as he moved to sit behind me, “but for now, we’re just gonna start with the basics because I’m sure you don’t know them and right now I don’t know how that one song goes.”

With a nod, the guitar was placed across my lap and Ramsay was leaning around me to position my fingers in the right places.

---

That Saturday, after having spent nearly a week learning how to play the damn song (with almost all of my time and effort being put into it), I was making my way to Jack’s house with Ramsay’s acoustic settled into the front seat next to me. I’d been warned about what would happen if anything happened to the thing while it was in my temporary care, which meant that it had also been strapped in with the seat belt.

I could feel nervous jitters rack my bones every few minutes or so. I was probably just being stupid, but the thought of forgetting the words or the right chords or worse—Jack not being there—made me feel anxious as hell.

The sun was beginning to go down over the horizon as I pulled up in front of Jack’s house. With a few harsh breaths, I was shaking myself out in the front seat. A quick, muttered pep talk consisting of things like “This is for Jack; you can do it” and “Don’t be such a pussy—what’s the worst that could happen?” later, and then I was stepping out of the car into the cool air.

After retrieving the instrument I needed, I was doing my best to sneak around to the back of the house without anyone stopping me to ask what I thought I was doing. Of course, I was just the slightest bit paranoid, so when nothing of that nature actually happened, the relief was a bit more immense than it should’ve been.

I knew that if I stalled any longer than necessary, I’d chicken out and end up turning on my heel to think of something different, something less embarrassing—maybe it’d be easier to just rent out a strip club and get the Ravens to show up—but I knew I had to go through with it. Maybe he’d appreciate the effort and sincerity behind the gesture more than he would if I rented out a strip club and hired the Ravens? Surely he would.

With shaky hands, I put the correct fingers over the right strings and started up at the very beginning.

“Give me love like her, 'cause lately I've been waking up alone. Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt. Told you I'd let them go, and that I'll fight my corner. Maybe tonight I'll call ya after my blood turns into alcohol. No, I just wanna hold ya.”

At first, nothing happened, and I started to feel just the slightest bit discouraged. Then I figured that maybe he just hadn’t heard me, what with how his window was closed with the blinds drawn in front of them, and I realized I would have to raise my voice.

“Give a little time to me or burn this out; we'll play hide and seek to turn this around. All I want is the taste that your lips allow.”

Then, there was a shadow from behind Jack’s curtain. It was tall and thin and just the sight pulled a smile onto my lips. My heart sped up as I began to truly pour my soul into the song.

“Give me love like never before, 'cause lately I've been craving more, and it's been awhile but I still feel the same. Maybe I should let you go. You know I'll fight my corner, and that tonight I'll call ya after my blood is drowning in alcohol. No, I just wanna hold ya.”

When the curtains were pulled back, I felt like I was going to be sick.

“What’re you doing down there, mate?” Oli called as he opened the window and leaned himself against the sill. There was a simper stretching across his lips and his eyebrow was quirked mockingly. “It’s a little cold out to be singing songs, wouldn’t you say?”

“Where’s Jack?” I demanded. It sort of made me feel weak to know that I’d been caught by someone else singing a love song, if I was being honest.

“My boy’s in the shower,” he answered casually, shrugging his shoulders at me. “He said he wanted to look good if I was gonna take him out on a date. Tell me, Gaskarth, how long did it take you to get him to agree to be your boyfriend? He’s all about taking things especially slow now. Thanks for ruining him for the rest of us.”

I could feel myself start to shake again, but it wasn’t due to the nerves or to the cold. “There’s nothing wrong with him,” I growled back, glaring with all I could. It was the most I could offer up, given the fact that he was a story above my head and I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to reach him. Maybe if a rock had been within my reach…

“He won’t even give me a hand job,” Oli continued, looking almost saddened by his words. “What kind of teenage boy isn’t into sex? I’d return the favor. Did you two ever do anything like that? Maybe he’s worried I’ll be as bad as you were,” he mused.

“I swear to God that if I find out you forced him to do anything he doesn’t want to…” I trailed out threateningly, feeling my grip on the neck of the guitar still clutched in my hands tighten.

“Oh, come on, Gaskarth. You know I’m not that kind of person. All I’m saying is that it’s such a shame—he’s got such a pretty body. I bet he’d be good. Truly sucks that I’ve got to wait for it; he won’t even give me much of a kiss yet. I’m thinking that it should only take me a few months, though. He’s a tricky one now, but once he sees that I’d never do what you did, I’m sure he’ll give in pretty easily. Really, accusing him of cheating? That’s a new low, even for you,” he said, chuckling at his words like they were some big joke.

“Don’t you dare fucking touch him,” I snapped. “He’ll see what you’re up to before you get the chance anyway.”

“What I’m up to?” Oli asked, tilting his head to the side. I could see the muscles in his throat move just the slightest, letting me know that he’d hummed. “What exactly is it that I’m trying to do again, Gaskarth? Show him that someone cares for him? Show him that he isn’t alone? Show him that not all guys are like you? I really am such a terrible person, aren’t I?”

Before I could even open my mouth to retort, the sound of the door opening behind Oli pulled our attention away from each other.

“What’re you doing out there? It’s freezing,” Jack said. His tone was a mix of both scolding and teasing, and Oli turned to look at him, giving a wide smile.

“Sorry, babe,” Oli replied, nodding his head to the side. “The air just kind of reminds me of winter back in Sheffield. Didn’t mean to make your room all cold. Let me warm you up?” he offered.

It was silent for a moment, and I could practically hear Jack chewing at his bottom lip in deliberation. Then he was answering with, “Nothing sexual, Sykes, but I guess a little cuddling wouldn’t hurt. Maybe a movie or something first, then we can go, okay?”

“That sounds great, babe,” he said. He was turning to me next, sending a final smirk my way before the window was closed and the blinds were drawn once more. Just like that, I’d been left out in the cold alone.

Notes