"Henry!"

I closed my eyes and sighed, my forearm resting on my head. I threw my covers off of me and stood up, rubbing my hands down my face. "What?"

"You've got company," Josie sang, making me walk to my door. I opened it and there stood Cordelia, looking up at me.

"I have nothing to say to you," I said, making her step inside my room.

"Okay, well, I have something to say to you," she said.

I folded my arms over my bare chest as she spun around to face me. I lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. "What?"

"I know you've been able to tell a difference in the way I've been acting."

"Yeah, I have," I said, nodding.

"Henry, I'm leaving," she said, "and I-I should've told you sooner."

I lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean, you're leaving?"

"Mom and Dad," she said, sitting down on my bed, "they're getting back together. We're moving away from the city, kinda out to the suburbs."

"And what does that have to do with us?" I asked, shaking my head.

She shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. "I figured long distance wouldn't be your thing."

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked, "you're moving to the suburbs, and you're afraid that distance is going to become a problem? What the fuck?"

"Henry," she groaned, rubbing her hands down her face, "I was trying to do something that I thought you'd like-"

"Why would I like that, Cordelia?" I asked, gripping my hips. I was fuming, and I was sure it was apparent.

"You've been tied down for a year, Henry," she said, looking up at me.

"Okay, well, plot twist, I don't have a problem with being tied down," I snapped, "but it sure as hell seems like you do."

"I'm going to a new school, I'm living in a new neighborhood-"

"So you're wanting to explore your options?" I deadpanned, finally realizing her intention behind it all.

She looked up at me, knitting her brows together as if she had no clue what I was talking about. "What?"

"We barely see each other at school, I don't live in your neighborhood, so I'm not really seeing how those things would affect us so much. Other than the fact of you wanting to explore your options, of course."

She tilted her head over.

"If you do, then I-"

"I do," she snapped, looking up at me, "we need to. We've outgrown each other."

"We've outgrown each other," I repeated, nodding, "yeah, you're right. We have."

She nodded, leaving us in silence.

"You're not even going to put up a fight?" She asked.

"Is that what you came here for?" I asked, "me to beg for you?"

She shook her head, looking down. "No. But some confirmation that we ever meant anything to you would be nice."

"I'm sorry?" I asked, my jaw nearly unhinging, "you need confirmation from me?"

She looked up at me. She looked beautiful, there was really no denying it. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, putting her facial structure and features on display. Her full lips, her bushy eyebrows, her adorable nose, and her dark brown eyes.

I had to get past those things.

"Bye, Cordelia," I said, shaking my head as I walked over to my sink.

"Henry," she softly said, "I don't want to leave on bad terms."

I braced my palms on the countertop, looking at her through the mirror.

"Alright, we're on good terms," I snapped, grabbing my toothpaste and toothbrush.

"Henry," she said, gently brushing her fingertips against my bare back.

"No, Cordelia," I said, standing upright, "don't touch me."

She looked up at me, and then back down. She held out her hand and I looked down at it, knitting my eyebrows together. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

She sighed and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. "Maybe time will bring us back together, who knows?"

I bit down on my lip and watched as she exited my room, leaving me feeling an insane amount of emotions that I could barely even process.

~*~

I watched Hero and Eros sling weights around, blowing a bubble with my gum.

"Hey, Henny and Cordelia broke up," I said, popping my bubble.

Hero looked back at me, a corner of his mouth quirking up. "No way?"

I nodded. "I heard the whole thing."

"Maybe," Eros grunted out, pulling a plate off of his barbell, "Henry wanted to tell us that on his own terms."

I bit down on my lip and watched as he pulled the other off, dropping it on the ground.

Eros had definitely been writing me off. Ever since the gala, he'd really been cold towards me.

"Sorry," I softly said.

Eros was probably the only person in the world that could make me fully submissive. I was generally a soft but feisty person, but with Eros, I had no control whatsoever.

Hero toggled his eyes between us, grabbing his crutches. "Alright, let's go upstairs. Only supposed to work out for thirty minutes while I'm on these things."

I smiled up at him and watched as Eros brushed past me, sighing. Hero wrapped an arm around my shoulders, looking down at me. "Don't worry. He's just being a bitch."

I smiled up at him and watched as he skillfully made his way upstairs. I jogged upstairs and smiled at Uncle Jo, sitting down at the table. "Hey."

"Hey, kiddo," he said, scratching my head as he walked by.

"Hey, Mom and Dad are doing better," I said, beaming up at him.

"Yeah?" He asked, smiling.

"Yeah," I said, crossing my legs, "Mom said that they met for lunch, and they talked about being c-"

Eros's glare cut me off, making me bite down on my lip.

"That's good, kiddo," he said, "I'm glad."

Eros shook his head and walked outside, making me jolt up from my chair and follow him.

"Hey, what did I do to you?" I asked, closing the French doors behind us.

He stood in front of the pool, shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Okay, well, apparently I did. Every time you've looked at me, it's like you want to kill me."

He looked over at me, a coldness in his eyes that was inexplicable.

"See? Like that."

"I'm not looking at you any differently than I usually do."

"Yes, you are," I said, "and I know I pissed you off at the gala, I get that, but if you're still on that, I really don't know what to tell you."

"Any time we have any amount of time to ourselves, you either get drunk or want to have sex. There is no in between."

I wrapped my sweater around myself, chewing on my bottom lip. Was this Eros complaining because he wanted more?

"I thought that was our agreement," I said, "friends with benefits?"

"Getting drunk was not part of that agreement," he snapped.

"No, you said all I want to do is have sex," I said.

"And you also get drunk," he deadpanned.

"Okay, I didn't technically want to be at the gala-"

"Why-"

"Let me finish," I said, my eyes locked on his.

"I had a reason to not want to be there," I said, "Mom and Dad-"

"Stop blaming them, Josephine," he said, "stop it. You're a seventeen year old girl. You're in charge of you."

"You know I'm going through a lot in terms of them, Eros," I laughed out, shaking my head.

"You're right," he said, "I do know that, because guess what? You came straight to me when they fell apart. You came straight to me to fuck me. Not to talk, to fuck."

"Because that's our agreement, Eros-"

"Fuck the agreement, Jo!" He yelled, "we've crossed every line we can cross at this point! You don't take into consideration how I want to put you back together. You take into consideration how you're feeling in the moment, and no one else."

"How else would you have put me back together, Eros?" I asked, "please, enlighten me!"

"I would've killed, Jo," he said, "to just have laid next to you and talked. To have rubbed your face and hair and back-"

He cut himself off, turning away from me.

"Eros, I don't know what you're saying," I said.

You know what he's saying, you just want him to blatantly admit it to you.

"Well, I don't know how to put it."

"If you're saying you're wanting more from me, you need to understand that you can't hide it. If we're gonna be more than we are, then I don't want to hide it. I want everyone to know."

He looked back at me. "Why would that be an issue?"

"Because yeah, I was drunk at the gala, but you were pushing me away because Hero and Henry were there," I said, "you're embarrassed of them seeing."

"That's a lie," he said, shaking his head, "they'd beat my ass if they knew that I was only after you for sex. If they knew it was something more, I'd think it'd be a little easier to accept."

"Okay, well, Hero already kinda has an idea," I said, "Henry's too caught up in his own shit."

He gripped his hips, looking at me. "So what are we gonna do?"

I bit down on my lip, shrugging. "What are we gonna do?"

~*~

"Hero will murder me if he finds out I'm here," I yelled over the sound of the blaring music. I looked up at Dylan, but he was distracted.

"Yo!" He laughed, pointing to a guy I'd never even seen before.

"And don't worry about Hero," he yelled, looking down at me, "he'll be fine."

I allowed Dylan to lead me through the crowded house. I'd never been to a party, and it was exactly what I'd figured it'd be; overwhelming.

I bit down on my bottom lip, making sure to keep my grip on his hand. We finally made it to the back of the house, to a couch that only had room for the two of us.

He sat down and smiled up at me, making me follow suit. I uncomfortably sat next to him, smiling.

"So what'd you tell your dad?" He asked, pouring me a drink. He, thankfully, no longer had to yell just for me to hear him.

"Th-that I was hanging out with Josie," I said, looking over at him.

Dylan chuckled, shaking his head. "You're sure Josie's covering for you? She's got a loud ass mouth."

I bit down on my lip, looking down at the cup I was holding. "What is this, Dylan?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know."

I grimaced, placing it on the table in front of me. I rested my chin in my palm, watching the rowdy people dance and do things that had no explanation.

"Fran, come on."

I was surprised when I felt Dylan's hand pull me back by my arm, and him pouring a liquid in my mouth. I coughed and gasped, watching as it ran down my white shirt.

"Oh, shit, sorry," he said, looking over at me.

"Dylan," I muttered, standing up. I weaved through the people crowding the room, searching for a bathroom.

I finally found one, opening the door and locking myself inside. I looked in the mirror and raked my hands through my hair. "Shit."

"Fran, it's me," Dylan said, knocking on the door.

I unlocked the door, standing in front of him with an angry look on my face.

"Shit, I didn't realize how red it was," he said, "h-here."

He grabbed a paper towel and water, smearing it across my shirt.

"Dylan, that made it worse!" I exclaimed, looking at him through the mirror.

"Sorry," he said, leaning against the counter.

I realized I really only had one option, and that was to take my shirt off entirely and run it under the water.

"Can you turn around?"

"Fran, please don't flatter yourself."

I knitted my eyebrows together, biting down on my lip. "Fine."

I ripped my shirt off, standing in front of him in just the lacy black bra that Josie had kindly loaned me for the night. He tilted his head over, looking confused and surprised.

"Your boobs have never been that big."

"You can leave," I said, running my shirt under the water, "I mean, you're the one that got me in this mess."

I dropped my shirt when I felt his hands resting on my sides, looking at him through the mirror.

"This is nice," he whispered, grinning at me as he pressed a kiss to my neck.

I felt myself begin to shake. I shook my head, attempting to move away from him. "D-Dylan."

"What?" He asked, "I mean, you took your shirt off in front of me, Fran."

I let out a shaky breath as I felt one of his hands on my thigh, shaking my head. "Dylan, no."

"You'll warm up to it."

"Dylan, I said no," I adamantly said, trying my hardest to push him away.

"Fran," he snapped, wrapping one of his arms around my waist, "you are standing in front of me in a bra and a skirt that's basically small enough only to cover what it needs to cover."

"That doesn't mean anything, Dylan," I grunted, trying to maneuver out of his arms.

"Be still," he said, slamming me against the counter.

"Dylan, stop," I yelled, kneeing him in his groin. He let out a groan and doubled over, making me grab my shirt and race out of the bathroom.

I let out a breath, wiping the tear that had fallen on my cheek. I ran downstairs after finding a room to change in, my eyes going round at the sight of Henry.

"Henry!" I yelled, running towards him.

He was chuckling, being the life of the party, as he was. He looked down at me, knitting his eyebrows together.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He snapped, grabbing my arm.

"I c-came with Dylan," I said, "can you please take me home?"

He chewed on his bottom lip, nodding. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry," I said, looking up at him as he led me outside.

He slipped out of his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "Did he do something to you?"

I stayed silent, my eyes lowered to the ground.

"Francesca, if he did something to you, you have five seconds to tell me," he said, "or else I'm going in there, finding him, and beating his ass with the empty tequila bottle I saw on the counter, no matter if he did or not."

"He didn't," I lied, looking up at him.

Henry was a little temperamental at times, and I knew that whoever finally got the butt-end of that built up anger one day probably wouldn't make it out.

"You're sure?"

"Yes," I said.

It wasn't even serious, Fran. You're just dramatic.

"Okay," he said, "come on, let's go."

~*~

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