Riley stood in the office before his homeroom teacher who had called him to her desk.

"You've suddenly been doing a lot better. Your grades are improving. It's like it happened overnight."

She's not going to accuse me of cheating, right? Not after a month of this.

"It isn't a bad thing. I always had a feeling you were more intelligent than your grades showed. But why the change?"

"Oh, um... I got a tutor," Riley lied, suppressing a grin. Just thinking about Eran made him fill with happiness.

"Oh?" Ms. Sharma looked surprised.

"He's pretty serious," Riley half-lied.

"Oh." She smiled. "Well, I hope you keep up the good work."

Riley nodded.

"With that, I wanted to let you know that all grade 12 students will be getting Future Plans forms soon. I mentioned them at the beginning of the year; you write down your top 3 universities for the OUAC and your career goals. You'll get it before winter break and they'll be due when you return next semester." The teacher looked at a folder. "In grade 11, you wrote you were unsure. I hope you take the holiday to think seriously about them."

I totally stopped listening after 'Future Plans forms.' I hate those. There's nothing I'm good at or interested in. If I could major in 'Eran-ology' and take up the career of being his house... husband, that'd be perfect. Graduation was coming up soon, but Riley hated feeling so unsure. Against his better judgment, he pushed the matter away into the recesses of his mind.

Tony was absent, apparently at a doctor's appointment. It didn't happen infrequently; whenever Tony had any slight ailment his over-reactive mother would drag him to the doctor. Sometimes he ended up drugged up on unnecessary medicines and had to take off from school just to get his mind and body back intact.

Jay and Riley sat in their Winter season spot at lunch.

"I've been meaning to ask," Jay leaned against the wall talking with a thin stick of chocolate-covered biscuit between his teeth, "Why'd you get a tutor?"

Riley hesitated. "I need to graduate properly. I might go to university."

"You said you'd become rich," Jay reminded Riley of his statement upon finding Eran's business cards.

"I did..." Riley shifted his eyes. "Eran's great."

Jay silently stared at Riley. Crap, did that sound weird?

"You two have become pretty close."

Don't tell me he can tell that I... "Yeah." But I wonder how he'd react if I told him the truth...

"It's pretty cool. I mean, do you feel like you have an older brother?" Jay leaned forward and tilted his head. He knew that other than himself and Tony, Riley had very few close contacts.

"Older..." brother? "No. He feels like... a friend, maybe?" Riley actually wasn't sure himself.

"I heard someone say you come to school earlier sometimes. Is it 'cause you stay over at his place?"

"Mhm. Occasionally." I'm too afraid to tell him.

"I wish I had an older brother. My sister can be such a brat. She keeps complaining about not having a boyfriend." Jay rolled his eyes. "I keep telling her grade 9 guys are horndogs."

"Haha, 'horndogs.'"

"So now she's going for older guys."

Riley groaned. "Grade 9 kids are stupid. Make sure there's no chance she'll ever see Eran."

Jay laughed. "Man, he's totally her type."

"Exactly."

"He isn't a bad guy, though."

"NO WAY," Riley said firmly. "He's like... ancient compared to her."

"Hm..."

I'm serious. I'm totally serious. Bring her near Eran and I'll show no mercy.

"It's Fridaaaay. Do you wanna hang out after school? Tony's got a copy of this new shooter."

"Su-Oh. I can't."

"Let me guess: Eran?"

"You're so clever."

"A genius."

"Eran likes PvP games."

"Haha! Not surprising."

"He gets this scary smile sometimes. I usually get my ass kicked, but if I don't lose on purpose, I get a live action ass kicking."

Jay laughed. "You've gotta bring him around one day. It'd be interesting."

I want him all to myself, but... I do want them to get along. In an 'I approve of you' way. "Hm... yeah." I'm totally selfish, but I want to be his #1.

Riley happily bounced to Eran's campus. Eran had said he wasn't going to the lab that day, so Riley wanted to surprise him by picking him up. Even if he gets mad, it'll be cute. The way he is lately, though, I'm sure he'd only be pretending. Riley grinned.

He got to the Bio. Sciences section of campus, glancing around the courtyard at the college students going home. Riley tried to picture himself as one of them, and it only seemed plausible when he pictured himself following after a fakely-annoyed Eran.

As he walked towards the classroom building, he noticed Eran walking with another student. It was a girl; she was sort of cute. Riley stood beneath a tree, hidden by its shade. He watched inquisitively, happiness gradually fading.

The girl was smiling at Eran and Eran seemed to be half-smiling and making one of his scoffing chuckles. She hooked her arm around his and looked excited. The girl said something, then looked up at Eran and batted her eyelashes. Riley began to feel physically sick as he watched her put her hands on Eran's shoulders and kiss his cheek.

As Eran accepted the kiss while not looking even a bit bothered, Riley felt lightheaded. The girl said something else and the way Eran looked back at her was full of emotion. Riley pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and held his breath as he saw the corner of Eran's mouth turn upward and Eran place a gentle hand on her head. Seeing the emotion in Eran's eyes, Riley turned away and escaped from the scene.

He stopped on the side of the campus near the tennis courts and laid down on a cool iron bench. His eyes stung, head spun, and stomach turned.

Riley let the cold of the metal seep through his skin. Did I make a mistake? He hoped he had misinterpreted something. But no, Eran touched her. He touched her in a way he'd never even touched Riley. And he looked at her with an emotion Riley knew he'd shown no one else. He said he didn't particularly want a girlfriend. But he didn't say he was opposed. Riley clenched his fists, feeling like a saw was running through his chest.

The notification tone reserved for Eran sounded from his phone. I don't want to read it. Don't want to read it. Don't want to read it. Riley took out his cell phone, ignoring the message and thought about dialing Jay. I don't know if my voice could manage to sound normal. Instead, he sent a text: 'Change of plans. Let's go downtown. It's been awhile.'

Jay sent a reply, 'Sounds good! Meet at Tony's.'

"Hey," Riley said when Tony and Jay came to the door. He made a peace sign with his right hand, not smiling. Riley and the other two had already changed into casual clothes.

As they walked down the street, they put on the accessories they'd been hiding so as to not make Tony's mom suspicious.

Riley's phone rang Eran's ringtone and he declined the call without looking. He focused forward with an emotionless expression. "I want to get shitfaced drunk."

Tony and Jay exchanged glances. "It's the old Riley," Jay said in a voice that was either pleased or amused-Riley couldn't tell which... Riley didn't care which.

I know, the kiss thing is so cliché! Back when I wrote this in 2013 or so, I wasn't as creative. 😅 And I'm still not creative enough to figure something else out. 😅💦