I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned and groaned in frustration all night long. My mind didn't seem to stray from Theodore once. His eyes, his smile, his lips. I kept going over and over that moment, trying to assure myself that I wasn't dreaming.

I replayed every single conversation we'd ever had, trying to pick out the clues he might have unknowingly left to indicate that he liked me back. But I got bored of going over and over our past memories, I was desperate to make new ones. I wanted to be with him, right here, right now.

I still wasn't sure that I hadn't dreamt that kiss. It was something completely new and exciting. Electricity rather than dull sparks. My affection for the boy had been steadily growing but I never expected it to evolve into anything more than a stupid crush. And here I was, thinking about him all the time, wishing that I could kiss him over and over and over again.

I didn't know it was possible to be this happy. Sure, I'd experienced happiness in the past, but not like this. There was always that cloud looming over me, ready to rain down past memories, slicing into me like a knife. But now it was all blue skies and sunshine. I'd won the football game, I'd kissed Theodore, Daya knew about my secret and she didn't judge me. Everything was going to be okay.

I was woken up by my dog bounding onto my bed, licking my face obnoxiously, panting and dribbling saliva over my sheets. I groaned and tried to shove him off, but Bugsy was being stubborn. "Fine, I'm getting up." I grumbled, untangling myself from the sheets, giving Bugsy one last scratch and trudging downstairs.

"Luca, can you take Bugsy for a walk?" My Dad requested, buttering a slice of toast.

I groaned but complied nonetheless, pulling on a pair of trainers and a jacket over my sweatpants. After grabbing an apple to eat on the way to the park and buckling Bugsy's orange lead onto his collar, I left. I realised as I walked that I was in a far better mood than usual. Normally, I'd protest and make my parents take him. I'd always take the short route or text one of my friends to meet me on the way so I wasn't so bored. But today, I walked with a spring in my step, opting for the longer circuit around the back of the park, taking pleasure in being alone with my thoughts.

The park was unusually empty when I arrived, probably due to the grey storm clouds rolling around above me. I was left alone with my dog and a couple of pigeons hammering their beaks into the moist soil. After finding refuge on a bench by the bushes, I let Bugsy off his lead and he bolted away immediately, his tail wagging back and forth.

I realised just how tired I was once my eyes begun to droop, starting to regret staying up so late thinking about a certain silver haired boy. I dug my hand into my pocket, pulling out a packet of cigarettes. After lighting one and taking a puff, I settled back on the bench, my eyes following the movements of my Labrador chasing a butterfly.

"Those things kill, you know?"

I glanced up at the sound of a familiar voice as Milo wandered over to me, his hands buried in his pockets as he flopped down beside me. "Hey." I mumbled.

"Don't let my brother know you smoke, he might just be put off." He nudged me playfully, fiddling with the dog lead in his hands.

"Not my problem if he doesn't like smokers." I scoffed, trying to push down the butterflies flapping their wings in my stomach.

"Sure." He rolled his eyes. "Because you totally don't care about his opinion at all, do you?"

My eyes snapped to his nervously, "You know?"

His brows raised in surprise, laughing softly under his breath, "I do now." He cackled. "What, are you two like...a thing or-?"

"No." I snapped. "We're just...I don't know..."

"Whatever, dude." He shrugged. "When did that happen?"

I wasn't a fan of how fast people were finding out about Theodore and myself. We'd only kissed yesterday and already two people knew. I was going to do everything I could to make sure no one else found out, at least not for a long time. This had to be between us if there was any chance of making this relationship work. "Yesterday." I admitted reluctantly, slipping the cigarette between my lips and inhaling deeply. I offered it wordlessly to Milo, but he shook his head.

"Huh. Gotta say, I never pinned you as a bender-"

"I'm not." I interrupted sharply.

He rose his hands in mock surrender, snickering to himself, "Just don't fuck around with him, alright?"

"Got it." I sighed in exasperation. "I'll be good, whatever you say." I waved my hand in dismissal. "What're you doing here anyway?"

He pointed to a scruffy black and white border collie, its ears flopping as it ran after Bugsy, who I'd unknowingly stopped paying attention to. "Daisy." He supplied. "Rescued her a few years back."

"Cute." I commented, lacking a better word to describe the energetic animal. "Theo told me what happened." I blurted out without warning. I hadn't even realised I'd said it until the words were out there in the open.

He rose his brows skeptically, leaning back on the bench in observation, "So, we've gone from Teddy to Theodore to Theo?"

I let out a deep sigh, my eyes focussing back on the dogs, now rolling around on the ground together, picking up grass stains and crushing bugs. "That's all you have to say?"

He shrugged, "It's his story to tell, I can't do anything about it. I'm just surprised he trusted you, Teddy never talks about that."

"We're friends." I stated stubbornly.

He scoffed obnoxiously, "Right."

I rolled my eyes, "Plus, we...I mean, he..." I sighed in frustration. "He told me a secret or two so I told him one of my own. We're equal now."

"Equal?" He rose his brows in exasperation.

"I'm just saying, he can trust me because I trust him. I won't tell anyone because if I do, who's to say he won't tell anyone?"

He snorted, "Because Teddy wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, well, you know what I mean." I grunted in annoyance, sinking into the bench, fiddling with my cigarette.

"You two will never really be...equal, you know that, right?"

I turned to him, my brows pulled together in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Teddy has to work for things. He gets good grades because he has to. He works at the pet store because my parents ask him to; he doesn't even get paid for it. He spends all night studying because he's terrified of not going to university and without uni, he's stuck here, where everyone hates him."

I gulped, my fingers shaking as I tugged at the frayed lead in my hands, tossing the cigarette away nervously. I knew where he was going with this, but I didn't want to admit it. Admit that Theo was struggling with everything. And yet, he managed to handle it all so well, all without a single complaint. "And?" I coughed awkwardly, trying not to let Milo see how much Theo's situation bothered me. Because then he'd find out how much Theo meant to me. And that was dangerous.

"And you're you." He told me bluntly. "Luca Bakker."

"That's not how you pronounce-"

"I don't care." He waved me off. "You have everything, Luca. You can slack off and no one would care. You can walk around without worrying about people judging you. You have friends, football, parties, you can just do whatever you want, right?"

I sighed heavily, "Yeah, yeah, you've made your point."

He laughed, ruffling my hair, "If you're gonna be with him-"

I glared at him, "We're not-"

"If you're gonna be...friend with benefits or whatever this is..." He corrected. "Then you have to realise that you guys are different, not just personality wise."

"I know." I agreed. "He's just...I really like him, okay?"

He grinned as I finally confessed my feelings, "Great. You're coming over for dinner tonight. Give me your phone."

My brows shot up in surprise as he held his palm out expectantly. I sighed heavily as I dug my phone out of my pocket and handed it over. "Here." I grumbled.

He smiled sweetly, typing his number in, my phone vibrating in his hands, "You've got a text from someone called Sam." He commented with a frown. "She thinks you gave her chlamydia." He chuckled.

I snatched my phone out of his grip, blushing furiously, "She's just being paranoid." I muttered in embarrassment.

"I don't know, man. You can never be too careful-"

"I'm clean." I said stubbornly.

"How d'you know?" He rose his brows suggestively.

"I get tested regularly." I shrugged, "Don't you?"

"As someone with a girlfriend of eight months who I've only ever had sex with twice, no."

I snorted, "You guys have only had sex twice?"

"She's shy." He defended.

"Want some help getting laid?"

"What, and get chlamydia? No thanks."

"Oh, come on. I'm really good. I give great advice, she won't be able to resist you."

"Is that how you plan on seducing my brother? Because I think I'll have to warn him about the STI before-"

"I don't have chlamydia!" I exclaimed. A couple of dog walkers nearby froze, exchanging confused, disgusted looks before hurrying away. "Even if Sam did have chlamydia, she didn't get it from me." I crossed my arms over my chest tightly.

Milo was cackling, slapping his knee at my outburst, "Oh, god, you're fucking hilarious, Luca. I'll make sure to tell this story at dinner tonight." He grinned. "I've put my number in your phone and sent myself a text. I'll message you our address, be there at seven." He winked, standing up and calling his dog over.

I was about to protest but Daisy had already sprinted over, stopping graciously in front of her owner. I was too embarrassed to summon Bugsy while he was still standing there, knowing my dog was extremely disobedient in comparison. "What about Theo?" I queried.

"What about him?" He asked, clipping the lead to his dog's collar.

"Will he mind?"

He laughed again, "Why would he?"