Jordan's fingers tapped away on his keyboard slower than usual. Their eyes were fixed on the glaring screen as they pieced together their history assignment. The scent of old coffee grinds and the hum of Tim Hortons provided a sense of comfort until Steven breezed in.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, collapsing onto the bench seat across from Jordan. "Ally called me, finally, and guess what? She's throwing a party this weekend and we're invited."

Jordan's hands froze above the keyboard at the mention of Ally. They looked up to face Steven, noticing the eager spark in his brown eyes. "I don't know about that," Jordan hesitated, thinking about how Ally had treated Rodney over the summer. "I Know the two of you are close, but Rodney is like one of my best friends. It would be weird for me to go wouldn't it?"

Steven’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would it be weird? I know Ally, if she ghosted him then she has a good reason for it."

"Has she told you her reason?" Jordan probed, searching Steven's face for an answer.

"Um, not exactly," Steven admitted, scratching his head. "But I'm sure she has one. She is an amazingly kind person, she doesn't just bail on people."

Jordan felt a knot tying itself tightly in their stomach. "Do you really think Rodney is the one that caused all of this? I mean you've seen him recently, he is taking this hard. I just don't see how he could be in the wrong on this one,"

Steven’s cheeks reddened slightly, his frustration taking over for a moment. "Look, I'm Ally's friend—I hardly know Rodney. And I think he's keeping things from us. We don't have the full story."

"Nobody tells their friends everything," Jordan conceded, their tone firm. "But I just don't feel right about going to this party. Especially because we don't know why Ally did what she did."

"Come on, we're dating, Jordan. You have to come with me to the party, it is what a good partner would do," Steven pressed, leaning closer.

Jordan drew back, hurt flashing across their brown eyes. "That's right we are, so you should respect my choices. Don't use the fact we're dating to try and get something you want like that."

Realization dawned on Steven's face and he leaned back in his chair. "You're right. I'm sorry," he murmured, clearly disappointed. "You can do whatever you want. I shouldn’t have said that."

"Thanks," Jordan said quietly, flashing a small sideways smile. A new type of uncomfortable silence spread between them, one that caused a twinge of concern within Jordan. For the first time ever they didn't feel the usual joy they had with Steven next to them.

---

Rodney's gaze swept over the school library, he took a deep breath preparing for himself for what he had to do. The library was eerily quiet and he worried about what might happen if they made a scene. Olive was sitting in a study booth, her long blonde hair spilling over the backrest of a chair as she read through her textbook.

"Hey, Olive," Rodney's voice cracked and he could feel the sweat beginning to form on his forehead. She looked up, her eyes narrowing in on his unease.

"Rodney," she greeted, a concerned look on her face, "Is everything ok? You look like you might be getting sick."

He smiled weakly, taking a seat in the torn green fabric chair beside her. "No, I'm not sick, but..." He paused, searching for the right words. "About um, you know that thing we did..."

"Oh, are you ready now for a date?" Olive's voice turned to a low playful tone, her eyebrow arching.

"Actually, that's just it." Rodney swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I... I'm not ready for, you know, the kind of date you're talking about."

"Wait, you don't want to see me anymore?" Her confusion was genuine, and it tugged at Rodney's heart.

"I do! It's just..." Rodney fiddled with the hem of his sweater, avoiding eye contact while he searched for the right words. "I'm not ready to have sex yet, I like you and everything but I need more time. Maybe we could get to know each other a bit more before..."

"Rodney," she cut him off, closing her book with an air of finality. "You're sweet, really. But I am only in Canada for a few months. I want fun while I am here, there is no point in actually dating." Standing up, she slung her backpack over one shoulder. "You are sweet, maybe we can hang out again if you change your mind,"

"Um sure yeah," Rodney replied, a mixture of disappointment and relief washing over him.

"Good luck with everything, Rodney," Olive said before walking away, her stride as confident as ever.

Rodney let out the breath he'd been holding and slumped back into the chair, he felt kind of hurt by the fact it was so easy for Olive to just walk away. That's when he caught Hunter's hazel eyes on him from across the room. As their gazes locked, Hunter quickly diverted his attention to the textbook he had on the desk.

"I take it you heard all of that?" Rodney said, getting up and walking over to Hunter's desk. Hunter looked up from the book, trying to play it cool.

"Heard what?" Hunter asked, motioning to the chair next to his.

"The whole Olive thing that just happened" Rodney fell down into the offered chair. "You're sitting like two feet away, you must have heard some of it,"

"Oh, that," Hunter looked over to where Olive had been sitting. "Hey, I think it was good you told her what's what. Sorry about the end result though,"

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Yeah, it didn't quite go like I thought it would," Rodney felt a little awkward with the who scenario, so a subject change was in order, "I don't think we've talked much yet, how was your summer?"

Hunter sighed dramatically. "Not as exciting as usual. Just the Bahamas on the family yacht. You know, the usual drill."

"Sounds terrible," Rodney teased, thinking how that 'usual drill' sounded like a dream to him.

"Totally dreadful, mom spent the entire time throwing up over the side of it," Hunter shivered at the memory, before looking over at Rodney. "What about you? how did the rest of your summer go?"

"It was fine, Derek and I went camping. Madison dragged me to a few open mic nights," Rodney shrugged, keeping the details sparse.

"That sounds like fun," Hunter said, giving Rodney a strange look. He had never experienced a low-energy Rodney like this before. Rodney always had an anxious energy around him, this Rodney didn't.

"I guess, it was just quiet for the most part," Rodney stared off into the distance as if replaying the events of the summer in his head.

"Well knowing you, it won't stay quiet for long." Hunter closed his book, giving Rodney his full attention now. Looking into Hunter's eyes, Rodney's thoughts wandered back to their kiss. After all, they did kiss one more time over the summer, just after the cottage trip Hunter had thanked him with a small peck on the cheek before heading home. Rodney suddenly realized he wasn't saying anything and Hunter looked confused.

The shrill bell cut through the library's silence before Rodney could speak. Rodney mechanically stood up from the desk, his mind still lingering on how embarrassed he was to be caught in a daydream mid-conversation. As he turned to leave, he felt a tug of reluctance; part of him wanted to sink back into the chair and fade away.

"Rodney, wait up," Hunter called out, tugging on his sleeve. Rodney turned, prepared for Hunter to have questions about what just happened.

"Hey, I wondering if you are free Saturday?" Hunter asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

"Uh, yeah, I don't have plans," Rodney replied, confused about why Hunter wasn't addressing the elephant in the room. He peered at Hunter, trying to gauge his intentions. "Why? Are you asking me out or something?" Attempted to joke.

The question hung between them for a heartbeat too long, painting Hunter's cheeks a vibrant shade of red. "No, no," he stammered, quickly regaining his composure. "I'm throwing a party at my place. You know, student council, athletes—the works. I figure maybe we can catch up more then, I mean if you want to come?"

Rodney's gaze drifted away as he mulled over the invitation. The prospect of being surrounded by so many people made his stomach turn. "Sounds... like it could be fun," he did his best to sound excited.

"Everyone who's hitting the honour roll is invited too. So you won't be out of place," Hunter explained, trying to ease Rodney's obvious worry. "My parents will be there too, so it's not like things will get crazy or anything,"

"Oh, ok," something about Hunter's parents being there made him feel a little more at ease. Rodney looked back over to Hunter and saw the pleading behind his eyes. "I'll be there." He finally said.

"Great!" Hunter beamed. "Trust me, you're going to have fun."

"Here’s hoping," Rodney replied before offering a small wave and heading toward his next class.

***

The night of the party arrived like an unwelcome test—for which Rodney felt wholly unprepared. His mom's car rolled to a stop in front of Hunter's sprawling manor, its modern lines and gleaming surfaces seemed to cut through the night.

"Remember you can call me anytime to pick you up," Mrs. Thompson reminded him, as she took in the party spilling out into the front yard with a look of concern.

"I Know, Mom," Rodney murmured, stepping out into the cool evening air. The moment he approached the double doors, they swung open, revealing a doorman with a crisp suit and practiced smile.

"Good evening. Food trucks are around back, and there's a heated pool in the basement for guests," the doorman informed him in a polished tone.

"Thanks," Rodney replied, doing his best to be heard over the sound of the music blaring from inside the house. He stepped into the foyer and instantly felt adrift in a sea of designer labels and effortless confidence.

"Need a drink?" a voice called out, causing Rodney to jump. Turning, he found Hunter striding toward him—cool, casual, and completely at home in this environment.

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me. Your house is unreal," Rodney said, managing a smile.

"Nah, it's not that great," Hunter said, acting casual. "Why don't I give you the grand tour?"

"Uh, yeah. I would like that," Rodney smiled, the thought of a private away from all the noise made him feel a little more comfortable. But before they could continue, a woman approached—elegant, composed, undoubtedly Hunter's mother. She whispered something in her son's ear, and Rodney caught a flash of annoyance on Hunter's face before it vanished behind a polite mask.

"Sorry, Rodney, can you hold on a sec? I'll be right back." With that, Hunter trailed after his mother, leaving Rodney alone once more with his thoughts and the hum of the party around him.

Rodney made his way over to the punch bowl, listening in on the vibrant chatter and laughter around him. He felt out of place so grabbed one of the prefilled cups, the red liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim with each absent-minded swirl.

"Hey," said a familiar voice, pulling Rodney from his thoughts. Jordan stood there, clutch-like grip on their own punch.

"Jordan! Is Steven here too?" Rodney asked, hoping he had found a small group he could cling to for the rest of the party.

"Uh, no, he has like a ton of homework to do. You know Steven, always leaving everything till the last minute," Jordan attempted to joke before nervously sipping his punch.

"Oh, that sucks. How long have you been here for?" Rodney shifted his weight.

"Just a couple of hours. I was the first one here you know." Jordan's lips quirked up in self-aware amusement.

"Of course you were." Rodney chuckled before it faded into a sigh. "Does all of this feel... overwhelming to you too?"

"This party is definitely a lot. But I'm glad to see you here. I know you've been feeling a little off lately..."

"Right, yeah. I just haven't been feeling like myself lately, you know?" Rodney swept a hand through his hair.

"I know the feeling, I think it is a good thing to get out and be around people when you're feeling that way," Jordan sipped some more punch.

"I guess so, I usually just feel more out of place at these things. My stomach feels like it is going to explode," he confessed, a half-hearted shrug accompanying his words.

"Oh, well there are a lot of quiet places upstairs if you need a breather."

"I might have to head up that way," Rodney looked over to the stairs.

"Jordan!" Samantha threw her arm around him, appearing out of nowhere. "I need you for a minute, we are taking a pic of the student council," Jordan looked over to Rodney,

"Go ahead, I'll be good here," Rodney reassured them, while trying to reassure himself.

Left alone once more, Rodney decided a breather would be nice, and he set off for the upper level. The upstairs halls seemed to stretch endlessly, each corner revealing another cluster of animated teenagers he had to dodge. Finally, he stumbled upon a study where a small group had gathered, their attention fixed on someone talking about Ally of all people. Rodney stuck his head inside and realized it was Hunter doing the talking.

"Let me tell you this, the girl is a ghoster. I've seen it first hand, trust me you don't want to be around Ally Matthews," Hunter's low voice floated to Rodney's ears as he edged closer.

A knot formed in Rodney's stomach, as he took in what Hunter was saying. How could Hunter act like he knew anything about what happened between him and Ally? And why did all his friends seem to think that attacking her would make him feel better? Rodney didn't even know what he wanted so how could they?