• if it means something to you, fight for it•

Chapter 12:

"Israel, right?"

"Yeah... Sky."

It must be a dream, I think because I've had so many dreams play out just like this one. Sky looks exactly the same, and my heart reacts exactly the same way. He smiles and I nearly jump off the seat and hug him. His eyes stay on mine and mine on his and he is the first person to look away, rubbing his palms together before he takes a seat close to me.

"Sorry I am I'm not interrupting anything?" He asks, lowering his eyes from my face, down to my legs where I had a book I wasn't even reading spread open.

I followed his eyes and quickly shut the book. "No, I wasn't doing anything. Just waiting for my friend, Jamal."

He nods, then bites his lips looking ahead to the tracks. It's like he has a lot on his mind and doesn't know how to say it. I want to reach for him hand, I want to tell him I understand and it's okay. But I don't. He doesn't know me like I know him. He sighs and look at me again, "I know you, right?"

My heart skips a beat and I don't say anything, I just stare at him.

He looks away again, it's a different attitude than the Sky I knew. Sky always kept his eyes on me, unnerving me and scrutinizing me. Now it looks like I am the one unnerving him. I wouldn't say I hate the turn of event. "Or least I did? Sorry, I was supposed to come to after the whole principal office thing but I didn't. It's just — it's a bit fucked up that you might know something about me that I don't. We were friends?"

"Y-ou," I gulp. "You remember me?"

He smiles, "I know you're Israel. You always ride with your sister in her car and you attend the church across the football field." He cocks his head, looking at me. "Right?"

I nod, a lot sad and a bit happy. All he forgot was us. "Yeah."

He smiles again, it's a smile that says he's proud of himself for getting that part and a smile of recollection. What recollection, I had no idea. "Great. Everything is just a bit fuzzy and mixed up."

"I understand."

"Am I missing more details? Did we become friends?"

"Yeah, you were my boyfriend. My first love. My everything that I took for granted."

I blink. "No."

"No?" Sky has a brow raised in confusion and a little frown of... disappointment? He must have been so convinced we were friends.

I shake my head, shaking the tears back to the abyss they were trying to crawl out from. Honestly, I didn't know I was such a crybaby until it came Sky. "We weren't friends. At the principal's office um, I thought you were dead so... I was shocked to see you. I um, I usually see you with um- with Lou. Louie. Yeah- I am... I am friends with Lou and I wasn't expecting to see you. Lou must be so happy you're back."

Sky stays silent, looking at me, pink lips pursed and a small frown on. He looks away from my face eventually and down at his feet. "So we weren't friends."

"No," I exhaled. "Unless you count our association with Lou."

"Lou," he repeats, nodding to himself.

Why do I feel so sad?

We stay silent there together and I think of the different ways this conversation could have happened. Happier way it could have happened. This must be some kind of punishment from God, he must be punishing me for being gay.

I turn to Sky and he is looking at his fingers like they were the most beautiful things in the world.

Israel say something!

"Um- how are you feeling?" I find my voice and ask, then facepalm. What a cliche question, really?! "It must be hard not remembering your life." Of course Israel, of course!

Sky nods, turning to glance at me. "It is. I feel like I lost my map or something. It's frustrating and I can't even try to remember. Doctor's orders."

I nod. "I don't understand but it sounds sad."

He smiles at me. "Interesting."

I blink, "what is?"

"You. I think that's the most truthful response I've gotten from anyone who heard what happened."

I shrug. "Someone once said I was intriguing. I'm starting to believe that's true."

He chuckles. "Yeah," then he moves a bit closer and lowers his head down to me, parting his shorter hair away. "And I now have this really cool scar that would probably be there forever."

I saw the scar and I had nothing to say to it, I froze. It looked like it was super painful and I just wanted to hug him. He must have needed lots of hug after the surgery.

He moves back up and smiles again but this is a very familiar smile. An un-genuine one. "Make me feel like this hot villain."

"The hottest," my mouth slips out, working faster than my brain. I blush and quickly look away, parting my lips to let oxygen in. I must be lacking some at the moment.

Sky cocks his head looking at me. "Was that a compliment?"

I bite on my lips chastising myself and if I could I would have just entered the ground. Then it dawns on me. Why am I so scared? It's not bad to flirt right? If this can be called flirting. I love him after all and I want him back in my life. What better way to get a boyfriend, than flirt?

But can I do it? Can I?

No, I'm just Israel. I've never intentionally done it before!

Yes, it's Sky and Sky doesn't bite and he liked you before didn't he?

I take deep breath, ready to answer him—

"Sky, get your bloody ass down here!" The girl with the pink hair screams from the track, causing both Sky and I to turn to her.

Sky and I exchange a look and he get up. "Bye then."

I don't say anything and I watch him take two steps, three and I'm off my seat, grabbing his hand before he can take another. Sky turns to me with a raised brow and I gulp.

"Yes, yes it was," I rush out and when he doesn't say anything, I exhale, visibly relaxing. "I just- I wanted you to smile. A real one this time."

Sky just looks at me and I can't tell if he thinks I'm crazy or charming. I let go of his hand, rub my palms on my jeans and take a step a back. "Um- I'd see you tomorrow." I don't wait for him to say something before I turn around, pack my book and bag and hightail out of there, not looking back, lest I melt and die.

As soon I was back into the empty corridors of the school, I turn to a strange locker, hitting my head on it and pumping a fist to the air. "You did it. You freaking did it." My smile is so wide, my cheeks hurt and I turn around, so my back was relaxing on the locker as I giggled.

Am I really going to try and get Sky back? What if it's too late? What if he's not ready for me again? At least not after what I did to him last time. I am a lot changed though, I haven't had a 'come out' yet but I have accepted the fact that I am gay and I love Sky and Sky is a boy and that's okay. He makes me happy, made me happy and without him, I was so miserable. I've recognized that I really want to be with him and at the moment, just his happiness mattered. I really really like him. And I really really want him.

"Israel?" I hear a voice call and I snap back to reality, almost slipping on the tile and falling on my butt. The locker luckily saved me though. I see it's Jamal and Darcy and some other strange faces are standing behind him.

"Y-ye-yeah?"

Jamal looks around, "are you okay?"

I start nodding fast, "yup, I was just... I was..." I look around for an excuse. "Oh yeah I was waiting for you to tell you that's I'm going home. Yeah, bye."

I start walking and Jamal runs after me. "Issy, are you sure you're okay?"

I nod and then because I couldn't stop smiling, I lowered and whispered in his ear. "I talked to Sky."

Jamal freezes there and laugh, walking away.

"I'd tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Oh come on blood!"

"Tomorrow. Bye" I run out of school and hurry home.

Pounce is no where in sight when I get home if not I would have gushed it all out to him but then all I meet is an empty room.

I don't bother changing before I start working on my phone.

Google- how to flirt with a guy.

———————-

😂 do you think Issy can do it?

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