"Why didn't you tell me?" Bradley takes a seat next to Corrie at the lunch table, throwing a brown paper bag—which Corrie assumes has Bradley's lunch in it—down on the table next to Corrie's ugly blue lunch tray.

"Tell you what exactly?" Corrie takes a bite of his ham and cheese sandwich. He doesn't even glance at Bradley. The sandwich is actually quite bland. Corrie feels like he shouldn't be thinking about it while Bradley's obviously here to have a heart to heart. But Corrie's hungry, and his ham and cheese sandwich is still bland even after two more bites.

Bradley scoffs, "you asshat. You know what."

"I'm sorry but I really don't recall." Corrie does know what Bradley's talking about, but he knows annoying Bradley is more fun. Nobody else is at his lunch table, big surprise. The jock guys are getting stoned outside of school, Hannah and Matt are always disappearing, and Devon has a stupid doctors appointment.

"God, Corrie, you're so fucking stubborn." Bradley pulls takes a drink of Corrie's water before taking a granola bar out of his sack. He opens the bar and takes a nibble.

"I really don't know what the fuck is going on here," Corrie defends. He's a lying, stubborn asshat. He'll always be the first one to admit it.

"You've been living at Devon's for two weeks and didn't even bother to tell me what the fuck was going on?" Bradley almost yells.

"I didn't know we were on speaking terms!" Corrie shouts back unnecessarily loud. Bradley rolls his eyes.

"Such a fucking liar. Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to hear it from your boyfriend like some clueless, self-absorbed asswipe of a best friend?" Bradley snaps.

"First, how do you know he's my boyfriend? Second, because the issue of why I got kicked out is your father's fault!" Corrie bites back. He's finished his sandwich and is this close to punching the wall.

"Well, the hickeys all over his neck really gave the whole thing away, nice touch by the way. Marking your territory when you hadn't even told anyone you were dating." Bradley points out, less angry. "What do you mean it's my father's fault?"

"So now we have to tell each other about our love lives? I'd love to hear how you and Leo started to screw each other." It's Corrie's turn to roll his eyes. "And forget I even said anything, ask your dad about it."

"No, Corrie, tell me!" Bradley goes back to shouting. He just wants to know the truth, is that too much to ask?

"Just ask your dad, I really don't want to relive it," Corrie grimaces. He looks at Bradley and notices his face thinned out since he's last seen Bradley.

"Oh shut u—"

"What's going on with you? Are you sick?" Corrie asks, voice laced with concern.

"Stuff at home has gone to shit. Stuff with Leo has gone to shit. You and I have gone to shit." Bradley's eyes go watery; tears threaten to fall over the brims of his eyes. He wipes his eyes in case a few tears do fall down.

"Bradley, I don't know what's going on with us. We've drifted apart and I don't know why. You won't tell me anything and I won't tell you anything. We used to be attached at the hip. I used to be at your house everyday. What the hell happened to us?" Corrie looks Bradley straight in the eyes and thinks hard about life.

"I dunno, Corrie, shit happens. I wasn't the same person I was a few months ago. You aren't the same Corrie who slept with half the school's population either. Change happens." Bradley is still looking at him, head tilted. The whole world has disappeared around them. It's not like when Corrie's around Devon, where time stops and he just wants to hold them in that moment forever.

This feels like Corrie knows for sure he will always have Bradley. This love isn't the love that he's so terrified he'll lose. This is the love that he knows is forever, because him and Bradley's friendship is just that. A friendship that won't end, it won't end in heartbreak because they aren't going to fall in love.

"Was this change for better or for worse?" Corrie asks puzzled. He runs a hand over his shaven head.

"Change isn't good or bad. Change is change. We grew up Corrie. Who the hell knows who we're going to be in another few months. I sure as hell don't want to be this person, how about you?"

"Bradley, I don't change." Corrie gasps. "I haven't changed and you have. That's why things have gotten so bad between us. You're someone else and I'm still the same person I've always been. The asshole, the shitty jock, the slut."

"But you have changed haven't you? You're not sleeping around, you're with Devon—who I might add I would totally do—and you're falling hard for him. And it's been a couple of weeks and you haven't left him, either. That's change, believe it or not." Bradley takes Corrie's hands into his and holds them.

•••

Corrie lays on Devon's comfy guest bed searching for the answers to life. He wants to know why things always change the way they do. He thinks about what Bradley said, about him changing. Because it didn't feel like a change to Corrie, it just felt the same.

He doesn't change, that's what he's told himself forever. Because people don't change, people never change. His mom didn't, his father didn't, so why is he?

What the—

A knock on the door interrupts his thoughts.

"Come in!" He calls out to whoever, not bothering to get off the bed. The door creaks open and in comes Devon. He's wearing a black t-shirt and black super skinny jeans. His bleach blond hair is gelled up.

"Hey!" Devon greets with a smile. He takes a seat next to Corrie on the bed.

"You look hot, where ya going?" Corrie takes Devon's hand and traces doodles onto the back.

"Well, I was thinking we could go to this party Jordan's hosting..." Devon looks around the room as though he had never seen it before, as though it was a foreign place to him, like Japan would be to Corrie. He inspects the light yellow walls and white trim thoroughly.

"Why? Did you already tell him we'd come? Does he know?" Corrie's questions tumble out faster than he can think.

"He's just been so sad lately. I think he's in love with Hannah but Matt is dating—or fucking—her and he's such a good friend and I just can't stand to see him like that. I know he's dumb and ignorant but he's so depressed sometimes he can't get out of bed and I know how it feels I just don't—"

"If you stop rambling I'll go," Corrie interrupts with a smile. Devon grins and leans down and kisses Corrie. Corrie grabs Devon's neck and pulls him in closer.

It's like Corrie's addicted to Devon. Like Devon's a poison that has no antidote, but Corrie's perfectly content letting Devon kill him. He doesn't know if that's healthy, and he really doesn't care.

Devon pulls away before things get too heated. "I already have enough hickeys on my neck. I look like I got mauled by a wild animal." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and grins.

Corrie smirks. "I thought you borrowed some of your sisters concealer."

Devon can hear the smugness in Corrie's voice. "I did, it wasn't dark enough."

"I'm glad. They really suit you." Corrie smirks again. Devon laughs and hits him on the chest playfully.

"We leave in an hour dipwad, be ready." Devon gives Corrie a quick peck on the cheek before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

Corrie sighs and lays on the bed for a few minutes before pushing himself up and going to the dresser that holds his clothes. He pulls out a plain white t-shirt and black super skinny jeans. He puts them on then slips on his black converse.

He looks in the mirror before deciding he looks good. He grabs his iPhone off his bed and saunters down the stairs. Devon's sitting on the couch watching God knows what.

"You ready?" He asks. Devon stands up and turns the TV off.

"Yep. We're going to take my car. I mean your fancy cars are nice and all but I would really hate for them to get trashed or stolen." Devon explains, walking to the foyer where his car keys are.

Corrie likes that Devon cares but Corrie really doesn't give a shit about the cars. He just goes along with it to keep from starting a fight. It's not secret that Corrie comes from money and Devon doesn't.

They just don't talk about it.

Devon gets in the driver and Corrie in the passenger. Corrie knows the way to Jordan's house so when Devon takes a right instead of a left, Corrie is thrown into a small but still present state of confusion.

"Where the heck are we going?" After he asks that he immediately knows where they're going. "Could've just told me we're picking up Bradley."

"You would've been such a Debby Downer about it," Devon points out with a smile. Corrie knows Devon's right and huffs. He leans back in his seat and pouts. "Stop pouting," Devon chides teasingly.

When they pull up into Bradley's drive way, Bradley's already standing on his porch. He waves and walks to the car. He hops in the back and says hello.

"You could've just told me you were coming to Jordan's party, ya know," Corrie says causally. Devon turns on the radio so an overplayed pop song is background noise to hopefully defuse the tension growing by the second in the small car.

"Oh, I thought Devon told you."

"Whatever." Corrie pouts again. The car fills with tension and awkward silence.

Before long they pull up into Jordan's drive way, which isn't that full, not yet anyways.

"Who's designated driver?" Devon asks after turning the car off.

"Not me," Bradley says before Corrie can say it.

"We can Rock Paper Scissors it," Devon suggests. Both Corrie and Bradley nod their heads.

First, it's Corrie against Devon. Devon wins with Rock and bites his lip from smiling. Next, it's Corrie and Bradley. Bradley wins and cheers. Corrie huffs unhappily before deciding he'll just mope the whole time.

"Are you ready?" Devon asks them. Corrie and Bradley nod. They all get out and walk to the door.

Corrie's so not excited for this party.

__________

☒ - unedited

So Bradley and Corrie talked finally, what do you think about it? Do you find Corrie and Devon a good couple? Do you want them to last? Remember nothing is ever ever permanent in Dreamfloat's World. And what do you think is going to happen with the party? Good or bad?

Please tell me if you see any mistakes, I'm the queen of typos.

Read, vote, comment, and please, please share! Tell me what you liked/disliked. Constructive criticism is very, very welcome!

Rant of the chapter: i'm tired always :( school is shitty shit!!

Dedicated to: @the people who give a shit about this book and me. it's crazy.

Next update: Who the fuck knows lmao cause I sure as hell don't

Teaser: Devon makes a confession, Corrie deals with it.

Quick notes:
[ 1 ] wow shits gonna go down. comment what you think.
[ 2 ] i really hope this book is going somewhere good lol
[ 3 ] my pm's are always open for a chat if you guys are in need of advice/help! unfortunately, there are many things such as rape/abusive relationships i'm not an expert in. if those are the cases, please please see a specialist.
[ 4 ] updating is hard. writing is hard. can't this book write itself ??
[ 5 ] i love you and i'll see you soon. ❤️️

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