Evan smiled, his eyes dancing around the crowd. If they paid attention to him, they would see the pain and longing in his eyes; but no one cared.

The Love Club. Evan thought. Then why has it taken everything I loved and made it... horrible?

Evan smiled as one of the kids, Jake, he believed, bumped into his shoulder, a cup in hand. He handed Evan a drink, and Evan took it without hesitation. He chugged it, and knew instantly that Jake had put drugs in it.

Thank god.

———

Evan rolled out of his bed. He picked up his phone, almost wincing as he saw the hundreds of notifications. He put his phone down, making sure to flip it over so he couldn't see it glowing.

He walked across his room, his eyes drifting to that one photo he kept. His 'friends' from The Love Club always told him to rip it up, but he never could.

Suddenly, he stopped. It felt like he'd been shot with adrenaline.

He hadn't felt like that in a while.

He knew it was time to see him again.

———

Jared squinted, unable to find his glasses in time to open his window for the knocking figure.

But he didn't need glasses for him. He knew.

"Wow." Jared mumbled. "Finally came crawling back, huh? How's your clique? Going well I assume?" Jared chuckled, picking up his glasses. "You're always high or drunk so I assume it's going well for you. And, of course, you're surrounded by popular kids, so. Yeah. It's what you've always wanted."

"No." Evan let out weakly. "I'm... I'm sorry. I... I didn't... I didn't think, and, and they... they don't care about me."

Jared scoffed, sitting next to Evan on the bed. "Yeah, duh. They only care about themselves and their ranking." Jared didn't look at Evan, fearing his confident tone would break.

"I'm sorry." Evan let out softer. Jared glanced at his ex best friend, and instantly cringed.

Evan was crying.

Jared was never good with emotions. Even with the pills.

"Hey... it's okay buddy." Jared awkwardly moved himself so he could hold the bigger boy. "You're okay."

"I fucked up."

Jared sighed. "You did. But... that's okay." Jared looked up, his eyes falling onto the only photo he couldn't lose. "I think... I think we all have to fuck up. I think we all have to join our own 'Love Club' or whatever bull shit. So we can... understand ourselves."

Evan was silent for a moment, and Jared allowed the silences to fill them.

The only problem I got with the club
Is how you're severed from the people who watched you grow up.