"Dyson, tell me what happened," Bethany said and kept her hand on his arm.

"Gee look at the time." Dyson looked at his wrist that was covered in bracelets and no watches. The braided leather one with a single green bead in the middle caught his eye.

"What do you think happens to us after we die?" Caleb asked while looking up at the blue sky.

Dyson rolled over to his side and smacked Caleb's stomach playfully. "Where the hell did that question come from?" He chuckled and Caleb joined in before turning over onto his side to face Dyson.

"I'm serious," Caleb told him and his green eyes sparkled like the blades of grass that they were lying on. He had never seen such bright green eyes before meeting Caleb.

"I don't know." Dyson shrugged. He was used to Caleb's random questions but this one felt heavier than the other ones. Something was off; Dyson could feel it.

"I think that we get to be happy." Caleb laid back and tucked his arm under his head. "I think that when we die we get the kind of freedom we'll never have here."

"I think that... you sound drunk." Dyson laughed nervously.

"Why can't you just be serious for even a second?" Caleb groaned and rolled over to stand up. "Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Do you mind if I call you later?"

"That's fine." Dyson frowned. Did he mind? They never spoke that formally to each other. But, since that night everything had been different between them. They hadn't talked about the change but they were both aware of it.

"I got you something." Caleb dropped a small bag in Dyson's lap as he stood above him.

"For me? Why?"

"I don't know. Because it's Thursday?" Caleb shrugged.

"Thank you." Dyson opened it up and didn't even notice as Caleb walked away. He felt the tear slide down his cheek as he looked at the bracelet. That was when he knew that Caleb was never coming back. This was a goodbye present.

Dyson pretended that his nose itched so he could fight back the tears burning in his eyes and he had to force himself to look away from the bracelet. "Better get to class."

"Dyson, you never go to class. You need to talk to someone, him." Bethany looked into his dark eyes and furrowed her brow at him. Him? Dyson knew that who she meant, they both did, but they never said his name. Caleb.

"Bethany, it's not what you think. Now I have to get to class or your lovely father is going to expel me." Dyson pulled away from her, slammed his locker shut with the side of his fist, and turned on his heel all in one motion.

"See you at lunch?" Bethany called after him. She sometimes had a fleeting fear that he would just disappear one day. He'd walk away and never come back. It terrified her.

"Nah, I'm leaving," Dyson smirked and did a twirl before looking back at her again.

"I thought you couldn't miss class." Bethany smiled at him.

Dyson coughed and clutched his chest. "I'm sick."

"You're a terrible liar. Love you!" Bethany laughed and walked to her history class. Dyson watched her disappear as the rest of the students hurried to their next class. Dyson was still looking back when he turned the corner and slammed into someone.

Caleb yelped as he fell to the ground with someone on top of him. Why did these things always have to happen to him? He was already going to be late. "Move." He shoved at the guy then froze when he saw who it was. "Ah, it's you. Figures."

"Caleb." Dyson rolled his eyes as he said the name that he hadn't spoken in months. "Good to see you're still clumsy. It's got to explain why you're so good at tackling the quarterback."

"I play baseball, not football, jackass." Caleb shoved Dyson off him and sat up.

"Oh, were practicing your slide into home base?" Dyson asked and stood up wiping off the dust from his pants.

"Damn it, you got glitter all over me." Caleb stood up and tried to wipe it off but it somehow seemed to be multiplying with every swipe.

"Caleb, Coach is going to be pissed if you get detention again." Adrian, Caleb's oldest friend, called from down the hall as he walked towards them. Dyson groaned, of course, the dumb jock was there. He was always right there.

"You look good with a little sparkle." Dyson winked and then froze. The words had bubbled out so naturally that he half expected Caleb to flirt back. He wouldn't though. The time when they could tease and flirt was long gone. Dyson cleared his throat and looked his once best friend up and down.

Why was Caleb Ryker so hot? Dyson should have been able to get over him, but how could he when he looked like that, not to mention their history. Caleb was a green-eyed angel with a halo of shaggy brown hair. Sure he could be a cold-hearted devil at times, but Dyson knew the reason for his coldness and he couldn't exactly blame him. He had been there that night. He had screwed up. Caleb had suffered because of what Dyson did.

"Oh, shut up." Caleb shook his head and jogged away before he did something he'd regret, namely forget what had happened and tease Dyson back. But, that would never happen, not after that night. Not after their lives had been wrenched apart. Caleb tried to force the memories away, but it was impossible.

"Dyson, what are we wearing? We only have ten minutes before we have to go." Caleb yelled from Dyson's bed where he was stretched out, taking up the entire bed, playing a video game that he kept at Dyson's house for occasions such as these. Dyson had been making the final adjustments for over an hour. It was Halloween and his turn to pick out their costumes.

"Sorry but the wait will be worth it. Trust me." Dyson sang through the door from the hallway.

"I still don't understand why you have to get changed out there in the hall." Caleb teased and turned off the video game. He had died five times in the last twenty minutes because he kept getting distracted by Dyson so he finally decided to give up.

He couldn't exactly pick one moment where their friendship had changed but over time they became more like cautious strangers rather than best friends. Dyson never changed in front of him and they both knew why; they didn't talk about it though. They didn't talk about things like that, ever. It would change everything. It felt like a secret, an inside joke, but no one was laughing. He wanted to say something; put his feelings out there, but it was so hard with Dyson. Dyson never talked about anything real. He couldn't take the seriousness needed for those conversations. It always became a joke and this was no joke.

"Ready?" Dyson asked through the door.

"Do you have to ask?" Caleb rolled his eyes but smiled. Dyson was always into showmanship.

He flung the door open and did a spin. "What do you think?"

"That's a lot of glitter," Caleb said with a drop of his jaw.

"Yes, and look, you get a matching one." Dyson pushed it into Caleb's face and glitter covered him instantly.

"Dyson!" Caleb shouted and jumped up. "I'm covered in glitter."

"You look good with a little sparkle." Dyson winked. "Now hurry and get dressed. You're holding us up." Dyson clapped his hands to hurry Caleb up.

"Yeah, I'm holding us up." Caleb chuckled. This was more like Dyson. Maybe they were actually okay and it was all just in Caleb's head. He finally had his best friend back, but that night he lost him forever.

"What was that all about?" Adrian asked him nodding back to Dyson. Caleb forced the memory away and focused on Adrian.

"Oh, we ran into each other." Caleb brushed his fingers through his hair that his mom kept telling him was getting too long.

"Yeah, well it looks like you two made out. You're covered in that sparkly shit."

"Ugh, I know." Caleb tried again to wipe it away. "Cover for me. I'm going to see if I have an extra shirt in my locker."

"Just take the black shirt off." Adrian tugged at the sleeve of Caleb's grey shirt causing Caleb to step back.

"I'll be quick."

"You can steal one from my locker if you need it." Adrian offered.

"Thanks," Caleb walked back down the hall and turned the corner only to see Dyson there, leaning against the wall with one boot up against the wall. Caleb had wondered what happened to his boots. Leave it to Dyson to take Caleb's tough, steel-toed boots and make them a glittery fashion statement. Three months ago they would have laughed over it but now he was just pissed off and tired.

"Here." Dyson shoved a plain black shirt into Caleb's hand.

"I'm fine. I can get my own shirt." Caleb shoved the shirt back at Dyson.

"It is yours," Dyson said with a smirk.

"What? How?"

"Please. Do you really think your locker is secure?" Dyson cocked his brow and Caleb's eyes were drawn to the purple ring in it and Dyson noticed. "Want to see my other piercings?"

"Wha-." Caleb shook his head as he was struck with another memory.

"I got my eyebrow pierced," Dyson said through the phone.

"No way! You were talking about doing it but I didn't think you'd actually do it." Caleb laughed. "Did it hurt?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would," Dyson admitted. "Want to see it?"

"Sure." Caleb stepped out his window onto the roof and walked carefully to the edge so he could see to Dyson's room. But to his surprise, Dyson's light was off. "Where are you?"

"Come on, you're too close to the edge and you know it," Dyson whispered so Caleb wouldn't hear him behind him on the roof. "Turn around."

Caleb turned and saw Dyson just as he stumbled off the roof. He landed in a bush but it didn't help break his fall that much. Dyson was laughing so hard that he almost fell off too. Thankfully he caught himself and shimmied down the rain gutter.

"You're a dick." Caleb groaned with a smile on his face.

"You've really got to work on your landings, Caleb." Dyson kneeled next to him. "I mean it's one thing to be clumsy, but you're going to end up killing yourself one day."

"Because of you!" Caleb shouted then covered his mouth because it was three in the morning.

"What do you think of the piercing?" Dyson beamed down at him.

"It looks badass." Caleb reached up and touched it.

Dyson cocked his eyebrow at him and Caleb laughed. "Want to see my other piercings?"

Caleb blushed and stood up. "I better get back upstairs."

"I have the ladder against the back. Use it and I'll put it away." Dyson smiled.

"Thanks. Night." Caleb waved and tripped over the water hose.

"For the love of all things, Caleb, be careful." Dyson laughed.

"Oh, right. You're perfect." Dyson waved his hand. "What do you think would happen if your friends knew the truth?" Dyson asked and bit his cheek until he tasted blood as he wished to be able to take back those words. It was too late.

"And what's that?" Caleb asked him as he yanked off his ruined shirt but only after making sure that it was only him and Dyson in the hallway. He made sure to keep the gray long-sleeved undershirt on, covering him completely. Dyson watched him carefully and thought of how to answer him.

"That you're nowhere near perfect." There was a challenge attached to Dyson's words.

Caleb didn't think. His fist shot forward, slamming right into Dyson's nose.

Dyson grabbed his nose then let go and laughed. "That almost hurt. Careful or one day you'll give Isaac's little sister a run for her money."

"Damn it, Dyson, I wish I had-" Caleb started to say then stopped himself. This was neither the place nor the time for this conversation. It never would be. He tugged his clean shirt on and turned around.

"You wish what, Ryker?" Dyson called after him. "That you had the balls to tell the truth?"

"Fuck you, Dyson." Caleb hissed at him.

"Wouldn't you like to." Dyson groaned. How had they gone from the best of friends to this? He knew exactly how and it was his fault. As much as he wanted to hate Caleb for what he did, he couldn't; Dyson had forced him into a corner with no other option.