-Max-

Sky had to skip the last period on Monday, because he had a check-up at the hospital. I would have loved to go with him, but we had a football practice after school, so I couldn't. Besides, my parents wouldn't have been pleased to know that I skipped classes.

So I waved him goodbye when his dad came to pick him up and followed Troy to our next class.

"Sooooo?" Troy cooed when Sky couldn't hear us anymore. "How's life?"

He had a wide smirk on his face. I laughed cheerily and shook my head, thinking about Sky. It was like the happiness I felt was trying to burst out of my chest.

"Pretty good," I said with a nod.

"I knew that you two would end up together," Troy smirked. "I told you, didn't I? He's your future husband!"

My smile grew wider, and I felt a slight blush creeping up on my cheeks. Troy looked like he was about to start teasing me, but his smile went soft, and his expression turned... sad, maybe?

"You'll find yours soon enough," I told him quietly, when we stepped into our class.

"I thought Elisa could have been the one," Troy shrugged, and turned to look at his ex-girlfriend.

I looked at her too, and my stomach suddenly turned upside down when I heard what she was telling her friend.

"Yeah – we had an amazing weekend together. I swear, we were doing it like rabbits!" she spoke, and they all started to giggle.

I looked at Troy carefully. Elisa broke up with him weeks ago, and I could tell that Troy wasn't over her yet. Troy wasn't looking in Elisa's direction, but I knew he was listening too. It looked like Elisa had a new boyfriend already.

"I'm sorry," another girl, Anna, said in a skeptical tone, "I didn't know you were going out with him."

"We hooked up last Friday," Elisa said. "And it's going great!"

"But you and Luke Frost?" Anna said in awe.

I stopped breathing. I could hear a pencil snap in half right next to me. I gulped and turned to look at Troy.

Troy was the sweetest, kindest and most caring guy there was. He was fun and playful, and laughed way too much. But my God... If he got pissed...

"Troy?" I spoke his name timidly.

He ignored me completely. He put his broken pencil away and took a new one. He looked calm and composed, and he had no expression on his face. Now, someone else would think there was nothing wrong. But Troy was never silent. He was never sitting calmly in his seat.

He was angry.

"Oh lord..." I sighed.

Luke was going to get killed. Brutally.

*****

I couldn't concentrate on the class. Troy didn't say a word, no matter how hard I tried to get his attention. When the class ended, and I was gathering my stuff, Troy was already standing up and without even waiting for me, he left.

I just picked the rest of my belongings in my arms and rushed after him without packing my bag. Troy was already at the door, so I had no time to waste.

"Troy! Wait up!" I pushed my way through the classroom and caught up with him when he was storming towards the football field. "Troy, please calm down!"

"Mind your own damn business," Troy spat at me, but I didn't let that get to me.

"Troy, please! Don't do this! Elisa is your ex!" I tried to reason with him. "You need to get over it!"

Troy stopped and gave me the deadliest glare I had ever seen.

"You have no fucking right to stick your nose in this!" he hissed at me.

I was about to continue, but then Troy saw Luke further down the corridor.

"Luke!" he yelled angrily and stormed towards him.

Luke gave me a worried look just a second before Troy grabbed him by his collar and shoved him into an empty classroom. I barely managed to put my foot in front of the door before Troy slammed it shut. I forced the door open and stepped in, closing it after me.

"Okay just calm down, Troy!" I spoke to him and put my belongings on a table next to me.

"Shut up, Max!" Troy said, without moving his eyes away from Luke. "I trusted you!" he said to him.

"What?" Luke asked and looked confused. "What's going on?"

"Are you fucking sleeping with Elisa?!" Troy yelled.

"What? NO!" Luke said in shock.

"You're a fucking liar! I heard her talking about it! She was going on and on about how you two did it like rabbits!" Troy yelled and pushed Luke, who had to take a step back to keep his balance.

"I haven't even talked to her!" Luke said angrily. "I don't even like her, and you know that!"

I was standing there awkwardly. I wanted to do something, but at the same time, I wished I hadn't followed Troy. If they started to fight over the same girl, I did not want to have any part in it. Troy was my best friend, so of course I would take his side, but Luke was a good friend too, and I didn't want to lose his friendship.

So I just stood there, hoping the two of them would set things straight and we all could go back to being friends.

Troy was glaring at Luke for a long time. Then he shook his head and stepped away from him.

"You know what? I thought I could trust you, but I heard it with my own ears. Have fun with her," he said, and stormed out of the classroom.

"Troy!" Luke yelled after him, but I stepped in front of him when he tried to follow him.

"I heard it too," I told him. "She spoke loud and clear."

"I did not sleep with her!" Luke growled. "Move!"

I didn't move. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a stern look. "You know how hard it was for Troy to let her go. And you – one of his closest friends – hooked up with her..."

"I didn't do it for crying out loud!" Luke yelled at my face.

"Why would she lie?" I asked.

Luke stared at me like I had lost my mind.

"Because she's a lying bitch! She has always been like that!" Then he turned his back on me and ruffled his hair anxiously. "FUCK!" He startled me when he suddenly grabbed a chair and threw it on the wall.

"Luke!" I took a step closer, hoping he wouldn't start smashing things.

I couldn't even understand why he was so upset.

"You know," he growled and turned to look at me. "I would never, ever, touch her!"

I stepped back when his wrathful eyes stared at me. Then, as suddenly as his rage had emerged, it was gone. He almost collapsed down on a seat next to him.

"She's a good-looking girl," I accused.

"Well I hate her. More than anything else," Luke said quietly and hid his face behind his hands.

"Why?" I asked.

Luke stood up and took a couple of steps towards me, looking angry again, like I had just said something offensive.

"Why?! Because she had what I want! I'm bending over backwards to have what she had, and she just threw it away! She just..." he trailed off, looking like he had lost all his energy, and sat back down.

I had no idea what he was talking about. What did Elisa have that Luke didn't? I stopped breathing when it hit me. I understood everything perfectly.

Luke never watched Sky.

He was always watching Troy.

"You're... in love... with Troy?" I spoke carefully.

Luke took a deep breath and looked down at the ground with a sad smile on his lips. "It seems like forever..."

"Forever...?" I repeated and walked closer to him. "Does he know?"

"You know what?" Luke said and stood up. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore."

"Luke, I–" I tried to speak, but he walked past me.

"No. It's over. I give up," Luke said with such a weak voice I knew a lot had just died in him. Once he reached the door, he stopped, but he didn't turn to look at me, when he spoke, "Tell him that... Tell him I won't bother him anymore."

So Troy knew.

"Luke, where are you going?" I asked, but he shook his head and left the room.

I was so astonished by the turn of events I couldn't move at first. Then I managed to get my head back straight, and I packed my bag before hurrying after him. I ran all the way to the first floor and the nearest exit, trying to find Luke, but when I burst through the doors, I stopped to a halt.

Troy was leaning against a tree on the other side of the schoolyard, his back turned on us. Luke was standing in the pathway right in front of me, staring at Troy. I could see how much he wanted to go talk to Troy.

"Luke..." I said quietly, but he just glanced at me over his shoulder, and turned to walk in another direction, away from Troy.

I knew his heart was shattered into pieces.

I didn't follow him. Instead, I walked to Troy and stopped next to him.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked quietly.

"About what?" Troy muttered without looking at me.

"Luke asked me to tell you that he won't bother you anymore," I spoke. "So, you know he's gay? For you?"

Troy looked down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah..."

I nodded slowly. "So, it wasn't about Elisa..."

"Of course it was," Troy spoke. "Luke said he was in love with me, but then he went and jumped into her bed."

"I don't think he did that," I said truthfully. "He said he hates her, and I believe him. I think Elisa was just lying to sound more popular..."

Troy took a deep breath, and after a short moment, he let it out. "Yeah... That's something she would do..."

"So... Want to tell me what happened? Between you and Luke?" I asked hesitantly. "He said he'll give up. What was that all about? He was really upset."

"He asked me out," Troy spoke nonchalantly. "And... I told him I need to think about it, but I haven't answered him yet."

I frowned. "That's not a reason for him to act like a drama queen. He should have given you the time to figure things out!"

"It was four months ago," Troy said.

"F-four...?" I repeated. "Troy! You left the guy hanging for four months!"

"I know..." Troy said. "But I don't... I'm not gay..."

"Then you should have told him no! He's been waiting for your answer for four goddamn months!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I know..." Troy muttered. "I just... Don't know..."

I tried to calm down. I took a couple of deep breaths before I spoke again. "Tell me what happened. I want to hear everything."

Troy was silent for a moment, but then he sighed and began his story.

"We were at that football camp..."