Oh my God! Would you look at that! We're thirty chapters-old already! D: WE'RE GETTING OLD! :c Not as old as Madonna or Cher, though... So I think it's alright... Hmmm...

ANYWAYS, this chapter goes to the very awesome @A_Wheeler :D Because she was able to guess what the story was going to be about by the first chapter, and decided to make me a cover ^^ By the way, that over there is the cover -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Let me know if you like it alright? :3

For A_Wheeler when she reads this: Thank you girl! :D You're a really cool person and an amazing writer x3

Well, now that that's taken care of, I'll let you guys enjoy, I know you must be DYING to know what happens after the past chapter xD

Hope you enjoy the chapter,

-> Desyre

Nate

                The elevator’s doors opened and I let Claire out first before stepping out onto the living room and closing the door behind me. I walked into the kitchen wondering what I was going to make for dinner only to freeze in the spot when I saw Danny standing by the stove cooking, he was even whistling. Note Danny may like to cook, but he never did anything unless I was there to keep an eye on him. He was terrified of burning the house or something. Yet when I walked into the kitchen, he was preparing some dish I’d never seen him cook, much less taught him how to cook. I was going to make a comment about that when Kyle came into the kitchen from the living room and leaned on his shoulder to watch what Danny was cooking.

“You’re doing very well! You’ll be able to cook it yourself next time Danny.” Kyle said and hugged Danny tightly.

                Danny laughed and hugged Kyle back, spinning him around a couple of times, laughing and giggling like madmen before he put him down again. Now wasn’t that cute. Note the hatred in my tone.

                I couldn’t take much more of this scene without starting to puke rainbows, so I decided to clear my throat to announce my presence. Danny turned and saw me standing there. And do you know what he did? He came running to me and hugged me so hard I thought my bones might break.

“Danny…” I forced out.

“Oh, oh I’m so sorry, Nate. It’s just, would you believe it? Kyle’s here! And he has apologized and things are ok between us again!” He said getting really excited like I had never seen him before.

“Really? You apologized?” I said talking to Kyle.

                I had meant that as a sarcastic question but it came out like a real question.

“Yes, I’ve apologized and it’s all thanks to you Nate.” Kyle said.

                You wanna know what he did next? He hugged me. Kyle. Hugged. Me. Then guess who added himself to the hug? Ding, ding, ding. Correct answer! Danny did. The group hug continued for a while until Danny pulled away to tend to what he was cooking and Kyle went to watch him. Later that day I found out that I really was the reason Kyle had decided to come apologize to Danny. He had asked me why Danny hadn’t come today and I told him he had a fever. Then he asked me if Danny was ok and I just kind of snapped at him telling him to find out himself. Turns out he did find out himself. I had to admit that I’d never seen Danny as happy as he did then. But that wasn’t the point here. The point was that Kyle was here, in the house, wearing one of Danny’s big shirts and a pair of shorts. Where had his clothes gone?

“Where are you clothes?” I asked Kyle while he and Danny kept cooking.

“Oh they got wet in the snow outside and I offered to wash them for him.” Danny said distractedly, as Kyle leaned over his shoulder and pointed out something that he was doing wrong.

                Oh isn’t that cozy. I wanted to puke and die all at the same time. Why couldn’t I have been nicer to Kyle and tell him that Danny was alright? Maybe then Kyle wouldn’t be here leaning over Danny and whispering stuff in his ear. I felt the need to strangle him.

“I’ll be in my room.” I said as I went to walk out.

“No, wait Nate.” Kyle said turning to look at me with a smile.

                Kyle didn’t smile at me. He just didn’t. And the simple fact that he was smiling at me made me a whole other level of uneasy.

“Danny that’s about done. Turn the burner off and let it rest. Go set the table yeah?” Kyle said smiling at Danny.

                Danny agreed and left the kitchen going to set the table. The fact that Kyle had subtly gotten Danny to leave the room so he could be alone with me didn’t really help my stomach unwind.

“What?” I asked Kyle, wanting to sound pissed and annoyed but having no reason to do it. I’d seem like an asshole and the bad person in the picture if I was rude to Kyle for no reason.

“Do you know what Danny’s favorite dish is?” Kyle asked me before he turned around and walked to the cupboards to find a note pad and pen that I hadn’t know where there.

“How did you know that was there?” I asked Kyle before I could stop myself.

“I’ve kept that notepad there for years, I didn’t think it had been moved and it turned out I was right.” Kyle said shrugging. “So do you know it?”

“What?” I asked confused about this conversation.

“Danny’s favorite plate.” Kyle said sounding a little annoyed.

“Oh. No.” I said frowning. “Why?”

“Because I do, and I’m about to teach you how to do it, but you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone, not Danny, not Claire, not anyone, you need to keep it a secret.” Kyle said looking at me earnestly.

“Fine, fine, I won’t tell anyone.” I said rolling my eyes. What was the big deal about it?

“Alright. First you’ll need…” Kyle started to say.

                And he proceeded to tell me how to make Danny’s favorite dish, steaks with mushrooms and a red wine sauce. Why exactly Kyle was telling me this was something I didn’t know or understood.

“The table’s set.” Danny said coming into the kitchen as Kyle finished explaining what the dish consisted of.

“We’ll serve and be right there.” Kyle said winking at me, which just creeped me out.

                Kyle stayed for dinner and as it turns out for the night. I wanted to ask why in the fuck Kyle was staying the night with us when he had a whole mother effing house he could sleep in, but I didn’t want to be rude, so I didn’t. I heard talking and laughing, footsteps coming here and there until late in the night until finally everything settled and silence filled the house. There were no more sobs drifting in through my open window. I swallowed as a lump formed in my throat and my eyes stung. I should be glad. Danny was happy again, and it was all because of Kyle. I should be euphoric that Danny was happy but I wasn’t. And I felt like shit because I wasn’t. I wanted to be the one to put that smile on Danny, I wanted to be the one to make him that happy. But no. He was that happy because of Kyle and not because of me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout, and kick Kyle out of the house, tell him to get lost and never come back again. I wanted a lot of things, but in life we almost never got what we wanted.

                I touched the choker on my neck and felt the smooth the white rock with the N on it. I remembered that Christmas, the look in his face. I wanted it back. I wanted to see that look for me, and for me only. Tears betrayed me and slipped out the corners of my eyes and down the sides of my face, into my hair. What was I going to do now? Danny no longer needed me, he had Kyle with him. I was no longer necessary, he had everything he needed now. I pressed the palms of my hands into my eyes and felt the lump in my throat grow, it was almost painful to swallow now. I was so stupid. I had been so stupid. What would I do with myself now?

                I leaned down and touched the borders of the starting block, watching my team mate as he swam, waiting for him to finish his laps before it was my turn to jump into the pool. It had been a few weeks already and I couldn’t begin to explain how miserable I’d been. I couldn’t describe just how jealous I was of Kyle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I had started turning green. Danny was as caring and attentive as he had been with me but now he was like that to Kyle as well and I was left on the same place where I had been that first night when I came to find Kyle in the house with Danny’s clothes and his scent on him. My jaw clenched and I felt my eyes sting. It had been so subtle, so hidden, that I had only noticed it the next morning when I passed by Kyle on my way out of the bathroom. As I walked by him I felt it, a small breeze brought it to me, musk, sweat, and cut grass. I wanted to yell at him, demand that he tell me why he smelled like Danny, I wanted to cry, I wanted to kill him, I wanted to do many things, but I only swallowed and continued walking past him.

“Nate!” I heard people yell at the same time and I snapped out of my reverie only to notice that the teammate I had been waiting for was already out of the water and the other guys were already halfway across the pool.

                I jumped into the pool and swam with everything I had in me pushing myself to make up for lost time. I put my everything into the four laps that I was in charge of and when I touched the edge of the pool and pulled out of the water to look around I saw that the other guys where a few seconds behind me. I heard the cheering and let out a relieved sigh. I had won. I was pulled out of the pool and given both hits on the side of the head for giving them a scare and congratulatory pats on the shoulder.

“LeBlanc!” I hear coach yell, and cringed.

                I was in deep shit. In real deep shit.  

“LeBlanc, boy, what were you playing at out there?!” Coach yelled at me. “That was as impressive a recovery as I’ve ever seen but that’s still no excuse for entering the pool almost a minute after your teammate touched the edge of the pool!”

“Sorry, coach, I just… can’t seem to concentrate.” I admitted more than a little ashamed.

“Get your head on straight, boy, or you’re out of the event next week!” Coach yelled at me.

“No, sir. I promise it won’t happen again.” I said quickly. I wanted to go to that event. I wanted it badly. I was getting the 1000 yards freestyle, and I was pretty damn proud. Plus it was the last event of the season before the long-course season started.

“Make sure it doesn’t.” Coach growled at me. “Go take a break, LeBlanc. I want you focused on this when you get back.”

                Coach walked away from me and left me standing there. I sighed and took his advice. I went to a bench and sat down watching as another rally was organized. I felt a hand on my shoulder and knew it was Claire without having to see. I sighed and turned. She gave me a sympathetic look and handed me a bottle of water. I took a drink before putting it back down.

“What am I going to do Claire? It’s been so confusing these last week, I no longer know if he loves me or if he loves Kyle again. I was going to confess but now I’m not sure. I’m not even sure if he wants me around now that he has Kyle back.” I sighed and took off my swimming cap and goggles.

“I think you’ve waited enough for him and that you should look for someone else, just forget about him. I like Danny and everything but he’s hurting you! I think you should just forget him. Meet new people, fall in love again, forget him already and concentrate on that new special person.” Claire had an earnest look in her eyes as well as a twinge of sadness. It was not the easiest thing to tell me to forget someone she thought would really make me happy, but it had to be done, in her mind, because I was in pain.

                I sighed again and turned around to look back at the pool, only to see Danny standing there by the entrance to the gym. He seemed to stand there for a bit, just watching me. Then he seemed to realize I was watching him back and gave me a small smile before turning back around and going outside. I thought for sure he had watched my conversation with Claire, but when we were on our way home and I asked him quietly if he’d watched our conversation he told me no and continued to be quiet.

                Once we got to the house Kyle was already there, like he’d been for the past week. I wanted to strangle him, I really did. He spent almost every single day in Danny’s apartment and didn’t leave until after dinner, and Danny took him back to his house. He had eaten Kyle’s cooking for the past week and though I wanted to say it was complete and utter shit, I couldn’t because it wasn’t. It was actually pretty good. Kyle said his greetings and told us that dinner would be ready in a few minutes. Danny smiled, really smiled and went to hug Kyle thanks. I felt my heart tear a little more and just went to hole up in my room. I wanted to die. I really did. I didn’t know what to do with myself anymore. Danny no longer needed me. He had Kyle now.

                Maybe Claire was right. I had to forget about Danny and move on, meet someone else and fall in love with that person, but it was easier said than done. My hand went to the choker as it always did when I thought about Danny’s feelings for me.

“You asshole.” I ground out between clenched teeth.

                I threw my pillow across the room and it hit my dresser making stuff fall and crash on the floor. I could not have cared less. It could’ve been a Ming Jar for all I cared. I stared at the mess of broken stuff on the floor breathing heavily, feeling my anger grow inside me per second. That motherfucking asshole.

“I’m gonna forget you. I’m gonna forget out and concentrate on the new person. I’m gonna get over you!” I yelled into the silence of my room.

                I took off the choker with harsh movements, getting a little burnt when I yanked the leather necklace off of my neck. I went to hurl it across the room but my resolve wavered. My eyes got watery and I pounded the bed in frustration. I wanted to forget him. I wanted to stop loving him. I wanted to get over him, right now. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t and that pissed me off. Because it wasn’t just a crush. It was love. I loved Danny. I had fallen in love with Danny. Why did I always go a fell in love with the one guy that I couldn’t have?

                I dissolved into tears, pounding the bed, screaming, and turning my room upside down, the choker always in my hand. Whenever I decided that I would throw it, I found that I couldn’t bring myself to do it because that simple, little, braided-leather string and white, smooth stone with an N on it meant more to me than anything in my life. I wasn’t a materialistic person, but then suddenly that little, smooth, piece of white stone, meant more to me than any amount of diamonds in the world. And that pissed me off. I finally collapsed on my bed, curling up into a little ball, and hugging my body. Then arms were there and Claire’s vanilla, flowery scent enveloped me. I turned to her and hugged her tightly to me, crying until my head pounded and I could no longer keep my eyes open.

                When morning came I woke up next to Claire. I unwound her arms from around me and saw the mess I’d made of my room. My hand instinctively went to the choker on my neck and when I didn’t feel it there panic started to course through my body. Where was it? Where had I put it? I looked around frantically, rummaging around and moving everything. Panic was making my breath come short. I couldn’t have lost it. Where was it? And then I found it. It had fallen behind the bed while I was asleep. I let out a sigh of relief and pulled the choker up to my neck, closing it. I looked around my now-even-messier room and sighed. I needed to pull myself together. This wasn’t like me. I would pull through this, no matter how hard it was. I had promised Danny that I was going to be in his life forever and I intended to follow through. I was going to stay in his life forever. I would, even if it was as a simple friend.