Thomas POV.

Okay, I think I'll start this one with a quick question: do you have any idea of how hard it is to dress yourselves when you have bruised ribs and a piercing headache? If you don't, then listen very closely...it's hella painful. You feel every muscle in your body stretch in the worst way possible, and something that normally takes a maximum of seven, or even ten minutes, ends up taking twenty. Also imagine if you had a disgusting family like mine and you had to bite the inside of your cheek every time you're near one of them. To cut the crap I'll just say that the morning after the ordeal between my sister and my best male friend, and also the humiliation of being rejected by my crush without her even knowing it, was like those times when you puke without even having eaten anything before...basically it was disgusting...and kind of annoying. I honestly can't tell you how I managed to go to school with all that pain, but it was probably an attempt to escape from the shithole that was my house. As soon as I arrived, late, I was met with the face of professor Bruner, who was leaning forward to put on a movie for the class to watch. He turned his head to the left and, with a raised eyebrow, said

Mr. Bruner: "Oh, nice of you to show up."

So, you see, when you had a really bad day and you decide it's better to put on a stupid happy face to avoid being asked questions, you are easily susceptible to sarcastic comments like these. And usually I would've flipped off the person responsible, but when you're a student you're already screwed enough, and you don't need to screw yourself up even more just because you had a bad day, so instead of flipping him off I decided to go with

Thomas: "Sorry I'm late, I had a really bad night."

He raised from his bending position and, while still looking at me, said

Mr. Bruner: "Oh, I'm sorry for it. But I think your luck is still far since your usual spot has been taken by Mr. Kim while you were late."

He gestured for my usual spot, which was beside Nadine (duh), that was currently being occupied by the already way too annoying ass of Erwin Kim, while his usual spot was currently occupied by someone else I didn't know. Maybe at this point you noticed I'm not too much of a fan of that dude, since he was blatantly fawning over Nadine. The guy wasn't subtle at all, and somehow that annoyed me even more. But what really fueled me was when he saw me, waved at me with that stupid innocent smile of his, and then got back to glancing at Nadine with his head low. Now I was pissed. Without breaking my gaze on the idiot I said to the professor

Thomas: "Well, I guess that Mr. Kim can go back to his spot now, can't he?"

And he, without missing a beat, answered me

Mr. Bruner: "You know the rules here: if you're late, you go with what's left. There's a free spot over there, beside Miss Baxter."

Yeah...Kristine Baxter, AKA the girl who gave me her number...number that I still had to use, and now I had to sit beside her. Did I mention that I hate Erwin Kim? She was right there, looking at me with a smirk, as if she knew I was embarrassed, and she was enjoying making me feel that way: she had the courage to give me her number, and I didn't even call her, and now she was about to make me pay for it. I couldn't just say that I didn't want to sit there, so I bravely made my way to the empty chair, while also spotting Nadine giving me thumbs up, to which I just rolled my eyes at. When I sat down Bruner said one or two words that I didn't really pay much attention to, then he started whatever movie he brought for us to watch. Kristine leaned towards me and whispered with that same smirk on her face

Kristine: "You do know the basics of dating, right? A girl gives you her number, you call her to invite her on a date, you two go on a date. Doesn't seem too complicated to me."

At that point Julius Caesar's death didn't seem so terrible to me, and I'm more than sure that Brute did him a big favor with that last stab. Maybe Caesar was about to make a really ridiculous choice, or was about to be made fun of because of a ridiculous situation he was in, or maybe it had to do with a girl. Point is that I was really wishing for death to free me from my misery, and I wished that even more when I heard the bastard inviting, or rather trying to invite Nadine to go to Time's Fun Park with him. I swear I...okay, look, I'm not a violent person...most of the times. Ask whoever you want, they'll confirm it. It's just...okay, I was jealous. There, are you happy? I was a dumb, idiot, little, jealous boy. And I let out a relieved sigh when I heard Nadine declining his invitation. Before you say it, I know it's not polite to overhear other people's conversations, but we're literally two spots away, with none of our classmates talking except those two. I think Kristine noticed I was staring daggers at the idiot, because, after a few seconds, she said

Kristine: "So, how long have you had a crush on Nadine?"

Surprised, I turned to look at her, and I saw that the smirk she had on her face was replaced with a somewhat sad smile, and in that moment I felt like shit. She had the guts to give me her number and to say that she likes me, and in return I didn't even call her to explain things. I sighed and, looking again at Nadine, I answered

Thomas: "I...I don't know...it's just..."

Then I sighed again and, after turning to look at Kristine, I continued

Thomas: "I'm sorry, I should've called to tell you everything."

She nodded with the same expression, then she answered

Kristine: "How about this? You can offer me lunch, and I'll listen to you all you want."

I nodded, saying that it was only fair from me.

The rest of the day flew by quickly. Nadine and Krista went to eat together, to clear things off I presumed, and Darian was nowhere to be seen, so that left me only with Kristine. We walked out of school and got inside a nearby local to eat a pair of cheeseburgers. No word was exchanged between us, only glances. I noticed how, a few times, she was staring at me, and how she would look elsewhere whenever I noticed. That made me wonder how Nadine did never notice the way I looked at her, how she never took hints about what I was feeling for her. Did she ever notice me? Why didn't she ever look at me the way Kristine was looking at me right then? Why didn't I ever look at Kristine the way she was looking at me? After eating our lunch, she told me

Kristine: "Okay, speak, I'll listen."

I waited a few moments to regain my thoughts and then, after exhaling a puff of air and moving my gaze towards her, I started

Thomas: "I think I've always felt something for Nadine, but something happened two nights ago that changed everything."

I noticed the way she gulped, probably thinking that we hooked up...tsk, I wish

Thomas: "She was drunk, I brought her in her room and, after exchanging a few words, she kissed me. Not deeply, not even that good but, she kissed me. And in that moment a sea of emotions crashed over me. I was...happy, disoriented, excited, confused...I didn't know what to think, and not even a second passed that she fell asleep, reminding me that the only reason she kissed me is that she was drunk. And the next day she didn't remember a thing, and everything was like it never happened. Then another mess happened between two people we know, and she basically told me that us being together would be just weird...I just...am I even good enough?"

Then she took my hands in hers, prompting me to look at her in the eyes. She was wearing a sad smile on her face while telling me

Kristine: "I'm sorry...I didn't know you were in this situation, I should've never teased you like that."

I shook my head and said

Thomas: "It's okay, I deserved it."

Then she continued with a serious and reassuring expression on her face, and also something else I couldn't quite pinpoint

Kristine: "Also, to answer your question, you are more than enough, you...you're just...amazing, in everything: you're funny, caring, intelligent, and you're also kinda cute..." I'd like to point out the crimson blush appearing on her face as she said this to me "...sometimes I find it hard to think that someone like you actually exists."

Pointless to say that I was blushing and, with a shake of my head, I was like

Thomas: "Nah, c'mon, I'm not-"

But she didn't let me finish the sentence

Kristine: "Yes, Thomas, you are. You are...everything a girl could ask for. And if Nadine doesn't see it, then it's her loss. Believe me, you have no reason not to feel more than enough."

So, to recap, this girl just came by, said she liked me, gave me her number, and then told me I'm amazing, funny, caring, intelligent and cute...all in a span of two/three days. I had to give her credit: she told me exactly what I've been wanting to hear from Nadine for years, and she took only two/three days to say it. I was speechless. In that moment, I started to actually see her in a new way. How did this girl, this foreign girl, manage to do all of this to me in such a short amount of time? And what was this...sensation I was feeling inside of me? After a few moments of staring in each other's eyes, we broke off our gaze and awkwardly detached our hands. She cleared her throat and grabbed her coke and, before drinking, she asked me

Kristine: "So, what do you plan to do with Nadine?"

I looked back at her with an expression of uncertainty and, after a few seconds of thinking, I replied

Thomas: "Honestly I don't know...she clearly has the hots for that douche, Nick Mossman, and she unconsciously friend zoned me. I don't really know what to do..."

After she downed her drink, she said

Kristine: "But she did kiss you, right?"

At that I shook my head and answered with a defeated tone

Thomas: "She was drunk."

And she, nodding, replied with a confident tone

Kristine: "Exactly."

And that confused me, which must have been evident on my face, since she explained right after

Kristine: "There are two kinds of drunk people in this world: the ones that do things that they would never do, and the ones who reveal their deepest truths and secrets. Is there something else that she did say to you that night?"

After she asked me that question, I really started to think hard about that night. I remembered helping her to get to her room, sitting with her on the bed, her kissing me...and then I also remembered talking to her about something. It all came back: me saying she's amazing, her smiling and touching my face, her complimenting my lips...and then, only then, she kissed me. I looked back at Kristine and said

Thomas: "I remember I told her how perfect she is, she saying I have a funny nose..."

At that, Kristine and I both laughed. Then I continued

Thomas: "Then she started trailing her hands on my face and said I have lean and soft cheeks, rosy and full lips...and she had that tone, that look in her eyes, you know...?"

She kept her gaze on me and whispered

Kristine: "Yeah, I know..."

I guess she didn't realize I heard her, so I didn't let her know it while I continued

Thomas: "...then she kissed me."

The right moment I told all of this, I realized that that kiss had to be more than just a stupid and fake occurrence: you can't fake that look, that tone...and that kind of atmosphere can't be faked. I had an idea of what that could've meant, but I was too scared to admit it to myself. And after a few moments of silence, Kristine said with a tone that she desperately tried to keep from sounding sad

Kristine: "She's in love with you, Thomas..."

Incredulous, I raised my head to look at her in the eyes and noticed the sad smile she was wearing as she continued

Kristine: "She may not know that yet, but she does love you."

I had a blank expression on my face: I couldn't believe my ears. Was it really possible that she was feeling the same way I've always felt for her? After her reply, I answered with a small and unsure tone

Thomas: "What do I do now?"

She smiled at me and took my hands, then she said

Kristine: "You have to fight for her: don't let her slip away from you, or you will regret it forever."

Suddenly it downed to me what she was doing: she was sacrificing her own happiness for me. She was doing what I've been doing for years with Krista and Nadine. And that thought hurt really much.

Thomas: "Kristine...I-"

But she knew what I was thinking, and she, shaking her head, said to me

Kristine: "Don't worry about me, Thomas, I'm going to be fine. But you have to fight for what you want: you have to fight for her. Do you promise me you will?"

As she said this, a tear escaped her eye, and I felt even more like shit. Was I really going to hurt her like this? She was giving up on her own desires to ensure that I would be happy. In a way, we were much alike. And in that moment I couldn't stop wondering what it would've been like to just stop chasing Nadine, and be with someone who really wanted me. But I couldn't lie to myself: I was in love with Nadine, and I had to fight for her. So I nodded and replied

Thomas: "I promise."

She smiled and nodded at me. Then she detached her hands from mine and wiped away the tear that escaped her eye. She started gathering her things and stood up, then she told me, without looking at me in the eyes

Kristine: "Sorry, Thomas, I really have to go, but good luck with Nadine...bye."

She walked a few steps away, but I called her before she could distance herself from me too much

Thomas: "Kristine!"

She stopped and, when she turned around, I said

Thomas: "Tommy...call me Tommy."

She smiled at me, and then she turned around and walked away without looking back.

Once I got out of there too, I was determined to fight for Nadine, and to make sure she understood what I feel for her. I was about to call her when, surprisingly, she called me. As you can imagine, I was slightly freaking out, because I didn't rehearse anything, but I thought to myself

'Fuck it'

And I answered the phone

Thomas: "Hey, what's up?"

I don't know how I managed to keep my stutter at bay, but I did

Nadine: "Hey. Look, uhh...there's this thing your sister invited me to. Well, actually my brother invited your sister to this thing, and she invited me, so I thought to invite you, so that at least it'll be more bearable. You in?"

No, I didn't get a single thing she said to me. But did I care? Not one bit: I had the chance to be possibly alone with her, and maybe that could've been my chance to talk to her. Who wouldn't accept such an offer? The only thing puzzling me was, why didn't Krista invite me too? But I left that question for later and simply answered

Thomas: "Uh, sure. Yeah, why not? So, where's this thing exactly?"

Nadine: "I'll send you the location. Please, come as soon as you can, alright?"

And that was my chance to throw something at her

Thomas: "I'm coming as fast as I can, for you, I promise."

After closing the call I looked over my outfit: not quite the look I wanted to go for to talk about that. So I went quickly home and put on what I thought could be a better looking outfit

(A/N: I couldn't find a better picture, sorry)

Then I took my bike and I started pedaling towards the location Nadine sent me. As you can guess, a party wasn't exactly what I was expecting to find, especially if it was Nadine who sent me the said location. In any case, I parked my bike and walked inside the large house. As soon as I got in, people, people everywhere. I could understand why Nadine called for help. First things first, I needed to look for her, find her, then take her in a private spot and talk to her...easy peasy. After fifteen whole minutes of searching I was really starting to worry, and that's when I spotted Krista. She was laughing and having a great time with Darian and other people I didn't know, but I couldn't see Nadine with her, so I walked closer and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and the moment she saw me, a surprised expression adorned her face. And, with a matching tone, she asked

Krista: "Tommy? What are you doing here?"

At that I answered

Thomas: "I was about to ask you the same thing, actually. Nadine called me and told me to come here, but I can't find her. Do you know where she is?"

She looked around for a bit with an unsure expression, and that was all I needed to understand

Thomas: "Krista! You know how she is with parties! Why did you leave her alone?!"

And she replied

Krista: "I-I'm sorry, I didn't...it wasn't my intention."

And right then I started to really get pissed

Thomas: "If you wanted to spend time with these...whoever they are, why did you invite her to this party?!"

Then one of the dudes laughing with her before walked forward and stood in front of me with an arrogant and punchable expression. I don't know who the hell that guy was, so I'll call him Nick (you know, since I couldn't even stand his presence)

Nick: "Do we have a problem here?"

And I stood in front of him, looked at him in the eyes and replied

Thomas: "I don't know, do we have a problem here?"

He put his hand on my chest and moved me back while saying

Nick: "Piss off, dude, we're having fun."

I slapped his hand away and replied

Thomas: "Fuck off, asshole, I'm talking to my sister."

As you, at this point, understand, I was having a really bad day: I wasn't in the mood to be ticked off by a drunk douchebag, even if he was a bit taller than me. I was at a certain point where a single word would've made me explode. I warned the idiot to leave me and my sister alone, but of course he didn't listen. And when he heard that I am Krista's brother, he started to chuckle, then he turned to his friends and yelled

Nick: "Hey, guys! Look, here's the loser Krista has to put up with everyday!"

Of course, being me, people started to laugh at my face, but he didn't stop there

Nick: "I'm sorry, we don't have banana peels for you to fall on, or other nerds for you to bang with. Why don't you go back to your little stronghold of solitude or whatever?"

A few more seconds of people laughing at my face and Krista and Darian trying to stop them (unsuccessfully) later, I couldn't hold back anymore. I moved a few steps forward and threw him a right hook across his stupid face. He stumbled back a bit while holding his bleeding lip. The entire party was silent, except for the light music in the background. No one uttered a word, except for me

Thomas: "It's 'Fortress of Solitude', you moron."

The idiot looked back at me with a wild expression, then he ran to me and tackled me to the ground. What followed next was a chorus encouraging the prick to throw at me a series of punches in the face, in the stomach...everywhere I couldn't protect myself. That went on until Darian grabbed him by the collar and K.O.ed him with a single punch. Then he and Krista helped me up and walked me out.

I felt humiliated, injured and powerless against everything that was happening to me: my mother, my father, Nadine, the other people...I felt so overwhelmed I just wished to die. Or just scream. Darian and Krista helped me sit on the sidewalk, then she sent him to get some ice for my bruises and my bleeding lip (yup, that was where the asshole threw his first punch, the idiot took revenge). After a few moments of me trying to calm down and not breaking in tears in front of her, I spoke

Thomas: "You knew this would've happened, didn't you?"

She was taken aback by my question, and asked

Krista: "What do you mean?"

I looked at her in the eyes and replied

Thomas: "You knew that if you invited me too, then I would've ruined the party for everyone. That's why you only invited Nadine, and not me."

Her expression told me all I needed to hear: yes, it was true.

Krista: "No, Tommy, I-"

She obviously tried to deny it, but I knew my sister all too well, and she was too kind to tell me the truth

Thomas: "Don't worry, Krista, I don't blame you, I wouldn't have invited me either." I got back on my feet with a little struggle, then I continued "Do me a favor, Krista, go back inside, and enjoy the party. Tell the others that you're sorry your dumb brother ruined the mood. And if you see Nadine, tell her I'm sorry, and to call me as soon as she can. Say hi to Darian for me, and thank him. Bye, Krista."

Despite her tries to make me stay, I couldn't do it. She was enjoying herself, and I ruined that for her. I was really starting to think that all I could do was damage anything I touched, and anyone that I stood close to. Definetely one of the worst nights of my life. But you're wrong if you think that was it. After a few minutes of walking, since, apparently, someone even stole my bike, I decided I couldn't wait, so I called Nadine. No answer. I tried texting her, but nothing. Maybe she was actually enjoying the party, so I didn't want to disturb her too. Once I got home, I found my mother alone on the couch, sleeping, with an empty bottle of whiskey dangling from her hand. My father nowhere to be seen. I figured this was another one of those nights when he came back home at two o'clock in the morning, pretending not to have cheated on my mother with one or two chics. But honestly, at that point, I couldn't care less. I went up to my room and collapsed on my bed, looking at the ceiling. After a couple of seconds, I received a vocal message from Nadine, I clicked 'Play' and put the phone close to my ear to listen to the worst thing I could ever hear in that moment

Nadine: "Hey, Tommy. Sorry for not answering...and also not being at the party. Long story short, it was shit and I asked my mother to pick me up. In the end the night wasn't ruined after all: I called Erwin and we met at Time's Fun Park. I swear, that kid is adorable! He even tried to kiss me! Ahahaha! Don't worry, it didn't happen: I could just picture your face if I told you I kissed him! Anyway, he's not that bad, maybe I'll see him more often, I don't know. How was the party?"

Fucking. Perfect. This was the most fucking perfect way to end a fucking perfect day. What would you have done in my place? Like, honestly, what would you have done? I'll tell you what I did. Not trusting my voice in that moment, I wrote her a text with tears swelling in my eyes

Thomas: "A total bore, I envy you: at least you had fun (even if it was with the maniac). Anyway, I'm tired right now, goodnight moron ❤️."

And I was just that...a moron...

A/N: And there you have it, folks! As promised, the fifth chapter! This one was hard to write: more than once I was feeling emotional. Tell me, did you like it? How do you feel honestly 😂? Tell me your opinions and what do you expect or want it to happen in the future. See you next time, guys, have a nice day/evening/night! ❤️