He's attractive, arrogant and invincible. Well, for now.

“Oi, Adam!” Anthony called out from across the hall, Adam waited as Anthony ran down the corridor. “Ugh. I still can’t get used these freaking suites.” He moaned as he loosened his tie, brushing his long slender, tanned hands through his rusty hazel hair, which brushed across to the right. He stood uncomfortably in front of Adam as he shook his long legs in the designer trousers he wore.
Adam couldn’t help but chuckle at Anthony’s expression; it was priceless as he scrunched up his nose as if he smelt something bad.
“Seriously? I quite like the fact they make us wear suites in Six Form.” Adam half smiled, his pure white teeth shining.
“Ugh… it makes me feel so formal.” He said the last word with an over exaggerated posh accent. “I don’t know why I didn’t go to college; at least I could have worn jeans.” He dramatically wiped a tear from his eyes as the two began walking to their next lesson.
“Oh come on, it’s not much different from the school uniform we wore last year, and besides this is basically college it’s just in the same high school building.”
Accepting defeat Anthony decided to stop his moaning and change the subject.

“So how about my house this Saturday? Girls are going to be there.” Anthony nudged Adam with a wink, only for Adam to involuntary rolls his eyes.
“Dude, I told you, I’m not interested in girls right now, and besides I have a part time job.” He sighed, as they walked into their next lesson; Phycology.
Anthony gave him a childish moan, “You’re no fun anymore, you used to always hand out and party, and anyway don’t you think it’s time to forget about Ever.” The mention of her name sent his stomach into a thousand flips. He still cared. “And I really don’t get why you need a part time job, your freaking loaded!”
“It’s just to fill up my free time…” Adam muttered the excuse.
“Free time you could use partying with me.” Anthony was always the stubborn headed one.
As they both settled into their seats, seats which seemed too small now for their tall and muscular bodies, Adam had decided to give in for once, “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Yeah, that’s my boy!” Anthony cheered in victory, such a spoilt brat.
“But I’m not ‘getting it on’ with any girls, you hear me?” Adam chuckled, quoting Anthony of his usual phrase. Anthony nodded vigorously with a cheesy smile on his face.

Adam took out his notepad and pen, he actually began to study in school, listening to the teachers and doing his projects. Something Adam never used to do.
It had already been over year since Adam saw… her. Even thinking her name was hard for him. It had been too long since he felt the sensation of her red curls, the sweet taste of her lips and saw her innocent smile.
Adam shook his head; thoughts of her were not to exist. She was nothing to him anymore, she left school long ago and he left her, he doesn’t have the right to go look for her, he doesn’t have the right to think about her. No matter how much he lov-
“Sorry I’m late, Sir!” A voice too sweet and familiar interrupted Adam’s thought. He didn’t need to turn around to now who just arrived, her habit and her voice had become too noticeable for him not to recognize her.
“Yes, yes Ariel, I think we have all grown accustomed to your tardiness, take your seat.” The teacher sighed, and pointed towards her seat, which sat right beside Anthony.

Ariel gave him an embarrassed look before taking her seat by Anthony. She was breathing heavily, probably due to the fact she was running here. Where does she go every lunch time? “Hey, Anthony.” She greeted with a smile, the same way she greeted everyone except Adam.
Of course Anthony noticed this tiny fact, but brushed it off with the idea that they probably were in a fight or just don’t like each other anymore.
In fact, he was close enough to the truth, but the fact that they haven’t since that day in year eleven, in the infirmary was left hidden.

Throughout the lesson Adam spent his time concentrating on the teacher and the lesson, taking any kind of notes he could take down, just to bloke out Ariel’s usual rants. She was too much like him, and what was worse? She was also a lot like her, maybe that’s how they’re child would of turned out? Not like that would actually happen - woah! Did he just think about having children? Adam hates children!

“Adam?” Anthony shocked him back into reality. “You okay man?” Genuine worry was covered in Anthony’s face, but Adam just gave him a reassuring smile. How Anthony had gotten close with Adam? Was by far random. Considering Carl had moved onto college, Anthony had decided to befriend Adam, hearing rumours about Adam and Carl having a fight. Adam was depressed it was clear, there were times were he just didn’t come into school for a week, his grades were dropping below average and Adam always had good grade. Anthony pitied him at first, but gradually he started to consider Adam as one of his closest friends.
Adam considered Anthony as a saint, as dramatic as it sounded; he refused to leave Adam alone at any point. They would text like teenage girls every night before Adam fell asleep, they would hang out possible, he saved Adam. But it was already too late, Adam had changed into someone no one knew anymore, girls stopped hitting on him, guys stopped inviting him to parties and he blacked out into the background.
He was no longer the attractive, arrogant and invincible guy he once was. He was just a simple guy, in high school, dealing with a heart break.
Only if it was as simple as it sounded.
Adam felt like he could tell Anthony anything, only he didn’t. He didn’t want to taint Anthony’s care free smile with the horrors that became Adam. He was truly sick of himself.

“Thank you for your purchase, come again.” Adam said like a script as he reluctantly smiled. The two girls, who had decided to buy a lollipop (that was it), had walked out of the shop blushing.
With a sigh Adam clicked the buttons on the cashier placing 40p in the designated spots. How pointless, he thought. His job wasn’t very exciting, working at a news agent, half an hour away from home was the best time consuming event he has had in the past six months.
With another sigh of exhaustion, his reflection caught in window caught his attention, no he wasn’t checking himself out (surprisingly), the actual thought ‘what’s so good about me?’ ran through his mind. It was a sentence he would never say, never admit to even thinking before but now is now, and he honestly didn’t understand.
His hair was the same, long and brown, scraping across his grey eyes, sure he was good looking, but that wasn’t so uncommon, his skin colour was of a boring peach colour, his dress sense wasn’t anything over the top, and the fact he had money didn’t account anything to him anymore.

Adam slowly turned back to the cashier as he heard familiar steps approach the counter. “How much is this?” The voice asked politely as he held a photography magazine. “Um… £1.20.” Adam smiled and looked up to face his customer. As Adam’s grey eyes met with his green eyes, time seem to have frozen at that moment.
“C-Ca…” The name couldn’t even leave his lips. Adam felt so shaken, he didn’t even blink, and suddenly the last time they spoke popped into his words. His punch and the words he spoke that time, truly had stricken Adam to the point of depression.
Adam gave Carl a stern look; he refused to look weakened, even though his heart was crumbling. How long at it been since he last so Carl? It felt for years, like after you leave high school and have a reunion 50 years later. But Carl still look as young and handsome as ever, he had cut his hair short, slightly gelling it up into small spikes that swirled into each other. His bright green eyes seemed so foreign to Adam, Anthony’s were more of a midnight blue, and well she wasn’t there anymore, so the whole green eyes concept had become unfamiliar. Although considering the fact that Carl did look youthful he looked mature, as if he had just lived a hundred years, he seemed far more intimidating than ever.

As Adam was brought back to the present he had noticed Carl’s eyes turned dark and cold as he continued to analyse Adam, and with a sigh Carl took his long hands and went into his pockets. “Oi, Carl – what’s taking you so long?” The shops doorbell rang vigorously as Ariel popped her head in.
Adam took a step back in surprise, his eyes wide; they were still together? He naively thought that when he decided to leave, so did everyone else – he never believed they would still be seeing each other. The thought never crossed his mind, especially since Carl had decided to go to college instead of stay in Six Form.
It took Ariel a while for her to notice Adam standing behind the cash counter, with wide eyes she opened her mouth, “Oh my god,” She muttered. “You have a freaking job!?” She shouted out as she walked into the shop, only for her to trip over the small step she failed to notice, causing her to crash on the floor head first.
Carl gave her one look before sighing, although Adam already leaped over the counter to help her up. Carl was taken back slightly, but shook it off. “Seriously Ariel?” He shook his head as he saw the blood dripping down her forehead. “Woops…” She muttered with a forced smile as she scratched the back of her head.
Adam was panicking, “I-I’ll get a first aid kit!” He announced before skidding off into the storage room, Ariel and Carl eyes followed him. Ariel half smiled at how nonchalant this seemed, it saddened her.

After a couple of crash’s and bump’s Adam came running out with a bunch of bandages, pills and disinfectant for an army. Carl had carefully set Ariel up on the counter, she honestly looked like a child - she hadn’t grown much in the past year, she had also cut her hair just above her shoulders, and out grew her fringe into a side one, her blue eyes had become brighter than ever. Adam everything beside her and began to nervously fondle through everything.
“Calm it, it isn’t that bad,” Carl rolled his eyes as he held back Adam’s hands.
“Y-Yeah…” He muttered as he took a step back allowing Carl to handle it, this clearly wasn’t the first time Ariel had injured herself, Carl seemed too used to it.
Adam stared at the two as Ariel had a pout on her face whilst Carl scolded her continuously, he would chuckle whenever she flinched from the pain. They hadn’t changed much. It was just at that moment where his heart felt warm for what felt like the first time in years, that the feeling of wanting to cry engulfed him.

Carl didn’t need to turn to notice how Adam was feeling. Being the best of friends for five years meant you knew the guy more than he knew himself, especially when it came to Adam.
“Adam…” Carl called out. Adam gulped back his pain and tears and look up to face Carl with a smile he would usually only use for his customers. “Well, I need to get back to work.” Adam said before sliding over the counter to stand behind the cashier. “You take the magazine?” The smiled continued to falter Adam’s true feelings. With a nod and a sigh, Carl went into his back pockets receiving two pounds.
“When do you get off?” Carl asked as Adam gave him the 80p change. Adam froze slightly under his statue of a smile before answering. “In about ten minutes. That’s when the shop closes.” Unfortunately Adam hadn’t realised it was already past ten o’clock in the night.
“Perfect, I’ll wait till you get off.”
“Wait, what?” Adam looked up at Carl’s calm face. Maybe he just imagined what he had just sad.
“I’m inviting you over; I’ll drop Ariel home and come to pick you up. You can sleep over at my house. You parents cool with it?” Adam didn’t have any words to respond to, he could only just barely managed a nod.

Was this seriously happening?
After one whole year of not seeing, talking or communicating each other in any way, Carl was inviting Adam over?
Adam couldn’t handle this right now.