Times Change, Friends Leave and Life Doesn't Wait for Anybody

Kellin stepped off the plane around five PM on Tuesday evening. He’d called Matty from the airport in Connecticut, telling him that he’d be away for a couple of weeks. Matty hadn’t asked any questions, which Kellin was grateful for, instead telling him that his job would still be there when he got back. If he went back.
Kellin pulled his suitcase up and wandered through the airport, making his way outside and back onto the familiar streets of San Diego. And as miserable as he was feeling, it was nice to be back home. Kellin quickly made his way to the cab office, gratefully climbing into one of the yellow cars and providing his old home address, excited to see his family but unsure of what their reaction would be to his return.
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“Kellin?” Heather asked, pulling the door open all the way when she saw her older brother. She grinned at him and pulled him into a tight hug, which he returned happily, before pulling him into the house. “Mum! Dad! Kellin’s here!” She called, tugging him by the hand into the living room, where their parents were sitting.
“Kellin?” Mrs. Bostwick asked.
“Son? What are you doing here?” Mr. Bostwick frowned.
“Not that we aren’t glad to see you.” Mrs. Bostwick input sharply.
“I just… I just felt like visiting.” Kellin shrugged. He couldn’t talk to his parents about leaving Vic. Not yet. Maybe, after a few days he could open up to them, but for now telling them he’d missed them would suffice.
“Well how are you? Are you hungry, we’re going to have dinner soon but I can put it on now-“ Mrs. Bostwick began to ramble, pulling her son to sit down and fiddling with his hair.
“Let the boy breathe,” Mr. Bostwick scolded. “He’s just come off a flight, I bet he’s tired. I’m sure you just want to sleep now, don’t you?” He directed at Kellin.
“I’m fine… I’m just glad to be home for a bit.” Kellin admitted truthfully.
“You should have called, though.” Mrs. Bostwick said. “It’s just courteous.”
“Sorry, mum.” Kellin muttered.
“You’re room’s still empty, so I can put some sheets on the bed and then you sleep there- how long are you staying?” She added.
“I… Um, well, I dunno. A week?” Kellin looked down, hair falling into his eyes as he tried to hide the tears that were forming. The reality was just starting to set in that he’d left Vic. Something that he’d promised numerous amounts of time that he’d never do. He was a traitor. He was a liar.
“Kellin?” Heather asked softly, putting a hand on her brother’s shoulder.
“I think… I think I might actually go to bed now.” Kellin sniffed and stood up, hair still covering his face as he trudged upstairs and into his bedroom. His posters were still stuck to the wall, his bed and wardrobe still in the same position against the wall. Apart from that, the room was bare. Kellin fell onto the stripped mattress, his face pressed painfully on one of the springs. He didn’t even care though, because the pain he was felling inside was so much worse.
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“You’re back!” Jesse yelled happily as he, as well as Gabe, Justin and Jack, piled into the Bostwick household, all hugging their friend, happy about his return.
“Yeah, I am.” Kellin chuckled lightly as his friends entered his old house. It reminded him of all the times they had visited back in high school. So far, everything had been reminding him of what had been normal in his life only half a year ago.
“How’re things in Connecticut?” Justin asked.
“Alright. It’s nice there; really hot, so it’s not too different from here.” Kellin answered.
“How’s Vic?” Jack enquired. Kellin felt the familiar lump rise in his throat at the mention of his boyfriend… Or was Vic his ex? Kellin had said that they hadn’t broken up, but to be honest, he wasn’t sure.
“He’s fine. He didn’t want to miss any classes or whatever, so he couldn’t come down with me.” Kellin lied in a hopefully convincing way that seemed to fool his friends, at least.
“Cool, cool…” Gabe murmured. “Things are kind of boring here.”
“Yeah… Nothing’s really going on. It’s the same as it always has been.” Jesse agreed. “Although…”
“Although what?” Kellin asked curiously.
“I dunno, it wouldn’t work anyway.” Justin shook his head.
“Come on, guys.” Kellin prodded.
“Well… We were thinking of, you know, starting a band…” Jesse said.
“Oh. Um, okay?” Kellin looked between his friends, unsure of how them starting a band really concerned him. They’d always played around with the idea, ever since freshman year, but they’d never really gotten round to it. And now, even though it would have been nice to be involved with his friends, it wouldn’t work unless he decided to move back to San Diego. Which wasn’t going to happen. Because he and Vic were just on a break, they hadn’t officially broken up. But could they ‘officially’ break up? Wasn’t a break up a break up, regardless of whether they called it ‘taking a break’ or not. They weren’t together anymore. They weren’t living together; they hadn’t even contacted each other. And, even if it was his choice, Kellin was still hurt.
“Kellin?” Gabe sang. “We said it would be cool if you’d be our lead singer.”
“Yeah… I dunno, guys.” Kellin decided. He still wanted the option of being with Vic. Knowing that the other boy was still there, and giving himself the chance to go back to him was somehow comforting to Kellin.
“We wouldn’t do it until Vic finished though.” Justin quickly input. “So then both of you can come back and we can do it. We don’t want to separate you guys or anything.”
“It’s just an idea.” Jack said. “We’ve all got jobs and shit, in case it doesn’t work, but it’d be fun.”
“Yeah, it would be…” Kellin agreed, scratching the back of his head and then nodding. It would be fun, but he didn’t want to commit himself to something in San Diego, when he had something he should be committed to in Connecticut. And then Kellin’s thoughts drifted to the lyrics that he had been writing, and how the five of them were basically completely set up to be a band. He thought about the fact that he’d always wanted to be in a band. How he could be doing something that he loved with four other people that he loved. But he loved Vic more. Right?
“Just think about it, alright?” Jesse said, punching Kellin on the shoulder lightly, like he always used to do. And that simple action made Kellin feel at home again.