Albion was waiting around the side of school for the other boy, anxiously biting his lip as he planned out what he was going to say to him. He was running a hand through his hair when his phone dinged.
[<3Fen<3] do you remember what happened yesterday?
He looked at the phone like it had offended him somehow, before typing back a reply.
Yeah?? Why wouldn’t I
Although he wasn’t aware of it, Fenner was standing just around the corner of the school, although to everyone else, it looked like just your average floating phone. Fenner sighed gratefully, unbelievably happy that he still remembered meeting him at least, even if it was a shitty ‘first meeting’.
Albion’s phone dinged again.
[<3Fen<3] can you come meet me behind the school, don’t wanna talk where someone might hear us
Albion panicked as memories of being beaten and spat at behind his old school flooded his mind - Fenner didn’t miss the flash of fear in his eyes, quickly typing another message.
[<3Fen<3] or not, that’s fine
Albion closed his eyes, exhaling. His hands were shaking as he typed a response.
I’m round the side of the school now, where I hit you yesterday. Want to come here?
[<3Fen<3] it was barely a hit, your slaps are pretty weak
[<3Fen<3] sure I’ll come find you now
[<3Fen<3] this is gonna sound so weird
[<3Fen<3] we can chat but you won’t be able to see me
Albion glared daggers at his phone.
If this is a shitty joke about me being half blind, then kindly fuck off.
[<3Fen<3] absolutely not what I meant. I literally meant like,,,I’m actually standing in front of you now
Albion looked up suddenly, and saw nothing. “Is that…a phone?!” He exclaimed as he saw a phone waving from side to side in front of him. When he leaned closer, he saw that it had the other side of the text chat on. “What the actual fuck?! It’s Fenner, right?! How are you doing this?”
He looked around in confusion, expecting the phone to be suspended from something. “Albie I’m literally holding the phone, I’m just invisible right now.” Albion’s eyes snapped back to the phone at the sound of the other boy’s voice. He sighed, too tired to deal with whatever this was, right now.
“Ok, well listen. We need to talk, and you can hear me or something, so I’ll just close my eyes and imagine you’re there, ok?” Fenner’s disembodied voice retorted “I am here though, I’m just invisible, that’s all.”
Albion scoffed. “Ok whatever. I’m sorry for slapping you, I totally lost my cool, and I should’ve never done that to you,” as he said it, the vision of Fenner’s terrified face appeared in his mind’s eye, causing him to shake his head to rid himself of the vision. It didn’t work.
“Nah it’s chill, I was just kinda surprised. You’re always like super gentle so I wasn’t expecting you to flip out like that. My mum explained it to me - she said it was a defence mechanism or something, don’t really remember to be honest.”
Albion felt relieved…and strangely happy at Fenner’s forgiveness, and his heart was beating faster than usual, but he assumed it was just his anxiety. “Um, can I ask you something?” Fenner nodded, forgetting he was invisible and the boy was blind. “Uh, sure.”
“Who told you about my eye?” Fenner stared at his hands, clenching them as he exhaled, he’s really forgotten then, he thought. “You did.”
Albie took a sharp intake of breath. “I’ve never told anyone that though. Only my family…and my old school know. Why would I have told you? Why you, of all people? I don’t even remember you!” Fenner dug his nails into his palms, fighting the tears back.
“I know you don’t remember, but…Albie, to me, you-“ he cut himself off with his tears. He shoved his phone into his pocket, crying onto his hand. “A-ah fuck,” he tried again. “Albie I’m your boyfriend, a-and I’m pretty sure that I…that I love you,” he chocked on a sob, wiping his tears from his eyes with his sleeve.
“I-I know it’s not y-your fault, but I-I…it still fuckin hurts, ok?!” He sat down against the opposite wall, curling his arms around his knees.
Albie felt like his heart was being squeezed in two inside his chest. Why is his crying hurting me so much? He wondered. When the other boy’s sobs didn’t stop, he cautiously opened one eye. However, it wasn’t his right one.
Being left-eye dominant as a left-handed person, he automatically opened his left eye first, forgetting that he was unable to even see outlines of people yet- wait what?! Albion opened his right eye, and saw just a wall in front of him, but when he looked through his left eye, he could see a faint outline of a body.
Walking slowly towards the body, the image became clearer. He could see a boy clutching his arms to himself as he cried. Albion reached out and touched his arm. Fenner’s head shot up, surprise filling his eyes.
“Y-you can see me?!”
Albion nodded, tears began streaming out of his eyes, as he fell forwards into the other boy’s arms. The longer he stayed in Fenner’s arms, the more images flashed through his mind.
A new school, a new seat.
A new friend.
A hand hold.
A drawing in the library.
A study session.
A cuddle.
A coffee.
A walk by the river.
A kiss.
“Fucking hell Fen you’re a cursed boy who turns invisible and everyone forgets him and you suck at maths but you’re actually really smart you just can’t be bothered and you always sleep in lessons instead because you’re an insomniac and you’re my fucking boyfriend and I swear I love you so much.”
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