"Honey! What are you doing back so soon?" Mom asked curiously as I walked through the door. Half of her hair was clipped up, loose curls sticking to her glistening forehead. She had clearly moved on from baking and was now needlessly cleaning the already pristine floors. I had hoped to sneak in the house unnoticed, but now that she'd seen me, I knew that my mother wouldn't let my unexpected reappearance go. Might as well get this over with, too.

"I went to Addie's house to break up with her, Mom," I muttered, unsure of how she might react to the news.

"Why?!" she gasped, looking at me with a confused expression.

"It's fine, I just don't want to talk about it. Please?" I begged, desperately hoping that she would drop it.

After staring at me contemplatively for what seemed like an eternity, she finally breathed out a long sigh and said, "Fine, okay. It's your life, Bo. You're an adult, so what can I do? I don't know the circumstances, but I hope it was amicable."

"Thanks, Mom. It went as well as it could have, I think. We probably won't be friends anytime soon, but we're not on bad terms," I reassured, hoping that I was telling the truth. Addie had handled the news remarkably well in the moment, but it was always possible that she was in too much shock to convey how she was truly feeling. "Clif is going to be here soon, so I'm going to decompress in my room for a bit."

My mom waved me off without saying anything else. It was obvious that she was upset about the split, which I could kind of understand. My mom had become close with Addie over the course of our year-long relationship, and it's not like I had given her any warning that this was coming. I shook my head and told myself that there was no point in thinking about it any longer. It was over, and everyone would just have to come to accept the fact that we were officially broken up.

When I made it to my room, I threw off my beanie and jumped with abandon onto the unmade bed. After thinking about my parents' relationship with Addie, I started to wonder what they might think of Connor if things were to become serious between us. Nope, borrowing trouble, Bo. Ugh, shit. I'll cross that bridge when--if--I come to it. Connor and I weren't dating yet, and I didn't even want to think about my parents' reaction to the baby of the family coming out of the closet. They were old-fashioned and held moderately conservative political views, but I held out hope that they would continue to love me, maybe one day even accept me.

My phone suddenly began to vibrate on the small side table next to my bed, jerking me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and sighed with relief when I saw a new text from Clif.

Clif Hendricks: Yo! I'll be there in 5. Let's go to the creek until dinner. I got some new stuff for you to try.

Me: You magnificent bastard. I'll be waiting out front.

"Going to the creek" was code for "let's get high," and frankly, that sounded perfect given the day I'd had so far. We actually did go to a creek, but it was secluded and we could smoke without being bothered. Already feeling better about my circumstances, I pulled my beanie back on and ran down the stairs, grabbing my coat on the way out the door. It was undoubtedly chilly, but it felt warmer outside than it had in weeks. This is going to be great, I thought, patting my coat pockets for my cigarettes and lighter. I lit up a cigarette and sucked in hard, relishing the nicotine as it entered my bloodstream. Goddamn, that's good. Maybe everything really is going to be okay.

When Clif's car came into view, I took a final drag on my cigarette before stubbing it out in the decorative ashtray my mom had placed outside for me. Clif drove up to the curb, waving enthusiastically as I ran around to the other side of the car. It was no exaggeration to say that my best friend was basically a golden retriever in human form, but I loved him for it.

"Hey, man!" Clif yelled excitedly as I slid into the passenger seat. "So I met up with my plug earlier and got a new strain for us to try. I'm so pumped, dude. This shit is loud as fuck."

"Clif, you can just say you met up with Eli, okay? He's been the plug for our entire graduating class since high school, dumbass. He literally sells to all of us," I reminded him through my laughter.

"Whatever, yes, I met up with Eli. But seriously, this shit is supposed to be fucking amazing," Clif raved, proud of his illicit purchase. To be honest, I always felt like weed hit me the same regardless of the strain, but I wasn't about to rain on my friend's parade. Clif waited for me to buckle up before pulling away from my parents' house, driving toward our secret spot.

* * *

"So it seems like she took it well," Clif commented after I finished recounting the morning's events. "It's a shame that bitch Sarah had to show up, though."

"Seriously," I agreed, taking off my beanie to run my fingers through my hair. "I wish I knew the reason why Sarah hates me so much. I honestly don't remember doing anything shitty to her, and before last night, I was always good to Addie."

"Wait, last night?" Clif choked out, a dense smoke cloud escaping his mouth. "Did something happen?"

"Um, well, I went out with Connor," I said, shifting my eyes away as heat began to rise in my cheeks. "We may have, um, possibly...made out a little bit. I kept telling myself that we weren't going to do anything until I broke up with Addie, but when we were alone together...I don't know, man. I couldn't help it. I mean, I guess I could have stopped myself, but I-I didn't want to."

"Holy shit, so you actually made out with the guy? That's wild! Well, how was it?" Clif asked, passing me the joint.

I inhaled deeply before breathing out a steady stream of smoke. I was beginning to feel the high coming on as I chuckled, "Fucking incredible, Clif. No one has ever made me feel the way Connor does, not even Addie. It's simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying, to tell you the truth. All I know is that I definitely want to keep seeing him."

"That's awesome, Bo! I mean it, dude, I'm genuinely stoked for you," Clif's red, glazed over eyes gleamed with affection. "But hey, you have to introduce me soon, okay? I want to get to know the guy my best friend is dating."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We're not even dating yet," I huffed, glancing down at my phone for the time. "Oh shit, we need to head back. It's almost time for dinner. Did you bring the eyedrops?"

"Of course! Come on, they're in the car," Clif said, as we began the short walk back through the woods. "Hey, did you hear about the party at Ethan's tonight?"

"I think I heard somebody mention it, but I didn't catch the details. Why? Were you thinking about going?"

"I thought maybe we could celebrate your newfound freedom! Come on, man, it's been a while since we've gone out together like this," Clif pouted. "Please? It'll be fun, I promise!"

I thought for a minute before a smirk settled on my face, "I'm in, let's do it."

* * *

"Clif, honey, I'm so happy to see you," Mom said, wrapping Clif in a hug. I winced at their close proximity, hoping that she wouldn't catch the dank smell emanating from his clothes. "Come on in and sit down, dinner's almost ready." We walked into the living room and took a seat on the cozy leather sectional as we waited for my mom to let us know that it was time to eat.

"Hey, would you be mad if I told Connor about the party?" I whispered, not wanting my mom to hear our conversation.

"Sure, man, you don't need to ask me," Clif responded quietly. "I'm majorly curious about this guy, so I actually hope he makes it."

"Thanks, Clif," I smiled, pulling out my phone to text Connor.

Me: There's a party tonight at our friend Ethan's, and I promised Clif that I'd go. Would you be interested?

"Boys! Come to the dining room!" Mom shouted. The two of us stood up quickly and followed the delicious smells permeating the air until we reached my parents. I was absolutely starving, eyeing the food my mother had prepared like a predator observing its prey. As I stood there, mouth gaping, it occurred to me that I was pretty much obliterated from our smoke session earlier, and the munchies were hitting with full force. I attempted to collect myself so that my mom wouldn't realize I was high, not worrying about my dad catching on since he was always oblivious to these things.

After a quick prayer, we were allowed to start piling food on our plates. Mom wasn't joking when she said that she was making our favorites. Clif was obsessed with my mom's lasagna, so he was thrilled to see a huge pan of it resting on the table. Sitting next to it was a glass dish of bread pudding that I had a feeling was made with me in mind. Whenever my mom would ask me if I wanted her to make something special, I would always request her white chocolate bread pudding. I wonder if she'd still make this for me if she knew I was into men, I pondered as my chest began to sting. I had a feeling that I knew the answer to that, but not wanting to ruin the moment, I pushed the thought away.

When I was about to dig in, I felt my phone vibrate against my leg. I glanced at the screen under the table to see that Connor had responded to my text.

Connor Wells: I'm out with a friend right now, but I would love to see you. Send me the details and I'll try my best to make it there.

I mumbled quietly to Clif and stealthily slipped him my phone so that he could type out the information for Connor. After sending the text, I tucked the device back into my jeans when my mom started in on Clif, interrogating him about his life. Fortunately, he was used to the barrage of questions, and had no problem answering them to her satisfaction.

My dad remained quiet, as always, just listening to the conversations happening around him. His mousy brown hair was pushed out of his face, and his glasses made his eyes look bigger than they actually were due to his severe prescription. Being the stereotypical accountant that he was, my dad had always been an introvert who never seemed to care about having a social life outside of his family. I couldn't relate, but I could respect it.

"We're going to a party tonight," I announced nervously, my eyes never leaving the bowl of bread pudding in front of me. "I'm going to stay at Clif's since it'll probably be late when we get home, and he can give me a ride to school in the morning."

"Oh, I see," my mom mumbled, twirling a strand of chestnut hair with her fingers. "Well, be careful and don't drive drunk, okay?"

"Of course not, Mrs. Collins!" Clif promised, looking surprisingly sincere given his current condition.

"And be safe with the girls," Dad grinned.

"Oh my god, Dad," I groaned as Clif began to cackle with laughter, holding his stomach tightly. "Okay, that's it. As soon as I finish my pudding, we're out."

True to my word, when we finished dessert, I ran up to my room to grab some clothes and books for school the next day. When I descended the stairs, my mom had Clif trapped in a huge bear hug. His green eyes were wide and he was looking straight at me, clearly signaling for assistance.

"Alright, Mom, let him go. I promise he'll come back soon," I reassured, hoping that would be enough for her to release my friend. Fortunately, she loosened her hold, allowing Clif to escape and catch his breath.

"Seriously, you two better be good tonight. Your dad and I will have our phones on us, so if you need a ride, just call," Mom said, her warm smile bouncing between us.

"Okay, Mom," I chuckled as I leaned in to give her a quick hug. When she finally released me from her embrace, I gestured subtly to Clif to lead the way outside. I grabbed my stuff and followed after him, breathing a sigh of relief as we finally reached the car. "Can we stop by your apartment before we head to Ethan's? I need to throw on a new outfit and do something with my hair."

"You're so fucking predictable, Bo," Clif rolled his eyes, shifting into drive. "Yes, we can stop at my place."

* * *

"So when are you going to move in with me, man?" Clif asked from his bed as I styled my hair in his en suite bathroom. "I know you felt bad about leaving because of the twins moving out, but it's been a year now. Your parents will be fine, and you need to spread your wings, ya know? Plus, I miss seeing you all the time."

"I don't know, Clif. I mean, I miss the hell out of you, for sure, but I'd still feel bad for my parents," I responded. "Let me think about it, okay? I'm really not against the idea, but I don't want to just spring it on them."

"Yeah, okay. I can work with that," Clif conceded. He stood up before walking into the bathroom with me, studying the two of us as we stood next to each other in the oversized mirror. "Are you ready to fucking go yet? You know, this gay side of you is starting to make a fuck ton of sense, dude. I mean, I've never met another straight guy who's into fashion and his appearance as much as you. Like, you dress well and you always look good, so don't think I'm shitting on you, but it's just kind of...gay."

I wanted to argue, but the man had a point. Case in point, I was currently wearing a see through chiffon top with an extended collar and huge ass ruffle on the front, skin tight leather pants, and boots with an almost heel. There was no arguing that I looked phenomenal, but I could certainly see where my style could come across as effeminate.

"Oh, shut up. You're just jealous that you can't pull this off," I smirked, watching as Clif took in my outfit. "Keep checking me out like that and I might take it the wrong way. Now come on, let's go to this fucking party. Oh, and bring the weed."