It was three days later that Mycah woke up feeling like himself again. He had spent the better part of the last seventy-two hours crying in his bed, his mood going back and forth between anger and depression.

He only left his bed to go to the bathroom, and only let his mom or dad in when they were bringing food. Even then, he barely ate and the first thing that crossed his mind when he woke up feeling better on Thursday was that he needed food, and fast.

But he restrained himself, knowing he had to pull himself together before he headed downstairs. He cleaned the room, slightly embarrassed when he saw all the books and trinkets that he had hurled at the wall. He opened the curtains and windows, letting natural light and fresh air into the room for the first time in three days.

He hopped into the shower then, afterwards dressing in crisp clean clothes and towel drying his hair. He was half tempted to rob Arden's comb, but decided that was a step too far with the whole personal presentation thing.

Eventually deciding he was ready to face the others, he plodded sheepishly out of his room. He headed downstairs, his stomach a queasy mixture of embarrassed and awkward.

From his position on the third last step he could see Arden and the four adults playing cards on the deck. Great, he'd have to face them all at once.

Oh well, it was going to happen eventually, he supposed.

He paused in the kitchen, grabbing a croissant from the counter and gobbling it down so fast he almost choked. Then again, maybe that would be a better alternative than having to deal with this. He could almost imagine the headlines: 'Teen boy dies by choking himself with croissant.'

Hey, at least he'd die doing what he loved most; eating.

Nevertheless, Mycah decided he was too hot to die young. I mean, think of all the hookups he'd never get to have. He couldn't do that to all those poor boys and girls, that would just be selfish.

With that thought in mind, Mycah took a deep breath before heading through the eating area and out the sliding door onto the deck.

"Room for one more?" He inquired, his smile a contradictory mixture or confidence and abashedness.

All five pairs of eyes shot to where he was standing. They had all been so engrossed in their game that they hadn't noticed him padding out.

"Mycah! You're up." Jillian said, her and her husband shooting up straight away.

"How do you feel, son?" His dad asked, signalling him over with a wave of his hand.

"Better. Embarrassed, too." Mycah admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

From the corner of his eye he could see Arden staring at him weirdly, and resisted the urge to give him the middle finger.

"Mycah honey, no need to feel embarrassed. We're all just glad that you're doing okay again."

"Yeah. Sorry." Mycah replied.

"No need to apologize Mycah, you know that." His dad said gently.

Mycah could see Arden roll his eyes slightly at that statement, but he didn't bother even look at the guy.

At this stage Arden's parents had engrossed in a conversation with one another, giving Mycah and his parents a chance to have a private conversation. Arden had not been so polite.

"Thanks mom. And dad. I'm lucky I have you guys." Mycah spoke softly, meaning his words.

"And don't you forget it." His dad teased, shoving his son lightly on the shoulder.

"Are you hungry?" Jillian asked.

"What do you think?" Mycah snorted in reply, raising an eyebrow.

"Lunch will be in twenty minutes or so. Reckon you'll hang on that long?" She asked.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Mycah teased back.

After a few more exchanged words, Mycah's parents headed inside to finish up lunch, Arden's parents at their heel. He wondered what they were doing, purposely leaving him out here with Arden.

He decided not to question it, instead dropping into the seat opposite Arden. Arden stared at him from across the table, Mycah's ignoring him for as long as possible. Eventually, the gaze began to feel uncomfortable and he turned to face Arden. "What?" He asked roughly.

Arden scoffed slightly, and Mycah's face hardened to a glare.

"Do you have a problem?"

Arden rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "No. But you clearly do, and nobody will tell me what it is."

Oh, so that's what this was about. That's why the adults had left them alone out here. Arden had no idea what was happening and they were hoping Mycah's would tell Arden himself.

Mycah would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised; he was sure one of them would have told Arden by now. Especially because it was Arden. He was the sort of kid adults always seemed to trust.

"Because it's none of your fucking business." Mycah snapped in reply, his defenses coming up.

"We're stuck as roommates for the next few months. If anyone has the right to know it's me."

"I noticed you've been reduced to the couch the last couple of nights. Knew you'd end up there eventually." Mycah commented, changing the course of the conversation.

"Only because you've been locked upstairs for that long doing god knows what." Arden shot back, resting his elbows on the table and boring his gaze into Mycah's.

"Jerking off." Mycah's replied.

Arden's nose scrunched up in displeasure. "You're disgusting. But honestly, it wouldn't even surprised me if that was true." He said with a shrug.

"Fuck off Angel."

"Tell me what's going on."

"Piss off."

"Stop being a dick."

"Stop being so nosy."

"Stop being so secretive."

"Why do you even care?" Mycah shot, frowning at Arden.

Arden looked taken aback at the question. It was probably the first time Arden hadn't combatted their bickering at lightning speed.

"Cat got your tongue?" Mycah teased when Arden was still at loss for words.

"Jesus Christ you're ins-"

"Insufferable, yeah you've said."

"I'll say it again."

"Go ahead. You'll just be avoiding my question."

"What question?"

"The one I asked ten seconds ago. Why do you even care about what's wrong with me?"

"I just want to know." Arden said, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Why?" Mycah challenged.

"Because I'm the only one out of the loop. Plus I'm after sacrificing my room for three days straight, I deserve to know why." He answered, crossing his arms and sticking his chin in the air.

"Aw, do you care about me Arden?" Mycah teased.

"Did you not just hear a word I said?" Arden asked, dumbfounded.

"Do you have a little crush on me Arden?" Mycah teased, once again blatantly ignoring what the other boy was saying.

"I'm straight." Arden replied with a roll of his eyes.

"So was I until I was fourteen and laid eyes on Matthew Dixon." Mycah replied with a smirk, thinking back to freshman year Mycah laying eyes on a hot senior and realising he was far from straight.

"Much as I'd love to sit and hear all about your sexual awakening, I frankly don't give a fuck." Arden deadpanned. "I just want to know what on earth is going on. What's wrong with you that has everyone tiptoeing around the last three days?"

"I've been sick." Mycah said, by now tired of Arden's probing questions.

"You look fine."

"I always look fine." Mycah winked.

"I mean fine as in healthy. You're still ugly."

"Physical health isn't everything you idiot." Mycah shot back, ignoring the insult.

If there was one thing that bothered Mycah, it was people who assumed that health was just physical. He knew better than anyone that mental health issues were far from an easy burden to carry.

"I know that, obviously." Arden answered quickly. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you're a nosy prick who needs to mind his own business."

"Mycah, stop being so defensive."

"Are we done here?" Mycah asked, standing up abruptly. "Because I have a thousand more things I'd rather do than sit here talking to you."

"The feeling is mutual." Arden shot back, rolling his eyes and standing up too.

They glared at each other from across the deck table, both with their fists down on the table.

"I'm out."

"Don't bother, I'm leaving."

The sliding door opened. "Boys, lunch!" Stacy's sing song voice wafted through the open sliding door, her body following behind.

She carried a bowl of some sort of pasta salad in her hands, and behind her the other adults carried different plates and bowls of food.

"What's going on here?" Arden's dad asked, looking between the two boys who were stood facing off.

"Nothing." Mycah grumbled, dropping back into his seat and glaring daggers at Arden from across the table.

"Want help with that?" Arden said, offering to take the bowl from his mother's arms. Mycah rolled his eyes. Of course Arden would offer to help.

Once an angel, always an angel.

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Well guys,, it's been almost 2 weeks but I'm back!!! I wasn't able to use Wattpad abroad but coming home to an insane amount of notifications was worth it!!! I have so much books in my library that updated to read as well as comments to go through!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter xx

-A