Tobias' POV

Posing for what felt like the millionth picture, I finally released my face from a smile. Parent's are that obsessed with Homecoming pictures.

"Okay mom! We have to go." Carly whined. Carly was my date to homecoming. It wasn't like a serious date, I just didn't want to go by myself and she didn't either. Although our first encounter at Ronnie's back to school party was, a little rushed, we put that behind us and decided to just have a friends homecoming.

    "Okay okay! Be safe! Have fun kids." her way to friendly, of a mother said. We bid our goodbyes and joined everyone in the limo we each chipped in to get. I know, it's just homecoming, but we're seniors so we had to go all out.

+

Walking in, the room was lit up with fairy lights and decorated in the simplicity of white and jewels. Not bad. I mentally applauded the Student Council on not making homecoming look. . . ew.

"Alright so what do we do now?" Carly asked. We were standing near the entrance of the room. Looking at Carly, I felt sort of weird. Almost like a detachment from what I really wanted. Yeah, we've been cool after the whole drunk hookup thing but I didn't know what to do with her.

"Everyone got a table in the corner, maybe we should join them." Right as we were about to join everyone, I heard someone speak.

"Wow, Angie, I'm impressed." A voice I recognized way to well, spoke.

Like a reflex, I turned around and saw Ethan. He was wearing a navy blue turtle neck, dark slacks, and black dress shoes. My eyes practically lit up at the sight of him. The feeling from when I saw him at the mall came back to haunt me. I wanted nothing more than to speak to him, but I just knew he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.

"Tobias? You coming?" snapping back to reality, I looked at Carly and we made our way to everybody at the table.

+

Homecoming was probably the worst idea I ever planned.

Carly had found herself a guy to entertain her since I clearly wasn't doing it for her, All my friends were grinding with their dates on the dance floor. All I could do was look at Ethan while he danced and had fun with all his friends.

What happened to "The old Tobias making an appearance?" Well, clearly that Tobias is too busy sapping about a guy. That's all he seems to be doing these days.

"Hey man!" I looked up and saw Ronnie with his newly shaved head. He decided last minute to shave it all off. It was a look I was surprisingly okay with, "You okay?"

"Yeah- yeah. I'm just. . . tired."

"It's only 9." He laughed at my pathetic lie. shit

"Yeah, that was a stupid excuse."

It was quiet for some time. I was stuck wondering why he even came up to me? Was it to silencing laugh at my moping?

"So. . . is there a reason why you're just here. . . in the corner. . . having no fun at all?" He asked sarcastically.

"Nothing, man."

"Does is. . . y'know. . . have to do with. . .
a little art boy dancing with his two friends right now?"

Immediately, my head snapped up. He can't be talking about Ethan, no one knows about Ethan and me. All they know is that we stopped "hanging out."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on man, I'm not that easy to fool like the rest of them. The moment you stopped hanging out with him, you've been acting like you broke up with Michelle all over again. . . only, it wasn't with Michelle. . . it was with him, wasn't it."

I couldn't even speak. There was no denying it, not even to him. Ronnie of all people, figured it out. Here I thought, he was just thinking of his next party to throw.

"When did you figure it out?"

"well I mean, watching you guys make out in my pool made it pretty obvious" he said with a chuckle.

"You saw that!?"

"Chill, It was only me. But hey, your sexuality is none of my business. If you like art boy then go ahead. He'll treat you better than Michelle ever did." He put his arm over my shoulder and gave me a little pat.

"How do you know?"

"Same way you do."

I did know. Honestly, Ethan was that last piece I needed to make me whole again. Seeing him now, I knew exactly what I was going to do. "Thanks man, but I gotta go."

"Go get your guy man!"

With a big goofy smile, I walked my way right up to Ethan. Right when I approached him, I hesitated.

What if he doesn't want me anymore ? Did I actually blow up my chances.

At this point, I had everyone's attention on me; Jake, Ethan, and Angie. Without even thinking, I grabbed his hand through all the protest and made my way out the door with him. Once outside, he yanked his hand free and looked at me bewildered.

"What are you doing?!"

Looking at him up close, I noticed every detail I fell in love with the moment I saw him, no matter how annoying he was on the first day.

"Something I should've done a long time ago."

My hands grabbed onto his face and my lips gave him the most passionate yet anticipated kiss. Once our lips met, It was like I couldn't separate myself from him. Every moment I spent not talking to him felt like an eternity of misery, I just couldn't keep going. I don't know why, but with him, I finally felt whole again.

Finally, catching my breathe, I looked at him.

"Before you scream, shove, and punch me. Please just know how much I regret that day. How much I've missed you. How painful it's been watching you and not being able to speak to you. I miss kissing you and being with you. I miss your laugh and your smile. Ethan. . . I miss you. I want you. I love you. I don't care what people think if it means I can't be with you."

He stood there silently, while I just expressed every held in emotion and thought out of me. Seeing his wide eyes, I realized how much I actually said. After catching one more breathe, I calmly backed away and gave us
space.

"But, if I'm too late, I understand. I took advantage of your love and I'm now realizing it, it's too late. I'm sorry for that." I let go of his hand I had tightly held with my own and started walking away because as much as I loved him, I couldn't fathom seeing the hurt in his eyes.

"Toby."

I froze. He called me Toby.

"Ethan."

With just a few steps he made, he was merely an inch away from me, something I was entirely satisfied at. I watched as he analyzed me, but not in a weird way. . . in a way as if he was remembering every aspect of me and my face.

Slowly, our fingers intertwined, him being the one doing so with one hand and with the other, grabbed my face gently.

"I love you too."

Just like that, Once more, our lips connected in another intense make out I've missed all of two months. He said he loved me. He actually said it and he meant. Maybe coming tonight wasn't a bad idea.

"Ethan! where'd you— Oh!" Snapping out of our love trance, we came face to face with a shocked Angie.

It was silent. Creepingly silent.

"uh, hey Angie." I awkwardly waved. It's not like I wasn't just kissing her best friend.

"I fucking. . . knew it! You son of a bitches were fooling around! No wonder you guys have been all sad all the time! I didn't know why and frantically I didn't care on Tobias' part... no offense. But Ethan was just always sad and blasting love songs. And You!" she said pointing at me, "Were the cause of it! That's why you kept asking how he was. And You!" she said pointing at Ethan, "just happen to not mention that the reason why you were sad was because of Tobias ! Now here you guys are, eating each others faces while I'm over here. . .
rambling." She realized how much she was actually saying and decided to stop.

"Well. . . I'm done here. Enjoy your make out sesh. Ethan, we have a lot to talk about."

With that, she strutted away in her sexy black heels and went back to the party.

All we could do was stare at each other and suddenly we were bent over laughing our heads away.

Gosh, I loved this kid. I wanted the whole world to know it.

__________
A/N
This chapter was long over due but I wanted to just finally have a chapter where certain characters knew about Ethan & Tobias, besides Emily.

Did you think Ronnie would be one of them?

Comment what you thought about the chapter!