The next day, Flynn decided to go back to school. At first, he hesitated, unsure if he was ready to face Dylan. But when he entered their classroom, Dylan's seat beside him was empty, as was the one behind him.
At first, Flynn thought Dylan was simply late. He kept glancing toward the door every time someone entered, and his eyes constantly flicked to the seat behind him, half-expecting Dylan to appear there. But the day passed, and Dylan never came.
The following day, Dylan still didn't show up. That's when Flynn began to wonder if Dylan had truly meant what he said—that he would never see him again.
As he thought about it, his eyes kept drifting to the empty seat beside him and the one behind him. It felt strange, almost wrong, to see them vacant after so many days of sitting together with Dylan.
When Flynn got home, he went straight to his bed and stared at the ceiling. His mind wandered, and he kept glancing at the spot on the bed where Dylan usually slept. There, he noticed the plushies Dylan had given him. He remembered how Dylan had compared him to Patrick Star—grumpy, seemingly indifferent, always sleeping but with a hidden mischievous streak. And then, when he looked at the SpongeBob plushie, he thought of Dylan again: playful, clumsy, impulsive, often unthinking—but undeniably full of life whenever they were together.
A heavy, indescribable feeling weighed on Flynn's chest. Memories of Dylan tugged at him, confusing and bittersweet all at once. Eventually, the weight of it all pulled him into sleep.
Later, Lucas came by Flynn's room to call him for dinner, but he found him fast asleep. Seeing his son so exhausted, Lucas felt a pang of pity. He gently brushed a strand of hair from Flynn's face and let him rest, not wanting to disturb him.
The next morning, Flynn found himself trapped in a strange dream that was vivid enough to feel real.
Dylan was there. He could feel his fingers tracing along his sides and brushing the back of his neck, tickling him relentlessly. Between bursts of laughter, Dylan's voice echoed—low, teasing, almost smug—as if he was savoring every second of Flynn's helpless squirming. Then came the soft, mischievous brushes of lips against his neck, and Flynn flailed even harder, laughter mixing with panic.
"Dylan—stop! I said stop!" he shouted in his dream, his voice echoing until—
"Dylan, stop!"
Flynn jolted awake, heart racing.
He wasn't in a dream anymore. Instead, Nathan was sitting beside his bed, waving a feather duster and brushing it along Flynn's neck with a grin.
Flynn's eyes widened. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" he yelled, kicking him off the bed.
Nathan stumbled backward, laughing uncontrollably. "Oh my god, Flynn! Did Dylan leave you traumatized or what? You were screaming like he was about to eat you alive!" he teased between laughs. "Man, that was the funniest thing I've seen all week."
"Shut up!" Flynn groaned, burying his face under a pillow as his ears turned crimson. His chest was still tight from the dream, but now it was mostly from embarrassment.
If only you knew, he thought grimly. If that dream was real... Dylan might've actually eaten him alive.
"Get up already, you're just going to lie there all day again," Nathan said, shaking Flynn's shoulder.
Flynn groaned, still half-buried under his blanket. "Why do you have to bother me this early? What are you even doing here?"
"Did you forget what day it is?" Nathan asked, grinning.
Flynn frowned, trying to remember, but nothing came to mind. "Aside from it being the weekend, when I should be resting, what else is so important today, huh?" he said sarcastically, sitting up halfway.
"It's the town fiesta," Nathan replied.
Flynn's eyes shifted toward the calendar hanging on his wall. Sure enough, it was marked with the date of the annual town celebration. Every year, Nathan would drag him out to walk around town, checking out the decorations, food stalls, and carnival games.
But even the thought of going out made Flynn feel tired. He wasn't in the mood for crowds or noise. "You go ahead. I'm not in the mood," he muttered, lying back down—only for Nathan to start tugging at his arm.
"Come on! You'll just sulk here anyway. Might as well get some fresh air. Besides, we've gone every year—don't break our streak now," Nathan insisted, almost like a kid begging to go out and play.
After a few more moments of relentless nagging, Flynn finally sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll take a shower first," he said, pushing himself up from the bed while Nathan grinned in victory.
-
When Flynn and Nathan arrived in town, they first stopped by the church to attend mass.
There, Flynn quietly prayed and asked for a sign that could help ease the heaviness in his chest.
After the service, Nathan told him they should wait a bit before walking around since they were expecting someone. Flynn frowned in confusion. Every year, it was always just the two of them wandering around during the town fiesta, so who else could they possibly be waiting for?
After about ten minutes of waiting, Flynn heard a familiar voice calling their names from a distance.
"Flynn! Nathan!"
When he turned, he saw Jacob walking toward them.
"Sorry I'm late! Have you guys been waiting long?" Jacob said, slightly out of breath.
"Just in time," Nathan replied. "We just finished attending mass."
Flynn raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me Jacob was the one we were waiting for."
"Well, you didn't ask," Nathan said casually.
Flynn sighed deeply, already too tired to argue with Nathan's logic.
"Nathan mentioned to me that there's a festival here in your town," Jacob said with a grin. "Since I live nearby and didn't have anything planned today, I figured I'd join you guys."
Flynn turned to Nathan, narrowing his eyes. "So why'd you even bother dragging me out here if you already had someone to go with?"
"Why not? You're both close anyway, and the more, the merrier!" Nathan replied, clearly proud of himself.
Flynn rolled his eyes. "Your excuses never fail. Fine, fine. So where are we going first?"
"Have you eaten yet?" Jacob suggested. "How about some street food first, then we can check out the games at the fair afterward?"
"Perfect, I was getting hungry anyway," Nathan said, grinning.
The three of them began strolling through the lively streets, weaving between colorful stalls filled with food and laughter. They tried everything they could find—fish balls, corn on the cob, and sweet local treats that made Nathan hum in delight after every bite.
After eating their fill, they wandered deeper into the fairgrounds, trying out different games at the carnival booths. Flynn couldn't help but notice how close Nathan and Jacob seemed. They were laughing together, nudging each other like they'd been friends forever.
Since when did they get this close? Flynn wondered silently, watching them from behind.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a small warmth in his chest. It was nice to see Nathan having fun. Ever since Dylan came into the picture, Flynn hadn't spent much time with his best friend. At least now, Nathan had someone else to hang out with.
As they continued walking, the bright lights and laughter around them slowly blurred in Flynn's mind. Despite himself, his thoughts drifted to Dylan. The games, the cheerful noise, even the smell of the fair—all of it reminded him of the time Dylan dragged him to the school carnival during Foundation Week. He could still see the way Dylan's face lit up under the colorful lights, hear his laughter, and feel that same tug in his chest that he never quite understood.
By the time the clock struck eight in the evening, the sky above them exploded in color. The fireworks display began, painting the night with bursts of red, gold, and blue. The crowd cheered, couples held hands, families embraced.
Flynn stood still, staring up at the sky. He never used to care about moments like this, but tonight felt different. For the first time, he found himself wishing that someone was standing beside him to share it all.
When the fireworks ended, the crowd slowly dispersed. The three of them decided it was time to head home. They said their goodbyes near the plaza, the glow of the stalls still flickering in the distance.
"Thanks for letting me tag along," Jacob said with a smile. "I had fun."
Flynn nodded faintly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah... me too."
When Jacob finally left and only Flynn and Nathan were walking home together, Nathan couldn't stop himself from asking the question that had been sitting in his mind for days.
"So... how are things between you and Dylan?"
Flynn froze mid-step, startled. Of all things Nathan could've brought up, that wasn't one he expected.
"Why are you asking?" he replied, his tone guarded.
Nathan shrugged. "Well, it's pretty obvious you've been like this because of him. And don't even deny it—you two are totally avoiding each other. When you're not at school, he shows up. But the moment you come back, he's gone. What exactly happened between you two?"
Flynn hesitated for a second before finally muttering, "I just found out he's the son of my aunt's fiancé."
Nathan blinked. "Your aunt? You have an aunt?"
Flynn gave him a deadpan look. "What, you thought my family just popped out of the ground like mushrooms? Of course I have relatives." His tone turned a little sharper. "That aunt—she's my mom's sister. Their family's loaded, but ever since my mom married my dad, they cut her off completely. When my mom got sick, they didn't even lift a finger to help. So yeah... I don't have exactly good feelings toward them."
Nathan frowned, slowing his steps. "We've known each other since we were kids, and this is the first time I've ever heard that story."
Flynn shrugged. "It's not exactly something I go around talking about."
In truth, he'd never bothered telling Nathan because serious conversations weren't exactly Nathan's strong suit.
"So," Nathan continued, "what does all that have to do with you and Dylan?"
Flynn shot him a look. "Are you seriously not connecting the dots? I hate my mom's family—and it turns out my aunt, the one I despise, is Dylan's soon-to-be stepmother."
Nathan's eyes widened, his tone suddenly shifting from concern to curiosity. "Wait—so if your aunt is his stepmom, doesn't that make you guys... like cousins or something? Dude, that means you're practically family now! And they're rich, right? So that makes you rich too?"
Flynn's expression instantly flattened with disbelief. He sighed heavily, looking like he regretted saying anything in the first place. "You're hopeless. Forget it," he muttered, quickening his pace and walking ahead.
Nathan scratched his head, utterly confused. What did I say? he mumbled, jogging to catch up. "Hey, Flynn! Wait up!"