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The familiar rhythmic beat of a Doja Cat song was making the door vibrate before Wylan could even ring the doorbell. A group of girls shoved him to the side as they opened the already unlocked front door. He fidgeted with his grey-blue sweater vest and straightened out his white dress shirt before entering.
As he walked into Jesper’s house, the scent of sweat and cheap body spray filled his senses. Blue and purple LED party lights pulsed in the living room synchronized with the song blasting from the speakers. Wylan pushed through the crowd and made his way to the kitchen where he looked for something to eat. He had not eaten since lunchtime and it was already 8:49 PM.
Wylan raided the mountain of pizza boxes stacked up on the kitchen island. After three slices of pepperoni pizza, he bumped into someone as he was looking for something to drink. “Sorry babes,” the girl apologized and Wylan realized it was Nina. “OH MY GOD! WYLAN!!” Nina squealed as she wrapped her arms around him. Wylan grinned and hugged her back before continuing to make himself a vodka and orange.
“I see you’re wearing the infamous blue sweater vest! Jesper’s favorite sweater vest,” Nina raised her eyebrows at Wylan while he rolled his eyes. Nina sipped her cup of jungle juice before asking, “So, are you finally gonna tell him how you feel?” Wylan choked on his drink and felt a blush grow across his face.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t…” he replied as he cleared his throat. “Maybe you won’t what??” “INEJ!! MY BESTIE!!” Nina squealed once again. A petite Bengali girl trailed by a pale six-foot boy joined them in the kitchen. “He was telling me how he’s gonna tell Jesper how he felt about him tonight.” Nina smugly replied. “Saints Wylan, you can’t keep hiding your feelings forever. Holding your feelings back clouds the mind and heart; it isn’t healthy for you,” said Inej.
Wylan sighed and rolled his eyes, “I know, I know Inej.” Wylan looked into the living room and saw Jesper dancing to “Woman” by Doja Cat on the coffee table. He looked ethereal in the purple lighting and it contrasted his dark green shimmering dress shirt that showed off his delicious neckline. Watching Jesper dancing in his element felt euphoric. If only you know how much it was tearing me up inside watching Jesper flirt with everything with a heartbeat. “Listen Wylan, I can’t stand the disgusting pining and complaining every time I hang out with Jesper. End my misery and confess your feelings.” Kaz said as he counted the wad of cash in his hands.
As if the talk of love confessions were a siren call, Jesper waltzed into the kitchen sipping a beer. “What did I miss?? Oh, Wylan! Nice to see you made it. I’m loving the sweater vest.” Jesper leaned close to his ear before whispering, “I’ve been waiting for you all night.” Wylan felt his face burn into a raging blush and Jesper winked at him before he noticed Kaz counting money.
“Damn it, Kaz you better be splitting that with me.” “It’s not my problem that you didn’t think to charge people entrance fees.” Jesper rolled his eyes and whispered to Wylan, “A menace that one is.” Wylan snickered while Kaz elbowed Jesper in the ribs. “OUCH!” Jesper rubbed the sore spot and noticed Matthias carrying two kegs of beer. “Hey, Matthias! You can place those kegs in the backyard. Can you tap them too??” Matthias grunted in affirmation and nodded before heading toward the backyard.
Nina slithered out of Inej’s hold and followed Matthias, “I’m just gonna make sure he taps the keg correctly. He splashed beer on himself last time he tried to do it.” Inej and Jesper raised their eyebrows at Nina and Wylan smiled as Nina made her way to Matthias. “We won’t be seeing them for a while,” cooed Jesper as he made his way back to the living room.
Time felt it was moving so fast, yet slow at the same time. Wylan downed two vodka and oranges, a red solo cup of Nina’s infernal jungle juice, and two shots of tequila he took with Inej and Nina. Wylan pulled out his phone and noticed about two hours had passed and it was 11:35 PM.
He noticed Nina and Matthias in the corner of the living room and laughed as Matthias tried to mask his blushing face as Nina whispered into his ear. Kaz was in the dining room conning people out of their money when placing bets on the ongoing poker game. Inej and Jesper were dancing together in the middle of the living room.
“34+35” by Ariana Grande started playing and Wylan started humming along as he poured himself another shot of tequila. Inej materialized beside him and poured herself a shot as well. “Saints! You need to stop appearing out of thin air Inej, you’re like some wraith.” Inej laughed before she downed the shot. Wylan was staring at Jesper borderline grinding with a boy with tanned skin and raven hair. His face turned sour as he realized it was Kuwei. “Ugh, I don’t get what Jesper sees in him.” Wylan griped. Kuwei had been Jesper’s on and off hookup for the past year alongside some other boys and girls in their class.
“You know all of his conquests are just a coping mechanism for you turning him down all the time,” stated Inej. Wylan sighed, “I don’t get it, Jesper just whispers infuriating compliments in my ear all the time to get a rise out of me. I’m no different from any of his other hookups…”
Inej groaned before starting her sermon, “What is there to misinterpret? Yes, he may be an incessant flirt but he always brings you coffees before school when he knows you’ve been studying all night. He also fixes your hair after the wind sweeps it into a rat’s nest AND every time you talk he looks at you like there’s nothing he’d rather do than listen to you.” “It’s been two years Inej, I don’t think I can wait any longer.” Wylan ran a hand through his hair before Inej stilled his hand, “Just tell him how you feel, you have to have the courage to make the jump. Love is never easy.”
Wylan made his way to the living room coffee table as “Save Your Tears” by the Weeknd played in the background. He kept bumping into bodies and everyone’s attention turned to the center of the room when people started whooping and whistling. Wylan turned his attention to the source of the commotion and then his heart dropped to the floor.
The blue hues of light dancing on Jesper’s skin no longer had a euphoric effect; instead, they made Wylan feel cold and detached as he watched the scene unfold before him. Time and sound seemed to slow down as he registered what was happening, “Yeah I broke your heart like someone did to mine.” Kuwei held Jesper’s face as he kissed him and it was over before it even began. Jesper’s gaze met Wylan’s and he knew he fucked up. Wylan’s eyes turned glassy while the song continued at its slow pace “Now you won’t love me for a second time.”
Tears began flowing down his face as Wylan pushed his way out of the living room; he ignored Jesper’s calls to slow down. He needed to get out of here; his mind was numb so he let his legs lead him towards the front of the house. He made eye contact with Kaz and Inej before he reached the front door. Kaz wore a disappointed scowl and Inej tried to reach out for him before Kaz pulled her back, “They have to figure this out on their own.”
Wylan made his way out the door and wiped the tears running down his face. “WYLAN WAIT!!” Jesper caught Wylan’s wrist before he made it off the front porch. Wylan tried shaking off Jesper’s grip on him but Jesper was determined to make him listen to what he had to say. “I didn’t mean it! Kuwei kissed me and I shoved him off because he couldn’t take a hint! I was a little out of it so when he started dancing with me I tried to keep my distance. He was persistent and kept grinding on me.” Wylan scoffed and sharply quipped, “Yeah right, blame it on the alcohol Jesper! I’m so sick of this!”
Wylan broke free of Jesper’s grip and ran down the front porch steps into the street. His mind was cluttered due to the amount of alcohol he drank and his vision was blurry, but he kept running. Before it was too late, a bright light and honking sound disoriented him and everything started to spin.
“WYLAN!!” Jesper called out to him. His eyes fluttered open and closed and he felt a thick, warm goop seeping down his temples. Wylan felt his head being cradled into someone’s lap and brushed his hair out of his face. His last memory was a pair of steel grey eyes peering down at him.
A beeping sound and the smell of antiseptic cleaner woke Wylan up from his slumber. He blinked his eyes open as they adjusted to the unforgiving white light of the room. Am I in the hospital? Ghezen, my head feels like it got bashed in. He brought his hand to his head and realized he had a bandage on it.
Wylan’s other hand was weighed down by something and he looked to see a sleeping Jesper next to his hospital bed, holding his hand. His heart warmed at the sight of Jesper by his side and he also noticed other bodies in the room. Nina and Matthias were splayed out on the tiny couch near the window while Kaz was sitting in one of the chairs near the door with Inej’s head resting on his shoulder.
Wylan noted how everyone was still wearing their party outfits and was sound asleep even with the sunlight peeking through the window blinds. Jesper stirred next to him and Wylan felt the grip on his hand grow tighter. Jesper shot up at the sight of seeing Wylan awake, “How long have you all been here?” Jesper rubbed his eyes while responding, “I don’t know, a couple of hours I guess?” He checked his watch and his eyes widened, “Bugger, I was way off. It’s 2 PM.”
“Can you tell me what happened? I just remember a loud sound and your eyes looking down at me.” Jesper rubbed the back of his neck before relaying last night’s events to Wylan. “None of that matters now, I’m just so happy you’re okay…” Jesper took in a shaky breath before continuing, “Ghezen Wylan, being in the ambulance with you was an absolute nightmare. Your angelic pale skin was marred with cuts and covered blood…it’s my fault you’re here right now. Shit, I’m an idiot.”
Wylan cupped Jesper’s face with his free hand and stroked his chiseled cheek with his thumb. “This…” Wylan pointed to his head bandage, “is not your fault, okay? Listen to me, you place all the blame on yourself but we were both drunk and stupid. I should not have run into the street knowing how bladdered I was and yeah, maybe you shouldn’t have kissed Kuwei, but you’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
Wylan wiped away some of the tears that fell down Jesper’s face and then he finally noticed the gauze bandage on Jesper’s hand. “Jesper, what is this?” “I might have… punched Kuwei in the face when you were being helped by the paramedics…” Wylan gave him a stern look pressing him to continue, “He came up to me asking if you were okay and if I wanted him to accompany me to the hospital. He wasn’t being a dickhead I suppose, but I just associated him kissing me and hurting you as the cause of why you’re in the hospital. In short, I punched him in the face and he ran away after that.”
This caused Wylan into a fit of laughter which resulted in a stirring from his other friends in the room. “Shit I gotta keep it down,” whispered Wylan. Jesper had shifted closer and Wylan beckoned him to come even closer, “I think I may have remembered you confessing that you wished you were kissing me instead of Kuwei last night…” Jesper’s eyes grew wide and before he could even form a response, Wylan pulled his shirt toward him and their lips met. Wylan’s thoughts were taken back to last night, under the cool-toned party lights, blaring music, and the heat of the moment, he was kissing Jesper on that coffee table.
Someone coughed and they broke apart their kiss. Kaz knowingly looked at them and snarkily stated, “I see you two have figured things out.” Kaz’s comment caused Inej to wake and she whistled at Nina and Matthias to wake up. “Kaz, how long have you been awake,” “Long enough,” Jesper laughed while Wylan returned Kaz’s retort with a death glare equal to Kaz’s murderous look.
“Okay everyone, get out! I need to have some alone time with my boyfriend.” Jesper stood up and started shooing everyone away. “Boyfriend?” asked Wylan. “Is that okay? We’ve known each other for years, but if you want me to ask you out on a proper date we-” Jesper started rambling so Wylan pulled him down and shut him up with a kiss. “Does that answer your question?”