Chapter 5

The night was calm when Stephen came over to Lucas’s house for a sleepover. The house, usually quiet at night, seemed brighter and livelier with their laughter echoing through the halls and spilling out of Lucas’s bedroom.

The two boys sat cross-legged on the floor, a pile of snacks spread between them like treasure: chips, chocolate bars, cans of soda, and a tub of ice cream they had raided from the freezer. The lamplight above cast a soft glow across the room, making everything feel warm and safe.

“Pass me the chips,” Stephen said, reaching across with a lazy grin.

Lucas tossed the bag without looking. Stephen caught it with a dramatic flourish, bowing like he’d just performed a great act. “Perfect aim,” he said proudly. “You’d be good at baseball too, you know.”

Lucas let out a laugh, shaking his head. “No thanks. I’m already stuck with basketball. That’s enough running around for me.”

Stephen ripped the bag open, stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth. Crumbs scattered onto his shirt, and Lucas wrinkled his nose.

“You’re such a mess,” Lucas teased, throwing a napkin at him.

Stephen just grinned with his mouth full, talking around the food in a way that made Lucas laugh harder. They slipped into their usual rhythm—teasing, trading jokes, and gossiping about teachers and classmates. They mocked the way their math teacher’s glasses always slid down his nose, imitated their class monitor’s serious voice, and laughed so hard at their own bad impressions that tears stung their eyes.

Every now and then, they got so loud that April knocked on the door once, muffling her voice through the wood: “Keep it down, you two! It’s past ten!”

Her scolding only made them laugh harder, collapsing against each other like little kids caught doing something forbidden.

But as the night grew later and the snacks dwindled, their laughter softened. The room quieted except for the faint hum of a car passing on the street outside and the occasional crunch of chips. Lucas leaned back against the bed, staring at the ceiling. For a long moment, he said nothing, his mind churning restlessly.

His heart beat faster, not from laughter this time but from nerves. It felt like a weight pressing against his chest, as if he were standing on the edge of something he couldn’t quite see.

Finally, he broke the silence. “Stephen.” His voice was softer than before.

Stephen looked up from his phone, thumbs hovering mid-scroll. “Yeah?”

Lucas hesitated. His hands fidgeted in his lap, fingers twisting around each other. He gave a nervous laugh, the sound too thin to be real. “I think… I finally figured it out.”

Stephen tilted his head. “Figured what out?”

Lucas’s breath caught. For days he had been circling this truth, denying it, burying it, pretending it didn’t exist. But now, with only Stephen here, the words pushed their way out. He took a deep breath before letting them fall.

“I think I… I have a crush on Benjamin.”

The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and vulnerable. Saying them aloud made Lucas’s face burn red. He quickly looked away, eyes fixed on the floorboards as though they could swallow him whole. His chest thudded painfully, waiting for Stephen’s reaction.

For a second, Stephen was quiet. Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing.

Lucas groaned, throwing his head back. “Don’t laugh!”

“I’m not laughing at you!” Stephen held up his hands defensively, though his grin stretched wide. “It’s just… finally! You admit it. I knew it all along!”

Lucas buried his face in his hands, muffling his words. “You’re so annoying.”

Stephen chuckled, leaning closer until he bumped his shoulder against Lucas’s. “Annoying but right.”

Lucas peeked at him through his fingers, cheeks still flushed. “So what now?”

Stephen raised his eyebrows. “What now? Easy. You’re gonna confess, right?”

Lucas blinked, caught off guard by how simple Stephen made it sound. His voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “I… want to. But I’m shy. What if he says no?”

Stephen shook his head immediately, his tone firm, confident. “Listen, Lucas. You’re one of the most amazing guys I know. Seriously. And Benjamin—come on, he’s your friend. He won’t turn you down. I’m sure of it.”

Lucas stared at him, searching his face for any doubt. Hope flickered inside his chest, fragile but bright. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Stephen said with a nod that left no room for argument. “The sooner, the better. Don’t wait too long. Just tell him how you feel. Tomorrow.”

Lucas’s eyes widened. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow,” Stephen insisted firmly, almost like an order. “Don’t overthink it. Just be honest. Trust me.”

Lucas thought about it, his heart racing at the very idea. His lips curled into the smallest of smiles. “Alright… tomorrow, then.”

Stephen grinned, raising his soda can like a toast. “That’s the spirit!”

The tension in the room melted away after that, replaced once again with the easy comfort of their friendship. They went back to chatting, trading jokes and funny stories until their sides ached from laughing again. For a while, it felt like old times, like the bond they had always shared—simple, carefree, unbreakable.

But as the clock ticked past midnight, Lucas’s energy faded. He yawned, stretched his arms high, and finally collapsed onto the bed. Within minutes, his steady breathing filled the room, soft and even.

Stephen, however, stayed awake. He sat on the floor, phone glowing faintly in his hands. The shadows of the room felt heavier now, the earlier laughter replaced by a quiet that pressed against his thoughts.

He glanced at Lucas, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile still resting on his face, unaware of the storm waiting just beyond his dreams.

Slowly, Stephen unlocked his phone and scrolled to Benjamin’s name. His thumb hovered over the keyboard, hesitating. Then, almost against his own better judgment, he began typing.

Stephen: Hey. Just a heads-up. Lucas is planning to confess to you tomorrow.

His stomach tightened as he read the words. With a sigh, he pressed send.

The three dots appeared almost immediately—the typing bubble that made his pulse quicken. Then Benjamin’s reply appeared on the screen.

Benjamin: You didn’t even answer me, Stephen. Why would I accept him and date him?

Stephen’s throat went dry. He knew exactly what Benjamin meant. Just a few days ago, Benjamin had confessed—to him. Stephen hadn’t given a clear reply, leaving Benjamin’s words hanging unanswered. And now Benjamin was reminding him.

His fingers trembled slightly as he typed back.

Stephen: Don’t go too hard on Lucas, okay? He’s serious about this. Just… be gentle with him. 🙂

There was a pause, the silence stretching longer than Stephen wanted. Then another message popped up.

Benjamin: Goodnight, Stephen ❤️

Stephen froze. His eyes lingered on the little red heart, burning into him. His stomach twisted, heat rising in his chest in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge.

After a long pause, he typed back one simple word.

Stephen: Night.

He locked his phone quickly, as if hiding the truth from himself. Setting it aside, he lay down beside Lucas on the floor mattress. He turned his head slightly, looking at his best friend still smiling faintly in sleep, completely unaware of the messages that had just been exchanged.

Stephen rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts churned, loud in the silence. He had just encouraged Lucas to confess, pushing him forward with promises of hope. And yet, deep down, Stephen knew the truth: Benjamin’s heart was already leaning in another direction.

Toward him.

The room was still, the only sound Lucas’s steady breathing. But between them, unseen and unspoken, a secret lingered like a shadow, stretching darker as the night went on.

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