Graduation (Baekhyun)
The Silence Between Us Says EverythingIt had been the worst two months of my life.
I just kept falling harder and harder for Chanyeol. Green was the only color I saw for the rest of high school. The more green I saw, the more bitter I became. It was completely unlike me. In the course of only two months, all my smiles became fake. I felt like I was becoming a terrible person.
I was supposed to be happy that Yeol was happy. I was supposed to be the supportive friend that he could talk dreamily about his love to. I was not supposed to be jealous. I wasn't supposed to hope that it wouldn't work out between him and his freaking dream guy.
Graduation was only a day away. My countdown clock for confessing was quickly winding down.
We were going to different colleges. I hadn't quite told him that my dad got a promotion and we were leaving almost immediately after graduation. It made me a terrible friend that I hadn't told Chanyeol yet. It was easier because he never came over to my house anymore. He didn't see the for sale sign in my yard. It was taken down as soon as there was an offer on the house.
I mean it wasn't really like telling Chanyeol that I liked him would do me any good.
My imagination didn't really care. My daydreams consisted of me telling Chanyeol that I was in love with him. Chanyeol would turn to me and kiss me. He'd say that he'd been waiting for forever for me to say those words.
Chanyeol invested so much of his attention into his relationship with Kai that he didn't notice. He didn't really notice when my smile didn't reach my eyes. He didn't hear it when my tone didn't match my tone. He didn't notice that all of the sudden his jokes were hilarious.
It was good and bad. It was good that he didn't know that I was in love with him. It was bad that I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. It would be the biggest lie I'd ever told if I said that it didn't sting when Chanyeol didn't notice how deeply, hopelessly in love with him I was.
I was sprawled out across the couch when my Baekbeom hit my thigh. "Ow."
"Hey, I know you're soooo busy and everything, but you need to help us pack up the house." Sometimes my brother really needed to scale back on the sarcasm.
"Good away. I'm figuring things out."
"Yeah, you can figure things out while you put things into boxes." Baekbeom was not having it.
"I'm having a really hard time right now."
My brother, for once, was sensitive. "What about?"
"You know when I was on the porch and you told me to get over it?" He nodded. "I'm not quite over it, and I need to be over it because we're about to part ways and I think I might actually die if I leave with unresolved feelings."
"Tell the person how you feel. You leave knowing that they know and they get to decide what to do with that."
I tilted my head, "Since when do I go to you for relationship advice?"
"You're welcome. Now go start packing or I am going to sit on your face."
Chanyeol hooked his arm around my neck. "We're graduating! Finally!"
I couldn't help but grin. Partly because of Chanyeol, partly because of graduation. "You can say that again."
We were both moderately dressed up, not that you could tell under our gowns. We were waiting for Kai. It was a bitter pill for me to swallow, but today was the day. Today was graduation. I was Cinderella and the clock was about to strike twelve on my stupid unrequited crush.
Kai ran up to Chanyeol and hugged him. I looked away, trying to escape the moment. I played it off like I was looking for someone in the gigantic crowd.
Kai spoke, "Oh, Lee Taemin is throwing this big "we graduated!" party and we're invited! You guys wanna go right?" He smiled. Despite the fact that I'd grown to be so bitter towards him, he was actually incredibly genuinue.
It made me feel worse about the situation entirely. It's one thing to like someone that's already dating, but it's even worse when he's dating one of the sweetest people on the planet. I mean Kai volunteered at animal shelters. Everything would be so much easier if he was a complete and he didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Chanyeol.
I nodded as Chanyeol kissed Kai's cheek, making Kai blush. Also murdering my heart in the process.
A counselor quickly ran around yelling at everyone to get in line so that our procession could begin. We broke our little triangle and moved to our spots in alphabetical order. I adjusted my hat and tassle, leaning out of line to see how Chanyeol was doing. He glanced back at me and shot me a thumbs up. I then watched him look towards Kai.
"Byun Baekhyun." My guidance counselor announced into the microphone with a smile on her face.
I walked across the stage and applause erupted in the crowd. I could hear Chanyeol whoop. I glanced at the sea of faces and looked at my parents. A wide smile was plastered on my face as the principal handed me my diploma and shook my hand. I turned to the crowd and pumped my fist in the air as I walked off stage.
As everyone else walked across the stage, I sat there clapping for my classmates. We'd all done it. When the final name was called, the principal took the microphone, "I now present to you the Class of 2008!"
Everyone threw their caps up into their air as they screamed.
I looked through the crowd of people to see my best friend tracking his cap through the air. He suddenly looked at me and our eyes locked. 'Congratulations.' I mouthed. A smile cracked across his face, his beautiful lopsided smile that showed his white teeth.
The hats all fell back down and all of the newly graduated kids dispersed, jumping into each other's arms and hugging.
I made my way to Chanyeol, only to find him locking lips with Kai. Somehow, jealousy didn't crack through me. When they broke apart, Chanyeol bear hugged me.
"Yeol, he needs to breathe. He just graduated, do you want him to die before even escaping this town?" Kai laughed, and Chanyeol released me. Deep down in my heart, something whispered that I would've been happy to die in Chanyeol's arms.
"Congratulations, Baek."
"Congrats, Yeol. Congrats, Kai." I smiled.
Chanyeol was getting a ride with Kai, so I drove to the party alone. I managed to talk myself out of confessing to Chanyeol. Everything would be fine if we just stayed friends, I lied to myself so smoothly.
I arrived at the party and Chanyeol waved at me from across the room, but I was pulled away by Luhan. He hugged me and congratulated me.
"Thanks." I murmured as Xiumin handed me a drink.
"Come back and visit once in a while alright?" Xiumin asked.
I nodded and took a sip of what I found out to be cranberry juice. "Oh come on Min, I'm not an eighty year old."
I still drank it anyway. I roamed around the party, high five-ing and congratulating all of my classmates. I couldn't find Chanyeol. I started to search for him, to make sure he wasn't face down in a puddle of his own vomit.
My mind seemed to be omitting the fact that he was probably with Kai. As I continued to fail to find him, I become more and more worried. Maybe he'd wandered up stairs.
I climbed the stairs and opened the first door that I saw.
I really shouldn't have.
Maybe everything would've been fine if I hadn't.
Maybe Chanyeol and I would've turned out differently if I just hadn't turned the knob.
a/n:
Alright, another chapter. Yay, so comment, upvote, subscribe, do whatever makes you happy.
This whole Luhan thing is making me sad. :( I'm just gonna be here, thinking about things regarding Luhan. I just want him to be happy. I also feel like I should say I just want EXO and Kris to be happy too. (If anyone needs to talk about Luhan, you can message me.)
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