Stasis

Thank you so so much for all the support and reviews for this story! I'm actually having a lot of fun writing it and I'm glad you are enjoying it!
disclaimer: I don't own COTT

July
I've sworn everyone to secrecy. I've been on a few dates with Adam and it would kill Archie if he found out. Adam is great, he's funny, smart, athletic. Like Archie my inner voice tells me but I ignore her by telling myself that Adam is whole and Archie isn't. I didn't go to see Archie until late afternoon. I don't even know why I was so hesitant and when I got to his room he was sitting on the bed waiting.
"Hi" I said "How are you?"
"fine." He replied "you?"
I tried to smile but all of a sudden it hit me. All this distance, space, we were growing apart. Something had changed in the last few months and all of a sudden I didn't know if it could be fixed. Archie and I sat in his old bedroom, the silence was awkward but not as awkward as the voice that rang through the hall
"Lannie?" It was Adam. I tried not to react but Archie stiffened. Lannie had always been his private nickname for me so to hear someone- a boy- say it, well I'm sure it bruised his ego. I prepared for an outburst but he sighed rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking tired.
"who's that?" he said quietly.
"just a friend from school" I reply too quickly.
"well," He nods slowly "you shouldn't keep him waiting."
I feel terrible and I give Archie a pleading look but he has closed his eyes. I pretend not to notice the tear trickling down his cheek as I exit the room. Or the fact that he is clutching a picture of us that I had never seen before.
I greet Adam half-heartedly and flinch when he kisses me. I have never had this much trouble with emotion before and it was troubling me. I wanted to do what was right but what was right for me and what was right for Archie were two separate things entirely.
Adam takes me out to dinner and I guess he noticed that I was distant.
"Lannie?" he says and I flinch again.
"please," I whisper "don't call me that."
he frowns and takes a bite of his pizza. Vegetarian. Archie would have shared my Hawaiian. Adam gives me the last piece of garlic bread. Archie would have fought me for it then complain when I got the bigger half.
"I'm so sorry" I say "but I just cant do this right now"
I run out of the restaurant in tears.

August
Archie is distant. He is on the other side of the room, sharing a joke with Jay. He catches my eye and looks away quickly. Neil puts a hand on my arm and smiles sadly.
"you can fix this" He says quietly
"I so badly want to believe you" I say
"what we need is a party!" Neil suddenly gets excited "once Archie see's how gorgeous you look, he's sure to want you again!"
"Thanks Neil" I grumble "way to make me feel better"
"come on!" he says "let's go shopping!"
Neil drags me to the mall, leaving Odie in charge of party preparation. I was dreading a long shopping trip but Neil was efficient given the time we had, or didn't have. He picked me out a midnight blue dress that was just above my knees. It was beautiful but I was unsure about the heels he chose for me and in the end he settled for letting me have gold sneakers.
The party set up was amazing. Odie had covered the brownstone in streamers and balloons. Our favourite bands blasted through the sound system and the food was great. I grabbed two glasses of punch and went to sit down next to Archie.
"you look wonderful" I say motioning to his black jeans and grey shirt.
"thanks" he takes the punch I offer him and stands up. I stare open mouthed as he walks away. Then he calls back to me.
"You look beautiful."

September
Things are ok. Well, better than they have been lately. I took Archie a hamburger and we played video games all morning but as soon as we started talking, things got tense. We never had to make an effort at conversation before but now we had nothing to talk about. Our lives were proceeding at different rates and what began with fractures had turned into gaping cracks.
"I'm going to Skatefest tomorrow" I said without thinking.
"Oh" Archie looked at his hands as I processed my words. Skatefest was a skateboarding carnival we went to every year. Together.
"your favourite band is in town" I say quickly and Archie perks up
"when? Today?"
Crap "Tomorrow"
"oh."
"I heard Alex and Rusty broke up"
"who?"
things were going from bad to worse and in the end we sat in a cold silence until Hera came to take Archie away.

Sorry it's such a short chapter, I just wanted to keep things straight to the point. Reviews loved!