The very next afternoon, I was given the rare and titillating opportunity to eavesdrop on the single most ear burning conversation of my life.

I was trudging along on my way to the bathroom for a little break from my last long hour of the day, one garbage can and a corner away from refuge, but as I rounded that corner I not only spotted but heard Oliver, loud and clear, say my name. I hastily dove behind aforementioned garbage can to do some serious, and profoundly sneaky, snooping.

"Mitch, I don't know how much longer I can do this." Oliver confessed solemnly. He sounded completely drained.

"Yea, I know the feeling." Was Mitchels equally tired response.

There was a soft banging sound as I assume Oliver let a hand or his head fall carelessly against a locker, "I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind."

"Well, there's a pretty simple solution."

"There's nothing simple about any of this."

And a rather loud banging sound only seconds before Mitchel exploded furiously in a very un-Mitchel-like way, "Oh come on!" He hissed frantically, "Stop being so fucking melodramatic." He paused, and I could clearly picture him tugging agitatedly at his hat, "Look, I know you don't like to hear this kind of shit, Oliver, but you're being a complete fucking moron. You fucked up, man! You got freaked out and panicked and fucked up!" The vehemence with which he spoke perked my curiosity even more and I shifted to peer over the garbage can. Oliver was standing with his profile to me, leaning back sheepishly against the lockers, staring a tMitchel with eyes so big with shock at his outburst I had a brief fear that they might explode from his head.

Mitche; had his hands on top of his head, which he shook from side to side, frustrated and irritated. He flung an arm out toward Oliver as if trying to physically show him the way, "It's not like it's never happened before and it's not like it's never going to happen again. But Lilly's not goddamn Satan! She understands that to err is human and that you, " He gave a mocking laugh, "Are undeniably human." Then he sighed apologetically, "Give the girl the benefit of the doubt as well as the chance to forgive you."

Oliver shook his head slowly and turned in my direction. I ducked quickly back down and hunched myself into a ball against the faint stench of the garbage. I heard Mitchel give a frightening growl, frustrated by the defeat in Oliver's gesture.

"I mean, fuck, Oliver! You think you're losing your mind?" There was another pause, as if he was waiting for a nod, "You don't know how much longer you can do this? Try being in the cramped, sweaty ass middle of it!"

I bit my bottom lip nervously.

"I am sick of pretending I don't hang out with you when I'm with her! And I'm even more sick of having to tell you, word for fucking word, everything she says concerning you when I'm with you!" He laughed madly, "It's ludicrous! You two are absolutely stupid for each other but through some sick twist of fate you're too stupid to get your accumulative shit together and just be together! It's just . . . fucked."

I wanted to peek at them again, but instead I sat on my hands and listened over-intensely to the hotwired air between them as Mitchel probably paced for a moment before turning his back to Oliver and trying desperately to regain some of that calm, laid-back cool that my Mitchy has always been famous for.

Finally, Oliver responded hoarsely, "Mitch, man . . . I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"No, you wouldn't, would you." Mitchel mumbled sullenly, "Maybe you should try apologizing to her"

I wrenched a hand out from under myself and began to chew my cuticles.

"I do try!" Oliver insisted, "Every fucking day I see her and I want to . . . but I just remember how she looked that night. So beautiful and so fucking . . . betrayed." He went quiet for a moment, perhaps struggling for words, "And I did that to her. I caused it. I made her feel that way, twice for Christ's fucking sake, and I just . . . I can't face her."

I glanced down at my finger's absently, I had chewed down an entire nail.

"You have to eventually." Mitchel's voice rang out in the empty hall, calm and cool and infinitely reasonable again, "Things can't stay this way. Things can't end this way."

"I know." Oliver mumbled softly, then, more intensely, "I know, I know, I know! Fuck!" He groaned, "I know., I just . . . god, why did things have to change in the first place? Why did any of this year have to happen at all?" He asked Mitchel beseechingly, "Life was good before, ya know? Things were perfect. Everyone was happy and now . . . "

Mitchel made a scoffing sound, "Are you really so blind? Not everyone thought life was perfect before."

"I don't--" Oliver began, but Mitchel cut him off.

"Of course you don't." He sighed, "Lilly loves you."

"I know."

"No, Oliver, she---"

"Mitchel!" Oliver stopped him mid sentence, objecting to further clarification, "I know." He finished softly.

There was silence. For far too long. I sat stiffly on the cold tile floor and waited impatiently for one of them to speak. My heart pounded in my chest and my fingers ached from my incessant gnawing.

Finally, Mitchel cleared his throat, making me jump in surprise after the long anticipation.

"Look, man, I'm sorry about . . . unloading on you like that."

Oliver laughed, "It's cool, Mitch."

"You sure?" He asked apprehensively, "I know I got kinda worked up."

Another genuine, echoing laugh from Oliver, "Kind of? Shit, dude, I was starting to get scared." They shared a chuckle and I slid a little further down the wall. "You've been holding that in a long time, huh?" Oliver asked thoughtfully.

"Yea." Mitchel answered.

I heard the soft sound of flesh clapping on clothing and crawled onto my knees to visually spy on them once more. Oliver had his arm slung over Mitchel's shoulders lovingly.

"Well, don't worry, Mitchster." He gave Mitchel's head an affectionate ruffle, "I got a plan."