Buck woke up the day after the game uplifted and ready to have a relaxing Saturday. The feeling of triumph from winning the game the night before lingered. But a feeling of friendship stuck out above the triumph. He remembered that Jenos was at the game and had congratulated him afterwards. Buck found him on the backside of the bleachers as he was walking back to the locker room. Jenos gave him a warm smile and a hug. Buck smiled to himself, then got out of bed to get some breakfast. He wondered if Jenos was busy that day. He wanted to spend some time with him. After he poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down, he took out his phone and texted Jenos.

"Good morning, Jenos," he wrote, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today." Buck started to eat his breakfast. He put down his phone and thought of any ideas for what they could do together. He didn't really care that much, as long as Jenos was happy. A couple of moments after he finished his cereal and washed his bowl and spoon, he got a reply from his friend.

"Hello Buck. I am sorry, I can't hang out today. Does tomorrow work for you?"

Buck frowned slightly, then responded.

"Yes, I can do tomorrow. Your place or mine?"

"Mine."

"Alright."

He continued to text Jenos as he walked up the stairs to freshen himself up.

"So, what did you think of the football game?" he typed.

"It was a lot of fun. I liked watching you play." Buck smiled. He didn't think Jenos liked sports that much, but he was happy that he came to the game for him.

"That's good."

"You are very skilled, Buck." His face turned red as he sat down on his bed.

"Why, thank you. I'm really glad you made it over."

"No problem. Anything for my best friend." Buck smiled through a sigh as he leaned back. He was glad to have someone like Jenos by his side. He didn't mind that they had become closer lately and that he had left his old friends for him. Buck didn't want to be friends with people who didn't accept others, anyways. He sat on his bed thinking about his friend for a while, and then he got another text. He checked his phone and saw that it was from Fernando.

"Buenos días, Buck. Some football kids and I are going to the beach today, want to join us?" Fernando asked.

"Yeah sure, where are we meeting and when?" he replied.

"We're going to meet at the end of Serpent Street, right by the boardwalk, at 12:30."

"Sounds good. I'll be there."

After that, Buck browsed social media on his phone. Nothing interesting. He played games and laid down for a while before he started getting ready to leave. Around noon, he changed into his swim trunks and threw on a white shirt, sandals, and sunglasses. Then, he headed out of the house, making sure to let his parents know he was leaving and would be back later that afternoon. His mother made him go back and pack a bag full of sunscreen, money, and snacks. After that, he walked downtown and towards the coast, ready to have a good time.

Buck arrived at the end of the street and was met with Fernando and Viktor. He wore a confused look as he approached his teammates.

"I thought you said there were 'friends'? As in plural?" he asked Fernando.

"Well, Khan cancelled. The others never said they would come in the first place."

"Alright, then." Buck glanced at Viktor, who seemed annoyed.

"Let's go find a spot," Fernando suggested enthusiastically. The group moved towards the beach, searching for an open space to put down their towels and bags. Eventually, they found one, then sat down.

"Want to go swimming?" Fernando asked the two, taking off his shirt.

"No," Viktor responded flatly. Buck sighed and took off his shirt to put on some sunblock.

"What's got you in such a pissy mood, man?" Buck asked Viktor.

"Khan cancelled. I bet it was for Lian." Fernando rolled his eyes and started putting on some sunscreen.

"We can still have fun without him," Buck responded.

"It's not about that. It's about her. She's already sunk her claws into him, I can feel it." Fernando gave a worried look, then faced away from them. What does he know?

"I hope that's not it," the man added, sadness in his tone. Then, he walked towards the water. Viktor shot a confused look at Buck.

"I think he knows something about Khan that we don't," Viktor started.

"Like what?" Buck asked.

"I don't know, I just know they've been talking more."

"Yeah, true. They hung out the other day, didn't they?"

"Yes. You think Khan told Fernando something about him and Lian?" Viktor gave him a curious look.

"Possibly."

"He's been acting weird lately too. Ever since he and Cassie broke up, he hasn't been as cheerful." Buck frowned.

"I noticed, too."

"Something fishy is going on, I can feel it." Viktor paused and put his hand on his face. "I just don't know what."

"Well, I don't think it matters that much. I think Khan is strong enough to resist her influence." That warranted a chuckle from Viktor.

"I couldn't. I needed someone to… to wake me up. I don't have much faith in him."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'wake you up'?" Buck asked, giving a curious look. He sighed.

"Not important. I'm just hoping he doesn't cave so easily like I did. She really screwed me up in the head when we were together."

"You don't say?"

"Shut up." Buck was at first slightly surprised at his attitude, but then realized he only told him to shut up because Fernando was coming back. They both stopped talking and acted like nothing had happened while he was gone.

"You guys going to join me?" he asked.

"Yeah, we were going to come down in a couple of moments," Buck responded.

"Alright." He headed back down to the water. Viktor and Buck gave each other an unsure look, then followed him down to the shoreline.

After a short while of swimming in the ocean, the three went back up to sit in the sun. They laid down on their towels in silence. A couple of minutes later, Buck heard Fernando say something, so he sat up and faced him. He was saying hi to Khan and Lian, who had just arrived at the beach. Buck's mouth opened in shock. Viktor sat up as well, saw the couple, and exchanged a surprised look with Buck. Fernando chatted with the couple as if nothing was wrong. When he was done, he laid back down and faced the sky. Buck stood up, then told his friends he was going to get some water from the public bathroom area. Viktor nodded.

"You can just say you're going to take a shit, man." Buck chuckled then walked away, heading towards the building with the bathrooms. After a short walk, he made it and went inside the men's bathroom. He wasn't going to use it, he just wanted to be inside. The usual warmth of the beach was nice, but right now, it was sweltering outside, and he needed some shade. He looked at himself in the mirror. Gosh, I'm already turning a bit red, he thought as he prodded at his skin.

"What are you doing?" The familiar russian accent made him jump. He turned around to see his friend in the doorway watching him.

"Just checking my skin, that's all." The dark-haired boy sighed.

"I can't believe he really canceled on us for Lian."

"Isn't that like, illegal? Bros before hoes?"

"Buck! This is serious!"

"Yeah, I know, sorry."

"I think she really does have control over him. She would do the same thing to me, make me cancel on my friends to spend time with her." He put his hand on his temple and leaned against the wall.

"But why him? Aren't they best friends?"

"Right? I thought it was weird when they got together too."

Both stood in silence for a couple of moments. Then Buck gasped.

"Wait, you left Fernando alone, didn't you?"

"Yes, why?"

"We need to go back. We can't just ditch him like that!"

"Alright," Viktor responded as he walked out of the door. Buck followed him, both heading back towards their spot. Buck didn't want to say it, but he wanted to go back because he was concerned about Fernando. He was relieved when they got back to their spot and the couple was away. Viktor and Buck sat down on their towels. Fernando, alerted at their return, sat up and faced them.

"You both went to the bathroom?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. Sorry." Viktor responded. Fernando raised an eyebrow, nodded slowly, then looked towards the coast. Buck followed his gaze and saw him stare at Lian and Khan together. She was smiling as he carried her in a bridal carry through the water. Fernando sighed then laid back down, a tinge of gloom in his expression. Buck looked at Viktor, who shrugged. He laid back down, closed his eyes, and listened to the crash of waves on the shore. What the hell is going on with him?

/

When Buck awakened from his nap, the sun was lower in the sky and the tide had changed. I must've been out for a while, he thought as he sat up and turned towards Fernando and Viktor. Both were awake and chatting. Khan and Lian, who were under an umbrella a short distance away from Fernando, were napping. She leaned against him, his arm around her waist. The boys both faced away from the couple, clearly trying to avert their eyes. He decided to ease the tension by joining the conversation.

"Hey guys, you want to go back down to the water?" Buck asked.

"We were going to leave soon," Viktor started.

"Just a couple of minutes?" Buck pressed on.

"Sure," Fernando replied, standing up and walking towards the water. Viktor and Buck followed behind. They cooled off in the ocean water for about fifteen minutes, then got out to dry off and get ready to leave. Buck noted that Khan and Lian were now awake. The couple glanced at them, then continued to chat in whispered tones. Strange.

By the time the boys had finished drying, Lian was closer to her boyfriend, whose face was slightly red. As the friends chatted and packed away their stuff, he noticed Fernando's face was red as well, and he refused to look in the direction of the couple. They lingered for a bit to keep chatting before they left the beach. Their conversation ceased when Buck noticed that Lian was looking right at the friends. Viktor and Fernando both turned around and made eye contact with the white-haired girl. She smirked, then turned back to Khan. Khan's scared eyes moved towards them. His expression was apologetic, almost regretful, as Lian kicked her leg over his and straddled him. The three exchanged a confused look, then turned back to see Lian making out with Khan. He looked shocked and embarrassed, while his partner was smug and confident. Fernando faced away, then started walking towards the boardwalk. Viktor and Buck followed in silence.

When they reached the boardwalk, Buck and Viktor both bid farewell, while Fernando gave a silent wave, still not facing his friends as he walked away. Viktor and Buck each went towards their homes from Serpent street. As Buck walked home, he wondered about Khan and Fernando. Was Viktor right? Does she really have that much control over him? Why was Fernando acting so weird today? Does it have something to do with Khan? His mind was filled with questions, but no answers. He just hoped his friends were okay.

When he got home, he received a text from Viktor.

"Hi Buck," it read.

"Hey," Buck responded, putting down his bag.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Sure, but I'm concerned about Fernando and Khan."

"Me too." There was a pause.

"You think you could be right about Lian?"
"Judging by Khan's behavior, yeah."

"What do you mean?" Another pause.

"He woke up before Lian, before you woke up. He got up and chatted with us, then went back to laying with her. Said she would get pissed if he was talking with us."

"Weird. He also looked, like, super not into it when Lian kissed him."

"I noticed that, too."

"I just hope they figure it out." Buck sighed as he walked upstairs to his room and started putting away his stuff. Right as he finished and got a change of clothes to change into after he showered, Viktor responded.

"And what was up with Fernando? He was really off," he wrote.

"Yeah, I know. He seemed depressed."

"You think it has anything to do with Khan and Lian?"

"Maybe he's still sad about Cassie?"

"The couple could have reminded him of what he lost."

"Who knows. I just hope he'll be fine."

"Me too." Buck put away his phone, walked to the bathroom with his pajamas, took a long shower, and changed into said clothing. It was dark, but still not late enough to go to sleep, so he went to his room and sat on his bed staring at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes, he checked his phone. Nothing. He decided to text Jenos out of loneliness.

"Hey." He waited for a couple of moments, then got a response.

"Hello. How was your day?"

"Good, and you?"

"Relaxing."

"That's good. What did you do?"

"A lot. Maybe we can call, and I can tell you all about it?" Buck started to type, but stopped himself. His face turned red as he realized what Jenos had suggested. A call? He hadn't ever talked on the phone with Jenos for long. The concept was endearing. Hearing his voice, his expressions, rather than relying on some text. He took a breath, then responded.

"Sure, why not?" A couple of seconds later, his phone rang. He picked it up, and started talking.

"Hi Buck!" Jenos greeted, in an excited tone.

"Hello. So, what did you do today?"

"I got to go to the science museum," he started. Jenos proceeded to go over his day. Buck learned that he went to the museum with his parents, then to the library on his own to get some books, then to a cafe to get his favorite food, broccoli soup. Normally, to someone like Buck, this wouldn't be a lot for one day, but he was interested, knowing that Jenos did not leave the house as much as he did. Buck listened intently, then spoke.

"That sounds really fun, Jenos."

"I know, right? I got to do a lot today!" Buck smiled to himself. He liked hearing him excited like that. It seemed that little things like soup and books sparked joy in Jenos. In that regard, Buck wished he could be more like his friend sometimes.

"What about you?" he asked. Buck started to explain his day. He checked the time, and it was starting to get late. However, he wanted to stay up and talk with Jenos, so he continued to speak. Suddenly, he was interrupted by his friend.

"So sorry to interrupt, but you should go outside and look at the stars, they're really nice right now." Buck nodded, then walked outside. He knew his parents wouldn't care that much, as long as he didn't leave.

"I'm outside," he stated as he opened the back door and walked out onto the patio.

"Wait, you actually did it?" Jenos asked, quietly.

"Yeah, of course." There was a short pause, then Jenos giggled.

"I didn't expect that. Alright, well, look up." Buck followed his order, quickly noting the clarity and beauty of the night sky.

"You see the formations?"

"No, not really."

"Alright. Let me find one… okay. You see the one that looks like a figure eight, but diagonal?"

Buck searched the sky.

"Yeah, I see it."

"Well, it's supposed to be an hourglass. There's a whole long story about how it represents the amount of time left until the world ends. The gods put it up there to constantly remind us, to humble us. We're all going to die one day. The hourglass is the representation of that."

"That's actually really cool," Buck replied as he laid down on a lawn chair. Jenos continued to tell the stories behind certain constellations. Jenos always liked to look at the night sky and spot every constellation when they were kids. However, he had never told Buck the stories behind each one before. To Buck, there was something pleasant about the image of Jenos sitting on his bed explaining the same stars he could see from his backyard. Buck was calm, so calm that he could almost drift off to sleep. He yawned, which alerted Jenos.

"Buck? Are you tired?" he asked, concerned.

"A little."

"Oh, I shouldn't keep you up so late."

"No it's fine, Jenos."

"Buck…"

"You can tell some more, then I'll go to sleep."

"I'll do one more, one that's really important to me."

"Okay."

"You see the two different sized triangles connected at their points?" Buck took a couple of moments to search for it.

"Found it."

"It's supposed to be two hearts. The hearts belonged to two best friends who lived long ago. They were very different, shown by the different sizes and shapes of the triangles, but still loved each other very much. They were partners for their whole lives. Eventually, one died in battle, and the other died of an illness while far, far away from his friend. They never got to say goodbye to each other. The gods put them up in the sky so they could be together for all of eternity."

Buck stared at the sky in silence. He realized why the story was so important to his friend. To him, it described their friendship.

"That's really sweet," he replied softly.

"I know. I like it the most. It-" he started.

"Yes?"

"It reminds me of us." Buck blushed as the realization that they both had been thinking the same thing washed over him.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Really?"

"Yeah." There was a pause.

"I'm glad." Buck yawned.

"Me too."

"You should go to sleep now."

"You too."

"Alright, I will. Goodnight."

"Night." Buck ended the call, a smile fresh on his face. He walked back upstairs to his room, then went over his covers, making sure to put his phone on the side table. The calming vibe of his conversation with Jenos and thoughts of his caring friend helped him drift into a peaceful slumber.