Hey guys...sorry it took so long to update but this was a hard chapter to write. It's never easy to...well, you'll probably see why I had a hard time. As I said previously, it does have to get worse before it can get better. Like...way worse.

Let me not ruin the ending of my own story. I'll ruin a different one...Darth Vader is Luke's father, Leia is his sister, and the Empire was overthrown by Ewoks. There. I feel better now.

Hope you all...hrm enjoy is the wrong word. I hope you all like it, there we go.

Chapter Three: A week before Prom, senior year

Following the revelation of his feelings, being around Richie proved very awkward for Virgil.

Example: changing after a patrol had become really difficult. He had to fight to keep from sneaking looks as Richie took off the Gear suit. Nine times out of ten, it was not a battle that he won. It was even more difficult when they were out flying around town...

Not that he was still embarrassed by the time he crashed into a wall because Gear had been flying in front of him and he had a perfect view of his ass or anything. No sir, of course not.

When Richie would do things like sketch upgrade schematics for the Watchtower in his English notes or chew on his pencil absently during physics…he looked just as good to Virgil then too. It was as if this giant Pandora's Box had been opened and there was no way to close it, let alone put everything back the way it was. He had always been aware of his friend, but now it was as if he was hyper-aware of his every movement. The way the light hit his hair, the way he snorted instead of laughed when caught by surprise…it was like Richie was this great, shiny, and perfect thing that he had never really seen before.

Perhaps a coma would fix things. Maybe if he banged his head on the table... He decided to veto giving himself brain damange as he looked up from his plate and across the booth he was currently in.

Whenever there was a big test in Government, Daisy, Frieda, Richie, and Virgil would meet up at IHOP and study together over orders of calorie-laden breakfast foods. It was always French toast with bacon and apple juice for Daisy, a Western omelet with grits, toast, and OJ for Virgil, buttermilk pancakes, hash browns, eggs over easy, and a Coke for Richie, and seasonal fruit salad and a pot of coffee for Frieda.

In all of the time they had known each other, Richie had never once used silverware when eating his pancakes. He would tear them into bits. He'd then dip them into a pool of blueberry syrup and eat them one piece at a time. In the past, Virgil always just shook his head and called his friend a weirdo.

Now he was entranced by a spot of dark blue syrup on the blond's chin. And he really, really wanted to clean it off for him.

With his tongue.

He knew he was staring but he really couldn't stop himself. Richie-watching was his new favourite past time, although he tried to be as subtle about it as possible.

Just then, something white zoomed past his vision and landed in his food. He picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it.

"Virgil-

Just take a picture already…I'm told they last longer.

LY – MI

Frieda"

It would appear that he might be failing on the subtle front.

He felt his eyes widen as he turned and looked at the girl sitting diagonally from him. Frieda nonchalantly took a sip of her coffee as she asked Daisy a question about the checks and balances system. Richie was pulling apart his last pancake, his hair falling into his eyes. Virgil almost had to sit on his hands to keep himself from brushing it back.

Okay, so Frieda apparently had noticed that something might be up. Which…okay that was fine, because she wasn't Richie. The whole world could notice something was up with him as long as Richie was not counted among them. Because...awkward.

Not like suddenly realizing that you maybe-sorta-kinda liked your best friend and definitely wanted to knock them silly wasn't but...why make things worse?

"Virg?"

He started wondering if he should tell Richie how he felt now, or if he should just try and wait until Simon broke up with him. On the one hand, rebound! But then, on the other hand...rebound. Besides, Richie was still his best friend and it wasn't in him to take advantage like that.

"Virgil?"

No, if they were going to get together, it had to be the right way. Except...he had no clue what the right way would even be.

"Virgil!"

"Huh? What?" Now he was the one being stared at. By everyone. He carefully avoided Richie's gaze and looked at Daisy.

"We were just going over how the filibuster system is supposed to work in the Senate. Which, if you had paid attention, you'd know." Daisy stared at him pointedly.

"Oh, sorry." He had the decency to look abashed. "I was thinking about...um...the Prom." Prom. Yeah that sounded safe.

She brightened considerably. "Oh I know! It's so exciting! I got my dress last night and I so can't wait! Did you find a date yet?" She looked at her best friend with a grin.

"Nah. There's no one really worth going with." Idly pouring Splenda into her coffee, Frieda really wasn't all that concerned about the dance.

"Well, Virgil's dateless too. So why don't the two of you go together?" Richie supplied with a thoughtful look on his face.

Daisy's grin brightened. "That is a great idea! Then we'll all be paired up and everything!" Everyone knew Daisy was going with Marcus Reynolds, Captain of Dakota Union High's swim team.

Virgil balked. "Wait. Who are you going with?"

Richie raised an eyebrow. "Okay, apparently I need to go borrow Doc Brown's DeLorean and take you back to two months ago when Simon and I got together."

Oh.

Of course.

Of course he was going with Simon. Virgil hadn't really been up for the Prom before but now...now he felt like hiding in his room until graduation.

He smiled. "Right. Virgil Hawkins, party of duh...your table's ready. My bad." He laughed at himself. "So Frieda, is it a date?"

Frieda gave him a measuring look. He hated it when she did that, and it seemed like it was happening more and more lately. Like she had something to say to him but just wouldn't. He wished she would spit it out already. Maybe all that journalism stuff was making her crazy.

"Sure, Virgil. It'll be fun." She smiled at him and drained the last of her coffee. "What time is it?"

"Like 8:30." Richie shrugged. "Got somewhere to be?"

"Shit, actually yeah. The OC's on tonight. Daisy we gotta jet." The girls started gathering their things. "Offer you guys a ride?"

"You have to ask? I'd never miss a chance to ride in the awesome that is the Frieda-mobile." The blond grinned as he slid out of the booth.

Frieda beamed. Her light blue Mini-Cooper was pretty awesome. Hooray for turning eighteen! "What about you?" she looked at Virgil as she put down her share of the bill.

"I...I think I'll walk. It's really nice out."

The redhead gave him a stern look. Which, if playing it cool hadn't been so important, would have made him flinch.

It didn't help that Richie was looking at him oddly as well. "On second thought...I'll walk too. I should work off those pancakes."

Daisy and Frieda just shrugged. "Suit yourselves. See you tomorrow!" The girls walked off, chattering about the apparent hotness of Adam Brody. The boys double-checked that a suitable tip had been left, and they exited the restaurant.

They walked in companionable silence for a block or so when Richie asked, "So...what are you up to tonight?"

"Studying more, I guess. Maybe a quick patrol." Virgil shrugged. "Why?"

The blond pushed up his glasses. "Wondering if you wanted to make it a Blockbuster night. Super special-edition three-disc Director's Cut of Wicked Scary is on DVD. Thought you might want to check it out."

Well, this was a dilemma. On the one hand...Richie all to himself for a change. He would finally be alone with the one person he had wanted to be alone with more than anyone lately. He could finally be with his friend like normal.

On the other hand...did he really want to be alone with the one person he had wanted to be alone with more than anyone lately? Considering any and all thoughts of a sexual nature had been about Richie (and there were lots, Virgil was seventeen after all), did he really think being alone in a dark room was a good idea?

He sighed. "Maybe another night. I really gotta hit the books."

Richie gave him that look again, and then sighed. A bit of shame crossed his features for a moment.

Wait...shame?

"Look, V...I know I haven't been around much lately. I...never meant to be one of those people who forget all about their friends when they start dating someone. But I...I think I have been." He looked down at the sidewalk. "I understand if you don't really want me around much right now or if you're mad or whatever. My point is, I'm sorry. And I'll be better about it."

Oh for God's sake. Could the universe seriously just stop the insanity already? What the hell was he supposed to say to that? "Rich, it's cool. I'm not like this because I miss you or something. I'm like this because I think I want to replace your boyfriend and I don't know how to deal with it. I can't even cope with it and right now I just really want to kiss the hell out of you so stop talking and pucker up?"

Yeah. That was an aisle full of no right there.

"It's cool." It was getting easier to do this, he realized uncomfortably. "I know. It's hard to balance everything. Don't sweat it. I just really do need to study...it's not too late to screw myself out of graduating, you know?"

"Yeah." They reached the intersection where they had to part ways. "You bowling tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it." He had a feeling he might regret this, but if he didn't it would be harder to keep his friend in the dark about...things. And, he did miss hanging out with him. "Want to come over after?"

Richie smiled. "Definitely."

"Sweet." He held out his hand for their handshake, which Richie cheerfully returned. "Peace."

"And out!" The blond waved as he walked off.

Virgil almost didn't watch him go.

-----

Later that evening, Richard Osgood Foley stared at the notecard in his hands.

Everything had been filled out except for one small detail.

He turned it over in his hands and looked at the address for what felt like the millionth time, but he knew was only the eighty-seventh. Well, that morning anyway.

One box to check with the word "yes" under it, one box next to it with the word "no."

Not for the first time, he wondered why he had even bothered. More to the point, he was wondering why it was so hard for him to make up his mind? He turned the piece of paper over again.

Because both Bruce and Daisy had suggested it with enthusiasm, so what the hell?

Because this was an attempt at making a change, and hey who couldn't use a little change?

Because he had really, really liked L.A. that time he was out there with Virgil and his dad, and yeah the school wasn't in Los Angeles proper, but it wasn't even like twenty minutes away and was therefore a hell of a lot closer than Dakota?

Because it was about time he did something for himself and not because anyone else wanted him to?

He turned the card over once more.

California Institute of Technology, more commonly known as Caltech. Check yes to accept enrollment, check no to decline.

He checked the time.

It was well after midnight. He needed to go to sleep, otherwise getting up would be a bitch.

He sighed and looked at card again.

It was now or never, or forever and always, as the case may be.

A checkmark was quickly written into a box. He then put the card in its envelope and walked it out to the mailbox.

His decision was made. No going back.

-----

The following day as planned, everyone met up at the bowling alley for a few games and fun.

"Dude, I gotta tell you. For a bowler, you make a great martial artist."

Simon rolled his eyes as he watched his latest effort hit exactly one pin and then land in the gutter. "Whatever. I told you I haven't done this since I was eight."

"And boy howdy it shows. Here." Richie shook his head while smiling. "The trick is to keep your wrist steady. You keep turning it funny ways." He stood right behind his boyfriend, hand on his right wrist to hold it steady. "You just have to hold and release." He moved the other boy's arm with his. "See?"

"Do we have to get you two a room?" Daisy put her hands on her hips as Marcus snickered.

Simon just snorted and Richie stuck his tongue out at her. Everyone laughed.

Well...mostly everyone. Virgil leaned against a ball rack, trying not to look too sullen or jealous. It appeared to be working.

Since Marcus had come along, it was this weird pairing off of Marcus-and-Daisy and Richie-and-Simon. And him. And Frieda.

Normally, he'd think everyone was trying to fix them up. Knowing how funny he found that, combined with exactly how funny she would find it, he sincerely hoped they all knew better.

Speak of the devil, Frieda returned from the snack bar with a huge pitcher of soda and several cups. "Drinks, guys. Did I miss my turn?"

Daisy shook her head. "Nope. You're just in time."

"Sweet!" She ran over, grabbing her ball and taking aim for the pins.

"Thanks, by the way," Simon called after her as he poured everyone a glass.

"Oh sweet nectar…how I've longed for you." Richie sniffed the fizzy liquid as if he was at a wine tasting. "Oh precious, precious Coca-Cola…how your sweet taste doth quench my thirst…"

"Richie, you're retarded. It's just soda." Daisy shook her head.

"Just soda? Just soda?" Richie was outraged. "That is like saying a Rolls Royce is just a car."

"But it is just a car!"

Richie put his glass down. "Sacrilege!"

Simon shook his head. "Should I feel jealous of a carbonated soft-drink?"

Marcus shrugged. "I don't think he's giving you much choice, man."

"True." He shrugged. "If I were to remove my rival however…"

Done with her frame, Frieda walked over to where Virgil was standing. "You look like you're having a good time," she said sarcastically as she wiped her hands on her jeans. He just shrugged.

"Same as always."

"Right." She followed his gaze to the others, where Simon had playfully stolen Richie's drink and Richie was flailing as he tried to get it back. Daisy was bowling and Marcus was trying to referee with a big grin on his face. "You haven't told him yet, have you?"

"Told who what?" His gaze never moved from the other boys.

"Richie. About how you feel." Frieda brushed her hair out of her face.

He sighed. "No...I haven't told anyone. Which, uh by the way, how do you know?"

She sipped her soda. "It's kind-of obvious, Virgil."

"It…is?" He swallowed nervously.

"To me, yeah. Everyone else thinks you're being jumpy and weird because of graduation or whatever. I've known since that night we went to the club together."

Virgil started at this. "That long? I just figured it out and you knew all this time? Why didn't you say something?"

"Well, aside from the fact that at the end of the day, this really isn't any of my business, I didn't think it'd go over too well. I mean, as if you'd react nicely to me coming up to you all 'Hey Virgil, how's that whole being secretly in love with Richie thing going? By the way did you get the English assignment for tomorrow'?" She snorted. "Please."

Virgil turned away from her to look at the rest of their group. Not for the first time, he wondered why if it stung so much that he should keep watching them. Her phrasing suddenly struck him and he gave her a look. "I never said I was in love with him."

Frieda froze with her hand in the process of raising her glass to her mouth. "Okay" was all she said.

Before he could ask her what she meant, they heard a yell as Richie succeeded in cornering Simon and getting his soda back. Before he could drink it down, the brown-haired boy grabbed him for a quick, impromptu kiss.

Virgil felt sick to his stomach. They had never done that before. Not in front of him or anyone else. A public display like that, considering everything…they must be really serious… He had never wanted to run away from anything so badly in his life as he did then. He couldn't look anymore because he felt like it…like it was killing him or something.

Actually, saying that it felt like it was killing him was exactly right. Because, and he really did not want to admit this even to himself, it was.

He couldn't look at them and he couldn't look at Frieda because he didn't really need or want any sympathy. So he did the only thing he could do.

He walked over, grabbed his ball, and bowled his frame.

-----

"So which do you want to watch? X-Men 2 or Spider-Man 2?"

Later that evening, Richie and Virgil had gone back to the Hawkins residence to hang out as planned. Richie had been chattering non-stop since they left they bowling alley, while Virgil had patiently listened to his friend.

There were only two real times Richie could not shut up. When he was nervous…

Or when he was happy.

Virgil leaned back on the sofa. "Haven't seen our favourite mutants in a while. Let's put on X2."

The blond just grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." He pulled out the dvd.

"Why? So I can watch you drooling over Hugh Jackman?" Please God let him take that as a joke.

Richie blinked, a slight blush creeping up his face. "No."

Virgil couldn't help but smile. "That's totally it, isn't it? You feel like indulging in your lusty and wrong feelings for Wolverine."

"Do not," Richie grumbled.

There was a long silence.

"Okay, maybe a little. But yeah, hi, wifebeater? Sweaty man arms? Jeans that may as well have been sewn on? I mean, damn."

And now he was jealous of a famous actor. Could this possibly get any dumber? "I…haven't noticed."

Richie clucked his tongue. "Oh right. I guess Halle and Rebecca are more up your alley..."

Virgil bit his lip. This was…heading into weird territory. "Not really. I…don't really find anyone in this movie hot." At least, not in comparison to you, he wanted to say but didn't. He was doing far too much of that lately.

Richie clucked his tongue. "Right." They sat in companionable silence as they watched the students of Xavier's run around a museum. "You know, I bet someplace like that would have come in handy here in Dakota. It'd have been nice to have a place where all the Bang Babies could have learned to use their powers like, effectively and not just to blow shit up."

"Yeah, but how many people would have gone to it?" Virgil scratched his head. "I mean, you can't force someone to enroll in a school. Ebon or someone probably woulda just destroyed it."

"True." The blond turned from the movie to look at his friend. "Um…"

"Yeah?"

"Um…I well…speaking of school…" Richie paused, looking down at his hands. "I've…made up my mind. About where I'm going to go. And…I wanted to tell you first before anyone else." He fidgeted.

Virgil suddenly had a bad feeling. He tried to sound casual as he said "Oh really? Well, don't keep me in suspense. Where're you going?"

"Right. Um well…I…" He shook his head to gather his thoughts. "I'm…going for it."

Yeah, this was bad. Virgil pressed pause on the remote, trying not to freak out. "Going for what?" He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but something made him ask anyways.

"I'm going to Caltech." Richie bit his lip. "I've given it a lot of thought, and I've always kind-of wanted to get out of Dakota. It's a great school and they're even offering me some scholarships. And California's nice and it's...well not super gay friendly, but it's better than here in some places." He sounded surer of himself as he went on. "If I hate it, I can always come back. So…yeah, I'm going to go for it."

Maybe it was the fact that he had been bottling so much up lately. Maybe he was still upset from what he saw at the bowling alley. Or maybe he couldn't deal with the fact that Richie was in fact leaving. Whatever the reason, something inside Virgil finally broke. In a very quiet voice, he said "You can't."

"And there are breaks and I'll be…what?"

He tried to stop himself, but it was like using a glass to stop a tidal wave. He cleared his throat. "You can't go. I don't want you to go."

Richie was confused. "Why not?"

Because of how I feel about you. "Because I…I just…I don't want you to." He finally looked at the blond then, which was a mistake.

He had expected Richie to be confused by his words. What he had not expected was the hurt he saw in his eyes. "I…thought you said it's my call. That you'd…you'd have my back."

"It is." Virgil said. "And I do. But I just…I don't think… I just don't want you to go, all right?"

"No, it's not all right." The hurt was turning into irritation. "You're…getting on me about my decision and you're not telling me why. Instead, you're telling me what to do with my life. That's not 'all right.' That's messed up."

Virgil sighed. How was he supposed to handle this? He couldn't say anything else because then Richie would know. But he couldn't not say anything because Richie was getting angry with him and that was clearly not going over well. "I'm…I'm not telling you what to do. I said I don't want you to go."

"But why? You're the only one who's not happy about this, and you're the one who said you'd be the happiest. Christ, Virgil, even Simon'll be happy that I'm going."

And that was the last thing Virgil needed to hear. He stood up and walked to the other side of the room. "Oh well, by all means, if Simon says go then you better do it. I mean Simon's perfect right? So better do what Simon fucking says."

Richie stood up to look Virgil in the eye. "Don't make this about him. He's got nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with this. You wouldn't have even applied or anything if not for him, I bet. You definitely wouldn't be going if he hadn't opened his mouth!"

Richie clenched his jaw. "Oh so that's it. You think because I'm not doing what you want me to do, that I'm suddenly incapable of making up my own mind. Because I decided not to follow you around for once, that now I'm like brainwashed by my boyfriend or some bullshit?"

"Because you are! You never spend any time with anyone anymore unless it's Simon or he's there! You're, like, slipping away or something! And for that matter, why the hell are you even with that guy, anyways? It's not like he's worth your time!"

"What?" Richie's voice was flat, which was never a good sign.

"I mean, Jesus, Richie…what the hell do you see in that guy anyway?"

"Why does that matter? It's not like you're dating him. It's not like---" Virgil cut him off.

"Because I hate him, okay? I hate Simon! I. Hate. Him."

Oh shit. That was all the way out loud, wasn't it?

Richie snorted. "Well, it's good to know how you feel I guess. How could you possibly hate him? You've never given him a chance or tried to get to know him! You treated him like shit from the word go!"

"I know that I hate him because he doesn't…you shouldn't be dating him! He's not good enough for you! You can do better!"

"Do better? Virgil…he makes me happy. I'm happy. That's all he needs to do. My being happy isn't good enough?"

"No, it isn't! Because...because I know that there's someone that could make you happier. I know that there's someone that you should be with and it's not him." What was he doing?

No, really…what the hell was he doing?

"Oh well golly, if you say so…would you stop ordering me around? And what the hell are you talking about? Last I checked, I decide who I want to date. I decide who's good enough. Who could possibly be better…?" He trailed off as he suddenly realized that during his speech that Virgil had been closing the distance between them. Their faces were mere inches apart and there was this look in Virgil's eyes that he couldn't identify. "Um…what…what are you doing?"

"Showing you who the right person is," Virgil murmured. He put his hands on Richie's waist, pulling him closer. He closed his eyes, tilted his head down, and kissed him.

Richie was completely thrown. This was something he had thought about. A lot. For years, actually. But now that it was happening, he honestly did not know what to do.

Virgil took the fact that he was not being shoved away or punched as encouragement and moved his hands from Richie's waist to around his back, holding him even closer. At the contact, Richie couldn't hold himself back any longer. His arms came up and circled Virgil, one hand going into his hair, and he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Whatever control Virgil had was shattered at this point, and the kiss turned feverish. He couldn't get close enough, and he couldn't bear

the thought of letting him go. He felt completed and hot and everything and it was just perfect. Why hadn't he done this sooner?

It was flawless and frightening and the most humbling moment of his life. He felt like he would never have to ask for anything again, that everything he could ever need was here in his arms. That it had been right in front of him his entire life.

Because, quite frankly, it had.

And just like that…it was gone.

Richie had pushed him away. Not looking at Virgil, he touched his lips, a storm of emotions in his eyes. When he finally spoke, there was no emotion in his voice.

"I'm going to go now."

"Wait…Richie! Wait! Don't---" The door slammed behind him. "Go." Sighing, Virgil sat on the couch, left alone with his thoughts.

Oh yeah. Inviting him over had definitely not been a good idea.

-----

Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something.

-----