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 Percy, loud and clear, say my name. I hastily dove behind aforementioned garbage can to do some serious, and profoundly sneaky, snooping.

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

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Was Alex's equally tired response.

There was a soft banging sound as I assume Percy 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 Alex exploded furiously in a very un-Alex-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, Percy, 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. Percy was standing with his profile to me, leaning back sheepishly against the lockers, staring at Alex with eyes so big with shock at his outburst I had a brief fear that they might explode from his head.

Alex had his hands on top of his head, which he shook from side to side, frustrated and irritated. He flung an arm out toward Percy 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 Sophie'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."

Percy 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 Alex give a frightening growl, frustrated by the defeat in Percy's gesture.

"I mean, fuck, Percy! 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 Alex probably paced for a moment before turning his back to Percy and trying desperately to regain some of that calm, laid-back cool that my Alexy has always been famous for.

Finally, Percy responded hoarsely, "Alex, man . . . I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"No, you wouldn't, would you." Alex 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!" Percy 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." Alex'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." Percy 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 Alex beseechingly, "Life was good before, ya know? Things were perfect. Everyone was happy and now . . . "

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

"I don't-" Percy began, but Alex cut him off.

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

"I know."

"No, Percy, she-"

"Alex!" Percy 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, Alex cleared his throat, making me jump in surprise after the long anticipation.

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

Percy laughed, "It's cool, Alex."

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

Another genuine, echoing laugh from Percy, "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?" Percy asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Alex answered.

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

"Well, don't worry, Alex-Dawg." He gave Alex's head an affectionate ruffle, "I got a plan."