Everett and Case were polar opposites – at least, from a passing glance. Case was a lawyer’s son – a boy born on the right side of the tracks who preferred to walk along the wrong side. He skipped classes to loiter behind the school, found fights, and broke into places for a distraction. He had the luxury of being misunderstood and angry. Everett learned early on which feelings needed to be stamped down – when to back down at injustice because that was just the way the world worked. Boys like him couldn’t afford distractions or much else. They were caught up in some charade – wearing someone else’s skin and hounded by imposter syndrome while they quietly slunk by in the shadows of the right side of the tracks in the hopes that no one would notice they’d snuck over.<br/><br/>Regardless, Everett’s gut reaction was to always assume the best of Case. They’d been friends for years. He’d seen the bad but he’d seen the good that outweighed it. He needed that affirmation – that unyielding resolve to neglect the worst in favor of the best – perhaps because they were, at the end of the day, two sides of the same coin. They both had their secrets and they both felt the weight of unwarranted shame for them. They both drowned themselves in self-doubt and neither of them really knew how to react to fear or betrayal or hurt.<br/><br/>So, when Julien hopefully piped that Case wouldn’t turn that anger into the group, Everett’s heart sank. His eyes darted toward the door after Maddison. The sound of his own pulse beat hard in his ears with a spike of anxiety at the idea that he’d risked Maddison for anything. But this was Case, he’d reminded himself. And Case was angry at them – at him.<br/><br/>“Of course not,” Everett reassured with a soft smile. With Julien pulled in close, Everett pressed his lips on Julien’s forehead to plant a pair of light kisses. At the same time, he’s placed his other hand against Julien’s other cheek and carefully swiped his thumbs to dry the trickle of tears.<br/><br/>Julien pulled away to sit down at the desk with his head in his hands. At his request, Everett hastily crossed the room to raid the cupboard for a clean paint jar. Though he shuffled quickly to the sink, time seemed to slow and that thrum in his ears became harder to ignore. It felt as though an eternity passed before the glass filled – before he could make his way back to the desk where Julien sat and set the glass down in silent offering.<br/><br/>Once more, his hand found its way to Julien, landing in his hair as Everett bent over to kiss the top of his head. The last thing he wanted to do right then was to leave Julien alone. But Julien seemed to have calmed down just enough to avoid a head on collision with a full-on nervous panic. Pulling away, still wearing that soft smile, Everett murmured, “it’s late. Why don’t you start packing up? I’m gonna see if I can catch up with the other guys. Hang tight, okay? I’ll be back in a minute.”