All characters and events are fictional, and all participants are over 18.
This is an ongoing story that jumps between the past and the present.
Nina couldn't have said what happened for the rest of that day, after those moments by the stump behind the tennis courts. She didn't take in a single thing that anyone said, anything that happened, where she went, who was there. All she could think of was that kiss. Their kiss. It was the most... she crossed her legs under the desk, willing her heart to slow its beating. She replayed the moment again and again and again, when Ash leaned in, pressed his lips against Luke's, their two heads, one dark, one light, so close together. It was so... new. Unexpected. Strange. Beautiful. She couldn't find the right combination of words for the utter wonder and delight of it.
And they liked her too.
What could this possibly mean?
At home that night she pulled out the notepad that they'd written on that first day in the library. She ran her fingers over the three different pen strokes: her own, looping and pointy, but with dark patches where she re-wrote over some of the letters; Luke's, neat, the letters rounded and bubbly; and Ash's, pressed hard into the page, cramped and scrawled, just legible.
She heard her dad stumbling around downstairs, then a crash as something fell and broke. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold onto the glowing, wonderful feeling she'd been reliving all day. But it was already slipping away. Could she ever have that feeling again?
The next day Ash awoke with a sense of purpose so forceful and complete that it took him by surprise. All his life he'd done as he was told, followed the rules, obeyed his parent's wishes, adapted to every change they put him through, taken the options that they chose for him. But now, thinking about it as he walked to school, he realised it was because he hadn't found anything else that he really wanted. Doing what he was told was easy; he'd had no reason not to. And now that he knew exactly what he wanted, it was terrifying. Because he could actually have it, he was sure of it.
Despite Nina running away from them yesterday, he held on to her tiny 'ok' as a seed, a promise. Maybe she wasn't ready right now, maybe it was too much, too shocking in that moment. But she would come back to them.
He and Luke had sat there for the rest of lunch, not moving away from each other, but not moving closer or kissing again either. Now he thought that they may have been in shock. A good shock. But not wanting to risk breaking this beautiful, unique, fragile thing that was growing between them. They didn't talk much, just smiled at each other, laughing shyly, even holding hands for a few minutes. It had felt electric and strange, and any doubts that started to creep in were pushed away whenever he looked into Luke's eyes and saw his tenderness, his trust. He was like a flower opening towards the sun, and Ash was that sun. It made him feel powerful, responsible, scared, full to bursting with it all.
But it also wasn't quite complete. They said, more than once, 'I wonder if Nina's coming back.' Because although this new, beautiful feeling towards Luke was filling him with joy and hope, there was an absence there where Nina fit that couldn't be ignored.
'I don't want to lose her,' he said as they walked back to the school, a loaded distance between them, 'she's so special.'
'Me neither,' said Luke, his face soft, 'I think... I think she's with us. She just needs a little time. It's a lot to think about.'
'Bloody oath.'
Ash smiled, and Luke melted inside.
Now
They'd woken up late, cooked and eaten breakfast, gone for a walk in the gardens around the house, and returned to bed in the early evening. Ash lay in a bath robe on the bed, one arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Nina was reading a book in the corner armchair, Luke putting away the dishes they'd washed after making dinner together.
Ash stirred. 'Remember how we started hanging at my uncle's house?'
'Vividly.'
'Of course. How could we forget?'
'Thank god we had somewhere to go. He never asked what I did when he wasn't there. The things we did in his house... I should probably feel bad about some of it, but I don't.'
Nina giggled, putting a bookmark in her page.
'I used to tell my dad I was studying at Kerry's house. He was usually too drunk to notice if I was home or not anyway, but I kind of liked lying.'
'The sneaking around made it sexier.'
'And the secrecy.'
'Do you ever wonder what it would've been like if we'd come out as a,' Ash shuddered, 'throuple?'
Nina approached the bed, her lips pursed.
'I don't know. I mean, it would've been social suicide for Luke.'
Luke nodded.
'Yup. If it'd been two girls it would've been hot. But a girl and a guy... and an unpopular girl and guy. Nope. I wouldn't've been invited to anything ever again.'
'You never went to anything you were invited to anyway.'
'Yeah... once I had you two, being popular was like, an echo from before, if that makes sense. Like, 'cos I used to be popular people just kept thinking I was. But I didn't talk to that crowd much after we hooked up. Too busy sneaking off.'
'It's a miracle we all graduated.'