Boy reading alone in a tree beside winter school snowball fight

Julian didn’t want to have feelings for Eddie. In fact, it was the last thing he wanted. He had learned long ago that revealing one’s emotions only led to people taking advantage of you. They were coldhearted as this snowy, winter day. But Julian wanted to believe that Eddie was different. He sat in a tree with a book, watching. Eddie, along with a few other students, were engaged in a fierce snowball fight on the other side of the chain linked fence. How he logged to climb the fence and join them! But no, that was his heart speaking, not his head. “Hey there, Julian!” Eddie walked up to the fence and peered through it at Julian, “care to join us?” Julian ignored him and turned a page in his book. It really was uncomfortable, sitting in a tree, but he didn’t care. “Aww, c’mon Jules, it ain’t gonna hurt nothing if you miss an hour of studying!” Eddie chuckled. “Yeah, join us!” another student called. “The name’s Julian, and no, I won’t.” Julian didn’t look up. Several student students chuckled, and one girl whispered, “Spicy!” Eddie shook his head, his dark curls, bouncing back-and-forth, those idiotic dimples appearing on his flushed cheeks. “What’s your problem, man?” Julian brushed his own sandy hair out of his freckled face. “Don’t have a problem.“ “Yeah? ‘Cuz every time you talk to me, you act like I killed your dog or something.“ rested an arm on the chain-link fence. “So what’s your problem?” “I told you. Don’t have one.” “Then join us, man, we’re trying to be nice!” a bigger student smirked. “Yeah, won’t hurt nothing!” Eddie nodded. Julian slammed his book shot. “I said no!” A few students snickered. Others whistled. Eddie was the only one who looked hurt. Julian jumped down from the tree and walked away, swallowing the lump in his throat. It was too dangerous to care this much.