𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 AWSTEN KNIGHT | on hold

xii. happy birthday, japser...

xii. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JASPER BECK PT. 2

saturday, january 16th

∘₊✧────────────✧₊∘

PEOPLE BEGAN TO ARRIVE, AND Lula's nerves were instantly calmed when she realized just how easy it was going to be to avoid Awsten.

  He arrived around 8:30, and the second Lula saw him, she choked on the soda she was drinking. "Fuck, he's here," she whispered.

  But when Beth looked up, he was already lost in the crowd. "Where? Point him out?"

  "I don't know, I lost him," Lula sighed. "Fuck, I hope he doesn't try to talk to me."

  There was no reason he should, in Lula's eyes, he was still pissed at her.

  "Here, have a drink or something. Maybe it'll calm your nerves a bit."

  And for some reason, Lula said, "Okay."

A half an hour later, Beth and Lula had split up.

  While Lula and Jasper danced to some song she didn't recognize, Beth got a drink.

  "I want to be left alone / Like a bible in the drawer / Drive out to the sea / And then I'll drive some more," the female voice sang over Jasper's speakers as Beth grabbed a soda.

  But as she reached into the open cooler, her hand bumped into someone else's. Just like some shitty movie.

  "My bad," she muttered.

  She looked up and saw a man with messy colorful hair looking back at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

  The man furrowed his brow, as if he recognized her.

  "You one of Jasper's buddies?" Beth asked him.

  He nodded. "Austin."

  "Nice to meet you."

  She turned with her soda to go find Lula again, but Austin said, "Wait," so she turned back. "I uh...I know like two people here. Would it..." he trailed off. "Could I hang out with you? I mean, at least until I...find...my friends again."

  He knew Jasper...and Lula. He knew exactly where they were, they were together. But for some reason, he didn't want to talk to Lula.

  He'd made such a big deal about the band back at her apartment, and then at Beck's she looked like she hated him.

  Thankfully, "Sure," the girl he met at the cooler said. She seemed very familiar to him, but he couldn't place where she'd seen her before.

  "So, where are you from, Austin?" Beth asked as they walked to the other side of the room.

  "California," he answered.

  "Mmm. Well, my friend's somewhere in this crowd, and he's supposed to meet me over here in a little bit. You can meet him, make some more friends." She paused. "So how do you know Jasper?"

  "Uh, we met in Texas," Awsten answered.

  "I thought you said you were from California."

  "I am, I grew up in Texas, but I live in LA now."

  "That's kind of funny," she chuckled, looking down at the soda can. "Austin is from Texas?"

  "Houston," he clarified.

  The two of them chatted like this for about ten or so more minutes. Beth finally gave Awsten her name, and he told her his name is spelled funny and she thought that was cool. And then Winn Evans approached them.

  "Hey!" Winn grinned when he saw Awsten. "I know you! You're Jasper's friend!" He was obviously a little tipsy. "Lu's mad at you! Or you're mad at her...or both..."

  "Wait, you know Lula?" Beth gawked.

  "Uh...yeah, you know Lula too?"

  "She's only my best friend."

  That's where he knew her from! Lula had a picture of Beth in her apartment! This was Lula's best friend!

  Beth shook her head. "Wait, wait, wait. Why is Lula mad at you? Er — why are you mad at her? Wait." Beth's jaw dropped. "You're mystery man?"

  "Huh?"

  "You're the boy Lula's been hanging out with!"

  He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess I am. But that's not really happening anymore I don't think."

  "You seem like a great guy though," Beth told him. "Why is she mad at you."

  "Just a big misunderstanding," Awsten explained.

  "You miss her?" Winn asked.

  Awsten nodded.

  "Then we'll help you get her back."

finals weeks is done babey!! i'm back!!

also i finally updated the playlist on spotify lol