𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 AWSTEN KNIGHT ✓

sept

CHAPTER SEVEN: A LITTLE BIT OF VAGUE BACKSTORY

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AWSTEN KNIGHT HAS GOTTEN GOOSEBUMPS twice so far tonight; The second was walking back to his car from dancing in the rain; And the first was...well, we have to start from the beginning before you learn the first.

  Awsten's day started when he woke up in a shitty hotel room to his phone ringing. Lindsey, the contact name read, so he picked up.

  "Yeah?" he answered, rubbing the sleep out of his face. "What do you need?"

  "Are you ready for tonight?" Lindsey's voice came through the phone. She was very loud for — He looked over at the clock on the nightstand — 7:14am.

  "Lin, I woke up two seconds ago."

  "So, is that a no?"

  "Lindsey."

  "Sorry! Sorry! My brother's excited to see you tonight, I am too." She paused. "'So is my dad."

  Awsten rubbed his face again and yawned. "If you're so excited to see me, why don't we just go out for dinner or something?" He fell back on the bed. "How come we're doing this get together at a work party?"

  Silence on the end of the line. "It's the only time that works," she lied. That wasn't the case and Awsten knew it too. Lindsey was up to something, and he wasn't sure what.

  "Is Ryan gonna be there?" he asked. He'd never met the guy, he doesn't think he'd ever seen a photo either; Just heard nonstop about how cute his butt is or whatever Lindsey had said.

  Maybe he was a bad friend, but whenever Ryan's name was mentioned, he kind of tuned her out. Talk to me again when he's officially your boyfriend, was what Awsten always wanted to say.

  "Yeah, he is," was all Lindsey said for a second. "You know that. He works with my dad." Silence again. "I've gotta let you go, Aws. I gotta get ready for tonight."

  He looked over at his clock and watched the numbers flip to 7:16am. "Alright, Lin. Goodbye." She hung up before saying goodbye back.

  He wasn't sure what she could be possibly doing right now. The party didn't start for at least another 12 hours. Women, he thought, but took the thought back immediately because he remembered it was 2021 and he shouldn't think things like that — Even if he wasn't serious.

  He rubbed his face again and let the phone drop to the shitty mattress. Awsten sat up in bed and stretched, letting out another yawn. Who cares what Lindsey was going to do all day, what was he going to do all day?

  First: He pulled himself out of bed and pulled clothes out of his suitcase. Lazily, he pulled the jeans up and a t-shirt over his head and tried to remember if there was a Starbucks nearby. There had to, it was Starbucks, they were fucking everywhere.

  After he pulled his sneakers on he stepped into the dim bathroom and stood in silence, looking at his suit hanging in the shower. Of course he had to wear a suit to this party.

  "Where are my Airpods?" he muttered after leaving the bathroom. He looked around the whole room, and yet, they were nowhere. Opening the 'Find My iPhone' app wouldn't occur to him until much later today.

  So Awsten walked to the elevator and untangled a pair of earbuds, plugging them in. "Down, down in my bones / Somewhere I'd never ever known / Right at the back of my head / It hit me like a beam of light"

  The music fogged up his thoughts, and he hoped it wasn't too loud. He was the only one in the elevator, but the thought of someone coming in with him only for The Vaccines to be blasting so loud everyone on the whole floor could hear absolutely terrified him.

  So he got his coffee, and sat in his hotel room all day. Alone. Waiting for Lindsey to call him and let him know he could come to the party.

  The call came a lot later than he wanted it too, and he probably picked up way too quick. "Hey, I'm so sorry," were the first words she said. "We're running a tad bit late. My dad should already be there though. If you leave right now you should only get there a few minutes before us." Lindsey paused. "We'll get dinner afterwards to make up for this, sorry."

  "Tight," he said before hanging up on her. Karma.

But when Awsten got to the building, Lindsey wasn't there. He waited outside for ten minutes, nothing. He thought about texting her, but decided against it. Maybe they were upstairs, maybe she'd forgotten to text him.

  As he walked up the stairs, he thought just how out of character tonight was for Lindsey. So either she'd had a complete change of character, or she was 100% up to something.

  He opened the door to the roof and stepped out, ruffling his hair. He straightened his jacket and looked around for a familiar face, but saw no one.

  He wiped his hands on his thighs, god he was nervous. Looking around, he panicked. He didn't know anyone except Lindsey's dad. And even then, Awsten couldn't remember his name. He was screwed.

  And then his eyes fell on a girl across the room. A purple dress that sparkled with each breath she took and long brown hair. His breath hitched in his throat and whatever shitty song was playing went quiet. True, he didn't know anyone here. But for some reason, he felt as if he'd known this girl his entire life.

  Awsten Knight has gotten goosebumps twice so far tonight; The second was walking back to his car from dancing in the rain; And the first was when he locked eyes with who he guessed had to be the prettiest girl he's ever seen in his entire life.