Pathos [Gay/BL]

Chapter VII

CHAPTER VII: Breaking and mending

I was being childish and I knew it... But what else could I do? Well, I actually could do many things differently but I kind of felt like this was the only way. So there I stood, my eyes peeking between my curtains observing how Eric just stood by his car, watching the front door of my house as if he was waiting for me to exit. After a few moments, he sighed and got in the car. Yeah, he was waiting for me to come out and ask me for a ride work. So I hid behind my curtains until he was gone... I know, I'm the devil.

I started to walk to the bus stop, the snow cracking under my feet and a cold breeze brushing my face. It didn't take me long to get to the gas station and I stopped in front of the door, my heart pounding really fast at the thought of meeting Eric. I was overreacting: not being as friendly to Eric as I always was wouldn't kill me. I entered the building and met no one on the inside. I looked around but I couldn't see anyone, so I just scowled and took off my coat. 

I started to organize a little the products that were exposed behind the counter: gums, sweets, sleeping pills... I was trying to reach the top shelf to put a weirdly shaped candle when a hand took the product off my own and placed it in the right spot. When I turned, Eric's smile greeted me kindly, making me blush.

"Hey," he said still close to me.

"Hi," I answered as I stepped away from him.

"I waited for you to give you a ride. What took you so long?" he asked tenderly while leaning on the counter next to me.

"Nothing, um... My mom was feeling a little off so I cooked her something for the stomach," I lied. His eyes filled with worry.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. She's fine," I answered, to what he sighed with relief. 

"Great."

"Yeah, umm... I'm going to... umm... You know, arrange some... sodas," I mumbled. He scowled but nodded.

I went to one of the little hallways of junk food and pretended to sort some of the products. He was a master at making me nervous, that was for sure. While I was taking a jar of peanut butter, a customer entered the place. He was short, with no hair on his head and dark, cold eyes. He was wearing a jean jacket with the Texas flag on it and some dark blue jeans. He went to the counter and started to talk with Eric with a very deep voice. 

"It'd be $84.67, sir," I heard Eric say. 

"Do you have anything light to eat?" the man asked him after he had paid.

"Of course, sir, follow me," Eric politely ordered and came to the junk food section.

I overheard Eric explaining the man what was on stock and where he could find something else. He then left the man alone and approached me from one side.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, why?" I answered with a tiny voice.

"Because you've been acting really weird today. Did I piss you off? Are you mad at me?"

"No," was my only response. His eyes were fixed on me, but I just kept playing with the jar of peanut butter on my hand.

"Mind to elaborate?"

"Elaborate what?"

"Noah," he took the jar kind of aggressively and placed it on its spot. 

"What?" I asked more angry than I would've wanted.

"If you're not mad, what's up with you?" he murmured, trying to sound calm.

"It has nothing to do with you, okay?" I replied rather coldly.