The Day We Met

Hurting Each Other (02)

A/N: No proofreading

Read at your own risk

***

Beam jotted down the phone numbers he could remember, went through his belongings to find Forth's clothing, and threw them in the trash without even thinking.

Using the phone in his dorm, he called his parents and told them he had broken his phone. He put up with their fury until they agreed to help him pay for a new one. Then he had Mook drive him outside to make a purchase. On the way there, they didn't discuss Forth at all.

It was a relief to get a new phone. Oh, it cost him a lot of money and made his parents angry, but he had no texts to torture himself with. Beam struggled to keep it from being deleted because Forth's name and phone number weren't there. It contributed to his sense of a fresh start.

Well, that is how it felt up until five minutes into the return trip.

"We're thinking about going out this Saturday. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Will Forth be there?"

Mook kept her eyes on the road. "Yes."

"I don't think I should go." Beam replied.

"Don't force us to pick between you, please."

Beam stated, "I'm not," while focusing on the adjacent buildings. "But I don't believe that we ought to be together in any sense."

"I assumed you would want to."

"Not any longer,"

After remaining silent for almost a block, Mook stopped the car and turned to face Beam as they entered traffic. "What happened? "

Beam merely stated, "He's an asshole," as if that clarified everything.

He's an asshole, of course, but yesterday he was the asshole you liked.

"I heard him talking about me. He perceives me as a whore who spreads his legs out like a girl and was so awful in bed that he fucked me out of sympathy."

Mook's hold on the wheel grew firmer. "He said that?"

"Using those words."

Mook murmured, "Asshole."

**

Beam passed Forth once more on his way to class two days later. This time, Forth made an effort to get Beam's attention but Beam chose to ignore him.

"Beam--"

Forth reached for his arm. Just as his fingers were about to encircle him, Beam yanked his arm away without pausing. He didn't turn back as his steps took him further away from his ex, denying that the touch of Forth had made his heart feel like it would seize.

When he got to class, he concentrated on learning. He made a note. He did not have any other thoughts. He didn't consider Forth's hands caressing him or his lips speaking the words that caused Beam's blood to run cold and his mind to freeze. When he ran across Ohm again, it was the last thing on his mind.

"Beam," Ohm began, not smiling this time. "You look better."

"Thanks. I'm sorry about before."

Beam fixed his gaze on the man in front of him, who was confident, interested in Beam, and so much more gorgeous and good with words than Forth. He had never been more tempted to accept his invitation, inquire about his interest in playing video games, and then allow Ohm to fuck him as Forth had imagined they had done.

"I've been through my share of messy break ups. I understand."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

If you want me to make it up to you, he almost said.

"Would you like to walk with me?"

"Yeah, I would."

They walked side by side. Ohm inquired as to his mealtime. Although it would have been so simple to claim that Beam hadn't, he actually had. He would adore eating with him. Knowing that Ohm had done well in biology, it would have been simple to ask Ohm whether he would assist him study for biology when he inquired about classes. And so many times Beam came close to telling him that they should play Call of Duty again because he was brilliant at it. Now.

None of these actions were carried out by Beam. It would have been enjoyable and diverting, and he might have been able to forget about everything else for a while save for Ohm's lips on him and how he felt between his thighs, but in the end, it would have meant nothing to him.

Instead, when they got closer to Beam's room, he said something different. "I'll see you later."

His phone beeped around five minutes after he returned to his room. For a split second, he thought he was going to receive another text from Forth, which caused his heart to race. Even though Forth had his new phone number, Beam didn't want to talk to him because he didn't know it.

It was actually a message from Mook.

We're seeing Spirited Saturday at 7:00. Forth won't be there.

Beam quickly texted back that that was great.

**

The film... wasn't very good. However, it featured Ryan Reynolds so its totall fine, and everyone was present, even a stranger: a buddy of his friends who had graduated the previous year. Pai must have grown accustomed to them or missed them because he was amused by Barom's antics. They appeared to be closest friends from the way they both stood. Beam almost missed Forth's absence because of him, but Pha appeared to be aware of it.

Pha spoke out as they left the theater. "Beam, would you like to ride back with me?"

"Mook--"

"Grocery shopping," Mook spoke rapidly. It happened so quickly that Beam was certain it was a spontaneously concocted justification. "You don't want to see Phong and I argue over how much milk to get."

"I don't," Beam said. "Alright, Pha."

As they entered the car, they kept quiet. Pha sat in the vehicle after fastening his seatbelt, starting it, and locking the doors.

"I know you don't want to talk about it." Pha started out in the same even tones he used during serious conversations or when he was taking himself (and his responsibilities with the History Club) too seriously.

"But Forth is sorry." He continued.

"You're right. I don't want to talk about this." Beam would have exited the vehicle if doing so would have prevented him from being left behind at a movie theater parking lot or with Pha pursuing him.

"He didn't mean what he said."

"Yes, he did," Beam said flatly. "We both know that he did."

"I'm not urging you to visit him again. I'm not advising you to extend another chance to him. I can assure you that he is sorry for everything he said. He's still angry and believes you cheated on him, but he realizes now that he made a mistake."

"He says a lot of inappropriate stuff. That is not an excuse."

Pha looked back, waited for a car to pass, then started to back up, saying, "It doesn't. I spoke up when it was necessary. Which genres of music do you enjoy? "

*** to be continued ***