The Day We Met

The Awakening

All I want to do right now is to sleep. 

But now, let us enjoy this one.

Happy reading!

**

Forth and Beam remained estranged from one another during the ensuing weeks, but Beam continued to attend the History Club meetings and Forth didn't require another expulsion. But since the celebration, they hadn't spoken to one another.

Beam therefore hesitated when Pha asked him if he wanted to see Captain America.

"Before you ask, Forth will be there."

That decision was not reasonable. Beam wants to see Captain America raise his shield and, ideally, flash his ass, but Forth...

"You two haven't yelled at each other in weeks. You'll be fine."

Beam let out a heavy breath. "Yeah. Alright."

Everyone was traveling in Pha's car. Beam and Phong sat in the backseat of the car after they picked him up outside of his dorm. He remained silent for the majority of the journey, and when he finally laughed, Forth's response undoubtedly got them both going. He had since reverted to quiet.

Forth and Beam were seated at opposite ends of the theater as they entered.

Actually, the movie was pretty good. Distracting, exactly what he required, and he completely forgot that Forth was seated a short distance away. He tried to forget when the stingers came on, but as soon as the credits rolled, he recalled.

Beam took the lead as they made their way out of the theater, anxious to distance himself from his ex.

Forth said, "That was extremely fucking good," behind Beam. The only way it could have improved was if Captain America and what's his name had taken off their clothes.

Beam was about to say anything when he realized what he was doing: "I guess you're missing several additional articles of clothes." And laughed.

Then they remained silent.

Phong signaled "Shotgun" as they got close to Pha's car.

"That's my seat!" Forth protested as Phong opened the front passenger door.

"Too bad." Phong took his seat.

"No, I need--"

"Forth." Pha clapped his shoulder as he passed him. "You can live with it."

Forth and Beam exchanged looks. After fastening his seatbelt, Beam shook his head and got into the car while maintaining his gaze out the window. He had no idea what Forth was doing, but whether or not he was glancing at him, it was probably the same.

As Pha drove them back to college, Phong and Pha continued their talk. After a while, Beam and Forth felt more at ease contributing, and Beam stopped checking the time to see how much longer he would have to put up with this. He therefore had no idea how time had passed since the incident.

There was no warning. Beam was just enjoying Phong's humor when he overheard Pha swearing. He heard the crunch of metal as the car swerved, there was a jolt of a hit, and then he was being thrown forward. Then they started to move. The car's frame twisted as it first slammed into the side of the road, then the top of the road, and finally the grass on the opposite side. Although Beam didn't realize that for quite some time. When they eventually hit anything to stop the roll, everything had slowed and stayed that way.

Beam's window was facing the starry night sky as the car was on its side. The seat belt that had kept him in place during the crash was the only thing preventing him from collapsing onto Forth.