I Have Been Chosen

Oliver 21

Saturday 7th February

"Excuse you?" Arden gave Miles a dirty look after the man once again interrupted. "We're clearly trying to have a private conversation here. Are you that pissed that you're not listening?"

"Don't get back with him, Oliver," urged Miles. "He'll just use you again!"

"Friend of yours?" Arden looked to Oliver.

"Coworker," Oliver replied, his voice in his usual flatness; however, his hands could not help but shake, and the ice in his mojito rattled against the glass.

Arden paused, not listening to Miles rant on about how bad of an idea it was for Oliver to get back together with him; he instead studied Oliver for a moment before finally shooting up from his seat, squaring off against Miles despite being a few inches shorter.

"You'd better back off shitstain," Arden warned. "Because you're clearly not wanted here."

"See!" said Miles, barely flinching from Arden's threat. "He's trying to control you again, control your life; he's not even allowing you to talk for yourself-"

"I already told you that I do not want anything to do with you!" Oliver yelled; any sense of control had disappeared, inhibited by his tipsiness. His outburst startled both Miles and Arden into stared silence.

"I said that I would never be in a relationship with you," Oliver continued, standing up, his voice immediately losing all that ferociousness as it gave into fear at what would happen next. "And I told you to stop your inappropriate behaviour, and here you are, interrupting my private life." He paused and then asked, "how did you even know I was here in the first place? Or was this all just a coincidence?"

"You're stalking Ollie?" Arden snarled.

"You can't even get his name right," Miles retorted. "It's Oliver."

"Oh fuck off-"

"Leave, Miles," Oliver said so calmly and flatly that it seemed to unsettle him.

"It's a public place," said Miles.

"And I'm going to file a report if you try anything more," said Oliver.

Miles straightened himself, looking between Oliver and Arden, who was still sizing him up. "The security camera," he began quietly, but Oliver cut him off.

"Will also show how you wait outside the office for me all the time, watching me leave, not leaving me alone on the bus. Not only that, but I have witnesses to how you spread rumours about me, told everyone about my sexuality and made me feel unsafe, and now you're impacting my private life by starting an argument with my ex." Oliver paused. "How did you find out I was here, Miles?"

Miles did not respond.

"I suggest you leave," Oliver hushed. "Because I bet you do not know all of the procedures and laws of office etiquette and misdemeanours as I do. Try anything again, bother me again, and prepare to have yourself eradicated in an HR meeting."

"I-" Miles paused as he turned to see a bouncer behind him. It was the same one that was friends with Cody and had let them in.

"Alright, time to go, fella," said the bouncer, ushering Miles out.

"But I haven't done anything," Miles protested.

"I've already heard enough about you, matey; just head off this way outside with me, please, and there will be no trouble."

"Fuck off, Piles," Arden mumbled under his breath; Oliver heard it and chuckled. They both stared at each other for a moment, unable to look at the other directly for too long and then Oliver turned around to see Cody, who had followed to bouncer over to the rising incident.