RUSH

Ch. 30: The Waiting Game

-Two Days Later-

-Mason-

            "Not yet," I declared the moment I made it back to the dorm.

I'd taken a single step inside the small room and I was already being hounded by Eric, his mouth running a mile a minute as he questioned me about whether Bennett had reached out or not. I would've probably answered him too, if it wasn't for the fact that this would've only led us back to the exact conversation we'd had while I was driving back to the dorm.

No, I hadn't heard from Bennett yet. And honestly, I was kind of trying to temper my expectations in case the call didn't arrive.

I sighed in annoyance, closing the door while ignoring Eric's pleas to hand over my phone so he could verify it for himself. And he had such a determined expression on his face too, as if his nosiness would magically manifest a new text on my phone.

            "You're a liar. What did he say?" Eric more or less demanded, making grabby hands like a child whilst I struggled to close the door with my arms full, trying not to trip and drop everything. He had the nerve to scoff when I didn't immediately cave, finally getting up from his chair once I glared at him expectantly.

Except, it was only to walk over and snatch the paper bag that I signaled as his with the awkward tilt of my head. The little shit.

Although not entirely due to Eric's insistence, I'd stopped by and bought us some food on my way back like he wanted. I'd initially rejected the idea altogether, already struggling to stay fully awake while driving back from so far away. Luckily for Eric, the burger joint nearby was open 24/7 and I was getting kind of hungry as well. So, I'd begrudgingly reconsidered once I'd taken note of the neon sign illuminating my dashboard as I passed by.

Eric complained about waiting so long for me to come home, even though he could have easily ordered himself something to eat at any point during the night. And, of course, he'd used the excuse of having too much homework and needing to focus, which was rather ironic considering he'd kept me trapped on a call for most of my drive back.

            "They didn't have any shakes, so I got you an iced coffee and added extra caramel," I explained while he grabbed his drink, somewhat relieved when Eric decided to help me set everything down on the nightstand.

            "Thanks, baby boy," Eric replied sarcastically, winking at me before heading back to his desk.

            I chose to ignore him.

"Hey Ricky," I greeted off-handedly while setting down his food beside him on Eric's bed, grateful that he wasn't egging Eric on.

Instead, he was distractedly crawling into a grueling top five situation with a bunch of sweats, attentively staring at the television until he was abruptly sniped from off-screen. I stifled a laugh at the clear disbelief with which he gaped at the screen, only barely avoiding Ricky's vengeful smack, which would've most definitely painfully connected with my ass.

"None of that," I complained, stepping away for good measure.

            "Shit," Ricky grumbled before smiling up at me, setting the controller down and cheerfully digging through the bag for his food. "What's up Mason?"

            I sat down on Eric's bed only once I'd confirmed that he was too busy eating to try and ambush me, wearily leaning against Ricky's shoulder as he bit into his cheeseburger. I was too tired to tease him about not having Eric around to carry him in-game like he usually did, but I did reply in short quips as he asked me about my weekend trip.