BEASTLY || CHASE STEIN (EDITING)

chapter three

Garfield felt strange walking through the house he used to once call a second home. It was like he was walking through a dream, one that he never really woke up from. The old group all silently walked into the guest room, inside the room there were at least five boxes of pizza on the table, a bunch of water bottles, soda and then to the side some old school board games from his childhood. No one would speak up to cut the tension, it was just too awkward. Two years without hanging out with one another, they’ve all grown apart.

Now sitting down on the sofa surrounded by old memories it was obvious they were no longer the kids they once were. Garfield found himself playing with the threads of his hoodie instead as like everyone he couldn’t bring himself to start a conversation without it fizzing out instantly. Nico couldn’t stand still and instead paced the room, Gert twirled her hair sitting on the sofa, Karolina figited with her rings as she sat in a chair and Chase aimlessly drummed the fingers of his right hand on his left forearm.

Garfield leaned back on the couch he shared with Chase, while really wanting to check if there were any veggie pizzas as Alex rambled on about what he had set out.

“Yeah, Gar I ordered your favourite with the green peppers, and if you don’t like the Veggie, there’s pepperoni at the bottom. There’s also a sausage, pineapple, too. Or board games. Ooh, yeah, Twister! Remember that we would always-”

“Oh thanks man I-”

“We’re not twelve anymore!” Gert interrupts annoyed as Garfield sinks further into the couch taking a slice of pizza with him, wishing he hadn’t thanked Alex. “Not even me,” Molly noted, sitting on the couch arm next to Gert, not liking the idea of the game of twister.

Garfield stuffed a slice of pizza into his mouth, tuning out their argument. However, he soon notices that everyone was staring at him, their expressions a mix of both confusion and disbelief. “I’m hungry.” Garfield told them, his voice muffled slightly from the food still in his mouth. Chase cracked a smile, causing Garfield to narrow his eyes in response.

“Okay..good point,” Alex mumbled awkwardly as he walked away from the shelf of old, probably untouched, board games, sinking back in a chair in front of the pizzas, making everyone look at him. “You guys have any suggestions?”

“W-what are you doing?” Molly splutters in confusion as Alex looks up, equally confused. “That was her chair,” Molly lowered her voice as she whispered, emphasising on the ‘her’. Garfield sighed as everyone ignored the awkward gazes that were going around the room.

“Sit wherever you want,” Nico spoke up with a soft sigh with an impassive wave of her hand as she looked back at the ground. “She’s gone.”

Chase broke the silence of the night. “This is too weird.”

“Maybe we don’t work without her,” Karolina chimes timidly, making Garfield slouch even further on the couch wishing he had just stayed home.

“Yeah. I’m out of here” Chase grumbles, briskly getting up from his seat and heading towards the door. In response,  Alex stands up too, attempting to stop him from leaving and potentially everyone from following. Garfield couldn’t blame him; if he wasn’t too busy eating the pizza, he would have left ages ago.

“Move, Wilder..or I’ll make you,” Chase threatened as Garfied stared at them, unable to avert his eyes from Chase’s over-inflated ego at that very moment.

“No, Come on, guys! Listen, we can’t blame Amy for the fact that we don’t hang out anymore,”Alex pleaded.

“Fine. I blame you.” Chase snapped back at Alex angrily, aggressively pointing his index finger towards a confused Alex. “You didn’t come to the funeral!”