Autumn

21: When Winston calls

Theodore felt invincible.

He was filled with uttermost happiness and hope. Adventure and excitement flooded his veins and fed his hungry heart with anticipation of more. He dreamily reentered his house after he said goodbye to Autumn and mindlessly drifted back into bed.

He grinned up at the ceiling, his chest tight with joy. Beside him, his phone buzzed. His screen lit up in the dark, showcasing an angry abundance of texts and missed calls from Winston. Theodore managed to take a quick peek at one of the messages and caught sight of the most swear words he'd ever seen in the eighteen years of his existence.

Winston was angry, but it didn't bother him. All he did was pick up the device from his bedside table and dial his number.

"What the fuck, man?" 

"Hi."

"Don't 'hi' me," Winston snapped. His voice was rough and clipped. "Look, I back out of the deal. I'm going insane here. I need a cigarette and quick. I'm at the nearest servo and I'm going to buy a pack. I will. I'll do it."

"You won't do it."

"Is that a fucking challenge?"

"Winston, you know you want to quit."

He was silent on the other line. "Shut the fuck up."

"It's true. You didn't need me as an excuse to stop smoking. And I'm not a reason to start up again either. You're stronger than this."

"I'm not."

"Winston. You are." 

Theodore waited patiently as Winston muttered incoherently. Eventually he groaned and whispered, "For fuck's sake, Theodore."

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm alright." He sighed. Theodore heard him slam his fists against the steering wheel. "Why are you up anyways? Why are you such a god damned good friend? You're ruining me."

Theodore couldn't help but laugh. "I was with Autumn. She kissed me."

"Bloody hell, mate." He could hear Winston smile.

Theodore's own smile grew.

"Well, it took you two long enough."

"All good things take time."

"Is that some philosophical reference to your newfound relationship or a snipe at my smoking addiction?"

He considered. "Both."

"You should write fortune cookies for a living." Winston laughed, but quickly sobered. "Well, 'm tired, I need to drive home and sleep for twelve hours."

"Text me when you get to your house so I know you got there in one piece."

Winston swore again, claiming he wasn't a child and he was perfectly capable of driving to and from the petrol station without crashing. He went off on a rant, scoffing and making noises of irritation before he finally hung up.

But even though he protested so passionately, he still texted Theodore when he got home to let him know he was okay. Because although Winston never said it, he never had anyone to take care of him while we was growing up. He never had anyone that worried about him or that was concerned about his health. No one who wanted him to be happy or have a bright future. He didn't have anyone.

Until the day he met Theodore.