{COMPLETED} ✔ December Bloom

forty'one

Dante;

"Aw, jeez Braden! I've been looking for you everywhere!" I exclaimed as I slid into the seat opposite him, rubbing my eyes tiredly whilst doing so.

However, he merely looked up at me, shrugged before going back to picking at the cafeteria food congealing on his plate.

I frowned disgustedly at the…thing just sitting there.

"What the fuck are you eating?" I asked him.

He looked up again at me, his glance sharp before he answered.

"Food." he said in a monotone voice.

I swallowed.

I think I know exactly what this is about.

I sent a quick mental prayer to God, asking him if (just this once) he would just lay off of me and the looming subject that we both knew was coming up, was actually something else instead?

"Yeah, I know that but what kind of food is it? To me it just looks like…a thing." I said weakly, trying a big smirk and getting a faint grimace instead.

I mentally winced as Braden's blue eyes locked with my green ones.

God, he looked scary.

And mad, furious actually.

And it was barely contained.

"It's waffles." he told me coldly, the hand that was gripping his knife clutched tighter around the cutlery utensil, his knuckles going white. A dark shadow passed over his face.

"Right. Well, what about that?" I pointed at the glass of…something.

I swallowed again, glancing nervously at Braden whose gaze never strayed from my face.

Maybe if I could keep this whole thing going for a few more minutes, say two, then I could excuse myself to the bathroom, make a break for it, avoid him the rest of the day and never come back to our dorm until way late at night and he was fast asleep.

I tried again and ended up giving him a weak smile.

Oh well, better than a grimace which is what I'd done the first time round.

"That, is a little something people who aren't blind call…milk." he replied emotionlessly.

His eyes seemed to darken and I saw something flicker in them.

I cleared my throat before speaking again.

"Right. Well, why is it brown then?" I contradicted him, sneaking a glance at the clock hanging above the cafeteria doors.

Okay. One more minute of lovely chit-chat and then I am out of here.

Why was I even looking for him in the first place?

I have no clue.

He rolled his eyes in a gesture that reminded me so much of Norah…

God damn it you stupid brain! There must be something fucking wrong with you! NOW, is NOT the time to be thinking about your best friend's girlfriend. NOT GOOD.

I shifted awkwardly about on my seat, the plastic chair suddenly becoming very uncomfortable under the scrutinizing, inescapable gaze of my furious best friend.

And that scrutinizing gaze suddenly seemed to change, becoming more fiercer as if he could see right into my mind, reading my thoughts on Norah exactly…

I gulped.

I could see in his eyes that his fury was being quite well-contained and I admired him for that. However, although well-contained, I knew I was treading on very,VERY thin ice.