Easter Egg (Gawsten)

Green

After school, it was business as usual for both boys. Awsten went to Jayden's for homework with Jawn as a plus-one; Geoff hosted the study party at his own house with Otto, Chloe, and Jenna. It was ordinary except for one thing: the thoughts of each other racing through their minds.

Half an hour into his reflective essay outline, Awsten slammed his blue pencil down, rattling the three water glasses on the table, and sighed heavily.

"What's up, dude?" asked Jayden, distracted.

"I can't focus," stated Awsten. "I can't stop thinking about that stupid kid."

"What kid?" asked Jawn.

"Geoff. The kid I walked to fifth period yesterday."

"What's up with him? Other than the retardedness, of course," said Jawn.

"Can you stop calling him retarded?" said Awsten.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't," said Awsten instinctively. "He's just a weirdo, that's all."

Jawn gave him an odd look, but went on. "What'd it do?"

"He tried to talk to me at the end of class today," said Awsten.

"Really?" said Jayden, and Awsten had to resist the urge to slap that little smirk off his face.

"Jesus," said Jawn. "Did you tell it to fuck off?"

"No, and I wish I had," said Awsten uncomfortably, glancing at Jayden out of the corner of his eye and clenching his fists. Don't say anything. "He made me feel like an idiot. I didn't know what to say to him."

"Whaddya mean?" said Jawn.

"I dunno," said Awsten. "When he came up to me, he just...you know those people who can talk and talk and still not give you anything to respond off of?"

"Yeah?"

"He's one of those people." Awsten took a sip from his water glass. "Either that or I'm catching whatever it is he has."

"Or you like him," said Jawn.

Awsten almost choked on his water. "No!"

"You do!" laughed Jawn derisively. "You like a retard!"

"Stop it!" said Awsten, feeling the color rise to his cheeks.

"Do your fucking homework," interrupted Jayden.

"Fine, Mom," said Jawn, and returned to his calculus.

Awsten groaned softly and picked up his pencil, trying to finish his outline, but he still couldn't focus. Jawn was wrong. He didn't have a crush, he told himself. He was too old to even be using the word crush. All Geoff was to him was some kid from class, nothing worth spending this much time thinking about.

Right?

Still, one part of him remained that wanted to blush when Geoff walked up, wanted to forget how to talk when Geoff was around, wanted to make his knees tremble and palms sweat and force butterflies down his throat. One part that wanted to smile when Geoff talked. One part of him that found Geoff's awkwardness almost...endearing.