debauchery *gawsten* ✓

Chapter Thirteen

12.26.17
edit: 8.19.20

803 words

otto p.o.v.

awsten was missing.

i waited in front of the school for him until the five minute bell rang. i was already worried then because awsten was never late.

he told me once that being late would make the school call his dad, and his dad already had enough to worry about. his son playing hooky was only going to make his dad's stress worse, and awsten didn't want to do that to him.

that's what awsten had said, at least, but the entire time he told me, he had a wild look to his eyes like he had when he couldn't see.

i texted geoff halfway through first period.

otto-matic: did you happen 2 see awsten yet today?
giselle: um no, he's usually w u isn't he?
otto-matic: yea, but he hasn't shown up yet.
giselle: maybe he's just l8 then
otto-matic: geoff, you know better than that. you know that he's NEVER late.
giselle: ok, ok. let's run to his house during lunch then. stop txting me, ur worryin me.

i waited anxiously for the lunch bell for nearly four hours. i ran to geoff's locker as soon as fourth period ended. i waited for him to get there to drag him out to my car.

"is he not here at all then?" geoff asked me when we drove off the school premises.

"i asked people he might know, and no one saw the little smurf head." i explained. i reminded myself to take deep breaths.

"maybe he's sick, otto." geoff suggested, but i shook my head.

"no, he comes to school even when he's sick. he doesn't like worryin' his dad."

"or making him angry." geoff muttered.

"what do you mean?" i snapped.

"otto, do you really believe that awsten fell down the stairs that day?" he asked quietly. i glanced over at him. he had a faraway look in his eyes.

"geoff, that was months ago. what do you mean? of course i believe that, don't you?"

"why are you so worried then? if he just fell down the stairs and went to school two days later, why isn't he coming to school today? aren't you a little worried?"

"i'm fuckin' terrified, geoff!" i exclaimed. "i don't know what would have happened to him! he didn't contact me last night nor this mornin'! he usually does, too! i just-" i paused to take a few deep breaths.

"otto, i'm scared too." geoff said. "let's just-let's just hope that he slept in super late. didn't he say just the other day that he hasn't been getting enough sleep?"

"yeah." i replied, shutting off my car. we were in awsten's driveway now. his dad's truck wasn't there, so he was probably at work.

geoff and i walked up to awsten's door without a word to each other. geoff knocked on the door. we waited for two minutes before geoff knocked again, only for us to wait for two more minutes with no answer to the door.

"shower, maybe?" geoff suggested. i tested the doorknob. unfortunately, it was unlocked. "that's not normal, is it?" geoff added.

we ran into his house and called out for him. we knew he was here because the front door wasn't locked.

"jesus, otto, get in here! awsten's room!" i heard geoff holler when i was poking my head out the back door. i ran up the stairs by two and slid into awsten's room, nearly running into geoff, who was standing in the doorway.

awsten was in his bed. his eyes were closed. even from the doorway, i could see the welts and tear tracks on his cheeks and his black eye.

"i'm calling 911." geoff said, getting his phone out. i stopped him.

"geoff, we don't know what happened." i whispered. "for all we know, it might have been a night terror."

"that's not what fucking happened though, otto, now is it?" geoff shouted. "is there something that i'm missing here, or something you're keeping from me?!"

"i don't know what's happenin'." i whispered and sat down where i was. i felt too helpless to rush over to awsten.

"well, what do we do?" geoff asked. "awsten obviously got hurt."

"well... we could go take him to my mum's," i offered. "she's got a doctorate in medicine, you know, and worked at the hospital just last year."

"and?"

"and, she's turned our guest room into like, a home-run hospital room thing. i dunno, i just-"

"has awsten ever even been to a hospital before?" geoff asked. i was caught by surprise. truthfully, i didn't know the answer. i shrugged and he said, "i'll take that as a no."

"so what do we do now?" i asked, looking over at my blue-haired friend, who was still unconscious.

"take him to your house, change christmas plans, what else?"