King// gawsten

two

Awsten waited patiently for Patty's car to roll up. His knee bounced up and down anxiously as reality began catching up with him.

Geoff was gone. He hadn't called, texted, or came home whatsoever. Something had happened, and Awsten was sure of it. Geoff wouldn't keep himself away for this long without telling him of his whereabouts, and that's the part that scared Awsten.

The tires of Patty's car came into view, and Awsten peered up as the passenger door was opened from the inside. The interior of he car was clean and pristine, with any evidence of dust swept up by a vacuum. Dashboards and consoles were glistening in the setting sun, and Patty gazed out towards Awsten. "You getting in or not?"

The younger boy scrambled to his feet, climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door shut behind him. "Thanks for—you know, helping me." Awsten gave Patty a disheartened smile as he clipped the seatbelt over his chest, toying with his fingers much like a child would.

"It's no problem." Patty stated simply as he swerved into the road again, gazing out over the sunset–coated street. "Mind giving me an update on why exactly I should be helping you anyway?" Patty's words cut deep into Awsten's skin, leaving the open wounds burning and stinging with remembrance. He believed the rumors too. "It would've been nice to know that a friend of mine was in a coma to begin with, instead of hearing it from a guy you fucked with."

"I never fucked Zech!" Awsten exploded, his temper bubbling over as his fist pounded against the center console. "I hung out with him, was under the influence of fucking ecstasy, and he took advantage of me. I did the drugs to forget, forget the pain and heartache of the love of my fucking life almost dying for me. He took advantage of me, Patty. I did nothing." Awsten steamed as he sat rigid in Patty's car, chewing his lip furiously as a blanket of silence coated them both.

Patty's hands gripped the steering wheel, making his knuckles turn white as he continued smoothly down the road. His black nose rig glinted in the light, along with the gauges stuck into his earlobes. His blue eyes hung almost sadly in his skull as he continued the drive towards downtown. "I'm sorry I just—" He stopped, clearing his throat before beginning again. "He's a good friend of mine and I'm worried. Tell me what's going on."

"He left school once Jawn told him the stuff about Zech. I kept trying to call him and text him, but he never answered. I'm scared he's done something bad." Awsten fidgeted with his phone, glancing over the text messages that he had sent to Geoff.

aws: geoff please answer me

aws: please god don't do something stupid gee

aws: you know what he's capable of geoff

aws: he can get you killed

Patty swerved slightly at Awsten's words, causing car horns to sound in the air. "You don't think he messed with Zech, do you?"

Awsten's eyes dimmed slightly, and he turned towards Patty, a single tear escaping from his right eye to which he quickly swiped it away. "That's what I'm afraid of."

————

Patty's house was just as Awsten remembered it: hollow and empty. He and Patty were friends whenever Patty's parents divorced, and he remembered how devastating it was for his relationship with his sister.

He kicked open his front door, holding it open and letting Awsten walk through timidly. "So—whats your plan here, Awsten?"

Awsten followed as Patty crashed down on the couch, sitting on the other side of the couch completely. "I have no clue. I was hoping you could—" He gestured over to Patty. "—you know help me think of one."

"You think I want to mess with Zech?" Patty's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and shock as he pulled one knee to his chest, resting his chin on it. "It's your boyfriend that's missing—not mine."

That sentence made Awsten's blood boil in his veins, and he felt his anger begin rising again. "He may be my boyfriend, but he's still your friend, Patty." He spit angrily, crossing his arms and leaning back against the leather couch. "Are you going to help me or not? Because I can leave and find someone to actually help me."

Another thick blanket of silence coated the entire room, and a loud exasperated sigh fell from Patty's lips as he pressed his fingers into his temple. "I know some people who can help."

A smile flickered onto Awsten's lips as he scooted towards Patty, crossing his legs and becoming comfortable on the couch. "I'm all ears."

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Q: I know some of you are having bad feelings;) tell me them in the comments