Wagwan Piffting

Chapter 5: The Talk

George was about to change the topic and say something else when the line went dead and he realized Josh had hung up on him. "Whatever," he muttered, "I've got other stuff to do, other friends to talk to."

"Like me?" Stephen asked, leaning in George's doorway with a smirk. George jumped, making Stephen chuckle. "What happened?" Stephen glanced at the phone in George's hands.

"Nothing," George said, shortly. "Just talking to a friend."

"Ah, well Will told me you were the last one he knew of that used the refrigerator. Was it acting up when you were using it?"

"Not... that I remember?" All hostility was gone from George's voice as he looked inquisitively up at Stephen, "Why, is something the matter with it?"

"Yeah, for some reason it stopped cooling." Stephen shrugged, "We moved all the food into a bunch of coolers that are lying 'round the kitchen right now."

"Oh," George said, leaning back into his seat. "So..." George waited, to see if Stephen would leave on his own. As the ginger stepped into his room and sat on his bed, it was clear that the answer would be no.

"If you don't mind me asking, I've got a question for you, mate."

"Shoot." George spun his chair around reluctantly to face the northerner.

"I just," Stephen hesitated, "I sorta get the feeling that you don't like me. Like, at all."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" George asked, not sarcastically at all.

Stephen shrugged, "You just seem to clam up and shoot me dirty looks whenever I'm around. Also, this." Stephen grabbed a scrap of paper from George's nightstand. It read, scrawled in messy handwriting, Man, I just really don't like Stephen. Like, at all.

"Oh," George took the outstretched piece of paper and read it. "I suppose that's slightly incriminating."

"I just want to know why, I'd like to be friends with you, George, I hope you realize that."

George looked Stephen up and down, trying to come up with any reason other than Well you're trying to pull my best friend who I also might have a slight yet completely platonic crush on. "You're... ginger?"

Stephen laughed, genuinely, and for a moment, George saw through Will's eyes and realized what his deal with this guy was. And then it was over and he was back to being cynical and grumpy and short. "Yeah, I've heard that one a million times. When you come up with another excuse or want to tell me the truth, even if it has something to do with Will, I'll be ready. Take your time." Stephen smirked at George as he exited the room, and George glared daggers at his back, silently wishing looks could kill.

What a haughty stuck up insufferable cocky little-