Geoff is just coming out of a lecture when he sees Awsten against a wall with Mark pressing him into it. A surge of jealousy shoots through him. Awsten loves him, Awsten is his.
Before he can think about what he's doing, his feet are marching over to them.
"Hey, guys!" He smiles, the entire situation is awkward. Geoff is cringing at himself, Awsten is on edge and Mark is confused bordering on annoyed.
"Hi, Geoff." Awsten speaks in a small voice, suddenly paranoid that Mark will know what happened. "What are you doing here?"
Mark steps in between Geoff and Awsten, "Yeah, what are you doing here?" He asks. He seems like he's trying to intimidate Geoff... Which he is not... In the slightest.
"Oh, just coming over to offer Awsten a lift." Geoff smiles, his charismatic character coming out.
He rolls his shoulders back which makes him taller and puffs his chest out. Mark tries to imitate him, but just pushes his arms. It looks like he's trying to show Geoff his nipples through his shirt or pretending to be a rocket. Geoff can see Awsten stifling a laugh behind Mark's shoulder, making him smile. Mark frowns angrily and retracts his arms.
"Well, he doesn't want one." Mark snaps. An angry toughness overcoming him, as if he suddenly turned into a twelve year old boy who thinks he's cool because he knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who brought a knife to school. Which everyone neglects to tell everyone it was culinary school.
"Oh?" Geoff smirks, "Why don't you let him speak for himself?" He crosses his arms and leans against the wall suavely.
Mark splutters over his words for a second before he can collect them to form sentences. "Well, we're both so in tune that he doesn't have to tell me. I just know." He, again, seems like a twelve year old trying to seem impressive.
"Uh huh, it's just that that seemed a bit glib." Geoff states, raising an eyebrow at Mark.
"Wha—" Mark starts, but coughs and starts again. "Fine then. Awsten, would you like a lift from your kind friend, Geoff, here?" Geoff senses the threatening undertone behind the words and begs to whatever higher power there is that Awsten will take his side. The hero's side.
Geoff glances over Mark's shoulder to Awsten who is standing with his arms crossed loosely in front himself and his eyes are wide. As soon as Geoff notices this, he begs Awsten with his eyes. Mark steps back to look at Awsten as well. Awsten's eyes flash between both of the men wildly. His eyes land on Geoff's and he apologises with them before he walks closer to Mark.
"Okay. Sorry to bother you." Geoff smiles and swiftly walks away.
His cheeks are red hot with embarrassment. Why did he expect Awsten to take his side? He's never been reliable. God, why can't Awsten just make up his fucking mind rather than fucking with his emotions. As he gets to the end of the corridor, he basically falls into the door to open it and get to the outside. His mind is racing with embarrassment and awkwardness and everything feels tight all over him. He has to work tonight, thank God, maybe he can just avoid Awsten forever.
Geoff aggressively clicks the key to open his car door, he jumps in and roughly slams the door. He takes a second to just calm down. His fingers dig into the steering wheel, he faces his lap and stills his mind. He can never truly, one hundred percent be angry at Awsten. However, he can be ninety nine percent angry. He should man up and just break up with him instead of this messing about shit. Geoff is hurt and confused because he is trying so hard to make this work, he is still coming to terms with the fact that he's gay. For this relationship, Geoff has figured out his sexuality (which is still a vastly grey area - is he bisexual or gay?). All Awsten has to do is break up with an asshole, yet he is still unable to do that.
Geoff sighs, turns on the engine and looks at the clock. It's about an hour until he has to work and he doesn't feel like going back home. Starbucks it is, he can work on his term paper or even start work early. He glances at the doors that he came out of, a small part of him wants Awsten to burst through those doors and for everything to be okay. But he doesn't. Because nothing in life is okay.
-
Geoff's shift is almost over, it's dark outside and it's almost ten in the evening. He had dinner on his break - it may or may not have been McDonald's, except from the fact that it was definitely McDonald's. As Geoff cleans the last table, he thinks about how much he doesn't want to go home and face Awsten. As awful as it sounds, he holds a grudge against him for what happened today and doesn't want to face him.
"Bye, Geoff." Chris smiles, leaving through the door in his pea coat. Geoff nods at him through the window and watches as he disappears into the darkness. He is left to lock up and technically he could stay here for longer. The thought crosses his mind and he ponders on it for a while. It wouldn't hurt anyone. He looks around the mostly dark shop and shrugs. What's the worst that could happen?
He wants to make himself a coffee, but he knows that the machine is too loud and would disturb the peace like a jackhammer. The light flickers above him. Now, Geoff has always believed in ghosts and being around Awsten only made it worse. He remembers when they used to go to supposedly haunted places and check it out. Nothing would happen, but he swears that once a ghost whispered 'spaghetti' in his ear. As the light changes state from on and off, chills rush through him. He knows that he's doing it to himself and nothing is happening, but that doesn't stop him speed walking to the back to get his stuff, turning the light off completely, before shutting up shop and leaving.
He shivers, but it's not from the cold. Christ, at this rate he's gonna give himself nightmares. He glances at the big, yellow sign of McDonald's and considers getting a late night snack. He agrees with himself to get some. It's not much of a debate: should I get some? Yes. Okay, I'll get some.
-
So he goes to McDonald's and orders a big mac and a McFlurry and chooses to sit in a corner. He glances at his phone as he takes a bite out of his burger, the sight of the contact making him feel sick.
(7:09) Awsten: I'm sorry
(8:46) Awsten: where r u ?
(8:50) 1 missed call from Awsten
(9:52) Awsten: ok I'm really sorry, I need 2 kno where u r
(9:58) Awsten: pls tell me where u r
(9:59) Awsten: I'm worried, pls text me (10:04) Awsten: okay, I just remembered you hate short hand texting. I'm sorry, please come home
Geoff locks his phone and shoves it in his pocket, he can wait for that another time sucks to be you, future me.
-
(11:57) Jawn: hey, man, you need to come home. I don't know what you did, but Awsten is sat on the floor by the door crying
In all fairness, he didn't really know how to react to that. It was Awsten's fault and no matter how much he says sorry, a shattered glass is always broken, no matter how much you apologise to it.
YOU ARE READING
Best + Bitter = Better
Fiksi PenggemarI'm gonna pull a John Green, but I promise no one dies. Awsten and Geoff were roommates last year, so being roommates this year made sense. But, Awsten has a boyfriend now and Geoff doesn't know how to feel. How will it turn out when a feeling bub...
