Missing You (Gawsten)

Strangely Normal

Once Awsten gets used to all of the rules- don't go outside, never open a window, don't answer the door- life in the apartment is normal. It isn't an average home by any means, but it is a home, and that alone makes everything- even the long list of protocols- seem strangely normal.

This is just another home- even if this home has three exits hidden by wall panels, it's still somebody's home.

The protocols are a little harder to digest than the rules, however. The purple-haired boy hopes he never has to go by one. They're all defensive "we're being attacked" types of things. There's plans for if there's a bomb, a gunman, a group of gunmen, a sniper, a break-in, a bugging- all sorts of stuff that normal households don't think to plan for.

After a week, Awsten stops feeling like something is about to happen.

He falls into a routine. He wakes up in the morning with a pillow hugged up to him, and he texts Geoff. The text takes twice as long to type because of the flip phone he has to use. He's allowed two texts and one ten-minute call with Geoff a day. He uses one text in the morning, and saves his other text for emergencies- there's been no second texts so far. He saves his call for bedtime. Geoff answers on the second ring every time.

He then eats breakfast- cooked by Patty, who seems to have a thing for cooking- and washes the dishes.

During his second day here, Patty had grabbed a plate he was washing, said "watch this," and threw it onto the ground as hard as he could. It didn't shatter- if anything, it'd dented the floor.

"Why?" Awsten asked, trying to understand what had just happened.

"They're shatter-proof! You can put a bullet through one of these and the hole will be perfectly round- no breakage at all."

Knowing the people that live in this apartment, that had definitely been tested.

After washing the dishes, the purple-haired boy does whatever he can to pass the time. He knows Geoff is in a safe place, be he most definitely isn't. As much as he trusts Patty, he knows this place isn't as guarded as it could be. Everyone is focused on Jack and Alex right now, so the apartment is a little exposed. Dispite that, the looming feeling of danger has passed, so it only bothers Awsten when he heavily thinks about it.

He usually watches a show on Netflix, or reads a book. There really isn't much to do, but he keeps himself entertained.

Patty spends most of his time either in the security room or at the kitchen table, surrounded by paperwork. Since he has very little to do, he's helping some of his friends out that are on the cases that he handed off to them.

Awsten has started cooking dinner, insisting that he wants to help out. He doesn't know how to help with any of the missions that Patty is assisting with, but he does know how to bake a lasagne. He's a good cook, but not as good as Patty- though the blond boy would never say that.

Dinner conversations could be anything from "what was your highschool experience like?" to "have you ever killed anyone?" The two boys have slowly become friends, but neither of them really know what to expect from the other. They've lived such drastically different lives that all they can do is ask questions and attempt to relate to the answer.

Tonight's conversation is about Geoff. "You knew Geoff's dad was a bad man? Geoff didn't think that you did back when we put him away the first time," Patty says, cutting his spaghetti with a fork.

"He's always tried to sugarcoat things for me. I don't think he ever really intended for me to know about his dad- not entirely, anyway. Otto is the one who told me," the purple-haired boy responds, and Patty sends him a questioning look.

"How'd he find out that you knew? I know that all the cards are on the table now- was there ever a conversation?"

"Kind of- we got into an argument. I was pretty mad- I know I don't seem like it, but I can get pretty loud- and I was moving my hands around a lot because I was explaining something- I don't remember what we were arguing about though. I only did it for a few seconds, but Geoff's entire demeanor changed. He thought I was gonna hit him. The argument immediately dropped for both of us, because he didn't care about it anymore and I couldn't continue with the knowledge that he thought I was about to do that. My anger fizzled out and I dropped my hands and said something like "I'm not your dad." Not in an accusing way- I didn't think that he was comparing me to his dad. It was more in a "I'm never going to treat you like he did" way. Thankfully, he understood what I meant."

"Did you guys ever finish the argument?"

"Oh yeah- I won."

Both boys laugh, and Patty decides to ask about a slightly lighter topic.

"How did you guys meet?"

"We went to school together! We met in band, became friends, and it just kinda escalated from there."

Those were much simpler times. Maybe there were other things going on behind the scenes for Geoff, but for Awsten, highschool was so easy. Time seemed to consistently move forward, like a train steadily moving over tracks. Not too fast, not too slow, just steady and consistent.

Now, time seems to have ever changing velocity. Some days it seems to come in bursts, speeding up and slowing down only to speed back up again- like a hummingbird flitting around to different flowers. Occasionally, time will speed up and stay sped up for days at a time- these days are usually good. These days are filled with moments that make Awsten wish time would just stop. He could stay there forever and be content.

Sometimes, time does stop. However, the moments that it does are rarely good.

A radio transmission from the walkie-talkie sitting on the kitchen counter interupts dinner.

"Patty! Come in! It's a goddamn code fourteen! Call Ja-"

The voice cuts off, and Patty jumps to his feet. He starts running around the apartment, grabbing things like backpacks and electronics. He yanks the livingroom coat closet open and grabs a bulletproof vest. "Awsten, I need you to listen-"

The purple-haired boy tries to unfreeze and breathe, tries to comprehend what Patty is saying, tries to think of what a code fourteen could possibly be.

"Protocol Home Alone- understand?" The blond boy commands as he fastens the vest around his torso.

Awsten manages a nod, and jumps up. He shakily runs toward the stairs. This protocol requires him to hide within the apartment until Patty gets back- and not let anyone get to him until then. He's supposed to hide upstairs and not let anyone make it up the steps to him.

However, he stops on the fifth step. "Patty?"

"Yes? Hurry- I have to go."

"What's a code fourteen?"

Patty hesitates.

"A shootout."

...