By The Pond - A Lams Story

Chapter 3

-John's Perspective (marks are still the same, just John's thoughts)-

   John watchs Alex leave in a hurry, laughing a bit. He can feel Laf's eyes boring a hole in the back of his skull, and he turns around. "What?"
   "Freckles?" Laf raises an eyebrow.
   "Not my fault he gave me a nickname. Besides, I think it's fitting." John shrugs, still smiling a little.
   "I'm surprised you're not a tomato right now."
   "What do you mean?" John knows what he means. No, I don't have a crush on him.
   "I mean you only met him once, and he's giving you a nickname, and you're perfectly fine with it. You didn't let me and Herc start calling you Jackie until we had been friends for at least a year? Yeah. A year." Laf says after tilting his head while he calculated the time.
   "It's a nickname." John shrugs defensively. "I don't have a crush on him. He was just some random dude in the park who looked like he needed a friend, so I offered to be that friend."
   Lafayette sighs. "Yes, Jackie, we all know you have a heart of gold. That's not the point."
   "No. Eliza has the heart of gold. She's a fucking golden retriever in human form. Or a baby turtle." John argues. "I just think people need someone to talk to so they don't feel alone." His voice falters a bit. He goes back to manning the register. "That's all. I didn't want him to be alone."
   Lafayette sighs again and nods. "Whatever you say, mon ami." He goes back to the coffee making area.
   John puts his head in his hands after making sure no-one was in line. I just didn't want him to be alone. Like I felt. Like I still feel. He's lucky he has a father figure who can take care of him. Who will take care of him. He shakes his head and goes back to normally, putting on a fake smile. It'll be fine. Eventually.

~~ Time Skip (brought to you by Alex's coffee addiction) ~~

   John sighs as he sits down in his apartment, slinging his turtle shell backpack over his shoulder and onto the floor with a THUMP. He rummages through it, taking out his sketchbook and a pencil. And he draws. And draws. And draws.
   Before John quite realizes it, he's filled nearly ten pages with sketches, ones of his mother and his friends and turtles and, surprisingly, some of Alexander. Alex, he reminds himself. He smiles a bit. He wasn't expecting someone to sit next to him, especially not someone as energetic and restless as Alexander. But he had been glad to help, even if he was slightly envious that he had a father figure who cared for him.
   John shakes his head. No. Henry Laurens was never my father. He just... solidified it when he disowned me. He sighs again and looks up at the rainbow flag he hung on the wall when he moved in after college. He smiles at that. I am my own person, and he can't change that, and it's probably a good thing I moved out in the first place. Yeah. It is. It wasn't good for my health. Or my mental sanity.
   He takes a deep breath, sets his sketchbook down, and goes to grab something to eat from the fridge. He opens the door. And a mostly empty fridge stares back at him. Frick. I need to go grocery shopping soon.
   PING! His phone screen lights up, and he goes back over to his backpack and digs it out.
   Momfayette: You okay?
   John types a reply. He figures there's no point in lying.
   Turtleboi: No, but I will be.
   Turtleboi: At least, I hope so.
   Momfayette: Okay. I'm always here if you want to talk.
   Turtleboi: Thanks, Laf.
   John puts his phone to sleep, but another PING! stops him before he can go back to figure out what to eat. Who now? He checks his screen.
   Unknown: Hey, Freckles.
   John blinks. Oh, it's Alexander.
   Turtleboi: Hey, Alex.
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Hey.
   Turtleboi: What's up?
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Nothing because direction is a made up concept designed only to tell us the way forces move. But direction itself? A sham.
   Turtleboi: Go off, then.
   AlexanderDAMNilton: What, did you think I would say the sky or something?
   Turtleboi: .... Yeah *shrugs*
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Please. I'm not that basic.
   Turtleboi: I can tell.
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Anyways, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to meet up at the park again tomorrow? Maybe at like 6:00?
   Turtleboi: Sure. But may I ask why?
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Because you're interesting, and I want to figure out your puzzle.
   John blushes a bit at that, even though the other part of him is going WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT ME??
   Turtleboi: I'm not that interesting, I promise.
   AlexanderDAMNilton: Then we'll have to agree to disagree. I'll see you at 6?
   Turtleboi: Yep. See you then.
   John puts up his phone after his stomach growls at him, begging him to feed it. "Okay, okay, you'll get your food." He grabs a cup of yogurt and a spoon and eats that, thinking about the things he's going to buy from the grocery store and what he should wear for his trip to the park tomorrow.