Running in circles(Post Malone Story)COMPLETED

19

I stared back at Smitty, his soft smile silently hoping for me to respond to his innocent 'you okay?' that had escaped his lips a few moments before. But as I blinked the remaining tears from my eyes, I couldn't manage to utter a word in response. I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding and hung my head, embarrassed to be crying in front of someone I barely knew over someone who clearly didn't care about me or my feelings.

"Hey," Smitty said softly, gently reaching out to put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I lifted my head slowly to meet his sympathetic smile, "Let's go get some food. Catering just got here," He offered, changing the subject, much to my relief. I nodded in agreement and reached up again to finally rid my face from the few
remaining tears still staining my cheeks, following Smitty as he took off down the hall. He spoke softly, about nothing in particular as he led me to the bustling room at the end of the hallway where piping hot trays of every type of food you could
imagine waited for us.

"This is crazy," I chuckled as I stood in line behind Smitty.

He nodded, "This is the best spread we've ever had," he commented, taking a plate from the stack and handing it to me. I scooped some mashed potatoes on my plate and grabbed a few chicken tenders
before my plate ran out of room.
"That's all you're getting?" Smitty teased, piling his plate high with every food option available to him.

"I ran out of room!"

He chuckled and topped off his towering plate with a teetering biscuit, "No such thing."
He surveyed the room briefly before pointing with his free hand to a table on the other side of the room, "Grab that table," He instructed, "You want a drink?" He asked.

I nodded, "Get me whatever you're getting."

He paused for a moment before a sly smile crept onto his lips and nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll be right back."

I did as instructed and made my way across the room, trying my hardest not to bump into someone in the process and lose my precious potatoes and chicken tenders. As I took my seat, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I swallowed hard, hoping
with every fiber of my being that it was Austin, texting me to apologize, I'd forgive him and we'd go back to the way it was. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached in my back pocket to pull out my phone. I couldn't believe I let Austin have this much power over me and I mentally
scolded myself for letting him get under my skin. My eyes narrowed at the screen and I let out an audible scoff of annoyance asAdam's name appeared on my phone, instructing me to meet him back in the green room in thirty minutes. I huffed and threw my phone harder than necessary onto the table just as Smitty
approached the table. He balanced his plate full of food in one hand, one cup in his hand and the other gripped tightly between his teeth. I chuckled and jumped up from my seat taking his plate of food out of his hand
before it went hurtling to the floor and set it on the table across from me.
He removed his drink from his mouth and set it down in front of his seat before handing me the cup that was in his free hand, "Hope you like it," He teased, chuckling slightly as he took his seat. I pursed my lips slightly while I eyed him skeptically, bringing the cup to my nose to try and discern what alcohol was waiting for me.
I couldn't place anything at for a minute I figured he had just handed me a cup of plain sweet tea, but when I brought the cup to my lips and took a swig I nearly fell out of my chair. I coughed to try my hardest to remove the taste of, what I could only describe as pure gasoline, from my mouth.

I groaned and grimaced as I put the cup back down on the table, "Jesus Christ," I coughed, "What is that?"

He shrugged innocently as he took a bite of biscuit, "It's a Long Island iced tea. Nothing fancy," He said smugly, reaching out to take a large swig from his cup.