heres my number [discontinued]

Seventeen - Why

November 14th, 5:32 pm

"Alright fine, I'll get you a stupid mocha, but you have to pay me back. I'm too broke for this," Fitz muttered defeatedly into his phone.

"Thanks, love ya!" came the voice from the receiving end before the dial tone sounded, signaling she had hung up.

Fitz groaned but he knew as well as anyone that when Sophie wanted something, she had no hesitation to go to extreme measures just to make sure she got it, and so he maneuvered his Mercedes in the direction of the cafe.

____
November 14th, 5:47 pm

Linh was running late.

She'd promised to meet Tam at the cafe more than half an hour ago, and yet he was still waiting at the corner table near the counter, glancing through the glass windows every few minutes.

She'd said she had something important to talk to him about—which was the only reasons Tam had bothered to get up out of his Blanket Cave of Misery—although, knowing her, it was all likely just a ploy to bring up the argument over getting a pet in their household again.

He was guarding himself, making sure that his thoughts didn't stray anywhere near that boy.

He couldn't even think his name without all his thoughts crashing down like an avalanche.

His mind wandered back to two weeks ago, when Fitz had invited Tam to sit outside on one of the picnic tables with him. The faint blush on Fitz's cheeks, the look in his eyes was enough to ignite the hope that maybe..

Tam cursed himself. That was all it took for the rest of his thoughts to unravel.

Out of all seven billion people on planet Earth, it had to be Fitz.

Fitz, who had prank called Tam. Fitz, who had been one of his only friends. Fitz, who's sister had dumped Tam.

Fitz, who now possessed Tam's icy stone of a heart.

Tam really wanted to shove a lego brick down his throat.

The worst part was the fact that Tam was sure—no, absolutely certain—that Fitz Vacker could never feel the same towards him.

And so Tam had done what he thought was the most logical solution.

He avoided Fitz. Cut off all communication with him. Didn't reply to his texts. Pretended not to see him in the school hallways.

Fitz seemed to get the hint, eventually, and did the same to Tam, acting as if they were nothing but two strangers.

And now Tam could cry himself to sleep in peace knowing that his plan had worked.

He sighed and checked the time, resisting the urge to growl in frustration once he realized another ten minutes had passed. It was starting to become obvious that Linh wasn't planning on showing up, though he pushed the thought away as soon as he'd had it. His own sister wouldn't have stood him up.

Right?

He was starting to think wrong when the hands of the clock on the wall reached 6:00. He dialed her number only to be met with her voicemail on the first ring. Where was she?

The bell above the push-door jingled, jolting Tam from his thoughts. He stood and craned his neck, trying to catch sight of her familiar face.

A familiar face he did see, all right.