A Bittersweet Mystreet

{Chapter 17}

{A/N: I'm back from my hiatus! I felt really bad when I told you guys I'd be gone for two weeks and then left for 5 months... but I'm back now! I told you guys I wouldn't abandon this book and I intend to keep my word. Now let's get back to angst!}

TW: mentions of drug use, vomiting

During the rest of the party, Garroth and Laurance didn't talk to each other or even bat an eye in the other's direction. Both were yearning to lessen the tension, but neither had the courage to do something about it.

Garroth was the first to go as he picked up the pieces of his heart leaving Aphmau's party.

Laurance didn't leave till much later. He waited until he thought Garroth was asleep before going back, occupying himself by talking and laughing with the people around him. It was funny how he could talk up a storm with others but couldn't utter a single word of truth to his best friend.

Dante texted Laurance before he left that he was going to stay over at a "friend's house" despite Laurance seeing Dante walk out of the house with Nicole.

When the party began to die down and the numbers began to dwindle, Laurance finally left.

===

The next morning, Laurance felt off. Displeasure seeped into his bones as his conversation with Garroth ran clear in his head. He groaned and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes in the hope that the events of yesterday would disappear.

"How am I gonna face him again?" Laurance muttered, his head in his hands. Regret burned in his stomach. Regardless, he couldn't let this stop him from going about his day. He'd have to face Garroth eventually, heck they live together, it was almost impossible to avoid him.

Laurance peeked his head out of his room.

The house was quiet.

He turned his head to Garroth's door. It was closed. With that knowledge, he quickly moved toward the bathroom to get ready for the day. His hair wasn't going to style itself. Afterward, he headed to the kitchen to start breakfast. Despite knowing that he'd have to face Garroth soon, he wanted to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible.

Then, the sound of a door opening echoed throughout the silent house.

Laurance's face paled.

"Shit," he muttered, debating whether or not to be quick about his breakfast or to continue calmly. His mind ceased to function the moment Garroth was in his line of sight.

Garroth stopped at the sight of Laurance, and the two looked at each other. Neither actually made eye contact but both knew that their attention was now on one another. Both were desperate to break the silence, but the weight of their words from yesterday still hung heavy in their mouths.

How do you come back from a conversation like that? Where one person hands you their deepest, most cherished secret and you decide to crush it along with yourself.

Eventually, they slowly went about their tasks in the kitchen, ignoring each other's existence. They knew that without communication, nothing was going to get better, so instead they just let everything crumble in their hands.

Both Garroth and Laurance reached for a glass on the drying rack, not realizing the other until it was too late.

The moment both of their hands touched, Laurance jerked his hand back causing the glass to fall off the rack and onto the floor.

Laurance began to panic as he started apologizing and promised that he'd clean the mess up but, just like the broken glass, the tension shattered.

"Laurance, just shut up!"