LA Lust

Chapter Twelve

The next few days went by slowly, I tried to keep my face on so that I could avoid Calvin's incessant worrying. I knew however that tomorrow questions would arise, it would be the weekend and Calvin was expecting Teddy at the flat by morning.

I still hadn't told him and when that morning came I decided that maybe the teenager in me was allowed to show himself once in a while. I mean I am only nineteen and therefore surely, even as a guy, I am allowed to be overly emotional once in a blue moon?

So I stopped in my room all weekend only coming out to eat or piss, I kept the door locked and after attempting no less than seven times to extricate me from my room, Calvin eventually gave up and went out.

I read a book, The Fault in our Stars, because people had been going on and on about it and it only succeeded in making me feel worse. However despite the obvious reasons for the book being upsetting, I found Augustus Waters surprisingly funny and witty. Two of my very favourite attributes, I also enjoyed the line about the champagne.

I had never drank champagne myself so I was very much like Hazel and Gus in this chapter. The thought of champagne tasting like the stars was a beautiful description and I decided then and there I would be tasting these stars for myself. As soon as I could drag my sorry ass out of bed anyway.

I also watched several movies that I streamed straight to my laptop, The Rock an awesome classic, Beaches because it was my moms favourite film (also not a good choice given my current emotional state) and finally a new film called The Theory of Everything.

Once again I was astounded at the character, Eddie Redmayne (I googled him) was playing professor Stephen Hawking. Just like Augustus, despite his situation in life that man has risen above everything. I wasn't just talking about his obvious genius-ness, or his apparent wittiness.

I was talking about the fact that he had found love, had children and accomplished so much and the whole time he kept deteriorating. Yet he wasn't sad? In all honesty I didn't know whether to laugh or cry like a baby through the film, he obviously is a nice enough dude so you don't want this to happen to him.

Yet it's hard to feel sorry for him because he's, the majority of the time, so upbeat? He makes jokes about himself, takes his situation and makes it into a game for his kids. I guess I admire him and it is that thought that has me climbing out of my misery pit and grabbing a towel to go in the shower.

It's Sunday, I am aware that I have work tomorrow but I am done with teenager Drew already, it's time to cheer up. When I was clean I called Calvin, he was with the little woman but agreed to meet me in an hour.

If I want to be with Teddy then I have to get used to this, I have to trust him. It's not in my nature to mope about so that's the last time I will ever be so girly and pick up something like Beaches or The Fault in our Stars again. Utterly ridiculous.

So when Calvin showed up we grabbed our fake ID and went to a bar, he didn't ask me any questions on the way but I knew they'd come. So when we sat at a table with a cold beer in hand I just told him the whole story to save him time asking questions.

He looked at me confused at first, almost like he wasn't sure which answer he should give to my pathetic little tale. In the end he took a drink of his beer and laughed. "You are quickly becoming a stereotype bro, quicker than even I anticipated."

"Oh shut up, you don't have to be gay to be emotional." I snapped.

"No just an utter loser!" He laughed, reciting my own words.

"Fine Touché." I mumbled. He laughed.

**

The next two days I was genuinely happier, I had decided to take it on the chin that Teddy would be away a lot. Like Stephen Hawking I was going to look on the brighter side and make a game out of a bad situation. When he came home it would make it more special each time and there was always roll play, he was a man in uniform after all.

Teddy was due back first thing Wednesday morning and I had asked Billy for an early finish so that I could meet him at the airport. It was a little bit of a drive but I'm sure that he will appreciate the effort.

So after a hard morning of training Billy let the whole team leave the same time as me. I raced to the showers and dressed as quickly as possible. Calvin was just getting a lift home so I yelled my goodbyes, ignored his concerned looks and jumped in my car.

I drove as quickly as I could through LA traffic as I possibly could and parked up at LAX. I ran into arrivals and checked the boards and breathed out in relief when I hadn't missed his flight.

I took a seat and waited for the flight to come through, eventually the doors opened and because they don't need to pass security, it was the flight attendants. I stood and waited for him to notice me, he did but not before he kissed the other flight attendant goodbye.

My heart sank and everything Calvin had said came flooding back into my head. The emotional teenager made a reappearance and I walked out as he called my name with an almost questioning tone.

I hadn't even given him a chance to explain, what if it was completely innocent? What if they did that all the time, what if it was his brother, cousin, best friend? I had never asked him any of these questions, I barely knew him. Which meant that it could quite as easily mean that Calvin had been right the whole time, so I kept walking.

I was aware that he was behind me, he was still calling my name. I couldn't hear anything else though through the intensifying rage that was buzzing in my ears. I was angry at him for making Calvin right, I was angry at me for believing Calvin could be right enough to stop me listening to my own boyfriend.

I stopped at my car, took a deep breath and opened the door. Before I climbed in though Teddy was beside me so I stopped to look at him. I wasn't doing it on purpose, but I could imagine the same look Calvin had worn for me, littering my face right now.

I didn't want him to feel sorry for me so this fact was annoying, however, he surprised me by not feeling sorry for me at all. In fact I could see only anger, so my expression changed from hurt to meek.

"What in the hell was that?" He snapped. "I come out of the gate to a lovely surprise, my boyfriend is standing there waiting for me. Then out of nowhere he turns and runs out on me in front of my friends?!"

"You kissed him." I almost whispered. "Not just a friendly kiss on the cheek either, you actually kissed him on the lips?"

"Harshitt and I are just friends, we have been that way since 7th grade!" He sighed. "You really think I would cheat on you?"

"Ok firstly Harshitt?!" I burst out laughing.

"His parents are as bad as mine...bloody hippies." He smirked.

"Sounds like an Irish man saying horse shit!" I wiped my eyes as he took over laughing.

"Ok and secondly now that I know his name I am confident you are not cheating."

"Drew!"

"Ok, ok I'm sorry I know you wouldn't cheat. Get in and I'll explain at home." I nodded to the car and wiggled my eye brows, smirk on my face. "Your place or mine?"