If We Found Heaven ✓

nine ✎

It wasn't that Reid was upset that Arthur had ditched him by the side of the road like a bug-ridden, hole-filled couch. His fists clenched by his sides as he kicked at a rock. Okay, maybe he was a little upset. Reid wondered if he was being homophobic. After all, it had been exceedingly frustrating to Reid that Art had left to go hang out with his ex. Then again, Reid would've been frustrated if it had been a cute girl who had left to hang out with her ex, too. Reid smacked his head. Why was he comparing Art to a cute girl? And, moreover, why did he care so much that Art had driven off with Rex? Sure, it was rude, but there was no use in dwelling on it.

However, Reid seemed determined to dwell on it. He seethed as he walked home. He muttered as he went to bed. He shouted angrily at the sky when Wednesday passed with no call from any of his new friends. Perhaps Arthur's discarding of Reid on the sidewalk had been his way of cutting Reid off once and for all. Perhaps Reid was overcomplicating things.

Reid was definitely overcomplicating things, he thought, as the phone rang and Art's smooth voice spoke from the other side. Reid didn't register what Art was saying due to the overwhelming fury that flooded his body at the sound of the other boy's voice.

"How dare you?" Reid asked accusingly. He wished he could jab his finger into Art's chest like a jaded lover. Jeez. His comparisons were getting worse and worse.

"What?" Art asked, sounding confused.

"You ditched me!" exclaimed Reid.

"Oops," Arthur said guiltily. "Sorry about that."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it," Reid said with a hmph, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Art mused.

Reid found himself holding up a middle finger, despite the fact that Arthur couldn't see him. "Oh shut up."

Arthur laughed. "Anyways, before you cut me off, I was asking if you wanted to come over."

Reid's heart stuttered in his chest. Damned social anxiety. "Um, for what?"

"You know, to help with the car," Art said.

"Oh." Reid bit his lip, considering. "Yeah. I guess I'll come over. Right now?"

"Sure," Arthur replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. "You know where I live, right?"

"I think so," Reid said. It was hard not to know where people lived in a town as small as this one.

"Cool. See you in a bit," Art said.

"Bye."

Reid found himself on Arthur's front porch within ten minutes. The name on the mailbox in front of the house read Wright in curling letters, confirming Reid's suspicions that the house was, in fact, Art's. Reid raised his hand to knock, but the door opened a split second before he could. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," Reid replied.

"Come on," Art said, stepping past Reid onto the path leading up to the door. Reid followed him over the concrete driveway to the garage. Arthur lifted the garage door easily with a strength that Reid was most certainly jealous of. After they had both stepped inside, he pushed the door back down.

"Why did you do it manually?" Reid asked, indicating the automatic mechanism that would open and close the garage door with the press of a button.

Arthur grinned, shifting the toothpick that was perched between his lips as he answered. "Wanted to flex on you." Reid raised his eyebrows. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He shook his head, smiling. "It doesn't work," he said, pressing the button that was supposed to open the garage door. Nothing happened. "See?" Arthur pressed it again. "No need to worry. I'm not showing off for you."