it's just too hard

new job, old relationship

𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔤𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯'𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢

☆

"i can't believe they got back together."

punz hums in agreement, gaze transfixed on the two boys across the parking lot. he feels a little like he's watching a train crash.

the fact that his friend took the brunette back is bad enough but seeing them standing outside the front of the school, hands all over each other, makes the whole thing feel worlds worse. punz has every reason to walk over to the couple and break them apart.

"i was talking with tina in english today and she told me that girls pay like, over thirty dollars for their nails."

punz's gaze drags from the hands-on couple to the blond beside him. he hums, replying, "that's quite a lot."

"i know, right?" dream questions rhetorically, his eyes still fixed out the front windshield. his hands are both tapping boredly on the steering wheel with no real rhythm. "i mean, tina's nails always look great, to be fair, but thirty dollars?!" he shakes his head. "why doesn't she just buy her own nail polish from target? surely that's cheaper."

as punz eventually catches up to the sudden conversation change, he says, "well, doesn't tina get exte-"

"i mean, target's so cheap!" dream turns to punz with an apologetic expression, "sorry, did i interrupt?"

"no, you're okay," punz assures with a sweet smile, "carry on."

"target's so cheap," dream repeats. he looks back out the window so punz does the same, holding back the urge to gag as he watches his best friend making out with his boyfriend. "maybe i should buy tina some nail polish," he thinks out loud, "because it's ridiculous that she spends that much. oh, but i don't want her to think i'm like, insulting her nails, because they are nice."

punz nearly sighs in relief when the couple split apart, going their separate ways at long last. the brunette heads off somewhere (punz doesn't care where) and the other finally makes his way over to the car.

dream turns back when sapnap clambers into the car, glaring light-heartedly at his friend as the ravenette pulls on his seatbelt. "you took too long," he complains.

"sorry," the ravenette apologises, half-sincere sounding. "i was just telling him about the details for saturday."

punz glances over at the side mirror as dream starts the car, rolling his eyes at his own reflection as if it's a camera and he's in a reality tv show.

the car makes a clicking sound as dream puts it in reverse, the blond boy subconsciously mirroring the sound by flicking his tongue in his mouth. even once he's finished reversing and pulls out of the parking lot he continues to make the repetitive sound.

"are you guys coming to mine?" sapnap asks from the backseat.

"yeah, i thought so," dream confirms. punz simply nods along but he knows that sapnap doesn't see it when he glances up in the front mirror to see the ravenette smiling down at his phone.