Princess // gawsten ✓

016.

Awsten hadn't texted or called Geoff since the phone call last night. He still remembered Awsten's exact reaction.

"But—I think I'm falling for you, Awsten Knight." The words finally fell from his mouth, causing the large amount of stress to lift from his shoulders. His stomach suddenly no longer felt sick, but it began swirling again as silence echoed loudly throughout his ears. "A—Aws?" His friend didn't speak, which caused tears of anxiety to well in his eyes. "Aws, for Christ's sake, just—say something!"

A slight choke echoed on the other side of the phone call. "Geoff I need to go, I'm sorry." The phone call was ended without another breath.

"You aren't even listening to me, Gee!" Amber's small fist was hurled against Geoff's chest, causing him to sputter on his breath.

It was now Sunday, and Geoff's family was almost back to Houston from his aunt's house. It was almost a twenty-eight hour drive, and they began the trip early Saturday morning. They had finally made it within Texas borders, and Amber was starting to get impatient. "I was too listening!" Geoff argued, pushing a sad smile to his lips and reaching over to give his little sister a small tickle on her tummy, making her giggle with laughter.

Amber pushed her brother's hand away and pouted, resting her chin in her hand. "No, you were looking forward all sad, I can tell you know."

Sad was an understatement. Geoff was mortified. Embarrassment didn't even cover the emotion he felt. He couldn't believe he had ruined an amazing friendship, all because his heart told him that he liked Awsten.

His heart wasn't wrong. Geoff really liked Awsten. He loved the younger boy's soft and fluffy hair. He loved the dual-toned blue-green permanently lodged in his head. He loved the sarcastic and witty banter the two had. He loved the boy's clothing style, especially when he wore those white knee highs. He loved everything about Awsten Knight, and he had wasted it all for his emotions.

The familiar houses of Geoff's small suburban neighborhood rolled by, causing Geoff to perk up a small bit. He only wanted sleep at this point. Okay, maybe marijuana, then sleep. He was the first one out of the car whenever his mother pulled into the driveway.

Hastily, he took everyone's bags inside and pulled his up the wonky staircase. All he wanted was some sort of escape, before the anxiety of rejection finally caught up to him.

Geoff made it into his familiar room and locked the door shut, leaning back against the door and filtering in heavy breaths. He struggled over to his desk and pulled open the drawer, revealing a pill bottle of bud. He began to roll himself a blunt, pushing it between his lips and lighting it ablaze. It sucked how much he relied on this stuff, but it was something he felt he needed, or else the feeling of rejection would sucker punch him in the gut again.

And so Geoff stayed like that for the Sunday evening, smoking blunt after blunt until he collapsed into slumber in a confused daze.

————

Walking into school the next morning was Geoff's worse nightmare. His eyes were shielded by layers upon layers of eye drops, and his mouth was always smacking on a sheet of spearmint gum.

He stood near the door of history, his mind lost in a mix of dazed confusion and crippling anxiety. Geoff did not want to go inside, but he knew he had to, or else he'd get a detention. Finally, after mustering up enough courage, he pushed through the door of the history class and found his seat, collapsing into the plastic and masking his face with his hands and hair.

"Glad you were able to join us, Mr. Wigington." The teacher's tired voice echoed through the silent classroom. "As I was saying—"

Geoff tuned her out once more, burying his head into his forearms and staring down at the darkened desk. He could feel eyes on him, to which he was praying none of those were Awsten's. But even he knew that they were.

So, slowly but surely, Geoff lifted his head and took a small look around the room, trying to find the boy with purple hair. That's when he realized Awsten wasn't there. His usual desk was empty, which made Geoff's chest flare up with anxiety.

Without thinking, he forced himself out of his seat and pushed his way through the door, bakcpack in hand and glancing down the hallway. He was practically sprinting for the double doors, ignoring his history teacher's shouting for him to return immediately. The only thing occupying Geoff's mind was Awsten, Aws, Awsie.

He finally made his way outside, glancing out towards the football field filled with the off-season football team. Relieved, he watched as small tendrils of smoke lifted from behind the bleachers, signaling Awsten's present.

Without another thought, Geoff made his way behind the bleachers and came face to face with Awsten, his normally bright eyes beaten in with black surrounding the right one. His usually pink lips were busted and bruised with purple and red. His body was littered with purple and blue bruises, but the boy seemed unfazed. He continued huffing puffs of a cigarette, something Geoff never expected the boy to do. Awsten's eyes made contact with Geoff's, and he lifted his beaten-up mouth into a small, ironic smile. "Did I mention my dad likes to use me as his punching bag?"