Hard To See (Gawsten)

two

If you're wondering about the book Awsten is reading in this chapter, it's a real book!! It's called 'We're Wizards, Travis' and I wrote it!! :)

***

The lively sounds of the school are a welcome change from the silence at home. The blond-haired boy usually tries to duck out when his mother throws parties, so he never really hears the hustle and bustle of a large amount of people anywhere else. Even though most of the students don't want to be here and will often describe themselves and their friends as 'dead on their feet,' Awsten still lives for the atmosphere.

The large amount of people here are sober, so he has no problem moving through the masses toward his locker. He stops, however, when he sees three boys standing near his destination. He locks his eyes on them and a thought flitters through his mind.

Are they the ones from last night? The ones that think I throw the parties?

He quickly dismisses the thought and continues toward his locker, dropping his eyes as he comes closer. He puts in his combination and begins getting his books for the day.

Someone clears their throat, and he turns around, facing a boy with bright red hair and dark roots.

Behind him are two other boys, one with long curly hair, and one with piercing blue eyes. The third one looks less than friendly, but the first two have shy, almost apologetic expressions.

"Hi, this is gonna sound really weird, but did you happen to hear us talking last night? We were on our way somewhere and passed by your house, and Otto and I," he gestures behind him, toward the curly-haired boy, "said a couple of things. We noticed like two minutes later that you had a window open, and that you closed it once we walked away," the red-haired boy explains.

Awsten smiles slightly, easing the slight tension in the air, and nods.

"Yes, I heard you guys, but it's okay," he says softly.

It isn't okay, not really, but it isn't their fault. His mother hosts parties, and he's a high schooler, so of course everyone would assume it's him. He doesn't want to be known for that, because not only is it a lie, but it's also very unlike him as a person.

Then again, nobody really knows him as a person, so does it really matter?

"Sorry about that," the boy apologizes, and then offers a smile. "I'm Jawn, this is Otto and Geoff. Do you maybe wanna sit with us at lunch?"

Awsten ponders it for a moment before politely shaking his head. He can tell that Jawn is naturally a very sweet guy that makes friends easily, but Awsten can't afford friends right now. He wants them more than anything in the world, but he can't come up with a trillion excuses as to why he can't hang out, or why they can't come over. His house embarrasses him, and his mother throws parties so suddenly that in a matter of minutes he and anyone he's with could be surrounded with drunken young adults. The thought of even having someone ask to come over makes his stomach flip with anxiety. He knows it's dumb, but it's how he feels.

"I don't eat in the cafeteria, but thank you for the offer," he responds, smiling slightly at Jawn. The bell rings and the two boys nod a goodbye to each other before going their separate ways. Otto and Geoff followed Jawn, while Awsten disappears into the crowd.

***

Geoff dislikes Awsten. He doesn't know why, there's just something off about him. He doesn't have the personality of someone who throws parties, and he isn't hungover, so why is he so... shy? Quiet? Are those the right words to describe Awsten? Geoff doesn't know.