Hard To See (Gawsten)

ten

Um?? Excuse me?? This story has around 500 reads overall?? Granted, idk how the reading algorithm works exactly (if I'm correct, it adds up each chapter's number of reads to equal the overall number), but holy shit, I'll take it!! Thank you all!!💞
We'll be getting to the Gawsten rly soon :)

***

Going from having three friends who suddenly wormed their way in and set up camp to having none once again isn't something the blond boy likes, but he doesn't like the secrecy surrounding the bathroom meeting either. The way Jawn told him a small white lie to get to it is also unsettling. He knows nothing, except for one thing.

He doesn't want to be part of any bullshit plans, social experiments, or pranks.

Not again.

He considers himself lucky that he found out something was up before he got too invested in the three other boys- especially the one with icy blue eyes.

What would he have done if this ended up being another Patty situation? It was years ago, but it still hurt him. The boy had helped him gain the courage to speak again, and then everything flipped. It had been an experiment- he had been an experiment.

The blond boy can almost see the poster board titled 'Can Kindness Cure Mute People?' being presented to the science class the period before he had the same class. Finding that poster in a pile on the back table when turning in his own had been beyond traumatic.

Awsten is unwillingly curious, though- what are the other three boys trying to do?

***

Lunch rolls around before Geoff knows it. It's been a strange day- something feels off. The brunet can't put his finger on what, though.

"Hey, have you seen Awsten today?" Otto asks as he meets Geoff in the cafeteria. The three usually meet up here before heading to the library to sit with Awsten.

That's what's off. Geoff usually sees the blond boy in the hallways during class changes, but he'd been absent amongst the sea of students. He knows Awsten is at school, and he surely would've said something if he went home early, right?

"Actually, I haven't. Have you?" Geoff asks his curly-haired friend. They both spot Jawn as he walks out of the lunch line. Geoff waves him over while Otto answers his question.

"Yeah, I saw a glimpse of him, but as soon as he saw me he hustled into his classroom."

Geoff quirks an eyebrow at no one in particular. He's confused.

"What's with the eyebrow?" Jawn asks as he approaches the two.

"I think Awsten's avoiding us. Have you seen him today? Besides this morning, of course," Geoff responds, and Jawn thinks for a moment.

"I don't think so, which is weird. We usually pass each other during almost every class change," Jawn states, and a confused expression makes itself at home on his face.

Geoff and Otto send each other a look. Awsten is avoiding them.

"He's not going out of his way to not see us- we're his friends. It's just a coincidence, or something," Jawn defends.