Skin and Bones (boyxboy) ✓

Chapter Seven

I rang his phone again, this time it took a while longer for Zack to pick up, when he did he remained quiet as before.

"Dammit, just talk to me. I don't want to have to keep calling you like this."

Still nothing but silence and slight static on the other end.

"I need to know what you're telling people Zack, it's not okay whatever it is. What happened between us happened between us, you have no right to go around trying to get my friends to hate me."

There was a quiet cough in the background but still no one talked.

"Zack, tell me what you're telling them or stop it. You got Mark on your side, well done, but the minute you start going after everyone else... What were you even doing talking to L in the first place? He doesn't even know you. You need to leave me alone and... take your stupid shit from my apartment." I yelled at him.

It was amazing how angry I could get yelling at a wall that barely even coughed back at me, somehow it was more frustrating than if he'd actually fucking reply. At least then I'd know what he was thinking, know that he was thinking at all.

I hit the end call button my phone and lay back in my bed, the unresolved feelings swimming in my chest like snakes. I just wanted to settle this and for it to be over.

I lay on my side and hugged my body pillow against my chest, shutting my eyes tight.

Lucky I had this, it was a plain one, not some kind of lolita hentai body pillow or anything. Still, Zackary had hated it and demanded I keep it in the wardrobe, and even then when he was having a hard time finding something or a shit day or something he'd still find every opportunity to throw it out of the wardrobe, say it was in the way all the time and demand I get rid of it.

Slowly the apartment around me was beginning to look more and more like mine. But I wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

There were still a few bits and bobs that he had missed when he left, a painting he'd done that was hanging on the wall in front of my bed for example. His phone charger was still stuck in the wall, his laptop case standing up against the bedside table... a couple textbooks and How To Drive manuals still hanging around.

I didn't want him to come to pick them up. I wanted to get them delivered to him and I wanted him to shut his damn mouth for once in his life. 

I crushed the body pillow beneath me in my anxiety. 

Had I really misjudged the guy so badly? Or was I just so checked out of the relationship I hadn't seen what a damn snake in the grass he could be...

Andrew had suggested that I find someone else to date and fast, that I should just be indiscriminate and find a guy, a girl, some old fart or whatever. Just to show him that I was over him and that him trying to rope me into calling him and pestering him didn't do anything for us.

Maybe he was right.

Maybe I should be looking for someone new. Wasn't there a cooldown phase for that sort of thing though?

I sighed inwardly. The only reason I asked myself questions like that was because I was aware I cared about romance less than others and that had the effect of me not always knowing what was the normal reaction in emotionally charged situations.

I tossed and turned a little more before I finally gave up.

I turned the flashlight on my phone on and got out of bed. Switching the light on was jarring and I switched it back off again.

I grabbed a pack of cigarettes I kept in my random things drawer and a lighter and left my room. I moved into the hallway and pulled down the ladder hatch, climbing up and opening the window so that I could slip out onto the roof to smoke.