Sequel: Afterglow ›
Status: Complete! Sequel coming soon.
Miles Away
Twenty.
Something about seeing the blonde’s face here in this room made John irrationally mad. Maybe it was the fact that he never really got to process Alex breaking up with him, or maybe it was just the latter by itself.
It just had to be some sort of cruel hand that fate had given to him, getting the boy he had just lost as his roommate. Alex was just as mad, too, so it wasn’t like they would ever get together again, or even be friendly again.
Either way, the lovers reversed only brought pain, and now once again it was in the cards for the brunette to continue to suffer this way. He had no time to process what happened between the two of them -- no closure, no kind of release, nothing. There were only late nights thinking about what he did wrong.
Which, in retrospect, must have been a lot.
...And then there was the fact that he just might have gotten back together with Tim between everything, and that wasn’t going to be fun to have Alex find out. Not like it was a serious relationship, just ‘hey, I’m lonely you’re lonely let’s go out for a bit’ type of thing, but it was still a bad situation added in and Alex would definitely hate it if he found it.
As soon as John forced himself to turn all the way around, Alex scowled, face going bright red. Like John assumed, he was still beyond pissed.
For good reason.
Alex said nothing, choosing to instead turn around and storm out of John’s room and to his own, making sure to knock over the bookcase that was just assembled to show just how mad he was.
This wasn’t going to be pretty.
As soon as the door slammed, the front door to the entire dorm opened and Garrett and Jared stepped inside, a desk lamp similar to the one broken in hand.
“We went to Walmart!” Garrett said way too cheerfully, holding up the blue lamp. He walked to John’s room and sat it on the edge of the desk, before the redhead pushed it toward the middle. They didn’t need another broken one.
“He also had a redbull and a half…” Jared sighed, rubbing his face slowly. He had clearly had enough of this for today.
John’s eyes are still wide from shock. He’s staring blankly at the plastic left on the floor, a clear indication that something had happened while they were gone.
“What? Did something else happen?” Jared was the first to ask, kneeling down beside his best friend to pick up the last pieces, concerned eyes on John.
There’s silence, and then, “Alex is my roommate…”
“Wait, like Alex Alex? The one you phone fucked before pizza?” Garrett says, before thinking about it and adding, “Almost phone fucked?”
Jared elbows him in the side as hard as possible, a grunt the result.
There’s no other response from John, merely a quick nod.
“What the fuck?” Garrett practically yells, once again earning an elbow from Jared. It wouldn’t be good if Alex overheard them talking about him like this. Or at all.
“Dude, I don’t want the entire hall to know, much less Alex to know that you guys know…”
“But you’re okay right?” Jared’s eyes had softened and he placed a comforting hand on the other boy’s shoulder.
“I mean, I’m a little traumatized, but I guess it’s something I can get over--”
“Good! We’ll just be off then!”
“Wait, seriously? You’re leaving me here alone with him?” John’s jaw dropped, and he finally looked up at the way-too-hyper friend that was now heading for the door.
“John, we’re not going to sit here and deal with the problems between you and your old dick appointment.”
The only response from John is a grunt. He stands, and hugs Jared, but makes a point not to hug the other boy in the room. Garrett gets a wave goodbye before disappearing into the hall.
Jared sticks around for a minute, giving John the most reassuring smile he can manage. “We love you, J. We do. This is just something you need to resolve yourself. You know we’re only a text and call away for support, okay?”
With a nod, John sighs out, “Yeah. Okay. I’ll see you next weekend, right?”
“Of course.”
There’s one more hug exchanged, and then John is left alone. Or, alone with a roommate that hates his guts and will probably transfer as soon as he possibly can. He tries to block out the angry pop punk music playing from across the dorm as he picks his bookshelf up, and begins to unpack his belongings.
It was going to be a hell of a semester.
It just had to be some sort of cruel hand that fate had given to him, getting the boy he had just lost as his roommate. Alex was just as mad, too, so it wasn’t like they would ever get together again, or even be friendly again.
Either way, the lovers reversed only brought pain, and now once again it was in the cards for the brunette to continue to suffer this way. He had no time to process what happened between the two of them -- no closure, no kind of release, nothing. There were only late nights thinking about what he did wrong.
Which, in retrospect, must have been a lot.
...And then there was the fact that he just might have gotten back together with Tim between everything, and that wasn’t going to be fun to have Alex find out. Not like it was a serious relationship, just ‘hey, I’m lonely you’re lonely let’s go out for a bit’ type of thing, but it was still a bad situation added in and Alex would definitely hate it if he found it.
As soon as John forced himself to turn all the way around, Alex scowled, face going bright red. Like John assumed, he was still beyond pissed.
For good reason.
Alex said nothing, choosing to instead turn around and storm out of John’s room and to his own, making sure to knock over the bookcase that was just assembled to show just how mad he was.
This wasn’t going to be pretty.
As soon as the door slammed, the front door to the entire dorm opened and Garrett and Jared stepped inside, a desk lamp similar to the one broken in hand.
“We went to Walmart!” Garrett said way too cheerfully, holding up the blue lamp. He walked to John’s room and sat it on the edge of the desk, before the redhead pushed it toward the middle. They didn’t need another broken one.
“He also had a redbull and a half…” Jared sighed, rubbing his face slowly. He had clearly had enough of this for today.
John’s eyes are still wide from shock. He’s staring blankly at the plastic left on the floor, a clear indication that something had happened while they were gone.
“What? Did something else happen?” Jared was the first to ask, kneeling down beside his best friend to pick up the last pieces, concerned eyes on John.
There’s silence, and then, “Alex is my roommate…”
“Wait, like Alex Alex? The one you phone fucked before pizza?” Garrett says, before thinking about it and adding, “Almost phone fucked?”
Jared elbows him in the side as hard as possible, a grunt the result.
There’s no other response from John, merely a quick nod.
“What the fuck?” Garrett practically yells, once again earning an elbow from Jared. It wouldn’t be good if Alex overheard them talking about him like this. Or at all.
“Dude, I don’t want the entire hall to know, much less Alex to know that you guys know…”
“But you’re okay right?” Jared’s eyes had softened and he placed a comforting hand on the other boy’s shoulder.
“I mean, I’m a little traumatized, but I guess it’s something I can get over--”
“Good! We’ll just be off then!”
“Wait, seriously? You’re leaving me here alone with him?” John’s jaw dropped, and he finally looked up at the way-too-hyper friend that was now heading for the door.
“John, we’re not going to sit here and deal with the problems between you and your old dick appointment.”
The only response from John is a grunt. He stands, and hugs Jared, but makes a point not to hug the other boy in the room. Garrett gets a wave goodbye before disappearing into the hall.
Jared sticks around for a minute, giving John the most reassuring smile he can manage. “We love you, J. We do. This is just something you need to resolve yourself. You know we’re only a text and call away for support, okay?”
With a nod, John sighs out, “Yeah. Okay. I’ll see you next weekend, right?”
“Of course.”
There’s one more hug exchanged, and then John is left alone. Or, alone with a roommate that hates his guts and will probably transfer as soon as he possibly can. He tries to block out the angry pop punk music playing from across the dorm as he picks his bookshelf up, and begins to unpack his belongings.
It was going to be a hell of a semester.