Adam POV
I say goodbye and head into the apartment building. It's fairly nice, and I doubt I'd be able to afford it if it weren't for Martin.
Martin.
Martin.
Oh God.
I'm dead.
My shift would've ended half an hour ago, which means he's going to want to know where I was. How I got home. Oh God, he probably asked my boss, Calvin, where I was when he went to pick me up.
I begin panicking as I hop into the elevator.
I can hear him Cal now, 'I don't know where he went, he just disappeared earlier today.' Martin would have been so worried, not knowing where I was. Worse than that, he's going to be so angry when I get back.
I'm so stupid. I've been going around, acting like I have friends, like I deserve more than what I have. I'm lucky those three even bothered to put up with me.
I should just be grateful for what I have, trying to act like I deserve anything better will only get me hurt.
After all, if I deserved a better life, then why would I be living like this?
- The Next Day -
James POV
Last night was great. Y'know, aside from the emergency room. I've been waiting all day for lunch break so I can talk to Adam again, see if he's okay, try and figure out a date for all of us to hang out again.
I finally head over to the small bookstore. I find Adam lounging around on one of the chairs, and assume he's on break too.
"Hey." I say, sitting on the ground next to him.
He jolts upwards, and I laugh at his surprise.
He crosses his arms and huffs. "You are so lucky you're handsome."
I chuckle. "You think I'm handsome?"
"Wha- I- UGH! I hate you." He stutters exasperatedly.
"So are you on break?" I ask.
"Yeah, you?"
"Same. Wanna go grab something at the food court?"
"Fine, but you're paying. That stuff is WAY overpriced." He says with a laugh.
- After Getting Seated -
"So, uh..." I say self-consciously, "Last night was fun."
"Yeah, a trip to the hospital. What a blast."
I roll my eyes with a chuckle. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I haven't hung out with people in a while."
"So, would you, um, be down to hang out with all of us again or..."
He glances up nervously from his food. "I mean, I wouldn't want to be a third- er- fourth wheel or anything..." He trails off.
"No, it wouldn't be like that, I swear! It just seemed like we all enjoyed hanging out with each other. But, if you, y'know, didn't, then that's fine. I just thought it'd be fun."
"No, no!" He exlaims, shaking his head vigorously. "It's not that I don't want to, I'd love to, it's just other things..."
"What other things?"
He gets quiet. "I mean, I don't want you doing this just because you pity me or something, and besides, my boyfriend doesn't like me hanging out with, uh, anyone."
"I promise that if we hang out, it won't be because of pity." I say earnestly. "And, I don't know about you, but doesn't sound like a very good boyfriend to me."
"Can we please talk about something else?"
"Of course." I say, noticing the strain in his voice. "What's your favorite food?"
- Twenty Minutes Later -
"Thanks for hanging out with me, but I've really gotta get back to work." He says, throwing away his trash.
"Yeah, I should probably be going too." I say, doing the same as him.
I notice that his hair's parted wired, and turn towards him to fix it.
"You're hair's messed up. Here, let me just..."
I move it out of his face, only to realize that the sad excuse for emo bangs was actually covering a black eye.
"I've, uh, gotta go." He says quickly. "See you later."
He then skitters away in the direction of his job, leaving me just standing there.
Weird.
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