Lag 6.19c (Preview) (Patreon)

Lag 6.19c

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Theo stood rooted by the side of an empty table, a silent statue in a sea of rich party-people, as his godbrother nonchalantly sipped from a flute of apple cider. They had chosen this table together…

Well, Greg had chosen it, and Theo had simply… didn’t say anything. His father's instructions echoed in his head, an insistent whisper, commanding him to 'stick by Greg’s side and make friends'. It was an awkward pairing, with Greg at least half a head taller than Theo, and while he knew it, Greg didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Instead, he stood tall and aloof, bright blue eyes scanning the bustling room with an air of bored indifference.

Following Greg's lead, Theo elected to stay standing, mirroring his godbrother's stance, and doing his best to mimic his detached demeanor. Compared to his familiar defense mechanism of sinking into a chair and trying his best to go unseen, it wasn’t one of his favorites.

I get that it’s been three years, his grey eyes discretely sizing up the boy next to him. But still… Greg, seemingly oblivious to the scrutiny, didn't flinch, didn't even glance his way. If he was at all aware, he certainly didn’t say a word about it. He just looks so different.

That wasn’t even an exaggeration.

He had seen pictures of Greg just a year ago and the two of them could have been brothers, only accounting for a noticeable difference in weight. Both awkward, blond, and with uncool interests, they had managed to keep each other occupied when no one else would be their friend. They even had the same near bowl-cut of a hairstyle for years, something they did out of solidarity more than any real fashion sense.

But now…

Suppressing a frown, Theo studied Greg further. This version of Greg was like a stranger, and Theo wasn't sure how to feel about that. Honestly, he wouldn’t have guessed this was Greg at all if his dad hadn’t said as much when he brought him and his mom over to their assigned table. The Greg he remembered might have been a few years out of date, but that one felt like someone he could relate to.

Someone he did relate to.

They shared more than awkwardness and uncool hobbies.

Both boys had fathers who were far from happy with who they were, men who constantly pushed and prodded them to be different. Greg's father was a louder, happier, more muscular, yet far less wealthy mirror of his own. Their disparities seemed minor compared to the glaring similarity - the palpable disappointment their fathers held for them, made apparent at every turn.

But that was then, and now…

Now was different.

Is this what not having a dickhead dad around dad does to you? Theo allowed himself to wonder what life would be like away from his dad’s expectations. If I could only be so l-

His mental musings were abruptly disrupted by a flutter of pink near their table. A girl — delicate, pretty, and with long brown hair — was sneaking furtive glances at Greg as she slowed her approach toward them, her cheeks reddening under Theo's bewildered gaze. Heat rose on his face as he spotted the girl, and he had no doubt that his cheeks were at least as pink as her dress — if not outright red by now —  as she took several quick steps toward their table, the sudden movement making her bounce.

"Hey, I—"

“We’re busy.”

Theo’s gaze slowly shifted toward Greg as the words left his godbrother’s lips, his mouth nearly falling open at the audacity. Just like that? Not even a hello?

“Personal conversation. You understand.” Greg didn’t even so much as flinch, literally shooting her a bored look as the girl stuttered in response blinked in surprise. A small part of Theo felt his heart shrivel up as the girl scurried away in a pink blur and went back to wherever she was going, wearing a newly insecure look on her face.

“What the hell?”

Greg's bored facade cracked, making way for an unexpected grin that sprawled across his face. His eyes, bright and piercing, bore into Theo's, the intensity of his gaze a stark contrast to his nonchalant demeanor from before. "Finally, I was wondering if there was a real person under all that fake bullshit quietness. How you doing, Theo?"

Taken aback, Theo fumbled with his words, Greg's blunt honesty throwing him off balance. He turned his gaze back to the fleeing girl, using her retreat as an excuse to hide his unease. "Wh-what the hell?" He repeated, this time less forceful, more bewildered. Why would he do that? She was just trying to—

“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” Greg interrupted his train of thought, his snorting laughter punctuating the end of his sentence. He took another swig from his flute, the cider fizzing at the edge of the glass. "You talking about her dress? Cause I couldn't believe it either. That shade of pink with her skin tone? She must be insane, right?"

Theo could only stare, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and surprise. “Y-yeah,” he blinked, dazed by the sudden shift before shaking his head and shooting Greg a strange look. “What? No! What?”

Greg responded with a nonchalant sigh, an amused snort passing his lips as he took another sip of his cider. His brows arched in a silent challenge, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "I don’t know, man, I’m just saying shit. I’m bored. You’ve been giving me nothing to bounce off this whole night.”

“I’m…” Theo started, but his voice tapered off into an uncertain whisper. He could feel the walls of his self-assuredness crumbling again, his stoic expression giving way to a faint hint of insecurity. “I’m sorr-”

“Wow, boring and a liar,” Greg interrupted, the words slicing through the silence between them. “Great combo there, Theo. Girls love that.”

“I’m not ly-” Theo’s protest got lodged in his throat, strangled by the intensity of the look Greg was shooting at him. It was a look that made his father's stern gaze seem mild in comparison. Under the glittering light of the chandelier, Greg's eyes sparkled with an unfathomable depth, his stare probing into Theo's very being.

“Really? We both know you don’t like talking to people,” Greg stated matter-of-factly, as though he was discussing the weather, and not unearthing Theo's deepest insecurities. He chuckled, a sound that carried a hint of amusement. His eyes, half-lidded and playfully challenging, met Theo's. “Come on, you don’t even like me right now, forget about talking to me.”

In the face of such brutal honesty, Theo was rendered speechless. The cold truth echoed in his ears. He's right. Gathering his thoughts, Theo muttered, “Well, you’ve been kind of harsh all night. When you haven’t been mean, you’ve been talking over me or for me. Can you blame me?”

Greg's response was a hearty laugh, a row of teeth — unnaturally bright — gleaming in response to Theo's confession. “No, I really can’t. No hard feelings, but I like that you have good reasons for it. I know it, you’re a real thinker.”

Theo blinked, taken aback by Greg's acknowledgement. “Do you?”

“I do. I also know I’m being a dick but it’s really hard for me to stop sometimes. Especially when I’m bored.” Greg confessed, his words hung in the air between them, a tacit admission of his flaws. He ran a hand through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips before he fixed Theo with another intense stare.

His voice dropped to a low whisper, loud enough for only Theo to hear. “I’m really bored, Theo.”

His confession fell heavily in the silence that ensued, creating ripples that slowly diffused into the awkward tension hovering between them. The admission was startling, not for its content but for its candidness. For the first time that evening, Greg wasn’t trying to play any games or hide behind a mask of bravado; he was simply being himself — bored, disgruntled, and surprisingly human. The realization stirred a sense of sympathy within Theo.

"...We're at an art gallery," the pudgy blond retorted, his tone laced with a note of disbelief. He deliberately swept his gaze around the space, taking in the high ceilings, the serene colors and the art pieces adorning the walls. "I don’t know what you expected."

A genuine laugh bubbled out of Greg, a sound that was more heartfelt and authentic than the previous ones. For a moment, Theo saw a hint of the old Greg in that laugh.

The taller blond swiftly drained the rest of his cider and Greg lowered the now empty glass to the table before swiveling back to face Theo. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. This is the Theo I missed.”

Theo’s gaze hardened behind the lenses of his glasses, scrutinizing Greg for any signs of deceit. “You didn’t miss me. You barely even thought about me.”

“Guilty,” Greg confessed unabashedly, his tone devoid of any remorse.

“Mean.”

“Sue me.”

Theo couldn't suppress a snort of laughter, despite the seriousness of their exchange. “My dad has the best lawyers in town.”

Greg mirrored Theo's action, his own snort a mockery of Theo's threat. “Your dad’s not like mine. He doesn’t even give you an allowance, you’re not touching his lawyers.”

“...True,” Theo admitted after a moment's hesitation. He could feel a lump forming in his throat, the reality of his situation hitting him anew. "At least I see my dad, though." He realized what he had just said and the sharpness of the words hung in the air between them. His heart hammered in his chest as he clamped his mouth shut, trying to conjure up an appropriate apology. That was crossing a line, he had gone too far-

“There’s the Theo I missed!” Greg's laughter echoed through the gallery, his hand landing on Theo's shoulder in a light clap.

The impact jolted Theo forward, a sudden sting blossoming on his back from the unexpected blow. Holy hell. He regained his balance and lifted his gaze to meet Greg's eyes, relief washing over him as he noted the other boy was still laughing. Maybe he hadn't messed up after all?

“God, I’ve been waiting for you to say something like that,” Greg retorted, his smile so bright it seemed to illuminate the gallery. There was no hint of annoyance or anger in his demeanor, despite Theo's previous comment. Instead, he looked genuinely amused, as if Theo hadn’t just left an emotional jab hanging in the air between them. “Can’t believe a dad joke did it.”

Theo blinked, stunned by Greg's reaction. His heart rate slowed down, his clenched hands relaxing at his sides. Maybe this wasn't a total disaster after all. The thought brought a faint smile to Theo's lips.

Wait a second… The cogs in Theo's mind began to turn as he caught onto Greg’s last words, his brows knitting together in a contemplative frown as he put two and two together. “So… let me get this straight. This whole night… the Wards, the girl, making fun of my weight, it was all just to make me insult you back?”

“Well…” Greg hissed slightly, teetering his hand side to side. “In the spirit of honesty, that was just me being me. But you were like five percent of it.”

“...only five.”

“So conceited, Theo. It’s been three years. My life doesn’t revolve around you,” Greg replied with a scoff for emphasis. “Get over yourself.”

I don’t know whether I like him a lot or I dislike him a lot right now. Another question on his mind spurred Theo forward. “But why were you so mean to the girl?”

“Oh…” Greg’s smile faded for a moment. “Well, three reasons. One, I’ve decided that I no longer like brunettes. Two, that was actually way too much pink for me to deal with. No idea what she was thinking. And three…”

Theo blinked, watching Greg fall quiet all of a sudden. The other boy lowered his head, his smile vanishing completely. For a moment, they sat there in silence, Greg's piercing gaze threatening to bore a hole through the white tablecloth.

Finally, Theo mustered the courage to probe further. “And three?”

Greg raised his head, blinking slightly. “What? Oh. Three… I have a girlfriend.” “What? Oh. Three… I have a girlfriend.”

The words left his mouth in a matter-of-fact tone. A trace of a smile formed on his face, but Theo couldn’t help but feel that it didn’t quite reach Greg's eyes.

“That’s great,” Theo offered, attempting to lighten the mood again.

“She’s a model,” Greg added, his tone nonchalant.

“...Lucky,” Theo replied, suddenly feeling his own mood falling.

“She’s also in a coma.”

“...” Theo blinked. “I… I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be,” Greg continued to smile at him in that same empty way. “It was my fault, anyway.”

Say something. Say something. Say something.

“...I have to use the bathroom.”

Not that.