Before - Chapter 30
I'm not gonna make an excuse to why it's been 6 months since I've written this, because honestly I don't have one. But anyone still interested, here's the 30th Chapter :)
Hope everyone is doing well! Here's the other chapters if you need to be reminded what happened...I know I did!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
This chapter continues straight after Chapter 29.
Chip looked good. Chip looked so damn good that it made Jeff even angrier than he already was. So much so, that he was still fuming when he got home. He snapped at his Mom when she merely asked if he wanted dinner, stomped up to his room and slammed the door like a bratty, hormonal teenager.
He punched his pillow viciously before throwing himself on top of it and burying his face in the blankets. Groaning in frustration, he tried to stop the tears, he really did, but it was no use.
He was so sure he getting over Chip. Repressing his feelings and refusing to acknowledge he even existed had proved completely useless; five minutes of seeing him again had wreaked havoc. His feelings had hit him like a freight train just seeing him there again, and naturally he lashed out with venom and hate to overcompensate.
He sighed sadly as he thought about what happened. Had Chip said he wanted to fix things ? To talk? Jeff couldn't be sure whether that actually happened or if it was just wishful thinking on his part.
But even if he had said he wanted to talk - why should Jeff agree to that? Chip had been his best friend and he completely and totally screwed him over. Jeff had always thought he could trust Chip with anything, be a number of different versions of himself and Chip would still be there for him. Hell, Chip joked once when they were younger that he’d always be friends with Jeff, no matter what; even if Jeff killed someone and ended up in prison, Chip swore it wouldn’t matter.
Their friendship had always been unconditional. A given. No exceptions. But apparently being possibly gay or bi or whatever the fuck - was the exception. And that made Jeff feel worse than he thought anyone could ever feel.
After a while of refusing to admit he was once again crying over Chip, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He ignored it for a while; but when it vibrated again he sighed in annoyance and reached under himself awkwardly and fished it out from his pocket and turned over so he could lie on his back.
Wiping his eyes as he looked at his phone, he saw he had two messages from Chip.
9pm.
And then;
Bring twizzlers!
Jeff frowned at his phone. He weirdly felt like he'd gone back in time. Chip just text him what he'd text him a hundred times before when he wanted Jeff to meet him at their spot in the park. The spot Jeff had basically just told Chip to go fuck himself half an hour ago. He glared at his phone, and typed a reply.
No.
Watching the message send he felt oddly guilty; he was going against every instinct that was telling him go meet Chip.
Fine, I'll get the twizzlers, but you're in charge of the chocolate!
The reply was even stranger. Chip was acting as if nothing had ever happened between them. It didn't sit well with Jeff, and Chip had another thing coming if he thought they could just forget about all this and go back to normal.
It won't work. Stop trying.
Jeff stared at his phone with his eyes narrowed to slits.
Fine, fine. I'll get the chocolate too. God knows you'll probably pick the wrong one as usual.
The corner of Jeff's lip twitched and he had to catch himself before he smiled. He always did have a tendency to buy the exact opposite to what Chip was craving on any given day. Chip had said it was a gift; but one he didn't appreciate.
Forcing himself to be annoyed again, he typed his reply, refusing to allow Chip to do this.
Stop doing this. I'm not coming and I'm not texting back again.
Then I'll just come over. 15 mins ok?
Jeff grit his teeth, typed a reply but then remembered he said that he wasn't going to do that. Chip had apparently decided to text again anyway, and a few moments later;
I'll take your silence as a yes! :-) see you soon!
No!
Jeff had typed and sent the message before his brain had caught up with his decision.
Ha! Thought you said you weren't going to text back?
Fuck you Chip.
Jeff was furious. How dare Chip act like this after everything he put him through already.
Sooo...does that mean we're meeting at the park later?
We're doing neither. Leave me alone.
No, you have to pick.
I don't. I said stop.
Well either I'm coming over or were meeting later. You pick, but we're talking.
Jeff was close to hurling his phone across the room, but once again he couldn't stop himself from replying to every single text.
Why don't you get that I don't want to talk to you??
I do get it, but I'm not accepting it. We need to talk.
Jeff stared at his phone and honestly, he didn't know how to feel anymore. Why now? Why was Chip insisting so much that they should talk now? Where the hell was this over the last 6 months?
Why now?
It's long overdue.
Yeah, You can fucking say that again.
It's long overdue.
Jeff had to once again stop himself from smiling. "God dammit...." He sighed. Chip shouldn't be making him smile.
Chip let it go. It's not happening.
It is Jeff, if you don't agree to coming to the park tonight, I'll come over now. And if you agree to come to the park tonight and don't show, I'll come over then.
You can't force me to do this!! This is your fault remember?? You're the asshole here!
I know.
Jeff blinked at the response. For some reason he hadn't been expecting it. He shook his head slowly and let out a long breath.
Fine. Park tonight.
He conceded. Chip wasn't exactly giving him a choice anyway, so he had to go to the park. He didn't want him here where his mom could hover around. She was already giving him a hard enough time about not talking to him - and of course there was no way in hell he was telling her why. He guessed Chip was getting the same hard time from his mom. They had decided at a very young age that their parents being friends could not be a good thing. Much harder to get away with shit they shouldn't be doing.
9pm :-).
Jeff sighed and fell back on his bed, running his hands over his face and through his hair as he took a few deep breaths. He was hit quite suddenly with nerves that made him feel like he was going to be sick. He had agreed to meet Chip, but what the hell was he supposed to say when he did?
***
Chip was still in the park when he decided what to do. He sat down in Jeff’s place against the tree and text him as if nothing had happened. As if everything was normal and it was just another day. He needed some way to get Jeff’s attention, and he was sure this was the way to do it.
But as sure as he was, he was still surprised when Jeff text him back; even though it wasn’t exactly a positive response. The single “No.” made his stomach drop to his feet.
It took him a moment, but he forced himself to continue texting him, continue acting like normal with the determination to not give up until Jeff agreed. When it became clear that Jeff wasn’t going to do so, Chip had to give him an ultimatum.
Come to me, or I’ll come to you.
And he would too. After seeing Jeff and making his decision to fix everything, he was not giving up again. He’d do whatever it took. Although, admitting he was solely responsible was tough. He didn’t fully agree with it, but if it made Jeff at least get here, he could worry about that later.
