golden boy //Jegulus//

2. (R.A.B.)

{AN: tw for abusive families and eating disorders}

Of course, my wish was not granted. I was lucky the room was empty when I arrived, but Barty has entered the room and is yelling about something I know nothing about.

"And that's just such bullshit, right?" he looks at me expectantly. I just hum in agreement, hoping that's the right move. Does he really expect me to answer truthfully? Does he just want his feelings to be validated? How do people do this?

"Like, one moment he's all clingy with me, giving me hope and the next moment he's off flirting with some random guy" Barty exclaims, throwing his arms in the air to support his frustrations.

"Yea that... sucks?" I say with hesitation. I'm nog sure what he wants to hear. I don't even know who this is about.

"It does, it really does" Barty says before slumping down onto his bed face down. There is a short silence and then a muffled scream into his pillow. I get it, sometimes you just need to scream into your pillow. He comes back up, his face red and slightly out of breath. He combs his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix it.

"Anyways, I'm not usually like this, I'm sorry. You just caught me at a bad time, Evan is really getting on my nerves lately" he says with a lopsided grin, avoiding my eye. I study him. He's got a good posture and his hair looks really soft. He's not my type, but he is cute. His nails are bitten short, something I can relate to, and he has good muscles, which isn't strange, seeing the level of dance he does.

"It's alright, I know how it feels" I say. I mean it to sound comforting, but when I say it out loud, it feels more like I'm trying to shift the attention to me. Maybe that's just in my head again, because Barty nods and sniffles.

"I love him so, so much, you know, but I can't keep doing this and I can't tell him, because what if it ruins our friendship? Evan really is my best and oldest friend and I can't lose him over something stupid like this" he goes on. I feel a stab in my heart for him. I know his pain.

"I can't really help you with this, I'm sorry" I say, fidgeting with my hands. I don't like letting people down, but I also don't like pretending I can be of any help.

"Oh that's alright, I just needed to get it off my chest" Barty says. He's smiling trough his tears, which he is frantically trying to wipe away with his sleeves.

"I'm willing to be a listening ear whenever" I offer.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it." I smile at Barty, and it's a genuine smile. Maybe I've done it. Maybe I've made my first ever friend, if you don't count Potter, which I don't, because he was Sirius' friend, not mine.

"Why don't you join me and our friends for dinner?" Barty asks. I bite my lip. I want to say no, I don't like eating out, I was planning on just eating a salad, but I promised myself to put myself out there. I promised myself to learn what it is like to live.

"Yeah, alright" I say.

"Great. Wait, give me your cell number and I'll add you to our groupchat" Barty offers. I nod and awkwardly struggle to enter my number into his phone.

"Aaand done."

BCJ: hey guys, welcome Regulus
PR: regulus!! hi
DM: hi!
MM: what is a regulus?
RB: I am, hi
ER: he's our new roommate
BCJ: and he's joining us for dinner
MM: aw i'm sorry guys, me and Dorcas are having dinner with Lily and Mary
PR: why don't we all have dinner with Lily and Mary
DM: because they'll be having dinner with Remus and his lot
PR: I don't see a problem here
BCJ: I do
BCJ: I see many, many problems with that
PR: deal, we're going
MM: aight, meet us at seven at the diner