redamancy || georgenotfound

one

"Hey, isn't that-"

"Shut up!"

My attention flipped to the direction of the two familiar voices, and I turned to spot the three boys I ran into earlier. He was accompanied by the blonde and other brunette who had lingered outside the restroom, probably waiting for him to embarrass himself.

"Did George turn all red?" The blonde asked without question.

"I don't think I'm at liberty to answer that question," I said after a moment with a small smile. The one from the bathroom, George, exhaled in relief and I could read his eyes that communicated thank you.

"Fair enough," the blonde replied with the same smile I shot at him. "I'm Clay." He stuck out his hand, and I accepted it after cradling my items in my left arm.

"I'm Aurora," I replied, hoping I didn't sound as exhausted as I felt.

"You're American too?" The other brunette cocked his head, and held out his hand which I shook as I nodded. "Oh nice. I'm Nick."

"George, are you not going to introduce yourself?" Clay nudged George on his side, to which George responded by crossly shoving him off.

"I mean, we did meet already," After seeing a flushed smile grace George's face, I assumed my attempt to ameliorate the situation was somewhat successful.

"Yeah, exactly. So stop bugging me," he huffed, which shut down some of Nick and Clay's attempts to pester George even further.

"What kind of bet did he lose in for him to step foot into the girl's restroom?" I inquired curiously. The boys, except for George who only smiled sheepishly, burst into laughter at my question.

"I bet that he couldn't beat some game in under 45 minutes, and he lost. If he had beat it, I would have had to do it," Clay explained after a wheeze that caught me off guard. Still a bit confused, but not wanting to look like an idiot, I just smiled and nodded. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and pursed my lips as I realized the time.

Transferring the items back to a balanced state in my arms, I shot the group a quick smile before taking a couple steps backwards. "Hey, it was nice talking to you all, but I have to go now. See you around, maybe."

"Nice to meet you Aurora! See you!" Clay waved, a kind smile on his face. Nick waved as well, and George lifted his hand and the corners of his lips slightly tugged up. I sped over to the register where I paid for my items, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the earlier downpour had now slowed to a drizzle. Hanging the bag from one arm, I used my free hand to swipe at Ria's missed call as I raised my hood while stepping out into the rainy day.

"You said you'd be back in twenty!" Her loud voice made me cringe and I lowered the volume on my phone.

"Things happened, alright? I'm in my way back now."

I heard her clicking her tongue, and I could sense her annoyance through the screen as she took a deep breath. "Alright, just be back in five." I opened my mouth to remind her it was a ten minute walk, but by then, I already heard the familiar beep signaling she had hung up. I let out a long sigh as I cradled the bag carefully in my arms, picking up the pace before Ria could lose her mind again.

•••

"There you are," Ria greeted me, arms folded across her apron as she watched me stumble in the front door. I kicked the door behind me shut with my wet shoe, and handed off the bag to her while I peeled my damp socks off. She wrinkled her nose while watching me throw my wet jacket onto the coat rack. "You didn't wear rain boots?"

I looked at her sourly. "I forgot. And it was a short trip."

"Clearly something occupied your attention. You're usually back here in no longer than fifteen," she countered, tossing the box of tampons and Pringles onto the couch in the living room. I just now noticed the state of the kitchen, which made my fingers twitch. Bowls were scattered on the top counter, each full with some sort of dough that were sealed off with plastic wrap. When I stepped over to examine the back of the counter, my eyes squinted at the flour that covered the countertop like snow.

"Is this what you needed cream cheese for so desperately?" I questioned. Ria's hair was pulled back in the same clip she used every time she showed any interest in baking again.

She wiped her hands on her apron after opening the two boxes of cream cheese. "Yeah. At least I'm trying. Anyways, you gonna tell me what took you so long?" I let out a quiet laugh as I took a napkin and began to brush some of the leftover flour into the plastic bag used for my groceries.

"I met a guy," I started. Her eyes bugged, and a mischievous smile spread across her face. "In the girl's restroom." I got the urge to tell her how stupid she looked when her smile immediately faded into a confusion tug on the corner of her lip. However, I held back, knowing it could potentially lead me to become covered head-to-toe in flour.

"In the what?"

"You heard me. And get this. He was shoving a hamburger in his mouth when I saw him." She let out a giggle, which then turned into a bunch of questions to which I took the joy in answering with short, clipped words. Was he cute? Sure. What was his name? George. Did he get embarrassed? Yes. Did you see him again? Yes. Oh my God, this is the cliche stuff that happens in movies, isn't it? Shut up.

"Shouldn't you be baking?" I interrupted just as she was about to open her mouth to interrogate me even further. By now the dough had risen, and she had spread each blob out, coating one half in cream cheese and the other in the strawberry jam from the fridge. I didn't exactly understand what she was going for, but I figured it was safer to keep my mouth shut.

"Yeah, whatever. We can order takeout later for dinner, if you want."

"Chinese?" I suggested. Her light smile was enough of a response, and I used it as an excuse to redirect myself into my room and throw my wet clothes in the laundry bin. After changing into dry clothes, I settled down in front of my computer, knowing I had a promise to fulfill.

•••

cara: hey!

cara: still down for streaming in an hour?

me: of course

me: who's going to be on?

cara: niki, badboyhalo, and jack manifold for now

cara: this'll be your first time with bad but he's really nice so it'll be okay

me: alright cool

me: i will be eating though so don't mind me if i mute for some time

cara: oh you're good no worries

cara: chinese again?

me: you know me so well

cara: of course i do

cara: how's the uk?

me: ummm brighton is nice i guess

cara: that's nice that's nice

cara: we'd probably be doing our annual get-slushees-for-a-week-straight thing by now

me: i know

me: i miss you

cara: aww i miss you more

cara: you're coming back in the fall though right

me: yes

me: i can't be here forever

me: sorry what are you streaming again?

cara: just a chill type i guess? where we talk and stuff. you don't have to turn your camera on as always

me: okayyy sounds fun

me: i actually do have a story to share that'll be fun

cara: oooh can't wait :))