Purple Ink (SatoGou)

Chapter 16

But he doesn't, even though Serena reports that he's cold at their next practice too, and won't speak to her. He doesn't message me, and I don't see him around, and soon a week has passed with no contact. I feel him slipping through my fingers as more and more time passes, and a strange panic starts to set in. The longer he's with Bede, the more likely he is to never speak to me again, especially if Bede asked him not to. By now, he probably likes him a fair amount.

It's well into November now, and on Saturday night, a flurry of snow appears out of the blue. The numerous throws that my mom forced me to bring come in handy, and I keep the heater in my room on, two of them thrown over my knees as I lie in bed. On a Saturday most students are probably out, but we all decided to stay in, and after a half an hour video call with Dawn, on which she forced me to find Serena so they could chat, I find myself alone in bed, watching Netflix. I don't close my curtains so I can watch the snow drift past the window, settling in a fine layer on the road outside.

Is it snowing where you are? I text Dawn, and then shoot off texts to Brock, Misty and Gary. Before I can get her reply, though, I drift off to sleep, the TV show playing away to nobody.

I jerk awake hours later to a vibration in my hand. Disoriented, I'm jolted back to reality by panic, and I rub my eyes, trying to see what's going on. I realise, with dread, that it's my phone ringing. I hold my phone up, sitting upright, and my heart sinks deep into my stomach when I realise it's Goh calling, and it's half one in the morning.

For a brief moment, I consider ignoring it. We haven't spoken in a week, and I'm still mad at him, but he could be in trouble. And in the moment, all the anger rushes right out of me, and I accept the call, bringing the phone to my ear. "Goh?"

"Ash," he chokes out weakly, and a cold rush goes through my heart. It sounds like he's crying. "Sorry. I- I didn't know who to call. I t-think I called you by accident."

I've never heard him slur his words like that. He is, without a doubt, wasted. "Goh, where are you?" I ask, already pushing up out of bed and grabbing my pants. "Who are you with?"

"I don't know. No one." I can hear music in the background. "I can't remember."

Fuck. My pulse is racing with panic. "Which club are you in, Goh?" I ask softly, using my shoulder to hold up my phone as I pull the pants on. "Is Bede there?" For once, the name doesn't make me feel angry. There's no room for it amongst the fear.

"He left me here," Goh says, his voice trembling. "I don't know where he is- I feel sick." I hear a strange noise, almost like he's sitting down. I grab for my keys and jacket and step into my shoes. Outside, I can see it's stopped snowing, but there's at least a layer of a few inches settled over the road and pavement, making it hard to tell where one ends and the other starts. There's zero chance of finding a taxi to bring him home, so I'm going to have to get him myself, if Bede has abandoned him. There isn't even a single bit of hesitation as I start to push out of my room.

I ask him which club he's in again as I step out into the freezing cold, sinking into the soft snow. This time, he manages to answer. I haven't heard of it, but when I type it into maps, I see it's just a ten minute walk away.

"Alright. Stay where you are, okay?" I say, and hang up, breaking into a jog despite the snow. A pain shoots up the side of my body, and the cold makes breathing a bit painful, but I don't stop, and I reach the doors of the club in less than seven minutes. There's no one on the door, so I step inside, instantly getting blasted by a fog machine. I glance around wildly, trying to see between gaps in the crowd, but I can't see him. I look down at my phone again, but I have no service here, so I can't call him.

I push through the crowd, muttering apologies as I go, my eyes darting back and forth, until I spot him, sitting on the edge of the dancefloor, his head in his hands. I race over, the breath rushing from my lungs. I crouch down beside him, taking his jaw in my hands, and tilt his face so he's facing me, but his movements are slow and delayed. He blinks. "Ash? Wh- What are you doing here?"