𝗯𝗮𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 ── felix catton.

▃▃ 𝖝𝖝.

𝕭𝖆𝖌 𝕺𝖋 𝕭𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘,

chapter twenty.

‎

‎ ‎ ‎

ㅤ
ㅤ

𝕿𝖍𝖊 ride back is enveloped in a heavy silence; no one dares to break it or even press play on the music. The Quick residence, contrary to Oliver's ominous descriptions, stands in a pristine neighborhood, a beautiful house, with parents who are very much alive and as sweet as ever-no trace of the troubles Oliver had painted.

Oliver, clutching his birthday cake wrapped in cling film, occupies the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Felix and Gabriette exhaust packs of cigarettes, their silent exhales mirroring the suppressed tension in the air.

Upon reaching Saltburn, where the sun is gracefully setting, preparations for Oliver's birthday bash are already in full swing.

Felix strides ahead, distancing himself from Oliver. "Felix... Please, let me explain," Oliver implores, his voice trembling with desperation.

Felix halts, maintaining a distant demeanor. "I think it's best for you to go home after the party," he says, a guarded tone in his voice.

Dread seizes Oliver as he fights back tears. "It's too late to cancel it now. Summer's almost finished anyway. So, let's have your party tonight, and... I'll see you back at Oxford," Felix concludes, his words laced with a cautious reserve.

Desperation lingers on Oliver's face. "Can we still be friends, though? We'll laugh about this. I don't even know why I said it. It's just a stupid thing-," Oliver pleads, interrupted by Gabriette.

Gabriette interjects, her voice colder than ever, "Some things aren't so easily laughed off, Oliver."

Oliver, overwhelmed with a mix of remorse and anxiety, nods silently, "Can you not tell your parents, please-"

"Ofcourse not! Fucking hell. It's dark enough as it is."

The trio separates with an unspoken tension lingering in the air, disrupting the festive atmosphere of the upcoming celebration.

As the night unfolds and laughter echoes through the Saltburn halls, Oliver finds himself increasingly isolated, the weight of his misguided actions hanging over him. Despite the festivities, an invisible barrier separates him from everyone.

Gabriette is dressed as Hermia, one of the main characters and one of the four lovers in the play, adorned in a flowing gown and accessorized with flowers, becoming one of the lovestruck but assertive and determined characters from the play.

Dressed as the Changeling Boy with antlers atop his head, Oliver sways through the hall, searching for Felix. The atmosphere is filled with couples making out against the walls. He peers into each room, frantically seeking his friend.

Passing by Harry, Oliver asks, "Have you seen Felix?"

Harry casually replies with a 'nope' before returning to his previous activities.

After an extensive search, Oliver finally locates Felix in a bathroom with India, Jake, and a few others, indulging in drinks and drugs.

"Felix, can I talk to you for a second?" Oliver attempts, but his plea falls on deaf ears as Felix ignores him completely. Undeterred, Oliver insists, "You can't ignore me forever."

Felix mutters, "I can try," adjusting his position on the toilet to accommodate India's body shifting to snort a line.

"Felix, we need to talk... Felix, come on!" Oliver's desperation echoes in his raised voice, prompting an annoyed sigh from Felix. "Look, man, I tried to be nice, but can you fuck off and bother somebody else?"

India laughs at Oliver's expense, and as Oliver gazes at Felix and the surrounding group, seated practically at Felix's feet, he realizes there's nothing more to be said.

Leaving Felix to himself, Oliver wanders again, eventually finding himself outside on the terrace where a pig is roasting, and a lively crowd surrounds the pool - with Gabriette among them.

Contemplating approaching her to redeem himself, Oliver quickly realizes that if Felix won't spare him a glance, Gabriette certainly won't either.

A figure in full Shakespearean dress, with a donkey's head covering his face and neck, stands nearby. He silently stands beside Oliver, seemingly fixated on the pool area.

"Hello, Farleigh," Oliver says dryly, prompting the figure to sigh and remove the mask, confirming Oliver's suspicions.

"How'd you know it was me?" Farleigh questions, leaning down to Oliver's height.

"Signet ring," Oliver responds, and both of them glance down at the bright gold signet ring on Farleigh's finger. "God. You really do notice everything, don't you?"

Farleigh takes a bag from his pocket, shakes a little white powder onto his hand, and hoovers it up.

"Have they seen you yet?" Oliver asks, observing Farleigh's actions. "Not yet."

"They'll go ballistic," Oliver confidently states, but Farleigh simply mumbles, "Doubt it."

There's a beat of silence before he adds, "They invited me."

Oliver can't mask his surprise. Farleigh laughs, "God, the look on your face!"

"They can't have invited you," Oliver remarks, the situation not properly making sense.

Farleigh simply laughs, amused, "Oh Oliver. You'll never catch on. This place," he gestures to the house, "you know, it's not for you. It is a fucking dream. It is an anecdote you'll bore your fat kids with at Christmas. Oliver's Once-in-a-Lifetime, Hand job on a hay-bale, Golden, Big-boy Summer... And you'll cling onto it and comb over it and jerk off to it, and you'll wonder how you could ever, ever, ever, ever get it back. But you don't get it back. Because your summer's over. And so you, you catch a train to whatever creepy doll factory it is they make Olivers in. And people like us come back here..." He looks at Gabriette by the pool, referring to himself and her.

"This isn't a dream to me. It's my house. It's her house. Felix is hers, and she's Felix's. There's no point in trying to play the same trick on her that you did on me."

"So whatever happens, we always come back," Farleigh comments, grabbing Oliver by the neck with both of his hands.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎