open hand and heart [ gawsten au ]

ii. what you want me to say

Awsten scoffed, putting his tongue in his cheek. "I should apologize? For what?" Geoff walked past the lavender headed boy, sitting at a lab table.
"Calling me a jackass maybe? We could start there, I guess."
Awsten bit his lip, he knew he shouldn't have said that, but it wasn't like he wasn't speaking the truth. Decisively, Awsten chose not to pick a fight.
He sat in the creaky wooden stool and picked up the packet given to him labeled "Periodic Element Semester Project." He glanced over the four pages while Geoff kicked his feet up on the table, chewing on his pencil.

The two were completely different. Awsten was sweetly sarcastic, if anything, he was exactly like Ramona from Scott Pilgrim v. The World. Without the whole seven evil exes thing, of course. But Geoff, he was bitter, just as cold as his eyes. He was more like Dallas Winston from The Outsiders. Awsten skimmed the papers, getting the main idea of the project. The project was due December 18, the Monday before they left for winter break. It seemed like it would be rather easy, the pairing would pick an element, write a research paper on it, make a poster of the element as it is on the table, and bring examples if possible, if not make a model as an example. Simple. Wait. Four page paper? Damn it. Well, almost simple.

"So can we try again?" Geoff snapped Awsten out of his daze.
"Try what again?" Awsten spoke with a twinge of annoyance.
"This potential friendship. We have to work together, you can at least muster up whatever pride or ego crap you're pulling to have a decent friendship with me." Geoff laughed a little.
"Yeah, it's my ego that's holding this back." Awsten said under his breath.
"So. My name is Geoff. And you are?" He said pulling out his hand.
"No business card this time?" He joked.
"And you are?" Geoff repeated, shoving his hand farther towards Awsten across the table.
"Awsten. Awsten Knight." He avoided looking at Geoff's hand, going back to the paper.
"Well. I guess since someone can't be polite, we'll work at his house." Geoff said packing up his packet into his bag.
"That's fine with me." Awsten said with a sarcastic smile.
Geoff laughed. "Well, text me the address and I'll come over today."
Awsten pulled his bag over his shoulder.
"Alright then." The bell rang, and Geoff walked out.
••••••

It was the end of the day, and Awsten sat in front of Otto, waiting for the day to actually end. He wanted to go home and sleep. Awsten was so tired, he'd began to doze off in class.
"So your house today, Sleeping Beauty?" Geoff said shoving Awsten awake.
Awsten yawned, "Yeah, Prince Phillip."
Geoff laughed, walking away and out of class with Otto.
Awsten, finally really waking up, realized he had no way of contacting Geoff. He grabbed his papers and his bag. He ran out of the room and yelled at the tall boy from down the hall. "How am I supposed to text you?"
Without turning around the boy yelled, "Check your history paper."
Awsten looked down at the paper labeled, "Jamestown and Plymouth."
Above the title was a phone number with a note.

"Not a business card, but here's my number.
I'll be there around 5. Sweet Dreams.
- Jackass"