Rage With Benefits

Chapter 33: Spaces Filled

Paranoia doesn't suit him well.

The leather-bound wallet tucked in his fingers didn't look as heavy as it felt, and the fact that Bryce stopped showing up at school after getting kicked out of class a few days ago didn't help either. The brunet looked around, the faint hope in his chest fading a speck more every time he didn't see what he was hoping to find. Sighing, he gave up and slumped on the cold bench beside Emery who was currently watching some show on his phone.

"I can literally hear the sound of your dead ancestors' disappointment the longer you hold on to that wallet," Emery brought his eyes up, pausing the show before narrowing them down at Ian. "What are you frowning about now?"

"I don't know," the brunet replied, too focused on his own disquieting thoughts to even feel the gust of cold wind that blew past them. Emery stared at his best friend, concerned but frankly a little more disturbed to see Ian starting to fall back into the pit of simp-foolery.

Drawing in a long breath, the redhead boy pulled the sleeve of his coat and glanced at his watch. It was already 4 in the afternoon and the campus had started to clear over an hour ago, the gate crowding with relentless students eager to bundle up next to their fireplace and enjoy the last few days of winter. Emery would've been one of them if it weren't for Ian who insisted that he wasn't leaving until he's sure his piece of jerk ex-or-something is alive; Bryce, if you're keen on saying his name.

"You don't know? Really," Emery mimicked, pulling the zipper of his jacket up to his neck as he leaned against the bench. The sky was brighter than you'd expect it to be today, and that gained Emery the upper hand as he saw Ian's face muscles twitch. "Ian, we've been sitting here for an hour. This...?" he made a wiping gesture with his hands, hovering them over Ian. "What you're doing right now? Waiting under the snowfall for a wallet? Is downright I'm-gonna-shoot-myself-in-the-head idiotic."

Emery let out a breath, pulling the hood of his jacket down to his face as he went on. "Bryce didn't even come back to get it. Isn't that a telltale sign that he doesn't care and we're both just wasting our time?"

"Please shut up."

Ian fired daggers at his best friend with his eyes. At least he tried to. It came too quickly that Emery didn't even notice that the brunet was glaring at him. He knows it in his head though. Ian's too stubborn for his own good, too stubborn to admit that he still cares about Bryce. He's way too caring for those who don't even half-deserve it, which sucks, even for Emery who once helped a mugger up on his feet when he was being chased by cops. Glancing around, the redhead suddenly remembered Noah. Where was he? Wasn't he supposed to have picked this sad block of numbnut already by now?

Emery sighed. He really wants to go home and watch tonight's game with his dad. But he can't just leave Ian. Unfortunately, this sad block of numbnut is his sad block of numbnut, and said sad block of numbnut is currently being dumb. He's sworn to stick by his side at times like this, especially then.

"Does it have cash?" he decided to ask after a minute of silence.

"It's empty."

"Pity," he said as he checked on his phone to see if he got worried texts from his mother. It was empty, thankfully. "What are you so worried about? Leave it at the office, on top of his locker," he went on as Ian made no sound of protest. "Burn it. I heard that's a great way to get over a break up."

He was trying to lighten the mood, but it seems like that wasn't his best game. "You're not yet completely over him, I get it," Emery didn't seem like he was going to stop talking, and he wasn't, much to Ian's disappointment. "You can't have what you had with Bryce for months and just get over it in like a week. But Ian, you gotta remember what this guy did to you. You can't just let him get you riled up like this again."