After Date Jitters
Krew never gave us the angst we needed after Funneh and Alec's date.
That's where I come in.
~~~~~
Crickets chirped around the dorms as Funneh approached her front doors, still cradling a froyo cup in her hands. She looked over her shoulder as she reached for the handle. Evan was standing by the entrance, watching to make sure she made it inside. Funneh smiled and lifted a hand to wave, Evan returned the gesture before turning and going back to his own dorm building.
Funneh yawned as she opened the door, stepping in quietly. It was long past dark, the lights were out and the dorm was quiet. She assumed Gold was upstairs; she was never one to stay up this late. Shutting the door behind her, she flicked the lock and walked over to the trash can. Scraping out the last bits of Froyo, she tossed the cardboard cup inside.
“Hmm,” Funneh paused at the small sound, glancing back towards the living room. “..Funneh?” Gold popped up from behind the back of the couch, hair tousled and rubbing sleep from her eye.
“Oh, Gold, what’re you doing up?”
Gold yawned, “waiting for you.” Funneh walked around the couch to stand in front of her. The brunette sat up fully and fixed one of her sleeves that had rolled up in her sleep. “How are you? Thought you would be back earlier.”
“I'm fine!” Funneh chirped, clapping her hands in front of her, “Evan bought me Froyo!”
Gold glances to the left and Funneh follows her gaze. On the coffee table were two tubs of ice cream and spoons to go along with them, rings of condensation spread around the base of the cartons, infecting the grooves of the wooden table. Funneh winced, she hadn't thought Gold would wait up like this.
“Doesn't matter,” Gold shook her head, waving the ice cream away. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“Well, you remember how I told you Evan was playing for Ocean Metal? He totally flunked!” Funneh laughed, reaching her hands up to play with the end of her braid. “You shoulda seen him, he got a slushie spilled on him too! Then we went for Froyo, ate it on the sidewalk, got more, and came back here!”
Gold smiled, “well, that's good, I'm glad you had fun. But, uhm,” she hesitated and bit her lip, “what about Alec..?”
Funneh paused. A feeling of…. Actually, she didn't know what she was feeling. But it washed over her; she tried her best to shake it off. She plastered a smile on her lips. “Mhm, Alec got a phone call. I told you, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“No, it's fine!” Funneh waved a hand in dismissal, but couldn't help the lump that rose in her throat. “He said it was an emergency so it's fine.”
“It's not fine if you’re upset, Funneh.” Gold reached out a hand, grabbing Funneh’s clammy ones in hers.
Funneh sniffed, forced her smile brighter but turned her head away nonetheless. “Well, he said he was sorry?” Gold kept quiet, rubbing soothing circles into the back of Funneh’s hand. The silence overwhelmed her, she had to keep talking.
“It's no big deal, yeah? This kind of thing happens all the time! I'm sure he’ll make it up to-!” Funneh’s voice broke off into a sob. Immediately, she brought her free hand to cover her face. Tears started to stream down her cheeks and fell to soak her newly bought hoodie.
Gold stood up immediately, placing a gentle hand on her friend's cheeks as she hiccuped and sobbed, her shoulders shaking. “Oh, Funneh..”
“Why am I cryin-g-G-g?! This is so stu-u-u-upid!” Funneh choked out. She felt so pathetic. She told herself that it was barely a date, and it wasn't like he never showed up; they had fun until he had a family emergency. An emergency! Was she so entitled to think she was more important?
“No, honey, no,” Gold wrapped her arms around her, Funneh buried her face into her best friend's shoulder. The plush pink pajamas were soft and warm. “He left,” Funneh sobbed harder. “You have a right to feel upset.”
“But-!” Funneh tried to raise her hands to wipe her face, to hide from her friend. Gold didn't let her, grabbing her hands in a firm but comforting hold. Funneh looked up, and through her tears, she saw Gold’s face. Perfect, as it usually was, flawless, but burdened. She looked so sad, so hurt.
But why would Gold be sad? Was it because of her? Was she making Gold sad?
Funneh felt her knees shake and Gold gently lowered them to the rough carpet. Funneh’s exposed knees rubbed against the carpet, they burned as she shifted her posture to lean against the couch, still facing Gold.
“I-I’m sorry!” Funneh lowered her head, too afraid to look her in the eyes. It seemed like she always ruined everything. She didn't want Gold to leave too.
“‘Sorry’? Why are you sorry?”
“I'm making you sad!”
Gold hummed, squinting her eyes and tilting her head in sympathy, though Funneh didn't see it. “Funneh, Funneh, Funneh, no.” When she failed to raise Funneh’s head, Gold sighed. Funneh hiccuped, it was getting hard to breathe through her sobs. She felt Gold rest her forehead against hers. Brown and blue hair tangled together. “I'm not sad because of you, I'm sad for you.”
Funneh’s brows furrowed. What did she mean?
She finally looked up, only to be greeted by Gold’s smile. “What happened sucks, and I’m so so so incredibly sorry this happened to you, Funneh. It was a jerk move and he needs to apologize.” Gold paused, waiting for a response. When Funneh nodded, shakily and unsure.
“You’re tired,” Funneh couldn't help but laugh, a wet chuckle escaping her lips, slipping past the slowly dying sobs. “How about we go get you cleaned up and head to bed? Clear your head and talk more in the morning?”
“Mhm..” Funneh mumbled, wiping her face frantically with her sleeves. She winced, she would need to wash the hoodie already. She felt a feather-light weight she had become accustomed to being lifted from her head, Gold laying her flower crown on the couch cushions beside them. “I’m sorry-”
“Funneh,” Gold interrupted gently, raising herself to her knees. “There's absolutely nothing to apologize for, especially not for crying. Your hurt, it's okay.”
“Okay…” Funneh repeated as Gold pulled her to her feet and lead her to the stairs. She didn't brush her teeth or do her normal skin care, but she did wipe down her face, wiping away the tear tracks burned into her cheeks, the black of her mascara a reminder of their existence. Behind her, Gold stood, undoing the hairstyle she had created but hours ago; gently pulling out bobby pins and rubber bands.
By the time they left the bathroom, Funneh felt sluggish and tired and still sad but more numb and the tension of tears was building again and-
“Can you stay with me?” she asked meekly as a lone tear streamed silently down her raw cheek. She fiddled with her sleeve, she would probably sleep in it.
She wondered if Alec had taken his off yet.
Gold smiled at her, connecting their hands together once more. “Of course. But, can we stay in your room? I doubt we’ll both fit in mine.”
Funneh chuckled, opening her bedroom door. Stepping inside, they neglected to turn on the lights, only slipping under the covers together.
“Goodnight, Funneh.”
“G’night, Gold.”
“....thanks..”
Funneh was asleep practically before she finished talking.
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