Still Leaking… 17B

"I'm so disappointed in you." He smirked. "Hi."

"Hi Two. Can't keep a promise can you?" He chuckled. Noelle and Otto looked at each other. "Would you look at the smile on his face?" Otto said. "So adorable."

"So worth it." Noelle said, full of excitement.

"You all planned this? Then I don't need to introduce you to them."

"I had to do something. You wouldn't talk to me."

"When you say it like that, it sounds like you had a terrible break up." Noelle sat beside Sawyer, looking at the phone screen. Raina. Sawyer barely talked about her. It was easy to think they had a bad break up. And yet the smirk on his face when he saw her…

"We don't need to be reminded of how terrible he is with his phone. We do all the communicating for him." Otto took his other side.

"And I'm glad you did."

"Anything to get information on what kind of person our dear friend was in high school." Noelle was eager for information.

Sawyer laughed.

"Was he antisocial or a bully or a popular guy? He says he wasn't popular."

"I wasn't." Sawyer looked at Otto with a shrug.

"Let's hear it from an eye witness alright?" Noelle pat Sawyer's thigh.

"Well, he was popular."

"I knew it." More excitement from Noelle.

"No I wasn't."

"He didn't know it."

"Really?" Otto all but had his forehead touching the screen.

"That makes sense." Noelle nodded. "How?" Otto asked.

"I wasn't popular." "Oh yeah, because girls didn't flock to you."

"That never happened." Sawyer disagreed. "Let me talk okay?"

"Fine."

Raina cleared her throat. "He was… admired. Liked. But he was also… what's the word?"

"Oblivious." Noelle found it. "Exactly. And then that kind of made him unapproachable. Sawyer barely ever turned down a party."

"Still doesn't." Otto pointed out.

"He wasn't antisocial. He had a clique."

"Let me guess, all oblivious?" Noelle spoke.

"No. They had the same classes, dated each other, sattogether… that kind of stuff…" While she talked to his friends and listened to their comments and gave hers, Sawyer looked away. Far away in thought, that made her worry about him.

"Were others jealous of your relationship?"

"Kinda. Yeah."

Otto asked, "Why did you guys break up?"

The question brought Sawyer out of his thoughts. He focused his eyes on the screen then moved them. It was all Raina needed. "It was high school. If we were together then he wouldn't be with the lovely Hannah." She smirked.

"Who told you about Hannah?"

"Tom. But before that, Tate wouldn't stop talking and he said you attacked Tom for taking your phone." She laughed.

"So that's why you broke up? Really?" Noelle wanted confirmation.

Raina's eyes darted to Noelle. "Yeah. So guys, I need to talk to Sawyer. Soooo… privacy?"

"We totally hijacked the call. Sorry Raina. Maybe we'll talk later."

"Totally. Later Noelle." "Call me Elle."

"Bye Raina." Raina waved as Sawyer stood up, went to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He sank down beside the sink, his eyes on his phone. Remembering that Noelle said he called Emi Sher. Raina's fingers moved across her bottom lip. Seconds passed as he watched before he chuckled. "Don't do that." For a second it was like they were still together.

"Ray?"

"Sher?" To everyone, they joked and called each other One and Two but to him, she was Sher and to her, he was Ray.

"What's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Sawyer shrugged.

"Ray-"

"You have a boyfriend Raina. Don't call me that."

Raina drew back. It sounded hostile. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." "You literally just snapped cause I called you Ray."

"You know it's the truth." "You called me Sher and you have a girlfriend. The names are not the point. What's wrong?" He looked away. Defiant. "I can't remember when last you were this upset. Or angry."

"I'm not angry."

"I know you." He looked back at the screen. "I wish I can be with you now more than ever."

"Why?"

"You're alone."

"I've got my friends. And even then, what of it? So is Tom and dad. And technically, I've been alone long before-"

"That was different."

He shook his head. "No it's not."

He looked so stubborn. "Mom said dad said uncle Travsaid you're in therapy."

Sawyer shut his eyes tight. "Please. Talk to me about something else. Please."

She nodded. Even though he couldn't see her with his eyes shut. The pain in his voice squeezed her. "Okay." She blinked in thought. "Look at me then. Cause I want to see how much you like this Hannah Barbra girl without hearing you sing her praises."

His eyes opened and with it came a scoff. "Only if you promise not to laugh."

"Oh! Now I'm really interested." He burst into laughter. There it is. His laugh, his smile. Like the last minute didn't happen.

Thirty minutes passed before Sawyer came out from the bathroom. Just as Otto thought, shoulders up, feet no longer dragging. They'd both settled on his bed like it was theirs with Noelle's laptop in front of them. When the bathroom door clicked open, they looked up. And nothing else.

"So." Noelle started. "Movie, party. It's Friday niiiiiight." She sang the last word.

"How about everything?" That was not an answer they expected. "I'm hungry. Let's go out."

"Whoa." Otto assessed him. "What happened in there? All that laughing and giggling and-"

"Other noises." Noelle laughed as she said. "She's my ex."

"Friendly ex." Otto winked.

"I know you know we were just talking. I'm going to get changed." He eyed them. "Freaks."

Otto shook with laughter. "I'm going to call Wendy."

"So she's really coming with us?" Noelle asked.

"What's happening?" Sawyer asked as he searched through his closet for what to wear.

Not long after, they were standing outside of Sawyer's hostel, waiting for Wendy to join them. "You're not going to ask Hannah to join us?"

Sawyer looked at Otto. "No, why would I?"

"Why wouldn't you? Wendy's coming."

"You didn't give me a heads up. I literally found out ten minutes ago. She's probably busy. Plus, if she comes then Elle becomes a fifth wheel."

Noelle, busy looking out for Wendy, "I heard that. But, you're not wrong." She shrugged.

"See?" "Fair enough."

"Hi." Wendy appeared with a smile on her face. As if on cue.

"Hey." They chorused, as she went over to Otto and slid her arm round his waist, he pulled her closer.

"How sweet." Noelle commented, while watching them.

Sawyer eyed Noelle. No one noticed. "Shall we?"

They started the long walk to a restaurant. As they walked in silence, Otto's phone beeped. A message from Raina. The short text left him a little confused and worried. He didn't say anything. Instead, he took into account the silence among them and said, "Awkward."

"What?" Wendy looked up at him.

"He pulled away. This silence is annoying. Someone speak."

"Why did you say awkward?"

"To get us started." He answered with pride.

Wendy chuckled. "I'm glad you invited me." She smiled at Otto.

"There's nothing to it Wendy. We wouldn't have it any other way. Move from a guest star to a regular."

Sawyer scoffed. "Nice way to put it." He felt he had to say something. Consciously diving into his talk with Raina and all they talked about. Most of which were far from important or useful while also bringing himself out long enough to talk to his friends.