Turning Around

Chapter 7: Damon

Damon laid in his bed staring at his ceiling, the air was warm  and stuffy. The morning light began peeking through the window and his room lit up. For teenage boys’ room it was immaculate. It was absolutely silent in Damon’s house. He sighs heavily and stands up to stretch. Damon’s mind wanders to Austen. Suddenly the doorbell rings what sounds like a hundred times and Damon jumps a foot in the air. He hears heavy footsteps outside his door, dad… the police wouldn’t ring the doorbell right? Damon peaks his head out the door. 

“My dad dropped me off with this note, I think I am staying here for the next few days. He’s using his “favor” “ It’s Colette’s voice. 

“Girl, you scared the living s**t out of me. Ring once. ONCE.”

“Yeah! Yeah! Where’s Damon? I know he’s awake.”

“Girl it is 5 am!”

“Stop calling me girl!” Colette yells back. Damon groans..

“Over here Collie.” Colette spots him and skips over to his room, she turns around swiftly to look at his father, she throws him the middle finger and slams the door in his face. Vincent begins yelling outside the door.

“You know, you might be the only person that isn’t afraid of my dad.” Damon exhales sitting back on his bed, “Why are you staying this time? Your dad actually used his ‘favor’?” Colette drops her stuff by his closest and sits on his desk chair.

“Hell no. I just want the b*****d to be stuck here with me for once. Plus I know your parents would never let me rot on the streets.”

“Did you get kicked out?” Damon asks flatly.

“Not this time… my dad hasn’t been home since…. May… and the only thing he is paying for now is school and my phone…” Colette swings around the chair. “Gotta be grateful for that right?” Colette sheds a single tear and whips it away quickly. “So I am gonna see if I can stay here for a while.” 

“Ugh, just don’t tell anyone from school.” Damon groans at her.

“That’s the plan. Ew. Why would I want anyone to know we are friends?” 

“Especially since you’re all close with Austen now.” 

“Exactly.” Retorts Colette. Damon groans again and looks at the ceiling. “Do you hate him that much?”

“No…” Damon rejects.

“He’s actually pretty cool. He posts the coolest stuff on Instagram and follows some of the coolest and newest influencers!”

“And how is that helpful for me?” Damon asks raising an eyebrow. 

“You can find out the most about people through their online accounts. I know you and your little gang are looking for replacements. You could find them that way.” 

“We aren’t a gang.” Damon argues back. Colette raises an eyebrow to him and laughs. She looks down at her phone. Damon stares at her. “Maybe, I will make an account…” Colette looks up at him. 

“So you are interested in the new kid like everyone else.” she laughs. 

“Not interested… intrigued. There is a difference.” Damon corrects her. “He…” Damon’s cheeks burn. Colette stares at him during the silence.

“He?” Colette pushes.

“I think he was flirting with me.” Damon responds quickly. Colette stares at him in disbelief. Colette starts at a small chuckle to a full blown hyena laugh. Colette falls out of her chair and hits the floor with her fist. Her eyes are tearing up and she clutches onto her stomach. “Oh stop exaggerating.” 

“I can’t!” Colette replies between gasps. “How would you know what flirting is?”

Damon shrugs, “I could feel it.” Colette busts up laughing again. “Whatever.”  

“Even so, you’d want to get to know him more? Are you gay?” Colette questions him.

“No… He’s seems off to me and I want to figure out what that is.” Damon replies flatly. Colette throws her phone over to Damon and he catches. On the screen is the home page of Austen. Damon scrolls a little bit and sees mostly memes. Austen had only posted a single picture of himself, Austen isn’t very visible but his distinct eyes were clear as day in the picture. Damon throws back Colette’s phone and groans at her.

“What is it?” Colette asks.

“I just hate when you’re right.” Damon sighs.

“So you are gay?” Colette asks giddily. 

“No.” Damon replies back flatly. “He could be useful in getting replacements.”

“I may have told him to stay away from you.” Colette laughs a little covering her face.

“Why would you do that?” Damon asks angrily. “So why push for him to be in my crew?”

“Because you’re bad news anyways. Austen doesn’t know about who you are yet. Wouldn’t you want to keep it that way? At least I am giving you a heads up.” Colette points out. Damon pauses. He leans against his wall, honestly, the more I give into this the more weird it will seem… but having a social media strategist would be helpful… 

Damon stands up from his bed quickly, “I need to think about things.” Damon takes off his shirt revealing a well-toned body, Colette couldn’t help but gaze at his body. “Stop.” Damon looks through his closest for a shirt. 

“You know, I never thought of you as boyfriend material.” Colette stands up and walks towards Damon standing behind him. Damon turns around slowly, his face inches from hers. Colette giving him an alluring smile. 

“I will never see you that way...So drop the act before I kick you out of the only place that will take you in.” Damon threatens. Colette smirks, she turns around and sits back down on the chair. Damon puts his on his shirt and running shoes. “I am going out for a run. Don’t follow me. I want to be alone.”

“I wouldn’t want to go anyways.” Colette spits back.

Damon ignores her and leaves his room. Before running out of the house he sees his dad standing in the kitchen making coffee.

“Son. We need to talk.”

“Don’t want to. I am going for a run.” Damon responds. Before his dad can say anything back Damon runs out the door and out into the city. It was early enough that were wasn’t a lot of people out yet. Damon pushes forward on his run. Dad wants me to take over his business. I don’t want to be a criminal and I’ve made that clear. Damon runs faster. I won’t talk to him about it again. Damon stops at a light and then starts sprinting again. I need to get out of this city. Damon suddenly smacks into another person and they both fall to the ground.

“Oh, god. I am so sorry.” Damon apologizes rubbing chin, the person he ran into was Austen. He sat there, his hoodie down and some of his hair showing. It was dark brown. Damon stands up and reaches out a hand. Austen grabs it and stands up. “Are you okay?” Damon asks.

“Yeah. It’s okay.” Austen is rubbing his arm. “What were you doing?”

“Jogging.” Damon replies.

“That fast?” Austen asks looking at him concerned.

“What are you doing up this early?” Damon asks.

Austen looks down, there are donuts all over the ground. “Donuts.” Damon’s face goes white.

“I am so sorry.” he apologizes again. 

“Can you buy me some more?” Austen asks. Damon stares at him and searched his pockets for his wallet. He felt it in his side pocket. Damn.

“Yeah. I can.” Damon respondes.

“Follow me.” Austen gestures. Damon catches up to him. They walked together in silence for a few blocks. They turn around a corner to a tiny donut shop. They walk in and the person behind the counter raises their arms in confusion.

“This kid ran into me and they fell all over the ground.”Austen says pointing at Damon. The cashier looks over to Damon and squints. They pull out a bag and start putting donuts into the bag.

“You could have been nicer about it.” Damon remarks. 

“You need to watch where you’re going when you’re running like that.” Austen snaps back. Damon hands money to the cashier and Austen grabs the box. “Thank you for replacing it. You didn’t have to.”

“That would have been nice to know.” Damon replies smugly. Damon and Austen pause outside the donut shop. “You don’t hate me do you?” Damon asks.

“No.” Austen respondes. “You’re annoying; but I don’t hate you.” 

“Then why’d you act so hostile on the first day?” Damon asks.

“James was in my personal space.” Austen answers. Damon grunts, this guy. 

“Well I am going to continue jogging. Sorry again.” Damon apologizes.

“It’s okay. Stop apologizing. See ya at school.” Austen turns around and starts walking in the direction they met. Damon turns the opposite way and begins running again.