I've picked petals looking for answers

[good4you]

[This summer had been the absolute worst of Jared Kleinman's life. Which was really saying something, because he was counting the one where he couldn't go to summer camp because he'd broken his ankle trying to impress Evan with a 'sick bike trick'. Sure, he'd been a miserable, lonely twelve year old trapped inside for months, but at least Evan had felt guilty enough about witnessing the incident to visit sometimes. Plus send a bunch of postcards.

This year, however, Jared had been completely alone. No camp, no postcards, and no Evan. Alana still sent him texts every now and then, but he was pretty certain she'd figured out that he'd been in on the whole email fiasco and was only being nice because she could tell Jared was more hurt about getting used than she was. God, how lame was that? His last "friend" only sticking around out of pity. All he really had left was video games--not that he'd been allowed to just enjoy those in peace, of fucking course. Once his parents realized all his down time was being spent escaping into various virtual realities, they'd begun worrying. Gently suggesting activities and places to go, giving him concerned looks whenever they thought he wouldn't notice. Eventually, Jared just started packing up his laptop and handhelds to hang at an internet cafe so he didn't have to feel like the pitiful loser he already believed himself to be in his own home.
Once he found his routine, the summer months came and went uneventfully as he prepared for college and pinned all his hopes on a fresh start in a place nobody knew him. Maybe it would be better. Maybe he wouldn't find himself building a teetering tower of regrets in every quiet moment he was left alone. Maybe he could finally bring himself to delete Evan 'huge fucking jerk' Hansen from his tiny list of phone contacts. ]

Ugh, fucking pathetic.

[Jared flops sideways onto his bed, backpack still on, as he stares at his contacts list for probably the thousandth time this month. Why couldn't he just let go? He'd been ditched. Dropped, like a decent show on network TV. Thrown out like a dried-up pen. It should be easy. It should be...
He glares at his phone as he returns to the home screen, letting out an irritated sigh.]

This is so damned stupid. He probably deleted me ages ago. [Yet here Jared was, waiting around like the tree-hugging asshole is going to text him an apology any second now. Yeah, right. He shoves his phone back in pocket, and-

...and, this. This isn't his bedroom?]

Where the fuck?

[Where the fuck?!

There's now a very confused young nerd wandering the castle in a state of total confusion.]

Comments

[good4you]

[The unexpected impact knocks him into the adjacent wall, where he manages to catch himself before he ends up in the floor. He'd had too much practice being bounced around school corridors to go down that easily. He'd also had plenty of practice snapping at people to discourage them from letting it happen again, intentional or not.]

Jesus, watch where you're- [Jared turns and immediately freezes, words dying in his throat the second he realizes who he's speaking to. What was Evan doing here? Wherever the hell 'here' is; probably some kind of horrible coma dream. It was the only explanation that made sense, especially now that Evan was here. Though he would hope his subconscious would know to at least put the guy in tighter jeans.

But then he hears that hesitant little 'Jared' and it feels all too real again.]

Oh, great. [He busies himself, straightening his glasses and adjusting his backpack. Dusting his shorts off. Anything to hide how ruffled he is.]

This shitty day couldn't get any weirder, why wouldn't the universe throw you at me too? [When he finally runs out of things to mess with, Jared settles for crossing his arms and scowling.]

I don't suppose you know where the fuck we are?

[Jared would regret spitting out every 'you' like it was offensive later, but right now he was too pissed off to care. As much as he'd missed his ex-friend, actually seeing Evan had brought all his hurt and confused feelings bubbling back up to the surface again.]

[treepics]

[ Evan winces a little at the harsh way Jared says you. It's like it's being thrown at him, like it's an insult. But he kind of. He deserves this. After everything that happened, everything he said. He deserves Jared's ire. Honestly, he's mentally preparing himself for worse, and is surprised when Jared tosses him a question instead of a list of all the ways he failed as a friend.

He fidgets a little and shrugs, looking down at his feet. ]

Oh, I don't--I thought this was just a weird dream? It's not very realistic being in a--being here. So I didn't look for any signs or anything. [ Evan runs a hand through his hair and tries to subtly glance "Dream" Jared's way, to gauge his reaction. ] But if it's my weird dream, I guess there should be a way to...to figure it out? Like if I think really hard, maybe we--

Maybe I can find a sign.