Chapter Text
Gareth groans at the sound of the birds outside, trying his best to turn over. He had been facing the wall all night, feeling sweaty and not all that great. His brain was throbbing like crazy, thankfully the blanket was still covering the bottom bunk. He vaguely remembered the party last night, the last think that he did remember was coming back here with Ted who was currently curled up next to him. Tyler still snoring like a sputtering car engine, he was too loud, the birds were too loud. Gareth turns over only to feel his head knocking into Ted's who immediately woke up, peering through sleepy eyes.
''Sorry.'' Gareth mumbled, Ted hummed back and closed her eyes again. Taking that first deep breath of the day, allowing herself to deflate slowly. The bunk was warm, maybe a little too warm. The smell of dust lingered in the air, today felt a little different. Brighter somehow, neither of them made a move for a long while. Enjoying the sudden silence, Tyler must be awake too. Just taking the moment to ride those last drops of euphoria from the last night. Gareth smiled at his newly made memories, dancing in a crowded room where no one knew who he was or where he came from. Ted's laughter and Tyler's overly affectionate behaviour. The dude got sentimental when drunk and Gareth didn't mind it. Everything felt brand new and it was scary, he moved all those states away from Indiana and somehow that was less scary than this feeling he had in his chest. Gareth knew it was fear of loss, he recognised that feeling. It was the same one he had back then, when Dustin told them what happened to Eddie. That he died, suddenly everything just started spinning. Gareth, Jeff and Dan had no idea what was going to happen now that their leader was gone. Eddie had this certain quality to him that was really hard to find in people some times. The dude couldn't care less about who you are or where you are from, if you were wronged by someone or something, he'd take you in. Gareth was first, he then introduced Jeff to Eddie and then Eddie found Dan. Purely by accident mind you, found him in the music room by himself. Apparently the guy had skipped detention and was hiding in there, Dan's cool.
''Hi.'' Ted whispered to him, suppose they should be getting up soon. There was a breeze outside, they could hear the shrubs just below the window rustling away.
''Hey.'' He whispered back, they should probably get up. God knows what time it was, the two of them began stretching out. He could hear some popping of joints going on, the bunk began shaking violently. Ted was quick to open up the curtain that closed them in only to see Tyler as he landed on the floor with a loud thud, half naked and gagging. Gareth peeked over Ted's shoulder, Tyler took off and entered the bathroom. Slamming the door behind him, his hangover was worse than Gareth's and Ted's. The two of them frown at the sound of Tyler's vomiting, it seemed very excessive. Ted gags at the sound and simply lets go of the curtain to plug up her ears, Gareth managed to climb over Ted and exit the bunk. He pads over to the bathroom door and gave it a light knock, trying his best to ignore the sounds.
''You okay?'' Gareth called in but only received a loud groan, clearly Tyler wasn't in any shape to talk through the door so he left it alone. What was a good hangover cure? Gareth knew about the whole 'hair of the dog' thing but he never believed in that, personally he thought something greasy always worked. Food somehow tasted better than usual during a hangover but it had to be something specific, eggs and bacon was a great comfort. Gareth turned to find Ted rifling through the closet, specifically Gareth's closet. Suppose he wouldn't mind if she borrowed something for the day but he wondered if she was aware that the clothes she is rifling through weren't her brothers. Ted pulled out the shirt Gareth didn't want her to see, he recognised that logo from a mile away. She turned back to him.
''Hellfire?'' Ted asks, genuinely curious.
What was Gareth supposed to say?
Oh that? Just an old shirt I used to wear before it became a cult symbol.
No. Absolutely not, Gareth combed through his hair with his fingers. Sweeping it back, he needed to shower before heading out. Did his mom pack that shirt? He didn't remember packing it himself, he didn't even want to see that thing so to find it in his bag when he was settling into his dorm was a big surprise. He decided to just shove it into the closet, in the back where he wouldn't have to see it but of course Ted just had to find it. He shrugs.
''Just- It's an old shirt, my mom must've packed it.'' Gareth muttered, looking down at his feet. Where did his socks go? Did he not wear any last night?
''Cool.'' Ted put it back, she seemed to get the hint that he wasn't exactly interested in talking about the shirt. It was stupid, Ted didn't seem to recognise him at all when they met. Safe to say that the articles he was a part of didn't reach New Orleans or maybe she just didn't see them, he could've just told her about the club right? He wanted to trust her.
Wait...
''Are you wearing my jeans?'' Gareth's brows furrowed.
Ted turned only to reveal that she was in fact wearing his jeans, not only did he recognise the Anthrax patch he had painstakingly sown onto the left back pocket but he also recognised the Motorhead, Ozzy and W.A.S.P. patches on the front. Few of these littered each pantleg, Gareth did plan to add more and more until the jeans were more patches than actual denim but he never got around to it. Ted had tucked her shirt into the jeans and threaded a belt through the loops, Gareth didn't recognise the belt as his own but it was definitely Tyler's. It had that stupid belt buckle, that novelty Budweiser belt buckle that her brother bragged about as if it were his most priced possession. It was weird, just a little. The whole 'letting your roommate's sister borrow your clothes' thing. Gareth didn't mind though, Tyler had started digging around in his sock stash anyway so why not? Sometimes it felt like he adopted two goblins and that he had to take care of them, the way they just come and go out of the room. Borrow his socks, books and now his pants apparently. Gareth drew the line at underwear though, that was a bit too weird for him.
''Do you mind? I like the band patches.'' Ted did a slow turn in hope that it would convince Gareth but he had already agreed to it the moment he realised that she was wearing them.
''No, go ahead.'' Gareth shrugs and Ted hugged him, she smelled like cigarettes and body spray. That sweet candy one, Gareth would recognise it anywhere. Leslie like that one too, it was a bit sickly but mixed with tobacco it smelled pretty good. Gareth hugged her back, the moment was ruined by the sound of Tyler throwing up again. This time it was louder. Ted stepped away from Gareth, bending down to reach for her shoes. Gareth was still wearing his jeans and shirt from last night, he had to wash the lucky flannel along with everything else he had shoved in that garbage bag. He was kind of desperate to do laundry now.
''I need to make sure Tyler eats something properly. Want to eat with us? We know this little coffee place.'' Ted vaguely pointed behind herself with her thumb, this wasn't the first time he's gotten a ride from them. Gareth enjoyed riding along with Ted but with Tyler, he knew that some screaming would be involved. He was starting to realise that maybe Tyler just really liked the attention, he liked distracting people. Maybe he was just that weird. Gareth was quick to figure out what coffee place Ted meant, he hadn't been there himself but he knew it was in the same area as the laundromat so it would be perfect.
''I need to go do laundry anyway so why not?'' He smiled, Ted was quick to go through her brother's belongings only to pick out two pairs of sunglasses. Handing one over to Gareth, clearly for the light sensitivity. Neither of them had dared open the curtains that Tyler had bought to block out the sun during the weekends, goodbye sheer blinds! Gareth imagined being hit by the sunlight in such a violent manner that he would just melt away, he'd be a walking and talking skeleton if so. Ted put her sunglasses on, fiddling with her pockets for the keys to the car. Neither twin had explicitly stated that only one of them owned the car, in their eyes both of them owned it. Gareth just calls it the twin-mobile.
''You good enough to drive?'' Ted tried ignoring the sounds of sputtering coming from the bathroom, Tyler's stomach must be completely empty now right? What else was he puking up? Air?
''Yeah, I just need to shower first.'' Gareth nods.
The two of them jump at the sound of the bathroom door hitting the wall as Tyler practically tore it open, he didn't look the best. Skin clammy and kind of pale, he looked like he was about to turn green at any moment. Tyler leaned against the doorway, eyes focused on nothing in particular. Gareth has never seen the guy look so angry, though he wasn't actually angry, he was just really hung over. Ted was struggling to hold her laughter down.
''Just kill me.'' Tyler whined.
Ted and Gareth snort at the sight of shirtless Tyler heaving, he needed some food.
''God, I swear that I'm just meant to be single forever.'' Ted groaned.
The coffeeshop was kind of crowded, thankfully Gareth and the twins managed to snag a corner booth. He was occupied shovelling scrambled eggs into his mouth to really pay attention to his surroundings. The music playing on the radio was definitely from before the seventies and Gareth couldn't really make out the lyrics of the song currently playing but it wasn't all that important, Tyler was chugging the tall glass of co*ke that he had ordered with his pancakes. One good thing about this place is that breakfast items are available all day, it was like the coffeeshop was designed for college students. Minus the music, the waitress had already put a student discount to the orders without them even saying anything. Gareth wondered how successful this place must be, either the food was really good or he was just really hungover still. Ted sat in the inside seat of the booth, back pressed up against the wall. Feet in Gareth's lap, she didn't order much. Black coffee and a sandwich but she only ate like a quarter of it. Tyler leans back in his seat, setting his fork down.
''Is Andrea that bad?'' Tyler sniffled.
The subject immediately went to Andrea, Gareth remembered Ted saying that they weren't talking at the moment and when he tried to inquire about it she simply shrugged it off.
''No- I mean, she's great.'' Ted's lips were pressed together, she was mumbling.
''I sense a 'butt' coming.'' Gareth added, both twins chuckle. He didn't really like Andrea but he had already just accepted that they would never be friends or see eye to eye and that was fine with him. Andrea seemed to make Ted happy but then something must've happened, Ted didn't want to talk about her or too her at the party last night. Ted sat up properly, removing her feet from Gareth's lap. Gripping her half empty cup of still warm coffee.
''She doesn't like Gareth!'' Ted sort of gasps it out, as if she had been holding her breath.
''What? How does she not like him? I like him!'' Tyler nearly slams his drink down on the table.
Okay, so it's been confirmed that Andrea did in fact not like Gareth just as he didn't like her. He really didn't want to be the reason why Ted's love life takes a nosedive, she seemed perfectly fine with Andrea and granted it's only been a short while but they seemed to get on really well. Gareth swallows whatever egg he had left in his mouth, reaching for his drink to wash it down. The smoke of the nearby burning cigarettes permeated the air, the mixture of greasy food and tobacco was making him a little nauseous. He took a small sip of his coffee, he wasn't entirely into black coffee but it helps him wake up. Maybe it needed sugar.
''Ted, I didn't want to say anything but I feel kind of uncomfortable around her-'' Gareth fumbled his words a little, what was he supposed to say? 'Hey, I don't think you should date Andrea cause she makes me, a man, uncomfortable'? No, absolutely not. He was just going to sack up and deal with it, you can't let everything in life stop you. He wasn't going to let Andrea take away his friends either, if she had a problem with him she could just hash it out with him instead of being a bitch about it. Apparently she and Ted argued two days ago.
''No, Gareth it's okay. I think Andrea is just a little insecure.'' Ted ripped off a piece of her sandwich, popping it into her mouth. Insecure?
''Andrea, insecure?'' Tyler questioned.
''Well, I swing both directions and Gareth's hot so-'' Ted shrugged nonchalantly as if she hadn't just dropped the worlds biggest bomb.
''Teddy!'' Tyler snorts.
Gareth nearly choked on his coffee as he had swallowed it at the worst possible time, it almost came out of his nose. He set the cup down and cleared his throat. Him? Hot? You've got to be kidding right? What he would've done to have a girl come up to him and just say that in high school but you know how it is. Hanging out with the loser's club and all that, freaks get no chicks unless they look like Eddie Munson. It was nuts actually, they had gone one town over to play for a local club after Eddie had inquired about it and he walked away with a napkin that had at least phone numbers on it that night. Jeff had his fair share but he wasn't all that interested in making any moves, to each their own. Dan already had a girlfriend, they talk all the time and she visited that one summer. She's really nice.
''You, Theodora Hudson, think I am hot?'' Gareth couldn't help but give in to the nervous laughter that was stuck in the back of his throat, he was well aware that his face must be getting redder by the second. Thankfully the sun shining in through the windows helped cover up whatever serious colour shift that most definitely was taking place.
''What? Don't tell me a girl has never-'' Ted scoots closer to him, Gareth didn't let her finish that sentence. He hasn't been complimented this way before, sure, his family will do the usual 'oh you're so handsome' and stuff but that wasn't at all the same thing. To be desired, as dramatic as that term sounds, it was something he's never really felt before and now he had no idea how he was going to accept the fact that Ted thought he was attractive.
''I'll have you know that I've actually said 'hello' to a girl once.'' He joked and the twins both laugh, Gareth had very little experience with women but it's been here and there. Touch and go, Kendra was obviously a big sore spot and he didn't like talking about it much now that he's finally identified the uncomfortable feelings he had when he ran out of her house that night. He wasn't ready and something in his gut told him that this wasn't a good idea and somehow his gut was right for once, Kendra started spreading some things around school and the jocks started going after him for a little while. Thankfully that all ended when they were closer to graduation and of course when the whole mess with Eddie happened.
''Trust me, I've seen some people staring at you!'' Ted pushed her plate farther away from her so she could lean on the table, she was wearing that thin jacket her brother owned. The one with the big bulldog on the back, Gareth never figured out what it was. A sports team? Tyler ate the rest of his pancakes, practically inhaling it all like he was starving to death.
''There's that girl, Andrea's roomie. Anna?'' Tyler mumbled through mouthfuls of pancake.
''The one who makes those spooky monster paintings?'' Gareth questioned, Anna? He doesn't remember her in great detail but she had that bright pink hair that you could spot from across the quad. Short and curly, always doing something for the art departments. Gareth saw some of her work hanging up in the hallway, there had been an early term art exhibition and he liked a lot of Anna's work. She'd paint and draw these crazy looking monsters, clearly not at all grossed out by blood and teeth. She could be a horror illustrator.
''I've seen those, they're f*cking awesome.'' Gareth added, he really did think so. He knew Jeff would love them too, especially that shadow one. There was this one picture hanging up of this large being, it looked human enough but it was just made of smoke and shadow. It looked like something they fought in a campaign once, he forgot the name of it now.
''Well, she may or may not have asked if you were single.'' Ted smiled, someone asked if Gareth was single? Wait, was he supposed to completely forget that Ted thought he was hot now that they were talking about this Anna?
''You should go for it man, she's kind of cute.'' Tyler winked, stacking his and Ted's empty and half empty plates together with a bit of a clatter. Gareth paused for a bit, he didn't really know Anna. What if she was some sort of weirdo or something? Like a secret serial killer or something? As awesome as her art is, some of it is a bit too gruesome. We're talking people cut in half, hanging from trees and sh*t like that. Some real Pickman sh*t.
''Maybe I will.'' What could go wrong really? He's been doing pretty good in his classes so far, he had a day off next week from work. Even if nothing came from this whole Anna business it would be cool to make more friends, even if Anna was roommates with the dreadful Andrea.
''I'll let her know!'' Ted claps her hands together excitedly.
Gareth thinks Ted is hot too.
''Skeletor?'' Gareth asked.
''What? He's hilarious.'' Ted replied, of course she liked Skeletor. Who didn't like Skeletor? She was right, the guy was absolutely f*cking hilarious. The design too, have you seen Skeletor? This buff blue man and his head is somehow just a skull? Its funny!
The commercials on the radio faded out and the next song came on, Gareth took a turn right. There were some traffic lights ahead, he hoped that they wouldn't turn red. As much as he liked this city, the traffic on Saturdays was insane. Everyone and their grandmother was out having lunch or shopping, the weather was surprisingly warm considering that they were slowly reaching winter time. Gareth kind of missed snow, the winters back home could be crazy so he hoped that winter in Washington would be more forgiving. He needed to get himself a new jacket, Ted said that there was a second hand shop downtown so he might take a look there at some point. There was a rapid beat coming from the radio, oh no.
''Chaka, Chaka, Chaka, Chaka Khan.'' The radio sputtered.
Tyler immediately shot up in the backseat, leaning on the seats in front of him.
''Yes!'' Tyler squealed, reaching for the radio to turn up the volume. Gareth was at a loss for words, Ted starts laughing and hiding her face away from the scene unfolding.
''Chaka Khan, let me rock you. Let me rock you, Chaka Khan. Let me rock you, that's all I wanna do!'' Tyler started reciting the opening lyrics to Chaka Khan's version of 'I Feel for You' with much passion, Gareth had never seen someone get so heated up at the sound of Chaka Khan before. That hair salon his mom went to excluded, that place kept that woman playing on a loop. Day in and day out, Gareth would kind of tune it out when he sat in the waiting area while his mom would get stuff done. Having to endure the casual compliments and the cheek pinching, he hated the cheek pinching. Gareth adjusted the rear view mirror.
''Dude-'' The sight of Tyler just feeling the track in the back of his neck, head bouncing about the place. This was gold, Ted had made vague mentions of her brother's taste in music. Something about Tyler having a list of songs that in his eyes were masterpieces. Were most of those songs Chaka Khan by any chance? Gareth wasn't going to say it out loud but I Feel for You had a really nice beat too it, he suddenly became very aware of the open windows.
''Let me take you in my arms, let me fill you with my charms, Chaka! 'Cause you know that I'm the one that you keep you warm, Chaka! I'll make it more than just a physical dream!'' Tyler was absolutely lost to the music, flailing about in the backseat. The guy couldn't help it apparently, he had the burning need to dance. Ted snorts as she looks back at her brother.
''He loves Chaka Khan.'' She had to sort of yell at Gareth due to the high volume. Gareth leans closer to her and smiled.
''I can both hear and see that!'' He yelled back, Ted was too busy observing her brother. Gareth knew that the twins liked singing together, he's only heard Ted sing though. So he gave into his curiosity, Tyler's voice was equally raspy as his sister's though a bit higher in pitch. Thing One currently sat in the back of the car had one arm hanging out of the rolled down windows, Gareth started panicking as the nearest traffic stop was getting closer.
''Baby, baby, when I look at you I get a warm feeling inside! There's something 'bout the things you do that keeps me satisfied!'' Tyler sang with much soul, it was a mystery to Gareth as to why this guy picked literature over music. Pleasantly surprised by how nice it was to listen to, he understood the appeal. For a moment he envisioned Ted and Tyler teaming up, collaborating as this dynamic musical duo. Tyler vaguely explained just how prevalent music had been in their life, in some messed up way their punishment for breaking rules was to listen to music they hated as children. Which they ended up appreciating later on in life, especially now that they were free to explore the world on their own terms. Ted found that she liked all type's of music and wasn't one to single out one specific genre, jazz had been the driving force behind her picking up the saxophone with some encouragement from her grandfather. Tyler loved a variety of music too but frequently listened to Chaka Khan and the Sheila E. The guy had a soft spot for Hot Chocolate too, Gareth was starting to find the twins more and more surprising as he continued to learn about them. He stopped thinking of the bad things these days.
''Now, you told me that you and him sing and all but you didn't tell me he could actually sing!'' Gareth exclaimed, impressed by Tyler's pipes. Ted shook her head.
''You never asked!'' Ted shot back and Gareth rolled his eyes.
He pulled up to the lights and unfortunately the lights turned red, windows down and music blaring. One singing maniac sitting in the backseat. Today was just fun honestly, as embarrassing as Tyler was being right now. Gareth kind of missed this type of thing, driving around and just listening to music. Chatting, parking somewhere and chatting some more. Gareth's eyes widened as Tyler shoved his head out the rolled down window, both arms hanging out of the car. Singing at the top of his lungs, the driver next to them looked over.
''I feel for you, I think I love you!'' Tyler belts out, causing the driver to look at Gareth.
Ted and Gareth shook their heads, he leaned out the window.
''Do you know where the nearest asylum is!?'' Gareth asked the driver next to them as the light turned green, the car was quick to book it out of there. Clearly not at all amused by Tyler's antics, all three of them laughed loudly as they drove off towards the college.
''I wouldn't lie to you, baby, I'm physically attracted to you!''
Gareth smiled at Ted as she curled up in the passenger seat, tears of pure joy in her eyes.
