Present day ~ December 3rd
LeFou knew how to improve his mood. He could save him from demons that Gaston himself did not know existed. He could do it since he was a child when they both did not know yet that their friendship would last a lifetime. Unbroken by quarrels, love… changes. Gaston clicked his tongue with satisfaction. “Of course not. Nobody deserves me.” Pride gushed out of his voice. A vanity Gaston was almost made of. “But she… She deserved me the most.” His voice trembled, and his heart broke a little under his broad chest. After all, he loved her. He desired her like nothing else in the world… she wanted him, too, reasonably. What had changed then?
He couldn’t think about it. He did not want to. After all, it was ridiculous. He? Unsure of his wife’s feelings? Absurd!
Gaston sensed his soul felt strange somehow. LeFou’s smile - wide and admiring… made Gaston feel more pleasant. It always had been like that. Even when they were little. Although, Gaston never thought about it for too long. He lingered his eyes on his friend for a few more seconds before he turned his head back to his phone.
LeFou excused himself nervously as if his life depended on his words. Gaston’s face softened. He couldn’t be angry with his friend. He grunted deliberately. He brought the cup closer to him again to avoid repetition of the uncomfortable situation. He didn’t want the guests watching them perceive it in a provident manner.
“Oh, yes, of course!” Gaston added happily. “Isn’t that great?” He did not remark how his friend (admittedly with extraordinary skill) hid the disappointment carried in his soul. And even if… for unknown reasons, Gaston did notice it, he would not react. What LeFou felt was not his concern.
Did Gaston break their invisible promise - a promise that was created by a slowly taking root routine? Perhaps. The tavern was their place, after all. They didn’t always come to the cafe. Whether they met in the morning or in the afternoon was a matter of chance. But they always went to the tavern. Every day and at the same time. And always together… just the two of them. Even if the end of the world was approaching, they would have met there anyway. They would sit at a table by the window, watching through it as a giant meteor was getting closer to the surface of their planet. They would remember all the beautiful memories with two mugs of ale filled to the brim.
Gaston unknowingly broke that silent oath. Probably because he didn’t see it. He didn’t care about it, although he was undeniably following its rules… until now.
“Well. I’m glad we have everything arranged.” He clapped his hands.
Gaston picked up the cup, lifting it in a gesture of toast. Before anyone could stop him, he put a mug to his mouth, taking a long sip. Only now did it enlighten him. He held the drink in his mouth, and the previous situation was recreated before his eyes. Gaston swallowed in horror… at the same time causing the coffee and the specks of his friend’s saliva to flow down his throat, right into his stomach. Gaston frowned, biting his tongue with even more disgust than before.
“For heaven’s sake.” He muttered tensely. He tightened his grip on the porcelain, and the cup shook dangerously under his fingers. He got up. Fast, aggressively. He strode towards the bar where waitresses and baristas stood. Women’s eyes watched him fearfully. Gaston put (or actually almost threw) the mug on the counter. He noticed with his chaotic glance that this beautiful red-haired lady was nowhere to be seen among the restless waitresses. Gaston pointed to one of the waitresses available (the prettiest one, of course). In silence, he gestured at the table where LeFou was sitting. The woman raised her brown eyebrow in surprise. She watched Gaston as he returned to the table instead of ordering something when he was standing at the counter. He sat down and started watching her impatiently.
The rest of the waitresses patted her back reproachfully. They were forcing her not to hang around there like a dog in heat. The woman sighed, so loud, that her resignation could be heard all over the cafe.
She stood in front of the table, and before she could speak, Gaston snorted.
“Water.” He grunted in frustration. He looked at her from head to toe. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, staring at him strangely from beneath her brown fringe. There was a badge with her name on her right breast. Unfortunately, Gaston saw only the letter “E” because the rest of the word was hidden under a big stain of coffee.
“What about it?” the woman asked, her sarcastic smile only driving Gaston more mad. Blood rushed to his head, and his pupils narrowed.
“I’m ordering water,” Gaston repeated, trying to remain calm.
The woman finger-gunned at him. “Well, it is so much better this way. I think that additional ‘please’ is not even worth asking for."
Before Gaston could react, the woman disappeared and returned just as swiftly with a glass of cold water. She quickly returned to the bar, meeting the terrified eyes of her friends. With squeaky voices, they attacked the woman with questions, not understanding what had just happened.
Gaston ignored the whole situation for the sake of his health. He drank the contents of the cup in one gulp, taking away the last remains of the disgusting liquid. Gaston then got up. He tossed a few dollars on the table (he had ‘accidentally forgotten’ the tip), looked at LeFou, grunted “Let’s go,” grabbed his jacket, and left. He didn’t even wait for his friend.
@ethereal ~ Marcel LeFou
I am sorry… I KNOW IT IS AWFUL! YOUR REPLY WAS SO AMAZING THO