15. No Strings On You
No Strings On You
would u visit me in jail if I killed my boss?
Dae
Probably not.
WHY??
I try not to associate with murderers.
but I wouldnt be any old murderer id be your best friend who just happened to murder 1 person
I still don’t think so.
i’m very disappointed in your lack of loyalty
I would visit YOU
I don’t plan on murdering anyone, so it’s a non-issue.
But if you DID, I would visit you in jail
Thanks.
“Theo?”
He shoved his phone into his pocket and focused on Jordan, whose entire face was a frown: downturned lips, crinkled forehead and a judgy stare.
They stood in the living room of their potential new apartment, making sure it was to their liking before taking over the lease from one of her music club friends.
Jordan clicked her tongue at him, but it wasn’t like he really had to pay attention to the tour anyway.
The apartment was large by Toronto standards, with a sectioned-off kitchen, a huge living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. It even had one of those metal balconies with a folding fire escape, where, if they were in a movie, they would smoke and contemplate their existence while the city roared below them.
On top of that, it was nestled in Kensington, a bohemian oasis in the heart of downtown with vintage shops, splashes of murals, and vegan pop-up stalls.
The apartment could be haunted by a mold-spewing demon and Theo would still sign the lease.
But Jordan continued to frown at him, whispering as her friend led them into the bathroom. “Please tell me you’re not rereading Dae’s messages again.”
“Okay,” he whispered back. “I’m not rereading Dae’s messages again.”
Theo was excited about living with Jordan, but this hadn’t been the plan.
He was supposed to be finding a four bedroom apartment for him, Dae, Caleb, and Jason.
They were supposed to reunite after the summer and continue their carefully crafted wholesome cohabitation.
But then Jason got a job in North York, and the commute from downtown would’ve been too far, and Caleb and Avery decided to move in together, and Dae…
Theo’s fingers itched for his phone, but he didn’t feel up for another eye-roll from Jordan, so he kept his attention on the master bedroom that led to the second, en-suite bathroom.
“Theo’s taking this one,” Jordan said definitively, even though they’d discussed nothing of the sort, “because he has a big-boy job now, which means he can pay more.”
“Oh?” Her friend was tall with short wavy hair and a no-nonsense expression. Theo wished he remembered her name, but he’d only met her a few times at the recitals. “What’s the job?”
When Theo hesitated, Jordan jumped in. “He’s working for one of the top talent agencies in the country.” She beamed. “As an admin assistant, but you have to start somewhere.”
“Assistant to an admin assistant,” he corrected, even though he probably didn’t need to.
“Congratulations,” the mystery music club member said with a curt nod. “So, are you taking the place? My gig in Manitoba starts next week, so I need this taken care of.”
The process to transfer the lease was surprisingly quick: a few signatures, money transfers, and a short call to the landlord, and Jordan and Theo were the proud renters of their first adult apartment.
Theo knew it was unfair of him to be distracted during such a momentous occasion, so he slapped on a smile and did a shoulder-shimmy on their way down the stairs. “Hey roomie.”
She shook her head at him with a reluctant smile. “Ah, so you’ve caught up to the situation, have you?”
“Getting there.”
They made it down all five flights of stairs and walked into the cool afternoon. The autumn breeze always made him feel like he was on the precipice of a new beginning, and there was no newer beginning than a move.
He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed as they wandered down the street towards the shops. Music floated out of windows along with savoury smells and chatter. “I spoke to Rocket Launch Café.”
She let out a mighty sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. She’d gone back and forth about playing a regular spot once a week and had finally given the green light a few days ago.
“You know I’ll be there,” he said, laying his own head on top of hers in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. “And Avery and Caleb and all your other little music club groupies. You couldn’t ask for a more supportive crowd.”
“You’ve said all this.” She pulled away and smacked his ass. “I said I’d do it, so I’ll do it. Once.” She held up her finger, attempting a stern expression. “Just to see how it goes.”
“And when you blow everyone away and get a standing ovation and the café begs you to come back every week?”
“Go home and pack, Theo. And do not obsess over your phone.” His body tensed at her words, but she continued. “Dae’s decision had nothing to do with you, and you won’t find any evidence to the contrary in his texts. Got it?”
He nodded, because he knew that was what she wanted to see, and then parted ways with exaggerated air-kisses.
She was right, of course. And yet, he couldn’t help but read the texts over and over, just to see if he’d been supportive enough, excited enough, normal enough.
He sat on the subway and took out his phone as the train gently rocked him side to side.
when is your flight
do you need a ride
I can borrow mom’s car
Dae?
Dae
Don’t be angry.
no promises
Theo remembered the way the dots on his phone came and went for a full minute, his stomach getting harder and harder each time.
Dae WHAT
They offered me a job.
I’ll be doing Korean subtitles for English media.
Theo had felt like he’d been hung upside down. He typed a message asking how long Dae would stay in Korea, then erased it.
thats amazing
congrats
thats the perfect job
*missed video call*
Sorry!
headed to work
chat later?
Of course.
It had been a few days, and they still hadn’t talked. Dae hadn’t messaged again, and Theo hadn’t been able to muster the kind of enthusiasm a call like that required. A good friend would be happy for him, not gut-wrenchingly disappointed.
People dodged past as he slowly walked home from the subway.
The weekend market was in full swing, so most people carried tote bags filled with an array of fresh vegetables, knick-knacks, or homemade treats.
He would miss this neighbourhood, painted with memories and graffiti, with its familiar faces and smells; both pleasant and…
not. It wasn’t like he was moving to a different country, but the permanence of this one last move was finally hitting him.
No more summers. No more calling this building his home. No more of his aunt joking that she’d turn his bedroom into an exercise room. Now she really could.
No one was home when he got there, so he went straight to the future exercise room to pack. Jordan’s words kept echoing through his head and he had to reluctantly admit that she was right. Not everything was about him (even if it should be).
So he sat on the floor, leaning against his bed, and pulled up Dae’s contact.
It had a picture Theo had taken in their first year, the day Caleb finished the knitted sweater.
Dae had put it on and was trying not to show how happy he was, resulting in his not-smile.
No dimples. Just his lips turned up and pressed tight.
Theo did the math, figuring out it would be around eleven at night there, then took a deep breath and hit the video call button. It was time to put on a happy goddamn smile and be the happiest friend who ever happied.
Dae answered, the dim lighting of his small apartment throwing him in shadow like some kind of gorgeous, gothic antihero.
His eyebrows pinched in concern, and he squinted at the camera.
The internet in Theo’s room was shitty, so he stayed that way until his face pixelated and then shifted back to real-time. “Why do you look like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re being told to smile at gunpoint.”
Damn, Theo thought he was a better actor.
He dropped the manic smile. It was always weird seeing himself in the corner of the screen; so different than his reflection in the mirror.
The new environmentally-friendly LED bulbs his mom had insisted on buying made his recently-dyed hair appear orangey-pink, and his skin porcelain-white.
Dae’s dark hair hanging over his forehead had a slight wave to it, and the ‘I ? Toronto’ t-shirt Theo had given him was snug across his chest and arms.
I was buying myself one, he’d said to him that day with a smirk.
It would’ve been rude not to get two. They wore them around the city pretending to be tourists, pointing at large buildings and exclaiming, How many floors do you think this one has?
Or, My goodness, another coffee shop? Well, Theo did.
Dae spent the day holding back his laughter and shaking his head.
“Do you actually wear that?”
Dae glanced down as if he’d forgotten what worn-out fabric was hugging his upper body. “Only to bed.”
“Aw. Does it make you dream of me?”
His lips quirked but didn’t quite make it into a smile. Theo stared at him, trapped in his phone, two dimensional. For a few seconds, he thought the screen had frozen again, but Dae blinked and Theo realized he was staring back.
“So.” Theo cleared his throat. “Subtitles.”
Dae nodded. “It’s a great opportunity.”
“Yeah, I mean, you get to watch movies all day.”
“You would love it. They said I’ll get invited to premiers.”
The words, he’s never coming back, swam through Theo’s veins, freezing his blood. He wasn’t sure how actual, normal words were still coming out of his mouth. “Will you go to them?”
A tiny lift of his shoulder. “Maybe.”