*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧—chapter four: a rift in the friendship

iMessage
Today 7:18 AM

ollie bollie 🐻
good morning teddy <3

ollie bollie 🐻
can i come over to yours today?

ollie bollie 🐻
i'm bored and we haven't exactly
hung out in a while, yk just the
two of us

ollie bollie 🐻
i was thinking we could go to
johnny's for breakfast?

ollie bollie 🐻
today's also one of those rare
occurrences where he has the
diner open until 2am

ollie bollie 🐻
so, if you wanna go there later
tonight, too, like for dinner or
something, then just lmk
Delivered

Today 8:00 AM

ollie bollie 🐻
hi

ollie bollie 🐻
are we still on for johnny's?

ollie bollie 🐻
mate
Delivered

Today 8:50 AM

ollie bollie 🐻
so... i'm guessing that's
a no

ollie bollie 🐻
we could always do something
else then, if you're okay with it?
Delivered

Today 9:23 AM

ollie bollie 🐻
teddy?

ollie bollie 🐻
lmk if you've been receiving
my texts

ollie bollie 🐻
i'm getting worried
Read

Today 9:45 AM

teddy beddy 🧸
getting worried my ass

teddy beddy 🧸
idk why you're texting me

teddy beddy 🧸
you've been ignoring me this
entire time, asshole. you haven't
cared about me these past few
weeks, nor talked to me, nor
messaged me since before
christmas

teddy beddy 🧸
pretty sure you forgot about me. i
bet you don't even remember i
exist

teddy beddy 🧸
all your focus is on your girlfriend,
so you don't have any time to even
remember that i'm still here.

teddy beddy 🧸
your best friend still fucking
exists, oliver! i'm not a fucking
ghost!

teddy beddy 🧸
i just don't like how things are
between us rn

teddy beddy 🧸
ollie please i just need you
back. i need my best friend
back. it's all i'm asking of
you. i need you here.

teddy beddy 🧸
i miss you
Delivered

✧ ✧ ✧

As soon as Theodore had sent those texts, he powers his phone off. Going from being filled with rage to breaking down in tears in a matter of seconds was not something he was expecting to be happening right now. Running a hand over his face, he stares at the wall for a moment, contemplating. He shouldn't have pressed send. He should not have replied at all. Did Oliver really care? He doesn't know if Oliver really meant it when he sent those texts. Theodore has a speculation that Oliver had sent those texts because Annika told him too. She had noticed the rift in the boys' friendship and was trying to help fix things. Theodore only knew Annika noticed because she had sent him a text a few days ago asking what happened between him and Oliver during the week of Christmas. Theodore hadn't answered.

And honestly, Theodore didn't know the answer to any of those other questions either. Neither of the two boys had been in proper contact with each other since before Christmas. It was only when Oliver and Annika started dating that Theodore's been ignored by his best friend. Still, even weeks later, as January comes to a close and it's now the middle of February, he's still angry and upset over Oliver.

He's not sure if things will be fixed anytime soon.

Most likely not. Not unless Oliver and Annika break up. Not that Theodore wanted them to. He just wanted Oliver to notice him again, to remember that he's still here. So, if they did break up, that would be a solution to the problem.

With a shaky breath, Theodore sits up on his bed, bringing his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, resting his head on his knees. He's alone with his thoughts now. Nothing to distract him from anything that happened this past month. He wipes the tears from his eyes and stares at his phone, deciding to turn it back on.

There's a sudden knock on his bedroom door, but he doesn't bother looking up. He doesn't care whether it's Pietro or Linh coming to check on him. He doesn't want to be seen right now. Not like this.

"Teddy, I made breakfast, if you're hungry." His mother says from the other side of the door. She isn't expecting a response from him, knowing he never wants to be bothered when he's holed up in his room. But he hadn't eaten in a few days, and that's why she was here.

"The door's unlocked, maman." He informs her. "Just leave it on the table, please."

Linh opens the door, and as she enters the room to set the plate of food on the table that's by the door, she notices. She notices the way her son is seemingly closed off. She notices his body language. She notices his tear-stained cheeks.

"Oh, mon bébé—" She says as she sets the plate down.

"Don't," he says quietly, glancing up at her. "Please don't say anything. Not even to papà. I don't need both of you worrying about me. I'm okay, I promise."

"Teddy—"

"Talking about it to you, Dad, or Jak doesn't help. I don't know what to do anymore because I wanna tell him, but I can't, Mom. I can't because..." He pauses to take a breath, but doesn't continue what he was saying. "Can you go, please? I wanna be alone for the rest of the day."

Linh nods, not saying anything else to him as she turns around and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Theodore's phone buzzes a few minutes later. Glancing down, he sees he has an Instagram notification. Annika has a new post up. He clicks on the notification.

✧ ✧ ✧

annikaaa posted two minutes ago!

—liked by olliebearman and 8,104 others
annikaaa happy valentine's day to the best boyfriend ever @olliebearman. i love you so much 🩷

view comments

✧ ✧ ✧

Theodore swallows thickly, his stomach churning yet again as he views the post. Oliver looked happy. And Annika really loves him.

Theodore really, really shouldn't be this jealous. Annika may not be a part of the main friend group, but she was still someone that Theodore cared for as a friend. The Valentine's Day post she made only a few minutes ago was doing nothing to squash the jealousy, anger, and guilt that constantly formed within Theodore's gut whenever he thought about Oliver. If anything, it was only fueling it.

Nearly six years he's felt like this. Nearly six years and the feeling has only been made a thousand times worse. Like he told his mother, talking about it wasn't helping fix how he felt.

Theodore really doesn't know what he's going to do from this point onwards. Hopefully he can forget about it all when the Formula Two season begins.

author's note
i found that pic on pinterest
and was like "this looks scarily
like ollie, imma use it"

guys 🤗🤗 getting closer and
closer to ollie and annika's
breakup. teddy i hope ur happy.
your problems will be solved
soon

06.29.24