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Will wasn’t one to eavesdrop, he didn’t care for gossip or other people in general, but there was something in that brunette girl’s speech that caught his eyes — or well, ears.
“It’s science! If he does that he absolutely does love you.”
“I don’t think that’s true, Michelle. Why would peeling an orange prove anything? Anyone can do that.”
“That’s the point. If he helps you with something so stupid as peeling an orange, that’s show how deep his love is, he will help you with anything.”
“C’mon, don’t make me laugh”
“It’s the orange peel theory, scientifically proven!”
The other girl jockling punched the brunette’s shoulder and they started laughing. Will watched as they walked away towards the girls’ dormitory. what a stupid theory , who believed that.
“So that’s what you like? Brunettes?” Monty said as he laced his arm on Will’s shoulders, turning him around.
“Wha– No. I wasn’t...”
“No shame, pal, we men got needs, you know. But leg it up, I don’t wanna lose dinner”
“Right, sorry.”
“If i’m being honest tho, she wasn’t that hot, right?”
Will kept walking, staring forward, because sideways there was Monty’s chest, very close to his own.
“Right?”
“Oh, I'm supposed to answer?”
“Yes, Will, that’s usually how conversations go, if no one ever bother to fill you in before.”
“I don’t know, I think I’d prefer a blonde.”
“Hm, that’s more like it.”
***
“What’s the matter with you, WIll? Are yer even hearing me?”
“Uh, no— I mean, yes, of cours.e”
Montresor gave him a look, his eyes then quickly went up and down Will’s face — don’t blush, don’t blush — before landing on his plate.
“Won’t you eat?” As to make a point, he held up his fork with a steak and tore the flesh apart. He chewed. A bit of the meat juice got attached to his unkempt beard.
Will gripped the edge of the chair so he wouldn’t wipe it up.
“M’not hungry”
“I wouldn’t be either. Fruits for dinner? What are you, a squirrel?
There was actually just one fruit on his plate: an orange.
Not for any particular reason, he just didn’t get hungry at night, but sleeping empty-stomached would certainly give him a severe case of tummy ache in the morning, which wasn’t ideal. So if the orange was there, of course he took it, oranges are good for the stomach… probably. He absolutely didn’t choose it for any other reason.
“Will you… uhwillupeelitforme”
“Gezz, try to talk like a human being.”
“....Will you peel it for me?”
Monty stopped moving, he made a weird noise and started coughing. Will immediately rose up and rounded the table to get by his side, as he bumped his fist into his chest. Finally, he spitted a lacerated piece of meat. He downed his drink in one go.
“The. Fuck.”
“Monty, you alright?”
“What do you… dont touch me…”
“Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry”
“What do you take me for? You fucking maid? Can’t do anything for yourself and then look at me with these big stupid eyes to peel you an fucking orange. Goddamnit, Will. Peel it yourself, like a grown up.” And then he threw the dinner knife at Will.
It was aimless, almost caught his eyes, but he put his hand in front of it, the knife sliced down the superficial skin of his thumb, he screamed, it didn’t draw blood, but it sting, and the shock. The knife. It was really gonna hit his eye. Some students turned around to stare at him, his face started heating up, they quickly lost interest, though. Monty didn’t even look at him.
“S-sorry” Will said as he sat down, not daring to look up.
“Tough it up, ‘s just a lil cut”
“You’re right” You always are ”Sorry”
Why did he always have to be so stupid? It was a weird thing to ask anyway. Monty was his pal not his… oh, fuck, what was he thinking?
“You know, it ain’t toughing it up, if yer don't quit whining like a sissy”
“Yeah, sorry”
The cut had started bleeding, not much, but it stained his shirt, he liked that shirt.
“Here.” Montresor handed him a napkin, he still looked angry.. “Make pressure or something”
“Thanks.” Will really felt about to cry, he was bitting down his lips to stop it from trembling, but there was little he could do about his eyes getting teary. He looked down his hand. The napkin was already red. He let out a single sob.
“Shit…” Montressor huffed. “Just gimme the goddamn orange”
“What?”
“Ya deaf? Gimme the orange.”
And so he did.
Monty took the knife from the floor and started carving the peel out, like a butcher. Still, he looked oddly focused, a little “godfuckdammint” would slip out of his mouth anytime he took the inner skin of the fruit. Then he put it on Will's plate, the gentlest WIll had ever seen him being.
“Than–
“Don’t mention it. It’s just that you’re so skinny, really, yer just a sack of bones, a puff of the wind would hatch yer away like a hurricane… can’t let you die so pathetically like that, m’not that terrible.”
“I don’t think you’re terrible at all” Will blurted out. It was truth, but was it the right thing to say?
Monty shaked his head.
“Just… just eat your orange.”