Luka hummed. “Writing and drawing it really has been, but people can be so cruel online. Once something is up for critique, its out of my hands.” He finished one of his drinks and pulled the other closer. He could feel himself loosening up, his cheeks warm. Somewhere along the night, Arnaud had become just another friend.
“On one hand, if I label it as autobiographical, then it will likely face less scrutiny because it’s only about me and my experiences, but, that's exposing some deeply personal stuff about myself. On the other hand, if I make it a fictionalcharacter, I face more judgment if my character’s experience doesn’t align with the reader’s experience. Then they can get angry. It’s less personal though. Kind of.”
“Sounds like a difficult choice. I don’t know what I?—”
Luka watched as Arnaud froze in place and his eyes went wide, staring over Luka’s shoulder.
“You.”
“Bonne soirée?20, Arnaud.”
Luka turned in his seat and the expression he saw on Joy’s face shocked him.
She was smirking but her eyes were so cold they seemed wildly out of place compared to the rest of her near-perfect features.
“I guess the game is over,” she said, and before Luka could ask what she meant, Arnaud had leapt out of his chair and was inches from her face.
“You’re in violation right now.” His voice was dangerous and the plastic cup in his hand warped from his grip.
She laughed in his face, eye level and unafraid. “Hikaru n'est pas là?21.”
Luka flinched hearing his boyfriend’s name come out of her mouth.
“Je suis là?22.” Arnaud stepped forward and when Joy made to lunge at him, he splashed his half-full drink in her face, shocking her into halting.
Joy’s face turned red and furious as she wiped the liquor away and then flicked her fingers in Arnaud’s face. “Tête-à-claques?23.”
Arnaud growled, “Je vais te casser la gueule?24.”
“What the fuck," Luka said under his breath as he spotted several people watching closely and stood from his chair, but Arnaud shot a hand out to keep him from getting any closer.Joy’s eyes flicked over to him, and she bit back a choked laugh, wiping her hands on her dress with a look of disgust on her face.
“Me menacer est une mauvaise idée,Arata. Tu ne seras jamais ce que j'étais pour lui?25. You'll never be to him what I was—You’re so vulgar!”
Luka snapped, “Arrêt?26!”
When Arnaud looked at him, the stormy darkness over his features was shocking, so foreign compared to his usual sunny mischief. He tossed the empty cup to the side and took a large step back. Joy rolled her shoulders, her laugh high and taunting before she turned away from Arnaud with her eyes locked on Luka.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luka saw Arnuad start to reach for Joy as she bent into Luka’s space. But Luka shook his head once in warning, and Arnaud stopped in his tracks.
Staring Joy down, Luka tried to understand,to seewhat or who she might actually be.
Slowly, she reached out one perfect, manicured finger and lifted the tag from Luka’s collar.
“Hikaru will grow tired of you, too.”
Luka recoiled. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Agreed.” Arnaud hooked his hand at Luka’s elbow and together they pushed through the watching crowd, trying to ignore the few phones pointing at them, the heated whispers around them, and Joy cackling at their retreat.
In front of the club, photographers instantly mobbed them, and Arnaud swore under his breath before ducking to the side and dragging Luka down an alleyway. Once they were a few blocks away, Arnaud slowed to a stop and with a choked growl in his throat, took a swing at a dumpster, denting it.
“Stop that.” Luka slumped against a building, the brick cool against his back. “I hate that shit.”
“Sorry.” Arnaud crouched down, tugging his hair free from the ponytail and ruffling it in frustration. “Idespisethat woman. Quel enculé celuie-là—Fils de chien?27!”
“Clearly.” Luka patted his pockets and through the blankness, he felt a spark of irritation that he didn’t have any cigarettes. He took a long breath and tried to stamp out the annoyance creeping up his throat alongside suppressed fear and anger. “Explain.Who is she to my boyfriend and what did she do?”
As Arnaud explained exactly who had been befriending Luka, dread crept up his spine until he found himself on the pavement next to Arnaud with his legs tucked in tight against his chest.
