#but posting it anyways lmao

[n8-shaw]

IC TASK 003 : TIME CAPSULE

when: a week or two after casino night where: nate’s dorm room

Nate looked at the newsletter the school had sent out about the time capsule, the last call for recordings before the cut-off, his hand rubbing at his jaw, scratching at the day old scruff there as he considered. It wasn’t his type of thing - what could he possibly offer up of value for the rich kids who were attending Ogden fifty years in the future? He didn’t even want to think about that many years dragging by, what misery he would’ve been put through by then. It seemed less like a feel good memento for a future anniversary than an acute form of torture for those that were still here today. 

Setting up his phone, his face showing little to no emotion as he hit record, Nate leaned back in his chair, eyes on the screen for a few moments as the seconds ticked away. “I don’t have anything to say for this shit. Even if I did, you wouldn’t want to listen to it,” he said finally, shrugging up one shoulder, half-heartedly, eyes daring around the room rather than watching and seeing himself recording this. “I’m not the type of person people should listen to,” he muttered. 

Nate knew who the type of person people would listen to at this school, anyways. It wasn’t him. It would never be him. The people who did or had (at some point) liked him - Sloane, determined to piss off her family, or Rhia, leaving him behind and not looking back as soon as she got a look at popularity. Or the people who hated him. Greer, once she found how just how far he’d go. Or Jesse, who was...more similar to him than he realized. Who was him but...likable. Rich. Charming. He got why someone would pick the other male over him. 

“You know when you really fucking hate someone, and it turns out you’re just looking into a reflection?” he said, eyes downcast, looking into the hands in his lap instead of at the camera. He lapsed into silence, the moment dragging on for a beat too long, then two, Nate still stoically staring downwards even as internally his emotions were swirling. “Never wanted to acknowledge how alike we were. But he’s...better,” he said, swallowing, his throat visibly bobbing as he did so, thinking of what Jesse said to him at the beginning of casino night, a frown settling onto his face. “And he was right.”  

“I really have nothing to offer for this shit. For this school. Even for the people I...actually like. Even my ex-girlfriend only dated me for fucking shock value. Piss off her parents. Mission accomplished. Her dad is a fucking cunt,” he said, the words nearly spit out as he shook his head, nostrils flared out slightly. “Can’t blame anyone though. For keeping me distance. I would too, if I were them. I’m damaged goods, after all,” he said, eyes finally looking back up towards the camera, a wry smile coming to his face. 

Rapidly leaning forward, the motion jerky as he jabbed at the stop button, Nate snatched his phone as he got out of the chair. He flopped back onto his bed, eyes distant as they looked up at the ceiling, spinning a lighter between his fingers, the other hand still clutching his phone, considering. A few moments passed, silence swelling in the room, before he turned his head, looking at his phone again. 

And deleted the video. 

Didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing that.