Home is a Four Letter Word

chapter forty-two

Mid-June

When Aaron suggested that they pick Connor up after work to join them for their weekly diner splurge, Jake had nearly choked on the Gatorade he was chugging in the brutal summer sun. For a moment, he thought he might've been having a heat stroke. It was only a week ago that Jake had poured his heart out to his best friend, and not only were they still on speaking terms, but Aaron was now purposefully inviting Connor along to one of their traditional to-dos. What was even more surprising was how quickly Connor agreed. Some part of Jake wanted to ask them both when they miraculously became best friends on his behalf. It all seemed way too good to be true, but he wouldn't dare to question it.

He was nearly high on how fantastical it all seemed. It was easy—so much easier than he thought. Here they were, Jake smushed up against the window with a chewed-up straw hanging out of the corner of his mouth, Connor across from him playing football with folded up paper-wrappers that he flicked at Aaron—who was sitting next to Jake with a determined scowl as he tried to move his fingers to meet wherever the paper flew across the table. They looked like just an average group of boys having a normal dinner. Jake didn't have to worry about how it looked to be in here alone with Connor, or stress about hiding it from Aaron, or even Alyssa telling Hunter, because thankfully McKenna was their waitress tonight. That was purposeful, of course, because ever since she had started working here, he and Aaron had made a habit of coming on Thursday nights—her mandated evening shift of the week.

As if she could tell Jake was staring off at her behind the bar of old men talking her ear off, she turned towards him with a God-help-me glare on her face. It brought a smile to his face, a teasing glare that said 'you signed up for this'. She nodded politely as she set a menu down in front of a newer patron, and Jake could hear the fake niceties in her voice as she assured him "of course, take your time. I'll come back for you in just a minute."

Next to him, Aaron reached out of the booth to catch one of Connor's paper footballs, followed by his hands clapping together with a "yes!" as the two shared a moment.

"I'm a pro at this." Connor grabbed a drink of his water as he glanced over to Jake.

Jake leaned his head over with a smile. "At paper football?"

"Fuck yeah." He nodded with a grin. "I've only missed two. I should've played real football at this rate."

"Aaron is moving the goalpost for you."

Jake shook his head adoringly, mesmerized by how Connor was caught up in something so insignificant like flicking a paper triangle.

"Nah, I'm makin' it harder for him." Aaron insisted as he set up his hands again on the table.

"You just don't want to admit that I might be better at football than you." Connor mumbled over to Jake with a little smirk that set fire to something deep down inside.

Jake crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his chin up as he studied how Connor's face squinted in concentration as he lined up his next goal.

"Is that a challenge?" He taunted with a raised brow.

Connor settled still as he fought the smile that was struggling to creep on to his face. His eyes flicked up to Jake as his voice settled on something low.

"Do you want it to be?"

Jake ran his tongue along the back of his teeth in an open mouthed smile as he turned over to his best friend to see if he caught it. Aaron paid no mind to the conversation unfolding in front of him as he stayed determined in watching the football pinned to the table by Connor's finger. Jake pitied him and his ignorance to his surroundings; something that might also come to work to his advantage someday. However, Jake wasn't one to talk at that very moment because he failed to realize that his sister had made her way over to the table during their conversation.