Isaac pulled up ten minutes after Willa left, and smiled when Jared got in the car. He raised one eyebrow questioningly.
“How was it?”
“You look tired,” said Jared. “You know I could’ve walked-”
“Who are you and what have you done with Jared Spencer,” Isaac demanded, actually looking quite genuinely surprised at the concern. “No need to be worried, anyway. I wanted to get out the house. Plus,” – he grinned, waggling his eyebrows in a way that was just so fucking Isaac – “you’re way too pretty to be walking alone at this time of night.”
“Oh shut up.”
“That’s more like it. Now tell me about your date.”
Jared gave an involuntary smile. His cheeks were probably reddening but it didn’t matter- it was dark and the flashes of streetlights and signs and car lights were illuminating their skin in all sorts of colours. Isaac’s gaze was fixed steadily on the road anyway.
“It was good. We watched some shitty romcom action thing and Willa told me about her life a bit, and I guess I- it was really good. She’s easy to talk to. I don’t act like such an arsehole when I’m around her.”
“You’re not an arsehole.”
“Your eyes are on the road so I’ll just let you know that I’m giving you a very, very disbelieving expression right now.”
The corner of Isaac’s mouth twitched ever so slightly.
“…we hang around factories,” sang a guy on Isaac’s CD, “’til we meet each other- two discount lives and heavy numbers to keep you down-”
“Cheerful,” remarked Jared sarcastically. “Does Mr McDreary the singer have a name?”
Isaac smiled, a small, amused smile that Jared thought should happen more often.
“Yeah, it’s the lead singer of My Chemical Romance. Struck out on a solo career.”
“Oh God,” said Jared. “My Chemical Romance brings back way too many awkward childhood memories.”
“This topic will definitely be revisited,” Isaac promised, smile turning sly. There was a comfortable quiet between them.
“She can’t change for love, and she explains how long she’s waited for- she wanted more-”
“Isaac,” ventured Jared eventually. “Are you okay?”
For a while there was no answer and then Isaac shrugged, a minute, defeated little thing.
“Did you ever realise there are boys in our school who weren’t even born when My Chemical Romance were around?” he said. Jared frowned. It didn’t answer his question. “Like, the Year 6s were born in the year 2007. They’ve never heard of McFly because ‘Obviously’ was released before they were born. I mean, I can remember me and Rosie dancing round to it and- how weird is that. It feels so recent.”
“Yeah,” murmured Jared. “That’s pretty weird.”
YOU ARE READING
Invincible
Teen Fiction"I didn't know you had friends like Isaac," Willa said in greeting. "I don't," muttered Jared. Isaac rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you don't. You have //one// friend like Isaac." His voice turned into this stupid mock whisper and he leaned towards Jared c...
