Finals

You found AJ pacing outside the garage, arms folded, his hoodie pulled up despite the warm night. The old motion light blinked on as you approached, catching in his eyes — serious, tired, and faintly apologetic.

“You came,” he said, voice low.

“You made it sound urgent.”

“It is.” He hesitated. “I didn’t want to do this over the phone. Figured it was better you heard it straight.”

He opened the side door and you stepped inside the familiar space — posters on the walls, instruments leaned in corners, AJ’s sacred den of music and memories. A few chairs were set up, but he didn’t sit. Neither did you.

AJ let out a slow breath. “Darin and Nathan had it out.”

“I figured,” you said. “I got a text from Jojo earlier. Said something about the whole friend group melting down.”

“Yeah. It was bad. Screaming match in the parking lot. Darin stormed off. Nathan’s staying with his sister. Everyone’s shaken.”

“…And they’re blaming me.”

“Mostly Darin,” AJ said, rubbing his neck. “But yeah. Kinda.”

You raised an eyebrow. “For what? For not lying to them? For pointing out what everyone else already saw?”

“It’s not what you said,” AJ replied. “It’s that you said it. Darin sees you as the guy who got out clean. Who figured out his own stuff and found someone like Momo who makes it all work. Meanwhile, he’s stuck in this emotional stalemate with Nathan — angry, confused, and terrified to admit why he cares so much.”

You leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “He’s not mad at me. He’s mad that I’m not afraid.”

AJ gave a half-shrug, half-nod. “More or less. You spoke out loud the thing he’s been trying to bury since we were kids.”

You let out a slow sigh. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I know you didn’t. But it happened. And now there’s fallout.”

There was a long silence between you.

Then AJ continued, softer. “Elijah… the truth is, you were right. They’ve been dancing around each other for years. Passive-aggressive jabs, over-the-top loyalty, all that messy closeness that makes people uncomfortable. You just put words to it. And Darin—he’s not ready to hear it. Especially not from someone who already got to the other side.”

You looked down. “So what happens now?”

“I’ve been talking to Nathan. He’s… unraveling a little. He said he’s sorry for lashing out. He’s just scared. He knows what it is between them. He just can’t bring himself to say it first. And Darin—he’s too stubborn to admit he wants to be the one asked.”

You grimaced. “So it’s a game of emotional chicken.”

AJ gave a tired chuckle. “Pretty much.”

“Do I reach out?”

“Maybe not yet. Let things settle. But I wanted you to know what was going on — not from whispers or secondhand texts.”

You nodded slowly. “Thanks, AJ.”