12

Jaydean and Ethan walked through the bustling hallways, the usual chorus of thoughts swirling around them like a low buzz. It was funny how you could get used to it—the constant background noise of everyone's inner monologue. Sometimes, Jaydean would pick up on something ridiculous, like a kid two lockers down who couldn't stop thinking about whether he left the stove on, or a girl freaking out over a zit that no one else would notice.

Today, though, Jaydean was focused on keeping things normal between him and Ethan. As they headed toward their first class, Jaydean couldn't help but remember the time in middle school when Ethan had tried to impress Emily by jumping off the swings at the highest point. The thought made Jaydean smile to himself.

Ethan caught the flicker of amusement in Jaydean's mind and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Jaydean shook his head, still grinning. "Just thinking about that time you thought you could fly off the swings."

Ethan groaned, rolling his eyes. "I knew you were gonna bring that up. In my defense, I thought it would look cool."

"It didn't," Jaydean replied, laughing. "You just ended up face-first in the dirt."

Ethan's thoughts echoed with embarrassment, but he couldn't help but chuckle too. "Yeah, well, if I'd landed it, I would've been a legend."

Jaydean snorted. "If by 'legend,' you mean 'the guy who had to go to the nurse's office for a scraped face,' then yeah."

"Whatever, man," Ethan said, pushing open the door to their homeroom. "I'm still cooler than you."

Jaydean smirked, shaking his head as they made their way to their usual seats near the back. He always liked sitting there—less chance of teachers calling on him, and it gave him a good vantage point to people-watch.

As the rest of the class filtered in, Jaydean let his thoughts drift, remembering other funny moments from their past. Like the time Ethan tried to convince everyone that he could talk to animals after watching too many episodes of that old TV show about a kid who could do that. Jaydean still had a vivid memory of Ethan trying to communicate with a squirrel in the park, only to have it hiss at him and run away.

Ethan picked up on that memory too and groaned again. "Why are all your memories of me so embarrassing?"

"Because you make it easy," Jaydean teased, leaning back in his chair. "But hey, at least you're memorable."

"Yeah, yeah," Ethan muttered, though his thoughts carried a hint of amusement. "I'm sure I could dig up some of your embarrassing moments too."

Jaydean chuckled. "Good luck with that. I've got a mind like a steel trap."

"More like a steel sieve," Ethan shot back, smirking. "Everything just slips right through."

Before Jaydean could come up with a retort, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Thompson, walked in, his thoughts already focused on the lesson plan for the day. He was one of those teachers who genuinely enjoyed teaching, which was rare in Jaydean's experience. Most of the teachers here just went through the motions, but Mr. Thompson actually seemed to care.

"Good morning, everyone," Mr. Thompson greeted, his voice carrying the usual chipper tone that somehow managed to break through the fog of early morning apathy. "Hope you're all ready for another day of expanding those young minds of yours."

Jaydean stifled a yawn, not quite ready for any mind-expanding activities just yet. His thoughts drifted back to Ethan's earlier comment about not making things weird. It was a relief that Ethan was taking the whole Emily situation in stride—at least, on the surface. But Jaydean knew his best friend well enough to realize that there would still be moments of awkwardness to come.

Mr. Thompson started talking about the day's announcements, and Jaydean let his mind wander again, this time to thoughts of the weekend. He and Ethan used to spend most Saturdays playing video games or hanging out at the mall, just goofing around and trying to impress the girls who worked at the food court. Those were simpler times—before the complications of high school relationships and all the drama that came with them.

Jaydean could almost hear Ethan's voice in his head from one of those weekends, saying, "Dude, if we keep this up, we'll be the coolest guys in school by senior year." At the time, it had seemed like a realistic goal. Now, it just seemed like a funny memory.

The bell rang, snapping Jaydean out of his thoughts. Mr. Thompson wrapped up the announcements and dismissed them to their next class. As they gathered their things, Ethan shot Jaydean a sideways glance.

"Hey, you coming to the game tonight?" Ethan asked, his thoughts tinged with hopefulness. *It'd be nice to hang out like old times, without any awkwardness.*

Jaydean nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there. We can grab food after or something."

"Cool," Ethan replied, visibly relaxing. "Just don't bail on me if Emily shows up."

Jaydean laughed, shaking his head. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They made their way to their next class, the usual hum of thoughts surrounding them. Jaydean could sense that things between him and Ethan were slowly getting back to normal. It wouldn't happen overnight, but they'd get there—one embarrassing memory at a time.

...

..

.

The day passed in a blur of classes, with Jaydean and Ethan drifting through the usual routine of lectures, assignments, and the occasional burst of classroom chaos. The buzz of thoughts was ever-present, like static in the background, but Jaydean was getting better at tuning it out when needed. It was easier when he focused on something specific—like the upcoming game.

By the time the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, the energy in the air had shifted. The anticipation for the game was palpable. Students were talking excitedly about it, their thoughts all over the place—some focused on the players, others on what they were planning to wear, and a few just looking forward to not having homework for the night.

Jaydean and Ethan made their way to the gym, where the crowd was already gathering. The home team's colors were everywhere, and the smell of popcorn and other concession stand food filled the air. As they found seats in the bleachers, Jaydean couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia. This was the kind of stuff he used to enjoy, back before everything got so complicated.

Ethan nudged him with his elbow. "You look like you're about to get all sentimental," he teased, though his thoughts were more focused on the game itself.

Jaydean smirked. "Please. I'm just here for the snacks."

"Yeah, sure," Ethan replied with a grin. "You're really here to scope out Emily."

Jaydean rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but glance around the gym. Emily was bound to be here somewhere—she usually showed up to these things, even if she wasn't that into sports. He spotted her a few rows down, sitting with a group of friends. For a moment, their eyes met, and she gave him a small smile. Jaydean's heart did a little flip, but he quickly shoved the feeling aside, trying to stay cool.

Ethan noticed, of course. "You're hopeless," he muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his thoughts. *Can't blame him, though. She's…*

Jaydean didn't catch the rest, but he didn't need to. Ethan was trying to keep his own feelings under control, and Jaydean appreciated that. He didn't want things to get weird between them.

The game started, and the gym erupted into cheers as the players took the court. Jaydean settled back in his seat, trying to get into the spirit of things. The first quarter was intense, with both teams scoring back and forth, the crowd roaring with every point. Jaydean could tell Ethan was getting into it—his thoughts were all about the game, strategizing in his head as if he were the coach.

But Jaydean's mind kept drifting. He found himself thinking about the last time he and Ethan went to a game together. They had been so competitive, making bets on who could guess the final score, loser buying the other a soda. Jaydean remembered how Ethan had gloated when he won by just one point, and Jaydean had to fork over his last dollar.

Ethan glanced at him, catching the memory. "You still owe me for that soda, you know," he joked.

Jaydean grinned. "You're not getting another one out of me tonight."

"We'll see about that," Ethan shot back, his eyes back on the game.

As halftime approached, the score was close, and the tension in the gym was high. Jaydean could feel the nervous energy from the players and the crowd alike. Ethan was practically on the edge of his seat, thoughts racing with predictions about how the second half would go.

But Jaydean's focus was elsewhere. He couldn't help but notice that Emily had gotten up from her seat, heading toward the concession stand. Without really thinking, he found himself saying, "I'm gonna grab something to drink."

Ethan shot him a knowing look. "Yeah, sure. Just don't forget to actually buy something."

Jaydean chuckled, shaking his head as he made his way down the bleachers. As he approached the concession stand, he saw Emily standing in line, looking a little bored. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he took a moment to gather his thoughts. He didn't want to come off as weird or too eager.

Just as he was about to say something, he heard Ethan's voice in his head. *Don't screw this up, man.*

Jaydean smirked. Even when he wasn't around, Ethan had a way of making his presence known.

Emily finally noticed him and smiled. "Hey, Jaydean! Here for the snacks?"

"Obviously," he replied with a grin. "The game's just an excuse to eat junk food, right?"

She laughed, and for a moment, Jaydean forgot about the awkwardness. They chatted casually while they waited in line, talking about the game, school, and random stuff. It by felt…normal. Like the way things used to be, before feelings and complications got in the way.

Jaydean eventually grabbed his drink and popcorn, and they headed back to the bleachers together. As they sat down, he noticed Ethan giving him a thumbs-up from a few rows away, though his thoughts were still a mix of support and a little bit of jealousy.

The second half of the game was just as intense as the first, but Jaydean felt more relaxed now. He joked around with Emily, caught Ethan's sarcastic comments whenever the other team scored, and even managed to get a few good laughs from everyone around him. For a while, it felt like everything was back to normal.

But as the final buzzer sounded and the crowd erupted into cheers for the home team's win, Jaydean couldn't help but wonder how long this balance would last. It was easy to ignore the tension for now, but he knew it was still there, lurking beneath the surface.