He Reluctantly Agreed

        “I still don’t get it,” Ethan said, frowning over at where Jean sat in his passenger seat. The younger boy was scowling ferociously out the window and had remained relatively unresponsive for the entire drive. “You know you could’ve just said no, right?”

        “Watch out!” Jean snapped as they screeched around a corner. They were in Ethan’s truck, which had barely made the clearance to enter the parking garage. It’s width was proving to be the problem now, though.

        “It’s fine. I’ve driven this thing for years,” Ethan shrugged it off. “We’re talking about you. Not my driving skills.”

        “Why didn’t I just take my own damn car?” Jean snarled, finally turning away from the scenery of parked cars and affording Ethan with his glare.

        “I don’t know, Jean. Why didn’t you?” Ethan asked. Then, “Fucking asshole! Couldn’t he see that I was going to take that spot? He’s even going the wrong way, goddamn it.”

        “Face it. We’re not going to find a parking space.”

        “No. We will. Even if we have to drive around in here for an hour, we’ll find a space.”

        “Yeah, maybe we’ll find a space, but it won’t be big enough! Why the hell do you drive this beast? And why are we doing this again?”

        Ethan ground his teeth and refused to answer. This truck had been sitting forlornly in the front yard of his uncle’s house for as long as he could remember. When he’d mentioned that he was going to need a car for college his uncle had gotten so excited that he’d bought a whole new engine and they’d spent the whole summer fixing it up. There was enough sentimental value attached to his current vehicle that he would deal with any and all inconveniences necessary.

       “Sorry,” Jean mumbled. “It’s just, I have to get home in time to make dinner for my little brother tonight.”

       “So you have a little brother?” Ethan asked, deciding not to hold a grudge.

       “Yeah. He’s nine, but smart enough to be much older.”

       They both fell silent as they carefully inched by another car going in the opposite direction. It was a tight squeeze and the other driver’s eyes were wide as their behemoth rumbled past.

       Then they were free, climbing all the way to the top level. And before them, at the very end, there stood an empty parking space with enough room to the side that they could fit.

       “Another car,” Jean said, hitting Ethan’s shoulder to alert him as to their competition.

       “Oh no you don’t,” Ethan growled, revving his engine and lurching towards the other car threateningly. He didn’t slow down, and they slid a little as they swung around into their parking space to the sound of the other car’s horn.

       “That was close,” Jean commented, relaxing his death grip on the door and unbuckling his seat belt. His hand was already on the handle when Ethan launched across him and hit the lock down. Not that this would deter Jean from just pulling the lock up himself and leaving, but still.

        “Um,” he frowned, looking at the lock and then cautiously over at Ethan, who had settled back into his seat as though ready for a long talk.

        “Look, I think I know why you did it,” Ethan began.

        “Did what?” Jean scowled, hedging.

        “Agreed to come to this event instead of Matt.”

Jean did not answer. He just crossed his arms and increased the throwing speed of the daggers he was shooting from his eyes.

        “See,” Ethan continued, undeterred. “You're afraid that if you don't support Matt in his relationship with Lily, if you don't bend over backwards to make sure that he's happy, then you'll lose him.”

        “Not true.”

        “And he's really the only friend that matters to you, isn't he?”

        “Can we just go?” Jean snarled.

        “But the thing with Matt is, he's kind of oblivious. He has no idea how much he's asking of you. It's okay to say no to him every now and then.”

        “Ethan, we are not having this conversation.”

        “Jean, if you don't want to be here, you can still call Matt and tell him that something's come up, that you can't make it.”

        “And what do I tell Lily.”

        “You don't tell her anything. It's not your place.”

        “No, but she'll know I was the one who baled. And then she'll hate me even more.”

        “Since when does it matter whether or not Lily likes you?” Ethan frowned. “I thought you didn't like her, and thus didn't care.”

        “Yeah, but she's got Matt in her pocket. If she doesn't like me then he'll stop talking to me.”

        “You really need to get this sorted,” Ethan said. “I mean, seriously. If you try to keep both Lily and Matt happy, you're going to die, one way or another. If they don't kill you, then you'll kill yourself just to escape from the misery.”

        Jean shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the torn knee of his pants. His skin underneath was scraped slightly and he ran his thumb over the scabs there, as though trying to smooth then away into nothing.

       “Maybe it's time you get a different friend,” Ethan said softly.

       “Why are we even having this conversation? What is it to you? Do you not like me? Is that it? Are you trying to convince me to stop being Matt's friend just so you don't have to see me around the house anymore?” Jean hissed, the words rushing out angrily.

       “You're always welcome at our house, even if you're not friends with Matt. It's just, you seem like a pretty cool guy and it would suck if you wasted your life trying to make people happy. That never ends well. And I get the feeling that no one else is going to tell you that it's okay to just say enough.”

       Jean stared at him, eyes narrowing. He had no idea what Matt may or may not have said about his family situation, but he hated how close to the mark Ethan was hitting. If Jean's parents believed in saying enough when they'd had it, then they probably wouldn't be married any more.

       “I'm fine with standing in with Matt for this fundraiser thing,” he mumbled after a moment. He was definitely his parents' son, he thought bitterly.

        Ethan stared at him a moment longer, brow furrowed, as though he wanted to say more. He at least didn't look pleased with Jean's decision.

       “Alright,” he finally said. “I'll walk you inside. In case you see what you've signed up for and decide you do want to run for the hills after all.”

       Jean just nodded. He wasn't sure what would come out if he opened his mouth. On the one hand, he felt as though he was letting Ethan down in some way, and he hated letting people down. But on the other, he'd already promised Matt that he'd do the fundraiser. Which was worse?

       “Maybe next time,” he mumbled as they made their way in the front doors of the mall.

       “Hm?” Ethan asked, glancing down at him.

       “Maybe next time I'll just say no,” he clarified. “It's just, I already promised.”

       And then he moved away quickly before Ethan could say anything. Lily caught up to him within seconds, as though she had some kind of psychic powers and knew when her prey was near.

       “Where were you?” she hissed, grabbing his arm in a vice-like grip. “You're late!”