first of two updates yay!
“Coffee,” said Willa, pushing a Costa takeaway cup across the table to Isaac. It was two weeks later and they were in the public library again before school, something that’d become almost a routine. She sat down cross-legged opposite him, ignoring the money he pushed across in favour of sipping from her own cup. “Don’t need paying back. It’s my treat, Isaac, you literally look two steps away from death.”
“Such a flatterer,” muttered Isaac sarcastically, then looked up with a smile. “Thanks for the coffee though.”
“I’m serious,” said Willa. “What’s wrong? You’ve been pretty quiet lately.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
He took a highlighter lid off with his teeth and returned to his paper, ignoring the loud sigh she aimed at him.
“Isaac.”
He gave in finally, looking up and saying reassuringly,
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, okay? It’s fine. I’ve got it under control.”
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After school Jared asked if Isaac wanted to come round for a bit. Isaac smiled distractedly, shaking his head.
“I’ve- got some work to do,” he said vaguely. Jared raised an eyebrow.
“Okay? I mean, we could do it at mine?”
Isaac looked away from him, out through the window.
“I can’t,” he said, rubbing one cheek. Jared frowned.
“You okay?” he managed, trying to make his voice sound less worried than it was. Isaac turned his head quickly this time, smiled forcefully at him in a way that said leave it. And Jared wished he could push further, but he was too scared of pushing Isaac away.
“I’m fine,” Isaac told him shortly, and Jared knew he wasn’t but he said,
“Okay,” anyway. Halfway up the path to his door he realised how cowardly that had been (he was so fucking wary of stepping in the wrong place when dealing with feelings, of pushing too hard or saying the wrong thing so that Isaac turned round with a ‘leave me alone’ that he actually meant). He froze. Isaac was reversing slowly out of the drive when Jared thought fuck it and strode back up to his car. He rapped on the window till Isaac stopped and wound it down.
“You know you can tell me- whatever you want,” blurted out Jared before Isaac could speak. “I’m here whenever. Whatever you need.”
Isaac smiled properly then, a small, quiet, genuine smile that calmed Jared’s trapped-bird heart a little.
“I know J,” he said gently.
“Okay,” said Jared, breathing out. “Okay then.”
He removed his hands from the window and waved stupidly (what the fuck are you doing, idiot, idiot) as Isaac rolled it up again, putting the car back in reverse. Isaac waved back, smiling still. Jared turned and went into his house after that (because he wasn’t going to stand there waving off Isaac like he was off to the fucking army or something. He wasn’t that much of a loser).
----------o----------
As soon as he got inside Cosmo’s arms were round him, his brother’s excited voice in his ear.
“She said yes!” he cried. “I just asked Stella out in French and she said yes!”
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...
