Dealing With Friends

New Friendship

Jonathan began walking off, sensing the conversation was coming to a close.

"You seem like a pretty cool dude, we should hang out sometime," Steve said. Jonathan's lips pressed into a thin line and he nodded curtly before walking off. How many times has he heard that one? Way too many to count. How many ever actually hung out with him though?

~~~~

The next day at lunch, Jonathan sat alone at his usual table eating his sandwich when suddenly Steve plopped down in the seat next to him. Jonathan stared at him in shock and Steve offered a large smile, "Hope this seat's not taken. Too bad of it was, cause I'm not moving," he said, setting his lunch onto the table. Nancy came over then, sitting across the table from both of them.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked as she took a bite of the school's spaghetti. Jonathan was still trying to process what was going on. People didn't just sit with him at lunch, especially people as popular as Nancy and Steve. He looked at them skeptically.

"What?" Nancy asked.

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but why are you sitting with me?" he questioned. Steve acted as though the answer was obvious, "I said we should start hanging out." Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"I know that, but it's not like anyone ever actually means it," he clarified. A brief look of hurt washed over Steve's face, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared, "Well, I meant it." And he really did. He and Nancy sat with him every day at lunch. It was a bit awkward at first. None of them were sure of what to say, a somewhat tense silence lingering in the air. They knew not to bring up what happened and chose to pretend they lived an average life. They ate in silence.

"If you never plan on talking you might as well not even sit here," Jonathan snarked, taking a bite of his food.

"Excuse me?"

"If this is your idea of "hanging out" then you must be boring as hell. I don't know how Nancy stands it." Said girl covered her mouth, snickering behind her palm. Steve was shocked, mouth agape. His mouth finally formed a large smile.

"I didn't peg you as a sarcastic kinda guy."

"Once you get to know me, that's like 40% of my personality."

Nancy tilted her head in curiosity, "What's the other 60%?" He smiled, "You're gonna have to figure that out for yourselves."

~~~~

Steve and Nancy now sat with Jonathan regularly at lunch, though Jonathan still went straight home after school. It had been weeks, and Steve kept insisting he go out and do something with them.

"There's nothing to do here," Jonathan stated when Steve suggested they do something that night.

"We don't always have to go out. We can all just hang at my place," he offered. Jonathan shrugged, "Even if I wanted to I couldn't, I promised my mom I'd make dinner since she's been so busy this week." Steve narrowed his eyes playfully, pointing a finger at him, "Mark my words Beyers, you will come to my house sooner or later." Jonathan smirked.

"Sounds like a threat."Steve glared at him, "You know what I mean." Nancy gave him a sympathetic look, shaking her head, "I'm afraid Jonathan's right. You sounded like someone straight out of a slasher flick."

Steve gasped, looking between them, "I can't believe my own friends would say that about me!" he said with a look of betrayal.