𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛; byler

s e v e n t e e n

▪ ▪ ▪ 

very unsurprisingly, max and jane were really excited to hear about his date.

like, more excited than him.

way more excited.

after max hugged him like he had just announced he's actually pregnant with her child or something, and jane clapped and wooped so hard that she actually made the few costumers around turn to look at them, the two girls insisted to hear every detail of their conversation.

it didn't matter how many times he tried to explain to them that it was pretty simple and they had only talked for like, two minutes- they still made him tell every last part of it. when he told them about the gifted book, they acted as if it was priceless jewel instead of a beat-up paperback book. 

"we have so much to do. we have to pick your outfit, we have to- well, i guess just pick your outfit. but that'll take a while so we have to get started!" max exclaimed, finally giving the book back to him after having flipped through it about a million times.

will laughed. "max, work isn't over yet."

the redheaded girl looked around at the eating people around them, as if just remembered they were at a restaurant, and scoffed loudly.

"ugh. work. we're coming over straight after though!" 

will looked between the excited faces of the two girls, practically alight with enthusiasm, and couldn't help a twinge of regret. he should be this excited. he wanted to be excited. this was a date, a date with a cute boy! his heart should've been overflowing, a smile should've been glued to his face.

but no matter how many times he tired to convince himself that tyler was the one his stomach should be bursting with butterflies for, his stomach seemed dead set on only fluttering for mike. even now, even just thinking about him, the tiny butterflies started tingling on his insides. but he needed to ignore them. mike wasn't an option- and even if he had been, will wouldn't date an asshole like him.

if there was one thing his dad taught him, it was that he didn't want to have another asshole in his life.

so he should be as excited as the two girls in front of him. but he wasn't.

but he could prtend that he was- and he would definently do that.

fake it 'till you make it, right?

▪ ▪ ▪ 

so he let them come over after work. and he played along with their excitement and pretended to care about the clothes they handed to him, and by now it seemed to kind of work. he really did feel kind of excited... but he didn't know if it was genuine excitement, or if he just wanted to be excited so bad he had convinced himself that he was.

ugh. this shouldn't be this complicated. 

"no. this just doesn't fit!" jane said, sighing in exasperation. she grabbed both of will's shoulder, turning him around and examining his shirt on again before letting go and running her hands through her hair. will just stood there, not knowing what to respond. this was literally the last shirt he owned that they hadn't tried on- a slightly-faded, light pink button down. it was the only dress shirt he owned, and it was just a little too small since he had gotten it for his cousin's bar mitzvah 3 years prior. he just didn't really need dress shirts...