Tyler Moss

"Checkmate."

I looked over at the board. "You really are something, Jay. Just as smart as Levi. I have no chance in games that require the brain."

"I should be saying that you are something, Tyler," Jay smiled. It felt like old times again....but then again, Jay's a master at faking it. Who knows if any of that was real. Still, even if it was all fake, it felt good to have my friend. "You really played with zero strategy. That's a....really stupid thing to do."

The point is I'm not scared of Jay. He's still a smartass. "Excuse me for not being super genius for no reason like you and Levi. Want to stop by the arcade? I bet I can win there! Not even Levi can beat me in a shooting game!"

"I can beat you in shooting. I already beat you in that game."

"I was just feeling off that day, I'll beat you this time."

"You can't beat me at shooting."

"Yeah right! I used to skip class to play these games with Liam all the-"

"What are you trying to do?" Jay glared at me coldly. It looked a bit like he was trying to overcompensate for his lax attitude.

"I'm Trying to beat you at a game that doesn't need so much brains so I can win." I admitted. "You know I'm a sore loser, you beat me so many times in a row. My pride is taking a real hit here-"

"That's not what I meant! You know that!"

"I mean I guess we can find more strategy games, but You're too smart, so you have an unfair life advantage. I just want to win one game....but I guess we can play more chess." Remaining stubborn, I started to reset the board when suddenly Jay pushed his chair out and walked away. "Wait for me!"

I grabbed my bag and ran up next to him. "What do you want?"

"Do you want to go shopping?"

"No."

"Why? If you don't have money I can pay for it." I probed.

"I have money myself."

"Oh, then thanks for paying!"

"Doing this isn't going to change anything for you. I'm going to kill you both, so stop trying so hard to persuade me to change my mind."

"I wasn't trying to do that. At least not today, Liam's not in school today, so I wanted to go to the arcade and hang out. Who wants to go alone like a loser?" I shrugged.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm bored."

"I don't-"

"Oh my god, stop being so damn serious for just a little bit! Isn't it tiring? How about a fucking break? Chill! Let's go grab a meal or something, I'm starving! I'll pay so let's go fucking eat, you fucking brat." I rolled my eyes and pulled Jay in the opposite direction towards a restaurant. Surprisingly he kept quiet and followed without resisting.

"I guess a peace can be called for now." Jay muttered. Clearly he was embarrassed right now. "I'll play one game after we eat."

"Good! That's the spirit!"

"Your too excited. It's hard to deal with." Jay said as we pulled up to the cafe Levi and I frequented. I felt bad for bringing him here, to Levi and my spot, but this was for the sake of Levi.

"The food here is so good, I come here with Levi a lot."

"It's just a cafe."

"A good one! Look at the menu! It's almost our turn to order," I pointed to the menu overhead.

Jay stared at the menu intensely. "The swirl bread thing."

"A cinnamon roll! Got it!" I smiled.

I ordered and tried my hardest to seem like I couldn't notice Jay grilling me. It would be weird if he wasn't trying to figure me out. "Do I have to beg you to chill the fuck out? Your eyes are looking crazy right now. It's pissing me off."

"Do something about it then."

"You're too cocky for your own good. You're already incredible, but you know that, so you act like the smartest guy in the room. It'd be cute if that wasn't your only personality trait."

"Don't act like you know me."

"I know you take yourself way too seriously. And it's not hard to figure out that you're arrogant as fuck," I admitted. "All in all, your personality is trash."

"So it would be better to be as stupid as you?" Jay scowled at me.

"Studies show that people with higher intelligence have significant difficulty controlling their emotions. So yeah, a low IQ just seems easier. Don't smart people always say 'work smarter, not harder' or something like that?" I pointed out.

"I'm surprised you know what scientific study is." Jay rolled his eyes.

"I do get tutored almost everyday and I get by somehow. Anyway, if you can't just humble yourself, think of this as a dying man's wish. I'm just trying to hang out with my friend."

"Whatever."

I finally got the food and led Jay to where Levi and I always sat. I missed him so much! "Dig in!" I smiled.

"You're stupid," Jay said.

"And you owe me fourteen dollars."

"For a cinnamon roll?"

"No, that was seven and so was mine."

"So I'm paying?"

"If you're going to kill me you can at least pay for your own meals, man. I'm not that much of a pushover. I swear you have no manners. Thanks you, for the roll, I can die with a full belly." I scolded sarcastically. Jay stared at me at a loss as I took a bite. "Eat up, so we can play some games."

"You said you would pay."

"And? You said we were friends, so let's stop the moral debate. Tomato tomato."

"You said the same thing twice!"

"Exactly!" Jay looked at me in bewilderment. He's overthinking again and it was kind of hilarious to tease him again. "If I said it the right way, I'd still be saying the same thing anyway. You're such a perfectionist."

"What? Are you faking being an idiot?"

"Ouch! I'm not smart, but I've been called idiot so many times. You genius types just need the stick pulled from your ass and gain a sense of humour. That's why you can't make other friends. You're honestly just not that hard to figure out. We're not supposed to be serious people yet anyway. Just stop giving a fuck."

"That's how people end up homeless."

"Ugh! Not for the rest of your life, just for now. Find time to relax no matter what. And if you're going to kill me, I'd like to be relaxed about it."

"So you're getting used to the idea?"

"No, how could I. I just want a break from everything and to just hang out like old times," I explained. He wouldn't catch my bluff right? Jay wasn't as clever as he thought he was and I think he really can't figure me out. Driving him a little crazy might be risky, but I'll do it anyway.

Jay silently ate observing me intensely. "Why are you fidgeting?"

"Because you keep staring me down, you weirdo. I'll pay if its bothering you that much. I was joking about you paying in the first place."

Jay blushed and looked away. Maybe I had what it takes to help Levi. Did he accept that I was going to keep this up? He should because there was no stopping me now that I was basically on fire!

When we finished eating I paid like I promised and we walked out. Jay was doing well staying silent. He actually seemed normal right now. Introverted.

"Ah!" I tripped over my shoelaces and my ankle twisted a bit. "Fuck me. Fuck you shoes! It's fucking twisted my ankle, give me a bit it's not serious. While we sit figure out where you want to go next."

"We went to places you wanted, like we do every time."

"Oh, we have? Then you choose where to go-"

"Forget it? I shouldn't have played along in the first place," Jay turned to leave. "This is a waste of time."

I had to think quickly. "Wait!" I grabbed his hand desperately. "Please don't go!"

Jay turned back red faced and surprised. Dammit! I'm laying it on too thick.

At first I was only planning to earn his trust, then I was going to try my hardest to persuade him to team up with Levi. I thought with a bit of buttering up, he'd change his mind. But today, he made it clear why that won't happen, and the reason was annoying.

Jay looks at me the same way Levi does. Levi was definitely right about that. And if Liam could see it too, then they were probably on to something real.

I have to use those feelings to my advantage somehow.

I held out my arms and pulled Jay into a tight hug. It took a while but he hugged me back and relaxed into it.

I'm sorry, Levi! I promise this is for you! This doesn't mean anything at all!

"I....we can go to the arcade," Jay said. "Relaxing isn't bad. Just stop crying."

I felt like a criminal doing this to someone who was emotionally stunted. I'm such a shitty person to be able to pull this off this much. Every moral fiber of my being felt slimy right now.

"It's only because of my ankle, asshole." If only you knew I was crying because the level of guilt towards you I was feeling right now, Jay. I'm such a bad friend. I'm a really bad and selfish person!

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah," I said. Jay quickly let go and composed himself.

"If you want to have fun before I kill you, I guess I can allow it. But nothings going to change my mind about ending you."

"Good memories are all I want," I smiled through the tears. It was true and it even made Jay smile for a bit. However they were short lived, because we both knew it wasn't possible. "It would be horrible to die sad."

"Yeah, I guess it would."