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It was the perfect moment to finally say something. They’d had a maybe date at the drive-in watching the two of the best cheesy gore-fest movies the 80s ever produced during a double feature night. Anything about how he felt about Jonas. But no, Mitch chickened out as usual. He even had the perfect gift to roll into it…
“I saw this and thought of ya because you’re my wish come true.”
Mitch reached for the bag behind the passenger seat of Scratch’s car she let him borrow for their sort of date. Holding the One Wish Willow stick in his hands he replayed Jonas’ last words before he walked in his house.
“Do you… do you have feelings for me?”
It was THE perfect moment. He didn’t even need a lead in, Jonas opened the damn door and called him in! But when Mitch looked into Jonas’ eyes he saw something he couldn’t quite place. Fear? No. Yeah? Maybe? Mitch knew what scared Jonas looked like, this wasn’t that. What if Mitch said yes, told Jonas just how much he had feelings for him and then Jonas got creeped out. Mitch knew on some level Jonas was too good for him. Even if their past was nicer, even if he bullied everyone else but Jonas, Jonas would still probably hate him. They were so close to the end of senior year. Jonas would go on to bigger and brighter things leaving Mitch in the hole he dug for himself. This was all he’d get of Jonas.
“I mean… I like ya. Wouldn’t want to spend time with ya if I didn’t.“
Jonas’ face betrayed nothing. “Oh, cool. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t bothering you. Good night.“
Off he went back into his nice house. Leaving Mitch in his friend’s car, alone, in the dark, with the gift he meant to give Jonas to replace his lost bracelet.
“Aw, fuck it.” Mitch opened the box and out fell the weirdest stick… The box told him to break it then speak his wish. THEN speak the wish? Weird as shit. Whatever, it’s just a gimmick. Might as well. Mitch took one look at Jonas fishing out his house key from his deep pockets, unhurried since Dean was on shift and the house was pitch black except for the porch light.
“I wish,” Mitch exhaled a ragged breath knowing this was the definition of wishful thinking. “I wish he loved me more than anyone in the world.”
If he had been less in his own head Mitch would have noticed the way Jonas stopped fiddling with the key, stilled to a halt. Mitch did notice when Jonas walked back to the car. Except he was walking as if he was being pulled by a string. Like he didn’t know why he was approaching the car.
What followed was the weirdest conversation of Mitch’s life and he’d been arrested for stabbing his step dad. Jonas invited Mitch into the house, Mitch declined because Dean would no doubt catch him in there and he was pretty sure that even if he wasn’t legally an adult, stabbing the chief of police would get him more than two years. Jonas pulled a full on frownie face which prompted Mitch to ask if he’d had anything to drink besides the root beer.
“Noooooo…” Jonas seemed confused. His body tried to move back towards the house but his face wouldn’t let him, too busy staring into Mitch’s soul.
“I just… really don’t want to be alone. Will you please stay with me?” Jonas was talking like his usual self. But his eyes were… afraid? No sooner than Mitch registered the fear than it was gone.
“Are you okay? Are you… do you want me to stay because of Dean?” He would. He absolutely would, to hell with the consequences. He’d stab Dean every day for the rest of his pathetic life if he hurt Joey.
“No. I just really want to be with you.” Jonas’s voice was flat now. If his eyes were manic his voice was monotone. Neither quite syncing up. This isn’t fear or alcohol or drugs. “Please, Mitch? Pleasssssseeeeee?” His eyes and voice seemed to agree on playfulness. Was this all some sort of joke? Was Joey pranking him or maybe… no, no way was this Jonas flirting?
“I guess, if you want I can come up and stay with you until the morning. Or you can come over to mine… so Dean don’t lose his shit?”
Jonas was in the car before he finished his sentence. He sat still, staring at Mitch like his life depended on it except when he texted his mom to let her know that he was staying at a friend's house for the weekend. Which he only did when Mitch asked if he wanted to leave a note. After starting the car Jonas, the most safety conscious nerd in all of existence didn’t move to put on his seat belt.
“Ya gonna buckle up?” No response. Just continued staring. Mitch decided to push his luck by buckling Jonas himself. It took 15 seconds of staring at each other; Mitch in concern, Jonas in… who knows what. But then like a switch flipped Jonas smiled and thanked him.
The smile Jonas gave him as he stared at Mitch was so wide it looked painful.