I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 64: A Little Help from a Friend
Jon's Perspective
The lunchroom buzzed with the usual chaos—trays clattering, voices rising in chatter, the occasional whoop from the jocks near the vending machines. Jon sat across from Terry, idly stabbing his fork into some overcooked pasta masquerading as food. But he wasn't paying attention to the conversation, or even to the sorry excuse for a meal in front of him.
His eyes kept drifting.
Every few seconds, his gaze slid past Terry's head to the table across the room where Sam sat with her friends, laughing at something one of them said. Her eyes sparkled when she laughed like that, her shoulders loose and free, as if a weight had lifted. She looked so… happy.
Jon couldn't help the dumb grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"You're gonna give yourself neck strain if you keep glancing over there like that," Terry said, dragging Jon's attention back like a bucket of cold water.
Jon blinked. "What?"
Terry gave him a lopsided smile. "Dude. I get it. You miss her."
Jon opened his mouth, then closed it again. Right—Terry didn't know. No one did.
"She asked for space, man," Terry continued gently, mistaking Jon's silence. "And I know that sucks, but if you want her back, you gotta respect that. You're doing the right thing just… being cool."
Jon smiled faintly and looked down at his tray, unsure how to respond. The irony made him want to laugh—he wasn't cool. He was the exact opposite. He was a lovesick idiot who'd spent the night grinning at his ceiling and talking to a cat.
"I guess," Jon said.
But he had to redirect this before it got weirder. "Anyway, what about you and Suki?"
Terry groaned, flopping back in his seat like Jon had just punched him in the soul. "Still haven't asked her out. The timing's never right."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "You've had, like, a hundred 'right' moments."
"I'm waiting for the perfect one."
"There is no perfect one. You're not proposing. You're asking her to sit and eat a meal with you."
Jon's point proved itself a moment later when he spotted Suki walking by, laughing with her friends. An idea lit in his head like a flare.
He raised his hand. "Hey, Suki!"
Terry's head snapped to him like a horror movie jump scare.
Suki turned, her expression friendly and curious. "Yeah?"
"You wanna join us for lunch?"
She hesitated for half a second, then smiled. "Sure."
As she walked over and sat beside Terry, Jon could feel Terry's eyes drilling into him like what the hell are you doing, man?
Jon gave him a calm, reassuring look that said: Chill. I got this.
The moment Suki got comfortable, Jon patted his pocket like he'd just remembered something. "Oh shoot, my phone's buzzing. Be right back."
It wasn't buzzing.
He didn't even have it on him.
He gave Terry a discreet wink, then stood up and casually walked away, leaving his best friend sitting alone with the girl he liked.
If Terry could survive getting tackled by a 200-pound linebacker last week, he could survive this.
At least Jon hoped so.
Jon drifted through the cafeteria, weaving past tables and trays with a subtle grin still lingering on his face. He stole a glance back at Terry and Suki. So far, no one was crying or fleeing in panic—solid start. The two were actually talking. Terry looked like he wasn't even sweating yet. Victory.
Jon didn't want to hover like a creep, so he scanned the room for a place to park himself.
His eyes landed on Alex, sitting alone near the far end of the room. She was hunched over a thick book, one hand flipping pages with precise rhythm, the other absentmindedly forking food into her mouth like she'd forgotten taste existed. Her backpack sat like a fortress beside her tray.
Jon approached and slid into the seat across from her without a word.
Alex looked up, brow arching with textbook Alex suspicion. "Why are you here?"
Jon held up his hands, peace offering style. "I know, I know. You're prepping for the biology test, and I'm breaking the sacred solitude."
She said nothing, just blinked, expression flat.
"I'm not here to annoy you," Jon added quickly. "Terry is with Suki at our table. I'm just… giving him space."
He subtly nudged his head toward Terry's table.
Alex turned slightly, just enough to glance over. Her eyes landed on Terry and Suki, who were now laughing about something, Suki leaning in with that telltale look of interest. Alex's lips twitched—just for a second. She turned back to her book like nothing happened.
"You can sit here," she said. "But no talking. No noises. No tapping. No humming. No commentary. Zero distractions."
Jon mimed zipping his mouth shut, tossing away the key, and giving a dramatic nod of solemn obedience.
Alex rolled her eyes but said nothing. Still, Jon caught it.
Beneath her typically composed and analytical exterior, just beneath the surface of the calm and calculated expression she usually wore, Alex was smiling. It wasn't a smile anyone would easily notice, but it was there—a quiet, genuine warmth flickering in her eyes. She was happy for Terry.
And honestly? So was Jon.
Jon quietly ate his lunch, not saying a word, though his eyes occasionally drifted toward Terry and Suki. He watched them subtly, trying not to draw attention to himself. From what he could observe, there didn't seem to be any issues—everything appeared to be going smoothly.