Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One Friday since that was the only day of the week when he didn't have any classes, Stone was making his usual trip that occurred roughly every couple of weeks to his local bookstore.

Being a college student and all, he never had much free time to do something he enjoyed. He was almost always busy rushing to get to class, taking notes, spending time in his campus’s library for assignment research, studying for tests, or writing essays. Especially writing essays since he was majoring in English.

But the rare spare time that he did get was often spent at his local bookstore. He loved to get some coffee from the coffee shop inside the store, find a good book, and just sit there and read for a while. He always found so many good selections there.

All of those things were part of his usual bookstore routine.

But what happened that day definitely wasn't.

In most cases, the young man kept to himself. He'd never been very good at making and keeping friendships…which likely explained why his current only friend (and current roommate, too) was Vinnie, a girl he had met way back during the last year of elementary school and bonded surprisingly quickly with, still being friends with her to this day and even living with her. He guessed that part of it was how extroverted she was, which allowed him to not have to talk very much. He definitely wasn't complaining about that, he was content to just listen to her talk for the most part. He usually just strolled through the store to find a book, only speaking to another person when he was ordering his usual iced coffee.

Today, that all changed.

He was searching for a new good book to read, but nothing was really catching his eye today for some reason. He wasn't even really sure what he was in the mood to read today since it always varied.

He thought about seeking out an employee, but he quickly perished the thought. 

He wasn't exactly the best at talking to people until he grew comfortable with them, and that definitely hadn't happened much throughout his life. So searching alone it was.

Stone continued to trail through the aisles of the store, just wandering aimlessly.

Until he noticed an employee coming his way.

Usually when this happened, he would duck into a corner and escape. But he couldn't bring himself to this time.

The employee, who looked to be about his age, had fluffy-looking ginger hair, a bright smile, and a beige jacket.

Stone, loath as he was to admit it, caught himself staring at the employee.

The employee noticed and walked over to the dark-haired boy, still wearing that sunny smile. “Are you finding everything okay?”

Stone was momentarily unable to respond. He avoided eye contact, instead dropping his gaze down to the employee’s name tag, which read Skipp. “Uhm…”

Skipp tilted his head, waiting for a response.

Finally, Stone found his voice again. “Actually, I could use some help.”

“Sure! How can I help you?” Skipp asked.

Stone glanced around at the bookshelves, suddenly finding it very hard to maintain eye contact with the other boy. Not that he ever found eye contact to be easy in general, but still. It had grown harder than it usually was. “I'm looking for something new to read. Maybe…a mystery novel?”

Skipp’s smile widened. “Oh, I know just the thing. Follow me.” He headed towards the mystery section of the bookstore.

Intrigued, Stone followed.

Skipp retrieved a thick hardcover book from one of the shelves and held it up. “Have you read this one yet?”

Stone looked at the book. “No, I haven't.”

Skipp smiled. “It just came out recently, and we have a lot of customers coming in and buying this one. I've heard it's pretty good. So maybe you'll like it?” 

Stone tilted his head, processing the words. He, being the experienced and extensive reader that he was, knew that “popular” didn't always necessarily mean he would personally enjoy it. 

But he was always up for a good mystery novel, so maybe he would follow the crowd this time. 

He took the book, examining the cover and the summary on the back. He nodded to himself. “This does look interesting.”

Skipp chuckled. “Told you.”

Stone smiled a bit and handed the book to him. “I'll take this one.”

“Great!” Skipp took the book and headed to the checkout counter. “Do you have a membership with us for a thirty percent discount?”

“I do.” Stone nodded, retrieving his membership card and handing it to Skipp.

Skipp scanned the card and then rang up the book. “That’ll be fifteen dollars. Would you like a bag?”

“Yes, please,” Stone answered, handing a twenty dollar bill over. “You can keep the change.” 

Skipp took the money and set the book in a small bag, smiling. He handed the bag to Stone. “Oh, thank you! There you are. Have a wonderful day.”

Stone smiled back as he picked up the bag. “Thank you, you too.” He gave a slight wave and exited the bookstore, heading to his car.

As he walked, he let his mind wander a bit. That was pretty much the first time he'd actually accepted help when a bookstore employee asked if he needed it, and it had been nowhere near as bad as he thought it would.

Actually, it hadn’t been bad at all.

The guy had been so nice the entire time, and it seemed to come from a place that was more than just good customer service.

He seemed to be a genuinely nice person. At least, that was how Stone was starting to see it.

And he had been kinda cute too…

Stone paused and rapidly shook his head to rid himself of that random, strange thought. What was that just now? What am I thinking? I just met the guy and I don't even know him.

He just continued walking to his car, confused at the direction his own mind had taken. He hadn't been interested in anyone in a long time and now suddenly he was again for a boy he had literally just met about twenty minutes ago?

He glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened. He was running a bit late to meet Vinnie for lunch.

Stone approached his car, opened the door, sat down, placed his bag in the passenger’s seat, and turned it on. 

Before driving, he shot Vinnie a text.

Me to Silly Extrovert at 1:31 PM: hey im running a bit late

He got a response approximately one minute later.

Silly Extrovert to me at 1:31 PM: Tsk tsk, rock boy. I can't believe this

Stone rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit as he typed out a reply.

Me to Silly Extrovert at 1:32 PM: oh relax, i haven't abandoned you. i just got a little sidetracked while at the bookstore

Silly Extrovert to me at 1:32 PM: Ofc you did, who would've guessed?

Me to Silly Extrovert at 1:33 PM: shh, yk im a big reader

Silly Extrovert to me at 1:34 PM: I do indeed know that. Now shush and start driving

Me to Silly Extrovert at 1:34 PM: how do you know im not already driving?

Silly Extrovert to me at 1:35 PM: Because you never text and drive. Which is good, you shouldn't

Me to Silly Extrovert at 1:35 PM: yeah yeah, im on my way. see you there

Silly Extrovert to me at 1:36 PM: See you soon!

Stone smiled to himself as he began to drive.

Soon, he reached the restaurant that he and Vinnie had made plans to meet at. He parked the car and got out, searching around for Vinnie’s car before spotting her pulling into a parking spot not too far away.

Vinnie parked her car, got out, and noticed Stone. She gave a wave and skipped over to him.

Stone gave her a sly smile. “You were on my case about being late and you didn't even get here until after I did.”

Vinnie laughed, gently elbowing him. “Hey, I got distracted finishing an assignment. And I'll have you know I did get here before you.” 

Stone chuckled, understanding that sentiment all too well. “Sure, maybe by about two minutes. And I feel that.” 

The two of them opened the door and entered the restaurant, taking a seat.

A waiter came by and asked them what they wanted to drink and what they'd be ordering to eat, and they put in their orders. 

The waiter nodded and informed them that their food and drinks would be out shortly, then walked away.

And so, Stone and Vinnie were left without any distractions.

Which especially sucked for the dark-haired boy.

Stone was quiet for a minute, debating on whether or not he wanted to tell Vinnie about the boy he had met. He already knew he'd be met with a lot of her typical teasing, but she was also his only friend and he was dying to tell someone.

Vinnie looked over at him. “You okay, bud? You're pretty quiet.”

Stone looked up. “I'm always quiet.”

“I mean more so than usual.”

“...Yeah, I'm okay." 

“You sure? You can tell me if something’s wrong.”

Stone thought a bit more. He really, really wanted to tell her. But he also wasn't particularly in the mood to be made fun of.

He risked a glance at his friend again. She actually looked pretty sincere with a hint of worry in her expression, wondering what was wrong.

He sighed. He may as well get this over with. “Well…I met someone today.”

“Oh, at the bookstore?” Vinnie asked.

Stone nodded.

“Who was it? An employee, another shopper, who?” Vinnie’s curiosity had quickly grown.

“It was an employee.”

“What was their name?”

Stone hesitated again before answering. “His name was Skipp. He offered to help me find something new to read and his hair was so fluffy and soft-looking and he was so nice and his smile lit up his whole face and-” He paused, realizing that he had just been rambling about the bookstore employee.

Vinnie was grinning at him, just as he thought she would be. “Hmm, interesting…” the girl mused.

Stone's face heated up. “I- shut up! You heard none of that!”

“Oh, I heard all of it, my friend.” Vinnie’s grin grew.

Stone leaned over the table and hid his face in his arms, feeling utterly humiliated.

Vinnie chuckled to herself as she looked at him. “I see what's going on here.”

“And what is that?” Stone's voice was muffled.

Vinnie continued to grin. “You like this guy.”

Stone quickly threw his head back up and gave her a shocked look. “What?”

“You heard me! You like him!”

*Wh- that's not- no- VINNIE!” 

“What?”

“That is not at all true! I just met him, how could I already be starting to like him?”

“Hey, it happens to some people.”

“I guess, but…”

“Shh.” Vinnie tapped Stone's forehead. “You like him, and there's nothing you can say to make me believe otherwise.”

Stone groaned and hid his face back in his arms. He already regretted telling Vinnie about the boy from the bookstore. He should've known it would only lead to her signature teasing.

Vinnie chuckled as she looked at her friend. He really was so easy to mess with.

Stone looked up and glared at her.

Before long, the waiter came back with their drinks. He slid the lemonade to Vinnie and the vanilla iced coffee to Stone.

“Thank you!” the two friends said in unison.

The waiter smiled. “You’re welcome.” He then left again.

Stone grabbed a straw and started stirring the ice around in his coffee.

Vinnie looked over at his drink of choice. “Another coffee, dude? Let me guess, this is at least the second one you've had today.”

“It is in fact my second one today,” Stone confirmed. “I'll have you know that coffee is delicious and I often find myself needing it, I'm a very busy person.”

Vinnie laughed. “Point taken.” 

The two of them sat in silence and sipped their drinks for a minute, then Vinnie looked over at Stone again.

He looked back at her suspiciously. “What?”

“You know what I think you should do?” Vinnie asked.

Stone already didn't like the sound of this. “...What?”

“I think you should go to the bookstore again, find that guy, and ask him to hang out with you when he's free.”

Stone nearly spat out his coffee at the words. “Wh- Vin! I can't do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because we just met! I can't be showing interest in him this soon, I don't even know him!”

“I mean…I was suggesting it so you guys could become friends and get to know each other and see where that goes. No one said anything about showing interest…but that's good to know, too.” Vinnie smirked.

Stone’s face heated up. How could he have given himself away like that? It was true, Vinnie hadn't said a word about showing interest even if she clearly thought Stone liked the ginger boy. 

He hid his face in his arms once again, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

Vinnie reached over and patted his head. “I'm just teasing, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” came Stone's muffled voice.

“You do what you think is right. Though, I still think you should get to know him,” Vinnie continued.

Stone thought about it for a minute. Maybe Vinnie was right. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and make one more friend…or something more…

Ugh, stop it, he thought. He lifted his head back up to look at his friend. “Okay, maybe I'll go there again later and see if he's there.”

Vinnie smiled victoriously. “Great! My mission has been accomplished.” 

Stone rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop his own smile from forming on his face.

Right about then, the waiter came back with their food and placed it in front of them.

The friends looked up and gave an appreciative nod. *Thank you.”

*My pleasure.” The waiter nodded back, turned, and walked away.

Vinnie picked up one of her chicken tenders and began to munch on it, ignoring how hot it was since she was starving right now.

Stone stirred around his fettuccine Alfredo a bit and took a bite before turning his gaze to Vinnie again. “So how about you, Vin? How have things been going?”

Vinnie looked back at him. “Life-wise or class-wise?”

“Both.”

“Well…my classes are going pretty well. I love getting to just sit in a class and learn more about art. And I've made some more friends, too…”

“Don't replace me,” Stone joked.

Vinnie laughed, poking his arm. “Don't be silly, rock boy. You know you're one of my best friends. We've known each other for years.”

Stone smiled slightly at the kind words. He loved knowing that despite how often Vinnie loved to tease him, she truly did view him as one of her best friends.

“You're my best friend,” he confessed.

“I'm your only friend,” Vinnie teased.

“Shut up. It's the thought that counts, okay?” Stone grumbled.

“Eh, well…I may have competition once you spend more time with this boy from the bookstore.” Vinnie gave her friend a teasing grin.

Stone's face heated up for what felt like the millionth time that day. “Vin, I didn't even say for sure that I'd try to hang out with him. I'm still thinking about it.”

“I still say you should.” Vinnie munched on one of her fries.

“And I said I'd think about it.” Stone reached across the table and stole a fry, popping it into his mouth.

Vinnie poked him, noticing.

He just smiled innocently.

The two of them sat there, ate their food, and continued to chat about a few other topics before Stone paid for it and they departed.

“So, where are you heading now?” Stone asked Vinnie as the two of them exited the restaurant with whichever leftovers they had.

“Probably back home, I've got more assignments to catch up on,” Vinnie responded. “You?”

“Hm…I already finished everything for the week, so…” Stone began.

Vinnie’s eyes popped wide open. “You- Stone, how? How do you do it?”

Stone shrugged. “Let's just say I get very focused once I start assignments.”

Vinnie laughed. “I guess so.” She paused. “Wait so, if you're done with your assignments…then you could go back to the bookstore and get that boy's number.” She grinned.

Stone rolled his eyes, trying to fight the embarrassment he was feeling once again. “I don't even know if he'll still be there.”

“But he might be.”

“But he also might not.”

“Well, you won't know either way if you don't go see.”

Stone sighed, reluctantly conceding to his friend's point. “You're right.”

“I know.”

“You don't have to be so smug about it.”

Vinnie just smiled.

Stone sighed. He knew Vinnie wouldn't get off his case about this until he actually did it. And truth be told, he was secretly hoping to see the boy again. “Fine, I'll go.”

“Good. Text me all the details.”

“I'm just going to ask him if he wants to hang out, there won't be many details.”

“That's what you think now.”

“Ugh.” Stone rolled his eyes and headed towards his car, giving a lazy wave. “I'll see you later. Good luck on your work.”

Vinnie smiled and waved back. “Thanks! See you later, rock boy.” She headed off to her own car and began to drive back to the apartment that she and Stone shared.

As for Stone, he just sat in his seat for a minute after starting his car. Was he really doing this? Was he really about to head back to the bookstore right now and ask the employee that he'd literally just met today if he wanted to hang out?

Apparently he was.

Since when did he do crazy things like this?

He sighed and just began to drive back to the bookstore. He might as well do this and get it over with before he completely chickened out. 

The drive there was nothing short of both nerve-wracking and exciting. He was going to do this. He was going to ask that boy out-

Wait, no. Not ask him out. Ask him to hang out. As friends. Yeah.

Stone shook his head to rid his mind of all those pesky thoughts and got out of his car, locking it. 

He stood before the familiar bookstore that now also held an air of uncertainty. The cool October breeze only served to add to those feelings.

It felt nice, though. Autumn was definitely one of the best seasons in existence.

He was going to walk in there, look for Skipp, and ask if he wanted to hang out. Just a normal thing. 

This was fine.

He took a deep breath and entered the bookstore, looking around.

Okay, so Skipp wasn't at the checkout counter.

Maybe he was doing something else?

Stone walked through the store, searching for the ginger boy.

He paused when he caught a glimpse of fluffy ginger hair in his peripheral vision.

Skipp was there after all.

Chapter Text

Stone noticed the other boy restocking some books off in the distance.

Okay, he could do this. Just act natural, walk up to Skipp, and casually ask the question of whether he wanted to hang out. Simple.

Or…it would be if he didn't completely and totally suck at talking to people and making friends and had for as long as he could remember.

Okay, stop overthinking it. Just walk up to him and do it, Stone thought.

He took another deep breath and began to walk over.

Skipp was contentedly humming to himself as he placed more books on the shelves, then he paused when he noticed Stone standing there.

His eyes lit up…or maybe that was just Stone's imagination.

Why was he hoping that someone was happy to see him when they had just met? Normally, he tried his best to avoid new people.

“You're back!” Skipp commented with a smile. “Have you started reading the book yet?”

Stone shook his head. “Not yet, I went out to meet a friend for lunch after I left earlier.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!” 

“Eh, she loves to tease me. So ‘fun’ is debatable.” 

Skipp laughed. “I see.”

Stone nodded.

Skipp looked over at him. “So, what brings you back here?”

Okay, here came the hard part. The part he'd been both dreading and desperately wanting.

Stone was quiet for a minute, then he met the other boy's gaze. “I came to ask you something.”

“Me? What?” Skipp was curious.

“I was wondering…if you wanted to hang out sometime?” Stone felt so awkward asking. He was just asking for a hangout as friends, not asking the other boy out on a date.

Though he would love to…

Ugh, come on. Stop thinking like that already. You don't even know him yet. Get a grip, Stone, he thought.

Skipp was a bit surprised to hear that. This boy that he'd just met today was already asking to hang out with him? Did he really appear that friendly and interesting?

He wasn't sure he was very used to that. Usually, it took him much more time and effort to try and make friends (considering he still only had a small group of three or four friends he had met back in high school). And now this person he’d only met a few hours before was wanting to spend time with him?

Skipp smiled slightly. “Sure, I'd love to. I'm off tomorrow if you want to hang out then.”

Stone's heart picked up speed. Skipp had actually said yes? Was he dreaming right now? “Great! That works. Do you want to meet up at that cafe that just opened near here a few months ago?”

Skipp nodded eagerly. “I've been meaning to go there and try it! I've just been pretty busy with work.”

Stone found himself silently admiring the way the boy got so eager and happy over the smallest things. Just the exact opposite of him. “It's pretty good, I think you'll like it.”

“I think I will, too! Does…maybe around ten in the morning tomorrow work for you?”

“It sure does.”

Skipp smiled. “Great! I'll see you then.”

Stone found himself smiling back. “Okay, I look forward to it.” He gave a small wave as he turned and began to leave the bookstore for the second time that day.

“Same here!” Skipp waved back, watching him leave. He couldn't believe this was really happening. He had met a boy who looked a bit unapproachable and maybe even a little intimidating at first glance but was actually really friendly if one took the time to talk to him and get to know him. He had helped that same boy to find a book earlier, and now that boy was asking him to hang out.

…He realized just then that he didn't even know this boy’s name.

Oh, well. He'd just have to find out tomorrow.

For now, he had a shift at work to finish and a hangout with a new potential friend to look forward to. He spent the whole rest of his shift in even higher spirits than usual.

And his jovial mood only continued after he finished his shift about an hour later and then began to drive home.

And when he parked his car, unlocked the door, and entered his house.

It didn't go unnoticed, for his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bakker, were sitting together in the living room and spotted their son smiling as he walked in.

“You look pretty happy,” his dad commented.

“Yeah, that's not too common after you get home from a long day at work,” his mom added.

Skipp chuckled, unable to deny their words. “I guess you're right. Something happened today, though.”

Both of Skipp's parents now looked curious.

Skipp took his shoes off, headed into the living room, and sat on the couch in between them. “I met someone today.”

“Who?” Mrs. Bakker asked.

Skipp was unable to stop smiling. “Well…he was a customer at the bookstore. I asked if he needed help finding anything, and he did. So I recommended to him that new mystery book that everyone's been talking about lately.”

Skipp's parents nodded, listening.

Skipp's smile grew. “And then he came back a little later and asked if I wanted to hang out with him tomorrow!” 

“And what did you say?” Mr. Bakker asked.

Skipp’s smile might as well have been permanent at this point. “I said yes! He and I are hanging out at that new cafe tomorrow morning.”

Skipp's parents nodded, also smiling now.

“I hope you guys have fun,” Skipp's dad said.

“And we want to meet him at some point,” Skipp's mom added.

Skipp chuckled, all too familiar with the way his parents were always eager to meet every new friend he made.

Or more than that, in some cases.

“Sure, I'll ask him if he wants to meet you guys sometime,” Skipp agreed.

“Good, good,” Mrs. Bakker approved.

Skipp smiled and wandered into the kitchen to find a quick snack.

As always, he grabbed an apple from the fridge. He washed and sliced it, then sat at the table and munched on the sweet fruit.

He was beyond excited about tomorrow.

He was going to not only finally visit the new cafe he'd been planning on visiting ever since it opened a couple months ago, but he was going to visit it with someone who he hoped would become a new friend.

All throughout dinner and even after the fact when he and his parents had all said goodnight to each other and headed off to bed, the thought persisted in his mind.

He was excited, sure. But he was also nervous. Despite his sunny and outgoing disposition, he sometimes struggled with making friends.

He really hoped that this wouldn't become another one of those scenarios where he or a potential friend failed to keep a friendship going. He had gone through that a few too many times (and he was surprised he even still had his group of high school friends).

He wanted someone who would stay.

And maybe, just maybe, he would finally get that.

He just had to wait for tomorrow and see how his hangout with the dark-haired boy he had met would end up going.

Chapter Text

Stone exited the bookstore, got into his car, turned it on, and just sat there in shock for a minute. Skipp had actually said yes to hanging out with him. Him. The guy that most people avoided because he looked cold and unapproachable and wasn't good at making friends.

This felt like a new beginning in a way. Maybe he'd soon have a friend in addition to Vinnie.

Maybe something more in the future…

Stone dropped his face into his hands, frustrated with his own persistent thought process. Seriously, stop thinking like that. You only just now got the chance to hang out with him, don't make it weird. Just once in your life, try not to make it weird.

After he finished having a crisis (for now) over tomorrow's scheduled hangout, he began to drive home.

At least he had a whole night to panic about it before it happened tomorrow.

Once he reached the apartment complex and parked his car, he retrieved his key from his pocket and headed over to his and Vinnie’s apartment.

He unlocked the door and entered, closing it behind him. He looked around, trying to see if Vinnie was there.

As it turned out, she was.

He poked his head into her room and found her sitting at her desk and hunched over her computer, presumably working on some assignments.

The girl looked up and noticed her longtime best friend. But this time, she barely had the energy to smile and wave. She felt positively drained right now.

He half-expected her to immediately start teasing him over the fact that he had quite literally just gone back to the bookstore to ask a boy he barely knew to hang out with him, but she didn't.

She just looked a little stressed.

“Uh…are you okay?” Stone asked.

“No,” she replied, sounding defeated.

“Why?” Stone entered her room and walked over to her, concerned.

“I have an essay to write.” Vinnie sounded as if everything in the world had gone wrong.

Stone nodded, familiar with the way his friend often struggled with writing. “Do you need help?”

“Yes, please.” Vinnie scooted over to give Stone some room.

Stone pulled up an extra chair and sat at Vinnie's desk next to her. “So, what's the essay supposed to be about?”

“We watched a movie in class last week and now our midterm is to write a paper about it,” Vinnie explained. “Here, I'll just show you.” She pulled up the assignment and pushed her laptop over to her friend.

Stone glanced at the screen, nodding to himself as he read over the prompt options and instructions. “Okay, so it looks like you have a few different prompts to choose from here.” 

“That's the problem, I don't know what to pick.” Vinnie slumped over her desk, looking defeated.

Stone chuckled a bit at her dramatic displays. “Well, that's why I'm here. I'll help you choose.” 

Vinnie perked up and cast a smile over at her friend. “Thanks, rock boy.”

Stone gave a small smile in return. “Anytime, Vin.” He turned his gaze back to the laptop screen and read over the prompts of choice. “Let's see…you could compare and contrast the movie you watched to another one that had a similar theme, you could rate the movie’s historical accuracy, pick three reasons why, and then write a paper explaining why you ranked it the way you did, or you could pick one of the topics in the movie and analyze it.” He glanced over at her. “Which one sounds the best to you?” 

Vinnie was quiet for a moment as she thought it over. All of them sounded interesting, but they also sounded challenging. She would never understand how Stone was able to just sit down and type up whole essays within the span of an hour or two.

She'd decided that he was a superhuman or something and left it at that.

Finally, an idea came to her. “I guess I'll go with the historical accuracy one since the movie we watched was set during a specific time period.”

Stone nodded. “There you go, you're already off to a good start.”

Vinnie smiled a little and moved her computer back over to her. She opened up a Word document and typed out her header, then a title…and then she blanked a bit and just stared at the mostly empty document.

Stone chuckled. “Need more help?”

“I'll need lots more help,” Vinnie sighed. “I was supposed to go clubbing with some friends tonight, but with my luck, I'll just end up spending all night on this paper.”

“One, how do you enjoy clubbing that much? Two, no you won't. I'm going to help you.”

“One, because it's fun. Two, are you sure?”

“Of course I'm sure.”

Vinnie smiled a little, happy to have such a good friend. “Thanks, rock boy.”

Stone returned the smile. “Hey, it's no trouble. You've helped me plenty of times.”

Vinnie smiled more, feeling a little better as she glanced at the screen again.

“So…was it historically accurate?” Stone asked.

Vinnie immediately shook her head. “Definitely not.”

“Alright, so put that in your introduction paragraph. Name the movie, rate its historical accuracy, and list the three reasons why you ranked it the way you did. Then, your next three paragraphs will each touch on one of the reasons. Finally, your conclusion paragraph will wrap it all up. Does that make sense?”

“More or less.”

Stone laughed a little. “Good enough. I'll stay and help you with it so you don't have to cancel your plans.”

“Thanks again, pal. I owe you one.”

“You could bring your friends here less often, they're always so loud.”

Vinnie chuckled. “Okay, fair enough.” She began to type.

Stone watched her, making corrections and suggestions here and there but mostly staying quiet and letting her work.

And so that was how it went for the next couple of hours. Vinnie would start out strong, hit a roadblock, take some breaks, get put back on track with Stone's reassurances, do research, add it to the paper, and then finally put the finishing touches on it.

But at long last, she had completed it.

Vinnie looked over at her friend as she typed in the last few words. “Does this look good?”

“Let me see.” Stone moved the laptop closer to him and began to read the essay.

Vinnie watched and waited.

After a few minutes, Stone finished reading and looked over at her. “It looks great.”

“Yay!” Vinnie cheered, a smile taking over her face.

Stone couldn't help himself from smiling too.

Vinnie looked over at him. “I can't take all the credit, though. You helped me a lot.”

Stone shrugged. “Eh, I didn't do much.”

Vinnie elbowed him. “Yes, you did. You help me every time I have to write a paper.” 

“And you help me with other things, I'm just returning the favor.”

“Shhh. Let me give you some credit.”

“Okay, okay.”

Satisfied, Vinnie smiled. She looked over her paper a few more times, then submitted it and laid back in her chair, kicking her feet up on her desk. “Welp, now we wait.”

“How long until the deadline?” Stone asked.

“A week. So I'll be waiting a while to see what my grade is. Which means I'll be spending days wondering if I miserably failed.” Vinnie made a face.

Stone chuckled. “I feel you there. But I'm sure you did great.”

Vinnie smiled a little. “Thanks, pal.”

“”Hey, just being honest. Do you have anything else you need to do?”

Vinnie checked all of her classes real quick, then shook her head. “Nope, the essay was the last thing I needed to finish for this week.”

“Were you saving it for last because you didn't want to do it?”

“You know me so well.”

Stone laughed.

Vinnie joined in the laughter. “Well, that and I knew I'd probably need some help. And I didn't want to take away from your assignment time.”

Stone poked her forehead. “I've told you before that I can always make time to help you.”

Vinnie laughed, batting his finger away. “I know, but you're busy too.”

“I am, but I'm never too busy to help my best friend.”

Vinnie glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. “That was incredibly sappy. Who are you and what have you done with Stone?”

Stone rolled his eyes, amused. “Come on, Vin. I can be sappy sometimes.”

Vinnie grinned at him. “You can, but you're usually all grumpy and emo instead.”

Stone playfully elbowed her, not even bothering to deny her comment.

Vinnie laughed, then glanced down at her phone and noticed the time.

It was already 5 PM?!

Vinnie practically jumped out of her chair. “Crap, I told my friends I would meet up with them in about an hour! I need to get ready!” 

“Good idea,” Stone commented.

“Stone, help me pick out something to wear!” Vinnie grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled him up.

Stone stumbled for a minute before stabilizing himself. “Vinnie, you're talking to someone who wears black all the time and calls it a day. Are you really asking for my advice?”

“Yes, cause you're my best friend! Now come on.” Vinnie pulled him over to her closet and opened the door, turning on the light.

Stone gazed around at all the clothes that adorned the small closet, trying to figure it out. “Anything specific you're looking for tonight? Any particular theme or color or anything?”

“Hm…” Vinnie also took a look at her outfits. “Maybe something red, since it's fall?”

Stone’s eyes zeroed in on a long-sleeved red dress in the corner and pulled it out to show her. “Something like this?”

“YES, that's perfect!” Vinnie smiled and took the dress, laying it out on her bed.

Stone smiled, happy to have helped.

“I could pair that with my black leather jacket and my red shoes…” Vinnie thought aloud, grabbing the two aforementioned items and setting them by her bed.

Stone looked at the outfit and nodded approvingly. “Looks like a pretty good choice.”

Vinnie smiled. “See? I told you I wanted your help for a reason.”

Stone shrugged, waving off the compliment. “Yeah, yeah.”

“All right, I need to get ready.” Vinnie picked up her chosen outfit, headed towards the bathroom closest to her room and closed the door, getting ready to take a quick shower.

While she was doing that, Stone headed back out to his car to get his book that he had forgotten to bring in. He grabbed the book, locked his car, and then took the book to his room.

It was tempting to finally start reading it. But knowing Vinnie, she would ask Stone to help her with her makeup or hairstyle and he really didn't want to be interrupted once he started reading.

So he made plans to start the book after Vinnie headed out with her friends.

Sure enough, he could hear her calling his name about twenty minutes later.

Called it, he thought as he headed over to the bathroom. “Yeah?” he asked through the closed door.

“Could you help me decide on a hairstyle?” Vinnie opened the door to reveal herself in the outfit alongside some freshly done makeup that blended in really well with her outfit.

Stone looked her over, nodding. “Sure. And you look great.”

“Why, thank you.” Vinnie smiled.

Stone returned the smile and entered the bathroom, thinking it over. “Hm…if you're going to be doing a lot of dancing or whatever it is that happens at clubs, I'd say go with a low-maintenance hairstyle. Not a super fancy one.”

Vinnie nodded. “Smart.”

Stone smiled and reached for the brush. “May I?”

Vinnie nodded again.

Stone picked up the brush and began to run it through his friend’s hair, then put two little sections of her hair into small braids at the front of her face.

Vinnie looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. “I love it. Thanks, buddy.”

Stone also smiled from seeing his friend so happy and content. “Anytime.” 

Vinnie’s phone buzzed, and she glanced down at it. “Oop- my friends are on their way here. I'd better finish getting ready.” She quickly packed up her little backpack and placed it on her back.

“Have fun,” Stone said.

Vinnie smiled. “I often do have fun when I'm out clubbing with my friends.”

“Don't replace me,” Stone joked. He was mostly joking, but sometimes it really did surprise him how Vinnie had stuck with him all these years. 

Vinnie gently elbowed him. “You know I'd never do that, you're my best friend.”

Stone smiled a little, feeling reassured. “I’m glad. You're my only friend.” 

“Hey, that might change if you hang out with the boy from the bookstore,” Vinnie pointed out. “Speaking of…how did it go with him?” 

There it was, the inevitable question that surprisingly hadn't been asked until now.

Stone groaned inwardly. He wasn't sure he was up for talking about that right now. 

But he also knew his friend well and was well aware that she was often curious. 

And he actually had good news to share with her, so that made it better. “I asked him if he wanted to hang out tomorrow, and he said yes.” 

Vinnie’s grin overtook her whole face. “I knew it! I knew he'd say yes!”

Stone couldn't help but smile, too. “I'm surprised he did, but I'll take it.”

Vinnie looked at him. “How are you feeling about it?”

“Erm…” Stone thought for a minute. “I'm excited but nervous. And I don't even know why I'm so nervous. It's not like I asked him out on a date or anything.”

“Not yet.” Vinnie winked. “Funny how you bring that up in relation to him, though.”

“Oh, shut up.” Stone rolled his eyes. “It's just a hangout as friends. I don't even know if we'll decide to hang out again after tomorrow.” 

“So pessimistic as always.”

“Hey, you know how bad I am with people. There's a reason you're currently my only friend.”

“It's ‘cause I'm fabulous, I know.” Vinnie flashed a grin.

Stone rolled his eyes, but he didn't deny it. He really did have an amazing girl as his best friend.

“I'm sure this guy will love hanging out with you. And…maybe he'll even become something more to you.” Vinnie grinned more.

Stone buried his face into his hands, feeling it heat up. “Please knock it off, Vin. That probably won't ever happen.”

“There you go again with the pessimism.” Vinnie shook her head in disapproval.

“Well, excuse me for not having high hopes.” Stone side-eyed her.

Vinnie patted his shoulder. “Oh, relax. I'm sure he'll love hanging out with you.” 

“...Maybe,” Stone conceded.

Vinnie glanced down at her phone after hearing the notification sound go off, temporarily distracted from tormenting her best friend. “Oh! My friends are here. I'm off, I'll be back at some point tonight.”

Stone chuckled, all too familiar with his best friend’s habit of staying out late and partying. “All right, have fun. And you'd better call me if someone tries anything with you, got it?” 

“I will, you worrywart. Bye!” She waved and opened the door, dashing out of it.

“Bye. Be safe.” Stone waved back. He stepped outside and turned on the porch light for Vinnie, watching her hop into her friend’s car through the window.

Chapter Text

Stone watched as Vinnie got into her friend’s car and they drove off together, ready for a night full of unfamiliar people and loud music.

Truth be told, he really did have no idea how Vinnie’s idea of fun could consist of going into a loud, public place surrounded by ear-piercing music and a bunch of strangers even if friends were also there. It was pure overstimulation. He personally preferred a quiet night in with a good book and a warm (or cold) drink. 

And that was exactly what he was going to be doing tonight since he had the whole apartment to himself and no one to interrupt him.

Unless, of course, Vinnie texted him to say that someone was being creepy with her. In which case, he would be over there as quickly as he could. No one messed with Vinnie on his watch.

Once the car was out of his realm of vision, he headed off to his room. 

If Vinnie's partying habits were anything to go by, Stone had the apartment to himself for a whole night. Or at least a good half of it.

He was going to enjoy this. A nice, quiet night of solitude with no one to interrupt him.

He opened the fridge, took out his leftovers from lunch earlier, scooped the fettuccine Alfredo into a bowl, then set it in the microwave to heat up.

As he watched his food heat up, his mind suddenly went back to the book that he still hadn’t had a chance to start.

Because he had been so busy today between his bookstore trip, meeting Vinnie for lunch, returning to the bookstore to ask Skipp to hang out with him, and then coming back first to help Vinnie with her essay and then with getting ready for her night out, he hadn't had a chance to even open his new book yet.

Time to settle in for a nice, quiet evening of reading.

The microwave went off after a few minutes. Stone took the bowl out, stirred its contents around a little, and then put it back in to heat up a little more.

Once it went off again, he removed it from the microwave and walked over to the table with it.

He took a seat at the table and scrolled through his phone mindlessly while waiting for his food to cool off a bit.

Then a thought came to him.

He'd completely forgotten to ask for Skipp's number.

He had been so caught up in trying to work up the courage to ask Skipp to hang out that asking for his number had utterly slipped his mind.

Then again, maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t asked. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for all the inevitable teasing from Vinnie that would've happened.

All the teasing that he knew was going to happen tomorrow once he returned home from hanging out with Skipp. All the teasing that was definitely going to consist of “ooooooh rock boy, you're in loveeeee…” and other similar comments.

Stone tried to put all those thoughts out of his mind. Why was he thinking so much about a boy he had literally just met today? Why had he asked that boy to hang out with him? Why did he think the boy was cute?

He mentally facepalmed at that last thought. He really needed to get a grip. He had just met Skipp, he couldn't already be thinking of his appearance so much. Especially thinking he was cute, of all things.

But he really was…

Stone dropped his head into his hand, frustrated at his own thought process. Ugh, stop thinking like that.

He was hopeless.

Stone slowly ate his food while continuing to scroll through his phone.

Once he was done, he placed his bowl and fork in the sink, then grabbed a little blue mug from one of the cabinets.

If he was going to settle in for a cozy night of reading, he needed a warm drink to match.

He grabbed the milk from the fridge, poured some into the mug, then stuck it in the microwave for a minute and a half.

Once it was out, he stirred some hot chocolate mix into the warm milk and took a sip.

Perfect.

It tasted so sweet and it was so warm and it was so perfect for what he was going to be doing.

He went to the pantry and grabbed a couple marshmallows to snack on along with his hot chocolate.

He picked up his cup and the marshmallows and made his way to his room.

He changed into some more comfortable clothes and picked up the bag that contained his new book before settling down on his bed.

Setting the cup on his nightstand and popping a couple of the marshmallows into his mouth, he grabbed his book and opened it, beginning to read the first page.

It was safe to say he was already sucked in even before finishing the first page. This was building up to be a very interesting mystery.

Stone took a sip of his hot chocolate and continued to read. He officially loved this book already. Nice one, Skipp.

He read for a good few hours, finishing his hot chocolate and marshmallows and making it through about half of the book, when he suddenly glanced at the clock.

His eyes widened. It was already almost ten o’clock?!

He needed to get some sleep since his hangout with Skipp was going to be in the morning.

He hated to cut his reading time short, but he also didn't want to show up to the hangout tomorrow looking like a zombie.

He placed a bookmark in his book and set it on his bookcase, took his cup to the kitchen, put it in the sink, and then began to get ready for bed.

He brushed his teeth real quick, then shut off all the lights except for the small one at the entryway of the apartment so Vinnie wasn't in the dark whenever she decided to come back.

He settled into his sizable, comfortable bed, pulling his quilt over himself and sinking into his pillows. He felt tired, but he also found it hard to sleep.

He was really going to be hanging out with Skipp tomorrow.

He really was.

He hoped it would go well.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Stone was startled awake by the reminder that his hangout with his potential new friend was today.

He picked up his phone and glanced at the time.

Okay, good. It was only 7:40, so that gave him plenty of time to get ready.

He got out of bed and chuckled to himself, thinking about how common it was for him to sleep in every weekend and now he was up at roughly the same time he usually was during the week.

Though to be fair, it was only just this weekend that he had met a cute boy and asked to hang out with him.

Ugh, there he went again with the cute.

He needed to get a grip. He really did.

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he picked out some clothes, a towel, a washcloth, and headed to the bathroom closest to his bedroom.

He placed the clothes on the counter, went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, brushed his hair, and then turned on the shower.

While he waited for the water to warm up, he just watched it fall. If it weren't for the nerves warring through him right now, he would probably find peace in the calm and relaxing sight and sound as he so often did.

He reached under the water, feeling that it had satisfactorily warmed up.

He took off his pajamas and jumped into the shower, letting the warm water run over him.

He took a deep breath and began to feel the slightest bit relaxed, as he always did when in the shower.

After standing there for a minute and just letting the water cascade down his body, he soaped up his washcloth and began to wash himself.

Once done with that, he grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed his scalp with it.

Next, Stone rinsed out the shampoo and took the conditioner. He rubbed some into his dark hair and just let it sit for a minute before picking up the brush and beginning to detangle his hair.

Once his hair had been detangled and rinsed out, he took another minute to just stand under the water. It did so much to relax him.

…Until he realized that the longer he stood in here, the more chance he had of being late.

He jumped out of the shower as quickly as he could without risking slipping and wrapped himself in two big, fluffy towels. 

He reached into the cabinet and took a quick glance at his phone, where the time read 8:03.

He sighed in relief. He still had plenty of time to finish getting ready and he'd already done most of it.

Stone sat on the floor and let the towels dry him some more before he got dressed. He absolutely detested the feeling of getting dressed and having the clothes stick to him when his skin was still wet.

Once he felt dry enough, he took his towels off, dried his hair, and hung them up, then got dressed.

He surveyed his reflection, taking note of some things. He was dressed in black as usual, but he wondered if he should wear something brighter-colored for his first hangout with someone new.

Then again, he had been wearing one of his typical darker outfits when he and Vinnie had first met and she was still his friend. Maybe it wasn't about the clothes.

In the end, he decided that he was going to keep this outfit on because it was important to just be himself. At least, that was what Vinnie always told him.

He wrapped a towel around his wet hair and exited the bathroom.

But not before checking his phone again.

Now it was 8:14.

Okay, he still had some time. Good.

He wandered into the living room, looking around.

It was empty.

He headed over to Vinnie’s room next to find her in her pajamas, sprawled out across her bed and sound asleep.

He chuckled to himself, looking at her. Most likely, she had arrived home hours after he had gone to bed.

He walked away, deciding to let her sleep.

He entered the kitchen and grabbed a box of graham crackers, poured a glass of cold water, then sat on the couch.

He took a few crackers and munched on them, but not too many since he didn't want to spoil his appetite before he met Skipp at the cafe. He sipped on some water next.

After eating a few of the graham crackers, he returned the box to the pantry and headed back to the bathroom.

He unwrapped his hair from the towel and took out the hair dryer.

He turned it on, grabbed a brush, and began to direct the blowing heat at his hair.

He stood there for a good half an hour or so, drying and styling his hair.

Once finished, he looked at himself in the mirror again.

He smiled at his reflection. His hair looked nice and clean and fluffy. Perfect.

Once he was done doing his hair, he grabbed a notepad, wrote “I'm going to meet Skipp. I'll be back later -Stone” on it, then entered Vinnie’s room and quietly set the note on her nightstand.

He paused to look at her for a minute, noticing how she was still sound asleep.

He smiled to himself, wondering how on earth anyone managed to sleep that soundly. It was rare for him unless he was exceptionally exhausted.

He then left his best friend’s room and headed back to his own to finish getting ready to head out.

A little ways away, a certain ginger boy was also getting ready for the hangout.

He had realized a bit too late that he had forgotten to ask for the boy’s number. And his name, since he still didn't know that either.

He was for real about to go hang out with a boy he had just met whose name he didn't even know.

What even was his life?

This was the most excitement he'd had in a long time now.

Well, he could at least say that something interesting and eventful was happening to him for once.

He had gotten up about as early as he would when he was working the morning shift at the bookstore and then had been unable to fall back asleep due to the blend of nerves and excitement that had been flowing through him ever since yesterday evening.

He got up, brushed his teeth, took a shower, and then got dressed (after just sitting on the bathroom rug and letting the towels dry him off more, of course).

Once he was out of the bathroom, he rubbed his wet hair with a hand towel and wandered into the kitchen.

He grabbed an apple from the fridge, sliced it, and began to eat. He munched on the sweet fruit as he kept thinking about his imminent hangout with the dark-haired boy he had just met yesterday and had yet to learn the name of.

Once he had finished eating, he began to do his hair. He wanted to look perfect today, so he took out the hair dryer, aimed it at his hair, and then began to brush his hair into a specific, fluffy style.

After he had finished doing his hair, he stared at his reflection. His hair was fluffy like usual, he was wearing a beige jacket over his red shirt and jeans, and a little red hat adorned his head.

He smiled at himself. He looked perfect, if he did say so himself.

He only hoped his potential new friend would agree.

His potential new friend that he hadn't once been able to stop thinking about since yesterday.

He wondered why exactly that was.

He couldn't remember if this had been the case every time he might be making another friend.

Was this just because he was excited to make another new friend, or was there something more here?

Safe to say he didn't know.

But what he did know was that he was really excited to meet someone new. He always was, being the (somewhat) extroverted soul that he was. But this felt different somehow.

Why did it feel different?

The ginger tried to avoid thinking too much about it since he didn't want to spoil his fun with questions he had no answers to, but apparently his brain had other plans and decided to keep tormenting him with queries he couldn't reply to, at least not yet.

And so, both boys ended up thinking too much about whether this would be just a casual hangout that wouldn't be repeated, they would get to know each other and then spend more time together after this first hangout, or if it could even bloom into something more.

Even as they both drove to the cafe, the questions never once let up. If anything, more and more questions began to swarm both of their already overworked brains.

Finally, the two of them parked their cars and began to make the little trip over to the cafe.

Then they paused and spotted each other, both of them falling silent at the sight before them.

Chapter Text

As soon as Stone exited his car and began to head to the cafe, he spotted Skipp right near him and froze.

Skipp likewise noticed Stone heading over, and he paused and caught himself staring.

The two of them just stood there in silence, gazing at each other and taking in the sight.

Stone was the first to snap out of it. “You, uhm…you look great.” But it felt as if “great” was an understatement. He felt like the word “cute” fit better.

There he went again.

Skipp's smile lit up his whole face. “Aw, thank you. You look great, too.”

Stone felt his face heat up slightly, both from Skipp’s sunny smile and from his sweet words.

He was hopeless.

He smiled, hoping it didn't look too awkward. “Thank you. Shall we?” He motioned towards the cafe door.

“Oh! Yes.” Skipp headed towards it.

Stone reached the building first and held the door open for Skipp.

Skipp looked over at him and smiled again. “Thank you.” He entered.

Stone returned the smile. “Of course.” He then followed Skipp.

The two of them entered the cafe, one of them looking around at the familiar sights and the other taking in all the new sights for the first time.

Stone smiled to himself as he gazed around at the cozy little cafe. The aromas of pastries and coffee were floating through the air, the building buzzed with the sounds pf employees baking and crafting drinks and conversations from other customers, it didn't feel too loud or too quiet, the cafe’s size was small but not claustrophobia-inducing, and the sights…oh, the sights. There were paintings of flowers, cats, coffee, coffee cups, and books hung up on the walls. There were lots of windows to allow for the sunlight to stream into the cafe and provide natural light in addition to the lights that adorned the ceiling. There was furniture of all shapes, sizes, and types. From large tables in the center of the room, to smaller tables tucked away in quieter corners, to comfortable couches set against the walls, this cafe had everything. 

This was truly one of Stone's favorite places and one of the few aside from his apartment that he could likely be found at.

And based on the expression that adorned Skipp’s face as he observed it all, it was probably just as quickly becoming one of his favorites too.

Stone looked around, then his eyes landed on a small table tucked away in a corner. He glanced at Skipp and motioned to the table. “Want to sit there?”

“Sure!” Skipp agreed.

The two of them walked over to the table and took a seat on each side of the little table for two.

Stone noticed Skipp continuing to look around at all of his surroundings. “Do you like it here?”

Skipp’s attention went back to Stone, and he nodded. “I really do! It feels so nice and cozy here, and it's lively but also not too loud.”

Stone smiled. “Yesh, that's pretty much how I see it too.” 

Skipp chuckled and picked up his menu, beginning to read over it.

Stone did the same, though he already knew he was likely just going to order his usual.

Just then, a waitress came by their table and looked down at them. “Good morning, gentlemen. May I take your order?”

Skipp and Stone glanced up from their menus, at the waitress, at each other, and then back at the waitress again.

“I'll have a vanilla iced coffee and a chocolate donut with frosting on the side,” Stone requested, ordering his usual.

“And I'll have a slice of apple pie and a hot chocolate, please,,” Skipp added.

The waitress nodded and jotted down their orders. “Those will be out soon.” She walked away.

“Thank you!” Skipp and Stone called after her.

Once the waitress had left, the two boys settled into a silence that felt a bit awkward, but nowhere near as awkward as most silenced that Stone fell into.

Skipp was also quiet for a bit, but then he remembered how he was currently hanging out with someone he had only just met yesterday and still didn't know the name of. “Oh, uhm…I forgot to ask you yesterday, but what's your name?”

Stone paused as he thought about it, then remembered that he hadn't revealed his name to the other. “Oh, it's Stone.” He declined to admit that it hadn't always been his name and rather one he had chosen after leaving home (if it could ever even be called that). Maybe he would share that secret a bit later on.

“That's a nice name,” Skipp commented.

Stone smiled a little, happy to hear hey someone liked the name he chose for once. “Thanks. I usually just hear that it's strange, so it's nice to meet someone who doesn't think that.”

“It isn't strange, it's unique.”

“Thanks.”

“Of course!”

Right about then, the waitress returned with the boys’ orders. She set the coffee and donut in front of Stone and the hot chocolate and apple pie in front of Skipp.

The boys looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you.”

She returned the smile. “You're very welcome. Enjoy your meal.”

“You too,” Stone replied, then he suddenly realized his mistake. “I mean, uhm…” He hid his face in his hand, mortified.

Both Skipp and the waitress chuckled good-naturedly.

The waitress then left to attend to other customers.

Skipp looked over at Stone, unable to hide the amusement spreading across his face.

“That was mortifying,” Stone muttered, taking a bite of his donut.

“No, it was cute!” Skipp protested, then it was his turn to freeze. “I mean…”

Stone looked at him out of the corner of his eye, his heart fluttering. No way Skipp had just called him the very same thing he'd been thinking about the ginger boy multiple times since yesterday.

Well, this was awkward.

Stone’s eyes darted around in search of something to change the subject to chase away this large cloud of awkwardness that now loomed over them.

Finally, his eyes landed on Skipp's pie.

He pointed at it. “So…you like apples?” I have the actual worst conversation starters ever known to humankind, he thought immediately after asking.

Skipp's eyes lit up at the mention of the fruit. “I love them! They're the best fruit ever. And it's fall, so it's apple season! My favorite season.” 

Stone chuckled at the way the other boy had instantly lit up. “Yeah, they're good.”

“They're amazing.” Skipp ate another forkful of pie and sighed contentedly. “Ah…how'd I not come here sooner?”

“I wondered the same thing when I came here for the first time,” Stone shared.

Skipp laughed a little.

Stone thought for a minute, then another question came to mind. “So, Skipp! Tell me about yourself.”

“Sure! What do you want to know?” Skipp asked.

“Anything you want to tell me,” Stone replied.

“Hm…” Skipp’s eyes wandered over to the pictures on the wall for a moment before he moved his gaze back to Stone. “Well…I'm eighteen, I graduated high school this past spring, I enjoy drawing, I love apples, I love dogs, and…as you already know, I work at the local bookstore.”

Stone nodded. “Are you also in college or just working for now?”

“Just working for now. I haven't decided what I want to major in or if I even want to go to college at all, so I'm just taking a gap year to work and think about it.”

“Ah, makes sense.” 

“How about you?”

“Let's see…I'm also eighteen and graduated high school last spring. I go to college here and am majoring in English. I love cats and would love to have one someday, and…as you already know, I love to read.”

Skipp nodded, interested to learn more. “Do you live nearby?” 

“I do. I share an apartment with my best friend Vinnie. I met her back in elementary school, so we've been friends for years now.” 

“Oh, that's nice!”

“It is, except for when she invites all her other friends over. They're so loud.” Stone made a face.

Skipp chuckled. “Yeah, I can understand that.”

“Sometimes I wonder how we managed to become friends. That, and live together.” Stone idly stirred the ice around in his coffee before taking a sip.

“How so?” Skipp wanted to know.

“Because she's way more energetic than me. She's also the world's biggest extrovert while I don't often leave the apartment. She has much more of a social life than I do, too. She goes out clubbing with her friends at least a few nights a week.”

“Yeesh, I could never,” Skipp commented. “I mean, I enjoy hanging out with a few people. But that many? I couldn't.” 

“Not a fan of clubbing, either?”

“Eh, well…I actually never tried it. It just doesn't sound like my idea of fun.” 

“Trust me, it isn't. I tagged along with Vin once just to see what it was like. Biggest regret of my life, let me tell you.” Stone looked traumatized.

Skipp tried not to laugh. 

Stone playfully swatted at him. “Hey, it's not funny.”

Skipp ducked out of the way, laughing. “Sorry, it was just your face. You make funny expressions.”

Stone chuckled. “I've been told that before.” 

Skipp grinned and sipped his hot chocolate.

Stone sat back and sipped some more of his coffee.

Another silence fell over them, but it didn't feel awkward this time. It just felt somehow comfortable even though they'd only just met yesterday.

I think we could start a friendship, Stone thought to himself, feeling optimistic about trying to branch out and make more friends for once.

I hope he wants to keep in contact after this, Skipp thought, already enjoying being around the other boy.

Stone stirred the ice around in his coffee and Skipp took a sip of his hot chocolate, the silence remaining over them for a moment longer.

Then a thought came to Skipp. He glanced over at Stone. “Oh, by the way! Did you start reading that book yet?”

Stone's eyes lit up at the mention of the book. “I did! I started reading it last night and I love it so far. I'm about halfway through it now. I would've read more, but it was already starting to get late and I didn't want to oversleep and be late for our meetup.” 

Skipp chuckled. “Makes sense. Do you like it so far?”

“Absolutely. There have been some plot points I figured out pretty quickly, and others that were beyond confusing.”

“I can imagine.”

Stone smiled with a faraway look in his eyes. “That's one of the things I love the most about books. Sometimes I can predict plot points, other times I go into books clueless. But I always get lost in the world being written about.”

Skipp nodded, fully understanding the sentiment. “I know what you mean. That happens a lot when I read, too.”

Stone smiled more, loving how he'd finally met someone who really got it. “You should read the book too once I finish it. I'll lend it to you.”

Skipp’s eyes widened. “I'd love that!”

Stone laughed. “I figured you would.” 

The two of them remained in the cafe a bit longer, just chatting and laughing as if they had known each other their whole lives.

Truth be told, it really did feel that way.

Once they finished their snacks and drinks, they began to depart from the cafe. 

They walked out together, both of them feeling happy and content.

“Heading home?” Skipp asked, looking over at him.

Stone nodded. “I'm probably going to finish reading the book.”

“Ooh, sounds good.”

“Yep! I'll lend it to you once I'm done.”

“Can't wait! Oh, by the way…” Skipp paused.

“Hm?” Stone glanced over at him.

“Is it okay if I get your number?” Skipp asked, feeling a bit awkward about asking. 

Stone blinked in shock. Someone was asking for his number. A guy was asking for his number. A cute guy was asking for his number.

He snapped out of it after a few minutes and pulled out his phone, clicking on his contact. He showed it to Skipp. “Here you go.”

Skipp looked at the number and keyed it into his contacts. “Thank you!” He sent a little text to the other.

Stone glanced at his phone, reading the notification.

(Unsaved number) at 11:06 AM: hi (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

Stone couldn't keep a smile off his face. Even the way Skipp texted was adorable.

And there he went again. He needed to get a grip.

Trying to push the thought out of his mind, he saved Skipp's number and added him to his contacts.

Skipp glanced up at Stone and smiled. “Alright, well…I should probably get home, too. Thanks so much for inviting me out, it was a lot of fun.”

Stone still wasn't used to someone describing spending time with him as “fun”, so that felt a bit strange to hear.

It also didn't help with all the confusing feelings warring through him.

He returned the smile. “Of course. I had fun, too. It was nice hanging out with you. I'd love to do it again sometime when you're free.”

Skipp's smile increased. “I'm glad it was. And sure, I'd love that too.” 

The two of them just stood there smiling at each other for a long moment, then another idea came to Skipp’s mind.

“Oh, there's something I wanted to ask you,” he said.

“What?” Stone looked at him.

“If it's okay with you both, I'd love to meet Vinnie sometime,” Skipp admitted. “It'd be nice to make a couple more friends, and she sounds cool."

Stone smiled, finding it sweet how his new friend wanted to meet his longtime friend. “It's okay with me, and I'm sure it'd be okay with her too. I'll talk with her about it later and then text you.”

“Sure, sounds good. Thanks!” 

“You're welcome.”

Skipp waved and began to head to his car.

Stone waved back, walking over to his car too.

Skipp got into his car and turned it on, then just sat there for a minute. He had successfully spent time with someone other than Vinnie. Someone he had just met yesterday, no less. And the boy had enjoyed spending time with him.

He couldn't be happier right now.

He drove home with a smile on his face all the way.

As for Stone, he had also taken a minute to just sit in his car and think. He had taken a very rare chance (rare for him, at least) and asked someone he had just met to hang out with him. Skipp had not only said yes, but also enjoyed the time together.

Once again, that only added to the confusion of feelings stirring in him.

After he spent some time just thinking, he began to drive back to his apartment.

No sooner had he parked his car, gotten out, walked over to the apartment, unlocked the door, and walked into the entryway than when Vinnie appeared out of nowhere and gave her longtime friend a grin like she knew something.