“So y’all have been messaging and playing this game for how long now?” Derek is laying on the floor behind me while I sit at my desk playing some new video game he had brought over for me.

        “Like a month? A month and a half? I’m not exactly sure.”

        “And you’re still just friends?”

        “Yeah. Why?”

        “She’s super cute. And like, I’ve only seen y’all together the once but I’m sure she likes you. You’d be a cute couple.” I pause the game and turn around to throw to controller at him. It hits him in the chest. “Ouch. You’re not getting this back, now.”

        “Dude, I’m in the middle of a fight!”

        “Should’ve thought of that before you threw the damn controller.”

        “Well if I can’t fight the boss, I’ll just fight you.” I jump up to grab a pillow off my bed, but he grabs my leg and I trip before I can reach it. “Thomas! Reinforcements!” My little brother comes running in from the living room. He jumps on Derek and starts tickling while I grab us both pillows.

         “Unfair! I don’t have reinforcements!”

         “Should’ve thought of that before you refused to give me my controller.” After a rigorous pillow-beating Derek gives up and we decide to take Thomas out for ice cream.

        “You’ve been babysitting a lot lately.”

        “I am not a baby.” Thomas glares up at Derek.

        “My apologies. Jesse, you’ve been little-man sitting a lot lately.” Thomas nods his approval at the improvement.

        “Yeah. I don’t mind.” I stage whisper to Derek. “Don’t tell little-man, but he’s pretty cool.”

        “Nah, dude. I mean, you could use this time to take Eve on a date or something.”

        “Who’s Eve?” Thomas stops walking in front of us.

        “Eve is Jesse’s girlfriend.”

        “No she isn’t.”

        “Is she the girl in your phone?” I look at Thomas.

        “What do you mean?”

        “I answered your phone earlier when it was ringing and it was a girl.”

        “Thomas. Why did you answer my phone? What did she say?”

        “I answered it because it was ringing. Obviously. And she didn’t say anything for a while but then she said ‘oh, I must’ve pocket-dialed Jesse’. And I said ‘It’s okay. I like answering Jesse’s phone. I’m Thomas.’ And she said ‘you must be the destroyer of headphones. You know, you’re the whole reason Jesse and I became friends.’ And I told her I didn’t think you had any friends other than Derek and she laughed.” I pulled out my phone and texted her.

        Thomas just informed me y’all had a nice chat earlier. Sorry.

         ~It was funny. he’s cute. Guess he takes after you.~

         “See? She likes you.” I jump at Derek’s voice in my ear.

         “OHMYGOD Derek what happened to personal space?”

         “12 years of friendship, that’s what happened.”

         “Jesse…” Derek and I look down at Thomas. He was holding my wrist.

         “I think if Eve likes you, you should like Eve too. I liked Eve.”

         “See? Thomas agrees.” Derek grabs Thomas and starts running with him like a football. “Let’s get this smart little man some ice cream!”