Page 103 of Jinxes and Drumsticks

“Sounds like bullshit,” Roxie says as they sit next to them in the back of the van.

Fletcher glares at them. “Of course I’m not fucking fine. The man I’ve been pining over for the last five years is infatuated with my best mate’s girl. How do you think it feels?”

“Awe. I’m your best mate?” I ask, genuinely touched, sitting on his other side.

He lets out a low growl as he clamps his teeth down on the pipe and starts puffing again. “At this rate I’m going to be out of the tobacco I got from home in a couple weeks,” he mutters. “Then I’m really going to be properly fucked.”

“We’ll get you more, man. I promise,” I say, kissing his temple and wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Roxie agrees, wrapping their arm around his back and leaning their head on his shoulder above my arm. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s infatuated. I don’t think he really does that, you know?”

Fletcher sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I know. I know. You’re right. I’m sorry.” He exhales another stream of smoke through his nose. “I’m being a fucking prick, aren’t I?”

“Mmm—no, I would say that honor goes to him,” I say. “I mean—he knows how you feel, Fletcher. You know that. He just can’t return it. But it’d be nice if he didn’t actively talk about fucking other people in front of you.”

Fletcher’s frown deepens and he puffs out an obnoxiously perfect ring of smoke like it’s nothing before blowing the rest of the stream through the center of that perfect ring in a narrow column. “Yeah. It’d be real fucking nice if that stopped. Hopefully, after you guys rail Lillith together, he’ll have it out of his system for a week or two, and I can get some fuckin’ peace to actually focus on—you know—actually fucking working on music.”

“Yeah, well—I’ll do my best, buddy,” I say.

“... had to go and fall for a man incapable of love,” Fletcher says.

“Fletch, have... you ever actually talked to him about what being Aromantic is like? It’s not that he’s incapable of love. He just doesn’t feel romantic attraction. Platonic and sexual attraction is still there, you know,” Roxie says.

“I’ve tried. I’ve tried to tell him that I’ll take anything he’s willing to give me, but...” Fletcher smears his hand down his face. “It doesn’t matter. We have a show tonight. I need to get my head in the game.”

“Yeah,” I say. “We’ll put a pin in it for now. Not like there’s anything we can immediately do.”

“Yeah, just shove the feelings down and keep pretending they aren’t there,” Roxie deadpans. “That’s definitely healthy and productive.”

“Hey,” I say, flicking the cartilage piercing I just gave them. “Don’t be an ass.”

“Ow, you fucking twat waffle!” Roxie gripes, covering their ear. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Can’t you?” Fletch asks with a trill of genuine laughter. “Man’s a sadist.”

“Ew. Okay. I’m done,” they say, leaving the two of us as they claim their perch at the front seat of the van.

I hear Satoshi and Oren bickering as they come out of the diner and follow the sound to find them heading toward the van. Wren studies her phone screen with Satoshi’s arm lazily draped over her shoulders. I wonder if she’s finding anything about Satoshi that she can’t live with, because that would be fucking great, honestly. Let Satoshi be the brokenhearted one for once. And then I can clown on him for it.

“You gonna be alright, man?” I ask Fletch under my breath.

“Yeah,” he says, eyes on Oren. “S’not anything new, you know?”

I kiss his temple again and give him a lingering side-hug. “Rooting for you man,” I say.

He smiles weakly and nods, leaving my embrace. “Thanks. Let’s get a move on before Oren asks stupid questions.”

We all pile into the van and make the drive over to the venue. I text Lillith on the way.

I’ve learned that I’m a Pisces Sun, a Leo Moon and a Gemini Rising. So do with that information what you will.

Oh my god. Did you get Wren started on the sky rocks? I knew she’d want to do a chart rectification on you.

Is that what we’re calling planets now?

That’s cute though, we have some matching signs. Not placements, but signs. What brought it up?

Someone was keeping her birthday from me. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me it’s coming up in like a week.