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#paying peak attention or whatever. wild to hear that it felt like an Especial Win if people realized ''kinky'' was Humorous / reacted thusly
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while i’m at it: a compilation made from on hand sincerely me’s of the audience reaction to will roland doing that laugh for jared 
#like yes the Fact that jared is laughing is going to be this Comedic Moment every time but boy is it only enhanced like this#and that jared Laughing in this moment really is also just dropping you right into what sincerely me is About lol#in that he's trying to get evan's attention onto himself and delighted to succeed#that crashing into sincerely me is Abrupt and Emphatic and this dramatic Tonal Shift (as is often the case w/jared content; e.g. figurative#smash cut from some dramatic scene of evan doing whatever to jared's You WHAT / Holy Shit reactions) is in itself Funny; audiences will like#go ahead and start reacting to ''but i should tell you that i think of you each night'' Shift if they're really On It lol & then of course#it is also Humorous to jump over to evan & jared / have that ''reveal'' and have evan Contextualize things lmao.....#but jared cracking up is really definitely Thee payoff to all these earlier points of abruptness and potential confusion setting it up#get in on evan and jared's empathy loop! where jared laughing is in and of itself great for sparking sympathetic laughter / delight lol#and with those non [in an actual deh show] performances everyone else on stage is free to react too lmao. major fun bonus#and like i said these were On Hand sincerely me's but now it's like oh to edit together Every moment of this lol#with who knows however many more half dozen or smthing ''readily available'' obc boots are out there......i don't really#also chose to give a bit of an extra Lead In with that particular clip b/c of the bonus of evan and jared Reacting even before the spotlight#lights up on them lol. seeing evan already gearing up to be like ''what tf is this'' and jared doubling over like he's already cracking up#proportionally going for that Laugh too lmao so another reason it's a great one put 1st...#deh#will roland#although also shoutout to the apparent difficulties in getting the audience to realize what jokes in sincerely me are jokes when they're not#paying peak attention or whatever. wild to hear that it felt like an Especial Win if people realized ''kinky'' was Humorous / reacted thusly#plenty of the Humor re: jared's character is as much or more about how it's Framed vs the character's own intentional ''i'm telling a joke''#like how it's inherently Funny for jared to be laughing after this Context Reveal or the humor in dropping jared's Commentary on a situation#right into the middle of that situation. the Drama of the principal's office scene and then bam jared's going Holy Shit!!!#and naturally the Tension Release of not only that whiplash from Dramatic to Comedic but that jared's Being The Audience Here#we've just seen it and gone omg and then here's jared's reaction to having it relayed to him.....
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themanicgalaxy · 3 years
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SPN 4X5 Monster Movie
ohohoho wait the title sounds promising
I like Meta Movie Shit it’s like 15% of my personality at LEAST at this point leave me alone
look I know I complain about filters but DAMN does the black and white make the Impala look nice
AHAHA NONDIAGETIC TO DIAGETIC MUSIC AND THE CHARACTERS COMMENT
wow I spelled that wrong but I don’t wanna check it 
save the world like the good old days? no I didn’t miss anything tho?? what?
heh “black and white case” THAT’S SO N E A T WITH THE FILTER
listen while I do think that Dean being in Hell should probably affect him more, him playing it for comedy is just so good
I hear “Agent young,” I sing “I hope Neil Young will remember” and then...hell maybe that was the reference
ah ~tourist season~
this shit is so twin peaks-y I love it
oh my god Anne Rice getting name dropped is WILD
“ok maverick” SSAKSKA
“he looked like a vampire” ah stellar witness I see
damn you you’re giving Eastern Europe a bad name
...ah agent young is Dean
ok so no scars, he seems excited
...re..hymenated..DEAN WHAT?
...see the dialogue...has just shifted to old timey, right? and so did the scenery
at least the girl is smarter
it’s ABSOLUTELY hilarious that this is all stuff they hunt so they have a problem with finding it as it imitates the on screen animals
THE MORGUE VISUALS! STUNNING!
seriously this playing on their expectations is SO NEAT
IT’S SHOT LIKE OLD TIME HORROR I S W E A R THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IT’S GREAT
~spoopy mummy on the loading dock~
I LIVVEEEDD BITCH
also it’s absolutely hilarious that the reason we no longer have a lot of mummies around is cuz Rich Europeans ate them
and really fucked up but also funny
oh NO NOT FINAL GIRL TROPE
GOD D A M M I T
DRACULA!!
they did the lighting thing!! HELL YEAH
PEPPER SPRAY HIM! YES GIRL!
hahaha he broke character
JOHNATHAN HARKER AND MINA REFERENCE!!
THAT’S WHAT I NAMED MY CAT AFTER
I don’t remember a romance with Mina in there but fine whatever creative license
Dean almost got bit by a Male Vampire huh
INTERMISSION AHAHAHA
Shapeshifter!!!
“the x files is a tv show, this is real” in the black and white filter...oh so tongue and cheek 
God I was half expecting a wink at the camera
MINA WASN’T THE INTENDED BRIDE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LUCY 
WHO THE HELL APPROVED THIS 
ok voyeuristic camera angles really Add to the horror damn
heh the ~responsibility burden
it’s nice Dean gets to talk about how much this sucks
Dean if you shut off I’m going to KILL you I want to know what’s going on
A mission from God!! 
I don’t care if that’s a blues brothers reference or not, I’m taking it as such
At least he’s found some purpose, although...hm I wonder where this is going
the ~phantom~!!
THE FUCKING SHIFT TO THE OTHER OPERA MUSIC AHAHA
Sam that’s his own fucking ear calm down
very Sinister Shots for Sam this scene I liked em
It’s Lucy? the Evil Woman of Dracula I’m telling you
aha and they were drugged! neat
the practical effects are So Neat tho!
oho, Frankenstein?
LiFe aIn’T a MoVie Dean you got something you want to say
listen, I get escaping into the glamor of a movie, I do
Man and Dean used to reference movies all the time :(
THE FUCKING DOORBELL
also “the monster wins” OHHH NO
I HAVE A COUPON HA
mention in recap: Dean+movies, monster winning, Lucy+dracula imagery, also the followup about hunters from the last one
bleh stupid controlling niceguy vampire
shit that dress does look good tho
ah yeah in real life this fucker gets killed near everywhere, but they’re famous on movies
kinnie but also Ow
sir you can’t coerce people into your life that’s not how that works
Sam: *pokes fun at his brother after he nearly got bbq’ed
Dean: SHUT UP
awwww
VAN HELSING’SSSS SERIOUS FACE
holy shit Jamie!!!
bitch why are you holding onto this, how?
sir you were a monster and you still got killed and OH I don’t like that wait
dammit Jamie and Dean are fun
Sam has been Suffering fOR 12 Y E A R S ok I’m done
Dean: It’d be nice if life was a movie AAAAA
and ends on a cute sibling note and the end? neat
okok I have meta: 
1. Listen listen listen, the “monster”(shifter) living in Real Life where he nearly gets killed all the time just for existing, has to fight to survive etc, finding monster movies and emulating them, but with the key difference of “the monster wins?” holy hell. It’s such a cool thing about how movies are our chance for escapism, and toss in a nice morally gray area for the monster as well. Like people use movies to escape, so we probably all relate to the monster a lot more anyway? like that’s such a compelling motivation it’s so cool!
and the fact that the monster still dies at the end is like. Ok you can either approach it as yknow, them saving the day or whatever, but I kinda felt it was like. He got to go out like those monsters in the movies? he clung to that reality, and got to go out in his version of dignity, while still feeding into the tragedy, because the monster really did die. It was the expected ending(monster dies in the end) but he seemed...to enjoy it(continued monologue right up until he died with a cool-ass shot)? he got to go out like his role models? Like you feel for him, but he did also kill people, but then the killing was also the role models. Like, complex motivation/story for this “monster of the week,” I thought it was interesting. And also, well done.
2. Also. Direct contrast to Dean. Dean’s the “references” guy, he always makes movie references. Or Ig he made them before he got jettisoned to Hell and had to figure himself out. If movies are positioned as Escape by the monster, Dean rejecting them in front of the monster, claiming real life is not that simple...feels like him stepping up to take on that Godly Responsibility. Especially because in this episode, Jamie says that “bro hunting sucks as a profession”(which is entirely true) and Dean says “yeah I thought that too”(aka the reference stage). Like the movies(and their rejection) show how Dean’s kinda stepping up to the “Ok, I’m a hunter, I’m here, I can't just check out or pretend this is a movie, this is real.”(As seen with his willingness to accept his “mission from God” and CALLING it as such when he was at first skeptical). Dean and the shifter are set up as foils, which is ALSO interesting because the last shifter also shifted into Dean. There’s probably something there(blend into whatever he’s been told to be by his Dad, by God whatever) but that’s not the thesis I’m going for here.
3. Worth noting, just little lore thing here, that Lucy is the Evil Woman in Dracula(the one that got turned into the vampire) and she ends up being the villain. And NO Mina was not Dracula’s bride, but she WAS lucy’s friend, so I’m going with Lucy/Mina because...no yeah that makes way more sense. 
4. sidenote, lamp shading that this is a show, how this is supposed to be Real(and highlighted with shifts from diagetic, the camera angles are Extra Theatrical, it’s a literal Black and White movie). But that lamp shading of the story+old movies like...was kinda integral to the plot, which. Yeah that’s how you do a Referential thing. It was done for a reason(on both ends, both Dean and the Monster have some kind of thing with movies), spotlighting it with Dean and Sam makes it show how this is a movie(although for what purpose I wasn’t really paying attention for) and also a nice homage on top. Cool use of meta style, I liked that a Lot and it looked really fucking good.
5. And this is just a little carry over from last time, but the fact that Sam and Dean don’t know about the rougarou kid is kinda a part of the inherent tragedy/revenge porn of hunting. They had no trouble believing Travis just Went for it, which doomed them not to ask the questions of Why, which doomed that poor kid and his mom. Their distrust and craziness and thirst for revenge is actively harming their mission, godDAMMIT one of you fuckers learn empathy and communication and teach it with the class.
Anyway. Movie Meta is my Shit so...yeah
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The Song Is You (Chapter Three)
Summary: A summer road trip with your best friend lends its way to some revelations.
Author’s Note: We’re back by popular demand! Sorry for the long delay -- we’ve both been insanely and inescapably busy and haven’t really been online. BUT, let’s make up for it by another installment of our creation, hm? We really hope you enjoy this as much as we enjoyed writing it ♥♥ 
Words: 3,775 
Warnings: It’s been a long time but I THINK nothing?? Unless jealously is a trigger? 
Sending our love, Leah & Esme 
(Leah wrote like all of this part, so if you hate any of it, it’s her fault) 
After twenty minutes of driving and both of you pretending like you weren’t glancing at each other, you were grateful when Lin slowed the car as you entered the parking lot of a diner. You looked up, watching the sun’s peak over the top of the one-story building that sat in front of you. You paid too much attention to what you were observing and didn’t notice Lin watching you, too distracted by your luminescence to pay attention to the moving cars in the parking lot. A curse fell from his lips as he dodged a car that was backing out and he was thankful you hadn’t seen.
Your eyes watched the bustle of the beings inside the diner, wishing you could capture them all in a collection of photographs, wishing you had brought your better camera. The waitresses were dressed in a pale blue outfit, most wearing worn white sneakers as they dashed around, lifting trays of steaming foods above their heads to avoid crashing. Customers laughed, joshed, and conversed. Smiles seemed secret, meant only for one person. There were soft touches, rambunctious affections, and cautious admissions under the dim track lighting. You could nearly hear the bells ding each time a customer walked through the door, almost smell the freshly baked muffins and cooked pancakes and sausages. Coffee was being poured as if there was no end and people held newspapers as if they lived in another time and place.
You stumbled out of daze when you heard the car’s engine turn off, Lin opening his door and stepping out, stretching his arms over his head before he tossed the keys back to you, still sitting in your seat. You caught them before you climbed out yourself. Lin joined you at the tail of the car, his gaze catching yours, forcing you to remember the morning’s earlier events and you felt heat rising in your face. You tried to focus on your steps as you walked and not on how casually he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked with purpose and definitely not on how a smooth wind blew through his hair, curling it as if he had just run his hands through it or how his eyes seemed crisp in the late morning sunlight. You didn’t pay attention to his smile, the one he tried to hide as his lips curved on one side, the crooked, floppy grin you’d grown to find comfort in. You completely missed the way his jeans and t-shirt moved with his body as he walked, the way he exuded a silent confidence and gentle kindness at the same time.
When you both reached the door, he used his height to his advantage and swept an arm in front of you to pull the door open as you walked inside. You felt yourself hiding another blush and waited for him to join your side again. You almost shied away when you felt his hand reach for yours, but managed to smile when you felt his fingers interlacing with yours. He was just your friend, after all.
You kept silent as he exchanged polite words with the hostess and instead focused on her gracious smile as she waved you both forward towards a booth on the back wall of the diner. This was where you parted, him on one side and you on the other. You knew now that you’d somehow have to bury your awkwardness toward him. He spoke up after a few minutes of you both examining the laminated menus that had been left on your table.
“Let’s see, what’s the most opposite breakfast food I could get for breakfast?” he mused, causing you to give a soundless laugh and slight shake of your head.
He was listing items off the menu when you rolled your eyes and reached over to take his menu away. When he started to complain, you pinned him with a look. He laughed before allowing you to speak.
“Isn’t our diner tradition to order for each other?” You asked him, looking at him pointedly as he sat forward, resting his arms on the tabletop. He gave a shrug and you knew he knew you were right and just didn’t want to admit it.
“Yeah, but you’ll order me some healthy breakfast food.” He told you and the laugh that escaped you bordered on disorderly, too lively for the atmosphere you sat in. His smile was the way you knew he was glad he’d made you laugh. He glanced down to mess with an empty straw wrapper and you found yourself too caught up in the swift movements of his hands to care about much else, including your counter back to his comment. This would have struck him as odd, the fact that you didn’t get the last word in, if he had been paying attention to anything other than how the rays of sunlight danced above you, giving off the illusion of a halo over your head, or the way you tossed your hair back when you tilted your head to laugh or how your eyes seemed to hold the entire world within them.
A waitress brushed by, coming to a stop at the front of your table and both you and Lin seemed startled by her sudden appearance into your shared world. You looked at her curled bob of blonde hair and how tiny her waist looked despite where she worked. Her personality was over-the-top bubbly and Lin was watching her with a crooked smile – the smile he reserved for you. You felt something you didn’t recognize, something that made you wish she’d stop smiling at him that way. Suddenly, all the joking was gone from the air as effortlessly as it had arrived.
You must have been stuck inside your bubble because, when she and Lin both stared at you silently with a question, you didn’t notice. Lin, always covering for you, asked her for a few more minutes and she flashed him another pageant-winning grin before walking off. You could’ve sworn he was watching her walk away before he turned to you, putting a hand on your wrist.
“Hey, are you alright?” His voice broke through the wall you had up and you felt yourself giving a short smile.
“Yeah, just got a headache is all.” You said, keeping the smile on your face and wishing for a return to your natural joking with Lin.
He leaned back, removing his hand, and watched you silently, “You know what awful breakfast food you’re going to order for me today?”
Your grin grew, but you noted a missing component to his voice, the effect of which was how his joke seemed flat.
“What would you say to chocolate chip pancakes?” You asked him, giving no effort to your thought, but instead working to please him.
“Wow, who knew she’d let me have chocolate for breakfast?” He said, his brief chuckle covering up for the missing factor from just a moment ago.
“Hey, I’m not always a health nut.” You told him, his laugh expanding to affect your smile.
“Yeah? When’s the last time you had something with caffeine or sugar or tons of calories?” He asked you, smirking when he knew he’d won that battle because of your silence as you tried to remember the last time.
“I had a soda in, like, fifth grade.” You said and his laughter became wild and carefree, making you hang your head as you laughed at your own self. When you had started middle school, your mother had helped you pursue what you had learned in health class. Since then, you’d taken careful measures to watch your weekly sugar and caffeine levels. It wasn’t a true diet, but you did watch what you ate. You allowed yourself freedoms, but just not coffee, soda, or too many candies. You often blamed elementary aged you and her obsession with becoming free of vices.
You hadn’t had the chance to ask what Lin would be ordering for you before the waitress came back. You gazed downwards, listening to Lin exchange a pleasant conversation with her. You heard her laugh, as sparkling as her spunky personality and wished you could be that way too, especially if that was someone Lin liked. You watched mindlessly, like the scene was in slow-motion, as she bent her head down to laugh at whatever he had said, placing her hand on his shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind, his smile aimed at her and you vaguely wondered if he even remembered you were there.
A few more moments of their behavior and you could no longer stand it. You forced a cough and smiled pleasantly when the waitress finally turned her attention towards you, her brows arched in a question.
You plastered on a false smile, “Hi, he’ll have a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and black coffee.” You talked slowly and she was surprised for a split second before remembering her job wasn’t to flirt with your best friend. She pulled out a notepad and scribbled your order onto it before turning back towards Lin. Your smile, though fake, left your face.
Lin gave you a short glance, an unrecognizable emotion flashing across his face, before giving his attention back to the waitress. You resisted rolling your eyes when he tossed her a cheesy wink before ordering in that smooth voice of his.
“And she’ll have an American Bandstand with a side of Batter Up. Oh, and a large Coke.” He told the waitress and she nodded happily at each word he said, her fervor beginning to drive you crazy. Once she’d taken down the orders and removed the menus from the table, all that was left was one last glance at Lin and she was off. Lin shook his head with a laugh, turning his body back to face you. Your reactions teetered between a glare and crossing your arms over your chest. Since you never were a decisive one, you chose both.
He gave you one glance and his smile fell in exchange for a confused expression, “What did I do?”
You opened your mouth to speak, words on the tip of your tongue, but you bit them back. You reminded yourself that your attraction to Lin was your secret and yours alone. That is, if there even was an attraction… which there wasn’t… because he was your best friend. You sighed, unfolding your arms from your chest, giving Lin a softer look.
“Nothing. You didn’t do anything, I’m just… I don’t know.” You admitted, suddenly intently focused on unfolding your silverware. You could feel Lin’s gaze pointed at you and nearly collapsed under its weight.
“That look wasn’t nothing, (Y/N).” Lin’s voice held a slight warning, his words calculated and measured. You looked up, catching his eye and daring yourself not to drop eye contact.
You sighed and forced on another smile, “You gonna get that waitress’ number or what?”
A return to your teasing nature eased the tension at the table.
Lin leaned back, a vague smirk on his face, “Eh, I don’t know about that one. I’ll be in college soon and this is just a road trip… plus, I like someone else.” The last words caught your attention, seeming brighter than the others, until you realized it still didn’t bode well for your relationship with him.
“Wait, my best friend has a crush and he didn’t tell me?” You feigned betrayal and he laughed, tossing his head back, before coming up with a reply.
“Don’t worry, I barely owned up to it myself.” His voice grew more serious with the notes of teasing having disappeared. You briefly allowed yourself to wonder the meaning of this change, but decided to let it slide. You did choose to change the subject.
“So, what was all that nonsense you told the waitress anyway?” You questioned, still confused by the titles he’d tossed out and that she seemed to understand.
He grinned, “Just a little bit a secret diner language.”
“You know what the actual American Bandstand was, right?” You answered, a tiny smile surfacing on your face.
“No. Do tell me.”
Excitedly, you leaned forward, “It was a television show that started in the early 50s and it was for musicians. It was basically just a performance show. It was hosted by Dick Clark starting in 1956 and up until it ended in like 1988 - no 89. Honestly, if you made it on American Bandstand, you’d made it. It was the pinnacle for artists in that time.”
Lin watched as you talked, becoming enraptured into your wistful, soft spirit. Another thing he had always admired about you was your appreciation and adoration for the older things in life. You may have only been about to enter college, but you spoke as if you’d already experienced it all. You held an air around you – an aura of your old soul. It baffled some and impressed others. You could find a friend in an elderly person faster than in someone your own age.
As Lin dissected your mind for about the thousandth time in your friendship, your explanation of the television show expanded into an in-depth explanation of music in that time period, which naturally expanded into your favorite artists. You continued to talk until your food appeared. You only felt bad when you realized Lin hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise.
As the food was set down in front of both of you, you noticed two things: what Lin had ordered actually meant and that Lin took special care not to flirt with the waitress, though she seemed upset by it.
In front of Lin sat two plates, each filled with a food. The larger one held deep-fried something, though you couldn’t tell yet what was in it. The smaller plate simply held onion rings. A fizzing soda accompanied it all and you couldn’t resist rolling your eyes. All that talk of your healthy ‘diet’ and Lin went and ordered this for you.
Mindlessly, you pushed the platter of chocolate chip pancakes to Lin’s side of the table with the hot mug of coffee. He accepted them and exchanged with you. You sat, examining the new plates in front of you before you heard his soft laughter.
“American Bandstand actually means, at least in this diner, deep fried mac and cheese bites.” He told you, gesturing to the larger platter.
You caught on, finishing his thought for him. “Batter Up means onion rings.”
You laughed together, the sounds joining together in a crisp, merry sound that rang over the diner and splashed sunlight onto all that it surrounded.
Lin’s voice came first, “See, I was going to tell you before the food came but you started talking and I didn’t want you to stop.”
As soon as he’d said the words, he looked like he regretted them, but knew there was no way to take them back. Lucky for him, you barely noticed.
“Sorry, I just love that time period so much.” You told him and he chuckled.
“I know you do. You’ve been talking about it since the day we met.”
After that comment, you settled in to eat in silence. Sparse conversation happened, but the forefront of all actions was the sneaky stealing of food. The first time, you smacked Lin’s hand away and he pulled back laughing. It wasn’t until the next try that you just let it happen as long as he let you steal small bites of his pancakes.
“You know, why didn’t you just order pancakes for yourself if you wanted them so much?” Lin said once, and you smirked at him, popping a bite into your mouth.
“It’s much more fun this way,” You answered as you watched his hand travel to steal yet another mac and cheese bite. At this point, he’d eaten most of your food and you’d eaten half of his. The only thing left for your own selves were your drinks.
“I can agree. That ‘American Bandstand’ meal is pretty tasty.” Lin laughed, the sound sparkling.
“At least it’s not like when you shared my pasta at that Honor society dinner you attended with me in junior year.” You reminded him and you watched as he recalled the memory.
“God, who knew that red sauce would get everywhere?” He replied and you rolled your eyes.
“Hey, it wasn’t a disaster for me – you’re the one who wore a white shirt.”
“I tried to dress up for you and all I got was splashed with sauce.” He shook his head, faking his upset.
You nodded, a twinkle landing in your eye as the sun smiled through the windows of the restaurant.
“You did look pretty good that night before the pasta.”
“You mean before my greedy hand stole your pasta.”
“Gosh, that’s right! I didn’t even get to have any. So selfish of you, Lin.”
The recounting of the memory ended in laughter and you suddenly felt as if the stars had just aligned. It was as if all the embarrassment of the morning and annoyance of the waitress had vanished. There only existed you and Lin. You savored his laughter and wished you could bottle up his blatant happiness to keep it with you whenever you needed it. Your life depended on his smile and you thrived off of his pleasure.
The waitress reappeared and an audible sigh escaped you, the bubble of peace broken once again. Lin gave you a confused look before turning to greet her. It happened too quickly – this switch he did between you and her. You vaguely noted how the joyful cadence of his laugh when she made him laugh. She set the check down and walked away, glancing one last time at Lin. You rolled your eyes before reaching forward to pay, your hand and Lin’s getting there at the same time. You pinned him with a look and he backed off. He’d paid for the motel room the night before – you had to at least pay for the meal.
You pulled out your credit card and glanced down at the piece of paper. On the bottom of the receipt, in neat handwriting, was a phone number and the name “Lilly” with the “i” dotted with a heart. It only seemed right and fitting to her childlike personality. You gave another long look at the phone number, debating whether to tell Lin about it or not. It’s not like he’d ever ask or he’d even know if you didn’t, but you would know you had lied to him. Despite how desperately you didn’t want to tell him, you had to.
You slid the check over to him without words and watched his reaction when he saw the printed numbers at the bottom. To your surprise, he just seemed irritated by it all.
He looked up at you, catching your eyes and holding them, “What? You think I’m going to call her?”
You shrugged with as little emotion as you could, “You seemed to be getting along well with her.”
He sighed, sliding the paper back to you, “I told you, I like someone right now. And I’m not willing to compromise that.”
You finished up sliding your card into the holder for the bill, setting it on the edge of the table. The waitress came by to retrieve it and you caught the knowing look she gave Lin that he didn’t dare return.
“Yeah, and you still haven’t told me who it is you do like.” You responded to Lin’s earlier comment.
Lin’s face changed quickly, but you swore you caught a smirk before he got serious, “You’ll find out in due time, I suppose.”
“Really? That’s all I get?” You countered back to him and he laughed as you stared at him, completely serious.
He gave another nonchalant shrug, his eyes avoiding yours. No words came, but his gestures spoke in volumes.
After the silence had taken over the table and the bill had been finalized and your credit card returned, Lin downed the rest of his coffee and stood. You followed, walking out side by side with him. You caught the waitress trying to wave to Lin, but were pleased when he ignored her… or at least pretended to. In the parking lot, Lin had a harder time than he should have finding your car. You laughed at his confusion – there seemed to be too many white cars for him to comprehend. This boy, the genius, couldn’t pick out the car he’d driven here.
After a few good minutes of Lin spinning you in circles, you pointed it out for him. Giddiness had rid you of all unpleasant underlying thoughts. Lin’s arm draped over your shoulder and you smiled despite the scenes featuring the waitress that had now been inserted into the fabric of your seamless summer road trip. Though, you still felt as if no giddiness could fully erase those feelings from the diner. You still felt protective, as if Lin was your kid brother and someone was trying to tear him away from you. Maybe you were just fighting that the universe would be trying to force you apart in the near future. Maybe you just wanted to live in a bubble with him, only together, for as long as you could.
As you walked towards your car in a corner of the lot, Lin noticed the gears spinning in your mind, the effects of which were plainly shown on your face. He tightened his arm around your shoulders, a smile tugging at his mouth.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked you, his tone gentle but demanding.
You shrugged, breaking yourself from your trance and endless roundabout of thoughts. You forced yourself to smile up at him, squinting your eyes in the face of the mid-day sun that rose above his head.
“Nothing. Why don’t we get back on the road, hm?”
Lin’s hidden smile quickly turned into a frown. He knew you were hiding something from him – he could feel the shift in your energy.  He didn’t push because he knew better – years of knowing you better than he knew himself had taught him some things. All pushing did was make you irate with him.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that you felt… off as he climbed back into the driver’s seat of your car. Just like you couldn’t shake the feeling that too many things were changing between the two of you too quickly for you to handle it properly or maturely.
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