Right now, liking him isn’t as simple as it was when we were watching Netflix together or hanging out on park benches. It wasn’t simple when we were hanging out in his kitchen, either, but it felt that way. Now everyone else has become part of this thing that was just supposed to be between us.

“So,” he says, walking into the closet. I don’t move to make room for him, but he scrunches himself between two of the shelves anyway. “I totally get if you don’t want to see me again. But I wanted to see you.”

“Even though I’m a pariah?” I snort. “Everyone hates me, and most of them don’t even know me—including your parents. You didn’t even stand up for me.”

“That’s not fair.” He bites his lip. “I tried to.”

“Not fair?” I shake my head. “You know what’s not fair? What I have to deal with right now. You’ve never had to deal with this. It’s like…there’s this abyss, and I’m on one side with my family and the few other people who actually get it, and then everyone else is on the other side. I thought you were on my side. I need people on my side. It’s hard right now, but it’s so much harder when it’s just me, and I felt totally alone when you sat there and didn’t say anything.”

“Simone. God, I…” He opens his mouth, floundering, before it closes. “I never wanted to make you feel like that. It wasn’t…It probably doesn’t help, but I didn’t…I just froze. I’m not used to fighting with my parents.”

I stare at my knees. I don’t know what to say.

“But I did,” he says. “As soon as we were in the parking lot. I told them everything they said was bullshit and you acted a million times better than they did, even though you’re still just a kid.”

My eyes snap up. “You said that?”

“Yeah,” he says. “And some other things. They weren’t happy—I’m totally grounded now—but it was the truth. I should’ve said it during the actual meeting. I’m so sorry.”

I can’t picture him cursing at his parents. Because of me.

“Thanks,” I say softly. “That was pretty decent of you.”

He stares at me for a second, like he’s waiting for something else, but I just stare back at him. I’m impressed at what he did, but it’s not like we’re going to make out now.

“Are you just gonna stay here?” he asks, changing the subject. “You’re not going to go out and see the awesome play you’ve spent all of this time directing? Why’d you even come?”