Isaac

Ten Years Earlier- Pennsylvania, US

I sat on the edge of my bed, my legs dangling off the side. Harper stood by the doorway, arms crossed. She had a determined look. It was the same one she wore when she was about to convince me of something.

She wore her favorite school football jersey, bright orange and purple. The frayed ends of her denim shorts twirled a little each time she shifted her weight. Her whole outfit screamed summer and carefree fun, but her face was all business.

“You’ve been working non-stop,” she said, a small pout forming on her lips. “It’s the fair, Isaac. You have to come.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Harper, I want to sleep. I’ve barely had a day off, and I’ve got work again tomorrow. I need to save up for that car if I’m going to survive at community college.”

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the room with her hands on her hips. “I get it, you’re responsible, and that’s great. But you’re allowed to have fun, too, you know? Not spending every second at the supermarket or the diner. Mr. Bran’s a jerk, and you know it. He’ll survive one day without you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “True.”

Harper paced my room, and honestly, she wasn’t wrong. Mr. Bran loved overworking every kid fresh out of high school, especially in the summer. He owned most of the town—supermarkets, diners, even rental houses. Everyone knew him.

Still, he gave me a job when no one else would, right after our parents died. Maybe it was because Dad had worked for him at my age, or maybe it was pity. Either way, I took it. Even with Josh’s parents around, Harper and I were pretty much on our own. We weren’t little kids anymore, and I couldn’t stand the idea of relying on anyone. So, I had to figure things out myself. I couldn’t afford to turn anything down.

That’s why I worked hard, pushing myself to keep things together for Harper. I didn’t want her to feel that weight. I didn’t want her to carry the same burden. All I wanted was to see her keep smiling and to hold onto that light she had, the one that reminded me so much of Mom.

Her smile was like hers—bright, full of life. And I didn’t want that to disappear from Harper’s face. I would do anything to make sure she kept that part of herself, even if it meant I had to work myself to the bone. And I’d keep doing it if it meant she could still be the happy, carefree girl she deserved to be, even in her frailty.

She sat down on the floor near my bed, crossing her legs. “I’m not saying you have to come to everything, but you’ve been working so much. I want you to come out, see people, and do something fun. Josh will be there, and it’ll be more fun if you’re around.”

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “I know, but it’s not that simple. I can’t just drop everything. I have responsibilities.”

She propped her elbow on her knee, resting her chin in her hand. She gave me that look where her eyes narrowed a bit, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

“I don’t get it,” she said, her voice carrying the playful frustration she was known for. “Not even Josh going will make you say yes? You’re my second favorite person in the world, and now you both act like strangers, even living under the same roof.”

Harper always said that Josh and I were her second favorite people. She never said who her first ones were, but everyone in the house knew. Sarah, Henry, Josh’s parent, and even Josh… and, of course, me. We all knew she meant our parents. I guess she’d never say it out loud, though. She liked to pretend, like I did, that their death didn’t really affect her. But I could always tell when someone was pretending. I was good at that.

I chewed the inside of my lip, trying not to react too much. Of course, Harper was oblivious to the truth. She was only sixteen, still so young. How could I even begin to tell her what was really going on? The reason things were strained between me and Josh was not normal teenage arguments or growing apart. No, it was because I was living with my lifelong crush. He was right there, but completely out of reach.

Harper would never understand that. How could she? She didn’t know I was gay. It seemed unfair to burden her with that truth when she was already dealing with so much. She looked up to Josh, saw him as this perfect guy, the older brother figure she always needed.

Meanwhile, I was stuck. I had to pretend everything was fine when it was anything but.

“I don’t know, Harper,” I said, swallowing hard. “It’s… complicated.”

She huffed, flopping back on the floor dramatically. “You always say that. ‘It’s complicated.’ Life doesn’t have to be that complicated, you know. You say yes or no, and then you go and have fun.”

I forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Yeah, well, not everything is as simple as that.”

She stayed quiet for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t want you to miss out. Not on this. Not on him.”

I winced. If only she knew. If only it were that simple.

Harper’s phone pinged. She pulled it from her pocket, a pink, fuzzy ball keychain dangling from it. Then, she started typing. The room fell into a comfortable silence, only the soft tapping of her fingers breaking the quiet. I watched her as I slid back onto my bed, letting my body sink into the mattress.

Her hair splayed out around her, the light catching the strands that had grown longer over the summer. She’d always loved her bob haircut, said it made her look like the boss. But now, she was letting it grow out, even though I knew she liked the short style better.

She must’ve felt my eyes on her because she glanced up, catching me staring.

“Don’t stare at me, weirdo,” she teased. “You always do that. I’m not going anywhere, you know, just to the fair you refuse to go to.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I shifted my gaze back to the ceiling. “I’m thinking.”

Harper snorted, still tapping away on her phone. “You’re always thinking, Isaac. Maybe that’s your problem.”

Her words hung in the air, light but with an edge of truth. I heard her phone ping again. But, I stayed where I was, staring at the ceiling and letting the quiet stretch between us.

I heard the familiar creak of the stairs, footsteps I knew all too well. I didn’t even have to look up to know it was Josh. The way he moved was so distinct—calm, steady.

A soft knock followed, though the door was already open. That was like him, too—polite to a fault, always asking for permission even when it wasn’t needed. I kept my eyes on the ceiling, pretending I hadn’t already felt my heart jump into my throat when I heard him coming.

Josh cleared his throat. “Harper, Mom said you need to eat something before you go. And she’s not letting you leave until she sees you take your meds.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him leaning in the doorway, his frame filling the space in that casual, effortless way that was so… Josh. Tall, solid, like he belonged there, without even trying. I hated how aware I was of him. It was stupid—he was only standing there—but I could feel every shift, every glance.

I shifted on the bed, trying not to stare. I didn’t want to notice the light on his blond hair or the way his lips curved into a smile as Harper began her usual dramatic antics.

Harper dropped her phone to her side and dramatically placed a hand on her temple. With a thick, exaggerated British accent, she said, “Ah, I must take my cocktail of medicine, for this frail body will surely not withstand such frivolous fun.”

Josh and I exchanged a glance, both of us trying not to laugh, but we failed. Laughter filled the room. It was light and easy. For a moment, all the tension I usually felt around Josh evaporated.

Harper sat back down, then stood up a little too fast, swaying on her feet. She grinned, holding her arms out wide like she was trying to make a point. “See what I mean? It’s fun when we’re all together.”

She looked between Josh and me, her eyes dancing with mischief. Then, without missing a beat, she walked over to the door and patted Josh on the arm. “Now, please, convince Isaac to come to the fair. I must go, peasants.”

With a flourish, she spun around and swept out of the room, leaving Josh standing there, shaking his head with a smile.

I lay back on my bed, letting out a slow breath. I glanced at Josh, who was still lingering in the doorway, like he wasn’t sure whether to stay or leave.

“You know she’s not going to give up,” he said, his voice quieter now.

“Yeah, I know.”

Josh raised his hand, scratching the back of his head like he was searching for the right words. His hesitation was almost endearing, like he wasn’t sure how to act around me anymore. “Well, they reopened the Eagle roller coaster,” he said, the words coming out slowly. “I know that’s your favorite, but… of course, I’m not just saying that to convince you or anything.”

He muttered the last part, his voice trailing off awkwardly, but I heard it. It was kind of cute how Josh seemed to stumble over his words now, like the easy way we used to talk had vanished, and he didn’t know how to find it again.

He fidgeted, slipping his hands into the pockets of his shorts like he wasn’t sure whether to stay or leave. Was he nervous? Or was that me, reading into everything like I always did?

I could tell he was trying, though. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips before I could stop it.

I shut my eyes for a moment, letting out a slow breath. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, the weight of my own hesitation holding me back. But then, I opened my eyes and glanced at Josh, his face softer than I’d seen in a long time, and I knew I couldn’t say no.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” I said, pushing myself to sit up on the bed. “But you have to ride it with me. And don’t chicken out this time. No backing down.”

Josh blinked, and for a second, it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His blue eyes lit up with a flicker of happiness that I hadn’t seen in a while. “Please, that was like three years ago,” he said, his voice a little bolder now. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

I looked down at the floor, feeling the shift in the air. “Yeah… neither am I,” I said softly. We weren’t kids anymore. And I wasn’t sure if that made things easier, or a whole lot harder.