Supernova||Book 1 [Wattys 2024]

Episode 16.3 - Different Types Of Friends

"Jorah!" Jade snapped a finger before his friend's eyes.

"Hm?" Jorah looked at him with his brows scrunched.

"Are you listening to me?" Jade asked.

"Wait...sorry..no..say it again."

Jade's frown was exceedingly large. "What's going on with you?" he tucked his leg under him "Your mind seems like it's a million miles away."

"Yeah Sorry." Jorah apologized. "Work." He gave his attention fully to Jade. "What were you saying? You were telling me about Avalon."

"I was telling you about Avalon but you seem to be thinking about something else. Is everything okay? Did something happen with Nine? Is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

Jorah laughed at Jade's rapid fire questions, that was so like him. "No. No. Nothing to tell. Nine and I are fine. Everything is fine." Jorah half lied. "Sorry. I'll pay attention. You were telling me about Avalon. What about him?"

Jade's eyes were still full of suspicion. "I was telling you that he's been acting weird lately. Don't you think so?"

"Weird? Weird how?" Jorah queried. "Not with me. He seems fine."

Jade bit his lip thoughtfully. "Then is it just me?"

"I don't know." Jorah shrugged. "What happened?"

"Well it seems like he's been avoiding me lately." Jade explained. "Even that day when I went with you and Nine to lunch. I'd invited him to come along but he said he had clients to meet." Jorah listened. "When I called his office. They said he wasn't in."

"Why is that strange?" Jorah asked. "Maybe he was meeting them somewhere else."

Jade thought about it. "I guess." he conceded "But it's still weird. He's definitely hiding something."

"You're still on that?" Jorah questioned "You do know Avalon doesn't have to report his every move to you don't you?" At these words, Jade pouted. "Maybe he's just tired of you." Jorah continued to tease "All you do is get in trouble and pester him. Maybe he's finally had enough."

Jade glared at Jorah, "That's not funny."

The three of them had been friends for years and their dynamics were pretty much the same. Jade and Jorah were close. Jade got Jorah in ways that not many people did. That's why it was often difficult to hide his thoughts from him and he could figure things out about him before others did.

Jorah and Avalon were close but not in the same way. Their relationship was held on a deep level of respect. If Jade was emotional, Avalon was logical in equal measure. He and Jorah could connect on a rational level. Avalon could always be counted on to count with logic and see what made sense and what didn't.

As for the relationship between Avalon and Jade, that was something else. They were close. Jade loved to act cute but he did it with Avalon the most. If Jade could do something on his own, the minute Avalon showed up, he suddenly lost the ability. Avalon always indulged him.

"Seriously Jade, maybe Avalon is just busy."

Jade wasn't buying it. "I don't believe it. Call him and see."

"When? Now?" Jorah asked.

"Ok. I'll show you." Jade announced as he dialled.

After Jade dialled, he put the call on speaker. The two waited while the line rang.

[Hello?] Avalon's voice came on after two rings.

"'Lon. It's me." Jade announced.

[I know.] Avalon replied [What's going on?]