The Second Button tradition has been around since the '60s. It's a popular Japanese tradition that involves the man giving his second button to the woman he adores. A similar tradition has been around in the lives of Wolf Winchester, Chris Lancaster...
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"I hate him."
"What did he do this time?"
"He was being rude to our Chem faculty," I ranted, eating a hotdog. "And then he defends himself by saying he was being blunt. He was rude."
"Cupcake—"
"No, don't 'Cupcake' me," I huffed. "I am so done with Wolf. If he wasn't my lab partner, I would've kil—"
"Whoa, whoa, do not finish that sentence." Chris instantly grabbed me by my shoulders to calm me down. We were both at this carnival after school that he offered to take me to. I agreed because I thought it would take my mind off Wolf, but no. I was clearly wrong. "Murder doesn't suit you, Cupcake. Delete that thought out of your system."
I sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I hate that I'm stuck with him for the whole semester. He's just—"
"Annoying, jerk-face, jackass, rude." I looked at him as he listed the words and it looked like he was about to list more. "What? I can write a whole book of adjectives to describe him."
I chuckled and shook my head. It was bizarre how two best friends could have such contrasting personalities. If Chris was bright like the sun, Wolf was dark and dull like the moon. If Chris was sunrise, Wolf was sunset. If Chris was the beginning of all things, Wolf was the end of all things. I could go on and on listing their differences.
"How are you two even friends? I mean, you guys are so different. Why do you tolerate him so much?"
Chris chuckled, as he chewed on a handful of potato chips. "You know, I question that every single day. I even asked him this once."
I chuckled. "You did? What did he say?"
"He said," Chris paused as he thought about the morning of Wolf's race. How Wolf had texted him to remind him to be on time and how they began their day with playful banter. Chris's lips curled into a fond smile, reliving that moment. "He said something along the lines of us balancing each other out. He's an introvert, I'm an extrovert. He gets too cocky and I keep him grounded. That's why we're friends."
"But that doesn't explain why you have to tolerate him. He can be a real pain in the ass, sometimes—wait, no, scratch that—all the time. Why don't you just break it off?"
Chris sighed. "It's not that simple, Cupcake. I've known the guy since we were children."
"So?" I asked. Even if they had known each other since children, it wasn't an excuse to stay friends with someone who came off as toxic. Their friendship could do him more harm than good, and even if I wouldn't admit it yet, I worried about Chris.
"I promise you, he's not a bad guy," Chris reassuringly smiled. "Yes, he's a little different, and yes, he doesn't wear a filter in his larynx. But I assure you, he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Wolf appreciates authenticity. He doesn't enjoy the fake smiles or small talk. He'd rather be with someone he can have deep conversations with rather than a crowd of admirers who know nothing about him."
