Fletcher sat in an armchair on the back patio, reading a book and soaking in the peaceful quiet of the day. It was a Saturday which thankfully meant no work for him and after an exhausting week he intended to take it as easy as possible. He flipped another page and was about to keep reading when the sound of the back door opening interrupted him. He peeked up over the top of his book to see Jesse standing at the beginning of the stone walkway.
"Hi, Jesse!" A welcoming smile spread across his face as he straightened his posture.
"Hey, Fletch. Hope you don't mind me crashing your party for a bit. I just needed to get away for a sec. Your parents said you'd be back here."
Of course he didn't mind. He gestured to the many open spots in an invitation for Jesse to take a seat, and Jesse planted himself on the couch beside to him. A moment of comfortable silence fell over the two. Fletcher eyed his friend from behind his shades. At first glance he looked like his regular cool, casual self. But something about what he just said had immediately tipped him off that something wasn't quite right. Now that he looked closer, the tiniest hint of tension seemed to emminate from the way he sat straight on the couch, jaw clenched just a little, and eyes seeming to be not quite dialled in on the present like they normally were. He closed his book and set it to the side. "Alright, what's going on?"
Jesse breathed a chuckle. He never seemed to be able to hide anything from Fletcher. "Like I said, I just...needed to get away," he replied.
"From what?"
"From Wren. She's everywhere all the time, and always trying to tell me to 'do this this way' or 'don't do that' or getting on my case for some tiny thing that doesn't matter. I couldn't take any more of it today so I left the house to get some space." He paused momentarily, gritting his teeth a little. "She's always so nitpicky, it's—it's—" he faltered, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.
"Stifling?" Fletcher offered. He knew how much Jesse enjoyed being left to his own devices. He liked to do things his own way without any outside pressure, and valued his space. It was one of the things the two of them had in common, so it was easy to see where he was coming from.
"Well—yeah! Yeah, exactly," Jesse replied. He looked like he was going to say something else, but hesitated.
"Are you feeling frustrated about it?" Fletcher asked him.
Jesse stayed quiet for a moment as he thought. "...Yeah," he admitted finally.
"Talk to her about it!"
The surprised and uncertain look Jesse gave him after that statement came as no surprise to Fletcher.
"Huh? But—but—"
Fletcher gave him a sympathetic grin. He also knew how much Jesse hated talking about anything involving emotion. An objective point of critism? No problem, he could deal it out just fine. But the moment things started getting abstract—especially when it came to feelings—his first instinct was to recoil, cut ties with the source. However, that was not necessarily an option when it came to someone you were living with.
"Jesse," he started, "you have to tell her if she's driving you crazy. You can't just let those feelings sit. Then nothing gets solved and you get angry."
"But—I don't even know what I'd say. Talking just seems kinda stupid. I've already shown her I don't like it, shouldn't that be enough?"
"She likely doesn't even realize what she's doing," Fletcher explained. "And she doesn't know all the little tells you have for expressing you need to be left alone. If you talk to her, it might bring her some awareness!" He gave Jesse a reassuring grin. "Just try telling her what you just told me. You don't even have to change a word."
Jesse knew his friend had a point, even if he didn't like it. He stayed silent again for a little bit while he thought through everything they'd just discussed. He hardly ever fully knew what he was feeling at any given time. He was getting better at understanding his emotions with Fletcher's help, sure. But that didn't mean he was comfortable with them, and he definitely didn't feel comfortable discussing them with others he didn't completely trust. He was going to need some time to warm up to this idea.
Fletcher could see the wheels turning in his friend's head. He gave him another smile and grabbed his book once again.
"Just think about it," he encouraged him. He flipped back to his page. "In the meantime, if you need somewhere to recharge, feel free to stay!" He let himself sink lower into the armchair, putting one leg up on the other.
Jesse gave him a small smile. If there was one thing Fletcher was good at, it was making him feel understood.
"Thanks," he replied. He turned himself to lay down across the couch's surface and closed his eyes, joining his friend in peaceful solitude.
Talk to Wren. The thought still left him feeling uneasy, but he knew his friend was right. Somehow, some way, he was going to need to figure it out.
