After seeing a number of therapists and getting their opinions, TJ was able to walk away from their office for the last time without any pills being prescribed to him. Which made the whole process seem like a waste, but at least it was done and over with. His parents, though, were still worried, that much was clear.

His therapists all had a few of the same concerns, including his lack of friends. TJ wasn't bothered by it so much; by then his focus was on his upcoming 13th birthday, because his bar mitzpah was going to be the biggest party in his life and he was going to take full advantage of that.

So he killed two birds with one stone by inviting the pale kids. He didn't plan on inviting anyone, his family was big enough to make up the entire party, and by then inviting his old friends was simply out of the question, and honestly stupid. But they insisted he invite someone, and while he didn't hang out with Knarf and his group, their shared interests was enough to have a decent conversation between them.

After that, his parents began to ease up on hovering over him, and things returned to normal.

ZZZ

"If you don't hate us, then what's the goddamn issue?"

So far, none of them had approached him at lunch. That seemed to be their prime, 'stare him down and try to figure him out' time. Not today though. Today, after a single bite of pizza, the others were making themselves comfortable at his table and Spinelli was interrupting his train of thought.

"I'm just trying to eat my lunch," said TJ. "What are you talking about?"

"Mikey said that you said that you don't hate us," said Gus. "But that kinda doesn't make sense because you keep telling us to leave you alone."

"And yet you all keep coming back. It's crazy," he said.

"Teej, we're just trying to help a friend. What would you do if you walked in on one of us going what you were doing?" Vince asked.

"But we're not friends."

"Yes, we are-"

"No. We're not. This is the most we've talked in years."

"Then pretend we are and answer the question!" Spinelli snapped. "What would you do?"

TJ shrugged. What were they trying to get at? "That's different."

"How?"

"Because I know what I'm doing," he said.

". . .Exactly how long have you been doing this?" Mikey asked.

That was definitely a question TJ was surprised they haven't asked him yet. And judging by the looks on the others faces, they were surprised to.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," he said. "I'm just asking because I think if you're this confident, you must've been doing it for a while. And as a friend. We know you don't think of us as friends, and none of us really know why, but we still think of you as our friend, and friends get worried when they see one of them doing what you were doing. You can least understand that, right?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Can we at least get to know each other again? You're right about us not talking in years," he said. "Maybe we can start talking again? A lot of things can change in a few years."

"No, but that's not going to stop you, is it? It hasn't so far," said TJ. "Do you have anything to say, Gretchen?"

Gretchen, who hadn't spoken up so far in the conversation, was jarred out of her thoughts when being addressed.

"Me?" She asked.

"Yeah. You haven't said anything so far," he said. "You have anything to add?"

"Oh. Well, I was just thinking that getting to know each other again would be a good start," she said. "Even if you don't like us, it's not good for anyone to be lonely."

The bell ringing couldn't come sooner. The more space he could put between them, the better.

ZZZ