Monochrome: 39

Finn sat at the diner with Gavin, sipping his coffee as he waited for the check to arrive. His free hand lightly drummed on the wooden table. He set his cup down on a coaster. Gavin stared at the back of the diner, where a waitress wiped off the counter.

“Oh!” Gavin said. “It’s your birthday tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“Ah, yeah. I forgot, for a moment…”

“You forgot your own birthday?”

“People don’t really make as big a deal out of it when you’re an adult.”

“I guess so. I still haven’t grown out of that.”

“You haven’t grown out of a lot of things, Gavin,” Finn said, stirring his coffee.

“Ouch, harsh,” Gavin responded.

“Haha. By the way…” Finn started. “There was something you said around when Kieran was released from the hospital around two weeks ago.”

“Ah, yeah? I say a lot of things.”

“True. Well, I think it was like… you said I care a lot about him? And that you were thrown off at first. I still don’t get what you were talking about.”

“Oh, my god, are you serious?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t get it?”

“What am I supposed to get? Was it a joke or a reference or something?”

“No, no… I’m more than just jokes, you know. Anyways… I thought you liked him.”

“What?”

“Kieran. Like… uhh… you know,” Gavin said awkwardly. Finn stared at him for a moment, processing.

“Wait, what? You think I like Kieran…?” he asked, surprised.

“You mean you don’t?”

“I…” Finn began. He thought about it.

“I don’t know.”

The waitress came by, placing the check on the table. Gavin and Finn stopped to pay their bill.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Gavin asked.

“Errr… well, I don’t think I’ve ever actually liked someone like that,” Finn said. “I have no idea what it’s like.”

“Huh. That’s a bit uncommon. Well, hey, I gotta head off. I’ll talk to you later, or something.”

“Yeah. Alright. See you later,” Finn said.

Gavin headed out the diner doors as Finn sat in the booth, thinking as he waited for the waitress to return.