Jess sat on his bed, having been staring at the wall for the past thirty minutes. He felt shaky, ill, wrong. Everything felt wrong. This happened so many times and he just wanted it to go away. Why couldn’t it go away? Maybe it was the lack of human interaction getting to him. He texted his best friend (possibly best friend, who knew), Elijah, asking to come over. Elijah said yes of course, the lonely man always desperate for a friend to come over and hang out. Jess felt pity for him, but was never one to often hang out with people, especially someone so… desperate. It was sad, he was the only person Elijah had. But, to be fair, Elijah was the only person he had. He never said he wasn’t a hypocrite.

Jess slipped on his shoes and his old green jacket. He desperately needed to replace both of these things with something new, he just never found the energy to do so. Grabbing his keys, he walked out the door and drove to his friends house, making it there shortly. He knocked on the door and almost immediately- almost as if he had been waiting for Jess- Elijah answered, a bright smile on his face.

“Jess, Jess, I’m so happy to see you! Come on in.”

His house was so clean, so unlike Jess’, which was a complete mess. Jess gave Elijah a little smile and a hello, stepping in the door and taking his shoes off. He knew Elijah hated it when anyone walked around his house with dirty shoes on, even if Elijah would never be brave enough to simply ask them to take them off at the door. Pitiful man, really. Jess plopped down on Elijah’s couch, Elijah was the only person he was this comfortable around, though he wasnt sure he’d even consider the man a friend. A contemplation for another time. Elijah sat down next to him, back straight and hands folded neatly on his lap- god did he always sit like this? Even in his own home? Or was he just performing in front of Jess? For a man he was ‘so close to’ he really didnt understand much about him. Elijah knew so much about him but Jess knew almost nothing about Elijah.. Jess didn’t like that. He was usually closed off but opened up to Elijah in drunken rambles he often had late at night, calling the man who also never slept. He needed to feel like there was equal ground between him and Elijah, but Elijah knew too much, and Jess knew too little. Elijah looked over at him.

“So, why are you here actually?”

He asked, and Jess made eye contact with him which they both quickly broke off. They both struggled with eye contact.

“I’m..”

Was this how normal friends did it? Show up to their friends house whenever they felt lonely or weird and wrong? Why hadn’t he just called Elijah? He was tempted to lie and tell the other that he had showed up because he was bored and wanted to watch the newest season of The Great British Bake Off. So he did. Because lying was cool and he knew the both of them did it often. And then they did, watching the newest season with no questions asked. But Jess still did not feel right. It was still there, the feeling that made him want to hide, or break a wall, or just.. confirm that what he was looking at was real? If that even made any sense at all? Maybe he was going crazy. It got so strong that he, in a quick movement, paused the show and grabbed Elijah’s arm, which made the other man flinch and look at him with surprise. Elijah was always so flinchy. Jess was flinchy too, but it probably wasn’t for the same reason. Someday, Jess would ask him about why Elijah behaved so strangely at times. But not today.

“As much as I love this show, this isnt why I came over today.”

God, he was being weird, he could see it in the other mans eyes. He needed to just stop, so he did, removing his arm and moving away, looking away.

“I know.”

Elijah replied. What did he mean he knew?

“The more I’m around you, the easier it gets to tell when you’re lying. Even if you’re a good liar.”

Elijah’s voice was so soft, but that wasnt reassuring. He didn’t want Elijah to know his mannerisms.

“Ah.”

Is how he replied. Great job at making conversation, Jess.

“I guess I just needed to talk to you. I’ve been feeling pretty strange lately, yknow? Like everything’s.. so wrong. So wrong. The walls aren’t real they’re.. wrong. Hell I can’t explain it. They’re just wrong. Like theres something behind them or something? Or.. god, i dont know.”

He groaned, running a hand down his face. He wanted to apologize for randomly dumping this on Elijah, but he doesn’t do apologies. To his surprise, Elijah chuckled. And it wasn’t the forced, nervous chuckle for once.

“I- i get what you mean i think. Things have been weird lately, haven’t they? Like you want to break the wall and see what’s really behind it. Or if you do one specific thing, like an achievement from a video game, it’ll set you free from this world.”

Jess shot up.

“Yea, yea, exactly like that!”

He exclaimed. Did someone FINALLY understand what he was saying?

“You get it, don’t you?”

Elijah smiled and nodded, pulling on the collar of his shirt. They talked for a while after that, hours, and finally, Jess learned some more things about the nervous and lonely man named Elijah. He was right, the man was quite pathetic and sad. But it was a good time.

“Y’know, i really feel maybe the world isn’t real. Maybe, y’know, me and you, were the only two real ones. The only two that know the truth of the world.”

Jess suggested with a sigh, looking at the other man again who had paused for a moment, who had shown the slightest bit of a frown. Jess blinked, his eyebrows furrowing. It was just a split second before Eliajh was back to talking and agreeing wirh him. But that split second had Jess’ mind racing. He didnt listen in on the other mans words, who seemed to be speaking about reincarnation or something. He was just too far deep in his brain. Was he making too much out of something small? Probably. But the way Elijah had looked at him- he knew the man was a great liar. Maybe Elijah was just going along with all of this. Maybe he really thought Jess’ was crazy, and was just doing this to get more information on him. He must’ve been. Maybe he wasnt even truly his friend in the first place. The man was always too secretive, nervous and friendly. His mind continued to race before-

“Elijah, I have to go.”

He blurted out, and Elijah looked at him, surprised. The surprise of a fake man. In Jess’ eyes at least. In Jess’ eyes, all of it was a lie.

“Why is that?”

Elijah asked, sounding rather disappointed. The rational part of his brain told Jess that he was blowing this out of proportion. He didn’t typically listen to that part of his brain. His doctors frequently told him that. He rolled his eyes and put his shoes on.

“Because.”

He said, and then he just left, likely leaving the people pleasing man in a worry that he had messed up. But he didnt care, anyways. He just needed to go home.