Chapter Text
I like to say I didn’t create the friend group.
But honestly… I kind of did. (im just like that…heh)
Not on purpose though. It just happened. Like dominoes falling in the weirdest order possible.
And it started with Milo.
I first noticed Milo on the third day of school.
He sat in the very back of my literature class, the seat no one ever chooses unless they want to disappear. His hoodie was half covering his face and he looked like he had absolutely no interest in being there. The teacher was talking about symbolism in some old poem and Milo was staring out the window like the sky had something more interesting to say.
The weird thing was that everyone still knew who he was.
People whispered about him in the halls. Mostly girls. Apparently he had dated like four people already and school had barely started. Which was kind of insane.
But Milo didn’t act like someone who cared about attention. He didn’t talk much. He didn’t laugh at anything. He just sat there like the world was slightly annoying.
I remember turning around during class and catching him looking at my laptop camera.
I was editing a video for my channel.
“Are you filming people in class?” he asked.
His voice was calm. Not judging. Just curious.
“Not yet,” I said. “But that’s a good idea.”
He stared at me for a second.
“You’re weird.”
“Thank you,” I said.
For some reason that made him smile. Just a little.
After class I walked up to him while he was putting his notebook in his bag.
“You should be in my videos,” I told him.
“Why.”
“Because you look like the mysterious background character people would comment about.”
He stared at me again like he was deciding if I was serious or just extremely annoying.
“Fine,” he said. “But if you make me look stupid I’m deleting your channel.”
And that was basically how I met Milo.
I met Danny two weeks later.
Actually… “met” might not be the right word.
He almost ran me over with a skateboard.
I was leaving the school building while recording something on my phone for a video. I was talking to the camera about how boring school lunches were when suddenly someone flew past me down the front steps.
I jumped out of the way.
The skateboard stopped a few feet away and the guy riding it turned around.
Black hoodie. Black jeans. Black boots.
He had eyeliner on and about seven bracelets on one arm. His hair fell over his face and when he looked up I immediately thought he looked like he walked straight out of some dark music video.
“Watch where you’re walking,” he said.
“Woah man….You almost killed a future famous youtuber,” I replied.
He blinked.
“You’re not famous lil bro.”
“Not yet.”
He rolled his eyes and picked up his skateboard.
“Danny,” he said, like he was introducing himself but also like he didn’t really care if I remembered.
“Zahir,” I said.
Right then Milo walked out of the building behind me.
Danny looked at him and nodded like they already kind of knew each other.
“Skating later?” Danny asked him.
“Maybe,” Milo said.
I looked between them.
“Wait,” I said. “You both know each other but neither of you know me properly and that feels like a personal israeli attack.”
Danny raised an eyebrow.
“Why.”
“Because I think you two would be great in my videos.”
Milo groaned.
“You’re recruiting people again?”
“It’s called networking child labour.”
Danny laughed quietly.
And just like that… Danny started hanging around with us.
Ethan happened by accident.
But honestly that’s the moment everything changed.
It was a rainy afternoon after school and the three of us were sitting inside the small café near campus. Milo was pretending to study. Danny was drawing random designs in his notebook. I was editing footage.
That’s when the door opened.
And Ethan walked in.
He had these wired headphones on and a stack of literature books pressed against his chest. His hair was slightly messy from the rain and he was wearing a sweater that looked like it belonged in an art museum.
He ordered matcha.
Of course he ordered matcha.
Danny noticed him first.
He stopped drawing.
“Who’s that,” he muttered.
I turned around and followed his gaze.
Ethan sat down near the window and started reading one of his books while softly nodding along to whatever music he was listening to.
“He looks like he listens to sad music like the Bart Simpsons meme on purpose,” Milo said.
“That’s not a bad thing, maybe he's even listening to xxxtentacion,” Danny said quickly.
I looked at both of them.
Then I smiled.
“Oh this is perfect.”
Before either of them could stop me, I walked over to Ethan’s table.
“Hi,” I said.
He looked up slowly and took one earbud out.
“Yes?”
“Do you want to be in a youtube video?”
He blinked.
“I’m sorry… what.”
“My name is Zahir. I document interesting people. And you look like someone who reads poetry at 2 a.m like a performative .”
He stared at me for a few seconds.
Then he laughed.
It was quiet but warm.
“My name is Ethan,” he said.
And that’s when I waved him over to our table.
Danny immediately pretended he wasn’t staring.
Milo pretended he didn’t care.
And Ethan sat down between them like he had always belonged there.
Looking back now…
That was the moment the story really started.
I didn’t know it yet.
But I had just put four very complicated people in the same place.
And none of us were ready for what that would turn into.