Snow prompted for an Emergency meeting with the guys. An Emergency meeting meant that something was going on, and she needed her friends to help her out here because she's stuck on her own. She was in distressed thinking, and turned to them reliant, as she stared at them for possibly too long.

They circled together at the library at a table during their free time when she texted Kyle and Malloy the next day with the words ASAP. After what happened with Casey, she couldn't go through this alone without some talk.

"Could you stop staring at us and give us context now?" Kyle said, his eyes waiting.

"Right...," Snow said sheepishly and shook her head, sighing. "So yesterday, me and Casey were just having a normal time picking out flower petals and expressing our inner thoughts, and towards the end, he said he misses his old girlfriend and left right after that."

"I remember that time I caught you picking flower petals. You're going on about it again?" Malloy looked at her, questioning.

"No, that was, that was just something else. So what do you guys think I should do? How can I make him... a little bit more loosen up around me so that relationship between us can get better?" she asked.

Snow knew it wasn't his fault, but it was going to be difficult to judge him fairly if he was grieving around her. She needed to boost his mood, or at least diminishing that hurt from him.

"Anything?" she said, hoping.

"Is that dude really hard to deal with?" Kyle said with a curious brow raised.

"Well," Snow began, her voice faltering. One of the rare moments when he was nice to her was when they played at the arcade together. Casey was playful and even considerate. She would like to see more sides of him like that, or even when she found out that he like something, taking her away by surprise. "He's okay for the most part, but I can't seem to get him to talk to me more casually."

"I want to just..." she gestured with each of her hands pushing the air close to each other. "break down the walls there is between us."

"He's a tough guy, and he's pretty quiet," Malloy noted. "I just think you oughta give him more time. There's no telling when he might just let you in a bit more."

"I'm not trying to rush him or anything. I know it hasn't been long yet." She acknowledged that breakups are a long process until he could get better again for himself. According to what she googled, and she must admit it takes a long time to get over a breakup.

On average, it could be as long as two years. It's possible it could even be longer. Then again, the results may vary for each person.

"He doesn't share anything about his ex-girlfriend when you're with him?" Malloy asked.

Snow shook her head. "Nothing. What about you? Do you have anything new?"

"Yeah..." He made a questionable face. "He's as closed like a door shut."

It's going to be difficult to convince herself how to better their relationship and make them seem less like strangers and more like great partners they were supposed to be. She needed some kind of key to access his heart because that lock on him was very sturdy and strong.

The three of them sat there mutually with no thoughts and head empty, gathering ideas to no avail.

What would he have liked? What could be his cure to make everything better?

"Hey Snow, what did you have planned next?" Kyle asked, which made Snow took out her folded list.

"Uh...." she went down to the unchecked bullets. "I just put eating out somewhere."

Kyle placed his chin between the space of his index finger and thumb, staring off to space with a thinking face. He was getting to something, and after several seconds he snapped his fingers. "Why don't we take Casey out to bowling as we did with Malloy after he was dumped?" he suggested.

"You know what, that wouldn't be a bad idea." Malloy nodded.

Snow recalled back to the time when Malloy had been dumped. He first didn't react to it. How he went on was like his usual funny and weird self by cracking jokes, complaining about sweaty gym socks and shorts, and talking boisterously like the breakup didn't affect him.

When his ex-girlfriend passed by the hallway, he didn't look her way. He never mentioned anything about her and said these words, "I'm a free man."

He would be hitting it up with any girl he saw pretty, chatting with them, charming them with his bewitched looks, and receiving their numbers. But he never texted any of them.

The aftermath caught up to him eventually, and he crashed at his lowest.

Snow and Kyle came over to his house one day; his room was all disastrous, and clothes piled up all over the floor. His mother had nagged him to clean it up, but he yelled at her to leave him alone. Malloy played one of those online multiplayer games where all the players talked over to each other with their headphone set on. He smashed his keyboard as his face contorted with rage.

When he gets angry, he curses like an angry truck driver.

She shut off the power to his computer because he wouldn't listen to them when the two struggled getting his full attention. He didn't like that, but they knew it was for his own good. 

It took convincing until he had calmed down and slowly opened up about his mental health. He never liked being the center of attention when it came to his own feelings and was always the first one to shut them down.

They took him out to bowling as a way to get him out of the house and to take his frustration out as a healthy kind of alternative. And also food. 

With Malloy, it was a different process for him to heal than with Casey. Their attitudes were very dissimilar.

"Do you think he would like that?" Snow said hesitantly, flicking her gaze at them.

"What guy would turn down bowling?" Malloy grinned at her, particularly cheeky.

"You think?"

"Once he gets the feeling of knocking down pins, he's gonna cheer up. I know," he said, pounding a hand to his chest.

"I'll take your word on that then," she said. If that was true, she would need to thank him for it.

Snow wouldn't know how to get through this if she was going through this on her own. She was relieved to have them around, even if they can be a bit eccentric. Through their shares of the sometimes unpredictable journey, they were just there.

Just then, an idea hit her. "Hey, I feel weird going on the next meetup by myself." It was just that her presence alone may not help anything, and she was uncertain if she could get through Casey better. "Do you think that maybe you guys could come along too?"

A crowd of four didn't sound bad to her. Casey would need some friends around to make things a little less awkward.

"Won't we just be getting in the way of you guys?" Kyle questioned, and she could tell he wanted to respect whatever she and Casey had between them.

She shook her head. "I think it's actually a good idea. When we were all there for Malloy, I know he really needed us, and maybe I think we should do that for Casey."

"When you put it that way," he said thoughtfully, "I think we could do that."

"Does that mean it's us to the rescue?" Malloy asked, shooting fingers at her as he spouted out the 'pew pew' sounds like lasers coming out.

"Please," Snow said urgently. She was requesting their presence and knew they could do something about this.

Even if she had to foil the relationship plan by inviting both of them along, it didn't matter. She could think of this way: Friends help and support each other the same way a couple does in their relationship. If this could make him less down in the dumps, then this was exactly what she was going to do.

This is for him.

"I think if it were me, I would want you guys around to be there for me," she reasoned. Right guys?

She was losing hope in herself, not knowing where to go from there. Her experience with past guys wasn't anything useful, and these two were as close as she could get to solve guy problems. There's something about a way that boy friendships could go right, and if they were there, they could say something to him that she might not have.

"Done deal." Malloy slapped his palm on the table. "He really could lighten up a bit."

"I knew I could count on you two." Her face lightened as Snow felt her chest satiated with less shakiness. The universe had made sense instantly.

"We don't know what much we could do, but we'll give it a shot," Kyle said, and that was more than enough for her.

"Thanks, you two being there is just enough." She sighed a deep breath of relief.

Kyle got up from his chair, moving slowly around the table as he stopped in front of her. "What are you doing?" Snow asked, glancing up at him.

"Come here. You could use it." He stretched out his arms, inviting her in for a hug.

A second later, a short smile appeared on her lips. "Yeah, I could," she admitted it. Snow stood and took in his hug as his arms made its way to her back. 

He was gentle with her, and she held onto him with the same grasp. She pressed her face onto his shoulder, finding comfort in it and the fabric of his gray sweatshirt. He was that type of person to be a giver and liked to be the first to offer a touch of comfort. His hugs were similarly just like a soft polar bear kind of hug, the hugs that look out for you.

It was better than a few seconds hug because those kinds of hugs were not enough and it doesn't truly touch another person because they pass too quickly.

"Hey, I can do one too," Malloy protested. He was right there when she looked back.

"Of course," she said to him and transferred her arms over to Malloy where his arms squeezed her tighter than with Kyle.

He had that firm grip, and it displayed how protective he was with her with his arms strong. His hug made her feel in a way he wanted you to feel it, a touch of realness and presence. His hand went up and made rhythmic circles on her hair, adding a pat to it as well.

Hugs are nice from guys who care.

❥

When Friday rolled by, Snow anticipated what was coming next for them. Kyle and Malloy sat up on the front while Casey and her were at the back. Kyle was driving in his car on the way to the bowling place.

Snow dressed casually in a sandy beige crop sweatshirt and a pair of light jeans with ripped holes above her knees. She turned to Casey with a bashful smile, but he was just looking out the window with his arm leaning against the car door.

I should tell the guys, she thought this, touching the shoulders of the headrest and leaning forward.

"Do something," Snow whispered to them.

Kyle nodded and changed the radio station until some pop music played out. The pop song was reaching the end, and so the next one came on.

The dance beat started the beginning, and with one hand, Kyle patted his lap. "Take a seat," he began, singing with the singer, "right over there, sat on the stairs. Stay or leave, the cabinets are bare and I'm unaware."

"Of just how we got into this mess, got so aggressive. I know we meant all good intentions," Malloy sang, following along next.

Snow nodded her head to the song and then took her turn, catching onto their plan. She sang, "So pull me closer. Why don't you pull me close? Why don't you come on over? I can't just let you go."

Then the three belted out together. "Oh baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle? I'm losing my mind just a little. So why don't you just meet me in the middle?"

Casey now paid attention to the change of the atmosphere as they were singing, and he was just gazing at them, confused.

They didn't stop and still sing along to the song. From what he could tell, the other drivers nearby was sending them funny glances.

"Come on Casey, sing along with us!" Malloy shouted.

Kyle pushed his heel to the brake when the red light signaled and he stopped behind another car. He looked back at Casey. "Well? This wouldn't be fun if you're not car karaoking with us."

"It's Friday night. What do you have to wait for? Make it worthwhile, let loose. You know this is a catchy song. You can't just not sing it," Malloy roared, overstating his case as he squeezed the air dramatically.

"Like really, how could you not?" Kyle said with a shrug on a shoulder, presenting a hand to the side.

They all stared at him anticipatingly, their eyes just waiting on something, waiting on him. Until finally, Casey caved with his head shaking. "Okay," he said.

"Yesss," Kyle said, turning back to the front of the car.

"Yesss!" Malloy pumped his fist to the air.

"Yes," Snow murmured softly.

Picking up the lyrics from where the song progressed, Casey's voice joined the group. "Oh baby, why don't you just meet me in the middle? I'm losing my mind just a little. So why don't you just meet me in the middle?"

His voice was at first just there. They could hear him, and as each second passed, it grew louder and fell into the combustion of energetic voice.

And they happened to sing along to a few more songs along the way.

Once they arrived at the bowling place and then walked in, the spectacle before them was large and capacious. People filled up columns of these bowling lanes, and the sounds of bowling balls rolling on the shiny floorings and pins knocked out brimmed the place noticeably.

It wasn't a large crowd tonight, but it was busy enough.

"Wow," Snow said, slapping her palms together as she absorbed the sight. "Look at that."

"Amazing, huh? Can't wait to play some rounds," Kyle commented.

"How many games do you guys want?" Malloy asked as they walked up to the front person counter.

"Just enough games to last a while," Kyle answered.

"Would you like that too, man?" Malloy looked to Casey.

"I'll roll with that," Casey replied.

They reached the counter guy who appeared to be in his early thirties, and he had a mustache. He folded his hands on top of the counter and faced them with a slight smile. "Hello guys," he greeted them.

"We would like to play a few sessions," Malloy spoke up.

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

Happy Friday! I was originally going to have them do bowling in this chapter, which is why it would be fun, but instead, I think it's more needed to add some details and also good tips? Anyway, I guess it will be moved to the next chapter, and then you can see what goes down. If you count car karaoking fun, then that's all good to consider too!

So maybe you might see the moments of four sometimes because friendship rules, aha.

Please vote and comment as it means the world to me!