Chapter 32 Using You

• Aiden and I settle into the couch, the box of pizza on the table in front of us and a plate propped on each of our laps. Unfortunately, it was very easy to find the interview, so there was no way to pretend that I couldn’t find it. It has been released on several streaming platforms already.
• I’m not able to think of a reason to delay watching it anymore. I press play on the interview. As soon as the sound of the triumphant theme song for the talk show begins, I fix my eyes on the floor. I can’t bear to watch a single moment. I wish I could plug my ears without drawing too much attention to myself.
• As the video seems to crawl by, I notice a slight tension in Aiden’s shoulders. I catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. He’s stopped eating his pizza entirely. He has an unhappy set to his mouth that I’ve come to identify as a bad sign. Oh no. He’s upset, I realize numbly. Anxiety begins to gnaw at my nerves. I try to push aside my unease and just keep eating.