Chapter 28
The Group Chat
Andrew
Cynthia: Campout this weekend, who is going?
Gary: I think everyone mentioned coming except Aubrey.
Eli: Aubrey, why aren't you going?
Aubrey: Because.
Aubrey: I’m done dealing with you.
Eli: Oh, you're still mad because I gave you a taste of your own medicine. Got it.
Todd: Oh come on, Aubrey, don’t let Eli being an asshole ruin the campout.
Aubrey: You don’t want me there either, Todd. All you care about is Wayne.
Todd: Not true.
Aubrey: True. You didn’t even hang out with me at all last time. You spent the whole time with Wayne, and then Eli followed me around annoying the shit out of me all night.
Frank: Can we take this argument to direct so the rest of us don’t have to deal with the drama again?
Eli: Aww, the poor little attention whore isn’t getting enough attention? Oh no!
Eli: Not my fault Aubrey can’t take a fucking joke. He’s always doing it to me, why can’t I do it back?
Aubrey: Quelque chose ne va pas chez toi.
Todd: That was French. You’re drunk, aren’t you?
Aubrey: Je t'en veux.
Todd: Come on, Aubrey. Please come to the campout.
Gary: Excuse me?! We don’t talk to each other this way!
Gary: Eli and Aubrey, cut it out.
Aubrey: I didn’t do anything!
Eli: Maybe if Aubrey could land a boyfriend instead of a man of the hour, he wouldn’t be so butthurt.
Eli: But no one can stand him longer than two club songs and fifteen minutes in the bathroom.
Cynthia: Eli.
Eli: I mean, hell, even his best friend won’t hang with him.
Todd: Stop it, you jackass.
Aubrey: He’s right.
Todd: Aubrey, shut up. Come to the campout please.
Aubrey: You’re right, Eli. I suck.
Eli: Yeah, I know, apparently you suck a lot of things.
Aubrey has left the group chat.
Cynthia: Omg!
Wayne: What the fucking hell, Eli.
Eli: He’s being dramatic.
Vince: No, that was too far.
Gary: You all are making me sad today. Leave Aubrey alone. Please don’t everyone try to call him right now. I’ll talk to him.
Frank: Thanks for taking this to direct instead of blowing up my phone with drama this morning.
Eli: He’s not answering any of my calls.
Todd: Why the hell are you calling him, you jackass? Of course he won’t talk to you. Leave Aubrey alone!
Since being added to the group chat, it had mostly been a source of endless humor for me. It seemed like everyone used it for one thing or another... messing around, telling jokes, or occasionally dropping major life updates.
I didn't text much myself, so I wasn't always participating, but I kept up. So when Aubrey left the chat, I wasn't surprised. Whatever was going on with Eli had been escalating for a while now, even before I was added to the group.
Ignoring Gary's earlier plea not to bother Aubrey, I called him anyway. If I knew this group, probably everyone had already called him at least once... Gary's attempts to mother us all never seemed to work.
"Hi, Andrew."
His voice was scratchy, and I froze in surprise--he'd actually answered.
"Aubrey... You okay?"
"Not really. Nothing's been working out for me lately, and I'm kind of just over it."
"You're going to have to catch me up because, honestly, I'm a little lost here."
I heard him take a deep breath, his silence stretching long enough to make me worry. "I don't even know where to start," he admitted, his voice low.
"How about..." I hesitated, unsure how sensitive the topic was. "What's up with Eli?"
He let out a dry laugh. "Eli? That's always been like that. It's not new."
"Can I ask why?"
The line went quiet again, so much so that I checked my phone to make sure he hadn't hung up.
"Sorry," Aubrey said eventually. "I was thinking." He laughed again, this time lighter, almost incredulous. "I can't even remember!"
"What do you mean you can't remember?"
"So, Eli's actually Wayne's friend originally," he began, his tone shifting to something more conversational.
"They met when Wayne took his truck to Eli's auto repair shop.
They hit it off, and Eli started coming to the camp parties.
Then he got close to the rest of us, added to the group chat.
But Todd hated Eli from day one... at least, that's how I remember it.
Then Todd started poking fun at Eli, Eli poked back, and I joined in because, well, Todd's my best friend.
I was just standing up for him... Then Eli started coming after me, too.
Now it's like we're always at each other's throats. "
I paused, considering the dynamic. "Aubrey, honestly...? I thought maybe he had a crush on you or something."
A big laugh erupted on the other end of the line. "You're killing me, Andrew. You're seriously making me feel better right now."
I grinned. "So, you don't think so...?"
"Hell no! I have never, ever, been hated by someone as much as Eli hates me.
He's done and said some of the most horrible things, and it's been like this for ten years!
He just picks on me more now because Todd and Wayne are always together.
They're attached at the hip, so Eli and I are left to fend for ourselves.
Which apparently means trying to destroy each other. "
I hesitated. "He's worried, you know. He tried to call you."
"No, he didn't."
"He did."
Aubrey sighed, his voice softening. "If he's calling, it's just to yell at me for being offended. He doesn't actually care. But honestly? I don't care about Eli right now. I just want to be left alone. I have today off, the whole weekend off. I just want to marinate in my bed and disappear."
I recognized that tone... the defeated edge that hinted he was ready to retreat from everyone and everything. I'd been there, and I wasn't about to let him sink into it.
"Aubrey, I know this sucks, but I think you should come to the campout. Right now, you want to curl into a ball, but you need to surround yourself with people who care."
"Eli's going to tear me apart if I go..."
"I thought you didn't care about Eli?"
"Tu as raison... You're right," he said with a small laugh. "I guess I do. I guess I let him get to me more than I want to admit."
"If you come, I promise I'll make sure he leaves you alone."
He hesitated. "Fine. But if he doesn't, I'm leaving on the spot. And I'm sharing a tent with you. I'm not getting left alone."
"Deal. You'll have a good time, I promise." I paused, something clicking in my mind. "Hey, Aubrey... What's with the French?"
He laughed again. "Oh, sorry. I'm French Canadian originally. Grew up speaking it at home. It just kinda slips out, but... only when I'm hammered."
"Wait... Are you hammered right now?"
"Oh, I'm totally hammered."
The group chat becomes a source of endless humor for me. It seems everyone uses it for one thing or another—messing around, telling jokes, or occasionally dropping major life updates.
I don't text much myself, so I'm not always participating, but I keep up. So when Aubrey leaves the chat, I'm not surprised. Whatever's going on with Eli has been escalating for a while now, even before I'm added to the group.
Ignoring Gary's earlier plea not to bother Aubrey, I call him anyway. If I know this group, probably everyone has already called him at least once.
Gary's attempts to mother us all never seem to work.
"Hi, Andrew."
His voice is scratchy, and I freeze in surprise—he actually answers.
"Aubrey. You okay?"
"Not really. Nothing's been working out for me lately, and I'm kind of just over it."
"You're going to have to catch me up because, honestly, I'm a little lost here."
I hear him take a deep breath, his silence stretching long enough to make me worry. "I don't even know where to start," he admits, his voice low.
"How about..." I hesitate, unsure how sensitive the topic is. "What's up with Eli?"
He lets out a dry laugh. "Eli? He’s always been like that. It's not new."
"Can I ask why?"
The line goes quiet again, so much so that I check my phone to make sure he hasn't hung up.
"Sorry," Aubrey says eventually. "I was thinking." He laughs again, this time lighter, almost incredulous. "I can't remember."
"What do you mean you can't remember?"
"Well, Eli's actually Wayne's friend originally," he begins, his tone shifting to something more conversational.
"They met when Wayne took his truck to Eli's auto repair shop.
They hit it off, and so Eli starts coming to the camp parties.
Then he gets close to the rest of us, added to the group chat.
But Todd hates Eli from day one... at least, that's how I remember it.
Then Todd starts poking fun at Eli, Eli pokes back, and I join in because, well, Todd's my best friend.
I'm just standing up for him. Then Eli starts coming after me, more than anyone else.
Now it's like we're always at each other's throats. "
I pause, considering the dynamic. "Hey, Aubrey? This sounds immature, but hear me out. I think maybe he has a crush on you or something."
A big laugh erupts on the other end of the line.
I grin. "What, you don't think so?"
"No! I have never, ever been hated by someone as much as Eli hates me.
He's done and said some of the most horrible things.
Andrew, it's been like this for ten years! It’s been ten whole years since he started hanging out with us!
He just picks on me more now because Todd and Wayne are always together.
They're attached at the hip these days, so Eli and I are left to fend for ourselves.
Which apparently means trying to destroy each other. "
I hesitate. "He's worried, you know. He tried to call you."
"I know, like twelve times. I blocked him.
" Aubrey sighs, his voice softening. "If he's calling, it's just to yell at me for being offended.
He doesn't actually care. But honestly? I don't care about Eli right now.
I just want to be left alone. I have today off, the whole weekend off.
I just want to marinate in my bed and disappear. "
I recognize that tone... the defeated edge that hints he's ready to retreat from everyone and everything. I've been there, and I'm not about to let him sink into it.
"Aubrey, I know you’re hurt, but I think you should come to the campout. Right now, you want to curl into a ball, but you need to surround yourself with people who care."
"Eli's going to tear me apart if I go."
"I thought you didn't care about Eli?"
"You're right," he says with a small laugh. "I guess I do. I guess I let him get to me more than I want to admit."
"If you come, I promise I'll make sure he leaves you alone."
He hesitates. "Fine. But if he doesn't, I'm leaving on the spot. And I'm sharing a tent with you. I'm not getting left alone.Promets-moi."
"Deal. You'll have a good time, I promise." I pause, something clicking in my mind. "What's with the French?"
He laughs again. "Grew up speaking it at home. It just kinda slips out, but... only when I'm hammered."
"Are you hammered right now?"
"Oh. Yes. Yes, I am.”
Laughter spills between us, a fragile bridge across the distance, and the static tension of the line dissolves into something softer, more human.
Hours stretch and blur as voices weave through the silence, his confessions about his French Canadian grandfather unfurling like old photographs, while my own stories of mental health struggles find the light of day.
Aubrey's curiosity about Vince pricks at the edges of our conversation, his questions like gentle prods against a wound I'm not ready to expose. I brush them aside with the same practiced ease I use with Malia, insisting there's nothing to tell.
And just like with Malia, I feel the weight of his disbelief settling between us, unspoken but undeniable.