That day, his excuse to hang with me in the music room was an upcoming test. I’d thought the book was a prop, but, to my surprise, he actually sat down and started reading it when I picked up my bass. I wasn’t sure if it was because he really wanted to ace the test, or if he just found it really boring to listen to the same bass line repeated over and over again. I wouldn’t blame him if it was the latter, but then I had to wonder—why did he always come to visit me here at lunch when I spent three-quarters of it ignoring him to practice music?
Earlier in the book, Ollie describes Will as the type of person who catches on when something’s wrong, and tries to fix it. Here, we see an example of this as Will makes one of many excuses to spend time with Ollie in the music room while Ollie is processing his grief. Ollie has never communicated a need for company to Will, but as we see in an earlier scene, Ollie doesn’t want to be alone so much as he wants to be free to feel his emotions as they come, or to sit in silence without putting on fake-cheer. By making different excuses every day, and bringing in activities to keep himself occupied so Ollie doesn’t feel pressured to talk or engage, Will provides Ollie the expectation-free company and support he desperately needs, but hasn’t been able to express to his friends. Here, we get to see a glimpse of the Will Ollie fell in love with over the summer—the version of himself he’s able to be when he isn’t overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. Will’s love language is undoubtedly Acts of Service!
Iris and 34 other people liked this
