My Friend Aaron

A man reconnects with his childhood friend Aaron at a pub, only to awkwardly flee when he discovers Aaron working as a bartender—a moment of shame that resurfaces the narrator's complicated feelings about their friendship. Despite Aaron's brilliant mind and early heroism in defending the narrator from bullies, Aaron's addictive personality and lack of academic focus left him behind while their peers pursued successful careers in finance. The narrator reflects on how Aaron's addictive nature, combined with his newfound access to unregulated prediction markets, positions him to finally find a domain where his personality traits might actually succeed.