"An Unsettling Obsession"

As the evening wore on and the dinner plates were cleared, Leah and Nick decided to confront Judd about his strange behavior. They excused themselves from the table and pulled Judd aside, away from the warm glow of the dining room. Nick raised an eyebrow and asked, his voice low, "Dude, what's going on with you? You've been staring at Jay all dinner." Leah nodded in agreement, her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, it's kind of creeping us out. What's with the intense gaze?" Judd's eyes flickered towards his friends, but his attention was immediately drawn back to Jay, who was chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Birch in the living room. Judd's response was absent-minded, his voice barely above a whisper. "What are you talking about?" Leah and Nick exchanged a frustrated glance. They tried to steer Judd's attention back to them, but he seemed oblivious to their concerns. Nick tried again, his tone firmer. "Judd, focus. You're being really weird. What's going on with you and Jay?" Judd's eyes darted back to his friends, but his gaze was unfocused, as if he was seeing them but not really looking. Leah's voice was laced with concern. "Judd, snap out of it. You're scaring us." Judd's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a slightly dreamy quality. "I'm fine. I just...I don't know, I just really like having him here, okay?" Leah and Nick exchanged a worried glance. This wasn't the Judd they knew. He was usually confident and outgoing, not this distant, preoccupied version of himself. Nick tried to press the issue, but Judd's attention was already drifting back to Jay, who was laughing with Mr. and Mrs. Birch. As Leah and Nick gave up, Judd's eyes never left Jay's face. He was captivated by the boy's smile, the way his eyes sparkled in the light. It was as if Judd was under a spell, and Leah and Nick didn't know how to break it. They exchanged a concerned glance and backed away, leaving Judd to his fascination with Jay. In the living room, Jay was having a great time. He was chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Birch, laughing and joking with them. Judd watched, mesmerized, as Jay's face lit up with happiness. For a moment, Judd forgot about his friends, forgot about everything except the boy in front of him. As the evening drew to a close, Judd's gaze never wavered. He was lost in the depths of Jay's eyes, and he didn't know how to find his way back. Leah and Nick watched, concerned, as Judd's behavior became more and more erratic. They didn't know what was happening to their friend, but they knew they had to do something to snap him out of it.