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It was another long day for the ASBO five. Not that it was tiring it was boring. Simon, couldn’t be more glad to go home. Things had been rather awkward for him since Nathan “died” then rose from the dead as if he was Jesus fucking Christ, or Lazarus. But it wasn’t the crux of the problem. It was his fault Nathan died in the first place. Simon tried but he couldn’t….he was too weak to be the hero.
He sighed and took off his stupid orange jumpsuit and began changing into his regular clothing. Thank god, he began to feel normal. So close for freedom and then:
“BARRY MY BOY!” Nathan said walking over to Simon and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, “I thought you and me….can hang out and get shitfaced after all I can’t die now.”
Simon cringed a bit. Another reminder.
“I’m busy.” He simply said.
“Doing what pray tell?” Nathan said raising an eyebrow, “moping? I better see you up on the roof in fifteen minutes or I am going to find you!”
And in a flash Nathan was gone. Simon sighed….was going to have to show his face up there eventually….even if it was for five minutes.
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It was another beautiful night in Wertham. There was not a single cloud in the sky. From the roof of the community they could see the well lit city as it reflected on the water. Still Simon said not a word. He just sat and drank his beer. He didn’t know what he could say.
“Who died?” Nathan said finally getting annoyed at the silence, “aren’t you going to say something?”
Simon gulped a bit. What to say? What to say? He just waited for the first thing to come to mind.
“What was it like?” He just simply said.
“What was what like?”
“Being dead?”
The was a long and awkward pause. Of course…..Simon had to say something to freak Nathan out as usual. He gripped his bottle and tensed up a bit. His legs were telling him to get up and run but his body was frozen, ass literally glued to his seat. The silence was finally broken when Nathan let out his long and loud laugh. Simon wouldn’t be surprised if people heard it across the water.
“You morbid mother fucker,” Nathan said waving his bottle in the air, “that’s all you want to know what was it like being dead!”
It was enough. Simon got used to Nathan’s jokes by now….but this one wouldn’t fly. Simon had agonized over what happened. He stood on his feet and began walking towards the door.
“FUCK YOU!” He simply said.
He was so close, so close to freedom when Nathan grabbed his wrist and spun him around to face him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Nathan growled.
Don’t cry, Simon thought, don’t you fucking cry! But his body was betraying him. His eyes were brimming with tears that shined in the in the moonlight.
“What’s wrong...WHAT’S WRONG! I could have saved you from falling off that roof and dying but I failed…..I failed…..fuck you are my best friend….I can’t believe I am saying this but you are….and I can’t believe I just let you die.”
Simon looked over at Nathan. He was blinking wildily. But he saw it too Nathan, usually so mighty and so brave who never let words affect him in any way was fighting back tears.
“Ah shit Barry…” Nathan’s voice was cracking.
He looked around from left to right, he was waiting to see if someone he knew could be hiding somewhere...ready to catch him at a weak spot. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, there was not a single person on that roof just, the two of them. Finally he pulled Simon in for a hug. Both boys cried together letting out all the tension from the past couple of days out into the night.
“If you tell anyone about this I’ll kick your ass,” Nathan said between his sobs.
Simon made a laugh which sounded like something between a laugh and a cry.
“Don’t worry,” He said, “I won’t.”
Besides a special moment like this could only be shared between two good friends.