rain pours and closet doors • River Phoenix

old friends

Weather enjoyed his company more then ever, they talked, and talked, and talked.

She asked him about the collage, he answered he hadn't thought about it.

He asked about her dad, she said he was okay now.

She asked about his child, he said they didn't want to know its sex till it was born.

He asked about that Polaroid on the table, and she answered she just found it.

"Would you want to take a picture of me?" He asked, sitting next to her in the white bed. The evening sun shinning through the silky curtains.

"Why?" Weather asked, reaching for the camera.

"Well, you never got around to drawing me. So why not take a picture instead?"

Weather thought about it.

"If only you'd do the same with me." She countered.

He smiled, and nodded.

"Ok, go stand by the wall." She shoed him.

He hopped off the bed and walked to the wall.

She couldn't stop smiling as she brought the camera to her eye, and took a shot of him.

The picture was black, she began to shake it.

As she did he took the camera from her, and guided her by her waist to stand where he had.

He didn't give her a second to smile, the picture was already taken.

She snickered.

"What?" He asked, shaking the Polaroid.

"You didn't even let me smile." She laughed.

He shrugged, looking at her.

He watched as her laughed made her dimple appear, the lovely dimple. And how her eyes screwed shut, and her teeth where showing. How her skin wasn't pale anymore, but much like his. It bothered him, he didn't like her being different from when she was younger. The only way to get that dumb thought out of his head was to drop the camera and the two pictures on the bed next to him, and take to large strands to meet her, and lock his lips with hers.

☂

Pumacat waited for the waiter to get to his table, he tapped his foot impatiently.

The new restaurant in town wasn't as good as his friends said it was. He said at a wood table outside on a porch.

A lock of blonde hair caught his eye, and he turned to look at the man approaching his table.

His mouth dropped.

"River!" He yelled. Jumping up from the table and running to collide with his old friend.

River wrapped his arms around his friend, he missed him.

"I have problems to talk to you about, like we did as kids." River said, walking to sit at the table.

Pumacat did the same.

"What is it, I'm listening." He leaned back in his chair.

"Well, you know how we stopped talking after two years?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Well, Mary and I engaged."

"No way!"

"Yeah,"

"What about that Weather chick?"

"I never told you but, she moved. But about a week and half ago she came back." River smiled.

"So what's the snitch? Does she have your kid or something?" Pumcat said, flipping his hair away.

"Oh no, it's just I left Mary."

"No way, for Weather?"

"Yes for Weather. I love her."

"Did Mary like, except that?"

"Yeah, which is the weird part. I thought she would put up a fight. But I guess she just saw it coming or something."

"Does she have the kid?"

River lost eye contact for a second, but looker back at him. He nodded.

"Wow, a lot can happen in three years, huh?" Pumacat laughs.

River laughs along, smiling.

"It's seems that your life is something of chaos. Do you want to grab a drink?" Pumacat starts to get up from his seat.

"Wait, I don't think I should go to a bar, while this kind of stuff is going on." River says, getting up with him.

"We're not going to go to a bar, we're going to a club!" Pumacat laughs.

River raised an eyebrow.

"Cmon, I know you want to." He said walking out of the restaurant.

River followed, "Okay fine, but I won't have any drinks or drugs."

"Gotcha papa." Pumacat winked.

"Don't call me that." River smiled, as they walked down the street.

"What? It's true." Pumacat laughed.

☂

The smell of alcohol filled his nostrils, the strobe lights blinded him, the loud music deft him.

The slowing of the dancing people around him, made his brain confused. The racing of his heart left his body frightened.

Out of a sudden, he couldn't breathe.

The air around him was gone, he took large breaths searching for oxygen. The tight space of body's moving around and humid air made him feel as if there wasn't going to be any air at all for him to breathe.

The only reasonable option fought through his blurred thoughts,

Get outside.

The idea was magnificent.

He shoved his way through the mass of people, searching frantically for a exit.

The over exhilaration of his body and the slowing of his brain, made the decision to escape the club almost undeniable.

River shoved open the door, the clear smell of fresh air filled his lungs. But the breath he yearned for was no where to be found.

His shaky body wasn't able to hold his slow movements much longer. He leaned against the brick wall, heaving for air.

The familiar face of Pumacat appeared next to him, he was saying things that River couldn't register.

He opened his mouth to tell him that he need to go to the hospital, that he needed air.

But before he could make a sound, the sudden clenching of his chest made ahim fall to the floor.

Pumacat sat there with him, holding his head in his hands. He was talking, but the words echoed into nothing.