Hate is just a word.

Mark

"Yeah Mark, it's Me, Eric." I sat into the phone.

"Wow! Jesus Crist! I haven't heard from you in years! How's it going?"

"Yeah Yeah. Great. Ummm... hey. Listen... I ... I really need a favour"

"...oh?"

"Mark! Please, just listen. My ... friend, Cam, he's got a really shit life and that and I really want to help him! Blah blah blah, un-necessary details! Umm, I'd like to take him to your families dinner theatre place but it's been booked for months now! Do you... think you could maybe get us a table"

"And this "friend" of yours, I'm presuming he's a little more than that? Perhaps your boyfriend?"

"Y... yes"

"Okay. Okay. Let me think about that for a second, umm, how about no!"

"Oh come on Mark! Don't be like that! Please? I'm sorry I hurt you! I'm sorry for everything! Please?"

"Hurt? Hurt? Eric! You did more than hurt me! You tore me apart! You broke my heart into a million pieces then burnt the remains! Now your asking me to do you a favour?! Why?! Why are you doing this to me?!"

That was when I snapped. "Because besides Cam your the only other human being that will stand still long enough for me to get out two words! My dad's dead now cause he's a drunken bastard and got himself killed in vegas! Cam has been sexually abused twice since he's been with me and probably countless times before that! I want to help him escape from his own life by bringing him here but I want to make it special and not just some offer! He's my everything Mark! I need him! If you won't help me, fine, I'll just find someone else!" I shouted at him down the phone, allowing my tears to spill over and run down my face.

"... ok"

"What?"

"I'll help you Eric. He really must be special for you to really care..."

And that was that.