Discoveries

-Chapter 49: Later On-

-Zeke-

"Fate has a way of bringing things together, aye Zeke?" Kris whispered. "I mean, here we are, sitting on the same bench we first met in person on."

"It's been one hell of a year, alright," I replied.

"Yeah, but hey, we wouldn't have gotten through it if we hadn't had each other," Kris shrugged.

"Okay, now you're just being mushy with me," I teased while giving her a light shove.

She laughed as she pushed me back. "I'm serious, Red. It was tough for all of us, and you know it."

I nodded silently. Sometimes in the thick of it all, I guess I forgot we were just kids. We shouldn't have had to go through what we had.

"I'm just glad it's all over, to be honest," I said. "Seriously."

"As am I," Kris agreed.

"But I do admit," I sighed. "You helped me a lot."

Kris giggled.

"What?" I asked. "It's true."

"I know, I know," she said, regaining her composure. "It's just like you spent more time with Cassie towards the end. You know she leaves tomorrow, right?"

Cassie. Sometimes, it felt unreal when we were together. She had really opened up in the months after the incident with her mother. Her stutter never left her, though, but that never stopped her. We were all proud of how far she came. I was proud.

"'Cause my so-called best friend got a girl," I said in a feeble attempt to get back at her. "And yes, I'll be there to see her off."

"Don't lie, bitch," Kris jokingly snapped. "We know you have a thing for her."

I was in shock at what she just said.

"But you're right. I do have Jessie," Kris beamed.

Jessie had also gotten better in the way she talked. It was like night and day. No more were the days she'd try to get a reaction from me. Oh, how times have changed.

Kris slid me a can of soda.

"To a better new year," she said as she raised her can.

"To a better life," I said as I joined her.