train wreck // justin foley

55

"nothing fucking matters anymore. what's the point?"

"i'm sure there's some logical reason for things like this happening."

"no... i really don't think there is."

six months earlier...

ani came to the house and we began cleaning as analeia was asleep on justin's bed.

"it smells like an ass wore shoes in here." i told ani as we were cleaning the guys room for the surprise party we were throwing justin. "like, ass shoes on a dead animal." i said, putting the dishes in the sink. i turned to her. "hey, is clay alright?"

"yeah... yeah, he's fine. stellar." she told me, walking up to me.

"do you love him or are you just taking care of him?" i asked.

"don't we take care of the people we love?" ani asked me. "i mean, he's been going through a lot.

"so you haven't told him about oakland?" i asked.

"um, not yet. i was meant to tell him today, but we don't move until after christmas, so—"

"you've known for a week, and you knew once you told him, he'd go all clay cray." i said. "clay-zy" then i thought about it. "no, i like clay cray better."

"okay, no. look, honestly, i was going to tell him just now, but... well, he had to take care of something.

"what, something about justin?" i asked.

"no, no. all's good there. he's still due home at four, so breathe." ani told me.

analeia began moving around and slowly waking up.

"okay, i need to feed her and i will be right back." i told ani, picking her up.

"alright. i'll be here." she told me.

i walked back inside the house and upstairs to my room to begin feeding her.

from: tony padilla
Hey, where are you and the munchkin? I haven't gotten to spend much time with her.

to: tony padilla
in my room. come up. :)

a few minutes later, i heard a knock, them the door opening. he walked over to my bed and sat down.

"hey. i didn't realize she was eating." tony said.

"she woke up and was hungry." i told him.

"how old is she now?" he asked, touching her feet.

"two months on the third." i replied.

"she was born—"

"the night bryce died, yeah." i said, looking at him.

"then she must be—"

"she's not zach's. she's monty's." i confessed. "but fortunately for me, justin has stepped up being her dad. which is why she has his last name instead of monty's." i informed him. "but only clay, ani, zach, justin, monty, and now you, know."

"justin is her dad. he always will be." tony said, smiling.

"i miss you, so much." i said to him.

"i miss you too."

"we're on our final semester of high school, tone. isn't that crazy?" i asked. "after all the bullshit, we made it to the other side." i told him.

"i'm proud of us." he said, chuckling.