I stopped in front of house that held at least seven windows, all the lights were on, and it was a pretty baby blue and a gold that showed richness. Grant sighed and took off the hoodie that was around his body and placed it on my lap.
He took off his seat belt and turned his head towards me. "What are you gonna do?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders, my eyes trained what's in front of me. "I'm not going to tell."
I nodded yet I was numb. My fingers felt numb, my head stopped working, and my heart felt like it stopped but I was thankful it was beating, just a bit slow. I wasn't calm, I was just numb.
I felt like this when I was drinking or having sex. Maybe both.
Grant placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and placed his other hand on my cheek. He forced to turn my head towards his and I was struck by his face. He wasn't pale anymore, he was red and dried tears were on his cheeks. He had a small smile on his face and he leaned his face close to mine.
I automatically closed my eyes and felt his warm lips on my cheek. I shivered under his touch. I fluttered my eyes opened and felt a small twitch on the corner of my lips. Grant flashed me a closed smile before he got out of the car and walked to the house. He stopped and turned around. Tears rolled down his face and shook his head before he ran inside the house.
I leaned my head on the steering wheel and sighed loudly. Another moment I had to deal with the rest of my life. Grant didn't look back because he wanted to show that he was crying, he looked because he was scared what happened today and he had to covered up a homicide with some fucked up lie.
"Hey, I'm going to be fine."
"But what about me, Mica? Will I be fine?" I whispered to myself.
I lifted up my head and started the car. I drove away from Grant's house and made it to my house. As I was driving, I noticed that I didn't need Grant's instructions anymore. He said I was a "natural driver". It felt weird coming from the person I hated and tried to take my girls away but at that moment, he was like any other person who wanted to go home and forget what happened. I wanted to forget what happened.
~~~~~~~
I found Curtis, Aggie, and Oakley in the kitchen. When I was going to speak, Aggie lifted her head up and she jumped out of her chair. She tackled me with a hug and I felt something warm on my shoulder. Oakley looked up and he tackled me in a hug too. Curtis watched us with blood shot eyes and he held a paper tightly that it crumbled in his hand.
"W-where were you?" Oakley stuttered. "E-everyone's been looking for you."
I shook my head and hugged them tightly. How was I going to tell them what I did? The cops were probably already at the cliff and Grant and I were home. They were definitely going to question why I was there with Grant and a dead body was in the river. But I didn't completely life about everything. I couldn't save him.
"Answer him!" Curtis screamed. Aggie cried harder and Oakley flinched. "Do you know how worried I was? They said you, Mica, and some other body disappeared when school ended? They said it was kidnapping because they saw-"
"Mica is dead," I said blankly.
Curtis stopped talking; his jaw dropped and his eyes were wide. Oakley gasped and moved out of my grip. He stared at me with his blue glassy eyes and ran out of the house. Curtis followed Oakley and I heard Oakley puking his guts out. Aggie sobbed and I could only do the thing that helped both of us. Cry along with her and hold her close.
Curtis walked back inside with Oakley leaning on him and I didn't dare say a word how Curtis was worrying more about Oakley than me. I didn't care if he did because Mica was dead and I was living, I was home, and Mica wasn't.
I felt Aggie being pulled away and I was left hugging myself. Curtis lifted my head up and the tears were like waterfalls, they kept coming and coming and I wanted nothing more than to tell them the horrible truth and forget about everything.
Curtis caught me before I could drop to my knees. I cried and screamed on his chest. I thought I never had to feel this feeling again, the feeling of your soul being ripped out, your heart squeezing so tightly, even your lungs are tight and begging for air. I almost wanted the numbness back because I rather feel nothing than feel something. But the numbness past and I was left with my heart being broken again. I was left without my other best friend because he thought he was a killer. Because he rather let me have Oakley and keep Oakley from danger.
"I'm here, Tate, I'm here," Curtis whispered in my ear.
A choked sob came out of me when I tried to speak.
Thank you for being there, dad.
~~~~~~
Curtis didn't call the cops after our little melt down. He thought that we all should get sleep because we had headaches. Aggie left with blood shot eyes and her face covered in snot. I couldn't comfort her because I was too much in pain.
I wanted to tell her that Mica thought you were annoying but I wished they got to know each other more so he wouldn't think she wasn't annoying after all. I never thought them to meet because with Mica, I was a party animal, yet with Aggie I was a bit more calm and showed her that I didn't give a fuck about most things. We could had lived together if Mica was still alive.
Oakley was sleeping in my bedroom. I didn't want him to see broken and how much I wasn't man right now. He'd seen enough with my sorry ass.
Curtis and I sat across from each other and Curtis was rubbing his temples as he stared at me. I, however, stared at him with blank eyes. It took me a while to stop crying because my heart wouldn't stop squeezing and the heinous image of Mica letting go was printed in my mind.
Curtis cleared his throat and knocked the table."Can you tell me what happened?"
I hesitated. My voice was probably shitty. "Where do you want me to start?"
Curtis' blue eyes flashed with shock and said, "There's more, isn't it?"
So much more.
"Mica and I kidnapped Grant. Mica wanted to push Grant off the Riders Journey cliff but I said no, death isn't the way. Then Mica got close to the cliff and stumbled back. I caught him before he could fall but he let go and I couldn't...he wanted to...he...I-" I stopped talking when my throat swell up. I was going to cry again.
"Why would Mica do that?" Curtis asked, shockingly.
"Grant and his friends buried Mica alive when Oakley and him went on a date. So Mica wanted to get revenge on Grant, and Mica thought he was a killer."
I had a feeling Curtis was going to ask why Mica thought he was a killer.
"Mica held a knife to my throat when I threatened to call the cops. I guess he thought if he killed me and Grant, he would become some killer."
"He tried to cut your throat, Tate!" Curtis yelled.
"But he didn't because we're best friends," I said softly.
Or were best friends.
Curtis's eyes softened and left his seat. He slung his arm around my shoulders and I leaned on his chest. "Now you know how Oakley felt when you said he was acting when his mother died. I comforted him not because he was son, but because I knew how he felt," Curtis said.
I looked at him in the eyes and I nodded. I definitely knew how Oakley felt. We weren't friends before but I knew what we had in common: both of our mothers and friend died.
"I'm sorry for everything I said," I apologized and hugged him. I didn't hate him, I never did, because it wasn't true hate. I only hated him because he didn't comfort me when mom died, when he wasn't a father, but he was trying and I didn't let him try. The least I could do was embrace him.
"How's Oakley?" I mumbled.
"Oh, he has a small cold. I gave him medicine and he'll be fine in the next few weeks."
I nodded and pulled away from Curtis. He flashed a smile before I walked out of the kitchen and into my bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and left my boxers on. I got inside the bed and laid next to Oakley. I pulled Oakley close to me and he moaned. I kissed his forehead, his forehead was hot and sweaty, and pulled the blanket close to us.
"Tate, I don't feel too well," Oakley moaned.
"I know, babe. Does your head hurt?" I asked.
"No but can you make me tea, please?"
I wanted nothing more than to sleep and never wake up but I had to take care of my boyfriend. I smiled. My boyfriend.
"Anything for you, boyfriend."
Oakley giggled and pecked me on my cheek. I smiled widely and got out of the bed. I walked out my room and I felt a lot better than I did before.
Your kisses are my way to happiness.