Heartbreak & Honeysuckle

-03- Where'd You Get The Nerve?

CHAPTER THREE

"Now suddenly you're asking for it back. Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve? Yeah, you could say you miss all that we had, but I don't really care how bad it hurts, when you broke me first."
~Tate McRae, 'you broke me first'

~~~

From the top of the roof, the singing of crickets floats through the air, being carried by the midnight wind. Mountainous trees shroud the lights from the street lamps below, although the moon betrays the shadow's confidence as it shines down. The moonlight reflects off August's tear-soaked cheeks, making his skin glow.

The rooftop creaks, causing August to flinch and look behind him. Griffin, with his long hair pulled back to showcase the genuine concern on his face, crawls through his bedroom window and onto the roof.

The dark-haired boy scoots forward until he's hip-to-hip with his best friend. August pulls his knees to his chest, tightly wrapping his arms around himself.

Griffin doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to. The entire neighborhood probably heard the things August's dad had yelled at him, leading to the blonde running out of the house and going to the one place he knows he's safe: with Griffin.

Digging into his sweatshirt pocket, Griffin pulls out his iPod, unwrapping the wired earbuds. August doesn't even blink when Griffin places one of the earbuds in his left ear; he simply closes his eyes and takes in the music that begins to play.

Music has always been just one of those things for them. In times of crisis, or times of rejoicing, music is what carries the boys through it all.

The roof creaks when August shifts, resting his head on his best friend's shoulder. Neither of them say anything, letting the quiet atmosphere be occupied by music and crickets.

***

"Hello?" Griffin waves his hand in August's stunned face. "Earth to August? Guau, you're really pale. Well, paler than usual."

That snaps August out of his shocked daze. "I'm sorry, I hallucinated for a second there. What did you just say?"

"That you're pale? I know you burn easily but you should still try to get some more sunshine—"

"Not that," August interjects. "The thing you said before."

Griffin's expression softens. "I meant what I said. I want to fix things between us, if I can."

"If you can," August repeats blankly. "And... that's something you think you're capable of doing? Really? You?"

Shrugging, Griffin says, "I think so. We've been friends for... geez, just under two decades. Friendships like ours don't just end that easily. You were like a brother to me."

Yeah, a brother that you used to screw around with when no one was looking, August wants to say.

"We were friends for two decades," August says instead. "But we haven't been for three years. My life has moved on without you in it. I have enough friends — friends who were actually there for me when my mom died."

The expression on Griffin's face darkens, and he takes a step closer to August. Swallowing thickly, August forces himself to not take a step backwards, but being this close to Griffin is making his head spin a little.