Did we trick ourselves?

The good old times

The last class on Fridays is the only class all 4 of us have together, English class. In the past we've almost always ended up hanging out after, but today both Ted and John have plans.

"Neither of you two have been boasting about conquests lately?", John asks with a curious tone.

Zack looks away, and I think I do the same. Or, since I know he looked away, then maybe I can't have done so?

"I just haven't felt up for it lately", I answer. "And I guess that if I ain't got the hard-on for someone, then he probably can't get it up for them either!"

As expected, Zack answers within a split second, he'd lever let such an insinuation slide!

"Pfft! YOU'RE THE ONE always trying to steal whatever girl I'm into!"

We bitch back and forth for a bit, competing over who's in the lead. It's reminding me of how we used to be.

I've missed this.

I've missed my friend.

John laughs at us, and shortly later Ted also joins the laughter.

Leaving the school behind us, we all split up in different directions.

I decide to enjoy the fresh air and take a walk.

Today felt a bit better. As if I was finally able to be me again.

I never even realized, but now that I'm feeling alive again – I realize that this feeling has been completely missing for a while now.

I stop outside the diner where Zack and I have eaten together so many times. Good old times. I smile to myself, remembering all the laughs and stupid jokes.

Suddenly I feel an arm over my shoulders.

"It's totally you that's following me!", Zack says.

"As if. I was here first!"

"I'm the one that found this place!", he says with a tone insisting that he got the final word and thereby won.

I push his arm off my shoulder and turn so we stand face to face instead. He's done that 70000 times, I don't know why it annoys me this exact time.

"Are you worried?" he asks and I look at him, trying to shield my eyes from the glaring bright sun.

"What about?"

"What you are? The risk of being captured and experimented on?"

"I wasn't. But thank you very much for those thoughts you fucking jerk!".

He laughs. "come on! My treat!", he says and nudges me towards the diner. It irritates me that he can just laugh and be all relaxed despite everything that has happened, while I'm stuck feeling like everything is spiraling out of control. 

I sigh and join him, this place has the best elder flower juice in town! How could I resist that?

We sit down at the usual table and Zack looks over at me. "Did you ever bring a girl here?" he asks.

"Hell no!"

He laughs again. "Neither did I", he says. It really isn't the type of place to bring a girl, especially not with the risk of old man Charlie saying the wrong things!

"It's kinda our place", Zack says. He's definitely right about that too.

Old man Charlie comes out of the kitchen to serve our food and then sits down with us.