The Citizen Soldier (DNF)

14) Leave A Message At the Beep

*Skeppy POV*

I had no clue what was going on in the conversation that was taking place around me, I was barely even tuned in until I heard Bandana Boy ask "Who's Clay?"

"Hmm? I know Clay." I supplied.

Bandanna Boy looked at me. "And how would you know a random contact on George's phone?" He asked it like a kindergarten teacher would ask it.

"Well I do live near him. I work at a nearby convenience store. We hang out sometimes. I think that I know him. Maybe not well, but..." I put my hands in my hoodie pouch and shrugged. "I still know him. Have his number, need me to call? That screen looks like it holds the souls of the innocent." I grabbed it gently.

The screen was quite cracked. I wondered why this George fellow kept it. Bible Boy spoke next.

"Well, I mean it would be nice."

The Muffin Man piped up with enthusiasm, as he did. "Oh! We should get your number just in case. We can set up a rescue team!" He was practically jumping up and down in excitement with the biggest smile I had ever seen, also the brightest. It made me smile back.

I would have handed handed the Muffin Man my phone, but I remembered now that I didn't have it on me. I knew that his name was Bad, but it was nice to call him Muffin Man in my head, like a little label, a pet name of sorts. Damn, something is wrong with me.

I put my number in his phone and he immediately shot me a text.

Hello! UwU

I thought that it looked cute. I booped his nose. "Hello to you too!" He giggled and grabbed my wrist, manipulating the action into a hug, which I found impressive on my part. He was taller than me by only a few centimeters and I laughed awkwardly into his chest. His skin felt warm underneath my fingers despite the cold of autumn. I liked that.

Stop it Skep brain! Stop it!

He ran a hand through my hair and just held it. I didn't know what to do in the situation. Did I pull away? Did he want me to stay? What the hell was going on???

I coughed. "So... ah..." I pulled away from the hug quite awkwardly. I brushed my shirt off, a strange habit I developed when I was about six and have since given up on breaking. I hoped that it didn't look too terribly rude. I didn't know what to say next, which also made it obvious that I just used an excuse.

I blushed. Who does that? "Um, so what do we do now?" I coughed into my palm again,  burning bright red like a beacon of embarrassment. Bible Boy, the booyfriend, spoke first. "Well if we have another contact for George maybe they might know where he is..."

I spoke up again. "He uses he/him pronouns actually." The Bible Boy nodded.

"He might know." He confirmed it to himself.

"He's normally up at this time. It's one thing I like about him, insomniac friendly." It was a half-joke. I did have insomnia and Clay was usually up, but i didn't want to worry anyone, especially the Muffin Man, who seemed to worry really easily. It didn't work though and the Muffin Man looked a tad upset but didn't say anything.

We don't even know each other and he's worrying over me like an overworked mother.

I found it sweet for some strange reason. I shook my head, pulling up the contact again. Trying to shake thoughts on an instant crush is difficult. Why in the world was he an instant crush anyway? I mean, I know I fall too easily, but this was a little fast, even for me.

"Do I need to call? Can I please get an answer here?" I shook the phone in my hand. "I know for a fact that he doesn't normally fall asleep until like 1:15 at least, 3 AM at most." Bandanna Boy nodded.

"I doubt that he'll know, but sure, go ahead and call."

I pressed the call button and put it on speaker so that I wouldn't have to put the phone to my face. He didn't pick up and it rang 'till the voicemail, which I found strange. The voicemail started.

Hey, uh, this is Clay. If you're calling me right now uhm... this is awkward and I won't even be around to hear the stuff you say, if anything ha... well if you're a salesman, good luck trying to reach a dead man, if you're my sister, I'm really sorry. If you're my mother, I'm just as sorry and I'm so thankful to you for doing what you do best and protecting me, this family, and this nation. If you're Skeppy, know that this wasn't your fault at all, you aren't to blame for this choice, it's me. If this is Fundy, I don't know what else to say other than fuck you, I'm gone. If this is someone who got the wrong number, I'm sorry that you had to hear this. And lastly, if you're George, it's not your fault. I know that you tried, but I'm unsalvageable. Goodbye, this is my last message. My final words recorded for the world. Leave a message at the beep.

I stood there in shock, the phone slipped out of my grasp and I barely caught it again, cutting my palm open nor the broken and making it bleed a little. I didn't actually care at that moment. I held the thing to my chest and took a shaky breath. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that..." I bored holes into a nearby tree with my eyes. I glanced for a split second at the Muffin Man and he was crying and hugging himself.

I instantly felt the need to hug him. I passed the phone off to Bible Boy, who looked irked that I was giving him the thing. I crushed bad in a hug, starting to cry myself. Crying into his crop topped hoodie felt like a nice release of emotion and I hugged him tighter as I sobbed. He hugged me back and put his chin over my shoulder, pressing his neck against mine and deepening the hug.

Clay, the bright, inspirational wonderful pan man that came to my humble corner store of all places, the man that I knew better than many people he knew, and the man that knew me probably better than my own mother, was dead now. Life became too much a burden.

Bandanna Boy tapped his foot against the ground rapidly and jumped, which startled me a bit. I didn't break the hug but I did jump a bit. "I think I know what happened! We have to leave now, everyone to my car, I'll explain it the way!" He started running in our direction and when I saw him pass me I broke the hug, grabbing Bad's hand and ran after him. He was startled too, but he went with it and trailed me.

Bible Boy was catching up to us and before long we were all piling into the seats of his car. I was panting, I didn't normally have this much physical activity, but I seemed like the only one here. Bad kept holding my hand and rubbing the back of it in a similar way to how Ammon did. It was very calming. He was still wiping tears from his eyes, and honestly so was I, but that's to be expected when you hear a suicide note read out.

Bandanna Boy started to explain while driving at breakneck speeds down the streets.

"George is someone that I call 'The Citizen Soldier', because he lives in his car next to a bridge and keeps people from jumping off of it. If I'm not mistaken, Clay must have gone back to that bridge, George ran after him, and he either got pulled in with him or he fell. All I can do is pray that they're both okay, but what's more likely is that we at least give them both a proper burial."

We didn't talk the rest of the car ride; the news weighed heavy on all of our minds.