The beggining and the end

Part title

Jose POV

After that whole mess up at the music room, Kaylin and I decide to head out to the schools major dumpster at the back of the school.

Now typically, you'd never think that a person who goes to this school would hang around the back alley. But there's almost an entire community of people there. The outcasts.

These people prefer to be alone, with their drugs and alcohol. They honestly give no fucks when it comes to school. Sleeping during classes, not caring about detentions and many other fucked up things.

Now most of my friends are either athletes or nerds (like Kaylin) so I honestly never interact with these people. They just never speak. And when you try to interact, they just flick you off or curse repeatedly. And I never would imagine I'd be here, or Kaylin would be here either.

But it's for Michael.

Now most people would me extremely confused on why we would be here, but there's a great reason for it.

Our old friend David was here.

Although Mike knew Kaylin first, I knew David before him. In fact, he was my first friend and my 1st grade best friend. Eventually we all grouped up around third and became a group of friends.

Back in elem school, David was the definition of extroverted. Happy, nice, hilarious, outgoing, and overall awesome. He got along really nicely with everyone, and had a normal life.

Then came 6th grade.

He got cut of the basketball team, lost interest in music and gaming, and began to lose his social life. He found a new world with drugs and alcohol and a new group of friends. Fast forward to halfway through 6th grade, and David is not recognizable.

He's also flunking school, but don't even get me started on that. He probably ditches school every couple days or so.

Heck, he even got into a fistfight with Mike once. Mike was just playing around, but David got extremely emotional and decided to punch him. Mike tried to call peace, but David wouldn't stop. However, Mike, being the starting Center, has build up some decent muscle and was able to knock him out cold.

The only detention Mike has ever gotten. EVER.

That whole situation makes me scared. Right before going, Kaylin tells me that she wants to stay back due to the awful smell and see if she can talk to Mike.

I need to convince David that he can help Mike. For a while, they knew everything about each other. They were each other's wingmen.

It's time to see if I can get him back.

So I head in alongside a curve and I immediately see a couple of kids alongside a wall. They were drinking they're beers and talking really silently. I turn the other side of the dumpster and I find David sitting down, just smoking a blunt with a slip next to him. Probably the detention slip from this morning.

"Um David, can I have a word with you?"

He stays right there, with his eyes completely cold and stunned.

"David, can I please speak with you?"

(Points out the middle finger) "Fuck off Jose. I don't want to talk to you."

"Really dude? Just give me a shot. I need to tell you something about -

"Let me fucking guess, Michael?"

"Yeah. Dudes going through a lot right now."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Your the one person who can help Mike. You knew everything about him. You helped him through depression back in 5th and now we he needs your help. Come help us talk to him."

"Why the fuck would I do that? I don't talk to losers like Mike anymore. And who's we?"

"Back in 5th you were essentially his brother and Yessenias boyfriend. I know your still in there bro. And the other person in this is Kaylin Lara."

"Oh great, I have to come upfront with both of those whores? What can I do? Please, just answer this stupid question."

"I need you to convince Yesse on letting us talk to Mike. And this time around, your part of the 'us'."

"Are you fucking joking! There's no way in hell I'm talking to either of you! What's up with Mike?"

"The guy is going through some mixed up emotions, and we can't talk to him. We need you, he needs you! Plus, I want to see you go back to your original form. The normal David."

"So you actually think Yesse is going to allow me to even enter? Plus, this is the new David. Like it or not, you can blow me if you don't."

"Your our best hope. Dude, I know that you truly don't like this. Nobody likes seeing you like this. Doing stupid shit, forgetting about your friends and schoolwork, and not being there for others. Dude. Your still my brother. I want to help you. But helping Mike is going to help both of us, Yesse, Kaylin, and most importantly right now, Mike. The real David isn't fucking gone. Please help me dude."

"How can I even change? This is my new motherfucking life style! I don't care about silly things like homework, class, school, and even-

"Don't you fucking dare say 'friends'. You used to be one of the most popular kids back in 5th because of your attitude. You made math homework fun when I couldn't even be convinced school meant shit. Kaylin and Yesse still care about you! Mike and you used to be brothers! We can help you. Cmon bro. Don't give that 'I don't care' bullshit.

"Wow. Never thought you would've said that.... I kinda miss my old self too. But a life or crime and trouble will always come back to bite you in the ass. I can't let this go."

"Yes you fucking can! Dude we all believe in you! We need your help and you need ours! Please, just get up and join me and Kaylin! We need to help Mike. This is one of the hardest times he ever been in!"

"Let's go."

So David finally gets up, drops the blunt, and dusts himself off.

I reach for a high five.

It takes him a while to notice, but he slowly completes it.

I haven't been able to do that with him for almost 2 years.