the cadence of part time poets

Chapter 55: Detach

Tommy, can you hear me?
Can you feel me near you?
Tommy, can you see me?
Can I help to cheer you?
Oooh, Tommy,
Tommy,
Tommy,
Tommy...

- "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" The Who, 1969

"HOLY FUCK, WE'RE SO LATE!"

Remus shot upright in bed. All around him, his friends awoke in varying states of distress. There was no time for any of them to wonder how Sirius and Mary had mysteriously changed spots—there was no time for anything. In some sick show of comradery, all of them had fallen asleep in one massive pile, and now they were late for their bus home.

"Fuck—fuck—fuck." James continued to curse as he flew off the bed, bouncing across the room to collect his trainers. It was his incessant internal clock that saved them, which meant there had to be at least one upside of having a morning person for a best friend.

"How much time do we have?" Lily demanded, all while rubbing her eyes, which were still red and puffy from the day before.

"Not much!" Peter answered, white-knuckling Lottie's alarm clock. "Has anyone seen my other shoe?!"

Still slightly dazed, Remus got up after Mary and immediately bungled it, tripping over the corner of Lottie's shag rug. He sprawled with a great 'omph!', knocking both his elbow and head sharply against the floorboards. While his ears rung, he became aware that someone was calling his name, but only snapped to when he come face-to-face with Sirius, who had bent over to help him up.

"C'mon, Moony. We don't have time for your theatrics, we're gonna miss the bus!"

Remus was a deer in headlights. His toes curled. His mouth dropped open. And then he remembered.

I like Sirius Black.

The thought crashed into him like a freight train. He wanted to flee—to find the deepest hole he could, crawl into it, and never come out again. Sirius looked so perfect, he couldn't take it! All sea-stone eyes and sleep-mussed hair and—

No! Bloody-fuck no! This is insane! Who thinks like this?!

Sirius was his friend—dammit! He didn't have the time or willpower for this. How had he even managed to fall back asleep? Was it sheer nerves? Had he simply passed out in shock instead?

"Moony? Earth to Moony!" Sirius grumbled, irritated that Remus had laid there like a dead fish rather than take his hand.

He's calling you, that cursed, sing-song voice said. Maybe snap out of it, hey?

"MOOOONY!"

"Okay!" Remus wheezed, grappling onto his arm and letting Sirius swing him back up to his feet. James and Peter were already outside, having left through the window while Remus was still having his internal melt-down. Sirius promptly followed them, before looking back at Remus with an odd look.

"Are you okay? You look more freaked out than usual."

"I'm fine," Remus grunted, not meeting his eye.

"Did you actually hit your head?"

"No! Now go on!"

Sirius looked him up and down once more before swinging his leg over the window ledge and gracefully dropping down onto the electrical box below. Stomach in knots, Remus hesitated. Would he be able to survive nine hours on a train like this?

"Fuck, my hair!" Mary wailed from behind. "Has anyone seen my sleeping bonnet?"

"You left it in the bathroom," shouted Lottie.