The Religious & The Damaged

39

Couple months later...

Elias

  I walk alongside Nick as we walk to school—the winter air stinging my skin as I tuck my hands deep into my coat pockets.

  "Remind me why we couldn't take the bus?" Nick asks.

  I look over at him briefly—my expression serious.

  He hums. "Ah, right. How could I forget? You're avoiding Joseph still."

  "You're the one that told me to let him go, and it's hard to see him everyday enough."

  He pats me on the back, a light laugh escaping him as he says, "I'm just giving you shit, man." I don't respond. "He's rarely at school anymore, anyway."

  Joseph has been skipping school a lot, and I know his dad has something to do with it, it's obvious.

  But I told myself I wouldn't get involved anymore.

  I still worry and I still care, but he doesn't want me to get involved.

  "I can't do much for him anymore." I say.

  "Wow."

  I look over at him. "What?"

  "Nothing, I just never thought I'd hear you say that."

  I look in front of me as we walk into the school, and I unzip my coat.

  I don't say anything to that because I frankly don't know how to, and he already knows how I feel—I'm tired and I miss him, and I hate that I miss him.

  He doesn't care about me anymore, and I hate that I still care.

  It's been two months and none of my love and care for him has left, and I hate it.

  Nick already knows all that because he cares.

  I don't have to try.

  I close my locker and follow Nick down the hall. I push my way through some kids and he pushes open a door to an empty stairwell, which is rarely used, and Spencer and Joey look over from the window—it's too cold to sit outside like we usually do, so we have been using this stairwell to hang out before class.

  "No Kelsey?" Nick asks.

  "Nah, she's home sick again." Joey answers, and Nick takes the cigarette from them.

  "She's been sick a lot, hasn't she?" Nick questions, and Spencer shrugs.

  "Probably just the flu. I've had it at least twice already." He replies.

  Nick hands me the cigarette, and I take it.

  "You're the biggest baby when you're sick."

  Spencer scoffs at Nick. "Okay. That's rude."

  Nick laughs. I take a drag of the cigarette.