Four Months ( Graser10 and Stacyplays ) #wattys2016

Chapter Two

" And then when he got halfway down the hill I screamed and started to run, he was like coming straight for me on a freaking metal sled! "

I stared intensely as Zachary got to the peak of his story.

" Well, once you get to know me you'll know I'm not really the smartest person. I ran straight, as the sled was trailing behind me I ran in front of it to escape. Resulting in my broken ankle. So yeah that's how I got a broken ankle and why it makes a cracking sound. Crazy right? "

I simply nodded, paying for my coffee as he drug me outside, shuffling down the street.

" Why are you in Canada Stacy? " He questioned, finally stopping to walk with me.

" Like I told you yesterday, I'm a writer. And let me tell you I've toured every state. Desperately trying to get inspiration for a story, a pitch for a magnificent tale. And so they sent me from California to Canada. "

His eyes widened, " California?! Woah lucky girl! I've always wanted to go there. I heard it's awesome. "

I scoff, " It's pretty cool I guess. "

" Have you gotten any inspiration here? " He asked turning a corner on a street I didn't know.

" Eh, it's far and few between with me. " I sigh.

A few moments of silence brought me to a red brick house, and a grinning Zachary, signalling that this was most likely his house when he fumbled for the keys.

He finally got it and opened the door to reveal a cozy home, and letting out a black cat in the process.

" He comes back in the morning. " Explained as he pushed me into the house.

His house was what you'd expect for a guy of his age, cereal on the counters, pop cans lying about. Other than that his house was actually really nice.

Inside his bedroom was his computer, and atop the desk lay two Mac monitors, not to mention the insanely good programs he had.

Looking at pictures on the wall by ultimately blocking him out as he droned on about the time he almost choked on a pickle and died I realized he had a very close family.

He was always smiling, arms wrapped around someone with the most happiness you could ever see in his eyes. It wasn't like what my family portraits where, we always went to studios, these where homemade ones, as if they stopped everything just to take a small photo.

He finally noticed that I stopped and looked to the photo, " Ha, that's embarrasing. "

I stopped and raised an eyebrow to him, " Embarrasing? No no, I think it's wonderful you have such a good relationship with your family like this, I'm lucky if my parents would even be in the same room. "

After a moment of silence he decided it was to akward, so a subject change was in order.

" Wanna meet my cats?! "

He kept the stories going, keeping me interested with no end, dragging me outside while he carried it on, making it almost impossible to not want the end.

He asked me about my job, I told him the circumstances and his eyes lit up at the mention of California. It gave me a few hints to what this strange boy was all about.

Soon enough he brought me to his home, he adores his family, and his cats, there's three you know? Marley, Shadow, and Max, all have extraordinary personalities for just being cats.

" You don't mind me writing down some things do you Zachary? " I ask as we sit on wooden chairs facing twords the wilderness, a path just a few feet in front of us.

" Hey, everyone has to get inspiration from somewhere, why not keep track? "

" Smart. " I say as I scribble something down.

" Me? Smart? Pfft I wouldn't get any ideas from me, my brain rotted out a while ago. "

" Hmm? I'm not sure I really understand. "

It took a moment for him to process. It took a few seconds for him to blindly lead me down the path, hearing the leaves from last fall crunch beneath my weight as I tried to note the scenery.

He stopped at a tree with a bunch of bottles threw about, things carved within the wood, a bunch of plastic chairs long forgotten.

" We used to have fun, my friends and I. I felt welcome, I feel as though once we all graduated and moved on into regular life, they forgot about me. Nobody came to parties, nobody wanted to shoot the shit and drink illegally with me. " He ended with a chuckle.

" I still don't know why your brain is supposedly rotted out, you seem like a eccentric person you know? "

" It died when I decided that drinking was more important than family or friends, that the only way to cope was to slowly drain my loneliness was to drain the liquor bottles, in the same moment pushing those who wanted to help away. Granting me with even more loneliness. " He sighed, kicking a long forgotten bottle.

I tried to imagine him as an alcoholic, I really couldn't picture a guy like him getting so wasted that he pushed family away, the smiling boy from those portraits being harsh.

" If it helps.. " I sucked in as I looked around, " I think you're a great guy, and I've only known you for literally a day. Thanks for sharing such deep topics with me. I'm glad you trust me."

He looked to a bottle on the ground, and I moved closer, " Do you need a stranger hug? Sometimes they're the best ya know. "

He suddenly, just fell into my arms, making me feel as if he had been a childhood friend long lost.

His life kept throwing me off, somehow bringing me to a tragic past, a horrible way to end a wonderful childhood, and a terrible way to start adult life.

After he had told me he had to go, and that we'd meet the same time tomorrow I waited for him to get on the bus and leave before I rushed back to the sight of his drinking abuse start.

I picked up every bottle, placing them in a pile before breaking back into his home to find some string, then tieing the drunk memories to the tree limbs, then digging around for a sharp rock, finally carving " Stacy was here " Within its bark.

Awaiting his arrival it started to get dark, so naturally I lit the place up, making a fire pit with the big rocks around. Illuminating the Erie graveyard of bottles.

" Zachary! " I called up racing to his house.

" Zachary! " I called again, slamming into his chest, stumbling backwards, falling flat on my butt with giggles.

" St- Stacy! What the hell are you doing heret?! Did you miss the bus or something! " He shrieked, helping me up.

I pulled his arm, dragging him through the dark to the path, almost sprinting twords the tree, stopping when I heard him gasp.

I marveled at my work, " I got the idea from my favorite childhood book called Because Of WinnDixie, I thought it would look pretty cool here. Don't you? "

After he had gotten me a bus pass, and walked me to the nearest stop, I got onto the vehicle, watching him wipe his eyes as I pulled away.

He was crying.