Fourteen Days

Chapter 2.

"Caleb was the kind of guy everyone loved, no matter what he did wrong. He was the golden boy, and when we were all paired together at school - he begged us to play with him after school. In the beginning, Mat and I thought it would be fun making his life hard, and we did for a few days. But he bit right through it, and he took the crap without ever complaining. Man, we made him do so much crap for us. He never once said anything, until one day he showed up with a black eye. The next day, he didn't even show up, and after a week we went to his place. His mother opened, and she had the same black eye as Caleb. We were only kids, so we never realized what was happening. But when she sent us away, we went home to Mat, and we told his parents how worried we were. His mom worked in the police, and she called it in right away. Obviously, we were too young to understand what was going on, but luckily she knew.

"They found Caleb locked in a room, with only a blanket and an old magazine. His mother was badly beaten, and terrified when the police showed up."

Mike stopped talking, his face completely white. His hands were balled into fists, and he looked like he couldn't decide if he was more pissed off or sad. "Mike..." I started, but my voice shook. I took a deep breath and moved closer as I placed my hand on his. He looked at me, and I noticed tears in his eyes. He looked broken, and it tugged at my heart. This was nothing like the boy I had heard about all these years, this was nothing like the boy everyone wanted to hook up with.

Mike was the tough boy, the guy who could get you a pack of cigarettes and take your virginity all during the same night. He was the guy girls loved inviting to parties, and I had heard crazy stories about him. 

Now, he seemed broken. 

When I spoke again, I surprised even myself. "Can you keep going?" He looked at me for a few more seconds, before he nodded. I was certain he needed to get it out, and I was too fascinated to leave now. I knew there had been some trouble with Caleb and his father when we were young, but I had been too young to ask questions or understand it, and it had never been brought up when I was old enough. Now it all made sense, and I wondered how many people Mike had ever spoken to about this. 

"Alright," he started, while he looked up towards the sky. He was hurting, and I wanted more than anything to take that pain away. This was the main reason why I stayed away from funerals or sad stories, and why I never watched sad movies. I couldn't take being helpless next to someone who was hurting.

"Caleb turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Mat and me, no matter how weird that sounds. He was the missing piece in our lives, and it felt like everything fell into place when he appeared. We never argued, and we always thought of the most hilarious pranks. I don't know how much you know about the big case that happened after his father got taken, but he worked in politic and had a lot of connections. He got out, and when Caleb was fifteen, his father got full custody of him. His mother got cancer, and he had to live with his father. We had sleepovers all the time, and we did everything we could so he never had to fear his father. Things were okay, for the most parts. But he changed our lives."

"He meant a lot to you," I stated, and Mike nodded.

"Do you believe in soulmates?"

"What?" I asked, surprised at the question. Mike was looking straight at me, with so much pain in his eyes, I knew he wasn't messing around. I hesitated before I answered, but when I did I stared at my own hands. "I hope it's true, but I don't know. I've got friends, and I love them beyond words. But I've never felt the way you do about Caleb. I hope I will one day, but somehow I doubt it'll ever happen."

Mike nodded slowly, and I could feel his gaze on me. He was deeper than I thought, and it surprised me. "I'm sure you will one day, you just need patience."