The Darkest Relations

Two

2

After nearly two decades of friendship you would think that you knew somebody but apparently that is not always the case. It has been a week since my once best friend robbed me and I'm over it. To avoid being outed for being the idiot I am I had to replace the money with my own, avoiding the long lecture I would have received had I told my mother what had happened. As a way to put it all behind me I took extra steps to make sure that I never ran into August again, the new route I took made sure that would would not be crossing paths. The hate that I had harbored for years just intensified after the situation and reminded me of why we had left each other on such bad terms and why it made more sense to keep it that way, we were no good for each other and it was important for me to stay far away from him. If I was to see him I would probably black out and try to stab him or some other idiotic approach to getting even. Any hope of letting go of the past hatred I held for him was gone.

Or so I thought.

As I made my way to my section of the apartment building I heard the sniffles of someone who sounded as though they were crying. My big heart always seemed to get me in trouble, being the over caring person I am I of course went to investigate it. Surprisingly, the sound was surfacing from outside of my apartment. To my dismay it was August, which automatically enraged me. As soon as he saw me he hurriedly whipped away his tears as if I wouldn't notice them. The anger that I thought would be there when I was faced with August again quickly vanished as I saw those tears. Memories of our last tearful interaction flashed in my mind and I could not help but to offer him kindness. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still trying to hold up my angry demeanor. 

"I came to see you." He answered.

"You mean you came by to steal some more right?" I spat. "How'd you even get up here?"

"The door was unlocked. And no I ain't come to still from you, I'm sorry about that, I'm running low on funds."

"So you steal from someone who was just trying to help you. After all we been through August, really?" I made a point to emphasize the word all, dragging out each L so he'd get the point.

"The struggles real. I ain't come here to argue with you. I came because I need someone to talk to."

"After pulling that stunt you really think I wanna talk to you? I don't even wanna see your face to be honest. Know I'm the stupid one for trusting you in my house but I thought after reaching out a helping hand I wouldn't be thanked by that," 

"I said I was sorry." He growled in frustration. Taking off his glasses, reviling his puffy eyes. As soon as I seen his red tear stained face there was no way I could continue to be upset. 

"You've been crying?" I asked as if I wasn't already aware, sympathy was in my tone.He nodded. Sadly the nice girl in me couldn't turn him away. In all my years of knowing August I think I saw him cry once, the day I left.

"Give me my money back and we can talk." He gave me a you serious look before reluctantly pulling the money out of his pocket and giving it to me. August knew that had he asked me for the money I would have given it to him. I would have given him anything he had asked for because I was in love with him and always had been. He took the money because he knew it would hurt me, he knew that being robbed by my best friend. He wanted to hurt me how I hurt him and he did. 

"So why were you crying?" I asked.

Asking this caused his whole face to drop. "Kev died. They kilt 'em." He looked up at me, his voice cracking, clearly on the verge of tears once more. I had no intentions of letting August in, I had no intentions on ever communicating with him again, but seeing him like, seeing him so broken, I could not just leave him out here like this. I was too soft, and so damn dumb when it came to that man. I unlocked the door and stepped aside so the both of us could walk in.