Never Gonna Be Alone

Chapter 12---Why Didn't You

Laten sighed as he flopped back on the bed. He had been waiting for 30 miniutes now.

Why did he have to tell him?

Then, Laten heard the doorbell ring.

He heard some voices, then his door opened.

"Laten, Tankie is here." Chuck told his son. He let Tankie in, and closed the door.

Tankie sighed as he sat down next to Laten. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Laten sighed as he sat up. "What about you? Don't you have anything to tell me? Like, why did you get involved?"

Tankie rolled his eyes. "Because you are my friend. Nobody messes with my best friends."

Laten got up and walked around the room, pacing. "Next time, don't do it. I got a little beating because of it."

"Is that who did this to you?" Tankie's eyes were wide. This has gone too far. Something has to be done. "Why didn't you just call me, before you cut yourself?"

Laten rolled his eyes. "No, Casper the friendly ghost did this to me." He said sarcastically.

"We have to tell somebody."

"NO! Here is what I learned. The world is a battlefield. The whole world is going against you. You only have one life left to live. The enemy will want to win against you. I can't let them win. Telling somebody, means that I am not fighting anymore. They will win by default."

Tankie sighed at his friend. "The whole world is not like that. I'm not like that. Your father is not like that, your Godfather is not like that."

Laten went to the door and slid down. "My father is like that. They don't understand."

'I want you to stop cutting." Tankie looked into his friend's eyes. They were so full of sadness. He missed those eyes that were so full of life and not a trace of sadness in them.

"Yu-you say it like I'm a cutter."

Tankie walked to his friend and sat down beside him. "You still can't talk about it? Even with me?"

Laten shook his head. "I'm not ready to speak it freely though. But I will tell you this. I had a weird feeling when Andrew was in the room when we were having our sesion."

"Your counselor?"

Laten nodded. "He kept near me."

Tankie raised one eyebrow. That's it?"

"You don't understand. Every time I move away from him, he kept moving toward me."

Tankie still didn't get it. 

Laten rolled his eyes. "I had a weird feeling every time he did that."

Tankie's eyes grew wide, as he smiled slowly. That was a big smile. "Laten, are you serious?"

"What?"

"This is what you didn't want to tell me!"

Laten's eyes were wide. He had no ideas what he was talking about. Or if they were on the same page. "Tell you what?"

"I woulden't have judged you. Hell, I'd be happy for you. At least you would have found somebody!"

Laten was still confused. Then he found out what he meant. "What are you talking about?! I'm not gay!"

Now, Tankie was the one confused. "But I thought you said you had a weird feeling every time he was close to you?"

"I meant that I felt a little uncomfortable when he did that. He had a sort of...aura to him that made me feel like I needed to be far away from him."

"Did you tell him to stay there when you went more further away?"

Late shook his head. He never said anything about that. All he was focused on, was trying to give him a hard time.

"Well, then that's why. Maybe you just took it the wrong away. I bet you, the next time he does it, and tell him something, he will stop. It's called communication."

Laten smiled. "I'm sorry I cut myself without calling you. I'm just not ready yet."

Tankie just pulled him into a hug. "I know you aren't. But you have to talk about it someday."

. "I know." 

"OK, I have to get home. I'll see you at school." They were hugging for a few more minutes, before Tankie pulled away.

He got up, and held out his hand for Laten.

Laten smiled, took it, and got up. He pulled his friend into a hug again.

They stood there hugging for a few more minutes. "Thank you."

Tankie smiled. "You don't need to thank me. You are never alone, Laten. You have me, your dad, your Godfather."

Laten squeezed tighter. They pulled away and just stood there.

Tankie really did miss the happiness in his friend's eyes. He really wanted to put it back in there again. He also missed Laten's smile. It was always on his face, before the World Trade Center incident. He wanted Laten to feel save again. 

But how?