As Long As We're Together

15: Ice Cream Shop

"So, do you think you and Nathan are going to be okay?" Jess asked as I slumped back on her bed.

"I'm not too sure, I hope." I said, wishing I was lying, but I wasn't. I had no clue if we were going to be okay.

"Well what happened between you two?"

"Well," I sighed, telling her about how they were all high as hell and wanted to rob 7-11. I told her how we pushed each other and how Nathan stormed off.

"So what happened before that?" She asked in anticipation, she for some reason thought I did something to Nathan that made him mad.

"What do you mean? Nothing happened."

"Something had to have happened before that, what pissed him off?" She asked again.

"Nothing happened Jess, nothing did."

"Okay." She replied in disbelief. "What about that 7-11 thing, that's crazy, I can't see Nathan doing that. I can see Jordan and Khalan and maybe Mark and Shawn I mean they do everything thing together but not him, not Nathan."

As we continued talking, I started to think. Something I did had to have pissed him of. Why was he so mad at me today? Plus, what was up with that 'You can run back to your broken ass home.' he said to me earlier. All day he's been acting sort of strange, I thought we bonded last night. Also what was up with the 'fag.' He added? He couldn't have known what my dad freaked out on me about. I didn't tell him, no one knew. Well besides my family, no one knew.

Me and Nathan had always been close, but we've been through a lot this past weekend. Me, I totally thought we would have been closer. After me running to his house all beaten up, after us telling each other that we couldn't live without one another. It was deep, maybe he was scared, or maybe it was just the drugs talking. I don't know...

All I know is that I couldn't loose him, if I did I would most likely kill myself. Nathan was my life, and him acting weird towards me made my life feel like a complete disaster. More so than it already is, it's actually bearable with Nathan around to tell my stupid sorrows to.

Me and Jess decided to go for a drive, we decided to go to her favorite ice cream shop. It was a cool little spot, kind of ghetto, but I had a lot of good memories here. It was literally named, Ice Cream Shop. It's just an old little building that you don't even walk into. You walk up to the window and you order from a hand written menu with multiple misspelled words.

Jess' cousin worked there so he would always give us as many toppings as we wanted for free. This was like me and Jess' little heaven. I guess you have a certain spot with everyone that you just feel at home with. With me and Jess it was this ice cream shop, me and Nathan's was The Vally. Nathan was always my number one, it was weird rather being with someone else other than Nathan.

Maybe it was healthier to not be so focused on one person 24/7.

Me and Jess sat at the rotted picnic table as we shared a scoop of ice cream under a mountain of toppings. There was probably more toppings than there was ice cream, but that's how Jess liked it.

"Awe, this reminds me of our first date." Jess said dreamily, "You remember that?"

"Yeah." I replied, "I was so happy then, everything was simple."

"So why'd you cheat on me?" Jess said ruining the moment.

"Why're you bringing that up right now?" I asked completely shocked, but than again, Jess is always full of surprises.

"Baby, if you were so happy with me," She sighed, I could tell she was legitimately upset and sad not angry like before, "Was I not good enough for you, not white enough?"

That part wasn't a sarcastic or angry thing, it was a complete honest question. She had asked me before if she was my type. If she was just an experiment for me. To be completely honest it wasn't, I did see her different from all the girls and not because of her skin color but because she was genuinely different. She was kind and not spiteful like the rest of the girls at my school. Nathan has dated plenty of girls for me to know how evil they can be.

"What the hell? No, you are perfect. I don't know why I did it." I put the spoon beside the ice cream and looked into her eyes taking a deep breath, "I just mess everything up, I destroy everything I touch. I don't know why, I'm so sorry baby I wish I could undo what I did."

She reached out across the table and gently touched my bruised and battered face. "I don't know if I could survive you cheating on me again." She said at last, "You'd kill me, Ray, you hurt me more than I can explain. I deadass pray to God it won't happen again."

"I won't ever do it again." I sighed, "I promise."

I didn't keep that promise.

Just then my phone suddenly rang.

"Damn, It's Nathan." I hesitated for a few seconds then I grabbed my phone.

"Well answer it Ray! Oh, and put it on speaker, I wanna hear it!" Jess cried, almost jumping out of her seat forgetting completely what we had just talked about.

"Okay, just Shhhhh I don't want him to know your listening in on him." I said before picking up the phone.

***
Ray: "Hello?"

Nathan: "Ray, I f---ed up..."

Ray: "What happened? Did you really rob 7-11? I knew that was a horrible idea."

Nathan: "Well almost, we were all crazy high and paranoid I guess. We got to 7-11 and I thought I saw a cop, I ran out but Khalan and the rest of them decided to continue trying to rob the store..."

Ray: "So you left em?"

Nathan: "Yeah, I'm just walking along the highway now. Please Ray I'll explain the rest later, just come get me."

Ray: "Okay, I'll see you soon... But one more thing, what are you on Nathan?"

Nathan: "Ugh I smoked a joint, did some coke and took some molly. I also swallowed some pill Khalan gave me."

Ray: "Nathan what the hell... You could've OD'd, ugh I'll come get you now."

Nathan: "Thanks man."

***

"What the hell." Laughed Jess awkwardly not really knowing what to say after I hung up, I couldn't help but laugh a bit too. Nathan was acting so dumb, what was he even thinking?

"Well let's go get him." Sighed Jess taking the last bite of her ice cream.