Losing Light

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

He taps his foot nervously, as was his habit. The phone in his hand was grabbed tightly and pressed against his ear like it was his lifeline. His other hand was pushing strands of hair out of his sweating face. His eyes dart from the wall, to the telephone chord, and to the hysterically crying inmate on the other phone.

"Montgomery, calm down, will you?" I attempt to soothe.

His fingers curl into a fist. "I-I can't." Gareth says weakly. "He's going to hang up on me, and then I'll be disappointing Señor Jaime because he can't...leave, and you won't be able to get back Reyna and your life."

"He won't hang up, and you won't disappoint me. Money would help win her back, but it's mostly something I have to do. I could always get a job. And Señor Jaime? I'm sure he can get someone else."

"He could rat us out. Take us down with him and shit."

"Then they'd get the answer to the, 'Why do you have arrowheads' question."

"But-"

"Will you relax, Gar? You're freaking me out. Call Burton already."

He sighs, but obliges to my demand. His shaking index finger presses the buttons of the phone number of his ex-best friend. Like muscle memory. I wondered if Burton even knew about Gareth being in prison and all. If he did, would it change his mind?

Someone's tiny voice mewls into the phone. Gareth says, "Hello," to it, and nervously tells him his name. There's a pause, a bad kind of pause. I could see it in his face.

"Yeah, it's me, Burton. How are you?"

The mewling continues. Gareth gradually becomes less tense, his shoulders not as hunched up. He smiles a bit, and leans against the wall. "I'm glad to hear that. You know, I'm also glad that you didn't slam the phone when you heard it was me. So, thanks for that."

A pause. Montgomery laughs. "It's true, actually. I was so fucking nervous, man."

Burton, I suppose, is talking again. My fellow inmate's face turns a bit grave. "Ah, well. It's a long story."

He waits. "No, it's really long. I'll just sum it up for you, okay?"

Burton agrees in his cat-like voice. "Okay, well. Long story short, I'm in prison for attempted drug delivery and I tried to run away from the cop. And I also sort of attacked the dude I was about to give drugs to. He was the wrong guy."

A short period of silence. "Yup. Shit happens. You know about my family. Mmhm. That's why."

He toys with his bottom lip stuck between his teeth as he listens to Burton. "Y'see, I called you because..." Gareth quickly looks at me, pleading for a lie. "Well, with all the time in my hands, I started thinking. About all the wrongs I did. About my parents disowning me. About my only friend here." He winks at me. "I wanted to reconnect with you, if you'd let me. I've missed you so much. You and all your gaming habits and those dusty arrowheads in your attic."

Gareth doesn't talk for a long time. "Yeah, sure. That'd be awesome. 'S okay if I call you tomorrow, or sometimes during the week...? Really? Great. Really great. Okay. Alright. I'll talk to you then. Bye, Burton."

He hangs up the phone and stumbles into my surprised arms. "Oh god. That happened. It really did."

"Guess he forgives you, huh?"

"Bless his goddamned soul."

I roll my eyes and grin. His implication of Burton's sexuality being against god doesn't much bother me. I was never much of an activist or a Christian. Only occasionally, and you can't be if you're going to be either of those. So I'm just not. But it was good to feel his muscles relax and hear his yawn that reminded me of a big baby. "Okay, well, why don't we go to my cell, relax there."

"That was so emotional."

I fail to suppress my smile. "Yeah, sure sounded like it, Gar."