Dusting Off A Heart

Chapter 30

When Dane arrived at Cote's place, he was already in for some games and probably some soda (and probably some refreshing exit from his life problems)--but boy, he was wrong.

Sure, everything seems normal at first, Cote invite him to play some Fifa in his room upstairs, they play for one good hour of it--with some soda of course, but then it started when Cote begins to asks him some questions.

"Dude...you know aside of all this school stuffs and what happens right now with your fam, is everything okay?", says Cote opening up the conversations.

"I mean, yea sure I guess...why do we even got into this topic anyway?" Dane said this with his eyes still glued to the TV in front of him. He thinks that this is a great opportunity to strike the ball into Cote's digital goal keeper. But he was not that lucky and he cursed.

"Ha! You still sucked even with my eyes not on the TV", mocked Cote. "But seriously, dude. You can talk about everything to me, you know."

"Geez, dude...you sound like my mother's therapist or something...", Dane said mockingly, "Anyway, do yo have some beers? You know, instead of this shitty a*s sodas?"

Cote just chuckled at this. He knows he has to get Dane to talk to him so he can help him with some of his problems, but knowing his friend is a stone headed person,maybe he just need a more smoother and convincing approach.

He started to served up the beers.

Cote obviously served the beers just because Dane asked him to, not to make him drunk and make him confess something. But he starts to regret his decision to bring out the alcohol when Dane is starting to chug them up like his life depends on it.

"I think you need to ease on the alcohol, huh?", Cote asked as he starts grabbing the beer can in Dane's hand, trying to get it away from him. But thats results to no avail as Dane get his beer away from Cote grabbing hand.

"Ey Mr. Grabby Man, stop it. Don't tryna steal my beers now." He slurred his words and puts the beer out of Cote's reach—or so he thinks.

"Alright. Now I think you really need to cut off the alcohol now." Cote gets up to get the beer can that supposedly is out of his reach but he was stopped by Dane who kicked him so close to his private parts.

Still hurts bad, though.

"What the heck, man! Why the hell would you do that?!" Cote says, crutching on the ground, holding on to his private sections that were hurt badly.

"Thatsss...what I told you ain't it. Get. Off. My. Beer." Dane points at Cote accusingly on every word when he said the last sentence. "I don't get it, man. People just try to sh*t with me these days, ain't them?

"My dad always tryna pick a fight with me, my mom...", he scoffs before continuing, "she doesn't care 'bout me anymore probably. She's off with grandma or something, leaving me behind with that psycho of a...a father! And guess what dude?! Teachers hates me! Sayin' I might not graduate this year 'cause of my bad grades!", Dane scoffed again at the last sentence. Now he is slouched against Cote's bed, with his beer still in his hands. He took a swing again and gulped all of its content to his system.

He really doesn't look great. The eye bags under his eyes was not supposed to be there at the early age of young adultery. His body is skinnier than he usually was, it seems like he lose a lot of body mass. And his overall state is worrying.

This state of Dane really concern Cote. Whatever he had done before—kicked his crotch, points at him, it was probably just the drunken stupor he is in. He probably didn't mean it right?

"Dane. I'm dead serious. Give that can of beer to me. Now."

Cote was less worried about Dane littering his room, he was much more concerned about Dane hurting himself with that empty beer can. Cote has seen what Dane could do with a sharp pencil when he's mad. Goodness knows what he would do with an empty beer can. Much more dangerous stuff, he is sure about it.

"Arghhh...man...", Dane sighs and slouches even deeper to Cote's bed. "It seems like people just really tryna f me up all the time, huh?"

Dane stood up from his slouching and grips the empty beer can even tighter in his hands. It started to hurt  his hand but the adrenaline makes him numb to the pain he is feeling. It starts to  draw a little of blood.

"I'm just trying to help you--"

"First, my parents....then the teachers...and then you, Cote? Huh...never thought you would chip in on the plan to ruining my life too." He chuckled darkly. "You know what, here's your f***ing precious beer can!", Dane throws the empty and squeezed beer can aimed to Cote's face.

It landed on his chest with a loud thud. The impact hurts Cote's chest greatly. Dane must've thrown it with every muscle he got in him (+ his drunken strength). A hurt grunt was heard from Cote, followed by an angry exclamation from Cote himself to Dane. 

"WHAT THE F***, DANE! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR F***ING MIND?!"

"Now that'll teach you not to f*** with my life too, huh?!"

"All I ask of you is just to hand me that f-ing beer can dude! And you just decide to throw a fking tantrum! I thought we can somewhat fix this together, you know.... but damn," Cote looks down to the ground and his face shows a bit of anger and disappointment, "Man,  I don't think I can help you..."

Dane, clouded by his drunken state only knows that he was that he only let go of his emotions and anger that had been bottled up these past months and at that time he didn't understand why Cote would react in such way. 

However, the next morning when they are back in school Dane noticed that Cote did try to avoid him  at all cost and didn't even talk to him when they were in class together. Dane remembers that yesterday when they were at Cote's house there are beers and a few shouting between them two. 

Then he remembered one piece from their conversation, "...I don't think I can help you..."

He also remember that he left Cote's house that night very angry. 

His ego prevents him makes him reluctant to even see Cote. Unbeknownst not only his ego that prevents him from talking to Cote, his disappointment towards himself and sadness might be an additional factor as well. 

The only person that has been with him all this years, but more specially these hard past months, Cote is the place where Dane always turns to seek advice or even just refuge from his own home. 

Dane was feeling even more slumped than he was before when he still got Cote beside him. At least then he still have someone to rely on and to be with him even though everyone else seems like they're drifting away. 

At that exact moment, Dane feels like he is the most worthless people on Earth. He managed to lose the one person who cared enough for him to stay with him through ups and downs. 

But, now? 

He is alone in his own midst of problems. 

to be continued...