breathe

ii

I'd either resurrected, or not died. All I knew was that I was alive and Clyde was sitting by my feet, eyes red, face pale.

"You bastard!" He shouted as he saw me.

"I'm really sorry, Clyde." I sighed. He shook his head and walked up to me, tackling me with a hug.

"You didn't die. You haven't stopped breathing."

"Great. Does this mean I can properly die now?"

"I deleted the facebook video for you." Clyde had ignored my question, so I did bother asking it again.

"Thanks." He'd never really been there for me before, or whatever. He'd been my friend, but not close, just there because Craig was there, because Stan was there; me there because of Stan. That was the only way we hung out.

"I'm gonna be here from now on, okay? We're gonna fix things."

"Thank you so much." I couldn't help but cry into his shoulder. Clyde had helped so much already. No one had ever even tried so save my life. He'd done it alone.

"I didn't phone the police or anything, I know you wouldn't want that."

I nodded. I didn't say anything for a while and neither did Clyde. I guess neither of us really knew what to say.

"I'm mostly glad that you're not depressed. You just didn't wanna wake up after death again, right?" The way Clyde put it did make it seem like I was depressed.

"I-" I'd wanted so bad to let him know that I didn't have depression or anything, and try to change his mind, but he'd cut me off.

"No- I put that wrong; I'm sorry. You get what I meant to say, though?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Right, uh, let's get out of here. You wanna go Water World? Craig invited me."

"I don't have any swimming stuff."

"Hey, no worries. Craig has, like, 4 pairs of trunks."

"Right, nice." Clyde drove me to Craig's, then went home to get ready.

"So, what size are you?" Craig asked me once he'd let me in, "You need stuff, right?"

"I'm, uh, not sure."

"Just try everything on. Wear whatever fits best." He lead me into his room and pulled a load of swimming trunks out his underwear drawer. The amount of clothes he had was kinda impressive. He had different drawers for every different item of clothing.

I thanked Craig, then undressed. I wasn't fussed about him being there. Craig seemed slightly fazed, but he didn't say anything. The first pair fit, but I had to tie the string really tight.

"They're way too big," Craig commented, "Look; they're all bunched up at the waist," He traced the fabric around my waist, "These are a little bit smaller." Craig handed me another pair. I changed into them, not having to tie the ribbon so tightly.

"Can you see if they fit properly?" I really just wanted the touch. To tease Craig, feel ecstasy, shit like that.

"You're such a bitch, Ken." Craig laughed, taking my hand. He stroked the inside of my wrist, then hugged me quickly, not saying anything. Then he changed into the trunks I tried on first and called someone.

"Hey, Clyde," he paused a while, "Come over, we're ready... I'll pay for him... Yeah, it's fine, everything's good... Okay, see you soon then." Then he hung up and handed me a vest top. I pulled it over my head whilst he slipped a short sleeved button-down around his arms, leaving it loose.