Sit With Me || Short Story

Sit With Me.

Zachary's eyes hung half closed, the dim light of the moon holding his face captive in the night sky's beauty. He looked up at the stars, his thin frame closed tightly with his knees up near his chest. He sat on the roof of the apartment building he lived in with his best friend, Louie.
There were few clouds overhead and he felt the night breeze blow his hair even further into a mess. He chewed on the inside of his lip while he thought about his deceased sister. Her beautiful brunette hair, her bright brown eyes that twinkled whenever she was happy, and most of all, her smile that were accented by two little dimples at either side. Squeezing his knees, tears came to his eyes.
Why couldn't he have saved her? He was her older brother. Stricken by illness, she was a fighter until the end. She never let her sickness change her attitude. At 10 years old, she was so much wiser and smarter and stronger than him, 12 years old at the time. Momma would have been so much happier if it were him who got ill. Dad wouldn't have been taken away.
His hands felt itchy and as he started to scratch, he heard the door slam open and he turned around to see the bright, luminescent red hair of his best friend, Louie Lee. The muscular man was sweaty and panting, worry in his eyes. Did Zachary do something wrong again?
"Zach, you goddamn idiot, I was lookin' for you everywhere."
"Sorry," Zachary said, looking back out at the stars.
Louie sighed heavily, sitting down next to Zach. "Nothin'? You got nothin' else to say to me? 'Sorry for leavin' with no warning', 'sorry, I went to the roof, not the park 2 miles a-fuckin'-way'?"
"I said sorry, 'Kay?" Zachary turned his head away from Louie.
Louie sat, staring at his friend. He sighed again, but lightly this time. "Zach, you can't leave like that, okay? Your phone's broke, and you wander. I ain't wanna hear on the news that they've found the dead body of a thin white man with black hair when I could do somethin' to help.."
Zachary, growing irritated, shoved Louie away and growled out "I said sorry!" He pulled his oversized jacket back over his shoulder and sighed. "I just wanted to think about Lucy."
Louie took in a sharp breath. That. Hurt. "Zach..." He scooted closer. "I'm sorry, bud. I know how-" but Zachary cut him off.
"Just fucking shut up already."
Louie furrowed his brows, done with his bullshit. "Alright fine. Sorry for carin'."
The short man stood up, saying, "You know, I don't even know why I try with you. You're always so quiet and broody. I'm growin' real tired of it." As he turned to leave, he felt a strong, large hand grip his wrist. He looked down to see Zachary reaching back at him, looking at his feet.
"Please.." he whispered, his voice breaking. "Don't go."
Louie stood like that for a moment, Zachary's hand on his wrist, gripping tightly. So tightly, he felt his fingers getting kind of tingly. He just stared back at Zachary, who stared at his feet.
Silently, Louie sat next to Zachary. He wrapped a large arm around the thin frame of a man, and looked up at the sky. He never understood why this dark, gloomy guy liked to be outside, but tonight, he did. The stars shone brightly as if each one were individual sets of eyes, happy to be watching down on the earth. He cut his eyes to Zachary, who was staring up at the same sky, his amber-red eyes glistening with tears forming in the corners of them. Louie could tell he was struggling to keep composure.
He grabbed Zachary's left hand with his own left hand and used his right hand to pull him onto his chest where he held the young man close. There was a mutual, silent understanding that Louie was trying to say "I'm always here, no matter what." As soon as his face met Louie's chest, Zachary began to sob like a little kid.
"I miss 'er!" he cried, gasping for air. "I miss 'er so much! She was th' only girl I ever loved!"
Louie felt a frog climb into his throat hearing a grown man cry like a 12 year old boy. "I know bud." Louie felt Zachary squeeze his hand tight as he pulled Zach closer with his right arm.
"I couldn't 'elp 'er, Louie," he gasped between words. "I -hic- couldn't 'elp my own -hic- Little sister."
Louie furrowed his hairy brows and shut his eyes, rubbing Zachary's back up and down. He thought of what to say. Hell, what could he say? "She couldn't be helped, bud. Sometimes God just don't want certain people to live forever."
Zachary sobbed for a few more minutes, gasping for air and drooling all over Louie's shirt. "I -hic- I hate God." He sniffled up some snot and repeated. "I hate God."
"I know bud.." Louie whispered. Zachary meant those words deeper than anyone else Louie knew. No atheist could compare to the hatred lining that single statement. "I know."
"I hate 'im!" Zachary sobbed. "He took my lil sister!" He gripped Louie's shirt tight with his right hand, burrowing his face between his pecs. He heard and felt the slow heartbeat of his friend. It sort of helped him to calm down. Zachary felt nostalgia when listening to Louie's heartbeat. It mirrored his father's heartbeat.
"I know, Zach." Louie said, holding his hand tight.
Zachary's father would hold him up to his chest when he would cry, and the reason Zachary loved Louie so much was because he instinctively started doing that one day. It was just natural to Louie.
After a good while of Zachary sobbing, he pulled away from Louie's embrace. He wiped away his tears and snot and cleaned up his look. Louie sat silently. A few moments went by with Zachary sitting criss-cross, staring at the floor between them when he broke the silence. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"
Louie smiled warmly. "You know what? Why the hell not, buddy? Just don't take all my damn blankets."
Zachary chuckled quietly. "Okay." He stood up and turned to leave when he felt a gentle hand grab his wrist. Zachary looked back to see Louie looking at him with sorrow in his eyes. His bright green eyes shone with the moonlight and he whispered "Sit with me, just a lil' while longer."