The day we met again

1- The welcome back alive party

AIR, I'M OUT of air. I can't breathe and everything is dark around me. I suddenly open my eyes and suck air in. What time is it? Turning my head to my left where my study table is, I spot the clock. The digital alarm clock-one of the few objects I was able to bring from my parents' home-shows 6:50 AM in a neon blue color. It has been exactly 32 hours I have been here, back in Montreal. I arrived yesterday at 10:50 pm at the Mirabel airport. I sit up still heavily breathing and feeling all sweaty. I close my eyes and throw my head backwards trying to calm down and steady my heart beat and breathing. I feel the stinging sensation of the cut on my side.

I lift my blanket up and throw it further down the bed as I lazily get out. As if on cue, a cold wind swipes on my exposed legs. The pants now too big for me have traveled upwards during my sleep. When my feet touch the floor, they feel extremely cold. Has it always been this way? I walk the vast room looking down until I reach the door beside which is a mirror. It reflects a black set of pajamas all marked with the word "unique" wrapping a small body. Lifting out the top, I realize I've been bleeding through the bandages. I have to clean that up. I sigh and, looking down again, turn right to the kitchen. Somehow, the apartment seems really big. I lift my head once in the kitchen. Oh! I smile inside when I spot the table we bought on Kijiji. Despite being second hand, the table was quite sturdy and is even functional now. I walk over to the drawers where the cutlery was neatly placed when I left. Still is.

Crunch. I raise my head. There's a sound coming from the door, a very subtle sound. Someone's plan to do a surprise attack is failing because that whoever just stepped on a rice crispy. Giving away the position. Thump, thump. The sound is getting closer. AT 5 O'CLOCK!! I swiftly and rapidly grab a knife swing my right arm to my right pointing the blade outwards. My side screams out in pain while my arm is as straight as the blade poised on the person's throat. I surprise myself to see who it is. The man is tall and a little imposing(but that's probably due to my short size). From the position of his arms I can assume he was planning on grabbing my shoulders.

"Calm the fuck down brother!" He says surprised, a smile drawing on his face. The kind of smile you give when you are trying to make a person recall a memory. I didn't forget him, I didn't forget anyone. I was stressed and drained out when they came to get me at the airport. I draw the knife away from him in silence, no word reaches my lips. I look down again thinking about what to say. "Hey did you forget me?" He asks. Not having his glasses makes him look kind of different but his dark skin is unchanged though. "It's me Lucas." I know that you idiot! I try to answer but but I am only able to nod. Four years of whispering the necessary shut me up. I frown and finally raise my head to face him as my bangs fall on my eyes surprising me. When did they grow?

"Uh, n-no I didn't. Uhm no boy apartment." I messed up. That isn't what I want to say.

"I know," he smiles, "yesterday I went to get you and ended up staying over."

"Oh." I hear myself say.

"What's going on?" A sleepy voice calls out. Annie! I quickly turn my head towards her. She is wearing pink shorts with a white tank top. Bare feet, she's rubbing her eyes. "Hey!" She greets me with a smile.

"Hey!" I smile back. My first smile since I woke up. "G-good morning." Damn, a simple greeting has become hard for me. Annie approaches me as the movement makes me back away and bump into Lucas. "Sorry!" I apologize.

"It's okay." Annie says hugging me.

"Allo."Danika joins in with her her Quebecois accent. "T'as tu bien dormi?" She says in french while hugging me. I hug back as Annie and Lucas join in in a group hug. Only we can do this. A tear slips from my eye as I smile.