Cronkri: I won't let you down

Chapter 2

You may have noticed by now that I am not dead yet. Be patient, that part comes eventually.

A few months went by, and Cronus made it to every Sunday morning service and practice since the first. By this point It's about early spring. I've met his entire family by now. His biological mother is dead as well, and he lives with his dad and his stepmom, Majesty. He also has a little brother about Karkat's age. They go to the same school together.
Cronus and I also attend the same school, but, unfortunately, he isn't in any of my classes.
We've grown a bit closer over the months. Sometimes we'll hang out after school and just talk about things, other times we'll go out and get food or something. Whenever I would sit down in a group with an empty spot next to me, Cronus would fill that spot in a matter of seconds. He joined the football team at our school, and I was sure to make it to every game. He was sure to make it to all of my academic competitions as well. It was always soothing to see him in the crowd or audience. His presence calmed my nerves.
Then I had been asked to speak at a conference in the next state over, a rare experience for an eighteen-year-old.

"Whaddaya mean you can't come to my game on Saturday?" Cronus asked, whining slightly as he sat on my bed, watching me pack my suitcase.
"I'm sorry Cronus, but I have a meeting to attend," I replied, folding up my favorite red sweater and sticking it into the suitcase along with a few other clothes. "This may be the only opportunity I get to speak in front of a crowd in a very long time, and I don't want to miss this chance. Besides, it's just one game. You have other friends who will support you in my place!" I offered him a hopeful smile, but he gave me that same pouty face that he would give me whenever he wanted something. It never worked, but he insisted on using it regardless. "Please just drop it, Cronus. I'll only be gone a couple of days."
Cronus sighed exasperatedly and flopped back on my bed. "Fine, I'll let you go to your little conference thing. I'll miss you though."
I paused. "I'll miss you too."

That night, Cronus drove me to the train station. I had said goodbye to my dad and brother beforehand. It was just us at the train station, since not many people in the Midwest get there 30 minutes early for an 11:30 train. We sat on the bench together, having a wild conversation that started with waiting for things and ended up all sorts of places. It's amazing how well he can carry a conversation.
When the train finally arrived, the doors opened for me and I reluctantly stood up. Cronus did the same. We faced each other and he looked down into my deep brown eyes as I looked back up into his dark blue ones. We hugged. Neither of us really hugged first, it was just a way of wordlessly saying goodbye. And it was the first physical contact, other than a high five or two, that I had ever had with him since I had fallen on the ice back in January. It was nice. His scent was comforting.
The conductor yelled at us to break it up and we pulled apart. Then I grabbed my suitcase and carried it slowly onto the train, handing the conductor my ticket and finding my seat by the window. Cronus was still standing on the platform, waving. I waved back, watching him shrink and eventually disappear as the train sped off into the distance.

Once I had made it to Chicago, it was about 2 in the morning. The city was surprisingly busy considering the time. There were cars zooming through the streets, street lights and shop signs were all lit up, and people were walking around. There was still plenty of room to move, but it was way bigger than my small hometown. Back at home, 2 AM meant everyone was asleep, or at least supposed to be. If this is how busy it is at this time, I thought, I can't even imagine what it would be like at a decent hour.
I managed to hail a cab and told the taxi driver the address of the place I needed to go. It was across town, but the hotel I was staying the night in was only a few blocks away from the conference building, so I would be able to walk there in the morning.
The driver drove me to my desired location and I got out of the car, paying him in exact change and dragging my suitcase along with me into the lobby of the fancy hotel. I couldn't believe how intricate the designs and decorations were. I knew it had to be a lot of money to stay here, but my school had granted me this opportunity free of cost due to my high GPA.
I acquired my room key from the man at the front desk and took an elevator up to the second floor. The wallpaper in the hallways was a lovely black and white floral print on the bottom half, while the top half was cream colored. As I walked down the hallway to room 173, I admired the designs on the walls and carpets. Absolutely magnificent.
By the time I had gotten into my room and changed into my sleeping clothes, it was about 4 in the morning. I knew I would have to get at least a few hours of sleep if I was ever going to make it through the presentation. I wanted to sleep, I really did, but I just.. couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the people who would be watching me, waiting for me to mess up. I couldn't stop thinking about my topic and how many of the people there would disagree with it. But most of all, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Cronus. About how he wouldn't be there to calm me down. About how I wouldn't be able to cheer him on at his game. I had only been gone for a few hours, and I missed him already.