Page 21 of False Start
I catch a smirk from just a sliver of their face. “You’re from here, right?”
“Yup. Spent my whole life in this place before college.” My fingers tuck into the fabric of my pockets awkwardly. “What about you?”
“I moved here two years ago. Didn’t really mean to.” They shrug, opening the front door to their house.
A cat nearly the size of a golden retriever greets us, their fur dramatic like a lion and a beautiful charcoal gray.
“Oh my God. I’m in love.” I drop to my knees, and the kitty doesn’t hesitate, brushing up against me and nudging me with their head.
“That’s Tolkien.” Kade introduces us, the name quite fitting for such a majestic creature.
“How did I ever live without you, sweet kitty?” I’m on the ground now, fully embracing my cat lady moment and letting a forty pound cat make biscuits on my chest.
He runs off once he hears Kade pouring food into his bowl, and I’m equal parts disappointed and relieved to not look so insanely obsessed. “Did you say you didn’t mean to move to Devil Town?” I backtrack to our earlier conversation.
Kade scratches the back of their head, scrunching their nose in thought. “It wasn’t supposed to be permanent. My aunt died and left me on her estate, and when I came to clean up and sell the house, I realized it was probably going to be my only shot at owning property in this lifetime. Devil Town’s cost of living is manageable, so I went back to Maine for my shit and made this place home.”
Had I been drinking something, I would’ve spit it out. “You moved from Maine to Devil Town? Incredible.” I laugh, shaking my head.
And then I remember that my parents immigrated from an entirely different continent… forDevil Town. Well, the research facility at the edge of town, but the point remained the same.
“It’s not that bad here.” They shrug. “But I get it. I’d only been here a handful of times to visit my aunt. You grew up here—hometown blues and shit.”
“Something like that,” I agree, deciding for once not to trauma dump and word vomit my entire twenty-two year history with this town.
The truth is, this place is the cemetery that holds every mistake I made. This town is made from the bones of all my traumas and injuries and they’re somehow all locked in a coffin that had once been metaphorical, but now, with Lonnie gone, seems far too real.
“You okay?” Kade asks, as if my face reflects how I feel.
I nod, searching for comfort in any way possible and giving the cat another head scratch as he eats from his bowl.
“I have to confess why I asked you out.” Their tone sobers as they sit on a blue suede couch.
I tilt my head in curiosity.
“I’ve been…” Kade starts fidgeting with their fingers as they avoid my gaze. “I’ve been really lost since Lonnie. I know you really knew them well and… I just… I don’t know. You showed up,and being close to you is kind of like being close to them again. That probably doesn’t make sense.” They finally look up, tears streaming down their eyes. “I lost my sister not even two years ago, and now Lonnie. It isn’t fair.”
“Kade.” It’s barely a whisper as I sit down, embracing them in a tight squeeze. K drops their head tomy chest, a hearty sob exploding as they shake in my hold.
Grief is like that.
It can be the sticky glue that holds us together as much as it can be a searing hot knife that divides.
9
HARVEY
I’m only ten minutes late to my shift when I clock in, but it doesn’t matter. Nobody here gives a fuck, just as long as the bar is prepped before the rush starts. Freddy’s is the only bar in town with a pool table and arcade machines, which means anyone drinking ends up here at some point in the night.
By nine, I’ve already got all my garnishes cut and separated, my glasses cleaned and cooling in the fridge. I’m zoned out, listening to one of my usuals tell a story about his wife’s casserole, when the bar starts filling up. That’s when I see them.
It’s never unusual to see my skate family here. In fact, it usually makes my nights better, because it means I can get away with fucking off and drinking with them. What I don’t expect is to see K-Otic pulling Nia-Death by the hand as they look for a table in my bar.
She’s all smiles until her eyes drift to where I stand. She stumbles back, freezing in place before K gets her attention and pulls her toward a table. Nia’s head turns, her gaze staying locked on mine until they take a seat. She shakesher head like she’s trying to clear me from her thoughts, and it’s only slightly amusing.
Because same.
Somewhere, in another life, maybe one where we hadn’t lost Lonnie, their presence might have bridged the gap. Maybe Lonniewasright. Maybe Nia and I would have been best fucking friends if they were still here, maybe even more.
