I've got some scattered picture lying on my bedroom floor /
Reminds me of the times we shared /
Makes me wish you were here... /
"What time's it?" Jeff asked Tim as he woke up from having dozed off sitting on one of the curbs on the corner one dark evening. Jeff had objected to coming here every time because it was depressing to sit around where the old gang used to hang out, but it was where they always ended up. Tim went, and like a faithful collie, Jeff always seemed to follow. Besides, where else was there to go?
"What does it matter? Every day's the same, every waking minute's the same as any other," Tim said taking a swig of his liquor wrapped in a paper bag. Jeff didn't say anything, just stared straight ahead. Tim looked over at his now-depressed friend and sighed. "Quarter to ten." He stared ahead along with Jeff and took another drink.
Jeff just sighed and ran his hands through each side of his unwashed curly hair, sliding his fingers through the small knots that were gathering. He sat and listened to the sounds echoing around him; crickets, the Pakistani couple inside bickering about something in their native language, and the occasional splashing of Tim's liquor against the inside of the bottle as he took each drink.
"Fucking guy… fucking wife," Tim started. The argument inside had gotten louder, with an occasional crash. "I hate them so bad, Jeff. You have no idea how much I hate them with my very being. If that bitch so much as ever…" He finished this thought with a growl from his throat. "I'll kill her." He made a gun with his bottle and pretended to shoot across the alley.
Nothing more was said for quite a while. Neither of them had much to say since Tim had convinced Jeff that life was indeed futile. Jeff had always known it, but now that the town was deserted by his friends, the feeling sunk deep into his heart, crushing his spirit. Tonight, though, would be the night that gave new meaning to his newfound pointless existence.
Guess I've learned from my mistakes...
Neither Jeff nor Tim looked up to the sound of shoes padding across the cement until they got close and stopped. Jeff assumed it would just be Nazir, one of the owners of the Cricle A, telling them to get off his property. Tim took the initiative to look up, and was very surprised at what he saw.
"Hey, how's it going?" He said in a half-sweet tone, nodding to the blond girl standing there with her arms crossed in her brown sweater and jeans. Jeff looked up to her also.
"Bee-Bee!" Jeff stood up to his feet, although he didn't know why. He was so surprised to see her out and about. His last image of her was at rehab when he and Tim tried to go visit her. She just sat there in her room, humming, drawing doodles of no particular shape, and seemed to not care if they were there or not. Tim had thrown a fit about it, but Jeff just placidly gave up all hope of her ever returning to normalcy. But still, there she stood in front of them, on the same corner the cops had picked her up those months before.
Story to tell and I am listening...
"How… how are you?"
She shrugged.
"Looks like you're doing better," Tim said, sliding his liquor behind him.
She nodded.
"Wanna come sit down?" Jeff invited. She cracked a small smile and sat on the curb inbetween Tim and Jeff, who sat back down in his spot. "So? How's, how's life? Out of that… place yet?" Tim asked cautiously, a little drunk but still very coherent.
"Gotta go once a week," Bee-Bee answered quietly. "Least till they decide I'm gonna stay 'clean'." She sat with her feet apart and knees together, hands folded. She stared at the ground, a little nervous, but glad to be back.
It's all I've got and I'm giving it up to you...
"You'll be out in no time," Jeff encouraged. No one answered.
"So… what brings you back here? To the place where it all started, the, fuckin, center of all pointless, meaningless life?" Tim asked slowly. She didn't answer right away.
"Tim…" Jeff tried to give Tim a glare, but it just came across as an empty stare.
"I dunno, I guess, there's just, no where else to go, you know?" She looked at Tim, who merely smiled widely and nodded slowly in understanding. After sitting there for a good long while, Jeff and Bee-Bee decided to leave. Tim was staying for who knows how long. Didn't really matter much, though, no one really knew where he went late at night. Jeff assumed he just took the time to think about stuff, as did Jeff, but back at the tent in his parent's garage.
But as he walked with Bee-Bee down the street, he had a feeling he hadn't had for a long time. Not since the night Pony was there…
Would it be alright? Could it be alright?
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SONG: "Scattered" by Green Day
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