A/N Hiya readers!
Okay we're on the home stretch; it's the penultimate instalment!
And Randys here to tell it.
That year was like a big haze of stretched out silences and pain in my back, the closed look in Marks eyes and the fact when I looked his way I was treated to an impressive view of the back of his head, never really struck me as weird.
How dumb is that?
The fact he went to great lengths to avoid me, never rated on my important scale. Like Lauren does, and school does and hell even peanut butter came before Mark.
And yes if it were anatomically possible I would be kicking myself in the head right now.
We're nearly there, just round this next curve is a big boulder, looks like a dead end straight over the edge, but climb it you'll spot a little track follow that and you come out on little ledge, secluded great view over the whole area, I never asked how the hell Mark found it, it's way off the beaten.
Brads slogging on, I let him for a while, leaning against the coolness of the boulder, thinking watching the leaves of the trees dance.
Before I whistle and call, "Yo Brad back here!"
He turns back to me a little confused before jogging back his eyebrows meeting over his nose.
"Randy, what-?" he starts.
"Climb." I tell him. Swinging myself up onto the first projection of rock, and beginning my own ascent up the face of the of the boulder, it's not high it's not even hard, but on the other side the descending gets a little tougher.
I'm not sure how, but Brad reaches the bottom first landing heavily he waits for me to drop.
I miss a handhold and my hand ricochets down the rock face, splinters of rock scatter down and my chin connects hard with the foothold I'd been using previously, my cheek grazed the rough texture of the boulder face. I felt the blood sep out tot the criss-cross pattern of red lines on my cheek, I yelped and fell backwards I landed on my back with a yelp, Brad knelt beside me.
"You alright?" He enquired, concerned
"Yeah," I answered rubbing my back as I sat up, reaching up to gingerly touch the wound on my face, I winced as my hand came away bloodstained and continued, "My ego though may have something else to say on the matter." I finished smiling wryly.
Brad helped me up and looked around him, "Where'd we go now?" He asked
"This way." I replied leading him along the trail, the twigs and branches were snapped in places; footprints marred the dusty ground and grass on one verge looked disturbed. Someone had been here tonight.
Brad stepped ahead of me, his strides longer than mine would ever be, and broke the cover trees before I did, I saw him start, his back going rigid, before he broke into a full out sprint.
I stood bewildered watching his back race away. He drew up sharply at the edge, holding something. A thing. A someone.
My world stopped turning on it's axis, the wind ceased and my heart stopped beating.
Mark!
I pelted after Brad, drawing up beside him as he set Mark down on the ground.
I knelt over him my heart in my throat, "Marky?" I breathed urgently. I raised my eyes to Brad who stared back at me dumbfounded, "What happened?" I asked
"I saw him on the edge, just frozen, then heā¦stumbled. He'd have gone over Randy. Holy shit!" Brad told me before burying his face in his hands. Hands that shook.
Biting my lip I looked back down at my little brother, his eyes closed, looking so pale, looking so damn young.
And the rain began to fall.
Large raindrops that turned Brads hair a strange mid-grey-blonde colour and turned mine a darker shade of brown and plastered it to my head.
Mark blinked and mumbled shifting underneath my downtrend head until he was nestled against my knee.
I shook him slightly wiping water from his face, "Mark? Wake up buddy." I called into his ear.
Slowly his eyes opened looking into mine, he frowned, "Randy? Are you bleeding?"
I laughed releasing nervous energy in a whoosh that resembled a laugh, I guess, Mark blinked at me confused, "What?"
"Yeah Marky I'm a klutz, scraped it on the boulder." I answered.
I looked away and shook Brads shoulder, "Hey Brad he's alive." Brad looked away and he visibly relaxed.
"Hey it's raining." Mark cried in protest
I looked back and poked him in the chest, "Yeah for awhile my head and shoulders happened to be sheltering you." I informed him.
He smiled, first time I'd seen in months, "Help me up?" He asked
"Sure." As we rose to our feet, Brad following us lightening streaked the sky.
"I'm sorry." Mark said, looking at both Brad and me.
I blinked. What did he have to be sorry for?
*Okay and next time is the last time people. ::Sniff:: Actually pretty relieving ::Grin:: I can work on other stuff again. So please review faithful readers and give me things to make me smile, cuz I just had a horrendous break-up with a rather horrendous guy ::death thoughts at that cheating beast Darren:: Sorry okay the writers back
Later Days People!
