"How 'bout one last rehearsal?" Jesse asked walking around Suze's room. She groaned.
"Another one? I guess…"
"Alright…I walk up, and I'm singing-,"
"The Scientist." She finished.
"And then I have in my hands-,"
"A bouquet of white roses, his favorite flowers."
"And I give it to him-,"
"In some way or another."
"Then I reveal that I've got with me-,"
"Some home fried chicken." She said in a southern accent.
"No, no…I've got some ginger snaps, his-,"
"Favorite cookies."
"And some Parmesan and-,"
"Garlic Cheezits, his favorite kind of crackers."
"And then…and then…"
"No and then."
"Yes, there will hopefully be an 'and then'…"
"No and then."
"And then." He said a bit more firmly.
"No and then, I tell you."
"And then, and then."
"No and then."
"And then times…times the biggest number in the entire…world."
"That was kind of weak."
"And then…"
********************
Paul sat near the edge of the cliff, and looked at his watch. It was fifteen after eight. He was very doubtful that anyone was coming. Trust was really an issue he should have addressed, he thought. He got up to his feet slowly and stood at the very edge, holding his arms out beside him. He imagined how happy he'd be when he fell, fell all the way to the bottom and impaled himself on the sharp rocks below. He closed his eyes and took what he thought was his last breath.
"Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry, you don't know how lovely you are…" He turned around when he heard the first lines of his favorite song. He took a step back and scanned the darkness. "I had to find you, tell you I need you, tell you I've set you apart…" It became louder and Paul made out the form of Jesse coming towards him slowly. "Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions, oh let's go back to the start…"
"Nobody said it was easy…" He called out, Jesse singing along. "Oh it's such a shame for us to part, nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be so hard, Oh take me back to the start…" Jesse was a few feet away. "Jesse?" He asked.
"I was just guessing, numbers and figures, pulling the puzzles apart, questions of science, science and progress, don't speak as loud as my heart…" He was now very close to him and pulled out a rose. He smiled as he traced Paul's lips with it. Then he stuck it behind his ear and kissed his cheek. Paul's eyes filled up with tears and he smiled. "And tell me you love me, come back and hold me, I wanna rush to the start…"
"Jesse, I didn't think…"
"Please don't go to suicide." He said quietly, pulling the other boy into his arms. "Come back to me. I'm sorry."
"Ok." His laugh caught in his throat and he began to cry again.
"Look what I've got for you…" He said after a moment. He pulled out his food products from behind his back. "Should we share some, maybe watch the stars for a while?"
"Sounds good to me." Jesse gently kissed all the tear tracks on his face and proceeded to pull him to the ground next to him. "You know, cowboy," Paul said. "This is the coolest thing that's happened to me…ever. I think I'm in love with you."
"Well, I'm in love with you." He answered. The stars twinkled knowingly from above.