(Goodbye,)

Jake dropped the gun. "Who is it? Who are you?" he demanded.

(Dude, it's Marco. What's up, man? I come over for Guitar Hero and my best buddy has a gun at his head. What happened?) Marco said, fluttering as an osprey outside his window.

Jake opened it for him. "Demorph. The come with me," he said, sadly. He still felt like he should have pulled… should of pulled the trigger when he had the chance.

What a broken heart can do.

Marco became his cute, loveable (not) (well, ISH) self, and put the gun- tenderly, as if it might explode- into the drawer. The second drawer up on the right- the drawer that would change them all. Not now, but all of them, eventually.

"Come on, man," Marco said gently, guiding Jake through his own home. Up, into his room. Sat him on the bed. He just lay there, looking at the ceiling, with utter despair, with no hope- he had lost so much hope he no longer wanted to live. Thank God for Marco.

"It's on my desk," Jake said in a monotone, no life to his voice. "You can read it. Just don't- don't laugh, or anything, okay?"

"I won't, man," Marco said gently. Then he went to the desk and lifted the piece of folded notebook paper, eyes widening as he read just the first line- Everyone expects love to last forever. Those word's alone made him realize his buddy was in for a major heart break- had already had it.

"Jake," he said. "Jake, man, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" As soon as he said it, he realized how stupid that was. His friend had been ready to kill himself, of course he wasn't okay!

"No," he said. "No." he turned his head. "Did you know?" he asked.

Marco shook his head. "Buddy, none of us knew. None of us. If we did, we would of told you." Jake looked sad again. "Man, you'll be okay. It's okay."

"No," Jake said, getting up and pacing, "No. It's not okay. She lied- It was all a lie. Cassie- the generous, caring one- the one I-," his voice cracked, "The one I- love. She lied. Why, Marco?" He looked at Marco as if he held life's secrets.

"No one knows, man. But I'm here. Don't worry," Marco said.

The door opened. Tom popped in. "Hey, you okay, guys? I heard some noises, didn't sound so hot."

"No, man, we're fine. I got to go, okay, Jake? Don't do anything stupid. I'll come over tomorrow, like, 8:00, okay, man?" Jake nodded.

"See ya, Marco," Tom said, leaving the room.

"Yeah, see ya," Jake said.

Marco left. Jake would be half-way safe, at least, with Tom. He thought.

Marco got home. Only to see-

Blood. On the walls. And his father- his father laying on the floor, eyes closed with a note on his chest.

Marco fell on his knees. No. Not him. Please, not him. Oh, God. No.

There was a gun. He knew it. He had held it not too long ago.

On the second drawer up on the right side.

"Goodbye,"