"Good morning!"
"Hi, good morning."
"How can I hel- oh, you're Dean's friend, right?"
"Excuse me?"
"Pardon me, but you know Dean the author right?"
"Oh right, yes. Yes I do."
"Got'cha, I knew I remembered that blue hair of yours. You meeting Dean here again?"
"Actually I'm just picking up some breakfast for the both of us."
"Oh got'cha, how sweet of you. Is he getting his regular?"
"Yes please."
"Coming right up."
"Thank you."
"So if you don't mind me asking, you must know her too then, right?"
"Know who?"
"That girl over there sitting by herself."
"The one in the hoodie?"
"Yes, exactly. Dean had breakfast with her a few weeks ago and ever since she's been coming in."
"Oh…as a matter of fact I can't say I do."
"Oh okay, no worries. Just being nosy."
"No problem."
"Yeah, I figured i'd ask because when she came in she didn't seem…all there."
"What do you mean?"
"Just really…depressed is the easiest word to use. She's almost a regular now and we usually like to get to know them. But I'd hate to intrude."
"Got'cha…you know what, I'll go talk to her."
"Oh ma'am, you don't have to. I think she'd rather be alone, just look at her."
"No no, we actually have a lot to talk about."
"Uh…alrighty then. I'll call you when your order is ready. What's your name again?"
"Nikki."
"Nikki, got it."
"And what's her name?"
"Rebecca."
"Hey there."
"…"
"Um, excuse me?"
"…c-can I help you?"
"Yeah, um…just wondering if you had time to chat for a bit."
"…do I know you?"
"Probably."
"Uh…no, I don't think so. Sorry, I'm not interested."
"Hmm-mmm, yeah but I am."
"What are you- hey, stop. What are you doing?"
"Just grabbing a seat."
"Yo, I don't want to fucking talk to you. Leave me alone."
"Mmm, I don't think so."
"I'm warning you, I'm not in a good fucking mood. You better leave me the fuck alone or else I'll-"
"Jump on Dean again?"
"I'll…wha-"
"Hmm-mmm."
"What…how did…wait…"
"Mmmm."
"…you're not…wait…"
"You're getting it now."
"…you…Nikki?"
"Yup."
"B-but…how? D-Dean never said that-"
"It doesn't matter what Dean did or didn't say about me."
"H-he….no…"
"Sit down."
"N-no….no I gotta-"
"Sit down Rebecca."
"…no…I…I can't deal with this right now."
"And how the fuck do you think Dean felt? Hm?"
"I…I…"
"Sit down."
"…l-look I…I…"
"Stop."
"…b-but i-"
"Stop."
"…"
"…I'm gonna be straight with you."
"…"
"I don't like you. For no other reason, other than what you kept doing to him."
"…"
"It doesn't matter what he did for you, or what he didn't do the other times. You assaulted him Rebecca."
"…I…I know…"
"And honestly, seeing you crying about it right now is really pissing me off."
"…"
"You are not the victim here."
"…I know…I…I know…I'm s-sorry…"
"What are you apologizing to me for?"
"…I…"
"If you're brave enough to keep pouncing on him, why aren't you brave enough to apologize to him? Hmm?"
"…"
"I'm waiting."
"…"
"Go on. Tell me Rebecca."
"…I…I thought…"
"You thought? You thought what?"
"I…thought…he…he…"
"He liked you? Loved you?"
"…"
"Then you fucking ask him Rebecca. You don't keep jumping on his lap and shoving your tongue down this throat. It doesn't matter what you thought, it matters what you know. And you obviously knew nothing."
"..shut up."
"No, I won't. You need to-"
"Leave me alone…just fucking leave me alone."
"No."
"Just leave me alone you fucking bitch, I don't even fucking know you."
"No. Because if you think you know Dean at all, you know he is not gonna stand up for himself. So I am."
"I know what I did was wrong, you're not fucking telling me anything I don't already know. I feel so fucking god awful about what I did and-"
"Not awful enough to get breakfast in the morning."
"….fuck you…"
"No, fuck you. You really think I don't know what you're doing? You came here hoping to run into him. Right?"
"…no I didn't. I was picking up breakfast for my grandma you fucking-"
"What did you get your grandma? The empty cup or the crumbs on your plate?"
"I…no I-"
"Rebecca."
"Go fuck yourself. Just get the fuck out of here."
"No, I'm not done."
"I don't give a shit, leave me the hell alone."
"What do you think is gonna happen, huh?"
"I don't fucking know so fuck off already."
"What if he doesn't show up to work? Hm? What if you never see him again?"
"I…God, just go away."
"What if I wasn't there to comfort him after what you did?"
"You…h-huh?"
"You heard me."
"…what?"
"Did you know he drove recklessly through traffic to get home? Ran red lights and all? Almost crashed because he couldn't brake hard enough?"
"…Jesus…"
"And when he somehow made it home, he still hurt himself and broke his phone? Busted himself open when he slammed face first into a wall?"
"…Jesus no…"
"What if I wasn't here for him Rebecca?"
"…God…"
"…"
"…God I didn't want to hurt him…I…I thought he…he…"
"…and yet somehow he still forgives you."
"…what?"
"He told me last night. He's hurt, he's mad, but he forgives you."
"…why?"
"Beats the hell out of me."
"…why?"
"And if he somehow can, I guess I can too."
"…what?"
"…look. He's told me a lot about you. He's told me almost everything. As to why he didn't tell you everything about me and him, I don't know."
"…"
"And listen. I'm not gonna apologize for what I've said already. I meant every word of it. And in the pit of my stomach I still resent what you did to him."
"…"
"…but I am sorry about what happened with your father. And your whole situation."
"…"
"And there is something we both have in common."
"…what?"
"We both love him."
"…huh?"
"…he's a good guy. Right?"
"…y-yeah?"
"He's kind, smart, creative, but can be a little awkward nerd from time to time. Right?"
"…yeah."
"And honestly, I can't say you're in the wrong for falling for him too. I know I'd fall in love with a man who was there for me like he was for you."
"…"
"But Rebecca, just please tell me something."
"What?"
"Why…go about it the way you did? Why did you keep…aggressively moving onto him so much?"
"…I just had no idea what I was doing."
"Obviously, but that doesn't justify doing it in the first place. If Dean was being playful and flirty back, which I know he wasn't, sure. Jump on his lap, put on a show for him. But he wasn't, nor would he ever. So why?"
"…I thought…I had to."
"…Rebecca that's a fucking horrible excuse."
"I…know. But…"
"But what?"
"…you said it yourself. He's awkward."
"And?"
"…and…I thought…he…wouldn't ever…try himself…I guess."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He…h-how much do you know?"
"About what?"
"About…the day he came over my house?"
"He told me what happened. He told me how he helped clean you up, bandage your leg, and spent the night."
"…in detail?"
"Yeah, mostly."
"…so even after touching me…stripping me…sleeping on my shoulder…holding me and letting me cry like no one ever has before…some of the things he said…"
"…"
"…he…I thought those things meant he…felt the same about me…"
"…"
"…b-but he wasn't…brave enough to…to…further things…to admit anything…"
"…"
"…and…I got really selfish…I should have just fucking asked him…I should have just fucking asked him…god I almost killed him…"
"…hey."
"…huh?"
"Here, take my hand."
"H-huh?"
"It's alright. Come on."
"…o-okay. Why?"
"…if things were a little different, this conversation could be the entire other way around."
"…"
"But look. I'm gonna explain everything. Why he is the way he is, and why things worked out the way they did."
"…huh?"
"All you pretty much know is he was a virgin, right?"
"Yeah…w-wait, was?"
"Shh. I'm gonna grab my order, I'll be right back."
"…was?"
"So, before we fell asleep, we said we love each other. I woke up before him, and he was sleeping like a bear. I know he hasn't slept this well in a while, so I came here to bring him breakfast."
"Got'cha."
"And then, I noticed you and here we are."
"Yeah."
"…look, I regret the way this started. There was a million and one better ways to talk about this and-"
"No no, it's fine. I…I needed that. It sucked, but I needed that."
"It was unfair for me to just attack like you that. Especially knowing what you've been going through, but I just got really blinded by trying to defend him."
"No no, really. I don't blame you one bit. God only knows what I would have done if the roles were reversed."
"Right."
"Yeah."
"…"
"…"
"You know, it's okay to still feel that way about him."
"Huh?"
"What happened last night doesn't change what Dean did for you. What he means to you."
"…"
"I'm not…telling you to…to…stop loving him."
"…"
"I know once you two have had a nice long conversation like we have, you two can easily get back to normal. Make your awesome stories, play board games and eat pizza with Gigi, and whatever else was normal for you guys."
"…you really think so?"
"Yes, I do."
"…I…I want that so much…but…"
"But what?"
"…you don't…mind?"
"Ofcourse not Rebecca."
"Oh…c-cool. Thank you Nikki, really."
"All I want is that you just…you know. Keep it in your pants."
"Right…yeah. Absolutely."
"Cool."
"…I'm…uh…"
"Hm?"
"…I'm glad he has you Nikki."
"…huh?"
"I'm really glad he has you. He deserves someone like you."
"Oh..uh…"
"After what that one girl put him through…and me…it's about time he found the right person for him."
"That's…that's sweet Rebecca."
"So, if you don't mind. Can you…tell me about you guys? What, like…what's been your story so far?"
"…sure."
"Oh my god, really? He wanted to kiss your belly?"
"Yup! This is just between us girls, he'll die if he knows I told you anything."
"Oh yeah, lips are sealed."
"So then, after that that's when…yeah. I don't think I need to tell you about that part."
"Yeah, probably not."
"Well hey, what about you?"
"Huh?"
"You ever uh…get any action?"
"Oh oh. Uh…once. Back in high school, it sucked."
"Ah, I hear you."
"Yeah. I can't lie, the dominoes kept falling from that night and years later I…fell for Dean pretty hard."
"That's okay, really. I understand now Rebecca, I really do."
"I just…how do I apologize to him? Do I wait for him? Do I go to him first?"
"Mmm. Honestly, I'd say wait for him. But I don't think you have to wait long."
"Really?"
"Really. With last night, I can tell this mountain of burden he's felt and tried to ignore is just completely gone now."
"Right."
"And without all that shit weighing him down, I'm thinking he's gonna be a happier person, and being happier means being more forgiving and understanding and what not."
"Right, right. Cool. Cool."
"So I'm thinking probably tomorrow if or when he goes back to work, I bet he'll come straight to you and want to talk about it. In a very positive or…just not angry way."
"Got'cha. Got'cha. Speaking of, I probably should get going."
"Oh right, ofcourse. Shit, Dean's stuff is probably cold by now."
"I'm off to work. It's been…really nice to meet and talk with you Nikki."
"Yes, same here. Again, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. But I'm glad we are able to work it out Rebecca."
"Please. Call me Becky."
"Hey Josh, good morning."
"Dean? H-hey, good morning."
"You okay? You sound surprised to hear me."
"Nah nah, just don't think you ever called me before your shift started before."
"Right, speaking of. Hate to do this to you, but I'm gonna call in today."
"What? No way."
"Yes sir, sorry to say but yeah."
"You don't….sound sick. You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just feeling a little…worn out."
"Dean, don't need to explain yourself to me at all. You got it, no worries."
"Awesome Josh, thank you."
"You know what, this actually works out. Um…"
"Yeah?"
"Um…fuck…uh…"
"Josh, you alright?"
"Yeah yeah yeah…it's just uh…about the other day…uh…"
"The other day? With the HR lady?"
"Yeah…uh…fuck I don't know how the fuck to say this…"
"Sir…is everything alright?"
"Um…shit. Dean, you know what?"
"…yes?"
"Call out the rest of the week."
"H-huh?!"
"Yeah, use a bunch of those millions of hours you have saved up."
"Uh…but sir I'd rather not."
"I know I know I know. But Dean, look. The HR lady, she…she…"
"What did she say?"
"She said…they're switching up the policy."
"The…what?"
"The…policy. Yeah. The policy."
"On…what?"
"The hours. Can't save them up anymore, we are switching to a 'use them or lose them' thing."
"Oh…shit, really?"
"Yeah, I know. It's stupid and last minute, but that's what's happening."
"I…I hear you. That sucks, but is that really what all of that was about?"
"Yeah…yeah. But I know you and Rebecca have a million you guys never used, and if you stopped showing up we'd be fucked."
"Well…sir just using some sick and vacation time doesn't mean we'd stop showing up."
"I know I know, but with how much you have it'd feel like it."
"Okay…I guess. How much do I have at this point?"
"You have enough, trust me. Don't know the number at the top of my head. But trust me, you have enough. Use them up Dean, please. Use them up."
"You sure?"
"Absolutely man. Use every single one of them up, and it's all paid too. That's a sweet deal, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Cool cool. Well hey, let me go. I'll put everything in for you, don't worry about it. I'll see you next week."
"Um….sure. Yeah, see you next week Josh."
"Take it easy."
"You too."
"Oh shit, you get your phone to work?"
"Barely. Screen is completely fucked, but I could charge it and make a phone call at least."
"Cool, better than nothing. Was that your boss?"
"Yeah, I'm off for the week now."
"The week? You took the whole week off?"
"I didn't want to, he kind of made that decision for me. And- oh, thanks for the coffee by the way."
"Oh yeah sure, no problem. You were saying?"
"Right, but I guess we aren't rolling over sick and vacation hours anymore. Gotta use them or lose them."
"Oh fuck, really?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Well shit, that doesn't sound horrible. How many do you have saved up?"
"Couldn't tell you. But I haven't taken a vacation day in like years and have only called out like a handful of times."
"Dean, you probably have enough hours to last you months."
"Nah, I wouldn't say months. But this is such a shitty time."
"How can having a million paid hours to use up ever be during a shitty time?"
"Well the new comic is just about to start. This is when i'm the busiest."
"Ah, shit. I see what you mean."
"I mean…yeah the timing sucks but it's alright."
"Oh, what's that now?"
"What's what?"
"Look at you not stressing about work."
"Okay, yeah yeah yeah."
"Come on, it's such a nice change of pace. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, you're right."
"Well hey, when you get the chance set something up with Becky. She'd like to see you."
"You got it. What are the chances of you running into her at the cafe?"
"Slim. But I'm glad I did."
"Same here. It's about time you guys met."
"Yeah, I'd say so. Oh, so now that you get the week off, what do you wanna do?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"Obviously. Well anyway I- oh. Hello."
"What's up?"
"Oh. Oh. Oh! Oh!"
"What? What was it?"
"Oh my god! Dean!"
"What?!"
"Look at this! I just got this ad on my phone! Look!"
"What is it?"
"Just look!"
"Okay okay okay. I'm….what is this, a music festival?"
"Yes!"
"What's the big deal about a music festival?"
"…"
"Wha- ow! What was that for?"
"Look at the lineup doofus."
"Okay, alright. Uh…I don't know any of these bands."
"Which ones are you reading?"
"The ones at the bottom."
"Wha-no. Not the bottom, those are the bands no one- Jesus, have you never been to a concert before?"
"I think once."
"Oh my fucking- Dean. The big ones. The headliners."
"Alright. We got…Shinedown on Friday?"
"Yup!"
"And…Offspring on Saturday?"
"Yup yup!"
"…and holy shit, Volbeat on Sunday."
"Yes!"
"Whoa…it's like all of our favorite bands."
"I know! It's so fucking perfect, let's go!"
"Huh?"
"You and me! We'll get weekend passes and camp out up there!"
"Well where is it?"
"I don't know, some race car track or something."
"A race car track? That doesn't sound- oh the speedway?"
"Yeah, that's it!"
"Nikki, that's like a two day drive at minimum."
"So?"
"So? That's a…a…"
"A what?"
"…you know what, that's not a bad idea."
"Oh my god, seriously?!"
"Yeah. Fuck it, let's do it."
"Dean! Oh my God, yay!"
"Alright, alright."
"Oh my god, I'm so excited!"
"One condition."
"Wha- aw. Fuck, don't ruin it."
"No camping. Nearby hotel instead."
"Alright, won't even argue with you."
"Sweet."
"Oh my god, I can't wait. Kiss me. Kiss me kiss me kiss me."
"Okay, okay."
"Mmm."
"…"
"This is going to be so amazing."
"Yeah it is."
"…I love you."
"Love you too."
'Hello. Please leave a message after the-'
'Hello. Please leave a-'
'Hello. Pl-'
"Fuck. I wish I could just text her instead with this damn phone. I'm lucky I can even get a phone call out of it. One more time, I'll try one more time."
"…h-hello?"
"Whoa, hey, oh my god. Uh…Molly?"
"…what do you want? What are you blowing up my phone for?"
"Uh…i-is now a good time?"
"What do you want Dean?"
"I…I…I want to apologize. For everything."
"…huh?"
"I'm calling because…I need to apologize to you. To all of you."
"…is this a joke?"
"No Molly, not at all."
"You're…you're drunk."
"No Molly, this is really me. I know it's been such a long time and-"
"It's been more than a long time."
"Yeah, you're right. You're right, it's been too long."
"You blocked me. You blocked all of us."
"I did. And…I really can't tell you how much I've regretted it."
"…what, are you dying or something?"
"No. No no, Molly. I…I know I'm not giving you any reason to believe anything I'm saying but…please."
"You know, you have a lot of fucking nerve Dean. You think you can just call us on a random Tuesday night and just jump back into our fucking lives? The ones you wanted to leave behind?"
"I…I…"
"Why do you care now Dean? Huh? You didn't care about my graduation. You didn't care about Mom and Dad's anniversary. Oh, and I bet you didn't know Uncle Shane almost died from a heart attack, right?"
"I…no I-"
"You wanted out Dean, you got it. We fought so hard with you to keep you in, but all you did was just call us crazy and skipped out like we meant nothing to you."
"I know I did. But-"
"Actually, if you're wondering, we're still crazy Dean. We're all still fucking lunatics who believe in 'you know who' and think that you-"
"I remember Dawn. I remember her Molly."
"You…what?"
"I remember her now. I remember everything."
"You…you're lying. You're just saying that."
"I'm not. I remember the things she called me. The things she did to me, and the things she made me feel."
"…bullshit."
"I remember the party. The candle. The face of the guy I found her with. I remember it all Molly."
"…r-really?"
"Yes. I remember the way she kept me from you guys. How she kept trying to get rid of you."
"…r-really?"
"Yes. And I remember…the horrible and disgusting way I treated you guys after she died. I…I want to say I'm sorry Molly."
"…"
"I called you first for a reason. I know above all else, I owe you the biggest apology. I know I do."
"…God, why is it so hard to believe you?"
"Because I really don't deserve it Molly. I know I don't. But…can I explain?"
"…yeah. Go ahead."
"…thank you Molly."
"Wait…let me get this straight. So this whole time you literally forced yourself to forget everything about Dawn? It wasn't just you pretending or denying it?"
"Yeah, I did. At the time, it really felt like the only way I could cope and stop hurting so much."
"So…and then now Becky and this Nikki girl…like… made you remember her?"
"Sort of."
"So…that's why you thought we were crazy."
"…yeah. I'm ashamed of it, but yes. I was…in this…full fledged denial about it. Acknowledging her at all meant I'd begin to remember again."
"…that's one hell of a defense mechanism Dean."
"Yeah, that's putting it lightly."
"So…what about the whole…just up and leaving bit?"
"I think I sort of reverted back to the time before I met her. Or something like that. And before I met her, writing and making the comics was what I wanted to do with my life. So…that's why I did."
"Oh…I…I guess that makes sense but it's so fucking weird at the same time."
"It is weird, it is. But since she spent so long convincing me this was stupid, I never talked about it or brought it up when I was with her. So as I forgot everything about her…I forgot I didn't-uh…not want this?"
"Yeah yeah, I hear you."
"But then years later, here we are. I can't guarantee if it wasn't for Becky and Nikki…I'd ever remember. It…it sucks but I'm so glad I did Molly. I would never be able to live with myself if we never talked again."
"…y-yeah."
"So, yeah, there it is. And I can't mean this enough when I say this. I'm sorry Molly. I'm sorry for everything."
"…"
"I'm sorry for picking her over you in the first place. I'm sorry I let her get between us. I'm sorry I hurt all of you. And…I'm sorry it's taken me years to finally wake up and apologize."
"…"
"…Molly?"
"…"
"…M-Molly?"
"…it's okay Dean."
"Huh?"
"It's…it's okay Dean. It's okay."
"…r-really?"
"Yes…yes really. I just can't believe I have my big brother back."
"Y-yeah…Jesus, my God Molly. Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for letting me back in. I'm….i'm fucking quivering right now."
"Don't, you don't have to quiver Dean. You're my big bro, I was always going to welcome you back."
"God, but I wouldn't blame you at all if you didn't. God, I'm sorry I even thought that."
"Okay, you can stop apologizing now."
"Oh..okay. Okay. Sorry. Er…"
"Holy shit, it really is you. You're really back to being Dean the Bean, huh?"
"No no no, come on. Not that again."
"Dean the Bean! Dean the Bean!"
"Come on, you said I apologized enough!"
"Nope, you can never apologize enough to not be Dean The Bean."
"Hey hey, knock it off or I'm telling mom."
"Not if I tell her first."
"Well that's not fair at all, you have like hundreds of miles on me."
"Big whoop."
"Alright alright. I guess I can be Dean the Bean this one time."
"Yay!"
"Now come on, you gotta start filling me in on a couple of things. You gotta boyfriend yet?"
"…maybe?"
"Where you going Dean?"
"I'll be back in a little bit, I'm just gonna go get my phone fixed and stop by the office for a second."
"Got'cha, but why the office?"
"Just gonna grab a couple things I have there for the trip."
"…you're not bringing work shit are you?"
"Nope. I promise, nothing to do with work."
"Alright, if you say so. Bye Dean."
"Bye."
"Hey Alex. Someone propped the front door open, I don't know if you- oh. Alex?
Where is he?
Hello?
Is he on break or something?
Yo! Alex!
Fuck, where is he?
What the hell?
Where's his computer and shit?
Fuck, his whole desk is empty.
This is weird."
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Dean."
"…what?"
"It's me, Dean."
"Uh…one-one second."
"Okay."
"…uh…h-hey Dean."
"Hey Beck."
"…wh-what are you doing here? Josh said you called out."
"I did, but I just had to grab a couple things from my office."
"Oh…o-okay. Uh…"
"You busy?"
"Huh?"
"You busy?"
"Uh…no. No, not really. Why?"
"Well, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to talk for a bit. While I'm here."
"Oh…okay. Sure."
"Here, come to my office."
"Okay."
"Oh, and do you know where Alex is?"
"No, can't say I do. He hasn't come in yet?"
"No, he's not here. The front door was propped open, and his desk was cleared out."
"Fuck, really?"
"Yeah, I'm really worried now."
"Yeah, same here."
"Well what about Josh? Is he here?"
"Yeah, I think so. I think he's up in his office."
"Cool, I'll see him before I leave."
"Okay."
"Alright, you can sit if you want."
"Uh…I'm okay."
"You sure? You don't gotta stand up."
"No no, really. I'm good."
"If you say so."
"Yeah."
"Alright."
"…"
"…"
"…um….Dean I…I…I am…so sorry about…about…yesterday."
"…"
"I…completely violated your trust and…and…I was…being so selfish and disgusting and…and…"
"…"
"And…I…quickly realized I misunderstood almost everything going on…and…I shouldn't have acted or did what I did and…"
"…"
"And….what I did was so wrong and horrible…what I felt or how I feel about you doesn't make it okay and…and…I don't deserve to keep you as a friend and…"
"…"
"And…I know no matter how many times I say how sorry I am…I can never make up for what I did…but…I'll never be able to forgive my self for-"
"Hey."
"H-huh?"
"Hey. Becky."
"…what?"
"…it's okay."
"…what?"
"Like Nikki already said. I forgive you. It's okay."
"…"
"I was more…scared than anything else. At the time, yeah. I felt betrayed and scared and…very mad."
"…"
"But Beck, I'm able to forgive you because…in a way…you helped me."
"…what? How?"
"Well, I know things have been weird and eventful. Between us. But with everything that happened, despite how bad and painful and terrifying and dangerous it was at times…everything somehow turned out for the better."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Moving on from my Ex, starting to fix things between me and my family, and of course Nikki."
"…"
"Sure, things could have gone smoother and differently. But, they didn't. They happened the way they happened, and that's why I'm right here in front of you. Happier than I've ever been."
"…"
"But that includes you Beck."
"Huh?"
"I'm only happier if you're still my friend."
"…really?"
"Of course. I'm ready to move on from this. I'm ready to forgive and forget it, because I much prefer being your friend."
"…Dean."
"I forgive you Becky."
"…"
"How about you give me a hug instead of just standing there crying?"
"…okay."
"Come here."
"…thank you Dean."
"Of course Beck."
"I don't deserve this…"
"Shh shh shh."
"…thank you."
"Oh whoa….am I interrupting something here?"
"Oh Josh, uh…..h-hey."
"Hey there….Dean. And…Rebecca."
"Um…"
"Nope, not gonna ask. Well…about that at least."
"O-okay…uh…what's up?"
"I should be asking you that. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I just needed to grab a couple things from my office here. Me and Nikki are gonna use my time off and head up to music festival."
"No shit? Good for you Dean. Who's Nikki?"
"She's…my…girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? Hey hey hey, good for you Dean."
"Yeah…thanks."
"Alright then, I'll…leave you two to whatever you were doing."
"Oh no wait, Josh."
"Yeah?"
"Where's Alex?"
"Huh?"
"Alex. When I came here just now, the front door was propped open. And he was nowhere to be found, and his desk was completely cleared off. Where is he?"
"Fuck…uh…"
"You don't know?"
"No no…um…"
"Josh…was he fired?"
"…"
"….no fucking way…why?"
"He's not…fired. He's just…uh…suspended."
"…what?"
"He…um…guess they didn't like his…performance or something so…they suspended him."
"…who is 'they'?"
"I don't know. The HR lady and…whoever she responds to."
"Well for how long?"
"They didn't tell me."
"…fuck."
"Yeah, you're telling me. But look…um…Dean."
"Yeah?"
"I came down to double check with Rebecca some of the dates she wants to take off, but while you're here this works out great."
"What is it?"
"You have like…hold on I did the math. You have….if you combine all the sick and vacation hours…you got like six months to take off."
"Fucking hell! Six months!?"
"Yeah man. Think about it. Two weeks vacations per year you never used, and you've been here for a few years, thats a few months by themselves. And then the sick time you get the same amount minus the rogue few days you called out. A few months times two equals a little less than six months."
"Jesus….christ."
"Yeah, Rebecca had seven."
"Wait, how the fuck do you have seven?"
"I dunno."
"Damn, this is insane."
"Yeah, come to think of it maybe the new policy has some logic behind it."
"I guess. This feels like cheating."
"Well come on man, don't be shy about it now. Both of you, use these hours up."
"But Josh, the new project is literally just starting. This is the worst time to take all this time off."
"Honestly, fuck it."
"Wha- fuck it? What do you mean fuck it?"
"Fuck it Dean. Fuck it."
"…what do you-"
"Fuck it Dean. You too Rebecca. Fuck it."
"…Josh what the fuck is-"
"Come on Dean, don't question it. We got half a year to spend, besides. Not like they can do anything without us anyways."
"Yes, exactly Rebecca. That is exactly it. They can do nothing without you two. So that is exactly why to just fuck it. They can wait for you."
"Uh…alright then."
"That a boy Dean. My man."
"Um…thanks Josh."
"No, thank you Dean. Thank you. And thank you too Rebecca."
"Sure thing boss man."
"See you guys later."
"See ya Josh."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…is he in the elevator yet?"
"Yeah, he's gone."
"They fired Alex for sure."
"Shit Becky, I think you're right."
"I mean…can we really say he did his job well?"
"…well…"
"I know we liked him but at the end of the day, would we really trust him to handle a security issue?"
"…I don't think he ever had a chance to try."
"Eh. Fair enough I guess. So, music festival huh?"
"Oh yeah. Nikki saw it on her phone a little bit ago, so it's a spur of the moment thing."
"Sounds cool, hope you guys have fun."
"I'm sure we will. We're gonna drive up tomorrow morning, any later we might miss some of it."
"Cool cool cool. Bring me back a t-shirt."
"You got it. What size? Three X-L?"
"You suck."
"I know. Oh, actually, can I ask a favor?"
"Sure."
"Here, I'm gonna give you my address and door code."
"What….for?"
"If you wouldn't mind, can you just bring my mail and any packages in for me every day?"
"Oh oh oh, sure. Yeah, absolutely."
"Awesome, thanks Becky."
"No problem Dean. Where you off to now?"
"Gotta fix this stupid phone before we go."
"What's wrong with your- holy shit that thing is shattered."
"Yeah. Somehow it's still kind of working, but 'kind of' is nowhere good enough."
"Right."
"How about you?"
"Eh. I might head out myself. Got nothing to do here anyway."
"Will do. Thanks again Becky, I'm glad I got to see you."
"Yeah, same here Dean. Take it easy."
"Fix your phone?"
"Yup, good to go."
"Sweet. So, what's the plan?"
"I was thinking about it, so how about this. You head on home and pack up whatever you need. Come back here tomorrow morning, and we will take my car up to the festival. That way, you can leave your car in my spot while we're gone."
"Sounds good to me."
"Cool."
"You kicking me out now?"
"Huh?"
"I dunno, you told me to 'head on home' and start packing as if it'd take me seventeen hours to pack a few bags."
"Hey hey hey, not fair. You know that's not what I meant."
"I don't know Dean. You seem like you're in a rush all of a sudden. Guess I'll do the adult thing and leave you to your business and-"
"No no no, you ain't going nowhere yet."
"Don't hold me back now Dean. You've made your intentions very clear."
"Uh-uh, I'm not done with you."
"Oh please mister, don't make this harder than it has to be."
"Come on…uh…ma'am?"
"And there goes the role play."
"You can't spring a random 'mister' on me like that."
"What, did you want 'master' instead?"
"Nope, definitely not."
"Ah well, maybe next time."
"Well…"
"Yeah?"
"We…don't have to roleplay right?"
"For…what?"
"For…you know."
"…you wanna do it again?"
"…if you wanna."
"Dean."
"What?"
"Come on. Yes or no."
"…yes."
"Sweet. Wanna try some new things this time?"
"…maybe."
"Hello?"
"Did you discuss it with them yet?"
"I'm sorry, who is this?"
"There is no time for pretending anymore, you know who it is. Did you discuss it with them yet?"
"I…look you gotta-"
"What is so hard about this? Do I have to remind you what is on the line here for you?"
"No, you don't. And do I have to remind you that you have no right to speak to me or anyone like that?"
"Speaking pleasantly has apparently gotten us nowhere, so pardon me for infringing on my own rights of communication."
"You know what, why don't you do it? I'm really struggling to figure out why we are playing this damn game of telephone instead of you just doing it yourself."
"Because at no point was this my responsibility. I have done my part, none of this was necessary a few days ago. But you are the one repeatedly falling short, so you are the one keeping this game alive."
"And now I'm telling you I'm done playing. I can't do it. And I refuse to do it."
"You really want to dedicate yourself to that decision? Just because you 'can't do it?'"
"You know what, maybe separating myself from all of this is for the better. Separating everybody from it honestly sounds like the happier ending."
"Being blacklisted is the happier ending? Your entire name and your fingerprints on everything you've touched getting erased is more desirable to you?"
"Those are empty threats and you know it. You have no power or ability to erase us."
"And you no longer have the power to prevent that. This is not a matter of if, but when. Don't confuse nobility with foolishness."
"Nobility with foolish- alright. Fuck it. I'm done with the big words. Tell me straight bitch. I wanna hear you tell me exactly what the fuck you're gonna do to me if I don't do it."
"Get rid of them or the something we guaranteed you becomes nothing."
"And why the fuck do I have to do it?"
"Because if you can't, then you will prove you are that useless and that worthless to us going forward no matter what."
"I'm already useless and worthless, so why the fuck do you want to get rid of them?"
"Stop asking these questions you already have the answers to! They are done for no matter what, so for the love of God don't sink along with them. That's my final word."
"I'm not done with you! Why won't- he-hello?! Hello?!"
"…"
"Fuck!
Fuck.
God, why in the fuck is this happening?
This doesn't make a single fucking bit of sense, none of this."
"Daddy?"
"Wha- oh. Hey sweetheart."
"Daddy, why are you yelling?"
"I'm…i'm not. I'm not."
"It sounded like you were."
"I wasn't, I promise. Come here honey, come here."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am."
"You sounded mad."
"I…I was a little mad. But it's okay, I'm not mad anymore."
"What were you mad about?"
"Nothing sweetie, nothing."
"Was it about work again?"
"Uh….yeah. Yeah, it was about work again."
"You've been mad about work a lot lately."
"Yeah, I have been. Haven't I?"
"Are we gonna have to move again?"
"No. Definitely not."
"I like my school Daddy. I don't wanna move again."
"We are definitely not moving again. I promise you."
"But last time you were mad about work we had to move."
"I know hon, I know."
"And now we can't see Mommy anymore."
"I…I know but…"
"And I want to know what colors her flowers are."
"I know hon…I know."
"Are you sure we don't have to move again?"
"…yes. Yes I'm sure."
"Daddy?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm…"
"Are you sad?"
"I'm…no, no I'm…happy."
"Happy?"
"Yeah I'm…happy. Because I have you."
"But why are you crying?"
"I…I don't know. It's just weird. Sometimes people cry when they are happy."
"Really?"
"Yeah yeah, really."
"Okay."
"Okay. Come on, let's get you back into bed."
"But i'm not tired."
"That's okay, you will be. You have school tomorrow, you need to go to sleep or else you'll be tired tomorrow instead."
"Okay."
"Okay, there you go. Goodnight sweetie."
"Goodnight Daddy. I love you."
"Love you too."
"Are we still gonna go see Mommy's flowers?"
"Yes we will. It's on my calendar. We will in a couple of weeks, okay?"
"Okay Daddy."
"Okay. Goodnight sweetheart."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…God, what the fuck am I supposed to do?"