When Gracie Met The Grump

“Since I’m on a roll with the dumb questions, I was wondering if maybe there was some kind of call or noise or something you could make to get The Primordial or The Centurion’s attention.” His laugh was louder than the rain. “What do you think we are? Orcas?”

She was my favorite antihero. She did what she had to do, even if she bitched and complained the whole time.

His laugh healed something in me that I didn’t know I was missing, I guess, and he was still laughing as he said, “Best friends don’t break their best friend’s hearts.”

“Do you really think there’s a future for me without you in it?” he asked that time, enunciating every word, his gaze blazing into mine.

“I get it now. I know why they don’t let you talk on TV.”

“If something happens to me… I hope every person in this building gets a paper cut on their tongue. I’m going to poltergeist them, don’t try and talk me out of it.”

“All I ever wanted was just to have a choice,” I mumbled to myself.

I could have settled for one real friend that I could tell everything to. Just one. I didn’t need a girl gang or a squad. I wanted one person to share this burden with. That wasn’t too much, was it?

One step at a time. For now. Even if it was scary. But that was fucking life, wasn’t it?