Skipping Stones - Karlnap

•9|Maybe One Day|9•

Missing You - All Time Low
Talk to Me - Cavetown
Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls
Mirror - Justin Timberlake
—
The sun hangs high in the sky as Sapnap finally reaches the foot of the forest. Turns out riding your bike after having just drunk a bottle of beer with your mother isn't exactly a wise decision. Luckily the sprain in his wrist seems to have gone numb the tipsier he got, and by the time he finds himself between the trees, he forgot he fell in the first place.

He stumbles over branches and tree roots until he reaches the creek. To his surprise, Karl's already there. And he glances up as Sapnap steps on the grass and twigs and nearly falls into the creek. He shoots up to his feet.

"Sapnap!" He glances up at the sky. "You're here early."

"Karl." Sapnap walks slowly across the log, quickly losing his balance and falling into the water.

"Are you drunk?" Karl asks as he pulls him to the other side. The moment Sapnap is back on his feet, he engulfs the younger boy into a rather tight hug with no clear intention of letting go.

Sapnap doesn't have a firm grasp of his thoughts. It's as if his mind is a simple fog. He doesn't even know why he's there. He was drinking with his mother when his feet suddenly shot up and started walking him right to where he stands now. However, as Karl wraps his arms around him, it becomes a bit clearer. Aside from the chills from the water, he finds himself warmed up in the arms of a close friend.

"Karl, I'm a failure," He whispers softly.

"Ah don't say that," Karl replies, rubbing circles on his back. "Failure's subjective."

Sapnap doesn't know why, but he starts crying. Random tears force their way down his face as he shakes in the other's arms. Apparently, alcohol for him doesn't work the same way it does in the movies. It doesn't drown away his sorrows. It amplifies them.

Every single mistake, failure, and let down he has ever committed floods back, overwhelming him like the walls to the Hoover Dam just collapsed. How he dropped out of college, refuses to move away, can't hold a job. It seems he disappoints every single person he knows. Everyone except for Karl, who enjoys his company. Seems to, anyway.

"Sapnap, what happened?" Asks Karl gently.

"I'm a failure, Karl," Sapnap cries into his shoulder. "I can't hold on to anything."

"Just hold on to me then." Karl pulls the boy closer.

After several quiet moments, Sapnap mumbles, "I got fired today."

"Ohh," Karl says slowly, "Schlatt sucks anyway. You can get a new job."

"I needed that job. I let everyone down again."

"You haven't let me down. Sapnap, you're worth far more than just a minimum wage job."

"No, I'm not," Sapnap replies, further digging his face into the other boy's shoulder. "I'm replaceable."

"Schlatt says that to everyone, Sap. He said that to me when I quit."

"But you're so special. I'm not," Sapnap replies, pulling himself away to get a better look at the boy before him. Even in an intoxicated state where everything looks distorted and not right, Karl's still the same lovely person Sapnap sees even when he's sober. Indie eyes, soft waves of brunet hair. He even notices a few freckles. Despite being able to pick apart his appearance down to a single freckle, he doesn't quite catch the surprised look on Karl's face.

"I'm not that special," Karl says.

"You are, though. You're-You're so special," Sapnap replies, gazing up at the trees as they sway by. However, they look to be melding together and tearing apart. It looks like slime or taffy. He doesn't remember which.