Smiling and Dying ~ Kam

Chapter Ten

Keefe didn't have to turn around to know that it was Tam walking up behind him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Keefe asked softly, not sure whether he was talking about the starry sky or the concrete, five stories below, which would finally end his suffering.

Tam responded simply, "It is. Don't do this."

"You don't get it!" Keefe yelled. "For the past seven years, I've been smiling and dying, these are proof of that!" He held out his bare, scarred wrists. His voice was quieter when he said, "But now? After seven years, it's time for the fake face to come off. It's time for me to stop smiling and to finish dying. I have to do this."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"Tell me again."

Keefe stood in silence for a minute, staring out over the railing of the five story as he gathered his thoughts, before finally saying, "Okay. My dad. My mom. Sophie rejecting me. The kids at school... and Fitz."

"Fitz? Why Fitz?"

"Nevermind. You wouldn't care anyways."

"You don't... like him, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, it would make sense. You'd hate him for getting with me." I do, but not for that reason. "While we're on the topic... is there someone who doesn't like you back?"

Keefe swallowed. "Well, actually, there's this boy... I'm not talking about it. I'd rather die. Speaking of..."

As he took a half-step further towards the rail, Keefe heard running footsteps behind him, then felt Tam's slim arms around Keefe's waist, trying to pull him down from the bench he was standing on.

"You can't," Tam begged. "Please."

"Tam." Keefe turned around and bent his knees until he was almost eye-level with Tam. "Tam, look at me."

Tam tilted his head up, and Keefe kissed him. Keefe had told himself he'd keep it to just one kiss, but he found himself kissing Tam two times, three, four, because oh my god Tam was kissing him back.

Finally, Keefe pulled away. "It's you, Tam. Not Fitz. Not Dex. Not Wylie or Jensi. It was always you."

And with that, he turned and jumped.