Weightless

8

~2009~

John hadn't been to school in over a week.
For a boy his age, it was surprising how much he knew about death.

Everyone dies.

Once you die, you don't come back.

Once you die, you cease to exist.

John eventually returned to school, finally getting to see his best friend again.

John entered his 5th grade classroom.
Everyone turned to look at him.
He dropped his bag down in the back of the classroom, walked over to his desk and sat down.

"What happened to you, Johnnie?", Ade asked. "Ms. Noble and I missed you!"

"Nothing", John replied in a low, solemn voice.

"Oh okay! Hey can I come over this weekend?"

"No."

"Awe why?"

"My mommy's sleeping"

"Awe okay!"

Ms. Noble walked over to John. "I'm so sorry, Johnnie", she said softly, handing him a yellow rose.

"T-Thank you"

She smiled, hugged him and started teaching the class.

~Present~

He never told Adrian.
He doesn't know.

John sat up.
His eyes began to cloud with tears and started to roll down his face.

"John? What's wrong? Is it something I said?"

"No, it's not your fault. I never told you."

"Told me what?"

"My mom. S-She's D-Dead."

Adrian embraced John, holding him tightly.

"John I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"I know, I know. It's not your fault."

After things had calmed down, they both sat at the base of the tree.
A soft breeze shook the branches above their heads, causing dead leaves to fall.

"Ade?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't wanna go home. I hate that place"

"Why don't you move out? You're old enough, aren't you?"

"I stay there for my brother. My mom told me to take care of him, but I don't know if I should anymore"

"Why not?"

"It seems that my brother, Devin is perfectly fine with living with him"

"Him?"

"My 'father'."

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's a sick man, Adrian. He's an abusive person that deserves to burn in hell. He killed my mother, Adrian. She took her own life because of him! And he shows absolutely no remorse what-so-ever! He drinks every single fucking day, I'm surprised his liver hasn't gone out on him! He beats us every day! Look."

John lifted his shirt.

Purple blotches were spread sporadically throughout on his chest.

"Oh my god", Adrian gasped.

John rolled up his right sleeve.

"See this?"

There was a round burn scar on the bottom of his forearm.

"He sure loves his cigars"

"John, I'm so sorry"

"I hate him, Adrian. I'm tired of living like this. I don't want to live anymore. This home. What the fuck is this home? I don't have one. I know my mother loved me, but does my father even care? No. He doesn't. He never cared for me. He never loved me. Instead, he assaulted us. Sometimes I just want to end it- jump off a bridge so I wouldn't have to feel this pain anymore."

John's began to cloud up again.

"Adrian. Help me."

"I will John. I won't let you jump, I won't let you fall. I promise you"

Adrian brought John closer to him. He started to sing softly, while petting John's head.

"Looking back, I see a setting sun, and watch my shadow fade into the floor,
I am left standing on the edge
Wondering how we got this far..."

John tightened his grip around Adrian.

"They left us alone,
The kids in the dark,
To burn out forever,
Or light up a spark,
We come together,
State of the art,
We'll never surrender,
The kids in the dark,
So let the world sing."

Adrian turned his attention to the fading scars on John's forearm.

"What a shame,
Beautiful scars
On critical veins,
Come together,
State of the art,
We'll never surrender,
The kids in the dark,
The kids in the dark."

His voice was smooth and comforting.
He placed his hand on John's and erupted with "You can live with me if you'd like, and you can bring Devin too!"

"Would your parents be fine with that?"

"They wouldn't care. They started neglecting me as soon as I started middle school. They didn't seem to care for me anymore. I could disappear forever and they wouldn't even give a damn!"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be, I don't care about them anymore. I haven't spoken or seen them ever since I was old enough to move out of there"

"So you live alone?"

"Yeah, my grandmother left me her house in her will. She was the only one that loved and cared for me. It's fully paid off too! All I have to pay is water and electricity"

"Haha that's great! Can we go now? I'm getting really tired"

"Sure!"

"And Adrian?"

"Thanks for this, I really do appreciate it"

"Heh it's nothing really, c'mon let's go"

They both stood up and grabbed their belongings.
John looked at his phone to check the time when he noticed something.

5 Missed calls from "Deviinnnn"

20 New messages from"Deviinnnn"

"Shit", John muttered.
"We gotta go, now!"