scene sixteen - death - year nine

“Have you guys heard about Nathan?”

Confused, they lowered their eyes from the rooftops, taking in the sight of the pale, shaking kid who’d just ran up to their small group around the back of the Arts building—was it Thomas, his name? It might’ve been. They honestly couldn’t keep up with all the lesser members of their group anymore. In any case, he was squealing about something or other to do with… who was Nathan, again? Was…

wait.

They knew exactly who Nathan was.

“What the fuck’s happened to him?” They practically leapt to their feet, storming over to the small kid and grabbing him by the front of his shirt. “Tell me!”

“Over- overdosed, Jey, please- please, let me go- wasn’t- isn’t my fault, I swear- didn’t mean to- didn’t realise you was close to him and all-”

“Fuck.” Releasing the kid, they returned to their previous spot on the bench-like outcropping of the back wall of the Arts building, a sickly sheen blossoming across their face. “Fuck.”