25: Four

Tick.

Tok.

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"I am so bored!!!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Nate. Go study or something? Is Emma doing anything?"

"She had a doctor's appointment so she's probably asleep."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"I'm gonna go on a walk."

"This late?"

"Don't worry, if someone tries to beat me up, I'll be able to fend them off with these weapons."

I show my mom my fists and throw a few air jabs her way before walking over to the closet to grab a jacket from soccer from when I was younger. I remember my mom got me a few sizes big, and even now, it's still too big for me. The arms are long.

"Well, be safe…"

"Bye Mom!"

"Love you!"

I walked down the street with my arms in my pocket.

It was cold even though summer was coming up. It's a month off of graduation, so we only have 1 week left of school. As seniors we get out early, it gives us time to finish signing up for colleges and to get jobs.

As I walked, I noticed I was walking in a similar direction. I had turned up at Marc's door.

I knocked on Marc's door.

"Open up buddy!"

He opens the door. He was in a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top. He clearly was not going outside.

"Nate, do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, 20 from sunset. Let's go on a walk."

"… Sure… let me get dressed, it's cold."

As we walked away from Marc's house, I felt the chilly summer night air and took a long breath in, almost being able to see my breath.

"So Marc… graduation."

"Yup, a month away."

We walk in silence for a little bit as we reach the lake.

"So Marc… the reason I called you out here is because… I'm not sure of my future."

"Your future?"

"Yes… I have to make a decision."

"Hey Nate, I would love to help, but that's not something I can decide for you, "

He stops walking and jabs two fingers into my chest.

"That's something you've gotta decide for yourself, Nate."

"I don't know."

"Nate. You know."

"I don't… I- I" I was stammering and stuttering throughout my sentence.

"Nate. Listen to me. You. Know!"

"Marc…"

"Nate, what have you been spending months doing?"

"Painting."

"What do you want to do every day after school?"

"Paint."

"What have you been seeing everywhere?"

"Paint!"

"Now let me ask you? What have you been ignoring all this time?"

"Painting…"

"That's right."

He did a fast sharp jab near my heart.

"It was inside of you Nate. Don't squander your talent. Use it. I've seen you paint. I've seen you in front of that canvas."

He pointed at the sky. It was a flurry of blue, yellow, pink and green.

"Nate, look at that sky? What do you see?"

"Colors."

"That's because you're a painter! You're an artist! You don't see a sunset. You see a canvas."

He was right. I didn't see the normal sky like I used to. I saw paint. I saw layers and layers and layers of color. Thick and thin layers of color overlapping to create new colors.

"Marc… what are you doing with your future?"

"Me? Heh, I'm gonna live. Take an easy university major, get a job, and start a family."

"With your girlfriend?"

"I'm not dating anyone right now, but I plan on kids. I know my Emma will come." I blush.

"Yeah…"

"Y'know Nate, you really got lucky. You found your soulmate. Not only that, she's drop dead gorgeous and an amazing person."He puts his hand on my shoulder "I'm proud of you."

"Marc…"

"You've grown up Nate. It's about time I do the same. For a long time, I only looked at you as weak. Frail, emotionally and physically. But after this year, you've grown."

"Y'know I'm the one who invited you out to talk, and surprisingly, you've done most of the talking."

"Heh, that's funny."

"Yeah. It is."

We both burst into laughter, as the night fell upon us, we stood at the lake. feeling the cool summer air and the wind from the lakefront, we stood there; arm over each other.

Like brothers.

Best friends.

* * *

"Teach!"

I rushed into Mr. Smith's room. It was a few minutes after school ended, after I had dropped my things off in the art room.

"Yes, Nate?"

"I did it!"

He looked at the sheet in my hand and smiled.

"I see."

I handed him the sheet of paper and he read it over.

"An art school?"

"Yes Sir!"

"That will be a challenge."

"I'm prepared!"

"Can you afford it?"

"I will do whatever I can!"

"Do you think you will get in?"

"I am confident in my own abilities."

He looked up at me. Then, he stuck out his hand initiating a hand shake.

"I'm proud of you, Nate. You have come a long way."

"Thank you, Mr Smith."

"Good luck Nate. I will see you in the future, I hope one day I will see you in an art museum."

"Right!"

I left that room with a smile ear to ear.

Finally!

It had been so long since everything was good.

Everything was going perfect for me.

I was so happy.

' * * * '

"2 weeks, heh."

I took a long sigh as I laid down on my bed.

I wonder…

The air was chilly and stagnant.

"I wonder what Nate is doing…"

I looked at my phone and hovered my finger over the call button.

Press it…

I attempted to press it and failed.

My hand was shaking…

"I must be cold."

I put on a blanket and even then, I was still shaking.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my phone with both hands.

"Here we go!"

Beep.

Brrring! Brring! Brrring! Brring!

"Hey!"

"Hi Nate…"

"Are you okay?"

"Huh, yeah, yeah. I'm okay…"

"Oh… then…why are you calling?"

"I just… wanted to hear your voice.

"Oh…" He laughed.

"So… what are you doing?"

"I just finished walking with Marc. How about you?"

"Oh, that sounds fun. You should've invited me. I'm just laying down."

"O-Okay… next time."

Will there be a next time?

"Nate…"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna… do something when we graduate?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, just something. Y'know to get away. Just the two of us."

"Yeah… Yeah, yeah, okay."

"Great."

"Great."

"Anything in mind?"

I thought to myself.

"You pick."

"How about the mountains? We can catch a train that will take us there. Get a hotel room, and just spend some time in nature."

"Mountains? Okay. Sure, that could be fun."

"Okay… mountains it is."

"Nate…"

"Yeah?"

"I…"

"Yeah?"

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See ya…"

"Yeah."

I hung up.

"Stupid…"

Why can't I say it?

I rolled over in bed, hiding my face in a pillow.

"Graduation…"

I rolled over again.

"Surgery…"

I suddenly got warm.

"Nate…"

I felt a few tears roll out of my eyes and wet the pillow next to my face.

"I miss you…"

Suddenly my mom opens the door, "Are you talking to someone?"

"N-no."

"Okay… keep it down. You don't want dad getting mad."

"Y-yeah…"

She closed the door and I could hear my step dad call her name.

"The mountains…"

I squeezed my legs together and wrapped myself in my blanket.

"2 weeks…"

' * * * '

I put my phone in my pocket after the call with Emma.

"Mountains…"

I felt the cold air from the lake brushing on my face.

"4 weeks, heh…"

I stood firm in front of the lake.

That was when I made a decision. A decision that had a timer on it.

"In 4 weeks… I will say it. I will tell Emma that I love her."

My face got warm, and I no longer felt the lake.

Four weeks…

Four weeks…

Twenty-eight days…

Six hundred and seventy two hours…

Forty thousand, three hundred and twenty minutes…

Two million, four hundred nineteen thousand and two hundred seconds.

One month…

Four weeks.