*You have three new messages* *Thursday, 6:25 pm.* *Uh, hey. It�s me, JC. Uh, I�m really sorry about everything that�s happened. I-I didn�t want this to happen. Call me. I�m sorry.* *Thursday, 7:49 pm.* *Hey man. It�s Justin. JC called me. Great thing what you did to him. It�s a shame you didn�t kill him. Oh yeah, it wasn�t me who called Lance. So, uh, call me later!* *Thursday, 8:12 pm.* *Hey, it�s Joey. Lance told me everything that happened. Damn, I�m really sorry man. Call me when you get this, I�d really like to talk. Sorry again.* *End of messages.*
�Sorry, but I�m not calling anyone,� he said to himself.
He got up and turned on the stereo. Hard rock poured out of the speakers and he turned it up to an almost glass shattering volume. He danced to the new wall and opened a can of paint.
�Fuck the world!� he screamed at the top of his lungs with the music.
The next morning he woke up on the couch to see Justin peering down at him. He jumped and sat up.
�Are you trying to give me a heart attack?�
�Maybe. What�s up with your clothes?�
He looked down to see his shirt and pants almost completely covered in the paint he used for the wall. He smiled.
�Did a little more renovation. Why are you here?�
�JC decided he was going to come over to my house at friggin four o damn clock in the morning to give me a letter for you.�
�Why couldn�t he give it to me himself?�
�He�s scared of you.�
�Good.�
He smiled. �Anyway, here you go. I have some stuff to do. I�ll see you later,� he said handing him the letter.
�Bye.�
He opened the letter to see JC�s perfect handwriting and he rolled his eyes. Anal retentive.
Chris,
I can begin to explain how truly sorry I am about what has taken place in the past few days. When I came to your house to fix your wall I was planning on telling you, but I got scared. You seemed to be doing so well; I didn�t want to make things worse than they had to be. So, let me begin by explaining how we came to be so close.
A week after you were institutionalized I called her to explain the situation. We arranged to have lunch to get together all the details of her going to see you. You must understand that she was truly upset that you all broke up; no matter how stupid you think that sounds. After dinner we went back to my house, after quite a few drinks I might add, and...Well, use your imagination. When I woke up the next morning I felt absolutely terrible because I knew I had betrayed you.
We didn�t talk for two weeks, but then she came back to tell me what happened when she went to see you. Then, of course, we talked about that night. I didn�t realize how I felt for her. You know what happened after that.
I am so sorry. I never intended for this to happen. Please find it in your heart to forgive me: your friend of seven years. Your friend who�s been here for you when things were bad. Your friend who would do anything for you. I don�t want to lose you because of this. Please talk to me and let me apologize to you in person. I hate being reduced to this. I am so sorry.
Your Friend,
JC
He rolled his eyes and crumpled the paper into a ball. He turned on his fireplace and threw it into the flames. He watched it turn black and turn into ashes before he finally turned off the fire and left the room.
The night always seemed to bring back the bad memories. On this night Chris couldn�t stop thinking about making love to her and if JC was any better.
�Of course he is. If he wasn�t she�d come back to me, or go to someone else,� he said angrily to himself.
He got up and looked out the window in an attempt to clear his head. The rain pelted the window and he thought of how things were before any of this happened. So happy.
How could she do this to me? She told me she loved me. I was stupid to believe her. But JC? She never really liked him. At least that�s what she told me. Maybe they�re both lying to me and they�ve really been screwing since before she broke up with me. Maybe he�s the reason she did it.
I shouldn�t be thinking about this. I�m with Crystal now. Ah, Crystal� She would never do this to me. I can trust her. Do I love her?....... Yes, I do. I want to be with her for the rest of my life. I love her.
�Chris?�
�Yeah?�
�It�s Margaret,� she said through the receiver.
�Oh, hi! Is anything wrong?�
�Oh no. I just thought I�d call to tell you that we�re all getting out next week.�
�All of you?�
�Well, like I told you before, I can leave whenever I want. David�s family let him out today, but he�s staying until next week when Crystal and Kandi get out.�
�Oh my God. This is great! We are going to celebrate big time. Hmm� I�m thinking a keg, hard liquor, marijuana� All night long!�
�It better be good. And if there�s not a keg there like you just promised, I�m afraid I�m going to have to kick your ass.�
�Don�t worry, there�ll be a keg.�
�Great. Well, we get out Friday at noon. We�re going to need directions.�
�Do you have a piece of paper on you?�
�You know it.�