Page 63 - 2021 English Magazine - Final

Don’t do anything stupid, There he is.

now.
By Evonn Kok The setting sun paints the sky in hues of orange and violet, wind ruffling my hair.
Vic is sitting on the slightly elevated ledge of the roof, showing his slouching back to me. I slide
my hands into my pockets and tentatively approach him, scuffing my feet to signal my arrival. He
doesn’t respond. He is wearing nothing but a flimsy shirt and sweatpants. Doesn’t he feel cold?
I clasp his shoulder firmly. “Hey dude, what’s up?”
His voice sounds… tired. Resigned. “Hey, man. Nothing, just chilling.”
I take a seat next to him but keep my back to the drop, unlike him, whose legs are dangling like
they aren’t 50 feet away from the ground. Vic fiddles with a beer can, neither to meet my eyes, nor
initiate conversation. Fine, then.

My eyes drift, admiring the sunset. The dying rays set his brown hair alight.

Beautiful.

I shake my head and ask, “What happened?”
“Where is he?” “Just the usual. Her ordering me around, me not putting up with any of that anymore, same old

same old.”
I sigh and crack open an eye. She’s in a rush, out of breath with a splotchy red face and the mildly Vic takes a long swig of his beer.
unpleasant smell of sweat. “Did you know she even downloaded an app into my phone so that she could see what I was doing
This is going to be annoying. “Who?” whenever?”
“You know who!” A lifeless chuckle.
Marie looks like she’s about to claw my face off with those oh-so-perfectly-done nails of hers. A Well crap, I didn’t know it got this bad.
tangy sweetness floods my tongue as the candy breaks. Had I been biting down on it? I laugh half-heartedly, and say with forced lightness. “That’s why I keep telling you man, just break
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I force an easy-going grin, “What’s up with you two lovebirds?” up with her already.” Shit, shit, shit.
Marie side-eyes me, no doubt contemplating a series of insults. She stonily replies, “We were… Why didn’t you tell me about what she did sooner?
discussing about things,” Her tone turns vicious, “Then he suddenly ended the call as if he has any Vic observes the beer can in his grasp and nonchalantly replies, “I can’t, she’ll go batshit crazy if I

right to do so to me-” even bring it up. You know this.”
There, that slight pause. I couldn’t resist interrupting, “You were discussing?” My hands clench and unclench in my lap. I quietly say, “Do you need my help? We can go to her
I hop up from the old couch, casually twirling the lollipop stick between my fingers. Marie shrinks parents, talk to them about it.”
with every step I take, a complete joke juxtaposed to the unshakeable facade she’s been trying to The can groans pitifully.
maintain. “Nah man, thanks.”
Fool. A shrill ringing pierces my skull, relentlessly. What did you really plan on doing here?
I stop in front of her, murmuring coolly, “Or were you screaming at him again?” Blood wells up from the cuts on his hand and I freeze, holding my breath. My hands move on their
Marie remains silent, her hands curling into tiny little fists. own and pry his fingers away from the crushed aluminium.
I’m right, unsurprisingly. I turn around with a flourish, and make my way out the door. “Okay, I’ll “At least come down from there, yeah?”
go find him. You,” I pause, glancing back. “Find somewhere else to be for a couple of hours. I don’t I barely hear myself say the words.
want to see your face anywhere near this apartment.” A venom-sweet smile curls my lips. Vic finally drags his gaze to me. The purple bags under his sunken eyes look deep, and his eyes are
Marie swears and I flick a vulgar gesture in retaliation as the door swings shut. bloodshot. A chill runs down my spine. He smiles a little.
Wherever Vic is, he couldn’t have gone far, and he’s always had a tendency for high places. Climb-
ing up the stairs made my quads burn, the stick disappearing somewhere in between, but it was “What’s the point?”
nothing compared to the blast of wind greeting me as I throw the doors to the rooftop open.

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