The Boardwalk; Saturday Evening
After the talent show, Travis and Kyle had made their way out to the beach and specifically the boardwalk. Travis had wanted to show his friend this place since it was one of those things they didn't have back in KC. Beaches were a lot different then their summers at lakes and rivers before he'd died. They'd mostly been chatting about inane topics and Travis knew they were deliberately keeping away from one specific topic.
"Okay," Travis finally sighed, stopping and turning to face Kyle. "Cate?"
"Travis, come on on, man," Kyle said wearily. "I don't want to talk about Cate."
"No, I bet you want to talk all about her but in the way that you wanna lecture me," Travis guessed, crossing his arms. "Just come out with it, Kyle. What's going on with her? Why didn't she come with you?"
Kyle shook his head and glanced out at the ocean. For awhile, Travis thought he wasn't going to say anything.
"She didn't want to come."
Travis felt his heart clench and his eyes prick painfully. He hated his reactions to Cate even after all this time. It sucked. He couldn't let it go and hearing how easily (even if he knew very well it wasn't easy) she'd done it killed him.
"Why not?" Travis sounded petulant and knew he probably looked it too.
"Travis," Kyle said in exasperation, "one of the last times you guys saw each other before you left, you proposed. She's engaged. She doesn't want you anymore."
Travis hadn't expected Kyle to put it that bluntly. It was probably for the best but it sucked. And it hurt.
"Yes, she does," Travis said weakly. "She just doesn't know it."
"God Travis, you have to stop this," Kyle told him. "You have to. Move on."
"Why should I? Everyone else has already done it for me!" Travis shouted. "You all moved on and expect me to just catch up when I come back! Screw you!"
Kyle flinched and then stared stonily back at Travis. "Yes, it took us oh so long to move on from you dying. No one mourned at all."
"That's not what I meant," Travis replied, frowning. "Everyone just expects me to get it together so quick. I get letters in the mail telling me I'm an abomination. Everything I knew is different and gone! I feel like I'm drowning."
He wanted Cate and he wanted Kyle and he wanted everything back to how it was before he'd died.
"Travis man, it's not gonna happen," Kyle told him gently. "You died. We didn't. You came back and we can't go back. You need to get over it. Get over her. Find someone else."
"Screw you," Travis snapped. "Go to hell."
Kyle didn't seem to take it personally at least. "She's gonna get married whether you like it or not. Don't try and stop it."
"Don't tell me what to do," Travis said heatedly. "I'll do what I want."
Kyle threw his hands up in the air and shook his head. "I give up. I'm going back to the hotel to get my sleep. I can't deal with you right now."
And, with that, Kyle stomped away. Travis didn't follow him. He just sat down on one of the nearby benches and tried to make it evident that he wasn't sulking too hard even if he was. He thought he'd made progress, moved past some things but he hadn't. He still felt alone and lost and completely unprepared for this world.
He'd woken up and sometimes he wondered what things would be like if he hadn't.
[Open place/post after Kyle leaves]
"Okay," Travis finally sighed, stopping and turning to face Kyle. "Cate?"
"Travis, come on on, man," Kyle said wearily. "I don't want to talk about Cate."
"No, I bet you want to talk all about her but in the way that you wanna lecture me," Travis guessed, crossing his arms. "Just come out with it, Kyle. What's going on with her? Why didn't she come with you?"
Kyle shook his head and glanced out at the ocean. For awhile, Travis thought he wasn't going to say anything.
"She didn't want to come."
Travis felt his heart clench and his eyes prick painfully. He hated his reactions to Cate even after all this time. It sucked. He couldn't let it go and hearing how easily (even if he knew very well it wasn't easy) she'd done it killed him.
"Why not?" Travis sounded petulant and knew he probably looked it too.
"Travis," Kyle said in exasperation, "one of the last times you guys saw each other before you left, you proposed. She's engaged. She doesn't want you anymore."
Travis hadn't expected Kyle to put it that bluntly. It was probably for the best but it sucked. And it hurt.
"Yes, she does," Travis said weakly. "She just doesn't know it."
"God Travis, you have to stop this," Kyle told him. "You have to. Move on."
"Why should I? Everyone else has already done it for me!" Travis shouted. "You all moved on and expect me to just catch up when I come back! Screw you!"
Kyle flinched and then stared stonily back at Travis. "Yes, it took us oh so long to move on from you dying. No one mourned at all."
"That's not what I meant," Travis replied, frowning. "Everyone just expects me to get it together so quick. I get letters in the mail telling me I'm an abomination. Everything I knew is different and gone! I feel like I'm drowning."
He wanted Cate and he wanted Kyle and he wanted everything back to how it was before he'd died.
"Travis man, it's not gonna happen," Kyle told him gently. "You died. We didn't. You came back and we can't go back. You need to get over it. Get over her. Find someone else."
"Screw you," Travis snapped. "Go to hell."
Kyle didn't seem to take it personally at least. "She's gonna get married whether you like it or not. Don't try and stop it."
"Don't tell me what to do," Travis said heatedly. "I'll do what I want."
Kyle threw his hands up in the air and shook his head. "I give up. I'm going back to the hotel to get my sleep. I can't deal with you right now."
And, with that, Kyle stomped away. Travis didn't follow him. He just sat down on one of the nearby benches and tried to make it evident that he wasn't sulking too hard even if he was. He thought he'd made progress, moved past some things but he hadn't. He still felt alone and lost and completely unprepared for this world.
He'd woken up and sometimes he wondered what things would be like if he hadn't.
[Open place/post after Kyle leaves]