fic ][ time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
{Just something. Joshua is an NPC.}
“Hey Raaaandy.”
Randall glanced over his shoulder from where he sat under a tree on the playground. Joshua Graham was wandering over, his hands in his pockets and his curly hair all over the place as it always was. He also had a teasing smirk on his lips that really annoyed Randall. Randall rolled his eyes.
“Don't call me that.”
“Why not?” Joshua plopped down beside Randall and leaned back on his hands, tilting his face up to the sunlight. He was the only twelve year old that Randall knew that didn't care what anyone thought of him, and Randall kind of admired that.
“Because I don't like it,” Randall replied.
“It's your name.”
“No. My name is Randall.”
“Your sisters call you Randy. It's a nickname, right? Just embrace it.”
Randall glanced at his friend again and just shook his head. He and Josh weren't extremely close, but he was one of the only friends Randall had. “Whatever, man. Hey, you hear this yet?” He pulled out his newest mix tape and tossed it into Josh's lap.
“Which one is this? ...you really have some weird taste in music, you know that?”
Randall just laughed. “Yeah, you tell me all the time.”
***
“Raaaandy.”
Randall's brows went up and a smile came across his face. There was a voice he hadn't heard in a really long time, but he'd know it anywhere. “Sup Josh?”
“You mean aside from the cancer? Not a lot.”
“The what?” Randall froze, unsure if he had heard his old friend right.
“Cancer. The Big C they call it.”
He still couldn't believe his ears. Randall's head shook slowly. “Wait...where? When?”
“Oh it's happening now, big guy. In my brain. Use it or lose it, right?”
“It's...in your brain?”
“Okay, not in my brain, but close enough. They're trying to decide if it's worth operating on.”
“Is this some kinda joke?” Randall sat down on his nearby couch.
“I wish. No, it's real. Sucks, doesn't it?”
“And...you called me to tell me you're dying?”
“No, I called to tell you I might be dying. And that you're a piece of shit for never getting up with me when you're home,” Josh said with a sigh.
“Dude, you don't even live there anymore.”
“Oh. Right. Okay, I guess we're both shits. I don't know. Cancer in the brain kinda makes you remember everyone you've ever known and wonder what they're up to. So I called your mom and got your number. But hey, catch me up on your life. Weren't you engaged the last time I saw you?”
Randall sighed and rubbed his face. It was like Josh to ignore the big issue and talk about something else. Randall didn't feel like he could do anything but oblige. “You've definitely missed a lot,” he said. “We split up.”
“She was too hot for you anyway,” Josh laughed.
“You don't have a chance in hell,” Randall laughed back.
“What about the kid?”
“We're sharing the kid.”
“That's good. I'm kinda wishing I'd done the kid and wife thing now. Shame.” That brought a silence over the line, and Randall wasn't sure how to reply. Josh saved him by laughing after a few minutes. “Hey, save the doom and gloom until I'm dead, okay? What else? Anyone new?”
“Yeah,” Randall said slowly, trying to get back on the topic. “There's someone new.”
“Is she hot?”
“Very hot.”
“How does a big dork like you get all the hot girls?”
Randall just laughed again. “You got me.”
“So how about a trip down here with the kid to see me?”
“I think I can arrange that.”
“Good. It'd...it'd be real good to see you,” Josh said, his voice going a bit quieter.
“I'll be there.”
626
“Hey Raaaandy.”
Randall glanced over his shoulder from where he sat under a tree on the playground. Joshua Graham was wandering over, his hands in his pockets and his curly hair all over the place as it always was. He also had a teasing smirk on his lips that really annoyed Randall. Randall rolled his eyes.
“Don't call me that.”
“Why not?” Joshua plopped down beside Randall and leaned back on his hands, tilting his face up to the sunlight. He was the only twelve year old that Randall knew that didn't care what anyone thought of him, and Randall kind of admired that.
“Because I don't like it,” Randall replied.
“It's your name.”
“No. My name is Randall.”
“Your sisters call you Randy. It's a nickname, right? Just embrace it.”
Randall glanced at his friend again and just shook his head. He and Josh weren't extremely close, but he was one of the only friends Randall had. “Whatever, man. Hey, you hear this yet?” He pulled out his newest mix tape and tossed it into Josh's lap.
“Which one is this? ...you really have some weird taste in music, you know that?”
Randall just laughed. “Yeah, you tell me all the time.”
***
“Raaaandy.”
Randall's brows went up and a smile came across his face. There was a voice he hadn't heard in a really long time, but he'd know it anywhere. “Sup Josh?”
“You mean aside from the cancer? Not a lot.”
“The what?” Randall froze, unsure if he had heard his old friend right.
“Cancer. The Big C they call it.”
He still couldn't believe his ears. Randall's head shook slowly. “Wait...where? When?”
“Oh it's happening now, big guy. In my brain. Use it or lose it, right?”
“It's...in your brain?”
“Okay, not in my brain, but close enough. They're trying to decide if it's worth operating on.”
“Is this some kinda joke?” Randall sat down on his nearby couch.
“I wish. No, it's real. Sucks, doesn't it?”
“And...you called me to tell me you're dying?”
“No, I called to tell you I might be dying. And that you're a piece of shit for never getting up with me when you're home,” Josh said with a sigh.
“Dude, you don't even live there anymore.”
“Oh. Right. Okay, I guess we're both shits. I don't know. Cancer in the brain kinda makes you remember everyone you've ever known and wonder what they're up to. So I called your mom and got your number. But hey, catch me up on your life. Weren't you engaged the last time I saw you?”
Randall sighed and rubbed his face. It was like Josh to ignore the big issue and talk about something else. Randall didn't feel like he could do anything but oblige. “You've definitely missed a lot,” he said. “We split up.”
“She was too hot for you anyway,” Josh laughed.
“You don't have a chance in hell,” Randall laughed back.
“What about the kid?”
“We're sharing the kid.”
“That's good. I'm kinda wishing I'd done the kid and wife thing now. Shame.” That brought a silence over the line, and Randall wasn't sure how to reply. Josh saved him by laughing after a few minutes. “Hey, save the doom and gloom until I'm dead, okay? What else? Anyone new?”
“Yeah,” Randall said slowly, trying to get back on the topic. “There's someone new.”
“Is she hot?”
“Very hot.”
“How does a big dork like you get all the hot girls?”
Randall just laughed again. “You got me.”
“So how about a trip down here with the kid to see me?”
“I think I can arrange that.”
“Good. It'd...it'd be real good to see you,” Josh said, his voice going a bit quieter.
“I'll be there.”
626