Please check my profile for previous part's; their quite old as I haven't been very active recently...
The figure greeting Devyn with such careless style was garbed in a white long-sleeve, one sleeve torn away to reveal a rainbow-coloured tattoo curling its way up his left arm. The electric patterns and spirals seemed to fit him too well to be the work of a mere tattooist; they were more like a vibrant growth sharing, or perhaps even setting, the mindset of their host.
Cecil flicked up Devyn’s board with his foot, snatching it out of the air.
No longer wearing the toga Devyn had last seen him in, Cecil was now in faded demin jeans haphazardly dyed blue, held around his skinny waist by a snakeskin belt.
His ponytail of blonde hair swayed in the breeze, capping a carelessly handsome face. One eye was hidden behind a disconcerting oily contact, the other its normal muddy brown.
Devyn sighed, accepting the board. Cecil was one of those people that grew old without growing up. His inner child had never left, a cheeky leech imbedded firmly inside his mind. A dramo from way back, Cecil had stayed by Devyn until now, and the two were almost brothers.
Grinning with teeth far too even to be real, Cecil’s eyes danced left and right of Devyn. Devyn always assumed his friend’s fancy dental work was a memento from someone socking him in the mouth, but apparently it was from a rare dental disease. Really rare.
“So, stud, where your date?”
Silence was his only answer, but Cecil was used to oiling conversations.
“Oh man! How many is it now?” His grin was fading in pity, but not by much.
“I’ve… Wow.”
“What?”
“I think I’ve honestly lost count.”
“Dude!” Devyn always found Cecil’s laughter infectious, however inappropriately timed it was. Warming a bit, Devyn fell into step as Cecil swept past him.
“You’ve lost count! Oh man, classic!”
“Oh shut up, as if you’ve ever had a serious relationship.”
“There was… that girl at-“
“That girl? Pretty serious there. That’s a pet name or something?” Devyn was grinning too now; Cecil always had this effect on him.
“Quiet you! That girl at…” He sighed dramatically, “Oh, it doesn’t even matter. And I, good sir,” he added with a dash of dramatic flair, “don’t even care in the slightest. Come on!” Cecil suddenly increased speed, leaving a nonplussed and slightly exasperated Devyn to catch up.
They always came here. It was their spot, the spot. The docks allowed the sunset a stage of half-rotten wood, the front row seats stretching at least 500 feet out to sea. Devyn and Cecil stood perched at the edge, the sun waiting for their applause as it lingered upon its finale. Oddly silent, Cecil gazed out upon the unknown horizon; the two had never lived anywhere else, never even considered it. Others had come and gone, but the two friends had stayed, a pair of ill-matching rocks in the shifting desert of life.
Turning to face Devyn, Cecil broke the thoughtful silence.
“So what’s ya plan now?”
Devyn shrugged.
“Man, you gotta’ do something. Mopping isn’t gonna’ get you anywhere.”
The shore sighed and danced, as turbulent as Devyn’s thoughts.
“I’m… It’s…” He gave up and lapsed in silence. Cecil chuckled for a second, gaze ever upon the horizon.
“Oh yeah!”
“What?”
“Well, two things.’ Cecil said, gaze unwavering, “First, there’s a history seminar at the high school tomorrow, you want to come with?”
“Why would-?”
“It’s about World War 3,” Cecil said, with a hint of indistinguishable sentiment.
Devyn understood. Cecil had lost his grandfather in World War 3.
“Sure, I’ll come,” Devyn said, “So what’s the other thing?”
“I got offered a job by this guy at that, uh, animal place, the, uh…”
“Vet?”
“Nope”
“Pound?”
“Nooo…”
“Zoo?’
“Don’t think so.” Cecil seemed to be enjoying his possibly selective forgetfulness for a moment, despite the annoyance it was generating, “It’s the, uh, care centre, across from the mall. I don’t want it, but I wondered ‘what if good ol’ Dev would?’” He flashed Devyn another grin, “Well, I better get going too, see ya’!” Cecil got out his own board and cruised off, waving. Turning to watch his best friend go, Devyn allowed himself a grin.
Guided back by silver moonlight, Devyn wondered if a job, of all things, might be what he was looking for. Relationships, stupid short failures, had left a hole in his confidence and happiness. Maybe it could be filled, maybe not.
He pondered discussing it over with his parents… parent.
