Page 2 of My Best Friend Is Broken

Liam sat up. He leaned over and ruffled my hair. “You’d know.”

I chuckled and shoved him off. I wasn’t gay, and neither was he, but we teased each other about it often. We were both confident enough to take it. Besides, I knew Liam wouldn’t care if I was gay. He’d still be my friend.

When we were in year nine, Liam told everyone that Callum Stevenson was sound, and just like that, overnight, everyone stopped bullying the poor kid.

“You coming to the pub later?” he said.

“Nah, I’ve got to help my mum finish unpacking.”

Liam took another swig of his beer. A big one this time. His head tipped all the way back, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. He finished and stared at the sluggish river.

“Your new place is more of a shithole than your last one.”

“Like your place is the Ritz.”

He shrugged. “It’s not my place. It is my bitch of a stepmom’s. When I get my own place, it is going to be sweet.”

I didn’t doubt it. I couldn’t wait to see it. I’d move right in with him if he’d let me.

“I’m freezing my ass off,” Liam suddenly declared as he got to his feet. “And it’s about to piss down.”

I looked up at him and quickly scrambled ‌to a standing position. I was freezing too. My fingers had gone numb. But it was worth it to hang out with Liam. I would have happily sat under the underpass with him all night.

He clasped my shoulder in a strong, manly grip. “See you Monday.”

I nodded.

“Unless you want to come over on Sunday?” he asked.

My nods turned frantic and jerky. “Um… maybe!” I blurted. I wanted that more than anything, but nobody could ever know. I wanted everyone to think I was cool, especially Liam.

Liam grinned, eyes bright in the dark. “Alright, let me know, Nicky.”

“Alright, dufus,” I said as I ruffled his hair while he pretended to try to duck away.

He grinned at me one last time, and then he was gone.

It was early the next morning when Amy pounded on the front door. Mum answered and then yelled up the stairs for me to come down.

I could hear Amy crying, so I ran downstairs in my boxers. She was our neighbor now, and I was glad she could run to us for safety.

“Have you heard?” she sobbed as soon as she saw me.

The look in her eyes was something I had never seen before, in anybody. I knew right away she wasn’t here because of a burst pipe or an escaped dog, or because her mom was having another episode.

My heart sank, and my blood ran cold. I shook my head.

“There has been a terrible accident,” she wailed.

Mum pulled her into a hug. Amy cried while I stood frozen in dread. I’d known Amy since the first day of school. She was in the same year as Liam and me. We knew all the same people. Gotten up to all sorts together. Amy was tough. I had never seen her like this. Not even when her granddad died.

Eventually she pulled away from Mum.

“Sam, Liam and Olivia were in Sam’s car. I don’t know what must of happened, Sam must have got too drunk or something, because Liam was driving.”

My heart stopped. I felt it. It beat one last time and then simply froze. Silent and motionless in my chest.

Dimly, I was aware that Sam was her boyfriend and Olivia was her best friend. But selfishly, at that moment, there was only one name I was waiting to hear about. One name only that I cared for.