What Are Friends For?

“You don’t think it’s weird that I wanted to meet up with you…do you?,” Tyson asked as he flicked on his left blinker to exit the highway. The rundown Ford Ute he drove had a faint weed smell, an aircon system that didn’t work and a missing passenger window that was sealed up with duct tape.

“Nah not really,” Miles lied before taking a hit of his mango flavoured vape. He wasn’t friends with Tyson but they were both good friends of Nick. They only knew each other because of Nick. Miles sighed; he hadn’t seen his mate in ages.

“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about Nick…have you seen him recently? Because I tried to get a hold of him, but he doesn’t pick up his damn phone anymore. I don’t know if he got mugged or if he’s still mad that Bianca tried to make out with me.”

Miles raised an eyebrow. This was a first. Sure, Nick was a shit texter but he always answered phone calls. Miles didn’t know how to respond. He took another hit of his vape before saying something.

“Well I haven’t seen him in person since our last meet up which was, lemme think, 5 months ago…so the end of last year.” Miles replied as he gazed out the window. The sky was overcast; the weatherman predicted it would rain for nine days straight but Miles hadn’t seen or felt one water droplet yet.

“...But he did reply to one of my memes on snapchat a week ago but that’s about it.”

Just then Miles’ phone pinged; it was a notification from Nick himself, he read it but was confused. Tyson glanced at him, “Who is it?”

“…um, it’s Nick…”

“Huh? what'd he say?”

“He said he loves me and he’ll miss me…”

“What the fuck. He wouldn’t say that.”

“I know right, maybe it was for Bianca but he sent it to me by mis-“

Miles never finished his sentence; he was cut short by Tyson cursing profusely. Miles stared at him like a deer in head lights. It took him two extra seconds to process what the message really meant.

“Tell me his location!”

“One second!” Miles shouted back; his heart pounding as his clumsy fingers tapped anxiously at the grimy screen to find out.

“He’s on Roe Highway,” he finally answered as he zoomed in on Nick’s Bitmoji Avatar, “I…I think his on the bridge…”

“Ah shit! that motherfucker we gotta stop him!” Tyson cursed as he turned the wheel and spun it so fast he almost ripped it off its hinges. He did a full one-eighty as he sped through four lanes of traffic and over the concrete island to get to the other side of the freeway; they had to get back to the bridge. Miles gripped onto the roof handle for dear life. In that moment he was more fearful for his own life than anyone else’s.

Tyson swerved in and out of traffic like a madman; both boys knew what was at stake.

Miles glanced up at the sky; only now did it decide to rain. Huge water droplets splattered against the windshield.

“ShitshitSHIT” Tyson cursed as he hunched over the wheel trying his best to see beyond the obstruction; his window wipers didn’t work either.

“I’m gonna need you to stick your head out the window and tell me where to drive.”

Miles peered out the window as the freezing rain soaked through his hair and ran down his face. He gave clear, short instructions for Tyson to follow. Together they were able to navigate their way to the bridge.

They were just 500 metres away from the bridge when the rain started plummeting down harder than before. Miles’ eyes widened with fear when he saw the familiar figure facing the bridge; Nick was about to climb the slippery railing.

“NICK WAIT! NICK! NICK JUST WAIT!” He shouted in a frenzied panic; He waved both arms in the air frantically in the hope that Nick would see him.

Nick leaned over the railing. He wished he could cry out all the pain he had been suppressing but he had been numb for too long. He stared at the lanes of traffic beneath him. The bridge was high enough for him to die on impact. A sinister voice inside his head kept demanding he jump but another voice, a gentle more soothing voice kept saying to wait, just wait. Maybe it was his delusional hope or maybe he really did hear it. Suddenly, the voice grew louder; it wasn’t whispering inside his head anymore it was screaming out his name. It sounded so real. Was this voice a figment of his imagination? Nick slowly turned around to find out.

His eyes widened with recognition; it was Miles in Tyson’s car who had been calling his name. It wasn’t all in his head. His friends were here; they found him. A tear trickled down his cheek as he smiled in disbelief. That very tear was the first he’d shed since the end of last year. The car was speeding towards him at a dangerous speed, Miles shouted at Tyson to break, Tyson slammed his foot down but the car skidded off the road and crash-landed into the railing. Nick looked on horrified at what he’d just witnessed. Time seemed to slow down; smoke filled the air. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he ran towards the wreckage.