"Catharsis" - A short story

by Yewande Olumide & Natalia Osuna

The night before, Jason had arrived at his and Nix’s apartment like any typical day. Except this time, he was wasted. Stupid wasted. His mom had called him in the afternoon, apparently she’d been trying to reach him all day. His sister was getting worse, she had said, along with some long explanation. But Jace barely heard anything after “twenty percent chance of survival.” He had gone to the bar to find anything, anything, to relieve the deep aching in his chest.

When Nix saw Jace enter their apartment in full rage, and stumble back to the car, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Nix’s first instinct was to race after his friend, and see how he could dissuade him from driving. But in the bat of an eye, a reluctant Jace was already in the driver’s seat with a foot on the gas pedal.

Pumped by adrenaline and a desire to protect his friend, Nix quickly jumped in the car with Jace. Roaring down a quiet yet dark and narrow road, a drunk Jace was losing control of the vehicle while Nix attempted to take the wheel. By the time he finally gained control, they had managed to swerve off the road onto some grassy area. The next few moments were kind of a blur:

Jace made a sloppy attempt to jerk the wheel away, but Nix held firm. Suddenly, those critical seconds turned into snapshots, almost as if time slowed down. Gaining speed, they headed toward the end of the cliff.

Blink.

Seeing the city lights so close as if they could touch them, even though they were miles away.

Blink.

Jace screaming angrily at Nix.

Blink.

Nix flinging himself over Jace to pull the emergency brake. Tires screeching angrily.

Both friends opened their eyes and time was back to normal. Five feet separated them from death. They were both breathing hard. Nix didn’t even realize he was shaking. Jace, all of sudden more sober, started, “Look man-”

Nix managed to say two words: “Get out.”

Jace turned to him in slight surprise. Nix wouldn’t even look at him. He tried again, “I didn’t mean-”

“I said get out.” His words cut through the silence. Jace exited the car without another word. He walked up to the edge; the drop was a staggering sixty feet with nothing but ocean below, the moonlight bouncing off the soft waves. He suddenly felt nauseous, but not from the alcohol. He heard a car door slam, and turned to find Nix walking to where he was. He still wouldn’t face him, his focus instead on the oceanline. In the dim light it was hard to make out the expression on his face. Jace let out a slow breath and tried for a third time. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Okay.” His voice was neutral.

“Seriously Nix. I’m sorry.”

“I believe you Jace.” Silence. The throbbing in Jace’s head was now at a dull pain, but his stomach was in knots. He groaned, “I need water.”

“Then jump.” Although there wasn’t a trace of malice in Nix’s voice, Jace knew he deserved that just as much.

Two hours later, they were still there. Neither really wanted to go home, let alone get back in the truck. Jace had been sitting against a rock, throwing pebbles into the distance. The effects of the alcohol were wearing off, but he didn’t feel any better. Nix had been snapping twigs that he found around him.

Finally breaking the awkward silence, an exasperated Nix exclaimed “What were you thinking?”

He turned to Jace, not really expecting an answer. To his surprise, Jace turned and met his eyes, which were barely visible in the light of dawn. In front of them were streaks of pink, purple, and gold plastered on the morning sky. Behind sat the parked car in which they had almost died a few hours ago. The tire marks were fading away, yet those few seconds of uncertainty were still aching in their minds. Jason shifted his gaze back to the sun, ever so peeking out from the horizon. His answer was just as bleak as his expression:

“I don’t know.”

Nix scoffed and shook his head. “Clearly. For future reference, just give me a heads up before you suddenly decide to end our lives.”

Jace blew out air. “I said I was sorry, man.”

They were silent for a moment. I mean, what do you say after almost falling off a cliff?

Jace spoke again. “Is the truck okay?”

Nix sighed and glanced back at his old truck. There were scratches, and a dent by the right door, but otherwise still in one piece. “Yeah, it’ll be fine. Might have to change the tires and repaint it, or something.” Despite taking a slight beating, its black paint still glimmered as the sun came out into a new day. Yet the damage that the truck didn’t have could be found in Jace’s broken spirit.

The two friends slowly walked over to the front of the car, and sat down among the weeds and dirt that lay on the hard ground. Looking up for the first time in a while, a calmer Nix admired the view in front of them.

Jason managed to strum up a part of an explanation: “They said her chances of survival are really slim. Something like twenty percent.” He leaned back so he was resting on his arms. Nix followed. Enveloped by nothing but pain, shock, and the chirping birds in the trees around them, the two friends sat in silence for a little longer. If he didn’t say it out loud it wouldn’t feel real, right?

Suddenly, Nix reached an arm over to Jace’s shoulder in a soft manner. “You can’t keep it all inside, you know? Bottling it up won’t do any good.” Nix sighed. “I’m just trying to help, man.”

An upset Jace yanked himself out of his friend’s grasp, and struggled to get on his feet. Pacing from one side of the lookout to the other, he anxiously ran his hands through his blonde hair.

“I mean, what is twenty percent? That’s like a fifth, like two dimes worth.” He suddenly stopped and laughed. It sounded hollow. “Imagine your life being worth two freaking dimes.”

“Twenty percent is still something,” Nix countered.

“Oh yeah?!” Jace kicked a rock. “Twenty percent out of a hundred. You do the math, Phoenix.”

Nix brushed a bit at his full name. “Okay, so the odds aren’t ideal-”

Jace looked at him in disbelief. “Ideal?? You say that like we’re entering the damn lottery, my sister could be dead.”

And there it was. The overbearing truth, the apparent fact that slammed down like a two-hundred-pound weight. They both fell silent, Jace red and breathing hard. Asking the universe “why her?”. It made him crazy, sick even.

“Hey hey hey, look at me.” Said Nix, comforting his friend in any way that he could. “I know you’re hurting… But, you’re not alone, okay?”

Jace was silent for a moment, picking at the grass again.

“Jason.”

That got his attention. Jace sighed and turned his gaze, “Yes, Phoenix?”

“Your fly is open.”

Jace looked at Nix, deciphering whether or not he was actually serious. There was a playful look in Nix’s dark brown eyes. Jace suddenly released a laugh, taken by the insanity of it all, “You’re an idiot.”

“Says the guy who almost drove us off a cliff!” Nix cried, laughing as well.

Jace shook his head. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

Nix leaned back to relax. “Nope.”

Jace followed suit. Wrapped by the comfort of his friend and the sunrise in front, he suddenly didn’t feel as nauseous anymore.