Chapter Thirteen: Debbie:

There used to be someone who cared about him.

“Have you eaten yet?” she would ask. He turned and looked up. Her face made her look so much older. Wrinkles and crow’s feet all over. It was hard to believe that she was in her twenties. He gave her a blank stare.

“Have you eaten yet?” she asked again.

“Oh,” he said. “Yeah, yeah.” She frowned at him.

“What?” he asked. She didn’t have to say anything. He sighed and dropped his shoulders.

“I will eat something,” he said. “I promise.” Only then did she smile. Her name was Debbie Thatcher. Everyone called her Deb. She was what Americans called the “mom friend”. She looked after everyone. Especially him. He didn’t understand it.

“Why are you so interested in me?” he asked. Deb gave him a little smile.

“You look so lonely,” she said. He wrinkled his nose. All of the girls in their group say that about him. Why did he look so lonely to them? He didn’t feel like it. Saying that out loud did little to convince them.

“Everyone always needs someone,” Deb told him three days after they met. He didn’t want to believe this, but he kept his mouth shut about it. They had a strange friendship. She would always call to check on him. She’d ask if he ate anything or not. Sometimes, her questions annoyed him. Why did she care so much?

“I care about all my friends,” Deb said.

He felt something for her. He couldn’t put a name to it. She got close to him but there wasn’t anything else. Deb already had a boyfriend when they first met. He wasn’t really looking for a relationship anyway. Everything was fine. This worked for him. Deb was determined to stay by his side no matter what. He figured that if he couldn’t get rid of her, he might as well let her do as she pleased.

He remembered the last time they hung up. It was New Year’s Eve. They were looking down at the city. Deb had a lit cigarette clenched between her fingers. That year hadn’t been kind to her. That boyfriend was gone the day after her birthday. She got laid off from her job over the summer. Deb tried to find a new job but not having any luck. Coupled with a string of deaths in her family and the death of her beloved dog, she wished that the year would be over. Still. Deb didn’t let it get her down.

“Maybe next year will be better,” she said. He said nothing. He became the one to listen to all of her problems. Yesterday was the worst. She saw her ex with another woman. She couldn’t bring herself to confront them. As a result, Deb ended up spending New Year’s Eve with her old friend.

“How can you keep smiling like that?” he asked.

“What?” she asked. He sighed and shook his head.

“Never mind,” he said. They looked down at the partying street below. He held up his hand.

“Yes, I ate,” he said. “You saw me eating, remember?” Deb chuckled as she covered her mouth.

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?” she said. He rolled his eyes.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. Usually, she would complain that he should hang out with their group more. Only that night, Deb shrugged her shoulders.

“What about you?” he asked. “What are you doing tomorrow?” Deb shook her head.

“Nothing,” she said. He about did a double take. Still, he didn’t ask. Instead, he looked down at the crowd below. She flicked out her cigarette and looked down at the crowd in time for the countdown.

By midnight, it was the new year. Three months later, the world would go to shit. Where was she now? He had his guesses.