Page 26 of Where the River Meets the Skye

Skye

“Hey, did you get the text from Jenna?” Skye asked, walking out of his room and into the kitchen.

“Um, yeah, I don’t think I can make it,” River replied. He was standing at the bar shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“Why not? You have plans?” River hesitated but then shook his head.

“Okay, why don’t you want to come? You never miss out on game night.”

“I just don’t feel up to it,” River told him, and Skye eyed his friend. He’d been acting off lately and Skye didn't get it. He’d gotten his boot off last week and everything with his ankle was going well. His ribs were better. But he’d been avoiding going to church again and had opted to view it online instead. He’d been missing Bible study after only being back two times. He was being weird.

“Wanna tell me why?”

“Not really,” River retorted, shoveling in another mouthful of food. Skye glared at him and he glared right back.

“Seriously, what the hell is going on with you?” Skye asked. “Now that you can finally get out and do stuff you don’t want to? Come on, Riv, we want you there.”

“Fuck off, Skye,” River almost snarled, slamming his fork down on his plate. Skye’s eyes widened in shock, his face heating. River had never spoken to him like that. And he couldn’t remember him ever using the F bomb. He tolerated it when Skye used it but it just wasn’t him. What the hell was going on? He was pissed, that much was obvious, but Skye didn’t have any idea why. Did he do something wrong?

“Riv?” he asked as calmly as he could manage, “is everything okay?”

He was shocked to see a tear slide down River’s cheek, his demeanor changing in an instant as a look of devastation washed over his features. He pushed his plate aside and rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, sniffling. “I’m just at the end of myself. I didn’t mean to be a jerk. My butt’s been killing me for weeks now and I don’t know what to do.”

“What?” Skye replied, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it hurts to sit. And it hurts to stand back up. Sitting in the car, sitting on the couch, at the table, these stupid bar stools are the worst.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I just did.”

Skye held in a groan and scrubbed a hand over his face. “The doctor said this might happen. Did you call the orthopedist they referred you to? This is because of the dislocated tailbone thing, right?”

River sighed and looked up. “I think so, and no I didn’t call anyone. I guess I just kept hoping it would go away. But it’s not, Skye. It’s getting worse. It hurts like hell.” His voice was filled with dismay as he wiped away his tears.

“Have you iced it?” Skye asked, feeling like that maybe was a weird thing to ask about his best friend’s ass.

“Yeah, it helps while I’m icing it, but that’s it. As soon as I’m done it’s hurting again. And it hurts like the dickens to stand back up when I’m done.”

“Don’t they sell seat cushions for people with sciatica and stuff? Maybe something like that would help.”

“I guess I could try that. I’d feel ridiculous, though.”

“Better than being in pain every time you sit down, isn’t it?”

“Maybe,” River moped.

Skye rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, searching for seat cushions for tailbone pain online, then showed River his screen. “There. Find one and try it.”

River smirked at him and took the phone.

“If this doesn’t help, or it gets worse, you’re seeing a doctor,” Skye stated, emphatically.

“Yes, Mom,” River snarked back, not looking up from Skye’s phone.

“So, game night?” Skye said, ignoring his friend. “You coming?”

River bit his lip. “I want to. But I don’t know how to play a game if I can’t sit down. Plus the car ride there. I just don’t think I can. You can go, though. No reason you should miss out on a good time.”

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