Hi.

Hey.

How're you doing?

Fine.

Are you sure?

Yes. Why?

I don't know, Dan, I found my best friend drowning in the ocean. Maybe I should just forget it ever happened and let you jump in again. Right?

No. Yes. I...I didn't jump in.

Then what happened? You've been oddly silent on the matter.

I fell.

Falling would put you too close to the edge. You'd probably hit rocks on your way down.

Well, I was lucky.

Dan.

...

I saw those boys.

What boys?

Don't play dumb. Anthony told me what they did; he said he wanted to apologize.

He wasn't there.

Yeah, well, they aren't going to say sorry anytime soon, so you might as well be grateful.

Grateful for what?

That he's trying.

Why bother?

Dan.

I thought you were mad at me.

And I thought you had stopped talking to me like I was a stranger.

You're not the stranger here.

I think that's one thing we can both agree on.

...

I'm-

Sorry.

Yeah. Yeah, me too.

You don't have anything to be sorry for.

Yeah, well, I was mad, and you-

Lied. Or, at least, hide the truth. Obscured the facts. It's one thing to not tell you...but to pretend he was a friend...

It's okay.

I guess I was just imagining a different reality, you know? One where I hadn't been a douche. One where he might still be alive.

One where we hadn't met.

Yeah, that part sucks every time. I just...sometimes I feel so confused, you know? About who I am.

Inside?

Ha, yeah. Like I've spent so long pretending to be this one, cool, awesome person...I can't quite figure out who I actually am anymore. Where Daniel ends and Just Dan begins. And I know that's a shitty excuse for everything I've done, but...But I'm not going to use it as an excuse. I'm going to change, and I'm going to get better.

I think you already have.

I already talked to Joseph's parents, and told them everything...they didn't yell, or anything. They were just quiet. And sad. And then I felt awful, because it was my fault.

I'm really proud of you Dan. I know that sounds weird, but...

It still means a lot. I love you, no homo.

I love you. All homo.

Yeah, I could tell.

Also, Dan-

Yessir?

Why weren't you swimming?

...

You don't have to answer that.

I just gave up, I guess.

Yeah.

Yeah.

See you tomorrow, then.

Bye.