he had to go. i couldn't come yet, i had to wait behind with jane and the others. tim and hoodie were gonna go first. god only knew if they were going to survive this entire ordeal and be able to come and take me away.

i sat on my bed. i held the cloth in my gloved hands and bit my lip, looking up, parting a sigh. i couldn't cry. not yet, not now, not ever. he won't see me break down. i want to be smiling. he always tells me he loves my smile, right? i hope i will see his smile before he goes.

tim entered my room, his black-and-white mask dangling from his neck. god, i always hated that thing. everyone said it was a feminine type, making him less intimidating and such, but i agree to disagree. it was more-so smacked down in uncanny valley.

i stood up and fiddled with my thumbs, my being completely itched to tap and my neck feeling slight tugs. i couldn't show him i was upset yet. i couldn't twitch. i had to at least try to control it.

tim gently closed the door behind him, and he looked at me with his insomniac brown eyes. he did the unbelievable. he bawled.

he was on the floor, covering his face, weeping in seconds. i jumped up and i wrapped my skinny arms around him and let my fingers intertwine with his dark brown hair. he looked up at me and touched my face.

"take off that damned thing;" he said with a gentle sigh and pulled down my mouth-guard, giving me a soft peck on the lips. his breathe smelled like smoke and beef jerky--wasn't as bad as it sounds.

i held his head close to my throbbing chest. i didn't know what else to do. he was crying and crying without stopping. my emotions felt like they were washed away at the shore line, evaporating and the only thing being left is a greasy sludge that laid in the bottom of my belly.

i stared at the wall and my neck snapped a tad as i looked down at the bigger boy, kissing his cheek.

"hey, timmy." i gave a soft grin that was forced beyond belief as he pulled away from my now soaked chest.

"yeah." he had no emotion now. he was flat. a gross flat too, like a soda left out too long flat. it was tasteless.

"it'll be okay. jane and us will meet up with you soon. it's not gonna be the end." i lied. i lied and lied beyond belief and i didn't want to but i didn't know how else to comfort him. he was going to die doing this. the operator is going to take him back and when that happens he will be erased. my timmy will be replaced with just a robot deisgned for murder.

"mask!"

tim looked up, his body shaking again as he nuzzled back into my chest. my thumb graced his sideburns and i rocked gently. it was now taking evefy nerve in my body not to collapse and scream.

"i don't want to leave you to die, roger."

i lost it. my lips twisted downward and my eyes wilted and tears started to prick underneath my eyelids. my body started to hyperventilate as i hugged him tighter.

"i don't want to leave you to go die." i spoke and nuzzled my face in the crook of tim's neck, my body now quivering. tim held me up from just falling on the floor and smashing my fists

than, we heard a soft knock. jane looked over. "hey, masky," she said and walked in quietly, giving a soft whisper. "i don't mean to cut this short but hoodie's waiting for you tim."

❝tim,❞ i choked, grabbing the older man's arm with a tight squeeze. my eyes begged and begged for something he would never get.
❝don't say goodbye, look in my eyes.❞

tim looked back at me and swallowed. "yeah?"

"i love you." i nodded and stood up as he let go of me.

he gave a shakey reply. "i...i love you too."

he left the room. i just sat on my floor, sobbing, holding my heart and looking down.

❝baby boy, you'll be young forever❞