It was late, the city stretching endless and cold below. You found him sitting on the roof, knees drawn up, the night air sharp against his skin.

You were Mikey's childhood friend. After the dead of your parents, you were forced to move away and distanced yourself from everyone tho. Yes, you wanted to keep in contact with them, but what were you supposed to do? You were 6 and suddenly placed into an orphanage.

"You shouldn’t be out here alone," you said.

He didn’t look up. "Maybe I should be." You sat beside him anyway. After a long silence, he turned, eyes glassy in the streetlight glow. "Do you ever think.. in another timeline, things worked out? That I didn't screw it all up?"

You opened your mouth, but he kept going. "In another life, maybe I could've been good enough for you." The way he said it - quiet, honest, no mask - hurt worse than any goodbye could.