Resurrection

The day passes by quickly, you think you even fell asleep at one point. You're feeling bad, Michael isn't here no matter how you slice it. He would have appeared otherwise, which means you failed. Classes end and you find yourself sitting on your chair by yourself, Kana comes closer.

"John, how about going home together today?"

"Sorry, I have to bring papers to Vera this afternoon..." She looks dejected.

"Since when are you friend with Vera?" You look around and see Ashley coming in.

"I'm not. But I don't really have a choice." She sighs.

"Fine, see you later John! I'll warn Penny." They both leave and you find yourself all alone in this empty classroom. You start packing, and you leave towards the entrance, however, you met someone on the road.

The very same someone you expected to see all day... You can't seem to breathe as you look at him, he's looking at you awkwardly.

"H-hey John? Long time no see?" You don't say anything, hugging him instead.

Your tears start rolling, you grab him with all your strength, not wanting him to just be a dream.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I'm sorry!" You don't seem to stop, you ask for forgiveness, stuck in a loop, maybe something broke when you saw him here. Standing, with his eyes open. He didn't look healthy but at least he was awake.

At some point, you fall in silence and he starts petting your back slowly. After a minute or two, you end the hug and take the time to look at him. He's thin and barely standing, you wonder how he even got to school in this state.

"You're okay now?" he asks you with a warm and genuine smile.

"I'm okay! H-how are you? You want to sit down?" He nods and you bring him to a bench in the schoolyard.

"I'm fine John, I'm fine." You stay quiet and he continues.

"I heard you visited me every Sunday? Thanks bro, I knew you were a real one." He grins and it reminds you of the old times.

"You were in a critical state yesterday, what happened?"

"Ah, yeah about that... The doctors have no idea what happened to me. I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and I was fine. Like, they were talking of making me retrain my muscles for months but I could just walk, as if I never was in a coma to begin with."

"That's strange..." You act surprised.

"Yeah... It was the first time it happened, but honestly I find this less surprising than being in a coma..."

"You mean, you don't remember anything from the past two years?" He looks up, serene.

"Nope, nothing, if I didn't look two years older I wouldn't have believed them. To me it felt like a really long dream, a dream where I mostly thought about the accident that caused it." He looks calm, way more than you'd be in his place.

"Don't worry John. I don't hate you for what happened... I guess I was in the wrong too."

"I'm sorry... It's still my fault you ended up ruining two years of your life." He put a hand on your shoulder.

"Don't worry about it! That means I have two years of movies and game to catch up to!" He jokes and you can't resist laughing with him.

"Anyway, John, it seems I'll see you around. My parents moved back here as I was hospitalized and I'll join this school again."

"C-cool, do you know in what class you'll be?" He smiles.

"John, I'll redo my first year, you know I don't think I have the level to join you after a two years pause." Right, you're dumb, of course he wouldn't have transferred to your class.

"So you transferred back today?" You ask.

"No, today I only prepared my registration. I'll transfer later this week, even if I find it dumb, they could have let me come after the holidays... In January, like every other school."

You smile, Michael will be here from now on, you feel the stress you accumulated all day, slowly disappear. You spend some more time talking to Michael, but at some point you receive a message from Kana:

[U done with Vera?]

"Shit I forgot... Sorry man, I have something to do. We'll see each other later right?"

"Sure, I think I'm going to transfer Wednesday, see you then!" He slowly stands up, you think he might have needed a few more days of rest paradoxically.

You leave him be, and you follow the instructions leading to Vera's home.