“You know what’s crazy? I’m not even upset,” I say, looking towards the pink sunset. “This view is beautiful for a last one.”

“Jake, there’s still time to hop on a flight to literally anywhere in Europe. Please, come with me,” Andrew says with cracks in his voice. “There’s even more beautiful sights there I’ve heard, and we can see so many more.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. For once in my life I’m at peace, and do you know why? It’s because I don’t have anything to worry about anymore. I know I’m going to die tomorrow. There’s no more taxes. There’s no more heartbreak. There’s no potential for anything worse to happen to me because nothing will exist to me anymore.” A deep breath escapes my mouth, and my clutch on the grass loosens. I turn my head to Andrew. “How do you feel?”

“How do I feel? Terrified!” Andrew cracks his knuckles while pacing the sidewalk in front of me. “I don’t want life to end, it’s only just started for me. Don’t you want to find love one day? How will you do that when you’re gone? And what about us? How will I go through life without you ther-”

“Andrew. What do you tell me to do when I have my anxiety attacks? You tell me to breathe.”

“This is not the same,” Andrew snaps back.

“How?”

“That’s your fear of what won’t happen. This is actually happening. We both saw the news dude, that asteroid is coming right for North America. We’re like a state over from it hitting us directly!”

“So my anxiety doesn’t matter?”

“It won’t if you’re dead!”

“Exactly.”

“What?” Andrew stops, staring at me with his eyes narrowed. “How could you say that?”

I let out a quick sigh and pat the ground next to me, and Andrew sits next to me. He stares at the darkening sky with me as faint stars begin to appear in arriving night sky. My head falls on his shoulder and I catch a whiff of Amber and Vanilla. His head leans against the top of mine as I see strands of his black wavy hair merging with the brown in mine. A tear trickles down my cheek.

“I don’t want to die, Andrew.” I wipe my cheek. “I think a quicker death is better though. It’s better than waiting for what other ways my brain could trick me into thinking I might die. It’s also better than living through a new ice age in a country I’m not familiar with. Or worse, trapped in an airport surrounded by people desperate to live.”

“I didn’t think about that.”

“Probably because you’re not mentally ill.”

We both chuckle, shivering from a light breeze that caresses our bodies.

“Jake, I’m terrified for what’s going to happen, I can’t lie.”

“Welcome to every day of my life, bud.”

“Will you be there with me when it happens?”

“Nah, I think I’ll be in Europe,” I chortle.

“I’m serious Jake.”

“Do you really think I would want to be anywhere in the world other than with you? You have literally always been there for me since the first day we met. Remember that guy in freshman year of college who came at me with a sock full of coins?”

Andrew moves his head off mine and turns to me with a smile. “Oh my god, yeah. I tackled that scrawny dude to the ground and he said…”

“I just wanted to change the world!” We scream in unison, falling into a laugh.

As a final laugh leaves my breath, I say, “Wait, did you say scrawny?” I lift my arms up and start staring at them.

Andrew replies, “Oh no, I meant totally buff guys who’s super strong or whatever.”

“Yeah that’s what I thought. Me or him could take you any day.”

“Right, thats why that guy went down so easily.” Andrew’s smile quickly fades back into a frown. He holds his arm and looks up at the moon.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m better. I’m glad I won’t be alone when it happens. I’m glad I’ll be with you.”

A smile sneaks up on me. I reach over and wrap my arms around his body, as the darkness of the night envelops us both. “Come on. Let’s head inside and play some video games before the world ends.”

“Beats dying in an airport, I guess.”