“Green is a mess. I’d hate to say this but he gave up,” Hennison said, chomping an ice cube from his glass. A tear of the liquid streamed past his lip, stamping into his chin. Hennison didn’t wipe it. He just let the drop rest there, like a tiny crater filled by rain–the pronounced cleft of his large chin. McCutter observed this happening wondering whether Hennison was even aware of the liquid’s presence. Hennison made no sign of it.

 

“Yeah he’s, taken a whole new direction so, he’s bound to seem different in at least some ways,” McCutter protested. Forthright in his his tone and words, as Hennison was expecting. Hennison wiped his chin and nodded. “Yeah, I could get that,” he remarked. He looked at the ground, he then added, “It’s just the fact that he’s chosen to take that direction, Kyle.” Equally forthright.

 

“You knew it was there the whole time, didn’t you,” McCutter asked.

 

“What,” Hennison responded, truly confused.

 

“Never mind,” McCutter said, brushing it over. “Um, well, yeah, anyway it’s, it’s his life and so, it’s his right to do as he wishes.” McCutter continued. “I’ll admit it’s true, that I don’t engage with Green anymore like how I used to, but–” McCutter looked at the floor. There was a pause. “I don’t engage with any of you like how I used to.” Another pause. And then a gap. “And that’s fine,” McCutter said, somewhat meekly.

 

Hennison nodded, as if to say that he agreed. The conversation there shifted, albeit somewhat but the focus remained on Green.

 

“He’s more ballsy these days. Which is cool, I mean, I don’t care but, it’s different. He was never like that.” Hennison’s concern seemed to now be expanding, and to an extent that which McCutter found refreshing.

 

“Yeah remember when, I mean, I’d think that you do, you must, remember when Green kept calling you Chinzilla that night,” McCutter asked with excitement.

 

“Uh, yeah, I do and, that’s a perfect example, actually” Hennison said, with an intentional pull to his large chin.

 

“Yeah. The old Green would never say that to you. You’re right, you really are, he is more ballsy now. It’s true, he really is.”

 

Hennison shook his head in droll amusement and let with a slight smile. More courteous though was this than genuine. “Yeah,” he said.

 

“I just don’t know how you can go from where he was to where he is now.”

 

McCutter nodded empathetically. “Yeah I don’t know either. But he did, though.”

 

McCutter shrugged, “I guess that, if you hit rock bottom, you know, you have to climb back up, so, who knows where you then end up,” he said, pleased with his words. He agreed with himself and having just thought of it.

 

“I guess,” Hennison said, after some pause, having been less impressed with McCutter’s apparent epiphany. He turned away and looked out to the side. “It is what it is,” he said.

Then, “He still has some climbing to do,” he added.

 

“It is what it is,” McCutter quickly protested.

“Yeah. It is.” Hennison agreed.