Doug was still unemployed, still smoking, and still in a state of denial about Charlie's death -suicide. Yes, suicide, he killed himself and left no note. He kept pondering that. Did Mrs. Laskin lie? Grief stricken and lucid enough to lie about something like that? Why? It made no sense, and the more he thought of it, chode though he was, Doug never thought Charlie would be the suicidal type; he lived life on his own wavelength but he lived it. He had his gaming, a decent enough job, and those things he'd said to Doug about his family were true, he really had seemed fond of them. Was it heartbreak? That'd be too dramatic. He hadn't even taken the Jen Butters thing that badly after all, and, when Doug set it up for them to all go out after work, a few months after the party, Charlie and her did end up hooking up. "Just needed to get her out of my system, I'm good now." He told Doug over beers and nachos at O'Tooles. He held a bottle of Heineken by the neck and clinked Doug's, "Here's to the eskimo brotherhood, huh." They both laughed. But he had to be lonely, and he was probably hiding it from his family. Why his mom thought they were close friends was beyond Doug.
And then he heard the podcast. They had to be talking about Charlie. The next day when the phone rang while he waited for his friend's call he had to break tradition once again and pick up; it was Charlie's number.
And then he heard the podcast. They had to be talking about Charlie. The next day when the phone rang while he waited for his friend's call he had to break tradition once again and pick up; it was Charlie's number.
