Undesignated

  What a fine, sturdy tree, I thought to myself. Fine tree isn't it? Said the voice behind me. I turned around, and there my friend was, in the flesh, and another person that I don't recognize. 

  Long time no see, I said to my friend. Yes, a long time indeed, he replied. A fine tree indeed, I said, you could hang a body on the branch and it wouldn't break. 
  Well, that's a bit grim isn't it? You hadn't changed much have you? We haven't seen each other for years and yet here you are, still fascinated by methods of displaying corpses. 

  I chuckled.

  No, that was just a phase. I've changed a lot since then. I was just trying to ease you in since we haven't seen each other for years. Well, I don't expect you to remain in that phase after all these years you know, I know you were doing it just because you were interested in that emo person. Oh, by the way, how rude of me, meet my new partner, we've been together for some two, three years now. Oh, you don't remember? I was just pulling your leg, we've been together for two years and five months now, are you satisfied?

  I reached my hand out, preparing to shake hands. The stranger followed suit.

  My name's Sam. Nice to meet you. My name's Jesse, nice to meet you too. So tell me, how did you and Alex met? Well, Alex and I were in the same cafe, I didn't know him at first, but I kept on noticing the huge hat, it stands out from the crowd. Ah, so you knew Alex during the hat phase. Hey! It wasn't a phase, I'm just not wearing it now because I lost my hat. I would be wearing it now if I have it. Yeah, well I approached Alex, and that's pretty much how we knew each other, a very weird approach on meeting new friends, but hey, it worked. Cool story. Yeah. How did you meet Alex? Well, I was the new kid in town, and Alex volunteered to give me a tour around the place, we became friends afterwards.  

  We were just touring my hometown, said Alex. Remember how we used to cut class and come up to this tree to smoke some spliff? Yeah, those were the times. I stopped doing it though, gotta keep my partner happy. Yeah, lots of memories surrounds this tree. Is it today? Is today the anniversary of Quinn's? I mean, yeah, it should be, that's why we're all here, Alex added. I have never met this person, but Alex keeps on talking about the things about what you all used to do. Car accident, what a way to go. For a moment you're alive and well, singing along to your favourite tunes in the car, and the next moment, if you're lucky, you're gone. Quinn went out fast, didn't felt any pain I believe, died on the spot. 

  I took out a box of cigarettes, and handed them a stick each. 

  To Quinn. To Quinn, we declared, as we raised our cigarettes, and placed them in the hole somewhere near the part where the trunk meets the earth. Alex, Quinn and I made that hole when we were young, that was where we hide our spliffs, now it's just a graveyard of cigarettes.

  Alex brought us all for dinner that day, and then we went our separate ways.