They Both Die at the End

When Death-Cast calls Rufus at 1:05 a.m., he is in the middle of beating up Peck, Aimee’s current boyfriend. Tagoe and Malcolm, two of Rufus’ best friends, are standing by cheering Rufus on as he punches Peck. Moments later, Rufus gets another call from Death-Cast, and he is terrified. Rufus instructs Tagoe and Malcolm to keep an eye on Peck and steps away from the group to take the call. The Death-Cast employee tells Rufus that it is his End Day and rushes off the phone because he has many more calls that night. After hanging up, Rufus makes his way back to the group. He grabs Peck by the collar of his shirt before slamming him into a brick wall and telling Peck that he expects to never see him again. Peck runs off.

Rufus, Tagoe, and Malcolm collect their bikes in the parking lot. Rufus tries to tell Tagoe and Malcolm they should abandon him because he is a “ticking time bomb” (23), and he does not want them to be harmed when he dies (nor does he want them to witness him dying). Tagoe and Malcolm refuse. Mounted on their bikes, they head to their foster home. 

Mateo plays a video game in his bed on his laptop. When the game ends, he reads the blog CountDowners, which chronicles the final days of Deckers across the country. Mateo reads an entry about a young man named Keith, a 22-year-old who “had been a loner who preferred runs with his golden retriever Turbo instead of social outings with his classmates” (26). Before his death, Keith was trying to find a home for Turbo. As one of his last activities, Keith took Turbo on a final run: “But before Keith gave up his dog, he and Turbo were running through their favorite spots one last time and the feed stopped somewhere in Central Park” (26). For his own sanity, Mateo decides not to investigate the way Keith died. Instead, he opens a music folder on his computer with Space Sounds, which are NASA recordings of the magnetic vibrations of different planets, converted into sounds that the human ear could understand: “Neptune sounds like a fast current, Saturn has this terrifying howling to it that I never listen to anymore, and the same goes for Uranus excerpt there are harsh winds whistling that sound like spaceships firing lasers at each other” (27). 

Rufus, Tagoe, and Malcolm head to “Pluto,” which is the nickname for their foster home. As Rufus explains: “‘Pluto’ is the name we came up with for the foster home we’re all staying at since our families died or turned their backs on us. Pluto got demoted from planet to dwarf planet, but we’d never treat each other as something lesser” (28). Rufus reflects on Tagoe and Malcolm’s history and how they came into the foster care system: For Tagoe, his mother and father both abandoned him, and later his father committed suicide. For Malcolm, his parents died in a house fire started by unidentified arsonists.

En route to Pluto, Rufus pulls his bike over at a church, and Tagoe and Malcolm follow. Rufus recalls that this is the church that he came to a month after “the big accident” (29). He reflects on that time period, as well as the beginning of his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Aimee. It was also there at that church where she played piano for him early in their relationship. Rufus dismounts his bike and calls Aimee from his cell phone. When she does not pick up, he texts, “Death-Cast called me. Can you call me back?” (31), and Aimee calls him right away. Aimee asks where Rufus is so she can meet him as soon as possible, and he reports that he is in front of the church where she played piano for him. Aimee is confused as to why Rufus is out and not at Pluto on a Monday night, and she suggests that Rufus stay right where he is and she will come meet him at the church. Rufus tells her no, that she should meet him at the Pluto instead, because he wants to have a funeral with his foster parents, as well as Tagoe and Malcolm before his End Day is over. 

Mateo still has not left his apartment. He scrolls through CountDowners, thinking about how it would be nice to have company on his End Day. Mateo clicks through the CountDowners profile for WebMavenMarc, a former social media manager for a soda company, who writes about how he wants to see his daughter one last time before he dies. Mateo realizes that he must go visit his father: “I put down my laptop, ignoring the chimes from the couple accounts I’ve pinned, and go straight to Dad’s bedroom […] I know it’s sort of strange, but Dad is just as much my best friend as Lidia is” (34). Mateo takes a photo of him and his father out of its frame and tucks it in his pocket. He gets up to leave to visit his father in the hospital: “I have to visit Dad, even if he’s unconscious. He has to know I made my way to him before I died” (34). Before he can leave the apartment, Mateo decides he needs to clean the house beforehand, which he swears is not a stalling tactic to avoid going outside.

Rufus, Tagoe, and Malcolm ride their bikes toward Pluto, the foster home where they all live. Knowing that Rufus will die soon, they take extra precaution when crossing the street to stay safe as they make their way toward Pluto. As they pass by on their bikes, Rufus observes a popular Decker-friendly club called Clint’s Graveyard, which caters to the Decker population who want to party before they die.

When the boys reach Pluto, they discard their bikes at the bottom of the porch steps and race into the house: “We go down the hall, not bothering to tiptoe across the tacky, chessboard-like tiled floor into the living room, and even though there’s a bulletin board with information about sex, getting tested for HIV, abortion and adoption clinics, and other sheets of that nature, this place still feels like a home and not some institution” (37). The boys head up to the second floor where their joint bedroom is located. Rufus asks Tagoe and Malcolm for a favor, which is to wake up their foster parents, Jenn Lori and Francis, and tell them the news that today is Rufus’ End Day and that he wants a funeral. Tagoe and Malcolm agree. They exit the room, leaving Rufus alone.

Rufus looks around the room and thinks about Aimee, who was formerly in foster care at Pluto: “We started dating when she was still here at Pluto, and we’d rest underneath the blanket together and use it for the occasional living room picnic” (39). Rufus also reflects on how, if anything, being at Pluto taught him how “people matter more than stuff,” after he lost his parents and sister (37). He thinks about how much he cherishes his Pluto family, and how much he does not want to die. 

Mateo is still at his family’s apartment. After doing the dishes, dusting, and other general cleaning, Mateo feels that he is almost ready to go. Before leaving, however, he logs onto Death-Cast.com where he must try and think of an inscription for his headstone in no more than eight words: “How do I sum up my life in eight words? (41). He considers inscriptions such as “He Lived Where He Died: In His Bedroom” and “What a Waste of a Life,” but ultimately goes with “Here Lies Mateo: He Lived for Everyone” (41).

Gearing up to leave, Mateo thinks about what he wants to do that day. After he sees his father in the hospital, he will go see Lidia, his best friend, and Penny, Lidia’s toddler daughter. Mateo decides he is not going to tell Lidia that it is his End Day: “I don’t want her to consider me dead before I am, or ever bring her any sadness” (42). Mateo also thinks about how he needs “a coach who can double as a friend […] or a friend who can serve as a coach” (42). From being a devoted reader of CountDowners, Mateo knows of an app called Last Friend, “designed for lonely Deckers and for any good soul who wants to keep a Decker company in their final hours” (42). Though the friends Deckers make through Last Friend can be “hit or miss,” according to what Mateo has read on CountDowners, he wants to try: “I think engaging with a Last Friend could do me some good. Then again, I don’t know if it’s sadder to die alone or in the company of someone who doesn’t mean anything to you, but also probably doesn’t care much for you either” (43).

Mateo downloads the app and completes his profile with his name, age (18 years old), gender (male), height (5’10”), weight (164 lbs.), and ethnicity (Puerto Rican). He leaves the sexual orientation and job sections blank. He fills in his interests as “music” and “wandering”; he lists the Scorpius Hawthorne series among his favorite moves/TV shows/books; and in the section called “Who You Were in Life” he writes that he is an only child, and wants to “break out” in his final hours, rather than being the timid person he was in life.

In the “Bucket List” section, Mateo writes that he wants to visit his dad in the hospital and then see his best friend, but beyond that he does not know what he wants to do; he wants to “make a difference for others and find a different Mateo” in the process (45). In the “Final Thoughts” section, Mateo writes the following phrase: “I’m going for it” (45). Mateo hits submit, and the app gives him a prompt to upload a photo. He uploads a photo of himself wearing a Luigi hat from a Mario Kart online competition, which is more “loose, fun, [and] carefree” than most of his other pictures (46). With his profile complete, Mateo gets the final pop up message from Last Friend, which says “Be well, Mateo” (46). 

Rufus’ foster parents, Jenn Lori and Francis, wait downstairs for him so they can begin his funeral. Before joining them, Rufus changes into blue basketball shorts and a gray fleece, and grabs his bike helmet.

Jenn Lori, Francis, Tagoe, and Malcolm all congregate in the living room of the foster home to say their final goodbyes to Rufus. Jenn Lori hugs him and cries. Rufus tries to make a joke about, with him being gone, how there will be one less mouth to feed, but no one laughs: “No one gives you lessons on how to brace everyone for your death, especially when you’re seventeen and healthy. We’ve all been through enough seriousness and I want them to laugh” (49). Rufus suggests playing rock, paper, scissors, and he, Tagoe, and Malcolm play a few rounds until the doorbell ringing interrupts them. It is Aimee: “Aimee’s face is so flushed I almost can’t make out the huge birthmark on her cheek” (49). She rushes into the room asking, “Are you kidding me?” (49). Rufus shakes his head and offers to show her his phone log showing when Death-Cast called him. Aimee says she is not referring to Rufus’ End Day, but to Peck, who is at the bottom of the porch stairs with a “wrecked face” (50). 

Mateo explores the Last Friend app, noticing that there are 42 online Deckers in New York City alone. Mateo quickly receives a message from a teenage girl by the name of Wendy Mae Greene. Mateo clicks on her profile and notices that she is not a Decker, so they do not share that in common; but she does enjoy the Scorpius Hawthorne book series, which is one of Mateo’s favorites. Mateo assumes she is on Last Friend with the intention of comforting lonely Deckers in their final hours. However, as they begin to chat, Mateo realizes that she is not the friend he was hoping for. Wendy begins the conversation by saying: “hi mateo. U have great taste in bks. bet ur wishing u had a death cloaking spell, huh??” Mateo is put off by her lack of sensitivity: “I’m sure she means well, but between her bio and this message, she’s hammering me with nails instead of giving me the pat on the back I was hoping for. I won’t be rude though” (52).

When Wendy asks Mateo questions about how his dad is reacting to his impending death, he points that it is made clear in his profile that his dad is in a coma. Wendy says “fine, watever” and then propositions Mateo to have sex, as she is a virgin and wants to practice before having sex with her boyfriend (53). Mateo clicks out of their messaging window and blocks Wendy. Mateo receives other messages, two of which are obviously inappropriate: One propositions Mateo to do drugs together and another asks if Mateo is selling a couch (54). Another message is from a 24-year-old male named Philly Bruiser and has the subject line “My condolences, Mateo (great name)” (54). Mateo begins a conversation with Philly Bruiser, but the conversation quickly turns illicit when he tells Mateo that he has the “cure for death in his pants” (55). Mateo blocks Philly Bruiser, and opens another message hoping that this person will be what he is seeking with Last Friend.

Aimee is furious Rufus attacked Peck that night: “Look at him, Rufus […] What the fuck were you thinking?” (56). Aimee drags Rufus into the living room by his wrist. In the living room, Aimee angrily asks if getting the call from Death-Cast made Rufus think it was okay to assault Peck. Rufus says no, he was “wilding out” not only because he “lost” Aimee to Peck, but also because he felt like a “straight-up nobody,” and Peck saying disparaging things made him feel even worse (57). Aimee softens a little and tells Rufus he is not a nobody, and they move to sit on the couch. Holding his hand, Aimee says that just because their relationship did not work out, it does not mean that she does not love him. Tagoe enters the room and says they should get started with the funeral.

The rest of the group files into the living room, and Rufus stays seated in the middle of the couch. Rufus tears up as Jenn Lori, Malcolm, Tagoe, and the others say their eulogies. Everyone is crying when Rufus notices the red and blue lights of a police car outside. Aimee asks if someone had called the police, and then she looks to Peck, who exclaims: “He assaulted me! […] I don’t care if he’s on his way out!” (62). The police are there to arrest Rufus, so Rufus flees out the backdoor, trying to memorize this last moment with all the members of Pluto. He rushes through the backyard, grabbing his bike and onto the sidewalk where he rides off. 

Mateo keeps having disappointing experiences on Last Friend so he begins playing an Xbox game. However, the guilt over spending his End Day playing video games nags at him. Mateo looks at his bookshelves, noticing all the books he will never be able to read. He looks at a map tacked to his wall and thinks about how little he has traveled: “I have never traveled outside of New York and will never get on a plane to touch Dad’s hometown in Puerto Rico to visit the rainforest he frequented as a kid” (67). Mateo shuts off the Xbox and vows to take action and reopens the Last Friend App: “I have to make a move” (66). 

Rufus wishes Death-Cast would have called him before he “ruined” his life that night. He regrets all the events that lead to him attacking Peck. Rufus hears police sirens in the distance behind him, and he continues pedaling onward. Rufus stops near a gas station for a rest. He sits on the street curb when he notices a graffiti in orange spray paint that says “The Last Friend App.” Meanwhile, Rufus reflects on how he was unable to say goodbye to his parents and sister before they died, and on his End Day he was unable to say goodbye to his foster family: “I keep getting dicked out of proper goodbyes” (70). Though he cannot be with the Plutos, he decides he does not want to be alone on his End Day and joins Last Friend. He downloads the app and immediately receives several inappropriate messages, one even from Philly Bruiser, the same man who Mateo spoke to.

Mateo adjusts his Last Friend settings so that he can only connect with other Deckers between the ages of 16 and 18. Mateo notices that there are around 89 users who meet these criteria online, including a young man named Rufus. Mateo scans the basics of his profile: He sees that Rufus is 17 years old, male, 6’10” tall, 169 pounds, and Cuban-American. Rufus identifies as bisexual, whose interests are cycling and photography. In the “Final Thoughts” section of his profile, Rufus writes: “It’s about time. I’ve made mistakes, but I’m gonna go out right” (73). Mateo decides to talk to him, to see if he gets a “good vibe” (73).

Mateo says hello. Rufus compliments Mateo on the Luigi hat he’s wearing in his profile picture, and the conversation goes from there. Rufus asks why Mateo is looking for a Last Friend, and Mateo turns the question back at Rufus. Mateo asks: “Why do YOU need a Last Friend when you have friends?” (75). Rufus replies that he asked him first, and Mateo says that he simply thinks it is “insane” to leave his apartment when he knows there is “something or SOMEONE” who is going to kill him (75). Rufus explains his reason for not spending his End Day with his real friends is because he watched his family die when their car crashed into the Hudson River, and living with that guilt not something he wishes to impart on his friends. Mateo agrees they should meet, but he requests that Rufus come to his house to pick him up. Rufus says he is on his way. Mateo is worried, but excited, to pair up with Rufus, someone who seemingly has embraced his fate.