They Both Die at the End

The rain stops as Mateo leads Rufus toward the World Travel Arena, walking along the piers in Chelsea. Mateo tells Rufus that perhaps, while walking along the Hudson River on the piers, that being so near a river—the ultimate cause of his family’s death—that perhaps it will give Rufus some closure. On the piers, Rufus opens up about how he feels that he feels guilty that he is the one to survive his family’s fatal accident: “But I’m the one who left them, yo. I’m the one who got out the sinking car and swam away” (230). Mateo puts a hand on Rufus’ shoulder and tells him to not do this to himself—when Death-Cast calls, there is nothing anyone can do to change their fate.

Mateo insists Rufus has nothing to feel guilty about. Mateo says that he is going to give Rufus a minute alone, and as soon as Mateo walks away, Rufus begins to cry: “I don’t think a minute is enough—until I give in, crying harder than I have in weeks, and I hammer at the railing with the bottom of my fist. I keep going and going, hitting the railing because my family is dead, hitting it because my best friends are locked up, hitting it because my ex-girlfriend did us dirty, hitting it because I made a new dope friend and we don’t even have a full day together” (232). When Mateo returns, Rufus thanks him because he needed that release. 

Delilah finds the only bookstore in the city that carries Howie Maldonado’s science fiction novel, The Lost Twin of Bone Bay, and rushes to the store to purchase a copy. On her way, she passes “two boys with one bike” and a “blading man with a large gym bag,” who catcalls her from the sidewalk (233). She moves as fast as she can, hoping that Howie does not change the interview to a time before she can get there. 

Chapter 46 is told from Vin Pearce’s perspective, a character who the reader has no context for at the opening of the chapter. Vin got the notification from Death-Cast at 12:02 a.m. that day, and he is currently on the street in Manhattan, and filled with anger at numerous things: “Vin is pissed the beautiful woman with the colorful hair ignored him, pissed he never got married, pissed he was rejected by every woman on Necro this morning, pissed at his former coach who got in the way of his dreams, pissed at these two boys with a bike who are getting in the way of the destruction he’s going to leave behind” (234). Vin was once a notorious wrestler, but four months ago he began experiencing muscle pains. Vin soon discovered that he has a muscle disease and so he can no longer compete. Vin has not taken this news in stride and has made plans to bomb the gym where he used to train: “Vin sneaks down to the generator room and pulls a home-made bomb out of his gym bag. Vin is going to die where he was made. And he’s not dying alone” (235). 

As they continue through Manhattan toward the World Travel Arena, Mateo and Rufus pass a bookstore called Open Bookstore and decide to stop inside. As Mateo and Rufus browse the aisles of books, Rufus asks Mateo if he has ever dated anyone, and Mateo admits that has not. This starts a conversation about dating, and Rufus tells Mateo that Aimee was his first-ever relationship.

Rufus has the idea that they should send out postcards to friends and loved ones, and so Mateo collects 12 New York City-themed postcards for them to mail. Along with the postcards, Mateo purchases a “mystery book,” which is a gift-wrapped book—customers purchase the “mystery book” without knowing the title. Mateo pays for everything, and they exit the bookstore. They are still talking about love and dating when they pass a gym on the street, and suddenly there is an explosion: “Glass shatters and we’re suddenly thrown backward through the air as fire reaches out toward a screaming crowd. This is it. I slam against the driver’s side of a car, my shoulder banging into the rearview mirror” (240). Mateo notices that there are bodies everywhere on the sidewalk, including a woman with “very colorful hair” (240). 

Mateo and Rufus are both safe, despite the explosion. They sit together on the curb. Rufus thinks about how he and Mateo were just moments away from dying in the blast, and Rufus feels the fear of his impending death: “A little over twelve hours ago, I got a phone call telling me I’m gonna die today, and I thought I made peace with that, but I’ve never been more scared in my life of what’s gonna go down later” (241). 

Mateo’s stomach is growling as he watches firefighters put out the fire burning in the gym after the explosion. He also sees witnesses speaking to the police, but Mateo does not think that they have any valuable information because that explosion came “out of nowhere” (242). Mateo sits beside Rufus on the curb and thinks about how they almost nearly died, and how he “can’t trust this day” (242).

Jarred and upset by the explosion, Rufus has an idea of what he needs to do in order to feel better: “I want more than anything to sit across from the Plutos and talk about nothing, but the next best thing to break me out of this mood is a bike ride” (243). Rufus mounts his bike and tells Mateo to please get on. At first Mateo refuses, but Rufus makes an impassioned plea: “We know how this day ends for both of us, but I don’t wanna look back on any moment thinking we straight wasted it. This isn’t some dream and we won’t wake up from this” (244). Mateo asks Rufus to promise to go slow, and he straps the helmet onto his head as he steps onto the bike’s rear pegs. As Rufus begins pedaling away from the scene outside the gym, he begins to feel better.

Chapter 51 is told from Deirdre’s perspective, the greeter and ticket salesperson at Make-A-Moment. Mateo and Rufus bought their tickets from Deirdre earlier in the day. Deirdre is debating committing suicide, and she stands on the ledge of her eight-stories-high apartment building roof. Deirdre has a history with being suicidal, and she recounts the time in high school when kids teased her for being lesbian—she contemplated suicide then, as well. On that day, Deirdre stands on one leg and thinks about how cruel and punishing the world can be. Deirdre, however, decides against suicide when she seems Mateo and Rufus riding Rufus’ bike down on the street: “Deirdre looks down, ready to fly, when two boys on a bike turn the corner—they resemble the boys from earlier […] Deirdre reaches deep within herself, far past the place where lies hopelessness come easily, and even beneath the very honest truth where she’s okay with the impacting relief that comes with flying off this roof. She sees two boys living and this makes her feel less dead inside” (247). 

Mateo finds that riding with Rufus on his bike is an exhilarating experience: “It’s freeing. I’m not expecting to go any faster than we are, but it’s more exciting than the Make-A-Moment skydiving” (249). As Mateo and Rufus ride together, Mateo thinks that, if he “weren’t such a coward” he would lean against Rufus’ back and put his arms out, to feel the wind on his fingertips. Mateo decides against that, however, but thinks that when they dismount the bike at their destination, he will try to do something “small and brave” (249).

When Mateo and Rufus reach Althea Park, Mateo jumps off the bike before Rufus comes to a complete stop. Rufus is proud of Mateo for this small act of bravery: “I wanna take full credit, but he’s had this in him all along, always wanting to do something exciting, just being too scared to go out and do it” (251). They sit on a bench, wet from the recent rainfall. They talk about how the explosion was a reality check: How close they are to death, and how scared they are for it to come. Rufus lightens the mood by asking Mateo if he has ever played the game Gladiator, which is when two players hang from a bar on the jungle gym and try to knock each other down. Mateo says no, but he has seen others play, and agrees to play a round with Rufus. They hang from the jungle gym, but Mateo has very little upper body strength, and Rufus quickly knocks him down, and they fall to the ground laughing. Rufus and Mateo move to the swings, and continue their conversation, which revolves around the afterlife.

Chapter 54 is told from the perspective of Damien Rivas, a character for whom the reader has no context at the opening of the chapter. Damien considers himself an “adrenaline junkie” and he has been feeling “not very impressed with the way he’s been living his life lately” (259). He prides himself on “fighting those who are the Goliath to his David” and starting a gang. Damien talks on the phone with Peck, and they decide to reunite their gang in order to get revenge on Rufus. At the end of the call, Damien is filled with a sense of “excitement and purpose” (260).

Still at Althea Park, Mateo suggests they head to the nearest subway station to get out of the rain. They jump into a subway car headed downtown, just as the doors are closing. Seating themselves on an empty bench toward the corner, Rufus suggests they play a game, one that he and his sister made up called Traveler. In Traveler, you pick a person, any random person, on the subway and tell a story about who they are and where they are going. Rufus begins the game, pointing discreetly at a woman in blue medical scrubs who is holding a shopping bag: “She’s going home to take a nap and then blast some pop music as she gets ready for her first day off in nine days. She doesn’t know it yet, but her favorite bar is gonna be closed for renovations” (262). They keep playing Traveler, but rather than tell stories about other people, they turn the stories to themselves, creating a narrative about their own shared history: “Rufus taps my shoulder, pointing at the exit as the doors open. ‘Hey, isn’t this the stop where we spontaneously got gym memberships […] Yeah, it is! You wanted to be brolic after some dick bumped into you at the Bleachers concert’” (264). They imagine what their futures would have been like: Rufus would be a travel blogger and Mateo would be an architect, and they would go to so many concerts together that they are “unable to keep them straight” (265). Mateo thinks to himself how incredible it feels to create these “fake memories” with Rufus (266). Mateo says that they must “leave their mark,” and he gets up from the subway bench (266). He sets down the “mystery book”—that is, the wrapped book he purchased at the bookstore—on the bench of the subway, and tells Rufus he thinks it is cool to think that someone will find and enjoy the book, even when he could not (266). As they exit the subway, Mateo and Rufus almost bump into two girls, who are just getting on. 

Chapter 56 is told from the perspective of Zoe Landon, a character for whom the reader has no context at the opening of the chapter. Zoe is a Decker who moved to New York City just eight days prior to begin undergraduate classes at NYU, and so she had no friends in the area when she gets the call from Death-Cast. Zoe, however, was able to find someone to spend her End Day with via Last Friend, which is how she met Gabriella.

Zoe and Gabriella board the subway just as two boys—who the reader recognizes as Mateo and Rufus—are getting off. Zoe and Gabriella take a seat on an empty bench, and come across the wrapped “mystery book” left by Mateo. Gabriella holds the book in her hands, and asks Zoe if she can share a secret. Gabriella confesses that she is a graffiti artist, and she specializes in graffiti that celebrates and promotes Last Friend, because Gabriella strongly believes that it is a great app that should be used by Deckers and non-Deckers alike. Gabriella says that she will tag a mailbox or some other marker in the city with Zoe’s name, in her honor. Zoe says she would love to have her name written somewhere on Broadway. A woman on the subway overhears their conversation and says how wonderful it is that Zoe has someone to spend her End Day with. As they get ready to open the “mystery book” together, Zoe thinks to herself that she hopes Gabriella will continue to befriend Deckers, because “life isn’t meant to be lived alone” (270). 

Mateo decides that he wants to see Lidia again, and so he calls her from Rufus’ cell phone as they board a bus. When Lidia answers, she is furious with him for not being more forthright with the fact that it is his End Day. They agree that they both would like to see one another again and plan to meet at the Travel Arena. 

Peck is getting the gang back together, which is referred to as “the gang with no name” (274). The gang includes himself, Kendrick (“the Knockout King”), and Damien. While Peck is not strong physically, he has access to “an end-all weapon” which makes him a valuable member of the gang (274). With Kendrick and Damien gathered around, Peck produces the gun out of his closet, which he keeps in a shoebox inside his hamper: “Peck will gain respect by unloading this gun into the one who disrespected him” (275). Peck monitors Rufus’ Instagram, to track his whereabouts. 

The rain slows to a drizzle when Mateo and Rufus reach the World Travel Arena on the western edge of Manhattan. Mateo describes the World Travel Arena as similar to the Museum of Natural History, but “half as big and with international flags fixed along the edges of the dome […] The maximum capacity of the arena is three thousand people, which is more than perfect for Deckers, their guests, those with incurable diseases, and anyone else looking to enjoy the experience” (276). While they wait for Lidia to arrive, Mateo and Rufus stand in line for tickets. An Uber pulls up and Lidia jumps out, frantically looking for Mateo. Mateo leaps out of line, finds Lidia, and they embrace. Lidia tells Mateo how sad she is that he will not see Penny grow up. Holding hands, Mateo and Lidia join Rufus in line for tickets.

Once they get their tickets, they must decide on what sort of world travel they would like to experience: “The main entrance is a little crowded as Deckers and visitors look up at the gigantic screen listing all the regions you can visit, and the different kinds of tours available: Around the World in 80 Minutes, Miles of Wilds, Journey to the Center of the United States, and more” (282). They decide on Around the World in 80 Minutes, and head to Room 16 where a double-decker trolley with 20 other people is getting ready to depart. A tour guide makes a few announcements, and then the trolley takes off: “In London, we pass the Palace of Westminster […] in Jamaica, we’re greeted by dozens of large butterflies […] in Africa, we see a giant fish tank with inhabitants from Lake Malawi” (283). The trolley also makes stops in Cuba, Australia, Iraq, South Korea, and finally Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Mateo, Rufus, and Lidia de-board the trolley and head through a tunnel that leads to the “Rainforest Jump,” which is a giant cliff with a giant waterfall. Mateo, Rufus, and Lidia stand at the edge of the waterfall, watching other visitors dive into the pool below. 

Because his family died by drowning, Rufus has a fear of water and is unsure if he wants to participate in the “Rainforest Jump.” Mateo insists that they all participate—in fact, Mateo thinks that Rufus plunging into the water will have a cathartic effect on him. The three of them head to the edge of the waterfall after stripping down to their underwear. The attendants give each of them floaties, for safety purposes, and Mateo suggests they jump together on the count of three. They land in the pool below, exhilarated by the fall. Rufus feels like he has been “baptized” when he emerges from the water (289). After they retrieve and put on their clothes again, Rufus corners Mateo and says that, because Mateo made Rufus jump, now it is Mateo’s turn. Rufus asks Mateo to join him at Clint’s Graveyard, which is an “underground dance club” for Deckers.

Chapter 61 is told from the perspective of Officer Ariel Andrade, a minor character who was one of the officers that aided in the arrest of Malcolm and Tagoe, after Peck called the police on Rufus. Officer Andrade decided to stop pursuing Rufus because he sensed that he was a good kid: “[Officer Andrade] always had a sixth sense for Deckers who will spend their final hours creating chaos” and he decides that Rufus is not one of those (292). Officer Andrade also decides to let Malcolm and Tagoe go home, releasing them from their cell when their foster parents come to pick them up. 

Peck refreshes Rufus’ Instagram profile, waiting for him to update with his current location: “Peck wants Rufus dead, of course. But he wants to deliver the killing blow” (294).

There is a line at Clint’s Graveyard, and Lidia remarks that it is strange to arrive at a club at 5 p.m. Rufus’ phone rings, and it is Malcolm and Tagoe wanting to FaceTime with Rufus. Rufus is ecstatically happy as he answers, and tells them that he is at Clint’s Graveyard. He invites them to join him there, and they say they will hurry, so they can have a proper goodbye. Rufus uploads a picture of the sign for Clint’s Graveyard to Instagram. 

Peck says “got him” as soon as Rufus uploads the picture of Clint’s Graveyard to Instagram. Peck puts the loaded gun in his backpack, and together with the gang they head for the club.