The Web I Spin for You ~ Richpez & Rosenwalker

Chapter 31

Fluffier chapter! cw for some heated kissing🤪

Joe was lying on his back, this time on his floor instead of his bed. He had his headphones in even though he was alone in his bedroom, desperate to block out the world. He knew that Brian had to study for an exam, and there truly was no one else that he was willing to talk to after the days events.

He couldn't shake the nagging sensation that he'd cheated on him. Logically, he knew that he hadn't—he'd immediately pushed Beth off of him and turned her down. So why was it eating at him? He closed his eyes, thinking about how uncomfortable he'd felt during the whole thing with her.

Of course, it paled in comparison to Zoey locking him inside of Beanies, before attempting to serenade him like the sociopath that she was. He sighed, closing his eyes gently in an attempt to let his music lull him to sleep—at this point, he wasn't sure what else he could do except just wait to feel better. Granted he was listening to angry rock music, so he hadn't had any success.

"I JUST CAN'T LOOK, IT'S KILLING ME, AND TAKING CONTROL—"

He groaned, kicking his feet up miserably. Whoever it was, he didn't care—he was just annoyed that they had cut off All Time Low. He picked his phone up, his nerves twisting at the possibility that it was her.

Holden. He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Yeah?"

"Dude where are you? Why aren't you hanging out in the choir room like we all usually do?"

"I don't know. I'm tired."

"Okay, well get untried. We're all going to the mall to shop for this damn dance."

Joe faked a laugh, the dance being the last thing he wanted to think about in the current moment. "Nah that's okay. I don't even know if I'm going. Brian's worried about us getting bullied, which I totally get." He elected to leave out everything that had happened with Zoey.

"Ah he'll come around. Just give it some time." Holden reassured. "And if he doesn't, I'll be your date."

"You already have a date."

"We can triple date you. You know we love our friends. You can be a part of it."

"As much as I appreciate that, I feel like I can't cheat on my Brian with another Brian. Thank you though." Joe teased, Holden managing to elicit a real genuine laugh from him.

"Okay, just come hang out with us then while we shop. Get a suit just in case you decide you feel like going."

"I uh, I really have to get caught up on homework. But I'll see you guys tomorrow for Starship Troopers."

"You fucking better." Holden said, before Joe hung up on him.

In truth, he didn't have a lot of homework, he just didn't feel like getting up and going out and having to fake being okay. He wasn't okay, he hadn't been in months, and he was tired of denying it. He was the most depressed and anxious that he'd ever been in his life, and in the current moment all he wanted was to stop feeling.

He rolled over to his side, resting his head in his arms and closing his eyes. He was just going through a low. Maybe he could sleep it off. Maybe when he woke up, the cold feeling that had etched its way all over his skin would be gone.

xXx

His dream skipped the usual intro. This time around, he was already tied down, and the spider was already descending down towards him. He didn't need to check to see if he was caught in the web; he could feel it. He tugged and tugged, terrified as the black widow continued to approach him. He kept his eyes open—he figured out at this point that it was only when he closed his eyes to the situation that she would appear on top of him.