The Attachment

Chapter 1

The summer's sun is relenting against my back as I crouch down trying to get the last bit of varnish on my canvas. If I could just finish this piece, I could get lunch, maybe hang out with the guys for a while and then get back to it before the party tonight. I don't have a lot of time to just hang out though, I have a deadline and I'm never late.

Not when it comes to my art. I take it seriously. It's the one constant in my life. Well one of...

The other constant was one I didn't expect in my wildest dreams. And I don't know what I'd do without him. Jc had become my rock in the months I'd gotten to know him. He's the one person I completely opened up to. He's the only one who really knows what happened that night. He's been like a big brother to me from the minute he welcomed me into his life and circle. It wasn't a friendship I had seen coming. I was familiar with who he and everyone of the O2L members were when I was growing up. But I hadn't kept up.

Now it was six months after I'd gotten out of the hospital and I was working on my biggest project yet with Jc. He'd found me at the beach one random Sunday while I sat painting the sea. Instantly he seemed captivated by my art and we got to talking. Him being the creative genius he was asked if I'd ever be down to take part in an exhibit he wanted to have. I instantly agreed because when your childhood celebrity crush asked you shit like that - you agreed.

Months later Jc and I were neck deep in putting on an art exhibit for his clothing company TIXXO. He became a work partner but so much more.

"Are you finished with that one?" He asks walking out into the back yard of the C4 house. I nod picking the painting off the floor and leaning it against the side of the house. "Take a break for the rest of the day."

"I told you I wanna get most of it done this weekend." I shrug as I gather all my supplies. "Let's go for lunch but I'm coming back to it after."

"We're ahead of schedule. Come on. Let's hang out today and tomorrow it's back to it. Plus you can't bail on my birthday party." He grins the way he does and shrugs his shoulders like he knows I can't say no.

I roll my eyes and pretend to give him a hard time, "You do know your birthday was well over a week ago right?"

"It's over when I say it is." He laughs as he heads back into the house. I decide to give it a rest for the day and get lunch with him before heading back to my apartment to get ready for the night. It's my best friend's birthday party - I couldn't miss it.

My apartment was quiet like it usually was when I got back that afternoon. "Baby! I'm home!" I call out. I heard excited footsteps before my grey pit bull Oakley came barreling towards me with wet kisses and a big smile. "I missed ya boy! Come let's get food."

I didn't know what I'd ever do without him. He was my everything. My literal child. I take him to the kitchen and give him his food before cleaning up a bit. When he gets done I let him out into the backyard of the complex since I live on the ground floor that comes with the perks of a shared backyard. He knocks the door when he's ready to come back in and I let him before heading to the shower to get ready.

I had no clue what I was going to wear that night. Even if I knew about the party well in advance, I hadn't planned on really attending the entirety of it. My social anxiety usually kept me at home. I had planned to just stay home, work on my art, stop by at Jc's for an hour and then come back home. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how that made me a shitty friend.

I raid my closet while Oakley laid on my bed staring at me. As I sift through, my hands fell on a black bodysuit I'd forgotten I'd bought a couple years ago. I'd bought it with nowhere in mind and had never gotten the chance to actually wear it. I guess I found my outfit.