24 Hours

Chapter 3 ~ Bro code

"Order for Shawn Mendes?" The delivery man said holding the extra large pizza in the lobby of Shawn's condo. "Yeah man, keep the change." Brain said, handing the man the money. "Thanks bro." The delivery guy said and Brian made his way back up to Shawn's condo. On the way back up Brian ran into Julian, Shawn's pot guy. After a quick conversation the pizza finally sat on Shawn's coffee table, but Shawn wasn't anywhere in sight. "Yo?" Brian called out looking around, nothing. "Bro?" he said checking Shawn's room, empty. Finally he heard Shawn coughing faintly from the balcony. Brian got to the set of windows and could just make out Shawn's figure through the set of sheer white curtains that hung over the balcony windows. He pushed back the curtains and stepped out to find Shawn holding a lit blunt in one hand and a dripping shot glass in the other. There was an open bottle of tequila sitting on his balcony table. "Huh, getting cross faded eh? Wasting no time." Brian commented, "Yeah man." Shawn said, holding the blunt out to him. Brian took two hits and handed it back. He held the smoke in for a few seconds and shook his head. Then he released it into the cold night air. "Good shit." he said.

Shawn looked troubled "What's up bro?" Brian asked, but Shawn shook it off. "Nothing man, let's go inside, I'm hungry." Before Brian could grill him some more he was following Shawn inside. Shawn grabbed a slice of pizza and plopped down on his sofa. Camila's ringtone went off, Shawn picked it up, saw her picture, sighed deeply, and sent her to voicemail. Brian who sat next to him noticed but said nothing. At the end of the first Harry Potter movie Shawn clicked off the TV and without looking at Brian said "Thanks man...for always being there." He then slid down and began getting comfy on his couch. Brain shook his head as if saying "Don't worry about it." But instead all he said was "It's bro code man." The two best friends fell asleep shortly later. New York here they come!