You Stop Suguru

LETS GO TO THE BEACH BEACH

I've been friends with Geto and Gojo for over a year. I'm their underclassman but they sort of adopted me as one of their own. One of those extroverts adopt the introvert situations. We're pretty much inseparable. Or...we were. Things have been...different since Toji. Geto doesn't seem to want to hang out much anymore. Gojo is hardly here anyway. Anytime I ask Geto what's up he just shrugs me off. I know he's distancing himself, and it just seems to get worse.

He's lost weight. His eye bags have gotten bad. He's also clearly stopped keeping up his appearance as much. And worse...I haven't seen him wear short sleeves in months. It's summer. Something is wrong. I have to intervene.

It's the first time Gojo has been back in a few weeks and we decided to go out on the town. We're walking down the street together. Gojo can't seem to exist in silence for long. "WOOOO I am loving this weather. Perfect time for the beach am I right?" Gojo is his usual chipper self. He is completely oblivious. Geto looks down at his feet as we walk. I watch his movement closely. "Helllooooo are we going swimming or what?" Gojo says waving his hands in my face. He's such an attention whore...

"I don't know if we feel up for it today. We had a rough mission yesterday, Gojo." I shrug off his suggestion. I need to have a conversation with Geto. We need to talk about it. I don't think the beach is the right environment for an intervention.

Gojo rolls his eyes "Awww you babies can't handle missions without me? You tired?" He teases. He's infamously bad at reading a room. Geto stays silent. 

"Yeah not all of us can refresh our brain on a whim." He rolls his eyes at my dig. "Gojo come on. Let's just go to the dorms and watch a movie or something..." I suggest.

"NOOOOOOO it's summer. I. Want. Beach." Oh my god he's so annoying. He's pouting and everything. Suddenly, Geto speaks up. His voice is hoarse and quiet.

"It's ok. We can go swimming" He doesn't even look up. I glance over at him. God he's too kind for his own good. Letting Gojo get his way so easily.... What a softie. Then again so am I...

I concede. "Alright Gojo, fine. If Geto's in I'm in." He would be annoying all day if we didn't do what he wanted anyway.

"YESSS" Gojo jumps in the air and floats slightly. He puts his arms around both of us and walks, holding our shoulders. "I need this" He grins between the both of us.

                                                                                            *** 

We made it to the beach. The two boys go into the changing tent first. I wait outside. Gojo strips into an uncomfortably small speedo. I try not to look as he steps out. I mean seriously what the hell Gojo. Suguru walks out wearing a long sleeve swim shirt and long shorts. My face drops slightly seeing him. Gojo notices that unfortunately.

"Awwww you disappointed? Want to see him shirtless or something?" He gets in my face teasing. I really can not stand being close to him in that speedo right now.

"Back up your breath stinks" I push Gojo's face away from me and go in the changing tent. I close the tent and sigh. I've never seen him wear a long sleeve swim shirt at the beach before. I know what's happening. I mean, I can't make excuses anymore. He's definitely doing it. I know all the signs...the patterns. I've been there before.

Gojo's annoying ass voice interrupts my train of thought. "Hurrry up! I know girls take a long time but try to show some initiative here. I want to-"

"TO SWIM I KNOW" I yell from inside the tent. I guess I am taking a long time. I take off my shirt and shoes and slip into a bikini. Since I am alone with two teenage boys I put a tshirt over my bikini. Last thing I need is today getting any more awkward. I walk out of the tent. Gojo is tapping his foot, glasses on, towel in hand. Geto just stares at some crab in the sand. "Ok I'm ready lets go"

"Finally." Gojo blurts. We start walking to the water. Gojo jumps in immediately. Geto stays on the sand, sitting. He stares at the sand and draws in it with his finger. I decide to have a talk with Gojo first. I run into the water after him.

"ACK COLD" I wince and swim out to where he is. He's floating on top of the water with his infinity. "I thought you wanted to swim?" I ask. He looks up at me through his sunglasses.

"Is this not swimming?" Is he being deadass right now? Whatever.

"Gojo look...we need to talk..."

"Confessing your love to me already?" He grins and moves around on top of the water. I splash water into his face. He coughs.

"BLEH" He drops his infinity and falls into the water. "Ok jeez it was just a joke. You know hysterics are a real turnoff f-" 

"We need to have an actual GENUINE SERIOUS conversation." I cross my arms and look at him. His goofy persona recedes slightly.

"Ok. Lets have this GENUINE SERIOUS conversation now." He says somewhat sarcastically. He stops playing around though. He looks directly at me, mouth slightly parted.

"It's about Suguru. He isn't doing well. I know you haven't been here so you probably haven't even noticed bu-"

"I have." He says gravely. He looks down.

"So...you've noticed-"

"His weight. His eyes. He's not...here" Gojo looks devastated as he speaks. His voice almost cracks. He glances over at Geto.

He's been more observant than I realized. It also seems to be affecting him more than I ever imagined. "Gojo, I think it's gotten worse. I think he's hurting himself now"

Gojo's head shoots up. His mouth gapes open. "No...suguru..." He looks back over at his best friend. Geto is staring into the sand, unmoving. "...how do you know?"

I look over at Geto too. He seriously hasn't moved this whole time. He's just staring at the ground. "His sleeves. He's been wearing long sleeves for months now. Even now at the beach. And he's protective about it too. When we're on missions he keeps tugging them down like he's careful not to expose something."

Gojo gets quiet. That's a first. His fingers twitch. A shockwave ripples through the water. I move closer to him. "Gojo...It's gonna be ok. Geto is strong, we know that. I don't think he's going to do anything...drastic. Let's just talk to him about it, ok?" I give a half-hearted smile. Gojo sits down in the water. He holds his knees close to his face.

"I just..." He mutters. He presses his face into his knees. "...I didn't think it would get this bad. Suguru he's always...the strong one..." I stare at him for a moment. I sit down next to him in the water. "...well I mean obviously I'm the strongest sorcerer. I mean he was...mentally...spiritually stronger. He's my rock. He's pulled me back from..." He gets quiet for a moment, like he's remembering something terrible. I see a tear roll down his cheek. I've never seen him get this worked up over something. "...I just didn't expect him to do something like this..."

"Hey-" I put my hand to his cheek and turn his face towards me "-now he has the strongest sorcerer with him. So he's gonna be ok." I smile.