Unraveled

Chapter 9

11 Days Until...

Josh

I can't wait to go back home to my friends and people who I know won't betray me like Brooke did. Yeah, there will be memories of Ariel and her mom, but it's better than this feeling right now. Am I just not enough for anyone in my life? My dad left me, Ariel left me, Ariel's mom left involuntarily, and Brooke is choosing to leave me now. I just feel like I'm nothing to anyone anymore. Like nothing I do or say even matters. I'm hoping this visit with friends will change that though. If it doesn't, I'll just have to make some new friends at school. I most likely won't though, just because they are all jerks. "Josh, are you all packed up?" My mom calls up to me. "Yeah, I am." I yell back down, pulling the suitcase off my bed. She still doesn't know what Brooke did or that anything happened. My friends know, and they are all sorts of ready to cheer me up as soon as I get there.

A few hours drive later we arrive at my hometown. We pull into the driveway of my best friend Tony's house. His family and mine are all really good friends so they're cool with me being here for a week and a half. My mom is going back home after she drops me off because of work, but I've got a while to chill with all of them before she goes. And that is amazing because when we are all together tons of funny shit happens. I was going to invite Brooke along with me, but that didn't work out. I wish she would have just told me that she didn't feel the same way. Then I could have at least had something to work towards. But no. She had to go and crush my heart. "Josh bro!" Tony yells obnoxiously at me. "Hey dude, what's up?" I say rolling my eyes at him. "Your dick's up. Thinking 'bout something huh?"

"Dude. I don't even have a boner. I wasn't thinking about that shit that goes on in your mind 24/7 and I would prefer not to."

"Jeez, when did you become such a buzzkill? Did you go to like Europe or something? Cuz like, man, you gone completely cray cray."

"Tony, did you become a white girl while I was gone? Because you sound like one." He does though! It's weird... "Nah dude, just been spending way too much time around my girl. Ya know that chick Natalia that switched here last year?"

"The super hot one?" You have no clue. She's got long black hair down to her perfect ass. She is curvy as all get out and her voice has the tiniest accent it's adorable. "Yeah, her. Well, we had a project to do and her and I got all close and all that shit and now we a thang. How are things faring on your end with the chicks?"

"Well, I got cheated on. I thought the guys would have told you that." I'm honestly surprised. Tony doesn't have a phone because he broke so many his parents just gave up so I thought the guys would tell him. But apparently not. "Oh man dude I'm sorry that has really gotta suck." He hugs me and I hug him back because... I don't know. It's Tony and his weirdness is infectious. "Ready to go back to the crazy people Josh? As soon as we walk in there they are legit going to be all over you."

"Yeah, bring it on dude. I can take on anything right now."

Brooke

I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. He's gone and I've been like this for the past three days. Practically dead. Only getting out of bed when my parents are home. I don't listen to music, watch shows, talk to Max and Kat. Nothing. And honestly, the only person I want to talk to is Josh. Just him. No one else. Yeah, my phone is getting blown up like no tomorrow right now but that's okay. And I know Josh won't text me unless I text him first. He wouldn't know if I killed myself until he got back at this point. He doesn't keep in touch with anyone else from our school, so how would he know? Unless his mom told him. He's far enough away, I'll text him when I'm about to do it. Then he will at least know. And if I'm going to do it soon I really need to start writing that goodbye note... Tomorrow. I will do it tomorrow. There, now I'll have something other to do than sleep and eat. I need to cut as well. The urge is overwhelming nowadays. After I do it, I feel better, happy even. For once. These three days without him have been dismal. I hate myself for cheating on him. I hate myself for being this weak. I hate myself for letting it get this bad. I hate myself for all of this. Even for what happened with Ashlee and all them. For what I did to them even if it was unintentional.