Two Player Game

~Chapter Sixty-One~

".......can I please stay here?"

"Yes. Any time, Jared. You can stay and never leave for all I care."

"God- thank you so much. Cause I currently can't get up."

"Well... C'mere. Rest, Jared." He nods and slowly lays down with Evan.

"... Do you want me to refrain from touching you?"

"No. Just be gentle."

"Okay, good, because I was going to cry if you did, I missed you so much"

"I missed you too much."

"I'm just - I'm sorry it all happened the way it did, and I still love you so much."

"I love you too... I've always have."

"God, Jared, what have we been doing? Fighting like this? I can't - I'm so glad you're not going to shut me out again.." They gently lay in each other's arms, whispering things to each other. But Jake and Rich are having some good times in Jake's bed. Fantastic times. Rich has missed this so much.

In the other dorm, Jeremy sits with Michael and Connor.

".......where do you think he went?"

"Maybe he's hanging with Rich?"

"Who? "

"Rich was our fourth last year. I'm pretty sure he's rooming with Jake this year as well."

"Oh fuck."

"What?"

"Well I mean... Aren't they still... What with Chloe and all..? "

"Shit you're right."

"That's fucked. Hope they get better."

"Who else do you think is rooming with them?"

"Who knows."

"...Could it be Evan?" Jeremy shrugs.

"That's a possibility." He pulls out his phone and calls Rich. Rich pulls away from Jake with a soft pop and sighs in irritation before answering the phone.

"J-dog, I'm busy."

"Quick question, Is Jared there?"

"Yeah? Why?"

"Is.. Is Evan there too?"

"Uh... Yeah. He's one of the guys in this dorm, he lives here."

"Shit. Alright thanks." He hangs up. Rich is confused, but he doesn't think much of it, tossing his phone to the nightstand and returning to Jake's lips.

"Alright. So Jared IS with Rich but he's also with Evan."

"Oh..." Conner shrugs. He's seething, but he's going to be chill about it.

"Do you think they made up? I mean according to Rich, it just seems like they were calm."

"I hope so. I want them to. It sucks having them, especially Jared, so miserable." Conner stays quiet. Evan told him he'd think about it. He lied, didn't he?

"Yeah.." he looks to Connor. "You good?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Cause I mean, if you need to talk about it-"

"I'm fine."

"Alright alright."

"God, if I hadn't declared this room a treaty zone..."

"And I'm glad you did. We don't need that."

"I agree."

"It's for the best. I don't need any more trips to the station."

"...... Like the police station?" Jeremy is now more frightened of him than he was before.

"Well... Yeah. I was... I was kind of a troubled child. A delinquent."

".....Huh... "

"Oh.."

"I knew the officers in Virginia well. First name basis and everything." Jeremy's quiet.

"Evan had to come get me from the station after a fight once. He was terrified. He thought I'd killed someone when I called."

"I would've too." He gets a nudge from Michael.

"Dude, that sucks."

"I was... Well, AM pretty messed up. I'm working on it. "

"Well at least you're getting better."

"That's how I look at it. I feel like Jared and I living together might set me back a little."

"We'll work on it."

"We can assist."

"I appreciate it. " Jeremy smiles warmly.

"Sorry I'm kinda fucking things up for you guys."

"Eh, we were a mess anyway what with Jared disappearing from the face of the earth for a bit. "

"At least I'm out of that wheelchair. I swear. Worst months of my life"

"And we can do so many more things now." Michael grins.

"Oh, gross, Mike."

"Oh think that's gross, you should've seen the giant hole in my stomach.."

"whAT??"

"Surgery. He's got a badass scar. " Jeremy lifts his shirt and indeed there is a badass scar vertically on his stomach.

"Dude..."

"Sexy. "

"Yeah, uh, I actually had to Get surgery there three times.."

"Three? Jesus."

"Yeah... those were not fun times"

"But it's all good now! We're doing real good now."

("Funny, from what I can tell people who are "good now" would be taking their anxiety medication.")

("Why isn't he taking his??")

("He's upset about something. I can't tell what. I'll need a bit of time for that. ") Jeremy either needs The Squip to find out quick or find a way to ask him.

("Don't get yourself wound up. I only noticed this morning. He can't have been doing it long.")

("Yeah but even then I've gotta keep my eye on him and worry about him.")

("Fine, I'll grant you that much.") Jeremy still is smiling though. Making sure to not look suspicious. Michael and Conner are probably talking about Evan by now.

"We met him on Skype through Jared. Poor kid was terrified when we met, I swear. I'm really proud of him for coming so far, he didn't even really need his meds last time we saw him."

"Yeah? That's so good. " Jeremy's doesn't give any input. He's sorta spacing out again.

"Yep. How'd you meet him?"

"initially at a sixth grade band concert. Zoe was in it and he was in the choir. The choir preformed after the band and he sat next to me to watch. Told me his friend played trombone."

"So like, is Zoe your twin?"

"Zoe is a year younger than us, but she skipped third grade."

"Ah."

"Jared plays the trombone."

"Yeah... That was the friend he was there for. I thought it was Zoe cause she started on trombone, but she said she'd never even met him. And I saw him nervously stick close to Jared after that."

"Jeez. Poor boy... " Jeremy shakes his head.