In The Sudden Death, We Fought Back. (Sequel to The Soul Mate.)

Chapter 8. (Mike's POV.)

"We need it finished in a week!" Our manager growled through the phone.

"We're trying; you know it's been hard the past month." Jaime said through clenched teeth. All three of us were stressed beyond belief. All our parts had been recorded, but we still needed Vic's vocals before we could edit everything together and make it sound the way it was supposed to. Even if Vic miraculously recovered that very second, we would be hard pressed to finish everything we needed to before our deadline. "Just...give us an extra week. I promise we'll have it in two weeks." He pleaded.

Our manager huffed and mumbled something incoherent. "Two weeks. You know how much I've put my ass on the line for this album? You've pushed the date back twice already. You're lucky I'm a great negotiator. This is your last chance. I can't hold this off anymore than this, and that's if I'm lucky."

The room breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thanks, man!" I said, hanging up before he could say anything else.

"God damn, Vic's so lucky." Tony grumbled, rubbing his face. "Look, Mike. I know you've tried, but you've gotta talk to him. Do anything to convince him. We only need him to finish his vocals; we can take care of the rest. Please. He won't even return our phone calls. You're the only one he might listen to." Both guys looked at me with hard yet sympathetic looks.

My phone started playing "Kissing in Cars"; the ringtone I had set for Sarah. "Yeah. I'll head home right now. He'll come with me tomorrow, even if I have to carry him the whole way. I gotta take this though. See you guys later." I said quickly, grabbing my stuff and heading out the door.

Sarah was crying so much I could barely understand what she was saying. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry Mike." She cried.

"What? Sar, babe, slow down. Calm down. What's going on?"

"You're gonna hate me and leave me oh god I'm so sorry Mikey please don't be angry."

"Sarah. Stop. I'm never gonna hate you, no matter what you did. I love you." That shut her up. I'd never told her I loved her before-never even considered it-but now that I had said it I knew it was the most truthful thing I had ever told anyone.

"Mike..." She breathed.

"Just tell me. You're scaring the shit out of me right now. Anything you tell me won't be worse than the scenarios I'm thinking of right now."

"Mike, my period is late." Now it was my turn to be silent. "Oh god I'm so sorry I'll just hang up and never talk to you again-"

"STOP!" I yelled. "Don't hang up. Did you take a test?"

"Not yet. I'm too scared."

I sighed, trying to think maturely. "Look, I've gotta do something right now. But can I come by later tonight? I'll get a test, and I'll come over, and you can take it, and we can talk about this."

"You're not mad?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, I'm just...stressed. I really need to go though. I'll drop by around 6?"

"My parents are going to dinner at 6:30, so come around 7. I don't want them to know anything yet."

"Got it. I'll see you then."

"And Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. And I love you too." The line went dead, and even though I had just been told the craziest news of my life, all I could focus on was the last thing she said to me. I stood for a few seconds, dazed, before remembering what I was doing in the first place and heading home as fast as I could.

The only person I would even consider talking about the news I just received was Vic, but he had to worry about himself right now, not his idiot kid brother. "God, don't you know how to put on a fucking condom?" He would tell me, most likely angry and disappointed. Regardless, he would help me figure everything out.

But right now, it was my turn to be the one to take care and be strong for the both of us.

"Vic?" I shouted as I walked into the seemingly empty house. My parent's car wasn't in the driveway, meaning Vic was the only one here. Upon further inspection, I saw a note addressed to myself and Vic, saying they had gone on an all-day shopping trip and to order pizza for dinner.

I stormed up to Vic's room and pounded on the door, ready for a fight, but the door flew open when my knuckles hit it. I took a step in, and immediately realized something was wrong. Vic wasn't in his bed, and I could hear light cries coming from the bathroom. My heart ached hearing my brother's pain. Just like in songs that were particularly painful for him, I could barely stand to listen. I braced myself to comfort him before opening the bathroom door.

All my efforts were in vain. Once I took a look at him, I felt a tear fall down my face and my body go numb.

Vic sat on the linoleum bathroom floor, blade in hand, streams of blood falling onto a towel as fast as the tears falling down his face. "Mikey..." He started, but I couldn't hear him. My entire body had no feeling, including my brain. I robotically got the first aid kit and found rubbing alcohol and gauze.

I held a hand out, and he placed the razor blade in my hand gently. I sat next to him and cleaned his wounds. He winced and hissed in pain, but eventually it was taken care of. He collapsed in my arms.

"I'm so sorry! So, so sorry Mike." He sobbed. I had been told sorry too many times today.

"I need to go do something. I'll be right back. Don't do anything." I said in a monotone, heading to my room. I tried to be as quick as I could, even in my robotic trance, as I dialed Kellin's number.

"Mike?" He mumbled, as if he was just waking up.

"Please, Kellin. Come home. We need you. Vic needs you."