train wreck // justin foley

62

since we'd gotten married, justin had become more distant, making me think he wasn't okay. he walked into the room and he looked awful.

"where have you been?" i asked him softly, sitting by myself on the bed.

"zach's." he replied, walking toward the bathroom.

"are you alright?" i asked.

"are you alright?" he asked me.

"j... are you using?" i asked him.

"look, if i were you, i'd worry about my own shit before nagging and worrying about anyone else's." he said. "and no, i don't wanna talk about it in the morning." he finished, walking into the bathroom and closing the door. i was slowly watching him become so broken over the course of this week... how the hell did this happen?

in the morning, i got up and i passed by clay, who was on his way to the shower.

"hey, justin didn't come to the outhouse yesterday. is he okay?" clay asked me.

all that was able to come out of my mouth was, "he has stuff going on, but he's fine."

"okay. he just... seems a bit off." clay replied. "and i know he's been hanging out with you guys more often."

what? he said that? he told me he's been hanging out with zach... what was he hiding?

"he's fine. like i said, he's just got stuff going on." i replied, smiling.

"alright, well i'll see you at breakfast." he said, hugging me and walking away into the bathroom.

after everybody got up and got ready, we all walked downstairs to see lanie and matt sitting at the table in front of a big envelope.

"what's going on?" justin asked.

"justin got a letter this morning." lanie said to us.

"holy shit! uh...i mean, sorry." justin said, happily.

"don't be sorry. but please open it, or lanie will. it's taken everything in my power to stop her." matt said, causing us all to smile. i sat analeia down as he opened it and began to read it.

"i... i got in."

"yes!" lanie exclaimed.

"way to go, kiddo. that's fantastic!" matt said.

"we are so happy for you. you have done so, so well." she said, hugging justin. then she looked at me and clay. "yours are both coming, i know it."

"and you're doing so great with dr. ellman, and you're having a baby!" matt said to both of us, earning a look from clay.

"surprise, you're an uncle again?" i said, hesitantly. clay pulled me into a hug and smiled.

"we should celebrate, huh? medgie's for dinner this weekend?" matt asked.

"or we could treat the kids to something special? i, uh... i hear there's a gordon lightfoot concert coming to town that all the kids are talking about. when is that?" lanie asked. justin, clay, and i all looked at each other.

"there is? i didn't know about that." clay said.

"that's a great idea. i'm surprised you guys love him like i do." matt said to us.