*Natasha's PoV*
I woke up only to realize there was an arm around me. I froze, unsure of what to do. I've gotten too close... He knows my secrets and he's going to go through all the trouble of helping me... I'm such a fucking burden; Jesus Christ why did I tell him anything?! Ugh, I should've known better.
I slowly slithered out of his arms trying my best not to wake him up. Anytime I heard the slightest noise I cringed. Stupid bed springs, why must you start to creak now rather than any other time? That's just mean. I grabbed all my stuff and shoved it into my backpack as quickly as I could. I grabbed my junk from the bathroom and crept around in search of my skateboard. I could hear Jimmy's mom downstairs and I didn't want to be caught.
Ugh, come on board I thought we were friends... Finally I found my board in the shower... Of course... why didn't I think to check the shower for a skateboard?
I shook my head at my great organization skills. Alright. Now I just need to figure out how to leave without anyone seeing me... That's a bit harder than it sounds. I looked around. The best I could get to was a window that led to the roof. Great... Oh well, I'm desperate. I opened the window, trying to be quiet and stepped out onto the roof. I could see the neighbor looking at me. Trying to act casual, I just slid down to the gutter and aimed for a bush. I leaped and naturally the bush was a rose bush... This is such a great day.
I shook it off, waved at the neighbor, and took off on my board.
I'm free.
On my own again.
Whelp...Now what?
Back to my normal life I guess. I headed off on my skateboard to the library.
*Neil's PoV*
Adam's in rough shape. The month of December is destroying him. He won't shave or put any effort into anything.
"Come on dude get up," I said to the lump of Adam in his bed.
"No..." he mumbled into his pillow.
"You look like shit bro, you have to get up."
This time I didn't even get a word, just a grunt.
"We have a concert tonight and there's no way you're not showing up," I told him.
No reaction...
"Alright, you leave me no choice." I started to push and try to roll him out of bed. "God damn you weigh a ton."
I need more man power. I called Brad and Barry to get over here. The whole time I waited for them Adam never moved or made a sound. I heard Barry's loud ass steps coming from the hall.
I motioned them into the room. "Guys, I need help pushing him out of bed."
"Alright," Barry said.
Brad rolled up his sleeves. This just got real.
We all pushed and Adam rolled and flopped onto the floor.
"Ow," he grumbled but still didn't move.
"Hey Barry go cook some breakfast, we're gonna drag this lazy ass to the bathroom and clean him up," Brad said.
We dragged him to the bathroom and Brad became a barber and shaved Adam's face and I went into his closet and picked out an outfit. As soon as his face looked better I chucked the clothes at him.
"You better get dressed on your own," I told him and closed the door.
Brad and I wandered back to the kitchen.
"Oooh are you making French toast?" Brad asked, all giddy like a kid getting ice cream.
"Calm yourself Brad, you remind me of a puppy," I told him while he looked over Barry's shoulders at the toast.
"Speaking of which, Brad go feed Mabel," Barry said.
Brad got a grumpy expression but still marched off to give her some food.
We waited for nearly ten minutes until finally we saw Adam walk out to the kitchen on his own.
"Wootwoot!" I cheered. "You're looking damn fine today."
"Thanks. If I'm ever running low on hot babes I'll make sure to hit you up," Adam replied. His eyes looked dull and exhausted but he still managed to form a small smile.
Barry finished making the French toast and coated it with tons of whipped cream and strawberries.
"I swear to god if you don't eat this, I'll kill you," Barry said while setting the plate down in front of Adam.
There rest of us lined up. Barry first, then me, then Brad. I moved slower than Miley Cyrus putting her tongue back in her mouth. Creepy slowing and checking each piece of toast to find which ones were the best. Brad was practically jumping up and down impatiently. He looked like Mabel when you hold her food bowl above her.
"Hurry up you piece of shit!" Brad yelled, dying behind me.
"But I don't know if I want this slice," I said holding one up and shaking it in front of Brad's face, "or this one." I put another slice right in Brad's view. "See this one is nice and moist but it might be too buttery. This one is a bit thicker but it doesn't look as steamy and able to hold tons of powdered sugar."
"I'm going to kill you!" Brad yelled, lunging for the toast.
"Dayum Brad, talk about an addiction," I laughed at my poor, starving, murderous pal. It managed to make Adam smile a bit, but nothing was the same. I guess Tosh was a good thing for him but where the hell do I find her to bring her back? Does she even want to come back? I decided I needed to at least try and find her.
"Hey guys, I need to bolt, but I'll be back soon," I said, pretending like I just got a message on my phone.
I wandered around hoping I'd just run into Jimmy; I have no clue where that kid lives. I decided to get my car and try a larger area. I searched...and searched...and searched until finally I found him. He was right outside of what I assumed was his house.
I rolled down the window. "Hey Jimmy!"
He looked over confused until he saw me. "Holy shit! Neil! Hey! You remembered me?"
"How could I miss that spiky ass hair?"
He laughed.
"So what's up?"
"Um, I was curious if Tosh was staying with you?" I asked kind of awkwardly.
To my surprise he answered yes. Then he told me about her leaving this morning though.
"She just kind of sneaked out at some point this morning while we were asleep. I don't even know why..." he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Damn..." I responded. Then I remembered that librarian, Miss...Miss...Parker! She showed up at the hospital when Tosh had surgery. "Quick, hop in, I think I know where to go."
"Do you have any candy?"
"Oh shut up and get in," I joked.
He ran around and hopped in. I drove around trying to find the library. It's a bit sad when you have no clue where the library is but could give the most detailed directions ever to the video store.
Finally we found one. This looked promising. We ran in and went up to the front desk. Scoree! I instantly recognized Ms. Parker.
"Hey!" I said to the elderly lady on the other side of the desk. "Is Tosh here?"
She gave me an odd look.
"I'm friends with the guy who adopted her," I quickly explained.
"Oh, okay," she said and looked up a small staircase in the back and called, "Natasha! There's someone here to see you!"
*Natasha's PoV*
'Oh shit. Who would be here to see me?' I asked myself while staring at my reflection in Ms. Parker's bathroom. I bit my lip, inhaled my anxiety, and walked out the door. I left her apartment to find Neil, Jimmy, and Ms. Parker all staring at me. I wanted to race back up the stairs and lock the door but they started to circle around me like god damn pack animals.
"W-what are you guys doing here?" I asked.
They even looked like animals; crouched around me, ready to pounce at any sudden movement. 'Don't be the gazelle,' I thought to myself. 'Dammit I'm totally the gazelle right now...fak.'
"Tosh, we have a concert tonight, and...and we'd really like you to come," Neil said cautiously, making sure there was no room for me to bolt.
"Why?" I asked.
"We...we need you," he said.
"We?"
He sighed. "Adam needs you," Neil specified.
"It didn't seem like it before..." I had no clue if Neil knew what had happened or not, or even if Adam knew what had happened.
"For fuck's sake... Adam has been refusing to even get out of bed. He's refused to eat or even change clothes. He won't even leave the house; he's a fucking mess. He needs you whether you like it or not..." Neil said, frustrated.
"Tosh, you know Adam didn't mean anything that he said or did that night. He was drunk as hell and we both know that he's suffering for it right now," Jimmy said.
I felt kind of betrayed by him, but I knew what he said was true... fuck...
"Please," Neil begged. "For the love of everything, please come."
I shut my eyes and bit my lip. I reopened them and sighed. "Okay...fine..."
"Yes!" Neil cheered and ran up to hug me. Jimmy and even Ms. Parker joined in.
"But just for the record, I hate you all," I told them.
"We luv chuuu," Jimmy said in a stupid childish voice, laughing and hugging me tighter.
Neil had headed back to Adam's place, leaving Jimmy, Ms. Parker, and me to hang around the library for hours until the concert started at 8. Jimmy and I messed around on the computer playing random games and watching weird videos. After we got to the weird side of Youtube, we decided to back off and do something else. We decided to put a puzzle together. Yeah, I know, it sounds so exciting...but it actually became really fun because I think we were some of the first people ever to play competitive puzzle building.
"Hell no! You cannot put that piece there! That section was mine you piece of poop!" I yelled, removing the piece he place and attaching it back on again so it was mine.
"Hey! That was mine!" he yelled, removing the piece again and replacing it back in the same place again.
"Bring it on!" I said challenging him.
We fought each other for pieces and sections and colors; destroying each other's creations. Even though we were working on the same puzzle, we'd rip each other's sections apart just so we could connect the last piece. It got heated, cussing each other out and wrestling over pieces, but we'd always end up laughing afterward.
Finally we had finished every single puzzle Ms. Parker had.
"Well... damn..." I said. We looked around for something, anything to do.
"Hey, I'm hungry...Wanna go out for lunch?" Jimmy asked.
"Sure," I said. "Hey, Ms. Parker? Would you like anything?"
"No thanks, don't you worry about me," she said, winking at me while motioning to Jimmy.
I died laughing and Jimmy was clueless. "No!" I yelled at Ms. Parker between laughs.
She laughed but burst out laughing even more when Jimmy asked, "What?"
"Nothing Jimmy, nothing at all," I said, smiling.
He looked upset but gave up on figuring out.
We headed out the door and ended up going to some sandwich shop. We got chips and cookies to along with them and took it to go. Jimmy walked me out to a park right next to a river.
We sat on a bridge right above the river, legs hanging off, arms wrapped in the bars in front of us. I used the bars as a head rest and just stared at the rushing water. I honestly don't know why this place isn't more popular; there were huge trees that were bright green and thick, with their bark covered in moss and their roots that led into the crystal clear rushing waters, surrounded by small plants and shimmering rocks.
"So..." Jimmy started, "Why'd you leave this morning?"
My insides died. Fuck... What do I say...?
"I-I'm sorry... I... I just..." I tried to come up with a lie but I just couldn't do that to him. "I got to close... I always run away as soon as I get close to someone and it's not like I do this on purpose, it just happens and it's so fucking annoying and I hate it but it ALWAYS happens and it won't stop." I took in a deep breath after spouting that all out in one sentence.
I expected him to be hurt...or at least say something; I don't know, maybe be upset or give me some reason to justify my reason of running away, but instead, he just wrapped his arms around me. At first I froze and became stiff but I started to melt and feel comfortable in his hold. I just closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest, listening to the river.
I don't know how long we just remained like that before finally he moved. I opened my eyes and looked over at him.
"I don't care how often you say something's wrong with yourself, it's never true," he said kind of awkward but then smiled.
I didn't what to say so I just smiled back. "Oh yeah," I said. "We have food." I grabbed the bag of totally forgotten sandwiches and got out the drinks and chips.
"Hey, I had a cookie," he said.
"Dammit... I was hoping you'd forget," I said, reluctantly handing him his cookie.
"Pshh, forget about a cookie? Never."
We just sat there eating and joking around. I was hoping to distract myself from how nervous I was about tonight, but I could feel those stupid butterflies annoying the shit out of my stomach. I could barely eat. I ended up giving a lot of the bread from my sandwich to some birds and a squirrel I named Bernard. I didn't realize how long we had been there till I could see the sun starting to set.
We started to head back to library. My anxiety was eating me alive. As soon as we got to the library it was already 7:30. We convinced Ms. Parker to take us to the venue in her dorky old lady car, a super boxy 80's car. You know that moment when you get so nervous that your tongue starts to tingle? I felt that the whole way there, barely able to say anything. Jimmy actually had to push me out of the car when we got there around 8:15. Some opening band I had never heard of was playing but I couldn't get into the music at all with how nervous I was. No matter how inviting that mosh pit was, I couldn't move.
I remained that paralyzed statue through the next two band's sets. Finally, Three Days Grace came up. Adam walked out on stage and did his normal introduction, the crowd cheered in time to the questions. They started playing songs; I Hate Everything About You and It's All Over. I was starting to think this whole thing would be okay and I was starting to calm down but then he noticed me. I could see the look on his face of confusion and what seemed like hurt... I started to lose control of my breathing a bit. They started to play Let You Down, the whole time he just looked at me. I couldn't handle it.
I ran out of the mosh pit and locked myself in the bathroom, having a full blown anxiety attack in a handicap stall. I started hyperventilating and couldn't keep the tears in. I was rocking back and forth trying to get out some energy. I felt like punching something but I could convince myself to move anywhere besides just fucking rocking. I'm a disaster. A full blown catastrophe. I don't know what's wrong with me. All he did was look into my eyes and I ended up rocking around like a lunatic in a bathroom. What the fuck is wrong with me?!
Finally after almost 20 minutes, I felt myself calm. I regained control of my breathing and tried to just settle down. I got up and wiped the tears from my eyes. I looked into the mirror. I look like shit. I splashed my face with cold water, trying to get rid of the puffy redness in my eyes. Once my face finally settled down and stopped looking like I'd been attacked by bumblebees, I left the bathroom.
I found Jimmy waiting outside. Had he been waiting out here this whole time?
"Jimmy, I'm sorry if I dragged you away from the concert...you can go back, I need to leave," I told him awkwardly, but still tried to head for the doors.
He grabbed my arm. "No. You're not leaving. Tosh you need to talk to Adam. Both of you are fucking miserable and you need him god dammit. You know he needs you but you have no clue how much you need him."
I didn't know what to say. I just tried to shake him off but he dragged me back to the concert.
Luckily, Adam didn't spot me or look at me. I didn't want to look into his eyes; I knew I'd just breakdown again. Maybe Jimmy was right... Maybe I do need him... But I've been on my own for so long. I don't need help... So why does just the sight of him kill me?
I dreaded the moment the concert came to an end. I knew that someone was going to come find me. I didn't just come here for nothing. I was keeping an eye out for Neil but instead I found familiar blue eyes staring at me a couple yards away.
Adam...
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Hey guys. I'm so sorry it's been forever since I've updated. Hopefully I'll be updating more soon and I might go back through the story and edit a couple things because of all the grammatical errors ;-; and wattpad's writing section is being a douche canoe to me so if the story gets weird or something blows up or the whole world ends...sorry
Anyway, thanks for reading and I love you all and you guys keep me going even if it seems like a really small thing. Also I just wanna comment on how rad it is that the comments on this story have reached 69 xD