Chapter 22
I rubbed my eyes as I was walking down the stairs, and I almost missed a step because I was way too tired to focus right now. Maybe I should have stayed in bed a bit longer but it was already quite late in the afternoon. I needed to leave my room for even a short amount of time so I didn't feel trapped in there, despite the fact that I should feel comfortable in there since it was my bedroom.
The first thing I did when I got downstairs was lie down on the couch. I was truly exhausted from being drained mentally and from not getting enough sleep at night. Then again, the reason why I wasn't getting enough sleep at night was because I was mentally drained. Everything was because I was mentally drained.
"Nolan, are you okay?" Mom asked from the kitchen. She was currently preparing dinner with Dad, so I must have really slept in today.
"Mhmm. Just tired."
"Why don't you just lie down in your bed?" Dad asked. "There's no reason why you can't lie in bed all day when you're tired. It's like lying in bed when you're sick. You just don't feel well enough to move."
"I don't want to lie in bed all day," I said. "Then I'd feel like I'm not getting any better at all. So I'll lie on the couch all day instead."
"Are you hungry?" Mom asked.
"Not really, no."
Mom didn't really listen. She just quickly prepared a bowl of fruit before walking over and handing it over to me. I sighed, though I took it anyway since I knew I had to eat something. It was the same thing every time I wasn't doing too well. It was best I ate something healthy, despite me feeling like spitting out anything I ate.
I still laid down as I slowly ate the fruit. I didn't really feel like sitting up right now.
Although, I did want to get a bit more comfortable and I suddenly remembered about the giant teddy bear I won at the carnival. Maybe I should go upstairs and get it so I could at least snuggle with that.
Even though I really didn't feel like moving.
Once dinner was ready, Dad called everyone into the dining area, but he was fine with me just lying on the couch to eat the fruit. He did fill up a plate of the dinner for me and left it on the coffee table just in case I got hungrier but as for now, I didn't even feel like sitting at the dining table.
It really sucked that I couldn't even spend time with my family because of it.
I totally loved being mentally ill.
I actually ended up eating all the fruit in the bowl. I placed the now-empty bowl on the coffee table, beside the dinner plate. I stared at that food for a bit, but then I started to feel a bit nauseous at the idea of eating what was on it. So I just turned around, facing the back of the couch.
I did close my eyes in an attempt to nap for a bit, despite just waking up not too long ago. However, my cell phone did suddenly beeped with a message. I sighed, taking my cell phone out of my pocket and looked at the messages. It was from an unknown number, but the first thing I noticed from the text was Hey, it's Brandon so I opened it to read the full message.
Hey, it's Brandon. Jerome did something stupid and it's too long to explain over text, so can I call you.
Jerome did something stupid?
That was enough for me to get up from the couch as I texted Brandon back a sure. I made my way upstairs to my bedroom so I could have a bit more privacy with my conversation, even if my family would only hear my part.
Shortly after my door was closed and I was sitting on my bed, Brandon called me. I answered right away, saying, "Is Jerome okay?"
Brandon sighed. "Yes and no. For the most part, he is but he almost got arrested yet again."
"Are you going to tell me what he did or--?"
Before Brandon could even reply, I slightly heard Jerome gasping before saying, "Is that the cutest person on earth you're talking to? Let me talk to him."
Brandon must have moved his phone slightly away from him because his voice sounded a bit distant as he said, "No. Go lie down."
"You're not my dad, Brandon," Jerome said. "Pleeeeeeease. I wanna talk to Nolan or I'll cry. You don't want to see my cry, do you?"
I didn't have much experience around alcohol, in fact we never had any in the house and I've never stayed at a party long enough to see what it was like, but I think I knew what was going on with Jerome right now.
"I-is he drunk?" I asked.
"Yeah, he is," Brandon said. "He showed up like this to my work. Thankfully, I was just getting off so I was able to take this dumbass home. Anyway, I normally deal with his drunk ass but he keeps whining saying how he won't do anything until he sees you. You could come over or... Hold on a second..." He moved the phone away from him again. "Jerome, where the hell did you find that bottle?"
"In this really cool thing that keeps food and drinks cold," Jerome said. "It's like..." He made an explosion sound. "Mind blowing."
"Just put the bottle back or else I'm not going to let you see Nolan at all."
"What? But... But I have to see him."
"Then put the fucking bottle back, dumbass." Brandon sighed, yet again, and moved his phone back. "Sorry. He's such a baby when he's drunk. Anyway, can you come see him so he'll stop acting like this and hopefully go to sleep?"
This was why I hated being in this type of mood. Of course I wanted to see Jerome, especially if he was acting like this and wouldn't stop until he saw me.
But I probably couldn't even leave the house, no matter how hard I tried.
"I-I would," I said. "I mean, I want to but... I don't really want to get into it but I can't leave the house right now."
"Oh," Brandon said. "Are you grounded or something?"
"N-no, it's not that," I said. "It's... Complicated. It's complicated."
"Can I bring him over?" Brandon asked. "Or would that be too much to ask, especially with the young siblings you have?"
"I think it should be fine if I could get him to my room right away," I said.
"I'll have to help with that because he's such a pain in the ass," Brandon said. "Though we might not even have to get him to your room if he'll be fine with just seeing you."
"Now can I talk to Nolan?" Jerome asked.
Brandon ignored him as he continued his conversation with me. "I'll bring Jerome over to your house, then. Just text me the address."
"Okay," I said. "Wait, how did you get my number in the first place?"
"Alan."
"Oh, right. Is... Is everything okay between you too?"
Brandon was silent for a bit. "We're... figuring things out."
"He's still mad at you?"
"Yeah..."
"He can hold grudges for a long time so just... just be patient with him."
"I will."
After Brandon and I hung up, I texted him the address before going back downstairs, this time bringing my giant teddy bear with me so I could snuggle with it on the couch before Brandon and Jerome showed up.
Once I was back on the couch, Alan asked me, "Was that Brandon?"
"Yep."
"Did you tell him to go fuck himself?"
"Alan!" Mom said. "Watch your language around your younger siblings!"
"What? Brandon makes me mad."
"Then get mad when your younger siblings aren't around. Curse all you want then, but I don't want Tulip, Rose, and William to pick up those words."
"What did Brandon even do to you?" Orchid asked. "I thought you two got along."
"We did, until he stabbed me in the back," Alan said, stabbing one of the pieces of meat on his plate for extra emphasis.
I might have to keep Brandon outside so Alan wouldn't have to see him when he clearly didn't want to.
It took a bit of time but the doorbell finally rang, so I got off of the couch and made my way downstairs to the foyer. It was Jerome and Brandon, and Jerome immediately broke out into a huge smile when he saw me. "Hey! It's the cutest person to ever be alive!" He held out his arms. "Can I have a hug? Pretty please?'
I gave him a hug, immediately getting a whiff of a strong smell, probably alcohol. "You stink."
"That's mean," Jerome said. "But it's okay because you are soooooooo cute."
"There, you saw him," Brandon said. "We can go now."
"What? No," Jerome said. "I want to stay here and spend time with my insanely cute boyfriend. Look at how cute he is. And how blue his eyes are. And oh my gosh, you should see his smile. He has the cutest fucking smile ever."
"Might as well just let him stay," I said. Besides, I kind of wanted to see Jerome anyway. Even if he was a bit drunk... "But, uh... I might have to get him up there alone since... Alan is home. He's not too happy with you..."
"That's understandable," Brandon said. "But it is kind of hard getting Jerome anywhere when he's drunk. It might be better if I help. And if Alan asks me to leave, I will right away, even if I haven't fully help bring Jerome upstairs."
"Okay, fine," I said, trying to pull away from the hug but Jerome wouldn't let me go.
"Just five more minutes..." Jerome said. "Or maybe an hour... You're just so huggable."
"We can hug more in my room," I said.
"Ooh, your room. Sounds fun."
"No funny business."
"Funny business? Me? I would never."
Brandon was right. This was going to be a bit of a struggle.
As we were getting Jerome upstairs to the main floor, I said, "Oh, one thing. My family... Well, most of them... They don't know about me and Jerome. It's only my mom, Orchid, and Alan that do so..."
"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Brandon said. "And I'll make sure this dumbass doesn't say anything either."
As soon as we were on the main floor, Alan immediately looked over and glared at Brandon. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm just helping out Jerome right now," Brandon said. "I'll leave right after."
"Good," Alan said.
"Alan, my man, my bro, don't be mad at Brandon," Jerome said. "You know what he told me? He said that the reason he--"
"Jerome!" Brandon said. "Don't say anything!"
"Oh, is it a secret?" Jerome said. "Okay, shh... A secret." He pressed his finger to his lips. "Shh."
I sighed. "Just get upstairs."
"'Kay 'kay," Jerome said, starting to make his way up the stairs, though he was struggling a lot.
Both Brandon and I were about to help him, but my dad told me to wait a bit. I told Brandon that my bedroom was the third door on the left, so that was where he headed with Jerome as Dad walked over to me.
"Okay, I know I brought Jerome here when--" I began, but Dad cut me off.
"Oh, I don't care," Dad said as he handed me a glass of water and two pills. "For Jerome when he wakes up. He'll probably have a nasty headache. Also, it might be hard to get him to sleep this off, but he'll tire himself out eventually."
"You really don't care?"
Dad shrugged. "Why would I? Your mom had to do the same thing for me when we were teenagers. She always took care of me when I was drunk, which was a lot. I'm not going to get me if you're doing the same thing for your friend."
"Seriously, Dad?" Alan asked. "First you went to parties, then you've been arrested, and now you were always drunk? What else have you been hiding from us about your teen years?"
"That I was in a police chase that had to do with drugs," Dad said. "And I was the one driving away from the cops."
"What, really?" Ryder asked.
Dad shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not." He looked at me. "You can go upstairs now. Just tell me if you need anything."
"I will," I said. "Thanks."
I went upstairs to my room where Brandon was now struggling to get Jerome to lie down. I placed the water and pills on the nightstand before sitting down on the bed, which actually got Jerome to lie down right away. "Ooh, snuggle time."
"Not when you reek of alcohol," I said. "I'll gag."
"Okay, one, that's rude. And two, you're cute."
"And I should be leaving now before Alan gets even angrier about me being here," Brandon said.
As he was walking out the door, I got up and followed him. "Wait. Do you know why Jerome drinks all the time? I-Is it because he just wants to o-or is there a reason?"
"You're going to have to ask him that," Brandon said. "I do think there is a reason but he never talks about it, not even to me. If you do ask him, wait until he's sober. Don't ask him when he's drunk."
"Yeah, of course I will," I said. "And for what it's worth, I hope you and Alan figure everything out."
Brandon gave me a small smile. "Thanks."
Once Brandon walked away, I closed my bedroom door. "So... Snuggle time?" Jerome asked.
"I told you, not when you reek," I said, going to my dresser to find a change of clothes he could wear. Though I doubt I would be able to find anything since he was a lot taller than I was...
Then again, I did wear stuff a bit too big for me since I wasn't all too confident with my body...
I found a shirt and pyjama bottoms that seemed like they would fit him, so I walked over to the bed before grabbing Jerome's hands and pulling him up. "Come on, let's go get you in the shower so you don't smell."
"Rude and cute."
It did take some time to get Jerome to the washroom and to get his clothes off so he could get into the shower.
And it might not have been the best idea for me to help him get in there, and to stay while he was showering, because I may have... gotten distracted... a few times.
My face was probably as red as a tomato right now.
When Jerome finished the shower and was changed into the clothes I grabbed, we went back to my bedroom where he flopped on the bed. "Now can we cuddle?" he asked. "I don't stink anymore. I smell good."
"You should sleep," I said, sitting down on the bed.
"I will," Jerome muttered, moving closer and resting his head on my lap as he wrapped his arms around me waist.
I didn't take long for him to fall asleep in this position. As he slept, I couldn't help but feel worried for him. Brandon said that he thinks there was a reason Jerome drank all the time. And part of me was thinking it had to do with all those bruises he ended up having.
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i've been meaning to say this but i really love jerome and brandon's friendship in here. they're friendship goals.
anyway even though it's not even 2 am, i am really tired and need to go to bed because today (well yesterday really lol) just mentally drained me woo