Monsters and Men ~ Rosenwalker & Richpez

Chapter 39

Super excited to put this chapter out there. It's really been a ride y'all.

"She hit him again?"

"Keep your fucking voice down." Lauren whispered back to Joey. They were sitting in a tight circle with Brian, Darren, Nick, and Holden.

"Are we even surprised?" Darren groaned, sipping from his red solo cup. "I don't know what the fuck to do anymore. I just want to help him."

"Okay, you're cut off," Nick said, reaching over and taking Darren's cup as he began to tear up a bit.

"You don't have to be drunk to want to cry over this bullshit," Lauren said miserably, reaching over and taking Darren's cup from Nick. She took a sip to calm her nerves, pursing her lips at the taste. "I've never felt so helpless. Even when he can get himself own that she's hurting him, he won't leave her."

"It's like, he knows that he needs help, but he doesn't want it?" Holden asked, tossing his drink back.

"You're also cut off," Nick said, the natural father of the group. He reached over and took Holden's cup from him. "All we can do right now is support Joe in whatever decision he makes. We almost lost him the other day."

"Nick's right," Joey added. "If we try to go against him, he's just going to push us away, and then Zoey will really have him. We have to stay supportive."

"Where is he anyway?" Brian asked, finally speaking up.

"He's up in my room, hopefully sleeping." Nick answered, standing up to throw away Holden's cup. Lauren took one last sip of Darren's before handing the cup back to Nick.

Joey nudged Brian's elbow, leaning in so that the others couldn't hear him. "Maybe you should go check up on him?"

Brian shook his head. "I should? Why me?"

Joey raised an eyebrow at him. "You know why. Joe may be oblivious, but he cares for you. And more than that, he respects the fuck out of you. If anyone can get through to him right now, it's you."

"Lauren couldn't," Brian pointed out. "What makes you think I can?"

"You and Lauren are very different," Joey answered honestly. "Lauren gives him tough love, which is the last thing he needs right now. Go give him some of that unconditional love and support."

Brian groaned, anxiety flooding his chest. Joe was most likely either sleeping or crying, and Joey wanting him to go upstairs and disturb him? "I, I don't know man. Obviously I want to go check on him, but at the same time I really don't want to annoy him. Maybe he just wants to be alone right now."

"He probably does. That's all Zoey's been trying to do; isolate him," Joey stated factually. "For fucks sake, she literally threatened you with violence so that you'd stay away from him. She knows the impact that you have on Joe, by the looks of it more than either of you two do."

Brian sighed, really wanting to believe Joey's logic. Still, he couldn't shake his fear of Joe rejecting him.

He stood up nervously, shaking out his arms and legs. "If I come down here in twenty minutes completely heartbroken you owe me. Big time." Joey smiled and gave him a thumbs up, shoving Brian's leg so that he started walking. Brian kept his head down as he made his way up the stairs, trying to remember where Nick's room was. He'd only ever been over once.

To Brian's surprise, Nick's door was wide open; the familiar glow-in-the-dark Star Wars wallpaper sticking out to him from the hallway. Through the dark, he could faintly make out a figure curled up on Nick's bed. Brian leaned against the doorframe, observing Joe. The older boy had the blanket pulled up over his head, so all that Brian could see was a circle shaped lump under the High School Musical fleece blanket. He listened intently for any noise; snoring, crying, mumbling, but Joe was silent. Summoning courage that he didn't have, he gave Nick's door a gentle knock.