The Winner

Mood Swings

*Nate*

"Jonah, you really need to figure out her meds. Either up the dose or something. She's in there going from one mood to the next. The reasons are valid but she's a fucking mess trying to deal with this shit. She's acting just like my sister and I'm not ok with that. I left the room when, once again, James swooped in to comfort Julia." 

This would be the time I'd drive my sorry ass to Sullivan's to get drunk.

"I'll have the psychiatrist paged. Let's see what she says. But Nate, don't forget... as a friend I'm telling you this... the doctor really isn't on your side here. She thinks a treatment facility is best for Julia. If she thinks this is getting out of hand, she can bring it to court and have the state decide if Julia needs to be admitted somewhere."

"Fuck. That's right. No, don't have her paged. I need to figure this shit out myself."

*****

"She cried herself to sleep. I don't know. Something's not working." James looks tired and frustrated.

I never see a ton of emotion out of the dude but today is different. This is wearing him down. I don't want to feel like I'm his enemy but in a way, maybe this is a good thing. If he realizes he can't take care of Julia, maybe he will back off. 

What an awful human I am when I'm fucking sober.

"I need to go home for a bit. Take care of my dog and shit." He quickly leaves my apartment and both me and Jonah share a look.

"That was odd." Jonah looks up from his laptop. It's just me and him. I have no fucking idea where Trisha is and Paul texted and said he had an "errand" to run. Probably Trisha.

For the very first time, I decide to sit at the dining room table with Jonah.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Wracking my brain on how to fix the love of your life, that's what." Jonah doesn't look up from his laptop. "I just can't figure her out. There's so much wrapped around that one brain of hers. She's so complex. How she went this long ...."

"Believe me. I know." I look around bored. I haven't been cleared to workout. I can't pick up the guitar to start practicing while Jules is sleeping. The place is clean thanks to Jonah always picking up after everyone. There's nothing on tv. I sit and stare at the nurse for a few minutes.

"You know.. I know absolutely nothing about you."

Jonah shuts the laptop. "Ok. What do you want to know??"

"What did you mean by you let someone go or didn't fight for them or something. Where the hell do you live? And why does your chest look like a KFC rotisserie chicken? What happened to you?"

"Whoa. That's a lot to unpack my friend." Jonah laughs. "The burn. We'll start with that. It's stupid really. And I'm too chicken shit to get plastic surgery."

"What happened?? I mean. You know I'm only kidding when I tease you, right? It isn't bad. I was just caught off guard when I noticed the patch. Same way I was caught off guard when I noticed James's fucking back tattoo."

"Yeah. Well, I was drunk. Usually that's how my stories always start." Jonah sighs knowing I understand him completely. I nod and listen intently. "I was at a bonfire party on Santa Monica Beach. We were bunch of stupid college kids doing stupid shit. I don't know. I can't remember much other than I was having a fight with my girlfriend and tripped when I went to walk away. I was so drunk I didn't even feel it when I fell forward into the fire. It took a split second. She grabbed me just in time so the flame only singed my chest. But still. Stupid shit that resulted in a scar to remind me."