Burnt Out

26

"I'll walk you out Julian."

"How sweet of you Ms. Cage. The coffee was amazing, an tell Alexia and Blaine I said bye. Ya know this really was the best weekend of my life."

"Oh shut up Julian."

*JJ picks Chloe up in a hug and spins her around in the middle of a Starbucks parking lot*

"Put me down Julian! Hehe."

"Alright alright. I'm leaving now. Goodbye Chloe."

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Present day

"Goodbye Julian....." Chloe watched as they carted the body down the stairs on the stretcher. The cop had made sure this time that she wouldn't get by him. Alexia hit the ground with her knees and just stopped screaming. Her tears kept flowing but the screaming was over. Wyatt remained speechless, still banging his head against the wall. Blaine paced and around holding his head in his hands mumbling about how this could have ever happened. Once the ambulance had drove off, the cop released Chloe once and for all, allowing her to enter the dorm, as she and the rest of the friends searched for closure and an answer to the question burning in all of their minds and hearts.

Why did he do it?

Chloe walked into the room as the rest of the group tried to hold themselves together outside. The first thing she saw was the collection of bottles. All empty. He didn't even swallow them with a glass of water, he just dumped them down his throat and slowly sealed his fate. She picked each up and read the labels.

Ambien

Advil PM

Tylenol PM

Excedrin Extra Strength

And finally a prescription that read "JULIAN WALKER JR, LITHIUM" Chloe sighed as she knew JJ struggled with the mental disease passed down by his father, but never knew he had it bad enough to need a prescription. Bipolar disorder seemed to have claimed another victim, but for some reason Chloe refused to believe that that was it. JJ was never the type to just give up. He battled through everything and even in the face of defeat mustered the strength to keep moving forward. So deep down she knew it wasn't just another story of a kid who quit. There was something more to this, and if anyone could find out it would be Chloe. She walked around the room and searched for any hint that might put her heart to ease. She walked into the bathroom and written on the mirror in black sharpie was:

"THE HARDEST PART OF THIS IS LEAVING YOU" These words were just more daggers that prodded at Chloe's heart as she choked back tears. One of the first bands Chloe ever showed JJ was present there in his final hours. She shook her head and her eyes grew redder and redder.

"Why'd you do it Julian?....why.... God fucking damn it WHY!" She started to scream and pound her fists against the mirror until it shattered and the pieces fell to the floor. This was extremely extraordinary as Chloe was very superstitious, yet right now 7 years of bad luck seemed like a blessing compared to the rest of her without one of her best friends. She wiped her face and walked outside the room and checked JJ's bed. On the bed were 4 notes.

"WYATT" attached to the note were pictures from their childhood and the football they played with.

"BLAINE" attached to the note was the gay pride shirt that he wore with Blaine the time they all went together.

"ALEXIA" attached to the note was the mug, that read "For My Best Friend" and had a dick inside, that she had given to him one year for secret Santa. Also attached was the Polaroid pictures they had taken together over the years with her vintage camera.