Glee: Race to the Finish (the fifth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 47: I'm Lost Without You

"Ok there, drunkies," Bree said as she finally managed to get Stefan, Ryder and Alex all seated at the same time. "Stay put for just a few minutes. Please." They nodded but Ryder was already reaching for his phone. Bree took it away and exclaimed, "No! Ryder how many times do I have to stop you from trying to call Julie? You can't interrupt her right now."

Ryder looked away grumpily but Alex said, "There's more reason to interrupt her now than there ever has been. Julie's over there probably having wild animal sex with Sammy and you're here drinking away at your bar, sitting down when you could be going over there to fight for her!"

Bree gave Alex a look but it was too late. Stefan was silently agreeing and Ryder stood up. "No, no, no," Bree told him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to fight for her!" Ryder exclaimed, making a few people in the neighboring tables look over. 

"At," Bree looked at the time on her phone, "almost midnight?! Ryder, you're drunk. They're probably asleep or maybe they already got back, who knows what happened tonight. But you've been drinking for hours and I lost count of how much you've had."

"I think he should go," Alex said. He rose from his seat and said, "I'll go, too. I'd promised not to let Julie go back to the Sam pit of despair anyway. You lose the ones you love eventually, may as well stop her."

Ryder nodded, not necessarily grasping what was being said, and Bree said, "Do not encourage this, Alex. It's insane. And stop talking like that. I get that Kara is... gone... And you miss her, but it wouldn't do any good to go along with Ryder on his pointless drunk mission right now."

Ryder began to walk away but Bree pulled him back as Stefan said, "Don't go, dudes. Girls will just use you, abuse you, and then leave you. What's the point? You're better off like this. Single and unattached."

Bree let go of Ryder to turn and give Stefan a stern look. "Stop," she told him. "That's no way to think, ok? I know Shea leaving hurt you and you still hate the fact that I'm with Andy but don't let that from clouding your judgement on how you should be there for your friends. They need us right now, Stefan."

"Yeah and they're leaving," Stefan nodded.

Bree turned around quickly and saw that Ryder and Alex were already almost out the door, drunk and walking out with more liquor in their hands. She looked at Stefan with worry, grabbed her purse, and then ran after them with Stefan just a few steps behind.

Outside, Ryder had slowed down, but he was stumbling more and more with every step. He had no idea where his car was but it didn't matter because in his mind he'd be able to find her without any help. 

"Julie!" he started calling out. 

"Are you serious right now?" Bree hissed as she ran up behind them.

But he continued, "Julie!?"

Alex stared at him and then went on shouting, "Kara!!!!!" far more desperately and loudly.

The two continued to shout the girls' names and Stefan walked up slowly behind them, falling back several steps as he called out, "You do know we passed the parking lot already, right? Do you plan on walking to my cabin, Ryder?"

Ryder ignored him, taking a drink of the alcohol he was carrying and resuming to call out Julie's name. Bree kept following, trying to get them to calm down and shielding her face when other people passed them by.

["Nothing" by The Script.]

Alex: Am I better off dead? Am I better off a quitter? They say I'm better off now than I ever was with her. As they take me to my local down the street. I'm smiling but I'm dying trying not to drag my feet.