Second Impressions [Miniminter/SDMN Fanfiction] [COMPLETED]

> part twenty one <

Weeks. It had been weeks since the incident. It had been weeks since Simon had smiled. It had been weeks anyone had spoke of Mallie and none of them had seen her around.

Josh worried sick. Mallie hadn't answered his calls. Simon wouldn't let him help him. He knew they were struggling and he just watched to sort it. He had called by her apartment a few times for no answer but he knew she was there as he could hear her TV and her phone ring. He would sit and talk outside the door in hope she'd come out but she never did.

"Why are you letting this bother you so much?" Tobi had come over as JJ and Vikk were out for the week and Josh was finding it unbearable not being able to talk to him room mate.

"Tobi - how happy were you that she was back? That we had our chance to restart our biggest regret?" Josh asked him with a genuine tone.

"Very." Tobi said, admittedly. He got the point and Josh just raised his eyebrows at him.

"I don't want to hurt her again. Neither should Simon but he's reacted completely out of proportion." Josh sat down in his spinning chair, shutting down his computer. It was only the late morning but he wasn't in the mood to work.

"Let's go sort him out." Tobi perked up and Josh turned to look at him.

"How?"

"I don't know, I'm just fed up with seeing you guys like this?" Tobi stood up and left Josh's room. Josh followed suit as they walked up to Simon's bedroom and paired up as they went in.

Simon was laying on his side, watching TV from his bedroom with the curtains closed. He was still only wearing his shorts and top he slept in. He turned his head to look at Tobi as he stormed into the room. Tobi threw his curtains open then grabbed the TV remote and turned it off.

"Can I help you?" Simon spoke quietly.

"Get dressed, we're going out." Tobi instructed and Josh just stood in the door way. Simon looked over to him, watching Josh nod at him. Without resisting, Simon threw on some clothes and they headed downstairs.

Tobi and Josh waited by the front door as Simon slipped his shoes on in silence. He
didn't want to be the way he was, the way he felt but he'd tried to feel normal but he just couldn't.

They all jumped into Tobi's car and they drove back to Harby Park, where Simon went eith Mallie and she met with Josh and JJ for the first time. The weather outside was warm, not overly hot, but perfect hoodie weather which all three boys were suited to wear. Simon just followed the boys and they went and sat on the same bench.

The fresh air; Simon breathed it in and he felt as if he had had something heavy resting on his brain for ages and it had started to lift off.

"I'm sorry I've been the way I've been." Simon fiddled with his fingers, sitting on one side
of the bench and Josh and Tobi perched on the other side of the table.

"It's okay Si, we know it's been tough and we hate seeing you like this." Tobi smiled at him, this made Simon feel a little more reassured.

"We want you to tell us exactly how you're feeling so we know how to help you." Josh looked at Tobi first to see if he'd said what he meant. Tobi nodded.

"I'll try," Simon started. He took a deep breath. "In the terms of me, I am... I am exhausted from worry. From... flashbacks? From fear. I feel like I'm going to be scared of people. I hate myself for being someone to push people away."