Barely Breathing//Ethis

92||

Chris' point of view:

Something is definitely wrong but he won't tell me what. He's acting strange and I can't work out why for the life of me.

He's gone quiet again.

"Eth we're going now" I whisper in his ear

He stares ahead blankly and stands up. He picks up the water bottle, still untouched and he drops it in the bin as he walks past it. I follow him out the studio and I walk behind him down the hall. He's looking down now and his hands are hidden inside his flannel.

We all make it to the car and once again pile into the back. Jakob is in the middle this time.

"I don't know about you boys but I'm starving, I think I'll get us all take away yeah?" Owen offers

"Sounds like a plan" Jake agrees for all of us

Five minutes later Owen is pulling into a McDonald's drive thru and asking us what we want.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries" Jakob pipes up

"Chris?"

"I'll have the same as Jake" I nod

"Ethan?" He says looking at Ethan, I take a glance at Ethan too. He's leaning his head on the window and he's staring out it

"I'm not hungry. Just a water thanks" he mumbles

Owen nods giving Ethan an odd look but continuing to order all of our food.

It doesn't take long to get our orders and soon Owen is passing us all a paper bag. Jakob and I immediately start devouring our burgers and Ethan sips his water slowly.

"Are we in the studio tomorrow?" Ethan asks screwing the cap on his water

"We're in the studio for the rest of the week"

"Oh."

•••

We arrive home not long after and everyone gets out the car.

Jakob walks into the kitchen and Ethan walks upstairs, I stand in the hallway not knowing who to follow.

I hear the shower turn on upstairs and I know Ethan's in the shower so I walk into the kitchen.

"Hey Jake" I chorus as I enter 

"Hey" he says back stuffing a handful of corn chips in his mouth

"Didn't you just eat a cheese burger and fries?" I laugh as he drops a corn chip from his mouth

"So? If I want to eat let me eat, it doesn't affect you" he defends stuffing another mouthful

"Ethan in the shower?" He asks with his mouthful, changing the subject

"Yeah," I sigh leaning on the bench "he's acting weird"

"I can talk to you if you want" he offers, I nod

"I'll go see if he's out of the shower" I say leaving him alone in the kitchen, I jog up the stairs and don't bother to knock on his door.

He's got his back turned and he's only in a towel. I stop in the doorway and just stare at him, I can see his spine. Every bone all the way up his spine and I don't know how to feel about it, his back is so red that it almost looks sore too.