B.R.O.N.X. (Justin Bieber Fanfiction)

"You don't have to pretend that you're okay."

Brooklyn

I wish Justin and I had one of those "our spot". Like the ones couples have in books or movies, the typical place where they know they'll find the other if they ever need to. That one place where they go after a fight or when they're upset and they're absentmindedly expecting the other to show up and comfort them.  But Justin and I had many places that were somehow special to us—or at least to me. Settings were literally flashing through my mind like a roll of undeveloped negatives. Having a certain place would've made it so much easier to find him when he ran out of the door.

At first, I was shocked when he just stormed out of the apartment, not even bothering to take his jacket or a coat. I hopped he'd take the car or he'd freeze to death. I was a blubbering mess as I explained to the two men at the door—who seemed equally taken aback by Justin's flight—that he was Jeremy's son and that he had a tendency to act on impulse when he didn't take something well. They nodded understandingly, even offering me a tissue for my leaking eyes and runny nose. I was trying really hard to stop crying and think straight, but the knowledge that Justin was out there alone and frightened—prone to get in trouble—plus the fact that I had just received news that broke my own heart didn't help at all.

I knew I had to go look for Justin, to check on him and keep him from doing something stupid, but no one else was home and I was hesitant to leave those two unknown men there until Pattie came back. Where was she anyway? What if Jazzy came home before her, alone? I felt like this situation was way too much for me to handle. I was way too young to know the right thing to do. I was scared, and on the verge of having a panic attack.

As if sensing this, one of the soldiers—a blue-eyed man with a shaven head—put  a hand on my shoulder. "You should go after him," he said, referring to Justin. "Jeremy was  a good friend, and we'd like to deliver the news to his wife properly. We'll just wait here."

The other guy, his dark eyes watery, nodded in agreement, picking up Jeremy's duffel bag from the floor. What was in it? Clothes? Pictures of his family? His own uniform... I didn't want to know, and I hadn't even thought about how to tell Pattie, Jazmyn and Jaxon. Little, innocent Jaxon. I was suddenly thankful that I wouldn't have to be the one to do it. I wouldn't be able to, I was positive.

"Okay," I said, sniffing. I had to stop crying, and focus on finding Justin. "You can wait in the living room."

I let the two gloomy men in, and closed the door. They didn't even look around the small place, simply plopped down on the couch. It was obvious Jeremy had meant a lot to them, that they had established a friendship while they were together away from home. For some reason, that made me want to bawl my eyes out again, but I sucked it up, taking a deep breath.

I let the men there while I put my discarded clothes back on—I hadn't realized until then that I wasn't wearing my thighs or my shoes, and that my hair was far from resembling a ponytail anymore. I couldn't care less about the impression I'd given them though, to be honest. After dressing in my clothes and cursing my life for not having brought a pair of more comfy shoes, I grabbed Justin's back coat (the one we'd bought together) and shot out the door after a brief goodbye to the soldiers. I would have to trust them not to wreck the house, which, by their moods, I really doubted would happen.

Once in the street, I wasn't so happy that Justin had taken his car. First of all, he was in no condition to drive. Second, that meant he was nowhere near the neighborhood, making the task to find him even more challenging. It ruled out any of his friends' houses and the nearby park.

I dabbed the back of my hands under my eyes once I was sat inside the car. I was aware that my makeup would be smeared all over my face at this point, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I could only bring myself to breathe deeply and exhale to calm down. I adjusted my ponytail as well as I could—simply for comfort—before starting the car.