Jeremy gets the bathroom, dropping his bag on the floor and slugging over to the sink. He splashes some of the water in his face before looking at himself in the mirror. The tears still forming in his eyes and- he thinks he's gonna throw up again.
"Jeremy?" Brooke calls from outside the bathroom.
"Jeremy, are you all right?"
"Yeah yeah I'm fine-" he throws up again.
"... Do you want me to get a nurse?"
"No no Im fine." He wipes his Mouth with his sleeve grabs his back pack and walks out of the bathroom to see Brooke. His face is pale besides his red and puffy eyes.
"I just want to go home."
"You poor thing... Do you need a ride home?"
"If you could please....."
"No problem, I'll have to tell Chloe... Stay put, all right?" He nods. He leans against the wall and slides down to the ground as she walks away. She comes back very soon, Chloe in tow.
"I need your address, Jer, all right?"
"Yeah that's fine. You don't have to treat me like I'm glass."
"You're not glass, you're... Paper."
"Wow that's so much better." Chloe looks at Brooke. What's wrong with him? Brooke shrugs.
"all right, let's go then..." the whole way home, Jeremy is silent. He's gonna cry once he gets to his room. Brooke feels real bad. R e a l bad.
"Is there anything we can do to help, Jeremy?"
"Nope. What's done is done and I'm never getting my best friend back." Then he gets out and walks to his house. Chloe looks concerned.
"Is he talking about that headphone kid?"
"I think so... Poor guy..."
"Yeah...." Chloe hopes to god this doesn't hurt her plans she made with Brooke tonight. Brooke sighs.
"All right, home we go." When Jeremy goes inside, he does go to his room and cry. He hesitates before taking his phone and texts Rich,
Je: [Are you free? You don't have to hang out with me if you don't want to..]
R: [Yeah I guess]
R: [You seriously want to hang out?]
Je: [I just don't want to be alone.]
There's about a two minute stretch of nothing.
R: [where do you live]
Jeremy gives him his address and Rich is over there so fast.
"Jeremy?"
"Hm?" He sniffs.
"You good?
"Not really...."
"... Wanna... Talk about it?"
"Well there's really nothing to talk about. Long story short, I just lost my best friend.. permanently..."
"Aw dude... That... That sucks, you... Don't hang with headphones anymore?"
"He called me a hoe Rich."
"Oh fuck man, uh... I'm... Sorry to hear that? I'm... Look, I know I'm a dick and you probably shouldn't take advice from me, but fuck that guy. Honestly, regardless on if you're a hoe or not, why should he care? He's your best friend, bros support each other. If Jake wanted to be a hoe I'd... I'd let him. If it made him happy. Not... Not say shit like that."
