Bed Sheets

9. Oxygen Rush

"It's been a week Eric," Justin said quietly, standing beside him as Eric stood on his balcony, airing the smoke from his lungs before taking another inhale, "he'll take you back."

He shook his head, "I don't want to go back, besides he was not even nice to me."

Melissa was eyeing them from the kitchen, and sighed, turning to the living room. Hearing Eric had lost his job made their income harder to manage, being a bit short on groceries for a few weeks. He seemed really gloomy the first few days, but then started going out to bars more often and returning slumbered.

She tried talking to him, but he dismissed any chat about Draven. Draven had released the synopsis of Cold Shoulder, which Eric to crumble then throw the newspaper away when he read the article on Draven H. Malcom, the handsome author that reached New York Best Sellers a few times.

Eric threw the end of his cigarette, and opened the door to return inside the home; Justin followed him inside, "I can find you a job with our other authors—"

"None of them are as well-known as Draven," he replied, "they don't matter."

"It's still a job, it'll provide an income."

Eric sighed, opening the cabinet to the cups as he breathed, "I think I might quit writing entirely."

Justin's eyes widened, "But that's your dream, your passion—"

"It hasn't worked out my entire life," he shrugged his shoulders, grabbing a jug of water from the fridge then pouring into a cup, "maybe it isn't for me."

There was a silence, until Justin snapped the cups way as Eric was pouring into it. He needed to capture his full attention, which he did, and said sternly, "Stop being weak, and frail."

Eric inhaled sharply.

"Just because Draven didn't like you, it doesn't mean you should quit writing completely."

"I've tried," Eric sighed, "so many times but writing jobs never work out—"

"Maybe you haven't tried enough, but seeing you giving up is disgusting," Justin spat, stepping towards the door.

Eric raised an eyebrow, "Where are you going?"

"Home," he hissed, "call me when you're done feeling sorry for yourself."

He slammed the door shut.

Melissa escaped into her bedroom, not wanting to come across Eric's gloom as he dragged his feet to his room, and closed the door behind him. Justin was annoyed by him as well, and it was a matter of time before he left him too. Hence why, when he received a call from Jason to go drinking, he could not decline.

When he arrived at the bar, Jason was the first to greet him, next was Rebecca, and a few other people he had never met. They pushed shots in his direction, a few glasses of beer as well, and after a while, he stopped counting how many shots he had taken, and instead just continued to take more.

Once the alcohol settled in his system, all the thoughts about Draven came about, and he began slandering his old boss, "He had me cleaning the toilets because you guys came talking to me."

"He stopped liking you," Jason shrugged his shoulders, sipping on his beer with red tint underneath his eyes, evidently drunk, "at least you don't have to live through those piles of work anymore."

"I felt terrible for you, Eric," Rebecca chimed in.

He gritted his teeth, "I just wanted to fight him, and let him know how it felt to be spat on by him like that."