Losing the Halo||Solby

We Need Elton || Colby

Sam didn't come home that night.

It took four whole days before the blonde entered back into the house. The roommates hadn't seen him in what felt like forever, but their relief was short lived. Katrina, a hard look in her eyes, trailed behind the broken looking Sam.

And neither of them bothered to look at Colby as they climbed the steps and disappeared into Sam's room.

"I don't understand what's going on between the two of you, but this has to stop." Corey was sitting between Devyn and Aaron, his arms splayed out around them.

"I tried, Corey, but it isn't so easy." Colby couldn't help but feel angry towards his roommates. They didn't understand what it was like for him. He couldn't blame them for that.

"Then try harder, Colby," Corey urged. He pointed to the stairs. "We are going to lose Sam if this doesn't end."

"Not everything can happen when Corey just says it, ok!" Colby pushed away from the counter he'd been leaning on and walked to the door. "Sorry, Corey, but not all of our lives are so happy-go-lucky like yours!"

"Hey -"

Corey's reply was cut off by Colby slamming the front door. He pulled his hood over his head and walked down the street. Lately, it seemed like he couldn't get far enough away from his roommates. Everything had turned so sour so quickly that it was hard to imagine exactly where it all started.

Colby looked to the sky, taking in a breath of warm California air. This time a few months ago, everything had been perfect. Sam had walked by his side and they were declaring to the world that they were unstoppable together.

"Colby, wait!" The brunette boy froze, turning to see Aaron running down the block. Despite his better judgement, Colby waited for his quiet roommate.

When Aaron has caught up with him, the two boys resumed a casual pace, neither one really talking. Colby found it odd that Aaron had come all this way just to walk next to a sullen emo kid for no reason.

But, of course, that wasn't what Aaron wanted. And Colby was tired of waiting for the roommate to speak.

"Why are you walking with me, Aaron?" Colby kept his eyes forward.

"Can I not walk with one of my best friends?" Aaron's tone was casual, but there was an underlying tightness beneath it. Colby hated the way his best friends had begun talking to him, as if he were a virus they couldn't get away from.

"Aaron." Colby looked over to see Aaron had stopped walking and was looking at a bush.

"Colby, I heard you when you went into Sam's room." The statement was made so low that Colby had barely heard it.

His heart dropped as his roommate turned to look at him, Colby's fears coming to life. Someone now knew. Someone Colby cared about.

"I - I don't - "

"Colby, it's ok," Aaron walked over and put his hand on Colby's shoulder. "No one else was home but me. No one else knows but Katrina and Sam...."

"Please don't tell the others." Don't tell them because Sam rejected me, is what Colby really wanted to say.

"I'd never," Aaron frowned, "but this needs to stop. You can't secluded yourself and you can't hate Sam for choosing Katrina."

The words hit Colby like a wall of ice. It froze him over, making his soul brittle and ready to break. But Aaron was right. Sam had chosen Katrina and that was just they way it was.

"Colby, don't take it the wrong way -"

"No, I hear you loud and clear, Aaron." Colby's voice was like poison. It dropped with malice - so much so that Aaron's eyes widened just a bit.

But Colby couldn't stop the bitterness pouring from him. It was fueled with years of loving Sam and being by Sam's side and now there was a hole so big nobody could fill it.

"You know what else I hear? A big fat 'get over it', but that's not how it works." Colby turned away from Aaron and shook his head. "Just leave me alone."

Colby didn't have to turn around to know Aaron had walked away. The brunette knew his friends were just trying to help, but it's wasn't enough. Nothing but Sam was enough....

The entire house was falling apart. Colby knew it was a matter of time before everybody began fighting.

And when Colby rounded the corner, completing an entire block around his house and looked into the front yard, he saw his worst fear yet come alive.

Sam was placing two big suitcases in his car.

"Sam?" Colby broke into a sprint, running through the gate and stopping just a few feet away from his former best friend.

"I'm leaving, Colby. I'm moving out." Sam kept his face emotionless. It was like the entire world was freezing over. Colby could only see Sam's face, drained and weary. He could only hear his own heart beat.

And then Katrina's words rang through the air. "Let's go, Sam."

"This is the end of Sam and Colby and our XPLR channel." Sam was climbing into his car. "I'll send you the profits from the rest of the merchandise sold."

Colby couldn't breath.

"Goodbye, Colby."

He couldn't speak.

Colby watched as Sam drove out of the house gates and down the street. Behind him, he could feel his roommates staring at his back. The looks burned and something inside him cracked.

Just like that, Colby had lost everything.

"He'll come back, Colby." Devyn's voice was soft. Beside her, Colby could hear Corey whisper something.

"Shit, we need Elton," Jake grumbled from inside the house. "He knows how to fix everything."