|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:04 pm
The further he got from H's suite, the more the numbness seemed to fade. By the second floor, Jerry had pulled off the cap of the second bottle he had taken. By the first floor, it was noticeably more empty.
By the time he made it back to his room, the world was screaming in his head. His breathing came in short, hyperventilating bursts, his hands shaking too much to hold onto the bottle without spilling, and he carefully set it down on the bedside table.
There sat the book she had been reading recently. That was quickly thrown across the room against the door.
It didn't help. A tight noise escaped his throat as he grabbed her spare socks, a forgotten over shirt, her purple kazoo, anything she had left behind to hurl it against the door, followed quickly by kicking over his desk chair and grabbing the lamp she had given him and slamming it into his waste bin. When that failed to feel any better, the bin was kicked roughly, but the panic and nausea built up further.
How long had she been...
How long had they both been...
Was there anyone else she was...
He thought he loved her. He thought she loved him.
A trembling, bubbling wave of sorrow erupted from his chest, and the sob quickly turned into a wail as he grabbed his guitar by the neck.
He didn't feel like singing. The world was a horrible, ugly place and no amount of receding into the back of his brain would fix this.
He swung, and there was a dull, sad thunk with a twang of discord through the wall to anyone on the other side. Again. And again.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:43 pm
Sometimes Robert really hated being neighbors with Jerry. I mean, sure, it was funny to hear the way he screamed like a girl when Candace did things to him, but more often than not the boy was singing, or doing just the most annoying things, and Robert had to turn his copy of West Side Story up that much louder to drown out Jerry's copy of West Side Story.
But this time, it wasn't the telltale music of the Jets dancing through the streets that caught his attention. Instead, it was sounds he was much more familiar with.. just not coming from Jerry's room.
Destruction.
Then the sound of a guitar being whacked, and Robert was off his feet before he could realize he was moving, storming over to Jerry's room and trying the door before he even bothered to knock. He stood there at the door, questioning his own sanity in choosing to do this, and stared at Jerry for a minute.
"Ho-lee s**t." Robert whistled out. He closed the door behind him, and leaned back on it. Sadly, Robert had all too much experience with the one and only reason a guy would look that ******** up - and do this to a room.
"All right. Tell me what she did."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:49 pm
There was another gut wrenching slam with a resonating discord, but the guitar was built sturdy, and Jerry was loosing oomf, "GET OUT, ROBERT." He was still hyperventilating, his face red, his glasses fogged with tears and emotion, and he drew the instrument back again as though ready to throw it at him instead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:52 pm
Instinct had Robert putting one arm up to catch the guitar as Jerry threatened to swing it at him - though, better him than the wall, if he ever wanted to use it again. Robert's hand wrapped around the end closest to the meat of the guitar shaft, and ******** you very much Liz for taking this the wrong way.
"CALM THE ******** DOWN." Robert bellowed down to the older man, glaring at him heatedly. "You ain't in your right mind, so I'm gonna let that one slide. But if you threaten me again, you ain't gonna have any more problems tonight, because you're gonna be unconscious."
He ripped the guitar out of Jerry's hand, and pointed at the man's bed.
"Now SIDDOWN, and tell me what the ******** happened, you little p***k."
Bros. For. Life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:03 pm
"I SAID GET OUT!" Jerry roared, every muscle on his face trembling as he floundered for something to grab, this time his desk lamp that whisked past Robert's head (thankfully) to clatter noisily against the door. Roar was glowing brightly at his neck, but thankfully fighting the immense call to summons that coursed through every cell of Jerry's being. He didn't know how long he COULD keep a hold before the clearly unhinged man would suddenly be armed with a cannon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:08 pm
Robert tilted his head an inch to the right, which wouldn't have saved him if the lamp had been aimed well, anyway, but instinct made him move. When he straightened up again, his eyes burned with fury, and he swooped in to pluck Jerry off his feet, and over his shoulder.
"You're a ******** nutcase." Robert grumbled. "You know that, don't you?" He threw Jerry down on the bed, climbed on top, and pinned Jerry down with his arms and legs. "Now you listen to me, you little s**t." There was no friendliness in Robert's growl, as he cursed down at the man. "I came over here to help you. I don't know WHY I did, and I'm seriously regretting the decision, but now that I'm here, I'm not gonna ******** fail this too. So you're gonna calm the ******** down, and I'm gonna help you work out whatever the ******** happened, and that's how this is going to go down."
He didn't move an inch. "But if you gotta wail for a while before you finally shut up and just talk about it, that's cool too. I'll just keep sitting on you until it's all out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:13 pm
Jerry gave a strangled cry as he was suddenly manhandled, trying his best to fight back, but there was easily twice as much Robert as there was Him, which made it difficult. Even so he kicked and flailed as best he could, and after a few moments, he seemed coherent enough to form words again, "Not! You! Anyone! But you!" Before it turned into a panicked gasping for air, his face screwing up in misery as he buried his chin against his chest, fighting the urge to start sobbing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:17 pm
Few things could have convinced Robert to get off of Jerry, but that was definitely one of them. When he screamed not you and started sobbing, Robert dropped back to his haunches, and then flopped even further so Jerry was free of his clutches. He sat at the edge of the bed by his feet, and stared at the man as if he'd just been slapped.
"Well, s**t." As much as he'd wanted, he'd failed before he'd even started. His hurt look passed as quickly as it came, and suddenly he was confused as usual. "You gonna tell me why not me? As far as I can tell, I'm the one who heard you acting like an idiot, and came to help. So why not me?"
He didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer. Maybe he should have just left when he realized Jerry wanted someone else to come help. Someone that wasn't Robert. Could he really blame him? No.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:20 pm
At least the violence seemed to have passed, but that just made way for the guttural, pathetic sounds of a grown man trying not to cry and failing miserably. Jerry curled up in a ball on his bed- god, the sheets still smelled of her- his head cradled in his arms as he tried to find his voice, "Just... just... leave me alone. An idiot. Everyone probably knew... everyone but m-me.. all... all think I'm an idiot..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:23 pm
Jerry was a blubbering mess, and Robert was regretting his decision more and more with every passing second. This was hella awkward. Jerry curled up on one edge, him curled up on the other, watching a grown man break down like he was some kid who'd fallen off his tricycle.
And he still had no idea why.
"Well, I got good news for you, buddy. I don't know what the ******** you're talkin' about, which means I definitely didn't know whatever happened, before you." He hesitated, but he had to do it. "What did happen? You catch Candace bonin' some other guy or something?"
Why, Robert. Why, of all times, did you finally have to be right about something now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:25 pm
The long, pained wail that escaped Jerry's throat confirmed it and after a few moments of that, he suddenly fell ominously quiet, save for the tremble that seemed locked into his system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:27 pm
...whoops.
Robert waited for the silence before finally breathing out an actually surprised sounding, "No s**t."
Candace was many things, and Robert liked to call her a whore, but he had never known she actually fit the bill of his teasings. Until now. And because Robert was probably the best guy friend ever, he asked the obvious follow up question that came from his heart of hearts.
"Who?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:29 pm
As though moving in a trance, Jerry wobbled to his feet, his face distant as his hand found the half emptied bottle on the bed side table. He stared at it for a long while, and it was unclear whether he had actually heard the question or was avoiding it. "I guess I am an idiot. It's... it's p-p-probably my fault anyway. For... for being such... such a <******** up coward."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:41 pm
A better friend would have told Jerry he was wrong. Of course it wasn't his fault, it was all that harlot and the a*****e who thought he could touch your woman. Robert, however, stayed silent and just listened. In truth, if the man was still alive, he thought Jerry was kind of a coward - what was he doing here, anyway? Why wasn't he tearing someone a new a*****e? Because he was Jerry.. and that was probably why Candace wasn't getting what she needed out of him.
She was a perfectionist, after all. "Well, at least you know what's up, now. Time to buck up and move on, if you're not gonna do anything about it." The terse response was cold, but Robert couldn't say anything but what he thought. "You know, I was surprised for like a minute, but then I thought about it, and I guess it sort of makes sense. Candace always seemed like the kind of girl that wouldn't settle." His eyes lit up for a moment, and he made a face. "Ugh, that b***h kissed my girl. I hope she didn't catch anything."
BEST. FRIEND. EVER.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:46 pm
And then Jerry's knees did buckle, and he curled up, cradling the bottle as he leaned against his dresser, his shoulders shaking, "I... I love her, Robert... and.. and I thought... but... I was stupid. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid I knew it was... I mean... a g-girl like that... and me b-being... being me... I just... I thought... for once... once in my life... " he covered his mouth with his hand, pushing it up until his glasses shifted to his forehead.
Do something about it.
What was there to do? What could he do? Nothing would undo what had already been done. And perhaps the most masochistic part of the whole thing was his desire just for *her to be happy*.
"You're right," He said quietly, lowering his hand until his glasses slid down his nose, "I should do something about it. I should.. I..." His head dipped down between his knees, rocking back and forth gently.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
