Disclaimer: Ok seriously, do any of your guys think I own them? Trust me, if I did it would be a whole lot more angsty.
Author Notes: Ties into The Great Pretender, Silent, and He Screams. However one cannot survive on Angst alone, so the angst eases up just a tad in this one. Much thanks to the Beatles song which I was listening to as I wrote this.
Help
It started when Bridgette asked DJ if Geoff wasn't coming around to the parties random TDI alumni threw because of her. She had felt awfully self-centered by asking, but he had been a no show for the past three parties. However, when DJ admitted that no one even really heard from Geoff anymore, she felt worry tug at her a little and unease settled into the pit of her stomach. The Geoff she had remembered was always up for a good party, so what had changed? Why wasn't he answering his email or calling people back? It just seemed like such an abrupt change from the boy she knew at camp.
It was DJ who finally got a hold of Geoff. He called him several times, finally managing to get a hold of him. He quickly explained how he was going to be out that way, and would like to visit him. When Geoff hedged, DJ launched into his carefully prepared speech about how everyone missed him, and he just wanted to check in with him. Geoff finally agreed to meeting him for coffee. DJ wasn't able to get much else out of Geoff, who skillfully changed the subject anytime DJ would ask how he was doing.
DJ had gotten to the coffee house five minutes early, and Geoff was almost five minutes late. DJ almost didn't recognize him when he walked in the door. DJ remembered, the blond cowboy from camp had been much stockier, then the person who he saw before him now. Geoff was thinner, pale, and dark circles bagged out under his eyes. He seemed to walk heavily, like it was some great burden to put one foot in front of the other. Geoff smiled as he slid into the chair opposite him, though it seemed forced.
"Hey man." DJ said with a warm smile.
"Hey, what's up." Geoff greet back. The two ordered their drinks and sat in a slightly awkward silence. DJ finally broke the silence.
"We've been worried about you." DJ admitted. "No one ever hears from you anymore, you never come to the parties. We weren't sure if you were mad at us, or avoiding us or something."
"No, I'm not dude, things have just been...hectic."
"What's going on?" DJ asked gently. "We're friends man, you can tell me anything. I won't repeat it if you don't want me too. Not to be rude or anything, but just by looking at you I know something's wrong."
"I'm fine..."Geoff trailed off. Even he wasn't believing he was fine. "Ok, so I'm not really fine." Geoff took a deep breath and told DJ everything. He told him about his parents fighting the his mother taking off. He explained how his father spent more and more time away from them, and Geoff was basically trying to take care of his brothers by himself. He told DJ about Skylar, who had kicked and screamed as they took him away. He told him everything he hadn't been able to tell anyone else. He never went to any parties, he quit the football team, all he did was go to school and take care of his brothers. He made sure they had what they needed, that they got to do everything they wanted to, even if it meant sacrificing something of his own. There was a thick silence when Geoff finally stopped his long awful tale.
"I don't think I could handled all of that." DJ admitted. "I wish you had reached out to someone. You shouldn't have had to do it alone."
"Yeah, well I wasn't sure what else to do. I mean I didn't want to bother you guys about it. I thought things might calm down some once dad got a new job. I wasn't expecting mom to just take off. My dad just couldn't really regroup."
"I don't live to far from you man." DJ began "Only about a forty five minute drive. I can help, if you'll let me. I can watch your brothers sometimes. You need to be able to get out sometimes. It can't be good for you to be cooped up all the time. I mean no offense by this...but you just don't look very well."
"Thanks DJ...really I mean that." Geoff told him. The pair made idle chitchat, until Geoff had to leave. DJ didn't hear anything from Geoff for several days after that, and he began to think his blond haired friend simply had chosen not to accept his pro-offered help. It was a Tuesday evening when he finally got the call. Geoff's name appeared on his cell phone, and he picked it up quickly, calling out a greeting.
"DJ," Geoff's voice was so quiet that DJ pressed his hand to his ear to block out extra noise.
"Geoff, what's wrong?" DJ asked in concern. He heard Geoff let out a slow breath, and admit the one thing he hadn't been able to admit to anyone else.
"I need help."