Disclaimer:
Alex Trebek: "Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon."
Ken Jennings: "Who are the creators of Drake & Josh?"
Alex Trebek: "Correct, you know-it-all bastard."
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Won't continue without it.
Authors Note:
Italics equal Thoughts
Drake Parker bites down onto his plump lower lip as he considers the right words to use for his latest song. He rests the ballpoint pen beside the blank pad of paper, brings his guitar up close to his chest and fingerpicks the soft and slow melody. Maneuvering the cherry red guitar back onto his thigh, he turns to the small desk again, rolls the pen into his palm and peers down at the empty notebook before him. Caramel brown orbs gaze up as in ponders momentarily and soon the pen is to paper, jotting down lyrics. He reads them over, scribbles the words out and scratches his head with frustration. He looks about the room for some inspiration but only finds his step-brother, Josh, happily folding underwear. He lowers his eyes back to the sheet of paper again and though his mind is on other things, he continues to concentrate. Within seconds, Drake groans loudly and heaves the pen across the room furiously, which just so happened to be in the direction where Josh had been standing. The writing implement smacks Josh's forehead, leaving a black vertical line in its wake.
Deadpanning, he wipes his marked forehead and slowly turns to Drake.
"That's the thanks I get for folding your unmentionables!?" Josh says, flashing his ink-smeared palm as proof of his face-graffiti.
When Drake doesn't instantly "ew" over the fact that Josh's hands were anywhere near his undergarments, Josh quirks a dark brow in astonishment.
With plaid boxers in hand, he makes his way over to his brother where he exaggeratedly sways the shorts from side to side,
"Unmentionables..." Josh singsongs.
Drake's body is slumped over the desk and he has yet to acknowledge Josh or the underwear at all and now it's not astonishment on Josh's face- its worry.
"Drake?"
Nothing
"Drake..."
"What is it, Josh?!"
Drake snaps as his body twirls around on the chair to face the other brother with burning eyes.
Josh's hanging jaw slowly comes back up to meet the rest of his mouth as he takes a small step forward.
"Whoa, what's your problem, grumpy?"
"Nothing" Drake answers flatly, as he stands up from the chair. He lowers the fender strat down onto the couch on his way to his lofty bed and with little effort he climbs up the metal ladder and then plops down onto the comfy mattress, where he drops a Guitar World magazine into his lap.
Tossing the boxers onto the couch, Josh attempts to change the subject.
"Guess what happened today?" He asks with enthusiasm.
Drake makes a grunt noise that Josh can only assume means, "I have the slightest idea of what event occurred this afternoon, brother. Would you care to enlighten me?"
Shaking his head, Josh leans against the armrest of the couch,
"My mom called and we talked for hours."
Though Drake knew it bothered Josh that he hardly got to speak with his birth mother on a count of her hectic work schedule, he continues to flip through the pages of magazine nonchalantly,
"Cool" He then utters aloofly.
Twiddling his thumbs, Josh bits his lower lip and states,
"You weren't around so she told me to tell you, 'Happy Birthday' for her."
Drake nods just once never taking his eyes off the magazine.
Exhaling sharply, Josh pushes himself away from the couch and over to Drake's bed where he reaches up and over to snatch the magazine right out of Drake's hands.
"Josh, what-"
He begins furiously but is cut off by Josh.
"Drake, it's been your birthday for an entire..." He pauses to take a quick glance down at his wristwatch, "fourteen hours and all you've been doing since then is mope around and throw pens, which are dagger-like, at innocent bystanders! You're sixteen now! Get happy, would ya?"
Drake merely blinks at his suggestion of "getting happy", followed by him climbing down from his bed, retrieving his magazine from Josh's grip and then leaving the room in a huff.
Sighing, Josh follows the burgundy haired boy into the kitchen where he finds Drake has already seated himself at one end of the dinner table.
"You wanna tell me what's wrong?" Josh asks with crossed arms as he stands at the other side of the table.
"Just leave me alone, Josh."
The harshness of Drake's tone is so foreign to Josh that it almost scares him.
"Are... are you mad at me?" He asks softly as he slowly lets his arms come down to rest at his sides.
"No..." Drake answers honestly, looks down at his hands then back up to Josh with guilt playing on his face.
"Then what's going on?"
He looks as though he's about to open up for once but is interrupted by his parents and younger sister, Megan who practically burst through the front door.
"Drake!" His mother calls with excitement as she emerges into the kitchen, bearing gifts.
"Happy birthday!" Audrey and his step-father, Walter, shout happily as they unload nicely rapped boxes onto the table in front of him.
Drake does his best to seem excited throughout the presents for the sake of his mother but over time he's come to realize that his birthday is his least favorite day out of the year.
As Josh helps Walter dispose of the rapping paper, Audrey dishes up the double chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream for everyone.
"Here, honey." She announces as she places one of the dishes in front of Drake.
"Thanks." He tells her with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Everyone seats themselves around the table and they have their cake and eat it too. Well, everyone except for the birthday boy.
"You've barely touched your cake, son." Walter points out, looking in Drake's direction.
I'm not your son.
"Oh." He gazes down at his rather intact portion of cake. "I guess I'm not really hungry."
"Would you get the mail, Josh?" Walter asks but Megan springs into action.
"I got it!" She calls sprinting.
Audrey giggles softly as she turns to Drake.
"So what did you boys do today?"
Josh shoots a look to Drake, who seems to be playing with his food.
"Nothing really" He answers for the both of them.
"What about you, Drake?" She asks with wide eyes and a smile.
"Um..." He begins only to be interrupted yet again.
"I got the mail, mommy." Megan declares proudly from the foyer just before she enters the kitchen to hand the stack to Audrey who accepts.
She flips through the stack, a smile appears on her face and she brings up a particular envelope.
"Somebody got a birthday card." She singsongs as she holds the blue envelope up by the corners.
"Who's it from?" Josh questions.
She shrugs her shoulders with suspicious unknowingness as she sends the card to Drake with the flick of her petite wrist.
"Well, who's it from, Drake?" Josh inquires again.
Peering down at the card, Drake mumbles the sender's name under his breath.
"What?" Everyone asks at once.
Sighing, he turns the front of the card around for everyone to see.
"It's from daddy." Megan points out referring to their birth father.
"Open it!" Walter encourages along with everyone else.
"I'll open it later..." He tells them softly.
"Oh, come on, Drake!" Walter continues to push goodheartedly.
"I don't want to, okay?" Drake says through clenched teeth with fists balled up tightly.
Sensing a budding argument, Audrey chances the subject by rising up from her seat to start clearing off the table.
"Last call for cake" She announces before popping on the cover.
With card in hand, Drake gets up from the table.
"Thanks, guys." He mentions before heading back into his room.
The family exchange looks of worry and Audrey motions for Josh to follow.
As he enters the room, he sees Drake toss the unopened envelope onto his desk.
"Aren't you going to open it?" He rises.
"No" Drake says simply, plopping down on the couch.
"Why not? I bet there's money inside."
That'll get his attention.
"I'm sure there is." Drake mumbles nonchalantly.
Drake not interested in the possibility of cash? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.
Walking over to the couch, he begins.
"Then you should open -"
"I don't want to open it, okay, Josh?!" He snaps at his brother for the third time in less then an hour.
"Okay! That's it!" Josh shouts, taking a stand here and now.
"I don't know what your problem is and by the way you're treating me, I'm starting not to care. You really hurt mom's feelings and you yelled at dad. What's next, a black eye for Megan?"
That last remark knocks the wind out of Drake. Leaping up from the couch, he grabs onto Josh's shirt.
"Don't ever say that about my sister."
Drake emphasizing that Megan was his sister hurts Josh more then anything and Drake knows it.
With tears gleaming in his eyes, Josh pulls away from Drake and leaves the room, slamming the door on the way out.
Knowing he truly crossed the line, Drake slowly seats himself back onto the couch.
Family meant everything to Josh. Reminding him that they all weren't blood related was a low blow.
"Fuck" He whispers to himself as his head falls into his hands.