When Did We Become Men?
A Drake & Josh fan-fic
A one off short short story by Alison Lydon
Lead characters:
Drake Parker & Josh Nichols
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. No copyright infringement is
intended.
Told in first person by: Josh Nichols
Unpublished articleI was stuck washing the dishes again because my brother always found a way to get
out of mundane household tasks. You might wonder why I was even stuck doing
them? Couldn't I speak up about it? Yes, I could, but Drake and I reconnected after
many months of not talking. It sucks being an adolescent. On one hand you don't
want to be thought of a kid, and yet when it comes to the real tough adult decisions
you don't want to make them. To be sharing this apartment with him in San Diego,
where we grew up, means a lot to me. He's not here all the time. Most of his time is
spent playing in his band and trying to forget the love of his life even existed. I can't
even remember what started our argument. I think it was building up for a long time.
Then the mother who abandoned me came back into my life and I thought it would
be a good idea to put off college and go to Ohio to live with her. I was a psychotic
mess and I'm here to tell you, you don't have to be a little perfect sixteen year old
girlto develop an eating disorder, because I have done my share of binging and
purging in the family bucket. But then I realized while my birth mother Josie might
have cared about me in her own way, she didn't really love me the way Audrey, my
stepmother, did. Josie would have her hands out for anyone to pay her bills other
than herself and she didn't care if I had to work two jobs and put my education on
hold. I really hurt my (I wish she was my biological) mother's feelings and it caused
a long separation between her and my Dad, Walter, which was one of the many
reasons why Drake hated me. He, Audrey, and Megan were a tight family unit
before Dad and I came into the picture.
Megan, my stepsister, who started off as a prankster who has more gadgets than an
electronics store catalogue is now a beautiful young woman. Although, she still
likes to pull a trick every now and again, but at least she stopped shocking me with
mystery buttons.
She's extremely intelligent and I think she'd make a great detective.
I lost the love of my life too. Her name was Mindy Crenshaw. She was also very
intelligent and beautiful. I have to live with the fact that I almost tried raping her to
get her back into my life. Her friends were right to storm in the tent and beat the
crap out of me. I was spiraling out of control and I didn't need drugs or drink to do it.
But I miss Mindy with all of my heart and I hope she realizes that I am sorry.
Which leads me to Torey Becker. The only girl my brother truly and deeply loved. It
scared the Hell out of him. He'll admit that much. I was already gone from his life
when for reasons I don't want to put in print without my brother's permission he
decided to break up with her on their wedding day. We have no idea where she is
now. Last I heard she went to Wellesley College in Boston. I do know that when he
moved in our parents had dropped off a box that contained their engagement photo
that was in the San Diego Union-Tribune and he didn't know that I was there by his
door not because I was spying, but because I wanted to ask him if he wanted to
order a pizza and he held the picture to his chest and cried, wishing he could take
back the moment when he decided that leaving her on their wedding day was a
good idea. I closed the door and when he came out he put on the act. (He was
always a good performer) and pretended that everything was hunky-dory while he
took out his literal little black book and if he couldn't be loved, he would at least be
comforted by someone familiar.
I hated seeing him like this and I tried looking for Torey, but the Wellesley student
directory was closed to non-alumni and the one other person I know of who went to
school there, a girl from Belleview High named Kathy said she couldn't find any
information on Torey.
That is why I didn't tell Drake, I don't want his heart to break even more.
I'm going to the University of San Diego as a journalism major. I'm trying to write
the all-American novel and maybe I can get my dream fulfilled and be on the
Oprah Winfrey Show. I have a job at the Premiere movie theatre as an assistant
manager. I used to work there when I was in high school. I can't believe my
manager Helen Du'Bois even remembered me and hired me on the spot.
Sometimes you get a good turn in life.
I don't know if I am going to publish this piece or not or keep it in my private online
diary, but I want to know when did the tide turn? When did my brother and me
become men? It seems like only yesterday that I ruined Drake's red Fender
Stratocaster signed by Zero Gravity guitarist Devon Malone (that's another article to
be written!) or when Drake took advantage of the situation (yet another article) and
had a party at Helen's condo. But he's a good brother. I love that guy.
He is putting out a sampler CD in a few months and I hope it sells well. Drake
deserves his success he's been through a lot. I'd rather give up any chance I might
have with Mindy in the future, if Drake and Torey could get back together tomorrow.
I look in the mirror and I look the same as I did when I was eighteen. Still young and
ready to conquer the world, still though, I'd like to know when did we become men?
--Josh Nichols
Unknown Date
The End
Notes: I promise I didn't forget part III of the Drake and Torey trilogy. This is just to fill
in the gaps so I can take it where this leaves off. Thanks for everyone who read and
reviewed. I do appreciate it.