Chapter 4: What's wrong with a little pain?

Yaharrr. Hello all once more I bring you an update of my oddly wonderful twisted story. I was thinking about doing something else now, I have like 6 billion stories in the making but you know with me I can't keep track of most things for long periods of time so I realising one story at a time so I don't loose interest. Anyways, enjoy this. A few comical moments and one tiny shocker. Well, not really a shocker, but I don't think you were expecting it.
Michael balanced himself on stage," I didn't ever want for this to happen to us…me….can't you forgive me Natalie…?" He asked, leaning over the plastic school desk

He was met with a slap in the face as the girl reeled back and cried out," I loved you, Edward, and yet you constantly do this to me, I can't handle this anymore, I have…I must…."

"No, Natalie!" Michael cried, holding out his hand as she turned away and walked off. "I love you as well" He whispered, the curtains closing on his sillouette.

The crowd busted into applause as Michael's eyes snapped open and he came out of the scene that he had been rehearsing over and over again for the past 2 weeks. The lights came back on and the whole cast came out to bow.

As he looked through the crowd he saw Sam and Robert, pacing back and forth on his cell phone, one hand pressed against his ear, content and deep within the conversation. But just as he looked up, Robert caught Michael's eyes and smiled at him, hair falling backwards and clapping with one hand, mouthing "Best performance yet" , which he said every time Michael performed, but coming from him, it made him feel special.

Michael bowed again

Jake was doing a performance of his own, called throwing up until you pass out.

It was a nifty show, filled with pink cheeks and blue eyes content on finding the toilet, because he didn't feel like cleaning up the floor, yet again, but this was the third time this had happened in a week, and he was beginning to worry.

Because he was beginning to hurt again.

And well, that wasn't fun, no, it wasn't fun at all.

But you see, he had come up with a plan. A brilliant plan actually, to help ease the pain.

You what they're called?

Painkillers…doctor prescribed of course, so he could kinda waltz through it, but he was beginning to think that those nifty pills were having shitty effects.

He thought back to the contents of the bottle, and then to the label on the back:

"Warning, may cause depression, nausea, red eyes, scratchy throat and please do not take unless prescribed to by a doctor"

It was prescribed by a doctor…

2 years ago.

He was taken off of it 2 years ago because they said that he was abusing the pills, which made Jake even more depressed, because that was yet another thing that he was abusing.

There was a silent hum next to them, eyes wide and mouths open, inhaling and exhaling at the same time, a synchronized pattern of blinks, coughs and sighs. Smoke swirled around then like air, and the colors that were dancing behind their pupils were enough to send anyone's heart into over drive.

One hand reached over, colored oddly with polish and cuts, and took the other person's clean, yet pale hand, within theirs and rubbed a finger over the top of their hands. " You need to stop doing this" Lips whispered out, eyes black now, yet somehow blue.

One " I know" was whispered along with two jerks, suddenly movements were too much for the frail body to handle and we all know that when you are hurting, the last thing you want to do is breathe, but the other voice, the other side, the person, pale hands and a save-me complex again whisper " You need to stop doing this"

But there's no reply this time, because Jake has passed out and Michael is now officially worried.

And he had been having the weirdest fucking hallucinations lately, him being battered and abused, instead of Michael, and that hurt almost as much as reality had, incept, it was better.

Because he had his Mikey.

His. Fucking. Mikey.

His love. His future husband.

You know, he thought as he collapsed into the toilet seat again, hair and everything, and pushed out every single fucking thing that he had in his body and he realized that when he was on these medications he was more fucking violent, depressed and cursed mentally so fucking much he would put Billie Joel and Tommy Lee to shame.

And he's so delusional that he even believes that Michael.

Still.

Loved.

HIM. He loved him. He loved him. He loved him. He loved him he love him…

So he threw up a little harder.

Alex stood at the door way, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and held the cell phone on his shoulder, Robert on the other line, he had put him on hold, but he could hear the whole conversation between him and Michael, who were inside the bathroom now alone

"Do you think I did good?" Michael's timid voice rang out.

"Perfect, Michael, you were perfect" Robert said reassuringly. His voice sounded uneasy though, and Michael could tell, in the back there was shuffling before a muffled "What's the matter?" came out.

"It's nothing really…" Robert murmured, another sound, probably hands being run through the other's hair. " I'm just really proud of you…" He paused," Cause you know…" He stopped and laughed.

"What?" Michael asked, smiling.

There was a sound of kissing in the background and Alex's hand tightened around the cell phone, because he wished he had someone to hold and treat him like that, with love. Jake gave him love, in the whole complicated version of Abuse-And-Love complex. Or Jake's patented "I-Believe-That-I-Will-Eventually-Drag-You-Down-With-Me-Stare" that he would get when he would roll over in the bed and Jake would bore into the back of his head.

He wanted Jake.

Badly.

He glanced at Jake's curled up figure, finally giving up on finding the toilet and just holding himself, arms wrapped around his shoulders tight, curled up tighter than a rubber band ball and eyes shut like they were stitched. Hurricanes fell and watery eyes could always describe Jake, but today he looked so…

Fucked.

And Alex liked it. Because when Jake was a broken mess Jake wanted, no needed, help.

Alex was help. He focused back on the phone, he could hear a round of laughter, presumably Michael's giddyness as usual as there was a sweeping sound and then the sound of lifting. Once there was another thud you could then hear a series of short breaths and pants before one "Ow" escaped, a laughing and then hair being ruffled and a kissing sound.

Alex hung up the phone and dropped down besides and took Jake's body and pressed it up against his. He looked at Jake's hands, colored and cut, and he murmured," You have to stop doing this"

Jake's vision was distorted as he murmured," I know Michael" and then closed his eyes again.

Alex kissed his head and closed his eyes, bit his lip, cold.

"What?" Michael asked, chuckling and confused. As he tried to look at Robert he suddenly leaned in a kissed him quickly on the cheeks and since, hanging around Marco and growing a little bit of an insecurity complex, murmured out " What was that for?"

As they stood there, Michael splashing water on his face from sweating so hard on stage and Robert just staring at him sadly before he turned around and pressed his back against the wall near the sink and breathed in on his neck," You know how in all those college porno's and movies they always do it in the bathroom stall?"

"Yeah?" Michael nodded his head, leaning into him.

"I find them horribly clichéd, they have all that closure, not exposure…" Robert grinned wickedly, sweeping a hand across the sinks wide surface before continuing," However…the sinks…in plain sight is…"

"Very sexy" Michael finished for him, grabbing into the back of his neck and kissing him deeply, tongues swirling around in each other's mouth before Robert reached Michael's back and hoisted him up and onto the sink. As Michael wrapped his arms around Robert's neck again, pulling him in close as he leaned backwards for him to reach the zipper of his pants someone jiggled the knob and Robert sighed, about to move away and compose himself when Michael pulled him back, heated and excited, " It wouldn't be horribly clichéd unless we got caught into a compromising position, remember?" And pulled him back into another heated kiss.

Robert grinned, gripping the zipper and sliding it down until it hung around Michael's ankles and turned him around, behind the sink on the side of the edge, ducking under the tissue dispenser which was right above their heads before Michael's pants were gone and they both giggled like school boys, hoping to get caught before Robert unzipped his own jeans and proceeded to thrust into Michael, who then proceeded to hit his head on the towel dispenser.Incase you were wondering, they weren't wearing underware. Michael for reasons unknown and Robert because it gave him a rash. Or so he claimed.

"Ow" He murmured, rubbing his hair as Robert laughed and kissed the top of his head.

"Michael!" Michael's manager's voice called out and they both froze that time, he wasn't officially out, out, well, he was out, all the campus knew, incept…for his manager, hell, even Elliot probably knew and speaking of Elliot. "Elliot is outside, she has the script and wanted to know if you would like to read it over…"

Michael slapped Robert's hand away as Robert sighed out " What about being dangerous and clichés?"

" Porno's are shitty cinemaphotography, this is something completely real" Michael murmured, trying to figure out how exactly to button his jeans when his manager walked in, along with Elliot and Sam.

Robert casually leaned against the sink, not bothering to pick up his jeans from the floor and smiled," Hey…"

Marco sat inside the library, typing furiously and darkly, trying to finish up his short story before it was due to be check, which was, oh--

He check his watch.

In 10 minutes. He had to write a report on a love tragedy, and automatically decided to re-write Jake and Michael's love story all over again, because they had that whole Love-Me-Hate-Me complex that screamed A plus on it. So as he zoomed away he didn't notice the person breathing over his shoulder or the fact that his cell phone was vibrating in his pocket until he felt that familiar vibration, and since it wasn't Ryan for once, he picked it up.

"Dad…I mean Marco…Christ, whatever the hell your name is, I am freaking out, freaking out!" They yelled into the phone. It was Alex, he could tell by the panic and insecurity, and he was starting to feel old since he had so many people calling him dad now.

He felt like some type of adoptive whore.

"What, Alex? Calm down, calm down-"

"It's Jake…Jake is…well. I dunno, I think he's sick or something and I am freaking out, oh my God!" Alex yelled, dropping the phone as Marco blinked and tapped it," Alex…Alex?" He snapped the phone shut and turned around to see Dylan hovering him, sadly.

"CHRIST!" Marco yelled, causing 25 out of the 46 geeks inside the library to "Shhh" him to which he said quite plainly "Fuck you" and stormed out, grabbing his books and trying to figure out what exactly had just happened.

Dylan jogged up next to him as Marco sighed out," That went for you too" And speed up again.

"Marco, we need to talk"

"No, no we don't" Marco shook his head, picking up his pace once more," I need a phone, a phone…" He turned a corner," When are you going to talk to me?" Dylan was still right besides him.

"I don't know…crap…oh shit…my paper" He murmured, now running back to make sure that he printed it out before someone deleted it, because let's face it, those geeks were too spiteful.

Alex fell into the wall, moving back, eyes wide and hands reaching out towards rose like hands as Jake fell backwards, having a somewhat panic attack right then and there, it was as if all of his morals were gone, dissolved into the bitterness of the Fall weather.

"Jake?" He murmured, eyes blurred as Jake sat there on the floor, in the corner. The fresh sparkle of new day light hit his face and you could tell he's been crying, jeans worn around his ankles, White shirt unbuttoned and wrinkled, eyes broken and black.

"Al-ex" Someone murmured, and it wasn't Jake, because Jake was silent, on the floor, looking around like he didn't know where the fuck he was, and as Alex turned around, he couldn't believe the face he saw, it had been a long, long time since he saw them. So while they ambushed him into a hug and Jake sat there, slumped there, without any real barrings he began to ponder what type of addiction should he get himself into.

The moment was, of course, short lived as the person turned around, a smile warm on their face and eyes full of cotempt, he didn't look shocked, he was used to Jake, but more along the lines of feeling delayed because he wasn't getting anywhere fast. " Jake, get up off the floor" He sighed out, bored.

"I- I can't"

"Bullshit" They pulled him up, frowning at Jake's weight because it was much lighter than how much he used to be and sighed at Alex," Have you been feeding him?"

"We're broke" Alex said in a deadpanned voice, " Stop trying to argue with me and fix your boyfriend up"

They rolled their eyes," Alex, look, I said I was going to be gone for two weeks, just to finish up my project essay on Modern Art with that new professor, I didn't think he'd fall apart"

"Well, obviously, you were wrong. And he did. And he still is, so like I said before, I have some phone calls to make, please, clean the place up, you live here as well" Alex murmured, breaking eye contact with the both of them before turning around and walking out.

They looked down at Jake, still in their arms and sighed out into his ear, " You're a wreck"

"So?" Jake asked, " I like it this way, at least I'm not hurting anyone"

"Incept for yourself" They whispered, holding Jake tightly.

Ahhhaa. You guys thought Lexy and Jake were together? No. someone else owns him. Oh well, but poor Jake, I noticed that alot of you guys who used to hate Jake are starting to love him again. How sad. Do you think that you could ever hate...Michael? Or should I say Andrew? Well let's just say that things are just starting to get interesting.