Chapter 13

Saying goodbye is always harder than saying Hello

Drake woke up early that morning just a little sad that they decided to skip Times Square, but he was tired and he just wanted to crash in his own bed back in San Diego.

He wasn't in the least surprised to find that Josh wasn't in bed. He was probably doing his laundry while he could. He'd be at Harvard later on tonight.

Drake folded his clothes that were now in a clean pile at the foot of the bed. He packed his bag leaving out clothes for today.

He sighed as he opened the door to see Josh walking in with a clean load of laundry.

"Hey."

"Hey."

They said in a solemn tone as Drake left the room. They both knew what was going to happen today, they both didn't want to make nice. They both wanted to punch the other or something like that. They both knew that it was easier to say goodbye to someone you were pissed at. But they both knew better. It was also harder later on when all you wanted to do was take back everything you ever said to that person when you knew you couldn't. They figured that keeping words to a minimum would keep things simple.

Drake sat on the balcony of the Hostel. The August sun shining down on him, he knew that if it was this warm this early in the morning that it'd only get warmer in the city as the day wore on. He had no idea how long he'd been there when Josh came out to tell them that it was about time they should head out.

Drake nodded and walked silently towards the elevator. Once in the elevator all there was was the sound of their breathing and the clunking of the old machine.

They piled into the car and Drake started the journey towards Harvard. A three hour drive and they'd be there. Three hours was all he really had left with his step-brother. Correct that, his brother. And those three hours would pass in a somber silence because neither of them could muster anything to say.

Harvard

Drake parked the car in the visitor parking. Josh looked up at the old brick campus and let a smile fall across his face. His whole life he'd spent wishing to come here, and here he was now. He was "home".

Drake got out of the car not offering to help Josh with anything or walk with him to his dorm.

Drake walked into the admissions office and asked the girl at the desk for a piece of paper and a pen. She gladly gave them to him and he left for the bathroom that he passed on his way towards the office.

He locked himself in the stall the furthest away and thought for a few minutes then began to write.

He emerged from the bathroom 20 minutes later and figured he should go find his parents and Josh.

Meanwhile…

"Josh, sweetie it's so good to see you!" Audrey exclaimed as she hugged Josh. "Where's Drake?" She questioned as she realized her biological son was no where in sight. "Is he okay, Josh tell me he's okay?" Audrey said frantic.

"Mom he's in the bathroom." Josh laughed. "It's good to see you too."

"And who's this?" Audrey asked as she noticed Taylor.

"Well, Drake should be here for this introduction but this is his girlfriend, Taylor." Josh introduced her to his mother.

"Taylor this is my Mother Audrey Parker." Josh beamed.

"Taylor it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you to."

"Josh!" A female voice exclaimed as Mindy ran over to her boyfriend. "I haven't seen you for the longest time." She said as she hugged and kissed him.

"I agree." Josh said.

"And who's this?" Mindy asked as she saw Taylor standing awkwardly next to Josh.

"Mindy this is Taylor Drake's girlfriend." Josh introduced Taylor to his girlfriend. "Taylor, this is Mindy."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Josh has told me so much about you." Taylor said as she shook Mindy's hand.

"Let's go check out our dorms." Josh said to Mindy as Walter, Taylor, and the two of them lugged their belongings to the co-ed dorm that they were both lucky enough to be staying in.

"I'll wait here for Drake." Audrey said as she sat down on a bench that wasn't too far away.

"Mom, where'd everyone go?" Drake questioned as he stood next to the bench his mom was sitting on.

"To help them move into their dorms." Audrey said as she stood up and hugged her son. "You have no idea how much I've missed you two." Audrey smiled as she kissed his forehead.

"You have no idea how much I've missed home." Drake smiled as they headed towards the dorms.

"Taylor seems like a nice girl. Where'd you meet her?" Audrey asked.

"Nevada. The car broke down in the middle of the desert and I walked to the nearest tow station and met her there. She's been on the whole trip with us." Drake explained as he recalled all the fighting he and his brother had done the whole trip.

"Let me guess, she'll be staying with us." Audrey said as she noted Drakes characteristic I'm-up-to-no-good smile.

"Yeah, oh and Mom."

"What?"

"I met Dad and his family on this trip. He's got a four year old son Kevin."

"He called me after you had left."

"Oh, well I don't blame you for telling me he was a jack ass all these years. Because I had to learn the hard way that he is." Drake said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

They arrived at the dorm. It was separated by gender by floor. Josh was on the top and Mindy was on the one right below him. It was completely coincidental that they shared the same dorm building.

Drake sat on the desk as Josh unpacked his 'Golden Dork Award' for perfect attendance since pre-school. Drake smiled at the time he forced Josh to skip school to spy on their Dad because they thought that he was cheating on Mom.

Drake threw the letter that he had written to Josh in the bathroom on the desk. Josh stared at it for a few seconds before asking what it was.

"Open it and you'll see." Drake smiled as Josh began to read the letter out loud as he would when Mindy would write him e-mails or any other letter.

Josh, My Brother from another Mother, Josh began.

Josh, what can I say that hasn't already been said before? We've come so far in these past four years that it's kind of scary where we are now. For two boobs that hated each other we had our work cut out. You annoyed me with your well, you know. And I was nothing but an annoyance to you. But somehow in that first year with you getting beat up for me with the whole Tiffany thing and me helping you not have to wear a dress to become Miss Nancy, because we both know that you in a dress is not an attractive thing.

But sharing a room with you for four years has been fun, to say the least. We've hidden a sheep for Megan, a sheep that gave birth on my bed. We've plotted schemes to get back at Megan, the only one that ever worked she turned around on us and scared us half to death. I've never run that fast in my life and I know you've never run that fast in yours. All I can say is that you'd never be back together with Mindy if it weren't for me and that I'd have never passed Algebra II if it weren't for you or survived Remedial English either, oh and how can I forget you saved me from getting suspended, well Megan did but…we don't need to go there.

I'm going to miss having our bets, nothing beats the chocolate pool though, renting the house out and explaining to Mom and Dad about that too. I'll miss your snoring and I know you'll miss my muttering. Promise me you won't grow another moustache because they make you look stupid and I'll try to say South America right the next time I see it.

Good luck at Harvard and call me because I'll have nothing better to do back home besides what I normally do, eat, party, play guitar, and date hot girls…which I don't think I'll be doing much of.

Drake

After reading the letter Josh just looked at his brother, they were no longer step-brothers because step-brothers have a tendency to not like each other. Both of them liked each other.

"Drake…I…" Josh stuttered as he placed the letter down on the desk.

"Just don't say anything I know it was pretty sappy for a Drake Parker original." He laughed as he jumped off the desk.

"Did you mean all of that?" Josh asked.

"If I didn't would I have written it?"

"No…"

"Hug me brother?" Drake asked as he opened his arms for a hug.

"Sure thing brother!" Josh exclaimed as the two hugged quickly.

"I'm going to head home you be safe with Mindy alright, always use protection." Drake laughed as he headed towards the door when he felt the pencil hit him. "Hey remember your promise, things can get out of control when you party." Drake reminded his brother as he stood in the door way.

"Remember yours too." Josh added as Drake headed down the hall, tons of college girls checking him out as he walked towards Taylor.

"Mom, I think I'm going to start home. I just want to get back there." Drake said as his mother brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Sure, you say goodbye to your brother?" She asked.

"Yeah. I did. Come on Taylor let's go." He said as he took her hand as they walked towards the car.

"You miss him already don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah." Drake sighed as he turned on the ignition. "I miss him already."

A/N: Okay so another chapter that I hated writing. I know where I want to go with this story and I know that quite a few of you will be kind of dissapointed...but I think I know what I'm doing. Maybe not, maybe I won't do what I think I might do. Anyway It's summer vacation and I just got back from California and let me tell you...I went to the school where they film Zoey 101 and all I could think of was...Drake Bell was here! Okay so there was chapter 13.

-Morgan