A/N: I've made this chapter slightly longer, by request, so I'm sorry if it just seems to drag on. The Walter abuse is coming soon, just working through the story and leading up to that now! I wrote this a few days ago, but have been too busy to put it up. But it's up now!

Thanks to my wonderful 3rd chapter reviews (every review is so special to me!):
Kitty-Witty-Kate
jhhhhjfjk89
Nova-chan: No, I went to the Duluth, GA one. I'm sorry you didn't win the tickets L
Gingerrogersforever
Sela-chan
bloody brandy
Arwen
Lizette Garridoron14andlizette14love: wow! Long name! Sorry if I wrote it wrong!
Just A Fan
Viral Experiment: Isn't it a scary thought? mwahahahahahaaa

Disclaimer: Yep. I own Drake & Josh.

No Longer Brothers – chapter four

Hours after falling asleep, Drake was awoken by a tapping on his arm. Forcing his eye lids open, he rubbed his tired eyes awake. Glancing at the clock beside his bed, he was deeply annoyed to see that it was only four in the morning. Drake then noticed his brother sitting on the edge of his bed, concern evident.

"May I help you?" Drake asked.

"What happened to you?" Josh replied, turning on the lamp beside Drake's bed.

Drake winced at the sudden brightness that hurt his eyes. Closing them, he thought about what Josh just asked. At first he didn't have a clue as to what Josh was talking about...but then Drake remembered. He didn't want to remember it, but the constant pain in his side filled him with memories.

"Oh! That! Yeah...well...I woke up like this. So I must have been sleepwalking..."

'As if he's going to believe that.'

"Sleepwalking...?"

"Yeah, sleepwalking. Ever heard of it? It's when you walk...in your sleep..." Drake couldn't help the aggravation that leaked through his voice.

"You don't say!" Josh said in mock disbelief.

"Seriously! Now would you please let me get some sleep? Tests are in a few hours, and I for one would like to be well rested," He snapped, turning off the lamp, and laying back down.

Josh stood up from the bed, lip curled. "You're right! Who cares if you look like you were just beaten to death! Certainly not me!" At that Josh jumped off the ladder, from Drake's bed, and stomped to his own.

Drake was almost back to sleep when he heard Josh mumble, "Maybe you'll fail and be kept back a grade...at least then I won't have to see your face in class, too."

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Alarms suck. Especially when they wake you up, and you haven't gotten any sleep at all.

Drake Parker was an alarm hater. He'd much rather have his mom shriek his name from the bottom of the stairs than have that blasted alarm go off.

Grabbing his clothes, he slowly made his way to the bathroom. He decided to take a shower to wake himself up, even though he'd just taken a shower hours ago. The nice warm water beating on him instantly woke him up, but in a much better way than the clock had.

After he'd gotten himself ready for school, he carefully walked down the stairs, mindful of his ribs, and went into the kitchen. Josh was sitting at the table, and glanced up when Drake entered. They glared at each other until Audrey asked Drake what he wanted for breakfast.

Seating himself across from Josh, Drake ate his cereal silently.

"I'll take you two to school. Walter already took Megan," Audrey offered, but Drake shook his head.

"That's alright mom, I'll just ask Alec to drive me to sch-"

"Feel you're too good to sit in a car with me, now?" Josh asked bitterly.

"Yeah, I'm much too good to sit near someone as-" Drake didn't finish the sentence. He didn't want to. Josh was his brother, why were they arguing? Did they even have a reason or was it because Drake had been in a bad mood?

"Well? Go on, say it! You don't want to be near someone as what? As fat as me? Is that it?" Josh retorted.

"BOYS!" The two instantly shut up.

"Drake, go call Alec before he leaves for school. Josh, come with me."

Drake walked over to the phone and dialed Alec's cell, while Josh followed his mom into the living room.

"Now, what's going on, Josh?" Audrey asked.

"I don't know! Drake's been acting...funny lately." Josh replied.

"Funny?"

"Yeah, he's been really moody lately."

"I'll talk with him, Josh. Just get in the car, I'll be there in a second," Audrey said, and walked back into the kitchen.

"He said he'll be here soon," Drake said as soon as she entered.

As Audrey sat across from her son, she looked at him. She saw things she hadn't seen before.

"Drake, did you and Josh get in a fight?" Drake's eyes widened and he looked away.

"W-Why do you say that?"

"Well, the black eye and split lip was a dead giveaway. What's going on?" She asked, her voice soft and soothing.

"No, we didn't get in a fight. I um...must have been sleepwalking again-" at this, Audrey gazed at him suspiciously, "- and I wish people would stop asking me what's going on! Nothing is going on. I've just been a little stressed about today's test, that's all!"

She was startled by the heat in his words. She knew he wasn't simply stressed, there was something else that had him on the edge, but Audrey didn't want to push him.

There was a loud honk outside, and Drake stood up rather fast. Grabbing his book bag, Drake hugged his mom and left.

Minutes later, Audrey got into her car and drove Josh to school, unaware of the drops of blood on her seat.

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That day at lunch, Drake sat alone. He wasn't use to it; he'd always been so popular.

He was overjoyed when he saw Josh looking for a table to sit at, but that joy was quickly demolished when he heard a guy behind him say, "Josh! Over here!"

As Josh walked by, he heard him mumble loud enough for only Drake to hear, "Wouldn't want to sit with the 'Great Drake', might embarrass him."

Sighing, Drake rested his head on top of his hands. Today was not turning out very good, maybe he should just tell Josh everything. Torn between choosing whether or not to tell Josh, the bell rang and Drake walked to class thankful that some of the pain in his side had vanished.

Drake noted that Josh made sure he sat a good distance away from Drake in social studies. This saddened Drake to no end. He didn't want to argue with Josh, maybe after school he would apologize to him.

The students all took their seats in front of their overturned examination papers. Mr. Tofty walked into the classroom, and seated himself at his desk glancing around the classroom.

"Turn over your papers," said Mr. Tofty, glancing at his watch. "You may begin. You have exactly one hour to finish your tests."

Drake stared fixedly at the first question. It was several seconds before it occurred to him that he had not taken in a word of it. Slowly, tortuously, he began to write an answer. For the next hour, all around Drake pencils were scratching paper like scurrying, burrowing rats.

Ten minutes before time was up, Drake turned his test over. Staring at the giant clock on the wall, he tapped his pencil on his desk over and over...and over again until he thought the big hand would never move again.

Suddenly, the bell rang, everyone in the room sighed in relief, either because they were annoyed by Drake's persistent tapping, or because it was the last test of the day, it could have been both. Everyone made a mad rush to the door, but froze at the sound of Mr. Tofty's voice.

"Wait until I say you can leave! You will have your results by next Friday, class dismissed!" The teacher said in his usual cold voice.

The sound of talk in the halls was deafening. Drake grabbed his personal items from his locker and began walking to the front of the school waiting for Alec to find him. He wasn't really paying attention so he ran straight into Josh, causing his brother to fall flat on his back. Drake extended his hand, but Josh pushed it away and stood up on his own. Putting the few books that had fallen out of his bag back into his bag, Josh pushed his way through the crowd of students.

When he glanced around, Drake could see Alec over in a corner waiting for him.

Alec was short for Alexander, an annoying nickname in the boy's opinion. He had should-length, nicely kept, brown hair that fell across his face hiding his bright green eyes. Alexander Pryce was roughly six feet tall, and looked more like a twenty year old in size, but his face still held the mischievous expression of a sixteen year old. He was not the teacher's favorite student, nor was he a good deal smart, but as long as he didn't fail any end-of-the-year tests then he was happy.

"Alec!" Drake yelled, causing every student in the hallway to look at him oddly. Blushing, Drake lowered his head, and made his way through the crowd.

"Hey man! Weren't the tests boring? I was sure I'd scream if that stupid bell didn't go off!" Drake said, causing Alex to chuckle.

"Are you alright? Get in a fist fight with someone?" Drake nodded curtly, but did not say anything. Alex could tell Drake didn't want to pursue the subject and grabbed his bag out of his locker, then the two walked out the front door of the school.

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Drake collapsed on his bed, once Alec had dropped him off. He was exhausted, to say the least. Drake wished the day over so he could just go to bed, because a simple hour nap wouldn't help.

Suddenly he heard someone stomping up the stairs; he knew this was his chance to apologize to Josh. But it was not Josh who walked in. It was Audrey.

"Yes, mom?" He asked.

"Josh has asked me to...move him into the guest bedroom," Audrey said after a moments silence.

Drake gasped, after all the fights between the two, neither had ever asked to move to another room. He realized he must have really hurt Josh by not telling him what was going on.

"No! He can't! I won't let him! Tell him to come here; I want to talk to him!" Drake demanded, Audrey sighed but nodded, and left the room.

Once Josh had came into the room, Drake jumped down from his bed.

"What do you mean you want to move out?" He asked exasperated.

"It means I don't want to stay here with you anymore. I'm tired of you not trusting me and lying to me! I'm tired of our petty arguments! So I'm simply leaving, which I think will help a great deal," Josh replied, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But Drake was a very self-centered person; he didn't notice how he affected other people.

"I do trust you!"

"Maybe so, but you don't trust me enough not to lie to me," Josh retorted. Drake looked down, and Josh knew what he had said was true.

"Congratulations Drake Parker! You never wanted me to be your brother, well now I don't want to be your brother! I'm outta here!" And at that Josh slammed the door closed, just like Drake had slammed the door closed on their friendship.

Drake had been taught not to cry, boy had that been a horrible day for him, but now all he wanted to do was cry. Not only did he not have a father, but he didn't even have a brother. Who could he turn to? His mother wouldn't understand, and Megan...well...she was out of the question.

'What a wonderful mess you've gotten yourself into this time.'