A few days past since Josh had heard from Drake, Must be content hearing from me and went back to his life, He thought.
Wrong.
Heading for the mailbox, Mike was greeted by a FedEx delivery, "Uh, thanks?" He said, confused and taking the envelope.
Looking to see who it was for – not him – it seemed to him these guys didn't care who got it so long as someone did.
Chuckling to himself he noticed the 'from' label, Wonder how Josh is going to take this...
Taking advantage of his first class of the day having been canceled, Josh was still asleep when Mike dropped the envelope next to his face.
"Wh-?" He stirred, and knocked the envelope onto the floor.
Mike tried once more, "Wakey up, Joshie! You got something from someone,"
Something from someone, He thought groggily, "Who?" He asked and covered his face with his sheets.
"Drake."
"Drake sent me something?!" He shot up from his bed and snatched the envelope, "What could he be sending me?" He wondered and ripped it open.
Not wanting to be too nosy, Mike headed for the door to leave him be when Josh reached out to catch his arm, "He sent me concert tickets..." He said softly.
"Really? Where's he playing?"
"Seattle..."
"That's a bit of a drive. You going?"
"Well, he says in this letter; I've set up to have you picked up and taken to the airport. The record company said I can let you use their privait jet..." Josh couldn't help a smile.
"What? You okay?"
"Yeah. He spelled 'private' wrong," He chuckled. Mike smiled and urged him to read the rest of the letter, "I really miss you. I'm sorry if I may have done anything to make you upset with me to not be speaking to me all this time..."
"You guys were close, huh?"
You have no idea, "Yeah..."
"Why did you stop keeping in touch?"
Not wanting to have to keep coming up with lie after lie to cover another lie, Josh simply told him, "I'd rather not talk about it, okay?"
"No problem," He assured with a 'no-offense-taken' tone, "Um, so who are you taking?"
"Taking?"
"Yeah! He sent you two tickets..."
"Well...," Shit, "You of course!"
Of course, "Well, I'm not sure..."
"Don't worry. I'm not either."
A few weeks later...
"Heard from Josh yet?"
"No," Drake flopped his head onto Frank's desk in despair, "It's like I said, Frank, we can send him the tickets, the ride and everything, but he's either going to ignore me or find an excuse..."
"I don't know what to tell you. I just don't see us having the time to go to Walla Walla. I'm sorry."
"Is there a stop that's not selling? Maybe not selling enough to cancel it and move some things ar-"
"No, Drake. I'm sorry, I gotta put my foot down on this one... or the record company's foot anyway..." Drake stood and stomped his foot hard on the floor, shaking the loosely put together selves of small breakables next to Frank's desk, "The hell was that all about?!"
"That was me putting mine down."
"Damn it, Drake, I swear if there was anything I could do..."
"There is..."
"What?"
"Well... I don't know! You're my assistant! Assist me!"
Noting Drake had his heart set on this and it was obviously not going to be dropped anytime soon, Frank thought, "Okay. I'll work on something. I'll see what I can do..."
"You're the best, man!"
"But!"
"Ugh! What is with people and 'buts'?! I hate b-"
"But... don't get your hopes up, okay?"
"Make up your mind about that concert?" Jack asked, in a way hoping Josh had decided he wasn't going to go. He and the girl he had been seeing had hit it off and what a way to impress her than these tickets.
"I know you want the tickets, Jack..."
"What?! No!"
"Yes..."
"Yes what?"
"You can have them."
"You... you aren't serious!"
Taking them from his wallet, he slapped them into Jack's hand, "All yours. You two kids have fun."
"W-well... how much..."
"Don't worry about it."
Having over heard the discussion, Mike couldn't help chiming in, "Josh, you don't want to do that..."
"Why? You don't want to go and honestly I have no desire to fly to Seattle just for a concert..."
"But it's your brother! I thought you missed him..."
"I do. Just... he's going to be busy and even if I were to get back stage it's crazy..."
"Excuses, excuses," Jack sighed and placed the tickets back into Josh's hand.
"Very good ones," Josh defended, "Now take them. Take your girl. And have fun." He added in a huff and stormed out.
"Why is he so angry with Drake?" Jack wondered aloud, "Jealousy?"
Mike thought for a moment; all the times Josh dodged talking about what might have happened, the night at the party, the night Drake caught them talking at the theater and Drake's behavior...
"You can have him!"
And he pointed to Josh...
It wasn't the thought hadn't crossed his mind before, it's just... how to bring it up?
Hey, Josh, you and Drake were lovers, weren't you? No, "No, no, definitely not jealousy..."
"Brotherly tiff, then," Jack sighed, "Nice." He fumbled with the tickets with a pang of guilt and handed them over to Mike, "Take them. Make him go."