(𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒)

I hadn't talked to Joshua or Chase since they disappeared at the party and I wanted to clear the air.

As their friend, I wanted them to know understand that Olivia and I were dating and I hoped they'd respect it,  considering, I never really told them, I just blurted out that she was my girlfriend. I hoped they would understand but that is a very thin hope, the whole situation was a mess.

Joshua likes her for his own reasons and Olivia is Chase's fucking ex-girlfriend.

Talk about complicated. I've never been happier in my life about anything or any situation regarding girls.

But Olivia was different, she had struggles and she hated to show them. But she allowed me to see them and help with them.

Just as I allowed her to help with mine, I've shown her my struggles as well.

She's caring and sweet under a tough skin that's not really tough once you pry hard enough.

She cries in the quiet, all alone because she hates people seeing it. Her hand shakes when she's nervous and her legs shake when she's stressed.

I've never been so observant of someone or felt the need to know what's wrong the way I do with Olivia.

I tried to talk in our group chat but it was a desert and when I went to the house, it was a desert as well.

So I went to the only other logical place. Joshua's parents' house. I walked up to the front and pushed the doorbell.

Within seconds the door opened to reveal his mom. "Tristan, what are you doing here?" She inquired.

"I came to see if Joshua was here, he hasn't been replying to my texts," I tell her.

His mother loved me mainly because I was always the well-behaved one in the group. The quiet, never spoke until spoken to kind.

"He's just upstairs, come inside," she states and I walk into the house before taking a look around. It was a bit different.

All of his dad's stuff was gone and even the pictures in frames were removed. I guess they did go through with the divorce.

"You can go on up," she tells me and I nod.

"Thank you, Mrs . . ." I pause.

"Just call me Audrey," she says.

I nod and walk up the spiral stairs then I walk towards Joshua's door.

I knock a few times before turning the knob.

"Isn't the whole point of knocking so you don't barge in?" He questions tiredly.

The room reeked of alcohol, dirty clothes and maybe even smoke.

"What the hell have you been doing in here?" I question. "And how does your mom not know?"

"Stop asking me fucking questions or get out," he mutters.

I raise my brow before looking toward him."What the hell is your problem?"

"You, you're my fucking problem, Tristan," he states. "One fucking chance I had, just for you guys to be dating, what the fuck Tristan,"

"This is about Olivia?" I inquire.

"No fucking shit Sherlock," he says, getting up from his bed.

 He walks over to me and pokes me in the chest. "You broke the code,"

"And you didn't?" I ask. "At least I had the decency to not be under her when she was with Chase,"

"That's not what I'm talking about, I told you I liked her and you told me it was a bad idea to tell her now you go and fucking date her do you not see how fucked up that is?" He asks.

"Can you just listen for a second," I state.

"No fuck you, you lied to me, you said you guys weren't a thing, fooling around or sleeping together, none of the above," he rages.

"Now look at you now, dating the same girl you neglected for so fucking long,"

"It wasn't my intention to date her, I didn't want my feelings for her to be out there,"

"What were you gonna do fuck her then leave, like Chase?" He questions, "Because last time I checked you didn't have the balls to do that,"

"Or did you already do it, did you come to tell me it's finally my fucking turn,"

The last words made my blood boil to the point of no return. Then I remembered that Olivia wouldn't want me to beat his ass.

I took a deep breath and let it go before looking at him again, "Talk to me when you get sober," I tell him as I walk towards his door.

"Here he goes again, running away just like his brother did," he mutters.

I turn towards him, "I understand you're having a hard time but never, never speak about my brother, I don't care how hard things are I will beat your ass," I open the door and slam it on my way out.

I headed straight out of his house and back to my car. I laid my foot on the gas and reversed the car back onto the road.

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was wrong of me, but why does my happiness always come at a cost?

I drive into the city and speed the car down the road. When I come to a stop light I tap my fingers against the steering wheel.

I look out the window to see a familiar face.

Tabitha?

It couldn't be, Kate would never let her wear that sweater or jeans. City girls are different, their entire lifestyle is completely different from the girls in the residential area of Greendale.

A loud honk causes me to come back to reality and drive through the green light which had just changed.

I quickly pulled up to a small white house, now turning brown from the amount of dirt and mud on it.

I was in a part of Greendale not many people knew about, it was mainly houses given to people who could not afford their own.

Government houses some say. If you look at the map you can't necessarily pinpoint the location, you'd have to accidentally come across it or live here.

Down here is messed up but the community is there for one another.If you need backup, you sure as hell got it. The crime level is high for such a small space and the buildings are run down and mainly abandoned.

The forest here connects to the Greendale Forest, that's the only thing we have in common. A forest.

I parked my car and then locked it after I got out. This caused many people to look around and whisper but I ignored it.

I knocked on the door and felt dust cover my knuckles. The door opens to reveal Chase's mother. Her hair was a mess and she reeked of cigars. She gave me a small smile with the few teeth she had left.

"Is Chase here?" I ask.

"Chase! Your pretty little friend is here!" She yells.

I never really spoke to Chase's parents mainly because his mom tried to exploit me when I was seventeen, his father wasn't around much and if he was Chase would get a beat down, that's why Josh and I decided to rent the house so he wouldn't have to live her with them.

"Mom, who could that possibly be?" Chase asks as he walks towards the door.

His mom moves away and he tuts. The white powder is laced over his nose and on his upper lip. He wipes the back of his hand against his mouth to run it away.

"Can we talk?" I ask.

"Tristan, I don't care, you can have the bitch, shit you might get more out of her than me,"

"Chase, come on this isn't like you," I tell him.

The cold sensation from outside somehow adds to the blood boiling through my skin.

"Tristan, " he takes a step down.

"Just fucking listen," I plead.

"Bros before hoes, I'm a very generous man, I share what I can with my bros," he mutters completely disregarding my last statement as he looks me straight in my face.

"Just make sure Joshua gets a chance, only God knows how long he's been staring at her," he says.

As if I had forgotten what I said about this community, something just snaps inside of me, I clench my fist and slam it right into his face.

Before anything else happens Chase pushes me back and I feel four arms holding me back.

"Now you see I have had enough of your shit, no hard feelings but this is well overdue," he says just before he punches me in my face.

── ·✩· ──

𝗼𝗼. ⁞ 𝐀𝐒𝐇 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 !

Hey guys. This concludes chapter forty-two, I greatly do hope that you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments. Chapter forty-three coming soon.

Don't forget to comment your feedback and vote.