Taking Chances

I tugged Maybelle inside my house as my heart sunk, taking in her painfully beautiful face. She was gorgeous, despite the tears streaming down her face. I pulled her into a tight embrace, and she clutched onto the front of my shirt, burying her sobs into my chest as I murmured sweet things, stroking her back.

"Shh...May, calm down and talk to me," I prodded gently, guiding her to the couch where she collapsed onto heavily, grabbing the box of tissues from the coffee table, blowing her nose loudly before hiccuping. "How's Micah?"

"Pretty shit, to be honest," she stuttered, biting back a sob. "H-he... he hasn't been e-eating, and he looks so sick. It scares me, Declan. I'm terrified for him." She gave me a heart-breaking look, as I gritted my teeth, angry that someone could hurt her so. I wasn't angry at Micah- how could I? He was going through something much worse than what May and I could even comprehend. I was pissed at Jaden, who had broken the heart of one of my best friends, which ultimately hurt the girl that I was in love with.

"Come with me," I said suddenly, grabbing her hand. She gave me a confused and apprehensive look, and I kissed her forehead quickly. She gasped, and squeezed my hand, and I just winked at her, making her cheeks flush a deep crimson.

"Declan... where are you taking me?" she asked, pulling me to a stop. "Declan, stop. Tell me where we're going."

"Jaden's house," I said simply, and her mouth popped open.

"But... but... why? He's not going to care at all! He's a cold, lying, cheating bastard!"

"I don't think he is," I said, and she gave me an incredulous look. "May, I don't think he's a bad guy. There has got to be somethi-"

"You have got to be kidding me," she snapped, ripping her hand away from mine, leaving me feeling suddenly very, very cold. "You're taking his side over Micah's? Over mine? What could possibly make you think that about him? He's slowly killing my brother, Declan! He already broke Micah once and he just did it again. Does he really strike you as a good guy? Fucking hell!" May screamed, and I just frowned.

"May, he's really not a bad guy! There is something you don't know about Micah and Jad-"

"Don't even say that mother fucking name in front of me," she hissed. "I thought you were a friend, Declan. I really did. But no, you have to go and side with the person who hurt my brother." I opened my mouth, but she just shook her head glumly, turning around in the direction of her house.

Well, fuck my life.

"Jaden, you mother fucking idiot," I groaned, before tearing my eyes off May, my feet slowly moving towards Jaden.

***

"Declan?" Jaden gasped, his voice coarse and thick. He looked like a mess, hair askew and damp, bags under his eyes, pale face. His eyes were also dark, ringed with red. It was bluntly obvious he had been bawling his eyes out. I was angry at him, but pitied him as well. I didn't know what the fuck was going on, but he clearly knew less than I did. He didn't know what he did wrong, but he sure as hell didn't know that Micah was killing himself slowly.

"I need to talk to you," I said sternly, and he nodded, opening the door so I could get in. I made my way up to what I guessed was his bedroom as he locked the door, slowly slinking up the stairs behind me. I sat on the rolling chair the was pushed under his desk as he clambered onto his bed, misery hanging around him in a dense cloud.

"Shoot," Jaden said, his voice cracking a little. I sighed, and looked at him.

"Micah," I said, and he flinched, burying his face in his hands.

"I know," he whispered, his voice shaking with grief. "Actually, I have no fucking idea about what's happening! I'm so confused! He skipped school so I texted him, worried out of my freaking brains, and then he... he... he tells me that it's over!"

"Oh, shit," I muttered, and Jaden ran his fingers through his hair, looking helpless, the opposite of the usual confident, strong Jaden. For Micah he was like this. He wasn't a bad guy. He loved Micah with every fibre of his being, more than that. He was Micah's, body, heart and soul. Micah was his everything.

"I don't know what I did wrong," he said honestly. "Everything was so perfect, and then this had to happen."

"Okay, firstly, I'm sorry, man," I said, and he rolled his blood-shot eyes, throwing a pillow at me. "Idiot. Secondly, you are going to have to clean this mess up, because you just screwed up my chances with May big time."

"What?" he asked, and I sighed heavily, crossing my legs Indian style as I rolled myself around his room.

"I stuck up for you after May was ranting about you, and I guess she didn't appreciate that," I shrugged, and he sent me a grateful smile. "Don't worry. You have bigger things to worry about."

"What about Micah? Did Maybelle say anything about him?"

"Yeah..." I said, hesitating. Would it really be wise to tell him that it was somehow his fault that Micah has stopped eating? That he is throwing up his empty guts every couple of hours?

"Declan, tell me. How. Is. Micah?" I studied him again. He looked so feeble, so horribly sad. He looked desperate.

"Okay, fine. He's bad. Really bad." Jaden sucked in a breath, his heart dropping in his chest as his face started to go into panic mode.

"What's wrong with him?" Jaden asked slowly, trying to contain the emotions that were pounding inside of him.

"He's not eating. At all. He's throwing up every meal that he has, not that he's been eating any. He hasn't been sleeping, and May is worried he'll try and kill..."

"Fuck," Jaden whispered, and suddenly climbed up, throwing a jumper over his head as he grabbed his car keys.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going over to his house and force feed him. Fuckity fuckity fuck, fuck, fuck! Micah, why aren't you telling me what's wrong? Why are you suffering like this? Argh! Fuck!"

Jaden pulled on some shoes- mismatched, might I add- and started making his way down the stairs.

"Wait! Jaden! I'm coming with you!" I yelled, but didn't get an answer. I groaned, but got up, running after him and hurtling into the passenger seat of his car. He basically slammed on the accelerator, his car bolting out of the garage. I gripped onto the side-handle of the car as he weaved in and out of the slow traffic. "Jesus! Calm down Jaden! There's no point in speeding if you're going to kill yourself!"

"I need to get to Micah," Jaden growled, and his eyes widened, a choked cry erupting from his lips.

"What... FUCK!" I screamed, before we collided with the truck.