Everything Is Alright
I Never Ask
Justin's POV
I wandered into the kitchen in my boxers, forgetting Betty lives here, too, now. She was sitting at the table, eating Cheerios.
“Woah. Sorry. I forgot,” I said, motioning to my boxers. She laughed.
“As long as you're wearing boxers, at least,” she said, amused.
“Right. I’ll go change now,” I said, starting to leave the kitchen.
“Don’t bother,” she said, getting up to put her bowl in the sink. “I'm leaving for work right now.” She started gathering her stuff. “You can walk around naked, if you want,” she added, sounding amused.
“Don’t think so,” I said. “I'm going to go practice with the guys today,” I said, following her to the living room.
“Really? Maybe I’ll stop by after work.” I nodded. She headed out the door. I went to my room and picked out a shirt and jeans, then headed to Josh’s to practice.
Only Josh and Matt were there when I arrived.
“How’s living with Betty working?” Josh asked as Matt played around with his bass.
“Fine.” They glanced at me, then at each other. “Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Josh said, quickly covering up their curiosity. “Just wondering.” We were interrupted by Tony and Jesse bursting into the room.
“Well, are we going to rehearse, or sit in a circle and talk about our feelings, or what?” Jesse asked, as we were all just sitting around.
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Liz’s POV
I could hear the guys’ playing before I even walked inside. I put my stuff down and sat on a couch to watch. Justin took a second to wave at me. I waved back. They finished the song and then came to join me on the couch.
“How was work?” Justin asked, sitting right next to me.
“Boring. Same shit, different day,” I said, shrugging. “Hey, Tony, how’s Nicole? I haven’t seen her in like a week.”
“She’s good,” he answered.
“Tell her I miss her yelling at me to wake up in the morning,” I told him. He nodded, smiling.
“Hey! I’m not that bad of a roommate, am I?” Justin pouted.
“You’re not that bad,” Josh said absently, flipping through a music magazine.
“Speaking of home,” Jesse interrupted. “I should get going.”
“Yeah, me too,” Matt agreed, also standing up.
“Should we head home, Betty?” Justin asked. I shrugged.
“Sure.” We left Tony and Josh sitting around on the couches.
I made it home half an hour before Justin, somehow. I heard the door opening.
“What took you so long?” I asked, meeting him at the door. He looked distracted.
“What? Oh. I don’t know. I could have sworn my tire blew out,” he muttered, half to himself, shaking his head. “Like five times,” he added under his breath. I followed him to the kitchen. He started shaking a little and stumbling over himself.
“Justin?” I asked worriedly, as he proceeded to search the cabinets. He found a bottle and swallowed a few pills.
I didn’t ask.
I never did.
I chewed on my nails worriedly as he held onto the counter to steady himself, breathing in and out slowly. He really scared me sometimes. But I never said anything about it. Never. I usually turned a blind eye to Justin’s problems. I hated to see him like this, so I pretended this side of him didn’t exist. He looked back to normal after a few painfully long minutes.
“So what are we doing tomorrow?” he asked, like nothing had happened. I played along and he continued. “I thought we could go to the Triple Rock, or a local show, or something.”
“I kind of have a date tomorrow,” I informed him. His expression changed a little.
“Oh.”
“Let’s go out Saturday, instead. With the guys and Nicole.”
“Sure,” he said, forcing a smile. “Saturday.”
I wandered into the kitchen in my boxers, forgetting Betty lives here, too, now. She was sitting at the table, eating Cheerios.
“Woah. Sorry. I forgot,” I said, motioning to my boxers. She laughed.
“As long as you're wearing boxers, at least,” she said, amused.
“Right. I’ll go change now,” I said, starting to leave the kitchen.
“Don’t bother,” she said, getting up to put her bowl in the sink. “I'm leaving for work right now.” She started gathering her stuff. “You can walk around naked, if you want,” she added, sounding amused.
“Don’t think so,” I said. “I'm going to go practice with the guys today,” I said, following her to the living room.
“Really? Maybe I’ll stop by after work.” I nodded. She headed out the door. I went to my room and picked out a shirt and jeans, then headed to Josh’s to practice.
Only Josh and Matt were there when I arrived.
“How’s living with Betty working?” Josh asked as Matt played around with his bass.
“Fine.” They glanced at me, then at each other. “Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Josh said, quickly covering up their curiosity. “Just wondering.” We were interrupted by Tony and Jesse bursting into the room.
“Well, are we going to rehearse, or sit in a circle and talk about our feelings, or what?” Jesse asked, as we were all just sitting around.
******************************************************************************
Liz’s POV
I could hear the guys’ playing before I even walked inside. I put my stuff down and sat on a couch to watch. Justin took a second to wave at me. I waved back. They finished the song and then came to join me on the couch.
“How was work?” Justin asked, sitting right next to me.
“Boring. Same shit, different day,” I said, shrugging. “Hey, Tony, how’s Nicole? I haven’t seen her in like a week.”
“She’s good,” he answered.
“Tell her I miss her yelling at me to wake up in the morning,” I told him. He nodded, smiling.
“Hey! I’m not that bad of a roommate, am I?” Justin pouted.
“You’re not that bad,” Josh said absently, flipping through a music magazine.
“Speaking of home,” Jesse interrupted. “I should get going.”
“Yeah, me too,” Matt agreed, also standing up.
“Should we head home, Betty?” Justin asked. I shrugged.
“Sure.” We left Tony and Josh sitting around on the couches.
I made it home half an hour before Justin, somehow. I heard the door opening.
“What took you so long?” I asked, meeting him at the door. He looked distracted.
“What? Oh. I don’t know. I could have sworn my tire blew out,” he muttered, half to himself, shaking his head. “Like five times,” he added under his breath. I followed him to the kitchen. He started shaking a little and stumbling over himself.
“Justin?” I asked worriedly, as he proceeded to search the cabinets. He found a bottle and swallowed a few pills.
I didn’t ask.
I never did.
I chewed on my nails worriedly as he held onto the counter to steady himself, breathing in and out slowly. He really scared me sometimes. But I never said anything about it. Never. I usually turned a blind eye to Justin’s problems. I hated to see him like this, so I pretended this side of him didn’t exist. He looked back to normal after a few painfully long minutes.
“So what are we doing tomorrow?” he asked, like nothing had happened. I played along and he continued. “I thought we could go to the Triple Rock, or a local show, or something.”
“I kind of have a date tomorrow,” I informed him. His expression changed a little.
“Oh.”
“Let’s go out Saturday, instead. With the guys and Nicole.”
“Sure,” he said, forcing a smile. “Saturday.”