Status: I haven't the heart to delete this after committing so much time to it, but I don't have the desire or time to update it either, so it will remain unfinished until further notice.

Green Day Saves the Day

Drowned Again

Robb felt himself go cold. Everything around him—the voices, the lights, the music—faded away. All he could hear was his heart pounding in his ears and all he could see was the man standing just a few feet from him. No, no, it can’t be. Not here, not now. He’s not really here. I’m just drunk. I’m just drunk. I’m just drunk. I’m just—

“Oh come on, Robby, don’t tell me you don’t remember me. It’s Chris from junior high,” the blonde haired man said with a smile. He walked towards Robbtook a few unsteady steps towards Robb with his arms open.

Robb’s fear was quickly drained and replaced with anger. No, anger wasn’t what he was feeling. Anger doesn’t describe the way one feels when someone that left them for dead tries to hug them as if nothing ever happened. What Robb was feeling was pure, red-hot rage.

He rushed at Chris and tackled him to the floor before anyone realized what was going on.

“You son of a bitch!” Robb cried as he tightly wrapped his hands around Chris’ neck. “You fucking drowned me and left me to die and you think you can just—” Robb felt hands tug at his shoulders firmly. He spun around and screamed, “What?!” When he saw four pairs of eyes looking back at him with deep concern, he loosened his grip and allowed himself to be pulled off of Chris, who ran off into the crowd, never to be seen again.

The adrenaline rush left Robb feeling weak and shaky. His knees crumpled beneath him and just as he was about to hit the floor, Dré and Minty caught him in their arms and embraced him tightly. Too weak to protest, he buried his head in Minty’s shirt and began to sob uncontrollably.

“Let’s get him out of here.” Mike shouted to be heard above the pounding music that hadn’t stopped for even one second since they’d arrived. He had not heard what Robb was screaming about and had no idea who that blonde haired guy was, but he knew that a club was no place for Robb to be in this state.

Minty and Dré nodded solemnly in agreement and the group proceeded to herd Robb out of the bustling nightclub.

***

“I-it’s not f-fair,” Robb hiccupped. “Just when th-things are getting g-good, he c-comes in and m-messes everything up.”

“I know, I know,” Billie Joe said softly as he rubbed Robb’s back. “Things are going to get better, though. I promise.”

Robb sniffled. “Promise?”

“I just said I promise, didn’t I?!” Billie Joe snapped back, causing a hurt expression to spread over Robb’s tear-streaked face. Minty shot Billie a dirty look.

“I-I’m sorry, man,” Billie apologized quickly. “I guess I’m just tired.”

He had every right to be. After stumbling back to the hotel with a near-hysterical Robb in tow, the bands had plopped down on the floor and couch and spent hours consoling him. It was 3 am and only Robb, Minty, and Billie had managed to stay awake. Dré and Tré were slumped against Mike, who had fallen asleep on the couch with his mouth wide open.

Robb sighed. “It’s all right—y-you should be. You g-guys have been up with me all night. I guess I’ll j-just go to sleep and you can t-too if you want.”

Billie was in the bedroom before Robb even finished his sentence. “Good night!”

Minty rolled his eyes then addressed Robb. “You gonna be all right, Robby?”

Robb smiled weakly and nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine. Just get some sleep, Mint,” Robb said with a careless wave of his hand.

“All right then. G’ night Robb,” Minty said as he headed towards the bedroom where Billie Joe was already snoring lightly.

Robb clapped to turn off the lights then curled up on a large, green armchair. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a hysterical exclamation from the bedroom.

“Get out! Get out, get out, GET OUT!” Billie Joe yelled.

A terrified Minty scrambled out of the room and into the darkness.

“What the hell just happened?!” Robb asked.

“He—nude…almost—touched it. Gah!” was Minty’s garbled response. He stumbled through the darkness and plopped down on a second armchair next to Robb, who was trying not to laugh.

After mumbling something about buying Billie some pajamas, Minty drifted off to sleep. Robb got comfortable once again and also fell asleep.

***

“Just jump in with your clothes on!” a blonde haired boy shouted from the pool.

“Fine, fine,” Robb replied reluctantly. The water hardly rippled when he jumped in. It was cold, but not too cold. It felt nice and safe, almost comforting.

“Want to play Marco Polo?” another boy suggested.

“Sure. Not it!” The blonde haired boy shouted.

“Not it!” Chimed in a third boy with curly brown hair.

Three darkened faces turned to Robb. “I guess you’re it, Robby.” Their voices were slow and distorted.

Robb looked about uncertainly. “Um, okay, I guess.”

He closed his eyes and was enveloped in darkness. Inky, silky, safe darkness. Safe. He felt safe. He hardly made an effort as he glided through the water. Yes, gliding, that was what he was doing. He opens his eyes ever so slightly. The pool seemed to stretch on for miles. Miles of cold blue ripples all around.

“No peeking,” a voice said faintly. The source of it seemed to be lightyears away.

Robb closed his eyes again and returned to the inky darkness—that wonderful darkness where he felt safe.
Swish. Someone was behind him. “Marco!” he cried out. No one replied. “Marco!” he repeated. Suddenly, his world went from black to blue. From inky to icy, safe to terrified. He could feel hands, so many hands. They were pulling and pushing and grabbing—anything they could to keep him submerged. He tried to push the hands away, but he was moving slowly. So, so slowly and he couldn't fight them off. He looked at the bright surface above him which seemed to be pulling away from him. He could feel his lungs straining to hold on to the last bit of oxygen left. He could barely make out a face through the ripples. Blonde hair, light brown eyes, a sprinkle of freckles across the nose—the face of evil. It might as well have been Satan himself. The surface was fading away. Fading like Robb. He could feel the icy water filling his lungs. He could feel his heart about to explode from the lack of air. Suddenly, he couldn't feel a thing.

Robb woke up in a cold sweat. The hotel room slowly came into view. The pale light of dawn streaked in through the curtains, casting a friendly orange glow over everything—the TV, the potted plants, the couch, the table, his friends. He took a deep, shuddering breath. “It was just a dream. It was just a dream,” he mumbled to himself. He continued to breathe deeply as his frantic heart finally began to slow down. “Dreams can’t hurt you.”