During the drive to Vic and Mike's apartment Jaime chattered non-stop about everything and nothing. I heard him, but I wasn't listening, his words flew in one ear and out the other. I was more focused on Mike. Did he know it was me? Did he still hate me? I don't know if he hated in the first place... But he broke up with me completely out of the blue, so maybe...

I groaned to myself as we pulled up to the apartment complex, all of a sudden I don't want to do this. I don't mind being in the band, but maybe if I don't say anything then I won't have to deal with it.

Jaime got his phone out to look for the apartment number, "245," he said, getting out of the car. I followed his lead and walked behind him the entire time.

We walked up stairs and descended the hallway. The complex itself seemed pretty nice, there were a ton of apartments and shit. It didn't look sketchy like the place we auditioned at. I probably still would've went with it though, it's not like these guys are strangers or something... At least to me they aren't.

We reached the apartment and Jaime knocked on door. After a minute or so, Mike answered the door. I leaned to my right, so I was partially behind Jaime.

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed, "Come on in!"

Jaime walked into the apartment and I followed. I bumped into Mike on the way in, causing our skin to touch briefly, I felt like I was on fire. Still, after all these years, he still causes this type of reaction? I mumbled an apology before continuing to follow Jaime to the living room, where Vic was sitting on a couch.

"Hey guys," Vic said, "Sit, we have details to work out."

Jaime sat on a chair that was catty-corner to the couch and I sat next to Vic. Mike came into the room and sat next to me. I moved my knees to face Vic, not wanting to look at Mike.

"So," Vic began, "First off, welcome to the band! I want to get some stuff down before we start writing music. I need one of you for back up vocals, which one has a better voice."

"Jaime," I said, chuckling, "Defiantly. I suck."

Jaime just shrugged, "I'm ok I guess."

"Ok," Vic said, "So Jaime has bass and back up vocals, Tony has lead guitar, Mike's on drums and I sing and do back up guitar. Sound good?"

I nodded and Jaime said, "Sure." Mike remained quiet.

"Next we have to figure out what we want our exact sound to be..." Vic kept talking about the formalities of starting a band, but I sort of tuned out. I was listening enough to know when I needed to nod.

I let my mind wander while he talked. I glanced over to Mike, he had a very rough look to his face now. A look that was brought on by hardship, and god knows how much of that he's been through. But still, I can't help but wonder if the Mikey I knew was still in their. I guess I'll find out as time goes on.

"So, that's all I have for you," Vic said, with a chuckle, "How about we celebrate a little bit with pizza and some movies?"

"I'm game!" Jaime exclaimed.

I laughed at him and nodded, "Sounds good."

"Ok, I'll order," Vic said, standing up, "Any topping preferences?"

"Tony's a vegetarian," Jaime chimed in. Vic narrowed his eyes at me for a second before shrugging.

"So, no meat. Mike, you want a salad like usual?" I glanced at Mike briefly, wondering for a moment how his eating habits are. He looks muscular, so I doubt that he's starving himself...

"Actually," Mike said, "I think I want pizza this time. I haven't had it in awhile."

I found a grin grow on my face, I looked at Vic, to see he was smiling at his little brother, "You got it!" he said, stepping towards the back hallway, "Uh, Tony. Come order with me, I want to make sure you can eat it."

I shrugged before getting up and following him down the hall and into a bedroom. Once I was in he shut the door behind us. I sat down on the bed while Vic dialed the number into his phone. I looked at the room, there were a few posters for bands such as All Time Low and Green Day. There were also a lot of pictures on the wall, I wanted to look closer, but I was interrupted by Vic saying,

"Ok, pizza's ordered."

I nodded and stood up to leave. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I want to talk to you Tony, or maybe I could call you by your nickname, Turtle..."

I looked up and saw he was smirking at me, with one eyebrow raised, "Did you really think I wouldn't notice? Well yeah I only knew you for a year... But it was a pretty important year..."

I started panicking a little bit. What if he's mad and kicks me and Jaime out of the band? What if he took me back here to make me feel guilty for abandoning Mike, when in reality Mike abandoned me?

"Tone, calm down," he said sitting next to me, "I'm not mad man, I'm just surprised I guess. Why didn't you say something?"

I took a deep breath before saying, "What could I say Vic? Oh hi, remember me? I dated Mike for almost a year in high school before he ripped my heart out? But everything's cool now, why not let me in your band? And I didn't realize it at first, I didn't figure it out until I listened to the demo..." I was shaking now. I tried to be calm, but I couldn't.

"Tony, calm down please," Vic said, patting my back, "It's ok, I probably wouldn't of said anything either. It is an interesting situation, that's for sure."

I swallowed the bile that was filling my mouth before nodding, "How is he?" I asked.

"A lot better than the last time you saw him," Vic responded, "He's still on medicine for the schizophrenia, without it the voices haunt him." I gulped at the thought of Mike the day I found him on the floor of his room, plagued my nonstop put downs from his personal tormentor, "He has bad days and he has good days. Most of the time he can eat almost normally, he has a tendency to run from high calorie foods though. But the bad days, on the bad days even the medicine doesn't help."

I gripped the sheets on the bed, I couldn't bare the thought of him being in pain. I thought he'd be ok, I honestly thought that he'd get better. But... I guess that not every problem can be fixed...

"I want to show you something," Vic said, walking towards the nightstand next to the bed, "I brought you into Mike's room so I could show you this if I felt like I should."

He lifted up a box to reveal a photo laying on the wood of the stand, "Go ahead," Vic said, "Pick it up, look at it."

I followed his instructions and picked up the photo. Upon closer inspection I found that it was a picture of Mike and I. In the picture I was holding Mike bridal style, both of us grinning madly. I remembered that day fondly, it was the day I had gone with the Fuentes' to take Mike home from the center where he had been treated. I remember when we met him outside he ran to me and jumped into my arms. I remembered spinning him around a few times before kissing him. I remember Vivian snapping this picture before I carried him to the car.

I wiped away the tear that managed to fall from my eye as I recalled the memory. Don't cry over this boy Tony, you're supposed to be over him.

"He looks at that picture on the bad days," Vic said, "It helps him."

Notes

Ok guys, for some reason, every time I post a chapter the paragraph spacing gets messed up. But when I go back and edit it, it's fine. So I've been doing that. So, sorry if you see it before it's fixed... :(

This would of been up sooner, but storms and weak power lines... Yeah that happens, but all good now.

Ok this is fucking long, sorrynotsorry, I don't really care. Kay? Kay. <3