This Life ? (J.C)

[-16-]

She looked over him with confusion etched in her brows. "Whoa, what are you doing; you can't go over there."

"Why not?"

"He's fucked up. You go over there, there's no telling what he'll do. He's on the road to a bad trip, let's just say that."

"What makes you think that?" Joy slurred; her eyes trailing to see Jules hadn't moved at all.

"He said the walls were breathing... that's never a good sign." Al took another drink; dropping Joy's wrist.

"Joy!... Hey... C'mer." Julian's voice broke through the music as he waved slowly from the chair—his arm raised high over his head.

Joy looked to Albert for help—the last thing she wanted was to be near Julian during a bad trip. "Too late now. He starts flicking invisible bugs off, just go along with him."

"You say that like it's happened before."

"It has." Albert murmured, making his way next to Nikolai.

Joy slowly walked to the chair where Jules sat—his arm still raised high in the air. She didn't like the look on his face; he looked panicked and alert. Coming here was a mistake.

"Hey... you made it. Come sit." Julian dropped his hand down on the arm of the chair, gesturing for Joy to sit down. She took a seat apprehensively, stiffening when feeling his arm slink around her waist, pulling her into his lap.

She was drunk, but not drunk enough to understand that things could quickly go bad.

"Why did you wait so late?... why didn't you come sooner?" Julian spoke low; his words slurring together in a slow mumble.

"It took a while to realize I... well, that I wanted to." She felt his hand tighten at her waist. She wished there was a drink close by—she fucking needed it.

"You're too late. You're too late, I ca- I can't feel my dick right now."

Joy could see that Julian wanted to laugh, but was simply too messed up to.

"It's fine, really. I probably shouldn't have come-"

"No, no... I want you here, please stay here. Don't leave." Julian spoke as his other hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer into his chest. Before she knew it, she was lying back in his sternum—Julian's arms interlocked around the small of her waist. "Don't leave... Please don't leave." He kept repeating, staring blankly ahead.

"I'm not going anywhere." Joy patted his hands reassuringly.

"You're lying... you're leaving me... you're leaving all of us."

"I meant right now." Joy spoke over her shoulder, looking back to see Julian's large vacant eyes peering ahead.

"Oh god, you're leaving me right now?" Julian's eyes somehow grew wider, squeezing Joy's waist even tighter. He was hyperventilating—she could feel his chest rise and fall against her back.

"Hey, look at me... are you okay?" Joy sat up quickly, turning around to place her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. She saw a flicker of panic in his sad eyes—the way his brows meshed unevenly in confusion. But most importantly, his breathing began to level out in a steady rhythm.

"You're really pretty." He mumbled, staring at Joy with the same panicked expression. "I gotta take a leak."

"Oh." Joy shot up out of Julian's lap. "Sorry."