My Boys

Chapter 7

~*~Joey's POV~*~

"I don't know, I don't want you getting hurt. What if-"

"You're overreacting, Dear. He'll be with Acre and Atticus the whole time." Aubrey sighed, rolling her eyes to me as I smiled lightly, nodding in agreement.

"Exactly, he'll be with those two." Steve huffed, eating his grumpy old man cereal. Seriously, who eats RaisinBran?

"You already said I could go and I got all dressed up. I'm not a little kid anymore, Steve." I pointed out, crossing my arms with difficulty due to the tighter sleeves of the jacket I had on.

"I know, Buddy, I'm sorry. If you promise to keep me updated wherever you go, then I won't lose my mind." He bargained as I agreed, sticking my hand out for a handshake.

"You're too adorable, Sweetheart." Aubrey chuckled, pulling me down to kiss me on the head.

"Why does everybody think I'm adorable?" I pouted, looking up at Steve as he tried to hide his smile. "I'm trying to be serious and everyone thinks it's adorable."

"You're always going to be adorable to me, we watched you grow up, Sweetheart. You're like..." I frowned when Aubrey's eyes started watering. "You're like our own son."

"Aubrey, don't cry." I wrapped my arms around her slim shoulders, feeling her hug my waist as she cried.

"I just miss him, Baby."

"I know, but he still loves you." I reassured her, kissing her head.

"He would have been eighteen this year." Steve mentioned and I started to feel sad.

Ethan and I used to be best friends before he died. Well... sort of best friends. He was born one year and one day after me and because we grew up right next to each other, we got to know each other really well. I still felt guilty when I thought about the accident, how Ethan died.

We were fifteen and sixteen and we went to this party at some kids house. It was only supposed to be a couple people hanging out and playing video games, but a whole bunch of people showed up and they brought alcohol and some bad drugs.

I didn't like it; I didn't like how everyone was acting weird and how they kept trying to make Ethan try them. We were best friends so I thought he'd listen when I said not to do anything while I went to the bathroom. But when I came out he was gone and I had to search for him. I found him taking a bunch of random pills someone offered him and took him home immediately so he could drink water and sleep off whatever drug it was. They never told me what it was but I didn't want to know either.

When I woke up the next morning, Ethan wasn't breathing. He was cold, and stiff, and he wouldn't wake up. I tried everything but he wouldn't open his eyes or talk to me. I called Aubrey and Steve and they both broke down crying, pulling me into their arms and hugging me tightly as I started to piece together that my best friend... my boyfriend, was dead.

I told Aubrey and Steve everything after that. Everything about Ethan and I secretly dating because he was too scared to tell his parents he liked boys. Everything about the party. Everything about how I was feeling.

The funeral was the hardest. He looked like my Ethan, exactly the same just sleeping. But he wasn't sleeping. I couldn't crawl into his arms and give him kisses until he woke up, I couldn't tickle him to hear his laugh one more time, I couldn't feel him hug me or hear him tell me he loved me ever again.