No Good at Goodbyes

Chapter 9: Fourteen Months, Part II

Author's Note: So excited to see them perform on Jimmy Kimmel tonight! <3 

Chapter 9: Fourteen Months, Part II

They rushed through Scott's front door as soon as it opened.

"This is all your fault."

The four newcomers stared at Mark in a shocked silence. The words emerged in little more than a whisper, but they cut through each of them like they were shouted.

"He thinks you don't want him. Is it true?"

"Mark... what are you talking about?" Mitch whispered, his eyes darting around to every portion of the large house he could see from where they stood. Scott wasn't in sight. "Where is he? What's the emergency?"

"Why were you all together today?"

"Scott knows why we were all together today. Scott was invited, for crying out loud."

Mark laughed coldly. "You don't know him anymore, do you? None of you do."

"He's been hard to know, lately."

"Fuck you."

Silence.

"Did you want him there?"

Kevin stepped forward, eyeing Mark with nervousness.

"Of course we did. Mark... where is he?"

"He didn't think you wanted him."

"What do you mean?"

"He thought 'only show up if you want to' was your way of telling him that you didn't care about him. His broken little mind concocted this theory that you only broke up the band last year so that you could reform it now without him. As a way to kick him out."

Realization flashed across Kevin's face. "Mark, you know that isn't true. Why didn't you tell us this sooner? We could have fixed this misunderstanding."

"He only told me this morning. Or... he tried to, anyway, but his words were so slurred I couldn't figure out what he was saying for half of it."

"Mark, where is he?"

They heard a crash from down the hallway as if on cue. Mark cringed, but didn't rush to see what was happening. It was clear that he was becoming desensitized to it, and that broke the group's hearts even more.

Matt's heart was beating so aggressively, he wondered if the others could hear his ribs rattling.

Mark was right.

They really didn't know Scott anymore.

They didn't know his insecurities, his mind.

His mind was so messed up.

How did they let this happen?

"How long has this little reunion been planned?" Mark asked, accusingly.

"About a week."

Mark nodded as the tears welled in his eyes. "He kept this from me for a week, letting his thoughts just keep spiraling? God, I'm so fucking stupid." Mark stumbled backwards, clearly turning the blame on himself again.

"This isn't your fault," Kirstin whispered, stepping forward.

"I want him back. I want him back so badly. Not this new Scott. Not the one from this past year. Not the one pretending to be holding on. I want the Scott that felt loved. I want the Scott who had the sweetest heart I had ever known. I was in awe of him from the second I met him. But that Scott got destroyed, didn't he?" Mark was mumbling so softly, it was hard to make out what he was saying.