Stuck and Alone (hosie)

Chapter 4

"I'm worried about you Hope, I usually wouldn't get involved but I'm scared Hope and I'm only saying this as someone who cares about you." Josie started "You don't hang out with your friends anymore and you don't talk to anyone besides Landon. You're always by Landon. You're always secretive now and you're always running around all the time and you're just not you."

"It's called being in a relationship Josie. People get older and they spend less time with their friends and more time with their boyfriends. It's just growing up." I pulled apart from her and fixed myself.

"Yes but no you don't talk to anyone anymore you don't eat meals with everyone every more. For someone I have almost an identical schedule to I sure don't see you a lot."

"What are you jealous" I bite back.

"Whatever hope" she went back into her room.

"Did Josie ever know?" Emma asks.

"Deep down yeah probably. She'd ask me to go to stuff with her or just invite me to stuff which I matched with hostility and coldness but she never stopped trying."

"She's a good friend."

"She's more than that. She was the only one I really seemed to have left when I basically dedicated my life to Landon." I nod "She even tried to get her parents to intervene."

"Hope stop" Josie ran down the hall after me.

" Why the fuck would you tell your parents on me"I turn around and yell at her.

"Because something is seriously wrong! He's doing something to you. I see how he treats you." She yells in almost a pleading tone

"You're just jealous I'm spending more time with him than with you" I yell back

"I'm not jealous of you I'm worried and concerned and sorry for you" she blurts.

"Go fuck yourself." I scurry up the stairs.

"You're going to go see him after this unbelievable" she follows. "You're different Hope you seem scared and nervous all the time. Tell me what's wrong Hope please."

"Why the fuck should I tell you anything" I yell and slam Landon's door in her face.

" I was a massive bitch to Josie I was scared for Landon but I was also scared of people finding out and taking Landon away. It was all just insane. I was just under constant stress from all sides."

"I remember being called in over that. Do you want to see the notes I took." She opens my file and pulls out a ripped out page of a memo pad.

"Yep you've about nailed it." I inspected her notes. "I was drowning and Landon was getting more antsy that Josie was putting so much attention on me and he got worse. Everything just kept escalating and heating up it felt like the whole world was on fire. Or I was a lobster in a frying pan."

"How were you handling that" she asks.

"Barely, I was hanging on by a thread I had to keep acting like things were normal. I didn't want what happened to me to happen to Landon."