Welcome to Underland

Time sure flies when you avoid everything

"No," I say, my voice stern, Ren sat opposite me a puppy dog pout on his face, I however was not budging. "But Eli, please can we just watch one?" he whines, clearly trying to make himself cry.

"We are not trying to watch another horror movie, you saw Don last week when we put on the bloody Spiderwick Chronicles, the man was scared shitless and it's not even a real horror movie, I am not putting on an actual one to traumatise him," I glare at Ren, I am aware he is trying to piss off the others to further avoid the conversation we all need to have.

It has been 23 days since I woke up from surgery and he has skillfully avoided the topic, today however, I made the decision of not even entertaining his avoidance techniques.

While I definitely did not want to talk about everything I needed to know what I was getting into. My arms would be free and ready for physical therapy soon and hopefully that means more freedom to do what I want.

Raine drops himself down onto the armchair in the corner of the room, crossing one leg over the other as he looks around at everyone silently. The room immediately quietens down, everyone suddenly very interested in literally anything else.

"I hate when you go all therapist mode," Nox mutters under his breath as he flops onto the end of the bed beside my feet.

"You hate when I point out obvious things," Raine corrects smoothly.

"I hate both actually."

"You love me."

Nox grumbles something unintelligible in response making Don snort from where he sat leaning against the wall. Ren meanwhile had gone suspiciously quiet beside me, eyes fixed firmly on the paused Netflix screen.

Yeah no, not happening.

"Ren," I say firmly.

"I preferred when you called me Master Renny."

"You cried when I called you that."

"That is not the point."

"That is exactly the point actually," Don cuts in dryly.

Ren shoots him a glare before looking back at me. I hold eye contact this time instead of looking away first. He notices immediately, I can tell by the way his expression shifts slightly.

"Talk," I say simply.

The room falls quiet again.

I can practically see him debating trying to redirect the conversation again before finally sighing dramatically, dropping his head back against the couch.

"Wendell was my best friend," he says eventually, voice quieter than expected. "We met when we were like nineteen? Twenty maybe? He moved in with us after about a year because his apartment was falling apart and he was struggling mentally."

Nox shifts slightly beside my legs but doesn't interrupt.

"He spiralled pretty badly," Ren continues. "At first it was small shit. Missing classes, not eating properly, disappearing for days, drinking too much. Then it became harder stuff, dangerous scenes, random hookups, disappearing with people we didn't know." His jaw tightens slightly. "I thought if I just kept an eye on him it would be enough."

"And it wasn't," Don says quietly.

Ren laughs softly but there's absolutely no humour in it.

"No. It wasn't."

Nobody speaks for a moment.

"He overdosed," Ren finally says.

Oh.