Barely Alive - Josh Washington x Reader

Chapter 14

The cold wind that was forcing its way through your clothes was almost unbearable. Your breath came in grey clouds, and you cursed yourself for not bringing another jacket. You wrapped your arms around yourself tightly as Mike and Chris guided Josh up to the shed.

"Guys!" Josh exclaimed, but was only pushed forward by Mike, who was having none of his business at this moment. The thought of Jessica was still on his mind, and while Josh couldn't have done anything based on facts, he couldn't find another explanation for her decease.

"Guys, C'mon... seriously, this is crazy, you know?" 

Mike rolled his eyes and pushed a little harder as a sign for him to keep moving. It was freezing already, Josh keeping them from reaching the shed as quickly as possible was not happening. You slowed down your pace as Josh turned back once more, but with a hand on your back Chris forced you to continue walking.

"Shut up." Mike snapped at him, getting more and more annoyed the longer it took for the four of you to get to the shed. Josh scoffed, and glanced over Mike's shoulder, meeting the eyes of his best friend and smiling slightly.

"Chris, bro-"

"I'm not your bro." Chris responded, a stoic look on his face. As his sister, you easily noticed the sadness hidden in his eyes. He deeply cared about Josh, he really did, but Chris had always been a follower and never a leader. So he followed Mike's example and tried to be as uncaring as possible. 

It was useless in your opinion. Josh was sick, and he couldn't tell the difference when he was having another meltdown. So treating him like this while he was completely unaware of his own behavior would only confuse him.

"Where are we going? Where are you guys taking me?" Josh questioned, a hint of panic in his voice as he eyed the dark woods. Mike pushed him once more, a little more force than necessary, and making Josh stumble before falling to his knees in the snow. You scoffed at this and gently hit Mike's shoulder.

"Jesus Mike, control yourself-"

"Locking you up, 'bro'." Mike answered, interrupting you in favor of talking to Josh. There was something about Mike that annoyed you. He always tried to be some kind of Alpha of the group, while you were sure he was just as scared as the rest of you. He thought himself to be the leader, while a leader wasn't actually needed. This caused an unasked hierarchy in the group, and people instinctively began to follow him. But you were an beta to his alpha, and you couldn't follow anyone just because he claimed himself to be a leader.

The way he treated Josh was only adding to your despise for him, and if he had ever been a good friend to Josh had been questionable for you. One thing was for sure, Mike and Josh' bond wasn't as strong as the rest. Mike and the rest of the group except Emily seemed to get along fine, but between Mike and Josh there was a certain tension. They were too different. Josh was intelligent and comical, while Mike was a socialist and wanted to be taken serious instead.   

"What?" Josh responded, not understanding why they would take him all the way there. A sigh fell from your lips, and you interrupted Mike to explain to Josh.

"It's nothing personal, Josh. We're just secluding you so you can't be triggered. We will, on the other hand, call the police tomorrow morning." Josh' eyes widened at the mention of the police, and he shook his head rapidly as you explained your intentions. He rose from the ground and faced the three of you again.

"You guys... I didn't do anything!" 

Mike and Chris both scoffed at his words, not believing he actually thought of himself as innocent. You were surprised by this as well. Could he really not tell the greatness of his actions? He had traumatized most of the group, and still he seemed not to realize how much it had affected them.