Everything Happens For A Reason (MikeXOMC!)

Chap. 8 Blame

It's been almost four months since Beth and Hannah have gone missing. Damian hasn't bothered to talk to anyone. In fact, he never goes out of his apartment anymore. His cell phone was off at all times and the only person who came to see him was his mother. He's dropped some weight and his skin was paler than before. He barely eats and 's depression worsened every day. His mother worried about him nonstop. She would force him to eat something every time she came over. Any time she had the day off from work she would come and check on him. After the first month, he started asking her to buy him beer. She would always give him a lecture about alcohol being bad for him, but she would always buy him some. Most days, Damian would just sit there and drink his sorrows away.

The apartment was the same way it was four months ago. The only changes were all the pictures of Beth and Hannah was flipped over. The TV stayed off and Damian would just sit there in silence, hoping that they were still alive and Beth would come home.

Nightmares haunted him every time he slept. They were so bad that he was scared to sleep. It was the same dream every time, but it became more vivid every time. It always starts out with him and Beth at home being the happy couple they were. Then Beth would walk out the front door and Damian would follow. They would always end up on the mountain and Beth would suddenly disappear. Damian would run nonstop just to find her. The nonhuman screams would follow him as he ran. He would eventually fall off a cliff and end up in a cave. He would find Beth and Hannah there, crying in fear. When he would walk closer to them, they would scream at him. Blaming him for not saving them. Blaming him for getting them killed. Their voices would echo in the caves, making them louder than what they seem. When he would finally break down, their voices stopped. He would hear footsteps coming closer to him and when he looked up. Beth would be there. Damian would wake up in a cold sweat just before Beth could say anything to him.

Damian's mother tells him that he needs to go to therapy again, but he simply refused to go there. They would put him on a bunch of medication that he didn't want to take. He knew that he needed some kind of help, but he felt like this was his punishment for not saving them. He blamed himself everyday for what happened. A part of him told him to blame his friends for this, but he couldn't. He just couldn't blame them.

Today was like any other day for Damian. He sat on the couch staring at the few empty bottles of beer that sat on the coffee table in front of him. He heard the door opened, but he didn't bother to move since he knew it would be his mother.

"He should be in here." Damian looked up to see his mother walk in carrying a few bags. He saw someone behind her and realized that it was Mike. He looked at Mike in shock. He was confused about what he was doing here, but overall shocked. "Damian, I brought Michael along with me. He's been worried about you and wanted to see you." She took the bags that Mike was carrying. "Did you get any sleep last night?" Damian hesitantly shook his head. His mother sighed and started walking to the kitchen. "I'll leave you boys alone. I'm going to cook us all something to eat."

Mike awkwardly stood there after she left. He felt guilty for not visiting Damian sooner. This entire time he was afraid to face Damian, because he thinks he would blame him for his girlfriend being missing. When he saw how Damian looked, he felt even more guilty. He was shocked at how different he looked. Damian's mother would tell him how Damian is doing every time he called to ask her.

"Hey Damian..." Mike spoke softly as he sat down beside him. He looked everywhere except Damian. He was afraid of seeing hatred in his best friend's eyes.

"W-what are you doing here Mike?" Damian eventually croaked out.

"I uh, I wanted to come and apologize..." Mike said as he awkwardly rubbed his hands together.

"Apologize for what?" Mike looked at Damian surprised.

"F-for everything! I mean, I tried to call you and text you, but you never answer. I haven't seen you in four months! I never could get the courage to actually come see you, because I know you hate me for Be-...for them being gone..." His voice trailed off as he practically buried his face into his hands. Damian sat there for a moment before pulling Mike into a tight hug.

"I don't hate you Mike. You're my best friend. I don't blame you for anything thing. I don't blame anyone. I told you that four months ago and I will keep telling you that. I should be apologizing for not answering your calls. My phone has been off for a while now and I didn't even think about turning it on." They pulled away and gave each other a small smile.

"Well from now on, I'm going to come over every day to see you! I mean it too. One of these days I'll drag you out of this place before you turn into a vampire." Mike said jokingly. Damian let out a small laugh, which made Mike smile more.

"So, anything new with you?" Damian asked.

"I'm probably breaking up with Emily soon."

"Oh? Why's that? I thought you were pretty into her." Damian crossed his arms as he leaned back into the couch to get comfortable.

"Yeah, it's just not the same anymore. We argue like all the time now." Mike stated as he got himself comfortable.

"Every couple goes through a few bumps on the road every now and then. Just give it some time. Buy her some flowers or something to keep her happy." Mike chuckled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah maybe that will cheer her up some." The two were quiet for a moment before Mike spoke up again. "You're mom told me everything that's going on...you could have come to my house. I would have helped you out man." Mike spoke softly as he looked at Damian. Damian nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. Mike decided to drop the subject and talk about other things.