problems - egobang

seventeen

Arin changes his car to park in front of the house across from Barry's. In the middle of the street, he can see Barry lying on the ground in his pajamas as a tall, lanky man with a puff ball for hair leans over him and Barry's front door open.

Arin was lead to believe that -apparently- that man Barry was with was Mr. "sexbang" from the stupid website where you talk to strangers about problems. And that the "barryedits" guy was Barry, which that made sense, Barry liked to edit.

This made Arin have a terrible feeling in his stomach. sexbang and barryedits were talking before, so that means they are friends.

Has he already replaced me?

This thought makes Arin want to vomit and go to the terrifyingly comforting place in his bathroom.

but Dan promised to always be there for me

Arin's thoughts tell him that Dan is terrible for stealing his friend from him. Then he is reminded than Barry isn't his friend anymore. Then he is reminded that Dan promised to always be there for him. And then the thing about Ross. Ross doesn't know anything of what's going on, no one has gotten a hold of him.

Arin closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths to slow his heart rate down as well as his whirring thoughts. He declares himself as ready as he'll ever be and opens the car door and taking a confident step out and towards the two men in the middle of the street. He quickly looses the confidence when Dan hears his footsteps and looks up so Arin gets a proper look at his face.

The world seems to moving in slow motion as Dan gives Arin a quick "Hello" smile and waves some hair from his face. Arin finds himself stopped in the middle of a step with his mouth slightly open. Arin is a living cliche in this moment - transfixed with Dan's brown eyes from a distance.

Arin finally realizes that he is frozen with his mouth hanging open and finishes his walk to them, pretending to be unaware of the blush in his cheeks. Once he gets close enough, Arin can see that Barry was just crying - a look that Arin is too familiar with - his eyes are red and puffy and he's got a runny nose. Barry is lying on the road while Dan is standing next to him. They both look tired.

"Hello Arin." Dan says, with another quick smile, this one quicker than the last - Arin notes. Arin also notes not remembering giving Dan his name. "Haven't spoke in a while?"

Arin just nods and keeps his response to himself. He doesn't want to embarrass himself any farther and he doesn't really know who to trust at the moment.

"There's something you should know..." Dan begins, trailing off, wanting Barry to continue on the conversation. But Barry is no state to talk, as he is staring at the gloomy morning sky while sniffing his nose at various times and lip quivering - obviously trying his best not to start sobbing, which makes Arin confused.

"Ross isn't missing..." Dan starts when he realizes that no one else is going to say this for him.

"He isn't? You know where he is?" Arin says, unable to stop the words from leaving his mouth due to the eagerness to find where his friend has been hiding. Arin wonders how Dan knows Ross in the back of his head.

"He's dead." Dan says bluntly, unable to meet anyone's eyes and looking to the ground. "Murdered."

Arin's head is spinning. He doesn't want to believe this. But it all makes sense. No one has been able to get a hold off him, no one has seen him. Arin stumbles back a step.

Ross can't be dead.

Arin puts a hand on his head, but is unable to feel anything. He doesn't want to feel anything. Who would go down so low to kill Ross? Why does Dan know about this before Arin when Arin knew Arin longer? He was Arin's friend.