How to Lose your Best Friend

♤XI♤

Antonio

    PJ didn't show up for the last week of school. I texted him each day to see how he was doing but I received no response. I was so stressed over him that I could barely study for finals and on the last day I showed up at his house. His mom answered the door like usual and she said that PJ was at his normal spot.

    I rode my bike to his dad's liquor shop to find PJ at the register.

"Where the hell have you been dude?" I asked in the calmest way possible.

"Here," he replied with no emotion. He didn't seem to care that he'd skipped every single final or that his grade would drop tremendously.

"You could've at least texted me back man," I say sighing.

"Sorry dude. I just got busy," he said shrugging me off.

"Doing what? Drinking?" I say hoping to snap him out of his daze. He didn't seem to care at all that I was trying to get to the bottom of this. I wanted to help him but it was impossible when he refused to communicate.

"Yeah, I guess. If you want to put it like that," he says rolling his eyes.

"PJ, are you drunk right now?" I ask. He could barely stand up straight and was struggling to answer my simple questions.

"Maybe," he replied crossing his arms over his chest.

"Goddamnit PJ! Why do you have to do this? Can't you just go back home?" I ask knowing I won't get a compromising answer.

"If you didn't already know I can't go home, Antonio. Unlike you, my parents don't care about me. All my mom does is complain about what a failure I am. Coming here is my only escape. I don't mean to get drunk it just happens," he replied looking dizzier and dizzier with every word that came out of his mouth.

"I know you don't want to go home but could you at least come to my place? It's safe there and you can just lay down," I offer. I didn't care if I had to drag him to my house but he most definitely wasn't going to be staying here to get even drunker.

"Fine, but you're driving," he replied clearly out of it.

As soon as I got his okay I called my mom to come pick us up. I texted his dad that he would be staying the night and he didn't mind. As soon as we got home PJ crawled out of the car barely making it to the front door before passing out.

The fact that this wouldn't be the first time he's collapsed at my house really upsets me. This was a normal thing for him and both me and my mom knew the drill. I carried him into my room laying him on his side while my mom made something warm to drink for him to wake up to.

The condition he was currently in was probably x10 better than how he was a few months ago. I've had quite a few scares with him where his body would turn completely cold and he'd have to be rushed to the hospital. Passing out was fairly normal for him and he'd usually wake up in about an hour.

I made sure to keep him company while he was sleeping and I led him to the kitchen once he woke up. My mom made him some of his favorite hot tea along with a bowl of noodles. We knew better than to try to talk about what happened with him and no one mentioned anything about getting him to stop. I wasn't quite sure why he does this to himself on an almost daily basis but I feel like it's a mix of regret over losing Eagle and self-pity over his parents. I've tried to ask him about it but all he can manage to say is "I miss her." Part of me wants to talk to her about him and finding a way for them to get back together but I don't want to burden her. She's already stressed enough as it is over auditions and performances that I wouldn't want her to give another thing to worry about.

After dinner, PJ went to sleep quite early and I watched him for a while before falling asleep as well. It hurt my heart to watch my best friend destroy himself over things that he couldn't control. I couldn't change how he was but I sure hoped to. That last thing I'd want would be for him to overdose to the point of death. I don't think he'd do that I wanted to stop his unhealthy habit before it could ever get to that point.