Step-Brothers

~Chapter Forty-Seven~

Jared is probably getting the worst texts from Evan periodically throughout the day.

Ja: [Babe, please, I'm in the middle of class]

They're spaced for sure and there aren't many, but the ones he gets are v u l g a r.

E: [I'm sorry, I've got to hide my phone from myself or something]

E: [Connor hasn't started school yet, I'll text him]

E: [I'm so sorry, I can't help it, it's like the heat just takes over]

Ja: [I'm not mad. It's just the texts that you send are pretty vulgar. It's good that I can practically just sleep during class and still pass.]

E: [sorryyyyy]

Ja: [It's fine. Just text Connor. Skype him or something. It'll make him feel better.]

E: [will do. This moment of clarity is wearing off anyway]

Ja: [I can already feel mine slightly coming on. I'll be home the rest of the week.]

E: [Good, I'm getting desperate]

Jared puts away his phone. Any buzzing he feels, he just assumes it's Evan and leaves it alone. Evan ends up skyping Connor and long story short, he's got to do some laundry when he snaps out of it next. Lunch comes and Jeremy's gotta try and convince Michael again. He can't make Rich and Jake live in Jake's car. Michael is calmed down from the morning, big headphones on his head blasting something. Jeremy sits across from him and just gives him this look. Michael glances up and just keeps eating his gas station sushi. Jeremy knows he can't hear him. He can hear his music though his headphones. Jeremy doesn't have any lunch himself. he's not hungry. He looks at the table in front of Jeremy.

"You should be eatin'. Your meds should be makin' you hungrier."

"Well they're not today."

"Mierda, you're stubborn. Can't even hear you and I know you said you weren't hungry." he pushes his sushi toward him.

"No."

"You'll pass out. Or throw up. Quit being stupid and eat something."

"I'm not being stupid, I'm just not hungry. And I won't pass out or throw up. I can go one meal without eating just because I don't feel like it." He pushes the sushi back to Michael.

"Skipping one meal is gonna spiral into skipping them all again. Did you even have breakfast?"

"Yes, I did....... no.... But I took my medicine."

"Then you've got to fucking eat."

"You can't make me eat if I'm not hungry Michael." He rips his headphones off, which are now blasting disco for anyone nearby to hear.

"You are going to starve yourself, you don't FEEL hungry, but you have to eat something, you can't eat once a day, Heere, you're only a hundred fucking pounds." Jeremy blushes from embarrassment. There are people staring and even more people whispering.

"I cant Michael...."

"Tan jodidamente terco- Jeremy. Please."

"I can't Michael! If I'm not hungry then I can't eat it! Or I'll just feel like I have to make myself throw up again!"

"But you can't - Dios mío - Fine. Whatever." he shoves the headphones back on. Jeremy gets up and shuffles away somewhere else that isn't the cafeteria. This is stupid. Michael stays put to eat the rest of his sushi and continue mulling over everything going on. Jeremy doesn't see him until the end of the day when they meet by his car. Michael pauses and scratches his neck.