Sour Patch

1

Crushing pain, is all that was felt as he leaned against the brick wall. There were too many emotions running through his mind to pinpoint a single one. So it all merged together as crushing pain. Taking a deep breath, he blinked back the tears and anger gripping at his heart.  Then he slowly walked away from the one place he thought he could always call home. The bags of groceries forgotten in the entryway, the keys left in the lock and his ring left on the floor. All unknown to the couple entwined in passion on his bed. Little did they know that they were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't notice he was watching as they moved down the hallway to engage in a lovers embrace.

Silence, that's all he asked for.  He sat in an alley next to a convenience store with his third case of cheap beer, but it didn't look like he was going to get his request anytime soon as the city raged on around him. He sighed to himself and pulled out his phone, surely he had someone he could call he mused as he went into his contacts. Sadly he only had ten people in his phone and two he refused to contact. Make that four he didn't want to contact the sluts parents. His parents lived in a different state, and his siblings a different town. He only had two contacts left sadly he debated for a few minutes then decided to call one.

"You better be dying or have won the lottery." A raspy voice claimed on the other end of the phone. 

He stayed silent not sure how to proceed with his request for a ride and some shelter the only thing audible was him gulping the air.

"Jason, man whats wrong and where are you?" the voice got softer and you could hear rustling and the sound of keys on the other end of the line.

"Tyler..." the name came out as a pitiful whine, the first word Jason had uttered in hours. "Can you pick me up behind the convenience store on Montgomery Ave?" 

"Already on my way man, just stay there."

This is why he called Tyler they have been best friends since diapers. They knew everything about each other and that would never change. Jason stayed silent as the phone hung up. He ended up just staring at the device in his hand as it constantly vibrated with calls and texts. He ignored them all, he didn't want excuses, he wanted to process it. After a few more beers and twenty minutes Jason was blinded by the headlights of a car.  He swore to himself, forgetting he had called his friend. He saw the door open and a figure step out of the vehicle.

" 'm sorry officer, I was just sitting here and drinking I didn't mean to cause any disruptions..." he had to pause his apologies due to the rolling laughter aimed in his direction.
"Tyler? Oh yeah..." Jason dipped his head down embarrassed he forgot and made an ass of himself. Groaning he stood up and began to gather his bags, boxes and cans.

"Damn man, how much did you drink?" 

Jason jumped slightly not hearing his friend make his way to his side. "Dunno, i bought three cases.." 

"So your telling me that rather than going home you stopped here and downed 72 beers, proceed to call me, and are able to act like a sober person with a small memory lapse... okay what's wrong?" 

"Can we not talk about it yet?"

"Sure, but your staying with me until we do talk."

Jason gave his friend a weak smile, this is how it always went, they skirted around the obvious questions by pretending to bulldoze over each other.

"I still don't know how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Slam nearly 100 beers and beat a sober person in a line test man, come on whats your secret for not being drunk?" Tyler begged as they walked to the car. 

Jason let out a laugh " High metabolic rate and tolerance."

"You suck." 

"Your just jealous." Jason said with a smile, "But seriously I feel ten times better now that I've had a laugh."

"Oh hush, and get in the car before I leave your emotionally in touch ass here in this back alleyway."

Shaking his head Jason got into his friends car and let him drive off into the city as he once again got lost in thought.

Tyler glanced over to his friend who was staring out the window of the car. He had a lot of questions regarding how Jason ended up drinking in an alley, but he held his tongue.  It had been years since he had seen his friend so broken and it made him want to destroy the cause.
He knew how crappy of a life that Jason had and what all he did to defy the way he was raised. Focusing on the road he let out a sigh just as he heard soft snores from the passenger seat. The drive to his house was around thirty minutes now that he wasn't breaking speed limits to reach his friend. 

After what seemed ages, Tyler pulled into his driveway and shut off his car, looking up at his two story home, he contemplated how exactly he was supposed to get the 200 pound man next to him inside, when the front door opened revealing his wife.

Slowly, she walked over, "How is he?"

"He slammed nearly 100 beers while sitting in an alley." Tyler sighed as he got out of the car.

"Wow, lets get him inside, the couch is already folded out and made for him." 

"Thanks, Monica," Tyler whispered as they opened the passenger door, "How are we gonna do this?"

"Please Hun, you know I'm more of a man then most guys, you grab his shoulders I'll get his legs just don't drop him this time."

"Yeah, cause you've been waiting to use that one against me, it's been four years let it go." Tyler hissed. 

Monica just snorted at him as she grabbed Jason's legs "Well come on then."

After a little bit of rearranging the man in their arms the couple made it inside to put him to bed on the couch.

"Not bad you only almost dropped him once." Monica giggled as she took off Jason's boots and tucked him in.

"Oh, can it woman, not all of us have freak strength" was Tyler s retort as he put down a glass of water and Advil on one of the end tables. 

"Your just jealous," Monica stated as she sat down a trash can next to the pull out couch. "Lets get some rest and interrogate him when he wakes up." 

With that the couple dimmed the light and headed to bed, checking on their friend as they walked up the stairs.