Sugarcane Chronicles Volume I: One and Lonely (ryden)

Catastrophically, Inevitably, Completely

Waking up was weird. My face felt... Stiff. And puffy.

When I opened my eyes, I didn't recognize the ceiling. Or the blanket. Or the walls.

It wasn't my room... wasn't Ryan's...

Had I been kidnapped? Mom must've been worried sick.

I sat up and looked at the bed across the room. Mikey was laying in it, sleeping.

Oh yeah, I thought, sighing. I stayed over at Mikey's.

Then I remembered why I stayed over.

I frowned the way I did when I cried and my stomach heaved like I was going to cry, but nothing came out. I must've been dehydrated or something.

I threw myself back onto the bed of beanbag chairs Mikey had set up for me and sobbed tearlessly into the one I was using as a pillow.

Life had this weird way of doing these kinds of things to me.

At least I hadn't written a song for Ryan (well, at least I hadn't shown him it).

I hugged the beanbag as I heard Mikey shift in his sleep.

"Brendon?" he asked groggily.

I looked up at the bed to see an adorable bed-headed squinting Mikey.

 "Are you ok?" he asked. "Why are you up at..." He picked up his glasses from his bedside table and put them on before glancing at the clock. "Five o three in the morning?"

"I dunno," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I just... woke up."

"Ok," he said, sitting up. "Do you wanna... go downstairs and" he yawned "get some coffee?" He rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses.

"Uh..." His yawn made me yawn and I stretched slightly as I returned the action. "Not really. We don't have to; your parents are probably down there."

"Meh," he shrugged. "I get up with them sometimes anyways."

I thought for a second before saying, "Nah, I think I'm going to try to go back to sleep. You should, too."

"Ok." Mikey took off his glasses and put them back on the nightstand before laying back down. "Goodnight, Brendon."

"Goodnight," I replied, laying down and pulling the blanket up to my nose.

I recalled my night before this morning as I turned on my other side. Mikey had held me as I cried until I could say Ryan's name without sobbing. Then, Mikey made me hot chocolate and a bed of beanbag chairs as I called Mom and asked her if I could stay over. She said yes (because she's awesome) and brought me some clothes for the night and next day. I also was checking my phone every two seconds to see if Ryan had messaged me, but he never did.

I reached over and picked up my phone then, clicking it to see if I had any messages.

Nothing.

I sighed and threw my phone down, then picked it back up because I felt bad (and needed to check my messages (plus the poor thing and been thrown so much lately)). Nothing again.

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head.

"Brendon?" Mikey asked from his bed.

I peeked up from under the blanket at him.

He tilted his head and cocked his eyebrows at me.

"I-Is that coffee offer still open?" I asked. 

*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*

I decided I would avoid Ryan for at least that day. If he wasn't willing to contact me, then I wasn't willing to be in contact with him. that was why I had stayed over at Mikey's; Ryan didn't know that address. If he really wanted to see me, he would find me.