Thunder // Jack Avery (Complete)

Fake

Jonah was posting pictures of Piper and him, trying to get her enough followers and trying to keep the image up. Preston stopped looking at his photos. He had Octavia use his account to like the photos for him and leave comments that she thought he'd leave. Jonah was spending so much time trying to keep up a fake relationship that he'd forgotten all about Preston. They talked on the phone and texted sometimes, but those conversations only lasted a few moments before Jonah was on a fake date with someone else.

Preston didn't even see the point in being with Jonah at this point. There was no need for some fake relationship to hide theirs. Preston would have been fine keeping it all a secret, but covering it up was too hard. He tried to talk to him about it once, but was cut short by Piper.

Preston texted Jonah to see if they could talk on the phone. Jonah replied with, "Yes! We can talk all night." So, Preston called him.

"Hey, Jonah!"

"Hey, P! How was your day?"

"Okay, I guess. You?"

"Good! Piper and I went to the mall. I got you something. It should be there in a few days."

"Oh, Jonah. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Of course I did! You're my boy."

"Am I?"

"Uh, duh. We've been dating for almost a month now. What's going on with you?"

"I feel like your fake relationship is more real than ours."

"That fake relationship is the only thing that's allowing us to be together, Preston."

"I know, but you spend so much time trying to make it seem real that I'm being left in the dust. Sometimes I'm scared you'll leave me for her."

"Preston, I would never leave you for her."

"I'd like to believe you, but I can't."

"So, you don't trust me?"

"No, th-"

"Whatever. Talk to me when you can trust me."

Jonah hung up the phone. Preston felt his throat clench as tears started to form. Did they just break up? Preston didn't know how to feel or react. He picked up his phone and logged into Snapchat. He posted a picture with the caption, "Opening and closing up again, I've been hurt so I don't trust." He knew that would get to Jonah. They were his lyrics.

- - - - -

It'd been a week since Preston had talked to Jonah and he was slowly falling into a deep depression he hadn't felt since Obie killed himself. He nobly got out of his bed to use the restroom and would only eat when Natalia came to visit. He didn't want her to worry. He knew she'd find out in the next couple of weeks, though. He'd already lost 6 pounds. He spent his days sleeping, listening to music, or watching movies and tv shows to keep his mind distracted. At night, he'd let his mind run along memory lane and allow his tears to fall as they please, but he seemed to be running out of tears to cry.

- - meanwhile in LA - -

Jonah took the time away from Preston to work on his music and keep up his image with Piper. He'd written a few songs about Preston that he wanted to save for his solo career in the future. He missed him a lot. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that not much had changed. He didn't talk to Preston as much as he should have. The only thing that changed was the feeling of not being able to call Preston his. He couldn't call him when he was stressed, or excited, or sad. He lost that right when he let him go. He couldn't just go crawling back, though. Preston didn't trust him, and that hurt more than words could describe.

- - - - -

Preston's state worsened within the next two weeks. He had lost over 10 more pounds and was starting to look the part. His already pale skin was almost translucent and the color in his cheeks had ran away from the pain he was feeling. He told Natalia that we was just sick and needed some time to get better, which was a complete lie. She believed it though, until Preston fell asleep and didn't wake up.

She rushed him to the hospital and called everyone she could. Of course, everyone showed; including Jonah. Preston hadn't eaten enough and his body had shut down on him, so he was in a coma. They started pumping liquids and nutrients through his body in hopes that he'd wake up soon. It'd be a couple of days-weeks-months before he woke up; they had no sure prediction.

Preston hadn't told anyone about the breakup, so it was a shock to everyone when Jonah was babbling about it being his fault. Piper sat close to him and held his hand. She took a picture of their hands and posted it to Snapchat with the caption, "scary times. Pray for Preston, please..."

"What the hell, Piper?" Jonah said in a weak whisper.

"What?"

"Preston is in a coma right now and all you can think about is posting about it on Snapchat?"

"Well, the fans deserve to know! And I'm keeping up our image, Jonah. That's the deal!"

"I can't believe you. Just, go get some coffee for everyone. I need you to leave for awhile."

"Why can't you go?"

"Because the love of my life is in a coma right now and I need to be here for him since I couldn't do that for him before. This is my fault, Piper! Because I was so worried about keeping up the act! As soon as he wakes up I'm telling the world I'm bi and I'm dating Preston. We can stage a breakup sometime soon."

"But-"

"No discussion. Go." Jonah clenched his jaw and allowed his teeth to grind on each other. Tears began to fall from his face yet again as he watched Piper stop away.