Marching Band: The Journey [EDITING]

28 - Plan

*Angela's POV*

Em: I'll be over in a little bit, but invite everyone. We need to tell them something.

We? I quickly comply and send a message in the group chat, instantly getting replies. Diana gets a call and goes into the other room to answer it. While she's gone, I continue to spam Em to get an answer.

Nothing.

Everyone rolls up in the next twenty minutes; Tony with Phillip and Reese with Ethan. They all settle into the living room after raiding the fridge for drinks. Even Phillip took a spiked lemonade. Diana has to leave, sadly, so she hugs me goodbye.

When Em finally gets here, I stumble back when I see Carson getting out of her car. He sends me a sheepish smile which I shrug off until Em gives me a look. I let him into the house, stopping Em to ask if she's okay. She just rolls her eyes at my worry as she pushes past me.

I eye Carson as I sit on Tony's lap in our chair. Em is standing slightly behind him, a supportive presence to calm his nerves. Even I can tell he's nervous from his shaking hands and tapping foot. He looks over his shoulder at her for reassurance to which she shoots him a small smile. With a deep breath, he looks back at us. All his friends.

"I haven't been completely honest with all of you, and I don't think I can lie any longer." He says, looking down a lot. With another sigh, his gaze swings around the room. "There is something you don't know about me."

-

After Carson's big revelation, everyone kind of froze. No one knew how to handle the news. He awkwardly stood, unsure and hesitant of his next move. Em lays a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, before guiding him to the kitchen.

Out of the corner of my eye, Tony scratches his jaw before letting his hand drop to my thigh. My attention goes to that, focusing on the pressure of his dead-weight on me. His skin against mine always sent shivers through me. However, this time, I shivered from the horror.

Who could live like that and just stay silent?

Tony gently taps my knee, a signal that he wants to get up. I scoot onto the arm of the chair so he can. He walks to the kitchen where I see him talking to Em and Carson. Not a second later, Em walks out and comes sit next to. While Tony is talking to Carson, everyone else bombards Em with questions.

"Did you know?" I ask her first, remembering that time at the beach before Thanksgiving.

"I knew a little, but not the fullest extent." She answers quietly, looking down at her hands which she's winding together. "God, I'm so disappointed in myself. If I had just got over myself and paid attention, I could've realized it sooner and helped."

"You couldn't have known, Emmaleigh. He kept it hidden pretty well, and he must've had a reason." Phillip tries to comfort her, only to earn two glares. One from her, and one from me.

Probably not the best thing to say, idiot.

"Well, there has to be something for us to do. We have to help him." Ethan notes, sitting up from his spot on the couch. Him saying this shakes Reese out of his dazed state who nods in agreement.

Everyone looks to me for my opinion. They are right, though. Carson can't get out of this on his own. He needs our help.

"I don't care what you guys do, I'm not leaving him to deal with this by himself anymore." Em says with finality in her stern voice. She sends me The Look and I'm automatically on board.

I look back at the guys, making sure to grab their attention. Tony and Carson enter the room, Tony's arm over Carson's shoulders. Both look better than they did before they went in. After shooting a questioning look to Tony, he returns it with a subtle head nod.