Somebody To Someone

Chapter 3

A/N: Back to Brendon's pov and boi-o is frustrated because Mischa hasn't been answering him. 

The first two weeks of school were mostly snow days and Mischa hasn't answered one text in three days. Not one. I'm not mad at him, just frustrated as hell. I walked into art and looked for him. He wasn't at his desk yet so I went and sat at mine and waited. 

He rushed in, head down, beanie on, hands in his pockets and earbuds, which I've learned are like airpods but smaller and black. They look like ear protection. He sat down at his desk and played with his hands. The bell went and he pulled out his sketchbook and a pencil. I flicked his arm. He jumped. 

"Ouch, what?" He asked. 
"What? What?! You didn't answer your phone for three days. I was fucking worried about you." I said looking into his eyes. 
"I don't know why you were worried and I told you. I'm not good with checking my phone." He said with a shrug. 
"Well you better learn to check it and I worry about you because I'd like to think that we're still friends." I said looking him in the eye. He met my gaze and the sheer pain in his eyes hurt so much.
"Hm." He responded and looked away. Fuck. He used to be so affectionate and happy all the time. Sure he had his times where he'd shut down and look so, alone and in those times I'd supply him with ice cream and blankets and act like I didn't see exactly what was happening to him and he'd be fine within a couple of hours or a day or two. His emotional state was, is, so fragile. He tried to be strong and the fact that the people he called his friends left him, tore him down. I can't help but feel guilty because I know that I had a rather large hand in that too. Art went by unnaturally slow and Mischa didn't say a word. Even when I had calmed down and tried to talk to him about little things. Absolutely nothing. 

In math, it wasn't anything different with him. He just worked quietly, didn't pay much attention to Mr. Cumberbatch and Seb tried to talk to him too. Nothing. Not a word. Not a glance up from his paper. Not a change in position. Nothing. Nothing at all. It wasn't until Mr. Cumberbatch turned the class free to do homework that Mischa said anything. 

"Why are you staring at me." Mischa said. 
"Because you shut down on me and I want to help you un-shut down." I said looking at him. He sighed and stopped talking. 
"Alright. Nothing that you want to say? That's fine but you should know that I'm not going to stop. I let you down once and I'm not going to do it again. I am truly sorry that I didn't keep as close to you as I wanted to. I let you walk and I shouldn't have. I care about you. I worry about you and I swear to god if you question the fact that I still care and worry about you I will-" I started to say. I got cut off by him putting his earbud back in. 

When the bell went, he got up and I grabbed his arm. It wasn't hard but it was enough to make him come with me. I dragged him out of the classroom and into the weight room down the hall. I shut the door behind us and looked at Mischa. He pulled his earbuds out slowly and watched me. He pulled back from my touch. 
"You were so affectionate and warm. I miss you. Please let me help you come back." I said looking at him. 
"There's no point. You're only going to make me feel just a little bit better and then you're going to leave. Just stop trying Brendon." He said in a flat tone. The pain in his eyes when he said his last sentence just killed me. 
"Never. I'm not going to stop. I'm not going to let you suffer like this. I let it happen for too long. I'm not going to sit back and let your world stay in pieces. It's not going to happen." I said crossing my arms. The corners of his mouth pulled up in a little sad smile. 
"Always so determined. This isn't something you can fix. I'm sorry Brendon." He said sadly and he lightly placed his hand on my face and stroked my cheekbone twice with his thumb before moving around me. He opened the door, left and closed it behind him. I went out into the hall after him to see him walk into one of our old friends. He muttered something and walked away as fast as his little legs could take him. 

I didn't see Mischa for the rest of the day. He always disappears at lunch and doesn't come back until the next day. It makes me concerned about him. He just disappears. Doesn't answer his phone. He was always his phone. Playing games, scrolling through Instagram and you could always count on him to answer quickly. But now? Nothing. 

As I walked home, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and say that it was Mischa. I answered it as soon as I could get myself to function. 
"Hey. What's up?" I asked. He didn't answer. 
"Mischa, I know that you called. You can talk to me." I said softly. He sniffled a little. 
"Mischa, I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm not going anywhere again. I made that mistake once but I'm not going to make that mistake again." I said. I couldn't even hear him breathing. There was a little ouch and a hiss from the other end of the phone and I turned 90 degrees and bolted down the road. The call got disconnected from his end and I ran faster. 

I got to his front door and went in. 
"Mischa!?" I called out. 
"Shhhhhh, not so loooouuuudd." He said from the kitchen. He sounded, weird. I put my bag on the floor and went to where the voice came from. I saw Mischa sitting at the table, with his back to me, head on the table, and a bottle of something near him. 
"Whatchya drinking?" I asked. He turned his head and looked at me with watery eyes. He looked confused.
"Why are you here?" He asked. 
"Because when you called me, it sounded like you hurt yourself." I said sitting at the table beside him. I saw that the bottle was alcohol. Probably vodka. 
"Well I'm not hurt so go home." He said and put his head back on the table. 
"You are hurt. You're hurting and it's Thursday Mischa. You shouldn't be alone right now." I said looking at him. 
"It's Thursday?" He asked. 
"Yes. It is." 
"Oh shit. Imma go to bed then. I've got work in the morning." He said and got up. 
"You have school in the morning. Not work." I corrected. 
"Noooo, I have work before school." He said and went up the stairs. 
"Oh. Want me to stay with you?" I asked. 
"Nooo. Just go home, Brenny." He said and my heart throbbed at the sound of the nickname that only he was allowed to call me. 
"Have you eaten?" I asked. 
"I have. I had Subway." He answered and disappeared up the stairs. 
"Okay." I replied and shrugged off my jacket and got to work. I know that his parents aren't home often and Mischa doesn't eat much. I made pasta with salad dressing and some chicken and put it in a microwave-safe container and put it in the fridge. I also made some taco meat and some mac and cheese and put in in the fridge for him too. I had them on the go at the same time so it didn't take too long. I headed home after making him some meals and doing the dishes.