"Josh, I have to tell you something," Mari sighed.

"I should talk to him," Josh sighed, starting for the door.

"Josh-"

He continued to the door, his finger tips grazing the door knob.

"Isaac."

Josh froze, paralyzed. "What did you say?"

"Isaac," Mari repeated, turning him to face her, "I should have told you before you left, but I like you. I tried to ignore it, deny it, suppress it even...but I can't. I have feelings for you...You probably don't feel the same way about me."

"What?"

"I have feelings for you," Mari said a bit slower, bracing herself to be rejected.

"You said Isaac," Josh frowned.

"I did," Mari nodded, gritting her teeth.

How many times now had she been in this situation? Finally got out of her small town, met the world, and she was in the same place, same heart condition.

Always ignored.

"Look, just...um...forget I said anything," she stammered. "I'm going to go bury myself now." She was honestly disappointed. She had been carrying with her a little glimmer of hope that Josh returned her feelings, but with each passing second, that hope slowly faded.

Josh took her wrist gently and stopped her, looking at her with wide, questioning eyes that were no longer obstructed by two black rims.

He appeared calm, but his shoulders fell heavily up and down with every breath.

Desperation.

"How did you know?"

Mari's heart fluttered at his touch. "My friend. I was helping him sort through some old files...I recognized you immediately. I was going to call you, but I didn't know what to say so I just...didn't."

Josh exhaled through his mouth and ran calloused hands through his hair. "Did you tell anyone? Anyone at the school?"

"No. I only told Catherine," Mari assured. "I mean, I'm sure she told Matt, but I'm certain nobody else knows."

"Matt already knows, and I trust Cath," Josh said with a nod, sitting down on a stool. He buried his face in his hands and gave a small chuckle. "I never thought I'd hear anyone call me that again. It's- It's nice."

Mari gave a little laugh. "To be honest, I like it better than Josh."

"Me too," he smiled. "Me too."

Mari sat down next to him. "Listen, about the other thing, I completely understand if you don't feel the same way."

"What?" Josh asked. "Sorry, I was caught of guard by the whole Isaac thing."

Mari took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "So, don't lose your head over this, please, but- but I've been thinking...a lot, actually, over these last few months, and I realized that without you, there's something missing. And that, if you were okay with it, I'd like to get to know you a little better...personally." She ran fingers through her blonde curls, trying to find the right words as she continued, "It's just that...I-I really like you."

Josh frowned. "Gosh," he thought to himself, "I should have gotten contacts a lot sooner." He stared blankly at his shoes. "Say something!" He screamed internally. "Say anything, man! Get it together!" He frowned and looked at her with wide eyes, ones filled with equal parts empathy and confusion. "But," he stammered, "why?"

Mari laughed softly. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Oh," Josh laughed. "Well then." His brow furrowed in thought and he wrung his nervous hands together. "I guess then we try. If that's what you want."

Mari breathed a sigh of both surprise and relief. "Yes, that is what I want."

Josh could barely look at her. "And at any moment now," he thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes, "I'll wake up."

"Sorry," he stammered.

"What for?"

"I-I don't know," he said slowly. "I just feel like I should be sorry...for something."

Mari shook her head. "You didn't do anything."

"I left," Josh said in shame, "and I lied."

"None of that matters now."

"Aw," came a high pitched voice from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Catherine," Mariah moaned.

Cath giggled and peeked her head through the door. "Sorry," she smiled.

Josh nearly jumped to the other side of the room, his frame looking extremely fragile and pale in the lighting. "How is he taking it?" He asked in an anxious tone.

"I kissed him," Catherine smirked. "He'll be weak in the knees for a while after that one. Aside from that, he's fine."

"He hates me," Josh said to himself. "Good ol' Catherine trying to shield me from pain." He eyes were getting strangely fuzzy. "Does, um, anyone have some water?"

"He doesn't hate you," Catherine laughed. "Calm down."

Mari quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to Josh.

Josh nodded and attempted to steady himself on the door frame. He felt like sinking to his knees, submitting to the icy cold that was starting to numb his finger tips and never waking up again.

All of this had to be a dream. Didn't it?

He attempted to take the water, but his hand was trembling so badly that it slipped right through his fingers, shattering on the floor. "I'm sorry," Josh whispered, still attempting to stand as his eyes grew heavier and the nausea feeling in his empty stomach intensified.

"Josh, you should sit down," Catherine said, grabbing a towel to clean up the water.

"You don't look too good," Mari noted.

"I'm fine," Josh said softly. "I'll be alright in a minute or two."

Mari took his arm and led him to the couch.

Catherine watched the two with a smile. "She finally got what she deserved," she thought as she quickly cleaned up the broken glass and went to Matt, who was in his room. "Hey, Baby," she smiled, sitting down on the bed beside to him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I can't believe he-" Matt shuddered. "When? And how long? Did she love him?"

"I don't know," Catherine shrugged. "But no matter what, I'm sure she loved you."

"Cath!" Mari yelped frantically from the other room. "Help! Come here!"

Catherine moaned. "What now?" She called back.

"He just keeled over. We were talking and then-" Mari called frantically. "Matt! Someone, help me!"

Matt and Catherine walked back to Mari hurriedly. "What happened?" The latter questioned.

"We were talking and- and he's breathing-" Mari said frantically, looking from Matt to Cath.

Matt checked Josh's pulse and frowned. "You best call Jack. Quickly."

Cath quickly dialed the number. "Jack? It's Catherine. Listen, Josh, he...God, I don't know what happened. We're at Matt's. Just get over here. Alright?"

"I'm on my way! What's wrong?" Jack asked in alarm.

"I don't know," Catherine sighed. "Hurry."

"Prop his feet up," Matt told Mari sternly.

"Alright," she replied, trying to calm her heart rate.

"Cath, can you get some water?"

"Okay," she nodded.

"Josh," Matt sighed, shaking his head, "not again."

"Again? This has happened before?" Catherine questioned, returning with the glass of water.

"He's a fool," Matt said in what was almost a moan. "I love him dearly, but he's a blasted idiot."

"What did he do?" Cath asked, wondering what the heck was going on.

"Josh, when he's alone with his thoughts," Matt said in a voice low with pain, "he tends to neglect certain things. Like eating. Starves himself to remind himself he's alive. I thought so when I saw him, thought I saw the signs, but I was too stupid-"

Suddenly, Jack burst through the elevator door. "What happened?" He asked frantically, noticed his older brother's condition.

"That was quick," Mari remarked.

"I was in the area," Jack said removing his coat. He looked to Josh and then to Matt. "Not again."

Matt nodded. "Yeah."

"Josh," Jack sighed angrily, "what did I tell you?! Here, give me that water before I slap him silly."

Catherine quickly complied.

"Mari," Jack said with a nod as he worked to revive his brother, "he was right, you are beautiful."

Mari blushed. "Thank you."

"Josh," Jack said sternly, "Josh, you have to drink this." He turned his attention to Matt. "Do you have any cookies?"

"Catherine's been living with me for the past six months. Of course we have cookies," Matt smirked.

"Matt!" Cath exclaimed with a blush. "Shut up and just get them!"

Matt kissed her on the cheek and rushed to the kitchen.

"He has a point. If you keep eating the Oreos, you'll turn into one," Mari teased.

"Hush, you," Catherine laughed.

"I'm fine," Josh sputtered, pushing Jack away. "I'm fine."

"You idiot," Jack spat. "Shut up and eat something."

Josh bit his tongue. "I'm not hungry."

"Do you want to die?!" Jack exclaimed. "Is that what you're trying to do here?!"

"No!"

"Then shut up and eat!"

Mari gave a sigh of relief. "Josh, you scared me."

"Sorry," Josh whispered tentatively.

His demeanor had changed with the appearance of his brother. He shivered and his eyes darted nervously around the room and its occupants. Whether it was from his weakness or fear, Matt couldn't tell.

But Josh had seen things in the city. Felt and experienced things he never wanted to again.

"Is something wrong?" Catherine asked Josh, noticing how strangely he was acting.

"No," Josh said softly. He stared at Jack as though he was a stranger, a threat. His heart beat quickened.

"Isaac," Mari said under her breath, as if to assure herself he was alright. She gently, with some hesitation, put her hand nervously on his own, and at once, his horrors were calmed.

"No," he repeated, but the trembling in his hand wouldn't stop no matter how hard he tried.

Why couldn't he speak? His tongue felt numb and heavy. It was Jack! Had the incident in the city really affected him so much? He had sworn he would be fine with family.

"Here," Jack said sternly, "take your sweatshirt off. You'll overheat."

Mari helped Josh to pull off his heavy sweatshirt. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

He shuddered at her touch. It seemed wrong, wrong of him to wish only her to be there and no one else when so many caring faces surrounded him. "Yes," he said under his breath.

Catherine moved over to Matt. "Are you still going to spend the night at my place or are you doing to stay here with Josh?"

"I don't know," Matt sighed. "I don't want his condition to deteriorate, but I don't exactly want to face him right now either."

"I'll stay," Mari said softly, crossing her arms, "if he wants me to."

"Thank you," Catherine mouthed.

"You two should run along. Jack and I have Josh covered," Mari smiled.

"Alright," Catherine smiled back, grabbing Matt's hand. "You ready?"

Matt looked resentfully back at his friend's limp, weak frame and nodded slightly. "Yeah."