-Chapter 9-

-Joe's POV-

I wake up coughing and spluttering like I've been choking on water.

I look around. I'm not in the living room, I'm in the bedroom again.

I inhale, that's when the gagging really hits. I try to get up but I feel too weak.

Suddenly I feel the urge to throw up.

I put my arm over my mouth and push myself up.

I have to get to the bathroom.

I push open the bedroom door and into the bathroom. I lean against the sink exhaling heavily. I start gagging.

I feel my body heart up and my stomach starts to tighten up.

"Fuck, no." I groan trying to hold myself back from being sick.

I can't do it. I hold myself up as I'm sick into the sink. I start sobbing quietly.

It feels so horrible. I can't handle this pain, it's the worse I've ever felt before.

Suddenly I feel a pair of arms help my straighten up and balance me out.

I look to see who it is.

It's Alfie.

He smiles to let me know he's here. He rubs my back as I continue throwing up and gagging.

I breathe heavily over the sink for a few minutes, with my head between my arms.

Alfie hands me a cup full of water and a tissue.

"Joe? Can I tell you something?" Alfie asks.

I take a sip and then spit it into the sink. I then clean my face from the mess.

The taste stains my mouth and every time I swallow it tastes horrible.

"Yes." I say lightly, staring at myself in the mirror.

I look horrible. I look so pale and red around my eyes. I look so.. weak.

"Can you tell Caspar to give Zoe some space?" Alfie asks politely.

I look down at the sink, "where is he?"

"Downstairs, with Zoe." He replies.

I close my eyes. I feel Alfie's hand rest on my shoulders.

"Relax." He whispers, "you should try to go back to sleep."

I nod, "thank you for helping me."

He smiles, "you were throwing up in my bathroom sink, whose going to clean it at this time of night?"

I grin, "sorry dude."

"Its fine mate, just head back to sleep." He says bending down to get out the cleaning supplies.

I leave the room and stand in the doorway of my bedroom. I push open the door and stare at the bed. It's a mess. The blankets are everywhere and so are the pillows.

Alfie walks pass the room quietly.

"Alfie?" I ask.

"Yeah Joe?" Alfie whispers.

"Can you send Caspar up?" I whisper nervously, "I don't like being alone."

"Sure dude, let's get you into bed first." Alfie replies walking into the room and clearing up the bed.

After the bed is made, he helps me get into it and tells me to yell if I need anything.

_________________________

-Caspar's POV-

It's only me and Zoe now. Alfie went upstairs because he thought he heard something.

We're playing a game where the other person asks a question and you have to answer honestly.

It's Zoe's turn to ask me something.

She hums, "what's your favourite feature of mine?"

"Your eyes." I say with no hesitation.

She grins, "your turn."

"Me or Pizza?" I say, laughing.

"Tricky one!" Zoe acts like she's thinking hard, "pizza."

I gasp, I playfully hit her. She leans back and laughs.

"You're such a bitch!" I say jokingly.

She gasps, "well, you're a pizza whore!"

She sticks her tongue out at me. I gasp.

"How dare you!" I say, offended.

"Hah, you loser." She giggles.

That's so cute.

Suddenly Alfie appears in the doorway.

"What was it then?" Zoe asks.

"It was Joe." Alfie says, taking his seat beside Zoe.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask, worried.

"He was gagging and throwing up." Alfie says.

Zoe gasps, "I better go check on him!"

"No," Alfie says, holding her hand lightly, "he wanted Caspar to go up there."

Zoe takes her seat and looks at me, "Shouldn't you be going up there?!"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I am." I say getting up and running up the stairs.

I knock on the door, "Joe?"

Joe's laying in bed, in the middle, with a wet towel on his head and clenching a pillow to his chest.

"Joe." I whisper, climbing on the bed and laying in front of him.

He doesn't answer. His eyes are clenched shut and his hands are in fists.

I lift him up and shift under him so his shoulder is on my chest.

"Joe are you okay?" I ask.

"Yes, I am so okay." Joe grits his teeth.

I sigh, "I'm sorry dude."

"Just," Joe sighs, "can you stop hanging out with Zoe so much? Because it's like you freaking fancy her!

I laugh nervously, "yeah of course."

He fully puts his weight on me now. I support him as he does so.

"Night Casp." He whispers.

"Night Joe." I whisper back.

That was... Unexpected. Does it really bother him if I hang around with Zoe?

Argh.