Josh took a deep breath and spread out the suitcase on his bed. Step one: check. "Alright," he sighed heavily. "Where to start?"

Just then Mariah called and he picked up his phone. "Hey Josh. Do you want to get coffee with me?" Mari asked.

"I'm kinda busy," Josh said sharply.

"Please, Josh," Mari begged. "Please, please, please."

Josh shoved a pair of jeans and some socks into his suitcase. "Why don't you come here instead?"

"Alright. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Almost exactly ten minutes later, Mari exited the elevator and called out, "Josh? Josh, I'm here. Where are you?"

Josh walked out of his room. "Here. What's up?" He tugged at the collar of his tux nervously.

Mari had changed into a sweatshirt and dark blue jeans, but her hair and makeup were still perfect. She looked so beautiful. "I don't know. You asked me to come here," she laughed. "What were you doing? I hope you weren't busy."

Josh bit his lip and crossed his one leg behind the other. "I wanted to say goodbye."

"What? Josh, no," Mari said, shaking her head.

"Relax," he muttered. "I'm not killing myself or anything."

"You can't leave. Why are you trying to leave?"

"It's not important," Josh shrugged. "I'll come back, I promise. Eventually."

"Or you don't have to leave at all," Mari said, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Why would you want to leave?"

"It's for a number of reasons," Josh said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Josh, sit down. Talk to me," Mari sighed.

"I'm just gonna stay with my brother for awhile," Josh said softly. "Sort some stuff out."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know, Mari," Josh sighed, collapsing into the couch.

"Do you really have to go?" Mari asked, her face conveying genuine sadness.

"Mariah," Josh said with a small laugh, "I got fired today."

"What? Why?" Mari asked in surprise.

"I got into a fight with the manager," Josh laughed sadly. "And I said that...well I said if my demands were not met, I'd rather leave."

"I don't know what to say," Mari frowned. "I'm gonna miss you, Josh...Just because you got fired, it doesn't mean you have to leave...Are you at least going to say goodbye to Matt and Catherine?"

"No, not them," Josh laughed. "I'd only be a burden. And technically, I suppose, I quit."

"Matt will be hurt if you don't say goodbye. Catherine too."

"And I'll be hurt if I stay," Josh thought to himself. He felt lousy. "They'll forget about me soon enough."

"No one could forget you," Mari laughed sadly.

"Mari, I don't have choice," Josh said firmly. "If you can't be Christine, I don't want to work here anymore. It's not like I have anything tying me down. This will be good for all of us. I never leave this place, and it feels empty with out Matt."

"Promise you'll call me?"

"Of course," Josh lied with a soft smile.

"You are coming back, aren't you?" Mari asked hopefully, trying to bite back tears. "Please, Josh, saying you're coming back. And don't lie to me."

Josh felt something twitch within him.

Doubt?

Fear?

"We'll see, Mariah. Just...just promise me you won't give up trying to chase down those crazy dreams of yours."

"I promise...I should probably go then," Mari sighed, a tear threatening to escape.

Josh stood up with Mari as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Goodbye, Josh."

"Goodbye, Mariah."

Mari left with a sad smile. The elevator doors closed and she could no longer hold it back. Tears streamed down her face. She quickly made her way home.

—————

"Josh left," Catherine said after she read Mari's text. "He quit his job today and is going to stay with his brother. Mari doesn't think he'll return."

"What?!" Matt exclaimed, looking up abruptly.

Catherine put a hand on his shoulder. "Matt, I'm so sorry."

Matt brushed her hand away and stood up, retrieving his coat. "I'm going after him. Where's my phone?"

Catherine stood up and rested her hand gently on his arm. "Matt, you're not going to like what I'm about to say, but maybe you should let him go," she sighed. "Listen, if he's leaving without saying goodbye, he probably has a good reason. The last thing you want to do is drive him away."

"Further away than he already is?!" Matt cried out. "I should have seen this coming. Why is he such a hard head sometimes? I swear-"

Catherine sighed. She knew that if Josh was leaving, nothing would stop him. She also knew how strong willed Matt was. It would inevitably end in a fight, Josh would leave, and Catherine would be left to pick up the pieces.

"Twisted every way. What answer can I give?" Catherine quoted. "Go. Go now. And I want you coming straight back here."

"I love you," Matt said softly, kissing her gently. He turned away and raced out the door as fast as he could.

"I love you too," Catherine called after him.

Matt turned up his coat collar and started heading down Eighth Ave.

Mask-less.

He walked with great strides, as fast as he could on the route to Jack's house.

—————

Josh looked at his watch and pulled the suitcase behind him.

A quick stop at Jack's and then to the airport.

He stopped and wondered if what he was doing the right thing. Mariah looked so upset when he told her he was leaving. Was it really wise to leave her? To leave Matt?

—————

Catherine opened the door to see Mari's tear stained face. She pulled her in close. "He'll come back," she whispered as she shut the door.

"No, he won't," Mari sobbed. "He'll never come back and I'm going to be alone forever."

Catherine rubbed her friend's back comfortingly. "It's going to be okay," she said softly.

Mari pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm acting like this. We were just friends."

"Mariah, you told me yourself that you like him," Catherine smiled. "It's natural to be upset."

"But it's not like he feels the same about me or would even want to be with me," Mari sniffed.

Catherine put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Any guy would be very fortunate to have you."

"Thanks," Mari sighed, wrapping her arms back around her friend. "I miss him, Cath."

"I know, Honey."

—————

"Jack?" Josh called, knocking on the apartment door. "Jack, you home?"

Jack opened the door. "Josh," he said in surprise, "to what do I owe the pleasure?" He eyed the suitcase. "What's the luggage for?"

"I had an incident. No one knows where I am, so don't freak out, okay?"

"Josh," Jack said sternly, "what's going on? Did something bad happen? Come inside."

"Sorry," Josh laughed bashfully, "I'm the older brother. You should be coming to me, not the other way around."

"It's fine," Jack sighed. "What's wrong? Do I need to talk to someone?"

"Just-" Josh sighed, grabbing his brother and hugging him tight, "just say I did the right thing."

"I can't until I know what happened," Jack laughed. "Tell me what's up."

"I quit my job today."

Jack gave a look of shock. "Why?"

Josh gave a delusional laugh. "For a girl."

"So, now you're running away?" Jack queationed with a hint of suspicion. "If you quit your job for a girl, why would you run away? Explain that to me."

"I'm not running away," Josh sighed. "I'm running to something."

"What are you running to?"

"Some peace, contentment," Josh moaned

Jack sighed. "Josh, you can't leave. I won't let you."

"Jack," Josh stated firmly, his eyes ablaze, his voice low and strong, "I was getting myself into a situation I wouldn't be able to get out of."

"But leaving won't solve anything," Jack insisted.

"Jack, is something wrong?" Asked a soft voice from behind him.

Jack craned his neck. "Juliette, I would like you to meet my brother. Josh, was this is my girlfriend."

"Hello," she smiled softly. "I'm Juliette. My friends call me Julie."

Josh gave a friendly nod in her direction. "If Matt shows up, tell him I wasn't here," he addressed his brother, picking up his suitcase again.

Matt came running down the hallway. "Josh! Wait!"

"Ugh. Someone shoot me now," Josh groaned.

"Josh, you can't leave," Matt said quickly.

"Right," Josh said to himself, checking his bag and pockets. "That's everything."

Matt put a hand on Josh's shoulder. "You can't ignore me, pal. I'm inevitable."

Josh pushed him off. "How'd you even get here, Matt?"

"I ran," he shrugged.

"Go back with Cath, Matthew," Josh said firmly, making his way toward the elevator without even saying goodbye to Jack.

Matt stopped him. "Josh, don't do this. Don't leave."

"I gotta, Matt," Josh sighed heavily. "It's best for everyone."

"No, it's not," Matt sighed. "I can't do this without you."

"You have Catherine," Josh exclaimed, a glint of water in the corner of his eye. "You don't need someone to finish your leftovers and play video games anymore. You need someone to help you live again, and it's her. It was always gonna end this way, Matt. But- I'm not leaving because of you, so don't do that stupid thing when you blame yourself."

"Just because I have Catherine doesn't mean I don't need you. And there are other people here that need you too. Not just me."

"Matt," Josh said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, "Matt, I gotta go before it's too late."

"Josh," Matt said, his voice breaking, "you're my best friend. I lost Mel. I can't lose you too."

"Matthew," Josh moaned, embracing him in a hug, "you will never lose me. But if I stay- I might be worse than dead."

"When will you be back? Oh, god. You are coming back, aren't you?" Matt asked as worry coursed through him.

"Depends," Josh sighed, "on how things happen...when I visit."

"Josh, you have to promise that you'll come back. That's the only way I'm letting you leave."

"Matt, you don't get it," Josh groaned pressing the elevator button. "If I come back...and it's not enough time to get this out of my head...it's a dangerous game I'm playing here, Matt."

"You're right. I don't get it. Get what out of your head?" Matt questioned.

"It's bad this time, Matt. My hands shake constantly, I can't focus, I can't breathe-"

"You like Mari," Matt said slowly.

"We're supposed to be friends. I want to be friends, but I looked at her and," Josh paused and shook the idea from his head. "I look at her and I want to do things that breaks every rule we have in place. I've been here before. But it's strong this time, Matt, and I can't keep pretending it's not there when it is. I gotta get myself together and not be this- this shaking, nervous wreck I am right now."

Matt sighed. "What do you think you'll accomplish by leaving?"

"Being able to get myself together, being able to look her in the eye without some creeping sense of shame like I'm lying to her face," Josh stated. "And most importantly, getting out of your hair. I've been your kid long enough, Matt. You've raised me well, but it's about time I learned to take care of myself."

"I'm going to miss you, man. Promise you'll keep in touch?"

"I promise," Josh nodded, embracing his friend tightly.

"Until we meet again," Matt sighed.

"Until we meet again," Josh smiled sadly as the elevator doors closed.