Just Good Friends?

Chapter 29 - Wrong end of the stick

Joe

I watch Bex and Nate out of my bedroom window. Something is going on that Nate's not telling me about. Him and Bex have grown quite close in their friendship, so I just hope he talks to her about whatever is on his mind... unless it's about her. He was head over heals in love with Bex for years, probably still is. But he told me he'd accepted the fact they would never be together, and that her and Mike were made for each other, and since then, he's been happier, more settled almost. But now something was different about him, he was keeping something from me, his best mate.

....

"Yo Joe!" I hear Mike shout from somewhere in the house. "Where are you dude?"

"We have phones for this s**t dude!" I call back, leaving my room.

"Ah there you are. Sorry dude, what's happening? Pint?" Mike looks agitated for some reason.

"Yeah, could do with one now. What's up your ass?" I walk past him down the hall towards the kitchen. Nate and Bex are still out by the pool, but they're now chilling on loungers laughing at something on Nates phone.

"Nothing man, just fancy a pint. Just us though yeah" He looks out to Bex and Nate, and quickly turns away.

"You know there's still no reason to worry about them yeah?" I look at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, so you say. Let's go" he grabs his wallet and turns to leave before I can change my mind. Its going to be a long f*****g day.

....

---JOE--- Need you all to get to Conners. ASAP.

---NATE--- On way

---CAL--- Leaving

---HARRY---What he said

---BEX--- Not far

....

Mike is really messed up tonight. He's been drinking heavily, and there was no way I could stop him, so I just had to keep an eye. He's convinced there is something going on with Bex and Nate. Trying to tell him otherwise hasn't made any difference. But there's something else too, and I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost like he's using Nate as a mask for whatever it is that's bugging him. And then typically, Nate is the first to arrive.

"Here he is, casanova himself! Where is she then dude?" Mike spits his words out with a death stare to go with them. Nate just stands there with a total look of confusion on his face. If I ever needed confirmation there was nothing going on between him and Bex, there it was. He had absolutely no idea what Mike was on about.

"What dude? I'm afraid I'm not following you. Explain and we can try and sort this out" Nate sits down opposite Mike and puts his hands on the table. Harry and Cal walk in then and spot us, Bex just behind them. I motion to Harry to take Bex away, and Cal came over.

"What's up dude? You had a few too many eh?" Cal tries lightening the mood.

"He's f*****g my girl, or at least he's trying to" Mike is still starting at Nate with a look a pure rage.

"What the f**k dude?!" Nate looks incredulous at Mike "I would never do that and you f*****g know it!" Now Nate is looking seriously pissed off, and I can't blame him. He's looking angrier than I've ever seen him before, and I honestly think he's going to punch Mike.

"Mike, I think we need to get out of here. Let's leave and sort this out at home" Cal speaks quietly but determination on his face. Mike looks at him then for the first time, as if just realising there was anyone else there.

"Yeah OK, but this isn't over" he stands up quickly, and in doing so he pushes the table over with the force. Just at that moment, a couple of guys are walking past and beer and glass is thrown all over them. They stop in their tracks and turn.

"Go and get Bex out of here, we'll deal with this" Nate pushes me out of the way so I leave to find her. Harry has her sitting in a corner, out of sight of the table so they haven't seen the commotion.

"Let's go" I grab Bex by the arm and take her out of the nearest doors.

....

Nate

"Mike, let's go" Cal is trying to get Mike to move past the guys so I can sort it out with them, but Mike stands firm and stares hard at them. I tell Cal to leave, I don't want him involved, he's got too much to risk. He runs off, and In the next flash, Mike is on the floor, blood pouring from his head. I launch myself at the guy with the bottle in his hand before he realises what's going on, and someone punches the other one in the stomach so he keels over, but I don't see who. There's a big scuffle, punches thrown everywhere. I have no idea how long it went on but the next thing I know, I'm being handcuffed and thrown in the back of a police van. I remember shouting for someone to drag Mike away and get the hell out of there before police arrived. I assume whoever it was did as I can see Mike in the back of an ambulance. I also see Harry standing there with his hands behind his head, I don't know when he turned up, or even if he was fighting with me, but he has a cut above his eyebrow so I'm guessing he was.

......

Harry

"Why the f**k did my Dad bail him out?!" Joe rages, pacing around the den.

"Are you f*****g serious right now!" I am furious with Joe. I clench my fists ready to punch him clean out.

"Dudes, chill the f**k out! We don't know what happened" Cal is on the sofa with his head in his hands.

"I do" I say quietly "do you honestly think Nate could turn on one of us, or go behind our backs with one of our girls Joe!? He's meant to be your best mate!" I need to leave. I grab my car keys and storm out. I hear Cal shouting after me but I ignore him and jump in my car. I don't have a plan as to where I'm going, but I realise I'm heading to Nates.

....

---HARRY--- Where are you dude. Just called at yours.

---NATE--- Hospital

---HARRY--- On my way. Don't leave.

....

"How's he doing?" Bex looks drained, like she's been awake for a week. She's been sitting here since I called and told them where Mike was.

"Still the same. They don't know if he'll pull through, or if he does, he might not have the full use of his body." Bex doesn't turn away from Mike as she answers me. Nate is on the other side of the bed.

"I'm so sorry, this shouldn't of happened" He's in pieces.

"It wasn't your fault Nate. Mike did this to himself. Let's just hope he pulls through and makes a full recovery so he can at least learn from what's happened" Bex looks up for the first time since I arrived, but she looks at Nate. She has so much care in her eyes, she knows he's hurting, and blames himself for not protecting Mike from this s**t show. But he did what he could, he went above and beyond to protect him, and the rest of us. I just wish Joe realised that. I didn't think anyone would need to explain that to him about Nate, they've been best mates since they were 3, about the same time as Mike and Bex.

"Go home with Harry, Nate. You've been up all night, and here since you left the police station. You need to rest, you had a few knocks yourself." Bex pleads with Nate to leave with me, and I see him hesitate.

"Come on dude, Bex will let us know if there's any change" I put my hand on his shoulder and he looks at me.

"Joe still pissed at me?" He asks.

"Yeah, pretty much, but he'll come round when he hears what happened" Nate stands up and heads to the door.

"Don't go to Joe, Nate, leave him. I'll talk to him. I can't believe he's being such an asshole" Bex is seething, but trying hard to control it.

We leave her alone with Mike and head out to the carpark. I'm taking Nate back to his house to get some food and change clothes. He is still wearing his bloody t-shirt and ripped trousers, he looks a state.

.......

---BEX--- We need to talk. About Nate. NOW.

---JOE--- No x's sis? X

---BEX--- No

........

Joe

Shit. Bex is pissed at me. Nate f****d up last night. Big time. But I'm the one in the dog house?? Why!?

"What the hell are you playing at with Nate?! He's your best mate and you treat him like s**t??" She's dragged me out in to the carpark and is shouting at me infront of everyone.

"He f*****g caused this Bex! If it wasn't for him and his f*****g infatuation with you, Mike wouldn't be in there fighting for his life!" s**t I just blurted out that Nate likes her. Now I've done it.

"This has nothing to do with that. This is Mike getting all pissy about something and blaming it on that. Then getting rat faced and taking it out on 2 random guys in a bar. If it wasn't for Nate, Mike would of died on the floor of a f*****g pub Joe!" Wow, she's really blaming Mike for this! I know he'd had too much to drink, but he didn't cause this! My guess is that Nate took a swing for Mike after I'd gone, and somehow those guys got involved and Nate didn't stop it. He wants Bex for himself, so with Mike out of the picture he's got a better chance.

"I can't believe you're standing by him after what's happened to Mike!" I'm so f*****g angry now.

"Talk to Harry, Joe, he'll tell you what happened. He was there!" She storms off back in to the hospital. Nate hasn't even come to see how Mike's doing, he's such a s**t house!