JC sat at his heavy oak desk, staring out the window, his eyes set on the violent skies which swirled outside. The clouds were a deep shade of gray- almost black, giant drops of water splattering onto the window pane. He opened the glass decanter of brandy and sloppily poured the contents into the glass beside it, drops of brandy spilling onto the wood of the desk. He ignored the spilled brandy and took the glass into his hand, his eyes still set on the ferocious storm, and took a sip, leaning back onto his plush leather chair.

Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he neglected to wipe to them away. The tears had become a part of him now, almost a comfort- just something to keep him company. He closed his eyes as he felt them drip down the face of his cheek and onto his chin, falling and losing themselves within the soft fabric of his robe.

He had experienced a staggering amount of self-loathing over the past few hours since his encounter with Jess. He had hurt her- to the point of tears- and shattered the trust he had worked so hard to build with one crushing blow.

And now they were over. Where did that leave him? He had molded his world around her, changed his lifestyle for her. She was his heart. His soul. His everything. He took another deep sip of brandy, feeling the alcohol work it’s way through his veins, a new numbness circulating through him. And it was comforting, a comfort he would grow to love, almost as much as he loved Jess, in the days ahead.

"Is Jess here?" Justin timidly asked Roxy as he peeked his head through the door. She was the last person he wanted to deal with.

Roxy shook her head and glared in his direction, her arms crossing firmly over her chest. "Haven’t you ruined her life enough already?" she asked, her voice making Justin cower back into the door way.

"What?"

"Justin, she and JC broke up this morning. Happy?" she asked, turning away from him.

"WHAT?" he asked in disbelief, his eyes bulging into two perfect cerulean saucers. "Why would I be happy?" he asked, his voice not higher than a throaty growl, as he threw his hands in the air.

"Justin you’re such a fucking idiot! What did you think would happen when you kissed her?" she asked, bringing herself face to face with him, those intense hazel eyes staring deep into his, picking apart every inch of him.

"JC loved her so much, and he saw you two kissing at the park and he went and cheated on Jess with Alex! So there you go- you get your way again, you bastard!" she spat the last words in his face, and stopped short when she realized that Justin wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying.

He couldn’t help it. She was beautiful and so incredibly sexy- especially when she was angry. Those hazel eyes of her were on fire, her strong glare set deep within them. He bit his lip as he stared at her thick pout, something about her drawing him into her.

She stared at those lips of his and watched in slow motion as they came crashing into hers, the pressure he applied building with each passing moment. Soon his hands were on her back, clawing passionately, as he backed her up against the wall. His lips felt surprisingly good against hers, softer and sweeter than she had imagined they would be. His touch was strong- just the way she liked it.

She had just experienced her first perfect kiss.

Then it broke and each was left staring at the other waiting for someone to say something. "What the hell was that?" Roxy yelled, in disbelief, voicing Justin’s exact thoughts.

"I…don’t know…" he said softly, a sheepish look to him. He couldn’t help but be perplexed by his actions. It had been an impulse, that thick, luscious pout of hers drawing him in. And now he was left with feelings that were even more inexplicable- he had just kissed his archenemy and enjoyed it.

Roxy suddenly couldn’t stay angry, something that had never been a problem before. She smiled slightly, watching him squirming across from her. He looked so damn cute. She leaned in, kissing his lips gently, her mind memorizing every aspect, her heart secretly afraid that another may never occur.

He grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What was that for?" he asked as she sauntered away, her wild caramel-colored curls swinging behind her.

Roxy turned, a lazy grin sliding over her lips and a playful sparkle lighting her eyes. "…just wanted to see if it was as great as the first time…"

"JC?" Justin asked as he opened JC’s front door, surprised that it was unlocked. He had rung the doorbell six times, but no one had answered.

"JC?" he asked again, as he shut the door behind him and surveyed the living room. It was empty with exception to an open glass decanter with whiskey inside and another beside it containing vodka.

He ventured up the stairs and head the distinct strumming of a guitar, and then the faint muttering of JC’s voice. He approached the voice, and stopped, his eyes turning into two sapphire slits as he saw the man it belonged to.

There was JC, sitting on the middle of his bed cross-legged and in a drunken stupor. He sat with a pen and paper in hand, and strummed on his guitar, humming a few bars ever so often. He brought his full glass to his mouth and drank it slowly, in deep sips, his blue eyes turning to meet the man who stood in the doorway.

"Justin?" he asked slowly, his speech slurred from the alcohol. Alcohol had become his panacea- completely melting the icy walls of pain that now reigned his life.

"Yeah JC, it’s me."

JC smiled slowly, almost shyly before speaking again. "Don’t tell anyone, but I’m drunk."

Justin shook his head. "Really man? I couldn’t tell." The room reeked of alcohol as if it had been steeped in it, the smell almost overpowering in some areas.

"I know, I’m real good at pretending," the drunken man answered as he set the guitar onto the blue rug below his massive bed and nearly fell off. He regained his balance and looked but up at Justin, almost as a little child would look at someone he adored.

"Justin, I miss her. She was so pretty and nice. I liked her a lot," his voice was sad now, so lonely and childlike that Justin had to take pity onto him.

"She misses you too JC," Justin answered, his eyes running over JC. He was dressed in pajama pants, the drawstrings left completely untied, and a ragged, old white T-shirt. His face was dotted with the beginnings of stubble, his dark hair streaming in all directions.

He was the shadow of the man he had always been, those bright blue eyes, always filled with excitement now clouded over in pain; pain even the alcohol couldn’t cut. Justin felt immediate guilt as he looked into them, knowing that ultimately he was the sole cause.

"Do you want something to drink?" JC asked slowly, his eyes blinking, "I have some stuff on the desk over there. He pointed absently to the left of him and Justin’s eyes followed. A glass tray was stocked full with spirits, everything less than half full.

"Man, you really need to stop drinking," Justin said shaking his head. "How the hell are you supposed to get Jess back if you’re drunk off your ass?"

JC laughed. "You’re stupid," he answered before taking a sip and closing his eyes. "Do you actually think that I am going to get her back? She’s no idiot. She’s never going to take someone like me back into her life…I’d be surprised if she let you back in." He paused, looking away for a moment before turning back to Justin’s doleful gaze.

"It took me two years to finally get to a place with her where I could say I was happy. I finally felt like I was her ‘somebody’ too. And now it’s gone…just like that." He seemed sober for a second- wistful, as if he were reliving some amazing moment.

"And Alex," he said sadly, "you don’t come by a woman like that often…and she’s gone too…Not only is she gone, she felt she needed to leave the whole fucking state to get away from me."

Justin shook his head, "No, you’re going to get back together with Jess, I know it."

JC laughed again, something that came out more like a besotted giggle before responding. "That’s funny. We all know that you and Jess are the ones who are destined to get back together. And me…I’ll be the one with a different woman every night just like before. Just like Joey before Kelly and the kid."

He paused. "It was stupid of me to elude my fate…I’m not destined to get married, or have someone…I just write the songs."

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