Not Josh's Problem Anymore

By the time Josh came home, both parents were sitting on the couch waiting.

"Want to tell us what that was about?" Walter asked without preamble. "Drake just ran past us almost hysterical and has locked himself in his room."

Josh sighed and slumped down in the chair, somehow he knew it was going to have to come to this. Maybe he should have just gone to their parents in the beginning.

"I guess I should start at the beginning." Josh began, retelling the story of him missing his exam, having to retake it, and treating Drake as if he wasn't his brother anymore. He told them about the accident in Chemistry class, blinking at the surprised look on his parents face, he guessed Drake never told either of them about that.

"He's been so closed off, I thought maybe his friends would help…but that backfired big time." He admitted. "He was furious that we ambushed him, which I guess for him, that's what it felt like…and I did trick him into going." He groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I did ambush him." There was a long silence and Josh somehow knew his parents wanted more.

"He told me about when he was ten and the Advil." Audrey's head snapped up, and Walter looked up worried.

"What did he say?"

"Just that he thought at the time it was the right thing to do, and he realized it was stupid and he wouldn't do it again."

"He blamed himself for the divorce for a long time." Audrey groaned. "I thought he had gotten over it. Right after the Advil incident happened, his dad took him for a little while because I wasn't sure what I could do. He was told he was gonna have to be the big brother now, and he was going to have to be the man of the house."

"He still thinks it's his fault." Josh admitted, looking away. "Said he was a screw up and his dad left because he screwed everything up."

"Oh, my poor baby." Audrey groaned.

"Maybe someone should go try and talk to him." Walter suggested.

"I dunno dad, he was pretty upset at the premiere." Josh told him. "Maybe he just needs to be left alone for a little while."

"I don't think so." Audrey said with a sigh. "Excuse me, I'm going to make a phone call."

And with that, Audrey was gone. Josh looked to his father for some sort of reassurance and was given the best smile Walter could muscle.

"You've done all you can for now Josh, let your mom handle it for now."

Those words sealed that Drake's problems were not Josh's anymore.