A Drake & Josh fan-fic created for the older fan (ages 17-adult)
A short story by Alison Lydon
Told in both the first and third person formats.
Lead characters:
Drake Parker & Josh Nichols
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. No copyright infringement is
intended.
Chapter 1
Love
Spring 2005Josh Nichols felt guilty and when Josh Nichols felt guilty he reached for the candy bars.
He felt he didn't have the right to celebrate the rewards of six months of healthy eating
and exercise. It was raining in San Diego. It was just a light mist, but enough to moan
to himself that he left his favorite Sea World umbrella in the hall closet. Still though,
what right did he have to feel guilty? He only had to walk across the crowded mini mall
parking lot to get to the families sensible light brown Honda sedan. After he returned
home from Smart-Aid and Ralph's market, Josh had to get started on his English
composition before working a double shift at the Premiere. Audrey and Walter didn't
mind him doing so as it was Friday night going into Saturday. Besides, Josh was sure
that working a double shift on the weekend wasn't going to be the interfering reason
with his schoolwork.
He turned the radio on. It was set to his favorite talk radio station. Yet, he wanted to put
his hand inside the radio and strangle the self-help guru who at this point he thought
didn't know a damn thing.
Josh was seventeen years old and should have had the rock music blaring, but
somehow it just didn't seem right.
He was good. He was doing all of the quote unquote right things and all of the while felt
more than a pang of guilt over it.
Still he couldn't sit in this car forever and sulk in his land of self-pity and self-loathing.
"Come on, Josh," he gave himself a pep talk to encourage the turn of the key in the
ignition, "Don't be late coming home."
"I'm sorry I was late coming home." Josh said to Audrey who was waiting at the front
door for Josh to put the blue and red pharmacy paper bag in her hands.
"You're not late."
"I have to get a start on my English paper, before I go to work." Josh didn't feel like
putting the groceries away, but of course, would do so. To complain over his being
tired would be wrong.
"Just be quiet, sweetie."
"I will."
Josh was about to go upstairs after his work in the kitchen when he thought he should
bring up two bottles of bottled water with him.
Drake Parker also aged seventeen was wrapped up in his favorite blue blanket with
his back to the world. The sleep was deceiving. One minute he was in golden slumbers
and the second he opened up his eyes he was aware of the cruel realities of the world
and his place in it.
He heard Josh enter the room because Josh although well meaning could not be quiet
if he tried and tripped over something. Drake almost curled his lips up in a temporary
smile. He could just picture Josh screaming about the "pain in the toe".
"Drake, are you up?" Josh whispered as he put the water bottles on the messy desk.
Drake could have pretended to still be sleeping, but right now the urge to throw up was
getting in the way of that.
"n-o." He clutched at his stomach as he let the covers drip off his body.
"Oh shit—I think Mom took the wastebasket out to garage to clean it."
Drake was stubborn. Letting it out might have been freeing, but keeping it in was
something he could control.
For a short while at least.
Josh almost lost his cookies himself when Drake tried to get out of bed without any
help.
"Drake, you should stay in bed!"
He didn't want to be rude to his brother, but his buttons were pushed.
" j—osh, s-sh-ut up."
Jesus. I can't get up to puke or use the bathroom without people thinking I'm going to
die on my way there.
Drake knew he wasn't going to make it in time and grabbed a blue t-shirt that was on
the dusty pink sofa because this red one he was wearing wasn't going to be clean
much longer.
Josh wanted Drake to have his dignity so he did not follow him. He took the hi-ball
sized glass off the dresser that Drake stole a few months ago when he and his band
were staying in the Radisson in San Francisco and refilled it with some fresh water.
Drake came back five minutes later in his blue t-shirt at least his gray and black
checkered sleeping pants were spared.
"I poured you some water." Josh said
"t-," He coughed, determined to speak louder, "Thanks, Josh. I'm sorry I snapped at
you before."
"I would say you have every reason to snap." Josh handed Drake the glass.
Drake decided to sit on the sofa. Then he thought he'd rather lie down. His legs were
killing him.
"Josh, nah never mind."
"What?"
"My blanket." He sounded like he was four years old, but the room felt very cold to him
and he needed to stay warm.
Just another freaking side-effect like they said.
"It's no problem, bro."
The thoughts of the English paper were forgotten at the moment as Josh got Drake's
sky blue blanket off his bed.
"Thanks." Drake said with his eyes gazing elsewhere rather than looking at his brother,
"You know what they say, Josh?"
"What do they say, Drake?" Josh asked while covering his brother up so he could
watch some television.
Josh was hoping for a punch line to lighten the mood, but there was no joke as the
young man with the poster boy good looks stared straight at him as he announced,
"Cancer's a bitch."
"Yeah," Josh held back the tears once more, "Yeah it is."