Bleeding Out: Chapter 18: Rehab
(*Andy's POINT OF VIEW*)
The next night I was sitting in the living room with Matt. Alison was out with Jayden and Ella, who would be staying in LA for the next two weeks. Everything was going perfectly--aside from Matt seeming bummed out. So, finally, while I was lounging around he came out of his room and sat down on the couch across from me. He starred at the ceiling, putting his feet up until I did the same. I put my arms behind my head and felt my foot jiggle involentarily. I suppose I was a little restless knowing Alison wouldn't be home until very late tonight.
"I left DRUGS." Matt said finally. I didn't want to freak out. I honestly supported Matt through anything and everything (except things like the actual substance of drugs. But I still didn't gripe to anyone of my friends who did drugs. Like Danny. Then again, he was clean now so it didn't matter) but I was utterly shocked. Why would he have left DRUGS? From First to Last was on a hiatus, which to me was almost just like a break up, and he had all the time in the world to dedicate himself to DRUGS. Who was I possibly going to tour with now? Make Bryan Stars videos with? IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME WITH DANNY! I NEEDED MATT!
"And Craig is back with Chiodos." Matt said as I was processing his depature. Another minute passed.
"Wow." And then another minute passed.
"Yeah." Matt finally sighed.
"Is that why you left?" I asked trying to make light of it. I wasn't going to force it out of him.
"I just didn't see the point in continuing with it if A, no one would be in it anymore and B, if no one was going to dedicate themselves to further improve ourselves."
"I can understand that. I always made sure everyone knew I was dedicated to the band. Even when some people weren't." I replied.
Matt coughed. "Pan." He coughed again. I laughed.
"It wasn't just him." I said delicately. "Ok...maybe it was." Matt chuckled but the silence came back to devour the room. "So are you walking away from music?"
"Oh no. This is the only thing I know how to do." He chuckled once again. It seemed like he was feeling better, therefore making me glad. Surely, I'd never let him know that but still. We talked for a few more hours, trying to stray away from the topic of his depature. Vikas finally went to bed around 11 o'clock. It was funny how the dog had a bed time. He was always fast asleep by 12 o'clock at the latest. Granted, he would wake up when someone came home but he would fall asleep a few minutes later. As Matt and I were talking I could help but
think of all the bands that had someone leave over the past few months. Mika left/got kicked out of Falling In Reverse, Shayley left Of Mice & Men and now Matt along with Alan and Nick left DRUGS. And those were just the ones I remebered off the top of my head. I'm sure a lot more people from the scene of our particular gene of music left too.
"So I quit smoking so much." I told Matt.
"I've noticed!" He beemed. Even though he smoked I knew he was happy for me.
"I even think Ali's going to join me in my reduced rat posin intake." I replied happily.
"Oh good." Matt smiled. "But I do love me some good rat posin."
"Who doesn't?" I asked sarcastically. The shit they made cigarettes out of were digusting but I couldn't help it. It was an addiction, but I was now going to try and slowly wade myself off of it. I was finally defeating all the monsters under my bed and cleaning out the skeletons in my closet, it seemed like I should also give up such a terrible habbit. Besides, if I wanted to live to see 30 I needed to cut down on my intake. Another hour passed and Matt decided he wasn't going to sleep, therefore having two cups of coffee was a good idea. I was also the idiot who had one cup of coffee with him. Vikas kicked his leg as if to subcontiously tell us we were stupid and not to drink the coffee. Needless to say I did not heed the dog's warning. Vikas had gotten bigger and was losing his puppy-ish look. It was Ali almost kind of sad but he was still increably cute, so much so that even when we went out for walks with Vikas he got complimented. Strangers. COMPLIMENTING MY DOG. It was weird but it was so werid that I loved it.
"Damn, Ali can really party if she's not home at this hour." Matt looked at the clock. I laughed.
"Yeah I guess so. I think Ella is the partyer in this instance though. Ali just goes along for the ride." I smiled. Matt laughed again.
"You're right."
Suddenly the phone rang, causing Vikas' eyes to fly open. I sprung for it, not wanting to desturb the suprisingly quiet houshold. It hadn't been this quiet in so long.
"Hello?" It was more of a question than a greeting.
"Is Alison there?" A voice grumbled.
"Oh-uh-no. She's out right now. Who is this?" I asked polietly. I was skeptical about this though...I didn't recongize the number and it's area code ment it wasn't anywhere in California, let along LA.
"Devin. You tell her I want back in my band." Devin had to control himself in order not to yell.
"Uh-ok dude. Do you know what time it is?" I asked, completely shocked.
"10 o'clock in the morning, you bum. Get up." The Englishman said.
"Hi, I live in California. I live in the States. Remeber? I was the one Alison talked about on stage? The guy you lost her to? Yeah. It's fucking 12 AM here. Don't call again, Devin." I said between clenched
teeth.
"You fucking wa-" I hung up the phone, smashing it into the reciever.
"Well that certaintly sounded pleasant." Matt took a sip of his coffee.
"I don't like when people call me a bum. I work my ass off." I replied seriously and joined him once again.
"I know, I know." Matt replied. He held a picture of a panther with it's paw up (the same one Matt up on twitter) with a caption of "It's ok Andy" in big white block letters at the bottom, commonly used on tumblr. That caused me to laugh. "Chill. Chill better than Chili."
"You have no idea what you're even saying do you?" I asked.
"It sounded better in my head, I swear!"
The next night I was sitting in the living room with Matt. Alison was out with Jayden and Ella, who would be staying in LA for the next two weeks. Everything was going perfectly--aside from Matt seeming bummed out. So, finally, while I was lounging around he came out of his room and sat down on the couch across from me. He starred at the ceiling, putting his feet up until I did the same. I put my arms behind my head and felt my foot jiggle involentarily. I suppose I was a little restless knowing Alison wouldn't be home until very late tonight.
"I left DRUGS." Matt said finally. I didn't want to freak out. I honestly supported Matt through anything and everything (except things like the actual substance of drugs. But I still didn't gripe to anyone of my friends who did drugs. Like Danny. Then again, he was clean now so it didn't matter) but I was utterly shocked. Why would he have left DRUGS? From First to Last was on a hiatus, which to me was almost just like a break up, and he had all the time in the world to dedicate himself to DRUGS. Who was I possibly going to tour with now? Make Bryan Stars videos with? IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME WITH DANNY! I NEEDED MATT!
"And Craig is back with Chiodos." Matt said as I was processing his depature. Another minute passed.
"Wow." And then another minute passed.
"Yeah." Matt finally sighed.
"Is that why you left?" I asked trying to make light of it. I wasn't going to force it out of him.
"I just didn't see the point in continuing with it if A, no one would be in it anymore and B, if no one was going to dedicate themselves to further improve ourselves."
"I can understand that. I always made sure everyone knew I was dedicated to the band. Even when some people weren't." I replied.
Matt coughed. "Pan." He coughed again. I laughed.
"It wasn't just him." I said delicately. "Ok...maybe it was." Matt chuckled but the silence came back to devour the room. "So are you walking away from music?"
"Oh no. This is the only thing I know how to do." He chuckled once again. It seemed like he was feeling better, therefore making me glad. Surely, I'd never let him know that but still. We talked for a few more hours, trying to stray away from the topic of his depature. Vikas finally went to bed around 11 o'clock. It was funny how the dog had a bed time. He was always fast asleep by 12 o'clock at the latest. Granted, he would wake up when someone came home but he would fall asleep a few minutes later. As Matt and I were talking I could help but
think of all the bands that had someone leave over the past few months. Mika left/got kicked out of Falling In Reverse, Shayley left Of Mice & Men and now Matt along with Alan and Nick left DRUGS. And those were just the ones I remebered off the top of my head. I'm sure a lot more people from the scene of our particular gene of music left too.
"So I quit smoking so much." I told Matt.
"I've noticed!" He beemed. Even though he smoked I knew he was happy for me.
"I even think Ali's going to join me in my reduced rat posin intake." I replied happily.
"Oh good." Matt smiled. "But I do love me some good rat posin."
"Who doesn't?" I asked sarcastically. The shit they made cigarettes out of were digusting but I couldn't help it. It was an addiction, but I was now going to try and slowly wade myself off of it. I was finally defeating all the monsters under my bed and cleaning out the skeletons in my closet, it seemed like I should also give up such a terrible habbit. Besides, if I wanted to live to see 30 I needed to cut down on my intake. Another hour passed and Matt decided he wasn't going to sleep, therefore having two cups of coffee was a good idea. I was also the idiot who had one cup of coffee with him. Vikas kicked his leg as if to subcontiously tell us we were stupid and not to drink the coffee. Needless to say I did not heed the dog's warning. Vikas had gotten bigger and was losing his puppy-ish look. It was Ali almost kind of sad but he was still increably cute, so much so that even when we went out for walks with Vikas he got complimented. Strangers. COMPLIMENTING MY DOG. It was weird but it was so werid that I loved it.
"Damn, Ali can really party if she's not home at this hour." Matt looked at the clock. I laughed.
"Yeah I guess so. I think Ella is the partyer in this instance though. Ali just goes along for the ride." I smiled. Matt laughed again.
"You're right."
Suddenly the phone rang, causing Vikas' eyes to fly open. I sprung for it, not wanting to desturb the suprisingly quiet houshold. It hadn't been this quiet in so long.
"Hello?" It was more of a question than a greeting.
"Is Alison there?" A voice grumbled.
"Oh-uh-no. She's out right now. Who is this?" I asked polietly. I was skeptical about this though...I didn't recongize the number and it's area code ment it wasn't anywhere in California, let along LA.
"Devin. You tell her I want back in my band." Devin had to control himself in order not to yell.
"Uh-ok dude. Do you know what time it is?" I asked, completely shocked.
"10 o'clock in the morning, you bum. Get up." The Englishman said.
"Hi, I live in California. I live in the States. Remeber? I was the one Alison talked about on stage? The guy you lost her to? Yeah. It's fucking 12 AM here. Don't call again, Devin." I said between clenched
teeth.
"You fucking wa-" I hung up the phone, smashing it into the reciever.
"Well that certaintly sounded pleasant." Matt took a sip of his coffee.
"I don't like when people call me a bum. I work my ass off." I replied seriously and joined him once again.
"I know, I know." Matt replied. He held a picture of a panther with it's paw up (the same one Matt up on twitter) with a caption of "It's ok Andy" in big white block letters at the bottom, commonly used on tumblr. That caused me to laugh. "Chill. Chill better than Chili."
"You have no idea what you're even saying do you?" I asked.
"It sounded better in my head, I swear!"