[TEXT TO Brendan]

[warmredautumn]

Hey... I was just thinking about you and wanted to ask how you're doing... and how Bryce is. I can't imagine how you're feeling right now, but if you want to talk, I'd be more than happy to talk to you.

Comments

[betterplacetoplay]

Yeah, I'm okay. It's cool. You don't need to play therapist for me. I'm doing fine.

[warmredautumn]

I'm not really looking to play therapist. I was more looking to be the good friend to you that you were to me when we first started finding out what was going on with Justin. Bryce is your best friend just like Justin's one of mine.

[betterplacetoplay]

But I know about bipolar, I was just trying to pass on the knowledge. That's all. We haven't really, you know, interacted all that much since.

[warmredautumn]

That's pretty much totally my fault, but I can explain it... even if the explanation isn't really that good, and doesn't exactly excuse me going off the grid. I do at least have a reason.

[betterplacetoplay]

Why do you have to explain, though?

[warmredautumn]

Because I've had the most incredibly ridiculous crush on you since pretty much when we met, and I really, really don't do very well with rejection. But I don't want to hide how I feel anymore. Whether or not you're interested in getting to know each other better, I want the truth out in the open. And I want to be able to be friends, regardless of how you feel about anything more than that.

[betterplacetoplay]

Well, I hardly know you so I can't really make a judgement call on anything further yet. If something further is going to happen with someone, I want it to be an organic progression.

[warmredautumn]

I know you don't... But I do really want to get to know you better. Maybe not starting off by dating or anything, because that's kind of forcing it, but just... Hanging out, seeing what happens?

[betterplacetoplay]

Yeah, that's cool. Work and visiting Bryce is really the only thing I have on the schedule. Or spending time with Mum when she's not tied up.

[warmredautumn]

Cool. I'll be back from Cohasset tomorrow... I'm visiting my mom and brothers... But when I get back, maybe we could meet up and grab lunch and chat? How is Bryce doing?

[betterplacetoplay]

I'm a bit tied up this weekend, but after it should be fine. He's not good. It's just a lot of long days of him not being good.

[warmredautumn]

Early next week sounds good. Gives you time to do your weekend stuff, and I probably need some rest days to recover from the week away before I'm back onstage. It's gotta be incredibly hard for you to see him ill. What are the doctors saying about things? If I'm not being too nosy asking.

[betterplacetoplay]

He's in a medically induced coma. The second surgery had complications because of the area the tumour's in. If they reduce brain activity through coma, it encourages it to healed better. They just don't know how he will be if he comes through it. There might be damage.

[warmredautumn]

That's really heavy. It can't be easy for you when he's your best friend and he means the world to you. The whole medically induced coma thing has to be scary... Knowing it's for his own good, but not knowing for sure how it could end up. How do you handle that?

[betterplacetoplay]

We grew up together, he's like a brother. I talk a lot to his parents, and to Taylor. Then I just stay distracted with work. It's better now Mum is here. She and Bryce's mother are best friends.

[warmredautumn]

So your families are really close? That has to help a lot in some ways. Just being able to all support each other. Are you really close to your mom?

[betterplacetoplay]

My mum and Bryce's dad went to school together. Mum helped Bryce get onto West End and into his first lead there when he was 12. Yes, I'm close to her. But he's started dating Justin's uncle so she's very busy.

[warmredautumn]

So it's kind of like you guys were almost destined to be best friends, huh? That's actually really cool. Ah, I see. Are you okay with that, or is it weird for you?

[betterplacetoplay]

On some level, sure. He's actually a couple of years older than me though. Age just never mattered. When you're a theatre brat, you understand how it all goes. Sure, it's great. Sam's a lovely guy. He's a true gentleman and she seems really happy. Plus, her daughter and his nephew are both bipolar so there's probably empathy there.

[warmredautumn]

That's true. I'm older than Justin, and Reecy's older than me, but it doesn't matter, because we're all in it together. I think it's a whole different kind of life when you're living the theater life. I've met him a time or two when he was with Justin. He's a sweetheart. I love Justin's whole family here in New York. I'm glad your mom met someone special.

[betterplacetoplay]

I'm pretty sure considering my uncle is dating a dude two years older than me, we can overlook any age barriers anyway. Mostly. Casper still pranks me at least once a week. Mum's never really had a healthy relationship, and I know Sam's a sweet guy. He's sat and talked with me a lot so I don't feel like I'm being shunned.

[warmredautumn]

Still kind of mind blowing. I pictured your uncle with someone more... refined. Casper broke my brain. That's really good. Everyone deserves that if it's what they want in life -- someone who treats them well and who they can have something really special with.

[betterplacetoplay]

Casper's refined in fart jokes. I guess that's a start. They say it happens when you stop looking for it. I don't know, I've never really dated.

[warmredautumn]

Casper doesn't do classy, but it's what makes him unique and hilarious. That's what I've heard, too, but I was never really looking for it in the first place. I haven't really dated, either, actually.

[betterplacetoplay]

It's why Caden's smitten. He might be a serious business person when he needs to be, but he's actually a really fun guy and not as old as he feels like he is. Oh... people said that's just because you're too full of yourself to care about anyone else. Sorry. I know it's not true. In this business, reputation is hard to shed.

[warmredautumn]

I think every now and again, you can see it in his eyes that he's got a geat sense of humor and liveliness underneath the SRS BSNS exterior. I... Yeah, they might not have been wrong. I have learned a lot about myself in the last few while. I can't deny the diva bitch past, though.