Too much

Though it didn't show, Garret was just a bit surprised Nate was asking him to go home again. He'd maybe said it earlier, but it hadn't registered. He would still allow it? 

No...no, he was far from ready to go with him, but that was his only other option right now. Without even looking at Nate or responding, he simply started for the parking lot and got into Nate's car. The whole ride back to the house, he remained completely silent. It was a different silence than his usual rebelliousness though. It was a silence that was completely necessary if Garret was going to maintain any control at all. His mind was far away - too far for anyone else to see. Over and over and over again, he saw himself in that dark place, screaming as his parents left without him, not understanding anything that was being said, and leaving behind that stupid teddy bear.

As soon as Nate parked the car at the house, Garret got out before he'd even shut off the engine. And as he stepped up on the porch, the first tear escaped. The dam was collapsing and he wasn't strong enough to hold it together any longer. Not when this house represented safety, where walls naturally came down. Going inside, he made a beeline for the bedroom and shut the door. 

Having been straightening up the living room, Laura looked up in surprise as the door opened, and was about to say hi to Garret, but the look on his face made her stop. Not that she had time to say anything anyway - before she could hardly blink, she heard the bedroom door being closed. Wandering cautiously forward, she waited for Nate to appear, giving him a look of confusion. "What.. was that...?" There had been no mistaking the look of tears in Garret's eyes, which rather frightened her. "Is he okay?"

In the bedroom, Garret hadn't bothered taking off his boots, and was already lying in bed, curled up tightly on his side, his arms wrapped just as tightly around the pillow that muffled the sounds of his sobs. He couldn't stop it...he just couldn't stop it any longer. Thirty years of not being allowed to mourn, and it was finally too much to bear. 


Kirk snorted and finished stuffing the last bite of pizza in his mouth. "Why should I clean under there? Nobody ever sees it. I mean...other than that time we tipped it over." The memory made him laugh. They'd gotten just a bit rowdy and had totally flipped the couch over. Thankfully nothing had been broken. Although the one corner leg had wobbled slightly ever since. 

His laughter increased. "Remember the crash was so loud that Mrs. Trindelmire came over and pounded on the door until I answered? She swore she heard screaming and was gonna call the cops." His eyes started to water and his face grew more red as he laughed. "Then the...the look on her face when she saw you...peeking up over the upturned couch... I never want to know what she was thinking really happened."