Dead on the Inside (JENY&SETH)

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Guillermo's stomach growled but he ignored it. He didn't want to eat. He wasn't hungry, despite his body's plea for nourishment.
He hadn't eaten in three days.
Rose was gone. She wanted a break from him. Because she was bored? Probably.
Jeny had tried for days to get him up and out of bed. He didn't move for anything.
He sighed, rolling onto his side, facing away from his door. What was he to do now? He had lost his Father, Seth and now Rose. There wasn't anything for him to work with. Sure, there was Jeny. But he was so different than her. She was a popular little thing, and would easily make her way in the world with her optimism and big smile.
He had nothing.
Nothing but love.
The love had killed him.
He closed his eyes, sighing as moisture welled up in them. He wondered when he'd run out of tears. Eventually he would become dehydrated by it. Guillermo held his fist against his face, his body tense, attempting to resist the choking sob struggling to emerge.
Why?
Every time he closed his eyes he saw her. Her face, her eyes, her smile, her hair, her body, her facial expressions, her tears, her face when she laughed.
Everything about Guillermo now depended upon Rose.
And she was gone.
His heart had gone with her.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jeny stirred the tomato soup, careful not to let it burn. Three days. He hadn't moved for three days. At first Jeny was pleased when she heard that Rose had bolted. Seriously, about time. Then she was annoyed, as Guillermo seemed to just sulk in bed. Then she was pissed. Guillermo never got worked up like that! He had actually called people who did get worked up over lovers stupid, once upon a time. What made Rose so special? But then, after three days, and the plates of food she brought him stayed filled with food, she grew concerned.

Jeny poured the soup into a bowl, which sat on a plate next to a grilled cheese sand which. This time she had hoped that she got it right. Yesterday, when she had brought him an innocent peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she had gotten it subsequently thrown at her. Hopefully this meal would have no emotional ties to it.

Grabbing a can of soda, Jeny brought the plate to the back bedroom, the smell of b.o. and cigarette smoke clouding the air. Sighing, she pushed his door opened, noticing the stubble forming on his jaw, and the grease building in his hair. "I brought lunch." Jeny said quietly, careful not to startle him.

He was like a bunny rabbit at this point. Meek, skittish, seemingly helpless. But if you touched him or spooked him wrong, little shit would bite you. Jeny brought it in, sitting down on the mattress beside him. "Geemo, how long are you going to do this?" Her voice was trickling with concern, watching her brother sadly.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

The door clicked open and he heard Jenyfer shuffle in quietly.
"I brought lunch."
Her voice was cautious. He rolled over, looking at her.
Guillermo said nothing for a moment.
"I'm not hungry."
His stomach snarled in protest.
His mattress creaked lightly as she sat down.
Guillermo's arms wrapped around his torso, tightening as if he was keeping his insides from falling out.
"Geemo, how long are you going to do this?"
Jeny sounded upset.
He made her upset.
"Sorry."
Wait, that wasn't an answer to her question.
He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his answer.
"Why does it matter?"
His eyes fixed upon hers, the mischievous light snuffed from them. His face was raw from crying and his voice croaked as if he hadn't spoken for years.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I'm not hungry." Her lips pursed, knowing that he'd try that. Even she could hear his stomach lurch at the lie.

She tried to waft the smell of the soup over to tempt him a little. "Aww, c'mon Geemo. It's got a little garlic and some basil in it. And I made the grilled cheese with mozzarella, just like you like." His arms wrapped around his belly, trying to soothe his hunger strike.

"Sorry." He sounded so... unlike himself. "Why does it matter?" Okay, that was enough. Seriously, why does it matter? Um, because he was starving himself for a skank ass bitch who broke his heart and fell off the face of the planet. And here he was, sulking, STARVING HIMSELF, ignoring basic hygiene. She wasn't even going to ask how he managed to slip out of the room to use the bathroom. Though... he really wouldn't need too. He hadn't eaten in three days...

She wanted to say all of this. But she kept herself in check. "Guillermo," She kept her voice soft, pushing the plate closer to him. "You have to eat. You're seriously freaking me out." She offered a weak little smile, pushing his hair out of his eyes, like her Dad would do to her when she was sad. "A shower wouldn't kill you either, Tiger." If she ever saw that bitch Rose again, Jeny was going to punch her right in the face. AND SHE WAS THE LESS VIOLENT SIBLING! She didn't deserve Guillermo's love. Not even a little.

Jeny couldn't take this anymore. What made Rose so FUCKING special? "Guillermo, is that bitch really worth all this trouble? Look at yourself." Jeny sounded more sad than angry. Sad that he was wasting his love on someone like Rose, when Jeny was the last damn family he had. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Aww, c'mon Geemo. It's got a little garlic and some basil in it. And I made the grilled cheese with mozzarella, just like you like."
He looked away from the plate, sighing.
"Guillermo, you have to eat. You're seriously freaking me out."
Jeny pushed the plate to him and she brushed some strands of hair from his face lightly.
He shrugged. He didn't want to freak her out, but he wasn't particularly in the mood to eat.
"Fine. Just a little." He took a small bite. The food felt foreign to his throat and stomach.
"A shower wouldn't kill you either, Tiger."
She gave a small smile and he would usually have returned it. His face muscles didn't work the same lately.
"Guillermo, is that bitch really worth all this trouble? Look at yourself."
He shot his sister a glare like a red-hot dagger.
"Shut up." His voice shook with anger.
"Don't talk about her like that. She is worth everything to me, Jenyfer."

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Fine. Just a little." Jeny smiled as he took a bite, but it was short lived as he snapped at her in rage. "Shut up." Jeny's eyes narrowed at the harsh order. Shut up? Really? She'd been playing nurse, maid, and mommy for three days, THREE DAYS, and he has the NERVE to tell her to shut up? "Don't talk about her like that. She is worth everything to me, Jenyfer."

Annnd, a line was crossed.

Jeny's round eyes grew as big as they could get, which was quite the impressive size, her lip quivering in her anger. Everything? EVERYTHING? What about Jeny? What the hell was she? Obviously not a whole damn lot. "Yeah? Hows that working out for you, Stinky?" Okay, it was a little childish to comment on his odor, but Jeny didn't care. "Or should I call you Greasy, or Hungry? God, you're like the rejected dwarves from Snow White." Yeah, that made it more grown up.

Scoffing, Jeny crossed her arms, stopping herself from storming out of the room. He wanted to be a surly duck, FINE, but he was going to do it with some damn company. Why? Because it would piss him off, of course. And there was no way Jeny was being the only pissed off person in this house, dammit. "You know, it's like she did a complete brain transplant on you! Like, seriously, who are you and what did you do with my devil-may-care, womanizing, brother, I ACTUALLY preferred him to this." Her eyes went over to the nightstand, seeing the dreaded Dear Jane note Rose left.

Ugh.

Seriously?

"Why haven't you thrown that thing out yet?" Jeny said, picking it up roughly. She knew, deep down, she should be going a bit easier on him. He was going through a rough patch. But why was Rose so deserving of his love. Stupid bitch. "'I'll call soon.'" Jeny read aloud. "Ha! More like C U Next Tuesday."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Jenyfer's eyes popped open wide.
"Yeah? Hows that working out for you, Stinky? Or should I call you Greasy, or Hungry? God, you're like the rejected dwarves from Snow White."
She scoffed but didn't leave, crossing her arms. Guillermo half expected her to stomp her foot in rage.
"You know, it's like she did a complete brain transplant on you! Like, seriously, who are you and what did you do with my devil-may-care, womanizing, brother, I ACTUALLY preferred him to this."
His temper rose, along with his raw, hoarse voice.
"I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you when I decided to become a little more caring and compassionate. Want me to go back to being an asshole? Fine. And I'm sure you preferred it. THAT'S why you cried all the time when I was there. When I left, you were happy to be rid of me, the bastard of the family."
His eyes narrowed at her as he gave a humorless laugh.
"If you hate this so much, then why don't you just leave? You're so jealous of Rose that you can never understand why I'm so beat up over this."
"Why haven't you thrown that thing out yet?"
Jeny asked, picking up Rose note without care.
"'I'll call soon.' Ha! More like C U Next Tuesday."
He rolled his eyes, glaring at the wall.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

His throat sounded like it was lined with sandpaper, his voice was so hoarse. "I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you when I decided to become a little more caring and compassionate. Want me to go back to being an asshole? Fine. And I'm sure you preferred it. THAT'S why you cried all the time when I was there. When I left, you were happy to be rid of me, the bastard of the family." She rolled her eyes at his woe-is-me tone. Seriously, she had half the mind to go and eBay the worlds smallest violin to play for him. "If you hate this so much, then why don't you just leave? You're so jealous of Rose that you can never understand why I'm so beat up over this."

Oh no he did not.

Jeny puffed up at the (totally true) implication of HER being jelly of Rose, putting on a heavy and disdainful laugh of denial. "Jealous? Seriously? You think I'm jealous of THAT?" Jeny threw the picture on the floor, her face pulled between a mean smile and an offended frown. "Which bit is it that I'm supposed to be soooo jealous of? The fact that she has the personality of a rabid squirrel juggling knives, or the fact that she seemed to cause drama EVERYWHERE she goes?" She snorted out a laugh, not wanting him to see that she was a bit stung. "You should end the hunger strike there Ghandi, it's warping your perceptions on things."

Jeny's scowl was intense, her usually round eyes forming severe slits, her pouted lips pursed in irritation. "MAYBE, just MAYBE, I'm here because I care about you. And, call me crazy, but just perhaps, I've been playing Mother Hen for the last three days because you're scaring the crap out of me!" Keeping an austerity to her, she let her face soften, her eyelids rising to show her sympathetic brown eyes. "Geemo, you're such a catch, and were totally wasting it on someone who REALLY doesn't deserve you. And before you start whining about how she does and blah, then where is she? If she's too stupid to see what she gave up, then why can't you!" Jeny reached out for her brother, touching his shoulder. She sighed heavily, trying to keep her imperious whine on lock down. Guillermo hated it when she got bossy. "Just- just please eat. You can't just starve yourself, because even if you don't give a damn, you're all I got."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Jealous? Seriously? You think I'm jealous of THAT? Which bit is it that I'm supposed to be soooo jealous of? The fact that she has the personality of a rabid squirrel juggling knives, or the fact that she seemed to cause drama EVERYWHERE she goes? You should end the hunger strike there Ghandi, it's warping your perceptions on things."
He just sneered at her, every word just confirming her feelings.
She glowered at him.
"MAYBE, just MAYBE, I'm here because I care about you. And, call me crazy, but just perhaps, I've been playing Mother Hen for the last three days because you're scaring the crap out of me!"
Yeah right.
Her voice and face softened. He began to calm as she did.
"Geemo, you're such a catch, and were totally wasting it on someone who REALLY doesn't deserve you. And before you start whining about how she does and blah, then where is she? If she's too stupid to see what she gave up, then why can't you!"
Jeny was wrong. So wrong.
She put her hand on his shoulder, sighing.
"Just- just please eat. You can't just starve yourself, because even if you don't give a damn, you're all I got."
He snorted with sudden contempt
"Like hell I am. So we have the same father. Big deal. You're only half related to me. And the only reason you're here is because you want to piss off Lorena. You've just been waiting for her to call and be all,"
He put on a falsetto voice, pretending to cry like her mother.
""Pleasecome back, Jenyfer! I gave up my new family that I like better, all for you!" News flash, Jen. That's not gonna happen. You think I have false expectations and perceptions, check your own life first."
He had crossed a line, but he didn't care just yet.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Like hell I am. So we have the same father. Big deal. You're only half related to me." God, not this again. Seriously? If Daddy had heard him talking like that... well, he'd probably just sigh and say that Guillermo was troubled. But, OH! It was so annoying. "And the only reason you're here is because you want to piss off Lorena. You've just been waiting for her to call and be all, "Pleasecome back, Jenyfer! I gave up my new family that I like better, all for you!" News flash, Jen. That's not gonna happen. You think I have false expectations and perceptions, check your own life first." Jeny's head snapped back at him, her eyes wide with rage, her jaw quivering. She rose up to her feet, kicking the bowl of soup at him.

"Ohho? Really? YOU REALLY WANT TO GO THERE?" WHO THE HELL DID HE THINK HE WAS? Jeny, in her worked up anger, suddenly shouted nastily at him. "Well, at least I'm not sulking in bed because some crazy ass BITCH didn't fulfill MY mommy issues, LIKE SOME PEOPLE!" As she panted, and the anger released it's self, she comprehended the words she had just said.

Oh.

Oh Shit.

Her face was instantly contrite, stepping away from him, a little frightened. "I-I didn't- .... I didn't meant that!" Her voice shook, feeling the biggest surge of guilt that she had ever felt in concerns for her brother. She had crossed a line, and she had instantly felt the painful effects of hindsight. "Guillermo, I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Her eyes began to form tears, and she had a great urge to hug him.

All she had wanted to do was help. She had just wanted him to eat and... and just be over that awful girl. But Jeny had turned it ugly. God, she really was a screw up.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

She looked at him, shaking with rage. She got up flinging the soup towards him. It burned part of his arm and soaked into the blanket.
He got up as well, wiping the hot liquid off his arm.
"Ohho? Really? YOU REALLY WANT TO GO THERE?"
Jeny bellowed at him.
Yep.
He had definitely hit a nerve.
"Well, at least I'm not sulking in bed because some crazy ass BITCH didn't fulfill MY mommy issues, LIKE SOME PEOPLE!"
Looked like she had hit a nerve also.
The sneer was wiped from his face. It was replaced with a wounded look, as if he couldn't believe she had just said that. He had been asking for it. A tear crept down his face.
She backed away, evidently realizing the severity of what she had said.
"I-I didn't- .... I didn't meant that!"
He didn't feel anger towards her. He was filled with a sudden emptiness, feeling that now he really had no one.
"Yeah. You did."
"Guillermo, I'm so sorry, I didn't-"
He didn't answer, as more tears began to slip down his cheeks.
Gently, Guillermo nudged her out the door.
He locked it behind her, then leaned his back against it, sliding down to sob into his knees.

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

"Yeah. You did." Jeny wanted to reach out to him, to deny his claim. It wasn't true! Jeny really hadn't meant to say something so cruel. Cruelty just wasn't in her nature! She reached out for him, only to be nudged out the door, having it shut in her face with one final, mournful, look. "Guillermo!" Jeny cried out, tapping at the door like a scorned puppy. She heard him slide down the door, and she followed him, her knees digging into the carpet. "Guillermo, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, I swear!" Still nothing. Oh, she had just made everything so much worse. GOD, why did she have to be such an idiot. "Guillermo, lo siento. Por favor, abra la puerta." She tapped on the door, more frustrated with herself at this point.

This wasn't working. Sniffling a little, she jogged to the living room, trying to search for something. Her tearful eyes caught his phone, nearly dead from the days of neglect.

She... she had to call someone.

Who?

Rose?

Absolutely not.

Scrolling through the numbers, it finally ended on Seth's. Seth? SETH! SETH SETH SETH SETH SETH! Of course, duh! Why hadn't she thought of that before? Pushing the call button, she waited in tense anticipation, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. "Hello?"

"SETH!" She yelped, a little frantic.

There was a pause. "Hello? Are you there?"

"Seth, can you hear me?" She checked her signal, finding full bars, slightly puzzled. Why couldn't he-

"Hahaha, got you. No, this is the voicemail. I'm busy, or maybe avoiding you. Who knows?" Seriously? It was a little nerve wrecking that this was her last hope. "Leave a message, and I'll get back to you later, bitches. Peace."

She waited for the beep, taking in a deep breathe for the rant she would have to do. Beeeeep. "Seth! Pick up your phone, it's Jeny and all sorts of shit is happening. That bitch Rose dumped my brother and now he won't get out of bed, and we got into a huge fight, and now he's locked in there and won't come out and I really need your help so get over here because he needs his bestfriend!" Jeny let out a breathe, a tear trickling down her face. "Hurry!"

She clicked the end button and prayed for the power of friendship to come through.

[SETH FOXWORTH]

The kitchen was finally clean. Not that his parents were dirty... his Dad was just busy and Ma... well, she was Ma. Her manic faze had passed, which meant that she would FINALLY stop painting obese, naked, women in the hallway, and the seven puppies she adopted could go back to the damn shelter. But that also meant she was horribly depressed. Seth smoked his cigarette at the table, trying to decide if he liked it with the bleach smell that clouded the air, while Ma watched the price is right with a blank expression on her face and a bloody mary in her hand, when his cellphone began to vibrate. Intrigued, Seth checked it.

Guillermo.

Seth let it go to voicemail, not sure what he would say. It wasn't like he was mad anymore, or anything. He just didn't know what to say. Like, was he suppose to say it was all good that Guillermo won? That Seth had conceded? Would he be lying IF he said that? Even Seth was unsure of this. At this point, he was screening calls out of habit. As the voicemail was left, he dialed it, pressing his code in mechanically.

To his great surprise, Jeny's voice came to the line. "Seth! Pick up your phone, it's Jeny and all sorts of shit is happening. That bitch Rose dumped my brother and now he won't get out of bed, and we got into a huge fight, and now he's locked in there and won't come out and I really need your help so get over here because he needs his bestfriend! Hurry!" As the line went dead, Seth's eyes went wide.

Guillermo and Rose broke up? Poor Guillermo, it sounded like he was taking it pretty hard- Wait, why was that his first concern? Seth should be happy! He was back in the game. But... he wasn't happy. He was concerned.

Well, that was just confusing.

He got up cautiously, kissing his Ma on the forehead, unsurprised when she did not stir, and went out the door silently. If Guillermo hadn't left his room for three days, that meant he wasn't eating. Seth knew this dance. Sighing, he checked his wallet, finding a twenty. Stopping at a burger king on the way, he picked up four whopper meals, and sped off to Jacob's Apartment Complex.

It felt weird being back.

He headed up the stairs, feeling the tension in his stomach grow a the closer he got. But... Guillermo was... he was his bestfriend. Somehow. Seth wasn't exactly sure when. Maybe when he had been allowed to break his nose... the first time. Yeah, that made sense. Walking through the door, he found a distraught Jeny, pressing his fingers to his lips to keep her quiet. Why? No idea, other than not wanting to hear squealing. His anxiety was too high. Clutching the Burger King Bags he walked back to Guillermo's door, jiggling the knob a little. "Guillermo? Dude, lemme in." No answer.

Seth frowned.

No way did he drive all the way over to Manhattan from Brooklyn, spent his last twenty bucks, only to get stood up. Whistling lightly, he marched to the kitchen, and took a screwdriver out of the supply drawer. He had, in his younger days when his sister was still around her family, taken her door as a prank. Same basic principal, except he wouldn't be laughing this time.

He worked quickly, popping the joints out of hinges, so hearing the wood crack a little at the stress. He grabbed the knob, pulling it to the side then up, the door releasing itself from it's hold in the frame. Casually, Seth strolled in, leaning the door against its home in the frame as he entered, nodding at Guillermo.

He looked like hell. Because he was going through hell. And... as much as Seth hated to admit it, Guillermo seemed to be taking this a bit worse than even Seth had. Seth had, after all, continued to shower. He tossed the food to Guillermo, keeping his voice light to start out with, wondering if he'd be greeted with anger. Perhaps a punch to the face. A part of Seth felt like he deserved it. "You look like shit, Dude. Eat."

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

He listened to a voice come through his door. He recognized it, but he ignored the prodding. They all went away eventually.
A few minutes passed and he began to hear strange noises coming from the doorway.
What the..?
The door swung off it's hinges and Seth emerged, placing the door carefully back where he had taken it.
Part of him was elated to see Seth.
The other part just lied there, motionless.
Seth held out a Burger King bag.
"You look like shit, Dude. Eat."
"I don't want to eat, man."
His stomach snarled in fury and his brow furrowed.
"Oh, fine."
He sat up, feeling his head spin and his eyes cross from the motion. Guillermo swayed slightly, then stabilized, taking the food from Seth.
"What are you doing here, Seth?" he asked dully, taking a bite of the burger.

[SETH FOXWORTH]

"I don't want to eat, man." Stubborn bastard. But he couldn't resist the power of the whopper for long, no man could. "Oh, fine." See? Seth offered only a small smile, watching Guillermo as he wavered, before digging into a burger. "What are you doing here, Seth?" Seth shrugged, pulling a cigarette out of his shirt pocket, offering one to Guillermo.

What was he suppose to say? Heard you got dumped, thought I'd come and nurse you a bit? No, they were men. Manry men. "Just figured it was about time to come home. If, you know, I'm still cool to be here." Seth lit his cigarette, hopping on to the bed, watching the tomato soup stain set. Peroxide and Oxy Clean. God bless you Billy Mayes. "I heard man. That sucks." Seth said, somberly, not specifying exactly what he heard. It wasn't something that needed to be specified.

He wished he was better with words right now. But he knew, he knew better. No matter how many times someone told you that it was the other persons lost, that there were other fish in the sea... It made it worse. "So, what are you gonna do. Just sit in here until... something happens?" It wasn't said harshly. Actually it was spoken in a gentleness unfamiliar in Seth's voice. "Cause, I gotta tell you... you reak. Like, damn." Inahlaing the cigarette, he looked around the room. Depression clung to it, but as Seth sat with Guillermo, watching him eat, the anxiety began to melt from him.

This was where Seth was suppose to be.

Helping his friend.