Roddy was in tears at this point. His heart was pounding and he couldn't breathe. He felt like he was suffocating. His head kept spinning, he just needed a minute to calm down. He needed air, something. So he closed his eyes and tried to relax.
Unfortunately that's when everything went wrong. With Dan's mind all mixed up from the drugs and alcohol, it couldn't sustain Rodney's presense the way it was. So he faded out of existence. Now Dan was drunk, drugged, and all alone.
Dan felt awful and incredible at the same time. Everything sparkled. The room moved and danced. "Danny, you're up!" More questions for him. He liked getting asked questions. Though he couldn't remember why they were asking him questions… "Danny, do you talk to ghosts? Are you some sort of freak? Who's your best friend?"
A smile grew on Dan's lips. He was going to get to talk about Roddy! Finally! "No, hehehe, I don't see ghosts. Yes I'm a freak! That's the lie, heh," He murmured, and Anna grabbed his chin and looked him in the eyes. She had pretty eyes. She was sparkling. Was this what love felt like? Maybe they could go get married and start a family and Roddy could live with them- Roddy! The last question! "My best friend is Rod-Roddy," He said, a grin growing on his face. "I met him when I was small. Really small. At the playground! I was hiding from my dad and I found him and we became the bestest of friends. He's really awesome, do you want to meet him? Roddy! Roddy come here!" Daniel turned his head around the room, eyes swirling. "Roddy? Roddy is hiding. Lemme find him… he's always with me…" Someone said something, but Daniel was too busy turning in circles examining the room.
"Danny, hon, you lied again, so…" Daniel turned to see Anna with another snort trail on her skin, this one trailing across her chest just above her bra. Dan didn't know where her shirt went. Three of the other girls were passed out and the other two were gone somewhere. What time was it? Where was Roddy?
"Roddy is the only other person who calls me Danny…" Daniel murmured, dazed, and immediately left the room. He had to find Roddy. He couldn't have gone far. Roddy couldn't leave him. "Roddy! Roddy! Where are you? Roddy!" Daniel called over the blasting music. He tripped over a passed out student, but he immediately got up and continued his search throughout the house. "Roddy!" Daniel was beginning to panic. The shadows seemed huge, and sweat started to bead on Dan's head. Roddy was gone. Roddy was gone. He flew a bathroom door open only to find a couple getting quite close with each other, puked, and then left. He needed to find Roddy. Where was Roddy?
Somehow, Daniel got outside. He vomited again. "Roddy!" He yelled, but his voice was now hoarse. He stumbled to the tree line. Someone was chasing him. There was a monster behind him with a knife. Dan started sprinting, or at least he tried too. Not a moment later he was on the ground, puking again. Tears streamed down his face. He was scared. He crawled up next to the base of a tree and wrapped his arms around himself. "R-Roddy… I need you… Roddy… I'm scared…" He threw up on himself. The shadows loomed over him. He was utterly alone. Daniel passed out, tears still pouring out of his eyes and body still trembling.
Roddy was still there, he'd never left Dan's side. But because of Dan's screwed up head, he couldn't make him exist. He was still there, just buried somewhere in the shut down logical part of his brain. He'd show up again when Dan recovered and could sustain his existence.
(I was gonna time skip to morning after, if that's cool with you? Do you want Dan to wake up first or for Roddy to wake him up?)
(I'll have Roddy wake him up)
When Roddy opened his eyes again, he squinted into the sunlight and was extremely confused. Why was he in the woods? What time was it? What happened last night? He turned in a slow circle and spotted Dan, passed out and curled up next to a tree. He gasped and dropped next to him. "Dan! Come on Danny, wake up! Please please please wake up!"
Everything hurt. Everything hurt. Whoever was talking to him had to be using a megaphone cause his ears hurt as he was drawn out of his unconsciousness. Even his eyelids hurt as he cracked his eyes open. The world was so bright, as sun streamed through the leaves above him. Leaves? Where was he? Daniel slowly opened his eyes more. "O-ow…" He mumbled, an unnatural soreness spread throughout his body, particularly his head. His pants were soiled and his front was covered in vomit. What happened? "R-Roddy…?" He mumbled, barely able to lift his hand, but he managed to, reaching out like a plea for Roddy to take him out of this pain and discomfort.
Roddy sighed in relief, sitting back on his heels. "Oh thank the stars. You had me worried sick! I just open my eyes and you're like this! I was so scared, I-I didn't know what to do." He sniffed, his voice growing thin and watery as he spoke, wiping away tears from under his glasses.
Dan rubbed at his face. "What happened?" He mumbled wearily, blinking a couple times at Roddy. "The girls wanted to play some game, and they asked me all those questions, and Anna wanted me to…" Dan felt like he was going to puke again. Everything was so fuzzy. He couldn't remember what happened last night. He didn't know what he did… "Where were you last night?"
Roddy wrapped his arms around himself, his face darkened with worry and fear. "I don't know. I felt so sick and I closed my eyes to try and figure out what was going on and when I opened them again, I was here. I…I don't know what happened."
Dan slowly tried to stand, and he barely managed only thanks to the tree that he put all his weight on. "I want to go home…" He said softly, slowly pulling off his vomit covered shirt and wrapping his arms around himself.
"Then let's go home. Please, let's go home." Roddy stood with him, his voice soft and shaky as he wiped his eyes again, sad and a little homesick after the disaster the night before.
Daniel rubbed his head and walked on weary feet in the path of broken bushes and snapped twigs that he'd like come from. He was missing his shoes, but he didn't want to go find them. He just wanted to get back. Dan finally made his way out of the woods and dragged himself to the car. It was an effort just to open up the door.
Roddy slipped in, wringing his hands anxiously. "Danny, you shouldn't drive like this. It's a hazard, you could get really hurt. Call someone, have them pick you up."
(Ooo, we could absolutely have something where Dan eventually gets a therapist and he's forced to confront that Roddy is a defense mechanism and Roddy has to realize he's not real)
"Who?" Dan asked, voice tired and just done. He didn't have much energy left to try. "My parents are probably off on some trip, it's not like they would tell me if they're just not gonna come back, and you're my only friend and you can't drive cause- cause-" Dan bit his lip, and then tossed himself into the driver's seat. He wanted to get home, and then he could sleep forever for all he cared.
(Ooo, we could absolutely have something where Dan eventually gets a therapist and he's forced to confront that Roddy is a defense mechanism and Roddy has to realize he's not real)
(Oohh that'd be so interesting! I like it. Im thinking of having him skip school a couple days, and Anna gets freaked cause she thinks he's dead. But his parents could find out he's been skipping school and have him talk to a counselor.)
(Ooo, we could absolutely have something where Dan eventually gets a therapist and he's forced to confront that Roddy is a defense mechanism and Roddy has to realize he's not real)
(Oohh that'd be so interesting! I like it. Im thinking of having him skip school a couple days, and Anna gets freaked cause she thinks he's dead. But his parents could find out he's been skipping school and have him talk to a counselor.)
(Hehehe yesssss!!)
"Who?" Dan asked, voice tired and just done. He didn't have much energy left to try. "My parents are probably off on some trip, it's not like they would tell me if they're just not gonna come back, and you're my only friend and you can't drive cause- cause-" Dan bit his lip, and then tossed himself into the driver's seat. He wanted to get home, and then he could sleep forever for all he cared.
Roddy felt awful. He just wanted to help but he had no idea how. "I'm still here for you. I always will be. You know that." He kept his voice soft, worried about his best friend but not knowing what to do about it.
The past twenty-four hours had been downright awful. Dan's body hurt like hell, he couldn't remember what happened and he wasn't sure if he wanted to remember, and his only friend didn't actually exist. But he still had a friend, at least. A great best friend at that. Roddy was all he would ever need, he wouldn't have to talk to anyone again. He could just live up in his room, talk to Roddy, and be happy. No more Anna, no more moments where he had to fear or feel uncomfortable. "Thank you, Roddy," Daniel said quietly, hia voice weak but true, as he started up the car and left that forsaken house.
Rodney just smiled and settled back in his seat, glad that things had started to calm down and they could work on getting back to normal. Roddy would wait forever, not like he had anywhere else to go. He would stay by his best friend's side until the day he died.
(Skip now?)
(Yeah, when to do you think would be best?)
(Walking in for his first appointment?)
When the food in the fridge wasn't getting eaten up and there was no order-in containers in the trashcans, and they got a call from the school, Daniel's parents finally noticed that their son was barely coming out of his room. Dan had fallen into a spiral of exhaustion and sadness, not having enough energy to actually face the world. He still had Roddy though, he had talked and talked to his imaginary friend all those hours in his room. Anna had texted him after two days of not going to school, and he ignored that. Then she kept texting him. She was worried for him, asking if he was okay, and that this wasn't a joke, she just wanted to make sure he was alive… Daniel ignored all those texts. He was content with hiding from the world.
Daniel's parents actually showed some concern for him, for once. They had scheduled him for a 'Wellbeing' Appointment, and now here he was, in the waiting room, watching the clock tick by with Roddy at his side.
Roddy couldn't stop bouncing his leg, his hands squeezed together in his lap. He hated places like this, they made him so uncomfortable and almost fearful. He could never explain why, he just hated them. But Danny needed him and by God was he going to be there for his friend.
"Mr. Fletcher?" Daniel raised his head to see a nice looking woman standing before him. She had a gentle, friendly smile, and her soft brown pants paired with a pink cream colored shirt seemed to radiate kindness. "Why don't you come with me to my office where we can talk in private?"
Roddy stood, nervous and with his heart beating out of his chest. He promised Dan he'd be there through the whole appointment, there was no backing out now. So he just followed Daniel in, not at all ready for what would come next.
She led them to a small room filled with soft colors and comfy furniture. She sat down in a chair, and Daniel sat in a chair opposite her, leaving a two-seater couch for Roddy. "Alright Daniel, before we begin, let me say everything that is said here is completely confidential. I am obligated to bring forth information if you are hurting someone or hurting yourself, but other than that this is a completely safe space to talk." Daniel gave her a small shrug in recognition of her words, but favored starring at his and Roddy's shoes instead of looking up. "Do you know why your here?"
"The school made my parents do something for once?" Daniel offered, but the bite in his voice was dull. Tired. He wanted to go home and curl up again.
"Hmm," She hummed softly, as if in thought for a moment, "So your parents don't do much for you?"
Daniel shrugged again. "It took them long enough to notice me."
"Is that what you want? For them to notice you? Is that why you didn't leave your room? Your parents told me that much," The therapist told him, eyes gentle in contrast to her probing questions.
"No," Daniel said softly, his gaze moving to stare at Roddy. "I just wanted to talk with my friend for a while. That's it. I can go back to school now."
The therapist paused. "Who's your friend?"
"Roddy," Daniel responded softly, his stare moving back down to his shoes.
Roddy smiled supportively when Dan looked at him, kicking his feet as Daniel talked. He didn't mind just being a side character. This was to help Dan get better, to get him back to normal. So he stayed quiet, just playing with his fingers.