Jack’s POV



"Well, just call me if you need anything…" Alex smiled into the phone yet again as he shifted in his seat, using his one free palm to push down the thigh of his skinny jeans, the elder seeming to take longer this time to respond which struck me as rather odd seeing as he was pretty compliant and active their entire conversation, chatting it up the entire ride to the office. But I wasn’t complaining, it was rather nice to hear the little change in his tone when his phone had begun to ring. "Hey, Jasey?" Alex said and I couldn't help but smile down at my lap at my best-friend. It was so strange, watching him change so drastically from this slowly developing douche to his old self with a girlfriend he loved. It was actually quite strange when I thought about it, but I guess we all have our ways of growing up, maybe all Alex needed in order to grow up was a little bit of childhood that he could grow up with. I picked at a rip im my jeans as Alex blew out a breath. "Love you always." Alex whispered as I looked up beside me and nearly laughed at his blush whilst he waited a moment and then slowly hung up.



"Jasey?" I teased as the singer flipped his phone shut and shoved it into the front pocket of his jeans. I already knew the answer, I mean he even used her name but teasing him never got old. It didn’t even matter that I actually liked the two of them together I just thought it was downright hilarious how easy it was to make Alex blush now-a-days. I mean seriously, ask him if he thinks she looks nice on any given day and he acts as though you walked in on him taking a shit. It’s funny as hell!


In response to my stupid remark, Alex just looked at me with a funny expression before rolling his eyes. "Who else would it be, you Doofus?"



“Well gee I don’t know…” I dragged as I reached up and ran my fingers through the blonde patch in my hair, leaning back in my rather uncomfortable now-that-I-think-about-it seat. “Love you always; don’t you say that to your mom?” I joked before quickly having to release a huff as Alex smacked me in the stomach a little harder than what would be considered playful. I laughed it off, clutching my chest as I looked at my friend. He had his lower lip between his teeth as he looked around the office we sat in.



Oddly enough, for someone who was sitting, waiting to get called in and basically get a record deal handed to them, he looked nervous. And not even the kind of anxious nervous you would expect but an unsettling type of nervous. His chest was rising in this weird way, like he was forcing a normal breathing pattern which only made it appear more out of the ordinary. Taking a deep breath I looked down at my lap, questioning if I should even ask what was on his mind as it was probably something that didn’t need to be worried about. And Alex was someone who worried too much as is, he didn’t need help in that department.



So though it may not seem like the best move to make, I tried to ignore his antsy state. Instead taking the time to suck in a breath and take a look around for myself. Emerald Moon Records had changed a lot since they had helped us put out our first EP, and that meaning they had actually invited us into the office we didn’t even know they had.



When we made our EP we worked with the same producer we were planning to now, only with our EP, we worked in the basement of his house, not an actual studio. Paul Leavitt, the producer that has been trying to lend us a hand from the start told us they wouldn’t give us studio time for the making of the EP and we had to make do with what Paul had in his house. He said the company didn’t think we were good enough to capture a following, something we had already been doing on our own thank you very much. But they said that because we were so young and had hardly any money at all, that we would have to prove ourselves before they would even give us the time of the day. Thought that last part may have been more of an inferred statement on my part, it was basically true anyway.



I just couldn’t actually believe that this was happening, that we were getting a deal. I know the other guys had back up plans, having been looking at schools and even applying to some be it this meeting doesn’t go in our favor, but not me. There is no backup plan for Jack Barakat, but I also don’t have any thought on this band not going places. Though my parents may not be on the same boat with that, it’s my life and my dream and I will do as I please.


Beside me Alex once again bucked his hips to swiftly retrieve his phone from his skinny jeans, I don’t how he wears those all day every day, how does he even breathe? The boy was quietly humming a random tune to himself as he fiddled with the device in his palms and I didn’t think I could take it much longer. His self-driven procrastination growing at a rapid rate. “What’s up?” I asked, eyes drooping slightly as I tilted my head back to look at my friend. The older of us two furrowing his brows from what I could see behind his mop of locks as he hummed again. “C’mon man…” I whined, smacking his arm. “What’s on your mind?”



“Nothing…” He shrugged almost too quickly with hardly any emotion at all, and for a split second he could have passed for Zack had he not been so boney.



“You’re the worst liar you know…” I cooed, shaking my head to elaborate on the fact he could never hide anything from me before I sighed again and lightly nudged his slouched shoulder with my fist. “Talk to Jacky.”



“No,” Alex mumbled as he shook his head. “You’ll think it’s stupid.” Was all he really said before dropping his head again, small smile on his lips as he dusted a chuckle under his breath. I would have pressed him more had it not been for the teeny-weeny blush that made itself present on his cheeks. And just like that, without even saying a word Alex told me what was on his mind. I wonder if he even knows how much he blushes… hm.



“Jasey…” I breathed, shaking my head as Alex’s snapped up again, a gob smacked look on his face. “You are an open book Gaskarth; don’t think you can keep anything from me!” I laughed. Alex just groaned rather loudly as he threw his head back and slithered down into himself on his seat. One hand going to his head as the other still clutched his phone.



Alex took a deep breath as he shut his eyes. "I don't know, I'm kind of worried about her..." He said softly only making me sigh. He worried too much. I know some girls would think it’s cute or whatever that he looks out for her but I think the people in our lives often forget what Jasey has gone through, he’s not just a boyfriend worried about her, he is genuinely worried about her stability and safety which is something no seventeen year old boy should feel responsible of.



"Well, why would you be?" I asked before biting my lip. I almost don’t want to admit it but I worry about Jasey too, a lot. She has just been through so much I’m scared that something will happen, one little thing that will set her off and derail all the mental progress and strength she has built up, I mean there’s only so much one human being can digest, right? Death, abuse, attempt at rape, bullying, mockery, when will the poor kid ever catch a break? It seems like her relationship with Alex is the only good thing to come into her life recently, and that’s kind of why I never give her shit about it. I mean yeah, its cut into my time with Alex, but she needs him way more than I ever will, and besides she makes him happy. It was the happiest I had seen either of them in a very long time.



Alex let out a long stringy breath as he sighed. "Well she actually thanked me for cheering her up, which she has never done before,” He began and even I couldn’t ignore that it seemed a little out of character for her. “It was just kind of odd, like something else was bothering her, you know?" He asked and I hummed in response, looking around and guessing we probably didn’t have a lot of time left to pick the situation apart and I was sure Alex didn’t have the nerves to do so either.



I reached up to comfortingly pat my friend’s shoulder. "Don't sweat it man,” I said, “she's fine, this is Jasey we are talking about, if anything was really bothering her she'd tell you." Alex nodded his head as he ditched his phone to his lap to play with his fingers. Ringing his hands as he sighed.



Alex stayed silent for a short while, doing nothing but taking loud and shaky breaths before he shrugged and looked at me. "I don't know man," he finally said. "I just have a funny feeling about this."



"Well don't!” I said and slapped his knee. “You worry too much, and besides today is the start to a new tomorrow, make it good!”



Alex laughed as I lofted a brow and looked up at him; about to ask him what the hell he thought was so funny seeing as I personally thought that last little bit was lyrical genius. But I would never get the chance to ask as a younger looking woman came into the waiting room where Zack, Rian, Alex and I had been waiting and smiled at us. She was actually quite pretty for someone who probably sat behind a desk all day, and that gray pencil skirt was doing great things for her.



“All Time Low?” She smiled, pulling the clipboard up to her sheer covered chest. Well that’s it, we are never changing our band name because it just sounded so sweet coming from her. When this meeting is done and through, I’m most definitely going to snag that number’s number and have me-self a date!



“Yep, that’s us!” Rian spoke up for the group as he rose to his feet and smiled his most dazzling grin at the woman who giggled in response.



“Well right this way!” She smiled back, waving a freshly painted hand to the doorway to in which she had just entered from before turning on her toes. “Matt is just waiting for you in his office now.” She explained in remarks to the founder, Matt Boylan, himself. We all followed in Rian’s footsteps quite literally as he was the first one to follow the lady into the corridor beyond the doorway, Alex next followed by me and then finally Zack who probably only hung back to make sure none of us wondered off and got lost which wouldn’t have been the most surprising of things to occur. This place was amazing; the hallways were lined with posters and records all strategically hung to catch the eye, and my eye they did catch. “His office is right here…” She said with a cheery tone before placing her hand on a metal door handle to her left and turning to us. “Good luck!” she brimmed one last time and pulled the door open, her eyes scanning every one of us as the boys before me entered the room one at a time but I was so lost in this chicks eyes I nearly doubled over when Zack nudged me with his elbow.



“C’mon man…” Zack encouraged and I quickly smiled a recovery smirk at the girl before rushing into the room, avoiding any more possible opportunities for me to embarrass myself. I was a little rusty with all that has been going on, it’s just been me and my hand for a while now and I just had to sort through which head I was thinking with… if you know what I mean!



“Boys!” A loud voice booed as I finally shoved my way past the doorway and into the rather bright office. “Come in! Come in! Get comfortable, sit down!” The graying man who sat behind the desk smiled as I did the same and shuffled behind Alex to sit in the farthest seat against the wall. Beside Alex sat Zack and beyond Zack was Rian and sat at the desk in front of all four of us, was Matt. “I’ve been looking forward to this meeting boys, I really have.” He said as he leaned back in his seat, a copy of both our demo and our EP, The Three Words To Remember In Dealing With The End sat in front of him.



“Believe me Sir, we have too!” Alex smiled as Matt chuckled at my friend.



“Please, do call me Matt, Paul has told me so much about you guys I feel like I know you already, and besides the gray hairs make me feel old enough I don’t need y’all calling me sir!” Matt explained before we all let out small strings of laughter. I was kind of glad he had mentioned the gray hairs; I mean at least I wasn’t the only one who noticed this dude was on the older side. I wasn’t trying to be rude with those thoughts it’s just that what if because of the age gap he couldn’t relate to our music, but then again he said he was excited to see us, so let’s see where this goes.



Matt picked up the demo with a rather content sigh before looking up to the boy beside me, “Alex, correct?” He inquired and Alex quickly nodded his head. “I have to say this demo, while the quality is far from sufficient the heart is there.” I looked over at Alex to see his face beam at the founder’s words. “The difference alone in how your voice and how the music sounds going from the EP to the demo is simply amazing, I don’t know what changed or what you did but son, you found for muse and you can tell.”



“Why thank you!” Alex smiled and Matt nodded his head in a way as if to say, ‘don’t even worry about it’ which made all of us grin.



“No need to thank me, son.” Matt smiled, “It was all your hard work, but beyond that point before we even discuss signing I like to get to know the bands we are looking into, good music comes from good people, and that is how I got here and that is how I plan to continue, so let’s talk, how did you boys even come together this young?” We all looked around at each other with small smiles on our faces, Rian about ready to step in and answer when the ear-piercing ringing of a cell phone spoke up first.



All four of us jumped, patting our pockets to see which of us was being rung when Alex froze and looked up with the palest expression I’d ever seen on him. He whipped his phone out of his pocket. “I’m so sorry sir!” he quickly rushed, “I had completely forgotten it was on!” He continued as he looked down at the small exterior screen, ready to reject the call when he froze for one split second before actually doing it. Just by the way his body tightened I had to know who it was. I straightened my spine to see the screen only Alex moved to shove it into the pocket of his hoodie before I could.



“No worries,” Matt said, “Things happen, but let’s stay on topic so you guys are what, seniors?”



“Juniors, actually.” Rian corrected. “We’re actually just wrapping up our junior year.”



“Uh, we are playing my Junior Prom at the end of the month as well!” Zack surprisingly jumped in and though his voice was slightly shaky and he stuttered a bit over his nerves, I was actually quite proud of him. Zack was just one of those people that had a lot of smart thoughts and never any words to say them with.



“You don’t say?” Matt smiled as he leaned back in his seat and raised both his hands to press them together at the pads of his fingers, looking rather mobster-ish if you asked me, but no one ever does anyway. “And when did you say this Prom was taking place?” He pressed, leaning back into his desk and picking up a pen, clicking it as Zack flushed red.



“I uh- didn’t, but it’s the twentieth, March twentieth.” Zack stumbled as I leaned in to flash him a reassuring smile. After quickly scribbling down the date it must have processed it as he slowly looked up at us with a lofted gray brow.



“Four twenty,” Matt smiled, “seriously?”



“Seriously!” We all laughed in unison as Matt shook his head again and began to jot down the date when Alex’s phone rang again. Only this time he didn’t stutter to whip the device from his pocket. Alex looked down at his phone again with a muttered curse and a louder apology as I too looked over his shoulder, Jasey. "I'm so sorry." Alex apologized as he not only rejected her call, but muted his volume and left the device in his lap. No one else seemed to think the interruption was anything but rude, but I couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. I mean sure, we had only been in the meeting for a few minutes and Jasey could easily have been under the impression we hadn't been called in yet, but it was still unlike her. But what was even more unlike her was that she called again, almost instantly. Something was wrong, I could feel it. And only backing me up was the repetitive string of vibrations that came from Alex's lap after a few minute of conversation past. I - myself was about to tell Alex to pick it up right when Zack stepped in from the other side of him and smacked his arm.


"Dude, turn it off!" Zack hissed as Alex fumbled with the phone to quickly turn it off. “Good…” Rian muttered before swinging his gaze up to Matt with an apologetic grin. “Sorry about that.” He said on Alex’s behalf and yet again, Matt just held up his hands in a sense of surrender.



“Whenever you guys are ready is good for me…” He smiled a genuine grin and sat up in his seat. “But with the phones aside, let’s talk about this record deal, huh?” We all eagerly nodded our heads which had Matt smiling even wider and showing off his less than perfect teeth proudly. "Well first things first, do we have a name for the album in-" the man was instantly cut off by a cell phone ringing again only this time, it was mine!



"ARE YOU KIDDING ME JACK!?" Rian groaned, obviously agitated as I quickly waved him off and pulled my own phone from my pocket, reading the caller ID immediately, Jasey.



"I'm sorry," I mumbled to Matt as I flicked my eyes from between him and the exterior screen, slowly getting to me feet. "I-"



"What are you doing?" Rian gritted under his breath as I dismissed the clearly clueless brother and pushed myself the remainder of the way to my feet, shuffling towards the door.



"I- I- I'm sorry, but I have to take this!" Was the last thing I said as I ignored Alex's confused call and stumbled out into the hall on my own, phone in hand. I knew I had a bad feeling about this, something must seriously be wrong if Jasey has directly chosen to ignore the fact that Alex was ignoring her calls to go as far and to call me. Trying to compose myself as quickly as I could, I flicked my phone open and pressed the device swiftly to my ear, speaking immediately. "Jasey, what's up we're in the mee-" I was instantly cut off by the over powering sounds of ragged breaths and muffled whimpers, the distressed sounds all coming from one strangled soul. My mouth immediately fell open, throat closing just as I pressed the name "Jasey?" passed my lips.


"J-Ja-hack..." The girl breathed and I could quite literally feel my stomach sink to my shoes as she sleepily wheezed into the phone. "Ja-Jack please d-don't h-cough cough-hang up!" She whimpered. I could hardly focus on her whispers as I looked around me, the worried face of an office worker walking my way split into two faces before they began to twist. My head spinning like I had been holding my breath for ages.


"Jasey...?"


"Please..." She whimpered before her already scratchy voice ripped, breaking into violent yet quite sobs, the realization taking my intestines in its cruel hands and twisting them.


I stumbled backwards until my spine pressed flat up against the wall. "Jasey..." I breathed though it hardly sounded like a word at all. "Where are you?"


"I- I- I don't know..." She gasped as she took a few loud ragged breaths and released a small sob. "Everything uh- h-hurts, Jack..." She cried.


"Jasey- uh-" What the fuck was I supposed to do, supposed to say. I couldn't even think over her distant sobs, but in all honesty I didn't want to think about what was wrong. I know I should have been freaking out, asking her questions and finding out what went wrong, but I couldn't even begin to wrap my mind around that train of thought. "Jasey where are you? What happened!?" I should have never told Alex not to worry, maybe if I didn't he would have picked up the first call- scratch that, I KNOW he would have picked up that call. And if he had I wouldn't be hearing her strangled groans.


Is this how it felt? To be fearful of the ones you love being hurt? Is this how Alex always felt in the back of his mind because if so I could never imagine wanting to be in love. I was scared. My whole world was spinning and even I wanted to cry just waiting for her paced breaths to halt and words to flow through the phone. But I physically winced when nothing but sobs broke through before words.


"This was n-never supposed to h-happen!" She whimpered. "He was never supposed to find me, how could this happen Jack! Why me!? Why did Ri-he do this to me!" She cried and for the first time not sounding like she was seconds from falling asleep with in all reality I wasn't sure stood as an improvement or not. She began to cough -hack more like - before I spoke too soon and her calm breaths returned with a more defeated tone as they mixed with sniffles and a singular, "Oh God."


"Jasey, please calm down, what happened, are you hurt?" I was almost scared of her response - actually I wasn't scared, terrified would be the appropriate word. I began to pace around the hallway at the thought. If she doesn't tell me she fell down a flight of stairs I don't know what I'll do. I think in the back of my mind I knew off the bat, but refused to believe because if my mind went there I would be of no help to her. If anything I would turn into a blubbering mess because I knew that unfinished 'Ri-he' was supposed to be the name 'Riley'.


But I had to restrain my quivering chest and my trembling bones for the time being. Something was wrong and I couldn't let her know I was scared too; it would only make things worse. I wasn't quite sure where this composed thinking was coming from because I still felt like I was on some spinning carnival ride.


"Jack, d-don't freak out..." She mumbled sheepishly with a few sniffles. I would say I was biting on my lip now but it was more of a biting through it than anything. "There's a lot o- uh, b-blood, but it doesn't hurt all that much Jacky... I'll be okay!" I looked up at a figure that appeared at the end of the hall, the office worker from before was standing there again, but now with a friend. But instead of seeing just two of them, I was seeing four, and six, everything was fuzzy. Jasey's voice was somewhere between asleep and deranged, like the pain from whatever she was feeling before which caused tears was wearing off in some sense but I was horribly confused because she was still crying through her words. "Jacky," Jasey mumbled, sleepy again, "I'm really tired, ya know...?"


"I know Jasey..." I breathed, "But please, you have to help me out here Jasey, who hurt you, what's going on?" I could practically feel my ribs cracking from in insistent pounding of my chest as I bargained with her.


"Jack, I just want to go home..." She sniffled, almost sounding like her normal self, almost. "I don't want to be here anymore Jack, please!"


"Okay, okay, okay," I rushed, "Jasey, just hang tight okay, we will come and get you but first you need to help me out okay, you need to tell me where you are..." I took a ragged breath as she instantly began to panic, rambling the phrase 'I don't know' over and over again as her words became more frantic each and every time. "Jasey, please calm down, just tell me about where you are, what to do you see, where were you?"


"It's cold, Jacky..." She mumbled, okay. I could work with that. It's about four thirty, the sun hasn't begun to set yet so that means some place shady, probably damp, alleyways, shady parks, something like that. I was trying to run down the options in my head when she began to softly cry again. "Jacky, I don't want to fall asleep cold-"


"NO!" I snapped. "Jasey you are not going to go to sleep okay do you hear me, you're fine, we are going to come and get you okay, just tell me where you are, what do you see!?" I took staggered breaths, trying to keep my cool as Jasey let out a pained hum and sniffled into the phone. I knew I was beginning to panic, but I couldn't help but feel like I knew what happened to her, and I needed to know where she was so we could get her and keep her safe.


She let out a few ragged breaths which made it sound like it was getting harder for her to breathe. "It smells like whisky..." She hummed and I could tell just by her tone I was beginning to lose her, and that terrified me. My heart in my throat and my hand in my hair as I looked up at the door across from me. How the hell was I supposed to explain this to Rian and Alex?


I took a deep breath. "Okay, Jasey you're doing great I just need you to stay on the phone with me so we can come get you, what else do you see?" I was shocked at myself at how I too wasn't crying just yet, but I guess this was just one of those fight or flight moments where my body's adrenaline kicked in.


"It smells like Alex's breath when he drinks too much and mumbles funny things to me..." She giggled, but not her normal laugh, more of a deranged, tainted one, but even her laughter didn't last long. Almost immediately she broke back down into sobs, and not just weak sleepy ones, but real ones too. "God, I'm never going to smell this smell again am I!" She cried.


"No, no, no Jasey you will!" I panicked. "I promise you will okay, you'll see Alex again and he can whisper all the funny things in your ear that you want, but we have to come get you first..."


Jasey continued to cry, "Jacky, does Alex love me?" She sniffled.


"Yes, Alex loves you very much and I need you to stay awake for him, okay?" I had to look away from the door as I said those words. "Jasey baby, Alex loves you more than anyone in this world, but please, I can't come get you if I don't know where you are, please!"


She let put and aggravated sound before she began to hack and wheeze again. "I can't see anything Jay," She whispered. "It's hard to see over the sirens."


"SIRENS!?"


"Yeah..." She mumbled and then her voice began to crack. "Like the sirens that took Marc away, Jacky, are they gonna take me away too?" The fear so evident in her tone I could feel my own eyes begin to sting.


"No, Jasey they're gonna help you okay, let them help, we will meet you there!" I rushed, shuffling closer to door as I felt tears prick at my eyes. I could now hear the sirens in the background of the call, growing closer and closed meaning they were just seconds from reaching her.


"Jack I don't want to go!" She sobbed, breaking me from my thoughts, "My head hurts Jack I don't want to go, I want to go home Jack, I don't want to see Marc yet!"


"You're not going to Jasey..." I whispered, "We’re coming to get you!" And with that I quickly hung up. I could still hear her strangled plea spill from the shitty speaker as I pulled the device away from my ear but I couldn't stay on the line. My phone fell to the floor as a single tear chased it, my eyes leaking the salty water before both my hands encased them. "Oh, God!" I sniffled. We can't lose her.


I didn't even want to go back into the room, I knew time was ticking away but I was petrified. How would Alex react? I knew Rian would be bad but there was a difference between them that had me more fearful of Alex's mind. Of course Rian loved her, we all did but the difference with Lex is that, he cannot physically live without her. She is the reason he gets up every day with a smile on his face and now I was supped to tell him that his happiness was most likely attacked and all whilst I was trying to process my own emotions.


Alex would never admit it aloud to any of us, but Jasey was his world. If he lost her, I don't know what he would do. I could tell just by the way he looks at her that there relationship wasn't some high-school fling that would end come graduation, but I had no idea how much of a hit this would mean for it. We all needed Jasey, but Alex really needed her. She was the only one that could make sense of his life, before she came back the kid was depressed. Wallowing in the unrightfully guilty feelings of Tom's death and heightening his own anxiety. He was stuck in the past.


He would try to date girls but none of them made much of a difference in his behavior. Jasey is the first and only girl any of us have seen make him actually happy. And I think it’s because she's the only girl that makes him believe in a future, makes him want to live. So how was I supposed to go in there and tell him that Riley no doubt had his hands on her?


Don't think of Jasey, I thought to myself, think of Alex. Repeating the statement in my head, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands, trying to make myself look as put together as I could in a few mere seconds. I know that if I actually try and make myself look fine I will take too much time and break down before I can finish, over thinking the reasoning as to why I have to pull myself together over and over again in my head. Don't think of Jasey, think of Alex, I repeat over and over in my mind as I reach for the door knob and know all too well I was just about to send my best-friend's entire world crashing down.


Only when I open the door, no one looked up. God could they make this any more difficult. I let out a subconscious sniffle as I look at the back of their heads, not even Matt had noticed I had walked back in let alone was on the brink of tears. “Guys…” I mumbled, half hoping they hadn’t heard me as I didn’t want to be the bearer of this news- ever. The only issue with that was that no one looked up, but someone had to tell them, tell Alex. So I took a deep yet surprisingly shaky breath. "Guys!" I snapped and they all looked up to see my flustered face, all of them instantly processing something was wrong, but the look on Rian and Alex's face was one I will never forget. All of a sudden I couldn’t speak, the words fleeing my mind as my throat began to close. "Uh- It was J-Jasey; we need to get to the h-hospital, now!”


I thought it would be a few moments for them to digest what I had just said, but clearly that would not be the case. "WHAT?" Alex screamed as he shot up so fast from his seat the piece of furniture tumbled backwards onto the floor. I could see the way his body swayed and his eyes glazed and I almost didn't want to say it, but I knew time was ticking.


"Alex…" I said slowly, and it was almost as though he already knew. I bit down hard on my lip as I watched my best-friend crumble before my eyes. His pieced together demeanor chipping away as his lower lip jutted out far enough for us all to notice the way it trembled. The act matching the vibrations of his hands as they moved to tangle in the hair a top his shaking head as I nodded my own. "I think it was- uh well, Riley..."


"NOO!" He screamed and lunged at me, at the door. But almost as fast as he was to run, Zack was to stop him. "NO, GOD JASEY NO!" He wailed as I stumbled backwards and knocked my spine against the wall.


"Alex stop!" Zack snapped. "ALEX CALM DOWN!"


"LET ME GO," Alex screamed like an unworldly creature as his body thrashed in Zack's arms. It was a sight I had never seen before. But I couldn't tell if I would rather that, or the look of the sheet white Rian in the chair behind him. I didn't know how to feel or how to act because everything was moving five thousand miles a minute. My best-friend was looking at me like the wall of a cage standing between him and his pray. But his angry eyes didn't match the helpless sobs that were escaping his lips.


"LISTEN TO ME!" Zack screamed loud enough to even rock Rian from his trance as the brother instantly got to his feet and stormed through the door like a sea sick child on a cruise ship in search for the bathroom. "YOU CANNOT DRIVE LIKE THIS!" Zack screamed like I had never heard him before and I could feel my own body begin to give way. "WE WILL TAKE YOU THERE BUT YOU NEED TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"


Then he broke. Alex broke. It was like some anger fuse inside his brain blew and his knees gave away. His thrashing limbs turned to Jell-O and his screams withered into sobs. "Please!" Alex cried as he fell forward into Zack and I stood there speechless as I had never seen my own best-bud so weak. "I need her."


"I know..." Zack cooed as he threw one of Alex's arms around his broad shoulders and wrapped his own around Alex’s waist. "She's okay, but she needs you to be strong!" Zack said calmly and nodded his head to me in motion to get the door so he could guide both he and Lex out and to his car. "I need you to be strong for her Alex, okay; I'm going to bring you to see Jasey."


I looked up at the founder behind the desk who looked so absolutely mortified. "I'm sorry..." I mumbled and felt the way my voice trembled. "I have to go." And I didn't give the man a chance to respond before I took off after my friends.

Notes

HEY Y'ALL..


sorry i didn't update a bit earlier, actually finished this last night and had an 8AM practice today.. where I actually got hurt, ended up in the ER...
just a few bruised ribs so nothing interesting it was just that my coach is like a mommy to us so she kind of freaked out and thought i puntured something. hahahah!


well anyway this is the update.. leave me some comments
AND DONT FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!

-Sarah :)