Make It A Sweet, Sweet Goodbye
Lullabies
*Jack's POV*
"Cause Alex, Rian, Zack, and Matt said you're different around me." Zjael said.
"I'm different around you?" I asked no one in particular.
"Yeah just a little." Rian and Matt said carefully.
"You're not different to us, we just see a different side of you around her." Alex said and placed one of his hands on my shoulder.
"We just get to see how careful and sweet you are with this girl you clearly have feelings for." Zack explained. I felt a burst of anger course through me. Without thinking, I acted on it.
"So what?! Our promise means nothing to you?! You can just tell me you like me and then just completely avoid me for 15 years?!" I yelled letting the anger take full control.
"Jack..." Alex said trying to calm me down. He tried to turn me to him, but I didn't allow it and continued to glare at Zjael.
"Then when you and I finally see each other again you don't want to keep the promise YOU made?! I could've had a better life! Could've tried to actually have a relationship! But no! I've been waiting 15 fucking years for you! Then you just want me to bring you back and just pretend you're a fucking stranger?! Fuck no!"
It was only when I stopped yelling that I noticed she had started crying. I calmed down almost instantly. I opened my mouth to apologize, but decided it wasn't a good idea right now. I turned around and went to my bunk. I shoved earphones in my ears, turned on music, turned it up loud enough to block out everything, and closed my eyes to go to sleep.
*Zjael's POV*
"Then you just want me to bring you back and just pretend you're a fucking stranger?! Fuck no!" Jack yelled. He looked at me and saw that I was crying. He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it and left, disappearing into a bunk. I sat down and hugged my knees.
"God dammit, Jack." I heard Alex said and heard footsteps leave the room. I probably just ruined his birthday. God, I'm such a fuck up. I felt the bus stop and turn off.
*Rian's POV*
I didn't know whether I should follow Alex, or stay and see if I can comfort Zjael. I finally decided to comfort the crying girl. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure he didn't mean it." I said and softly placed my hand on her shoulder, but she moved away quickly.
"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed. I could see only fear in her eyes.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanna make sure you're alright." I said softly. Zjael steadied her breathing before answering.
"I'm not alright and may never be, but I feel bad. What Jack said was true. I shouldn't even be with you guys. I probably just ruined his birthday too." Zjael said to me.
"There's still a whole day to celebrate. It's only 10 AM. He'll get over it." Zack said with a small smile.
"I have an idea. How about Zack and I take you out while Alex gets everything ready for tonight to party. Then, if you still feel like you do now, we'll find a place for you to stay and start a new life. We won't tell Jack and he will never know where you'll be living unless you tell him." I said. Zack quickly agreed, understanding my plan.
"We'll leave you our numbers in case you'd need any help in the future too." Zack said. Zjael looked like she was thinking about the offer before she spoke.
"Where would you take me?" Zjael asked with a barely visible grin.
*Zack's POV*
"Where would you take me?" Zjael asked with a barely visible grin. I smiled at her. Rian looked at me and I knew what he was thinking.
"How about, we take you out for breakfast on the way to Six Flags? There's one less than an hour away." Rian said and she smiled big. She's one very cute girl.
"Really?!" She asked excitedly. She looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Of course! So is it a deal?" Rian asked. Zjael jumped up excitedly, Rian slowly stood up after her.
"Is it a deal?" I asked to confirm her excitement. She quickly calmed down and made herself look very serious.
"It's a deal." Zjael said and shook mine and Rian's hands. "I'm excited for this now! I haven't been to an amusement park since the month my dad died." She said with a big smile, but a little bit of sadness in her eyes.
"Don't worry, beautiful, today will be good. I'm gonna go talk to Alex about it. You two get ready to go." Rian said and left the room. I grabbed my nearest sweatshirt. I watched as Zjael put her pack of cigarettes and a lighter in her sweatshirt and hung the sweatshirt over her arm.
"You ready?" I asked with a small smile. She nodded and lead me into the front lounge where Rian was talking to Alex. "Can you wait outside for us?" I asked in a whisper to Zjael. She nodded and walked off the bus. "Shall we go?" I asked Rian trying to stop him from possibly telling Alex about our after plan for if Zjael doesn't want to stay.
"Yeah, let's go." Rian said and we set off in our manager's car.
"We can't tell Alex the after plan, 'cause he'll tell Jack. Then Jack will both hate us and try to stop it all." I said. He wasn't stupid, but I really felt like I needed to tell him that.
"I know. It feels wrong, but I know it's the right thing to do." Rian said.
*8 Hours Later, At Six Flags*
Rian and Zjael were on a water ride while I waited. I decided not to go on rides that will end up with me being soaked or wet at all. It was a good thing too because Alex texted me when they had just gotten on the ride. It was time for us to head back to the bus. I waited patiently for them to run up to me.
"You should've come with us! That was so much fun!" Zjael said excitedly and gave me a big wet hug.
"Next time." I chuckled and slowly held up the keys to the car we had. "Alex texted saying we should head back, so let's go." I said. We all slowly walked to the car and got in. Once we were on the road, Rian turned around to look at Zjael. I glanced back at her a few times through the mirror as Rian asked his question.
"So, do you want to stay with us or should we start helping you look for a place?"
"Cause Alex, Rian, Zack, and Matt said you're different around me." Zjael said.
"I'm different around you?" I asked no one in particular.
"Yeah just a little." Rian and Matt said carefully.
"You're not different to us, we just see a different side of you around her." Alex said and placed one of his hands on my shoulder.
"We just get to see how careful and sweet you are with this girl you clearly have feelings for." Zack explained. I felt a burst of anger course through me. Without thinking, I acted on it.
"So what?! Our promise means nothing to you?! You can just tell me you like me and then just completely avoid me for 15 years?!" I yelled letting the anger take full control.
"Jack..." Alex said trying to calm me down. He tried to turn me to him, but I didn't allow it and continued to glare at Zjael.
"Then when you and I finally see each other again you don't want to keep the promise YOU made?! I could've had a better life! Could've tried to actually have a relationship! But no! I've been waiting 15 fucking years for you! Then you just want me to bring you back and just pretend you're a fucking stranger?! Fuck no!"
It was only when I stopped yelling that I noticed she had started crying. I calmed down almost instantly. I opened my mouth to apologize, but decided it wasn't a good idea right now. I turned around and went to my bunk. I shoved earphones in my ears, turned on music, turned it up loud enough to block out everything, and closed my eyes to go to sleep.
*Zjael's POV*
"Then you just want me to bring you back and just pretend you're a fucking stranger?! Fuck no!" Jack yelled. He looked at me and saw that I was crying. He opened his mouth, but quickly shut it and left, disappearing into a bunk. I sat down and hugged my knees.
"God dammit, Jack." I heard Alex said and heard footsteps leave the room. I probably just ruined his birthday. God, I'm such a fuck up. I felt the bus stop and turn off.
*Rian's POV*
I didn't know whether I should follow Alex, or stay and see if I can comfort Zjael. I finally decided to comfort the crying girl. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure he didn't mean it." I said and softly placed my hand on her shoulder, but she moved away quickly.
"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed. I could see only fear in her eyes.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanna make sure you're alright." I said softly. Zjael steadied her breathing before answering.
"I'm not alright and may never be, but I feel bad. What Jack said was true. I shouldn't even be with you guys. I probably just ruined his birthday too." Zjael said to me.
"There's still a whole day to celebrate. It's only 10 AM. He'll get over it." Zack said with a small smile.
"I have an idea. How about Zack and I take you out while Alex gets everything ready for tonight to party. Then, if you still feel like you do now, we'll find a place for you to stay and start a new life. We won't tell Jack and he will never know where you'll be living unless you tell him." I said. Zack quickly agreed, understanding my plan.
"We'll leave you our numbers in case you'd need any help in the future too." Zack said. Zjael looked like she was thinking about the offer before she spoke.
"Where would you take me?" Zjael asked with a barely visible grin.
*Zack's POV*
"Where would you take me?" Zjael asked with a barely visible grin. I smiled at her. Rian looked at me and I knew what he was thinking.
"How about, we take you out for breakfast on the way to Six Flags? There's one less than an hour away." Rian said and she smiled big. She's one very cute girl.
"Really?!" She asked excitedly. She looked like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Of course! So is it a deal?" Rian asked. Zjael jumped up excitedly, Rian slowly stood up after her.
"Is it a deal?" I asked to confirm her excitement. She quickly calmed down and made herself look very serious.
"It's a deal." Zjael said and shook mine and Rian's hands. "I'm excited for this now! I haven't been to an amusement park since the month my dad died." She said with a big smile, but a little bit of sadness in her eyes.
"Don't worry, beautiful, today will be good. I'm gonna go talk to Alex about it. You two get ready to go." Rian said and left the room. I grabbed my nearest sweatshirt. I watched as Zjael put her pack of cigarettes and a lighter in her sweatshirt and hung the sweatshirt over her arm.
"You ready?" I asked with a small smile. She nodded and lead me into the front lounge where Rian was talking to Alex. "Can you wait outside for us?" I asked in a whisper to Zjael. She nodded and walked off the bus. "Shall we go?" I asked Rian trying to stop him from possibly telling Alex about our after plan for if Zjael doesn't want to stay.
"Yeah, let's go." Rian said and we set off in our manager's car.
"We can't tell Alex the after plan, 'cause he'll tell Jack. Then Jack will both hate us and try to stop it all." I said. He wasn't stupid, but I really felt like I needed to tell him that.
"I know. It feels wrong, but I know it's the right thing to do." Rian said.
*8 Hours Later, At Six Flags*
Rian and Zjael were on a water ride while I waited. I decided not to go on rides that will end up with me being soaked or wet at all. It was a good thing too because Alex texted me when they had just gotten on the ride. It was time for us to head back to the bus. I waited patiently for them to run up to me.
"You should've come with us! That was so much fun!" Zjael said excitedly and gave me a big wet hug.
"Next time." I chuckled and slowly held up the keys to the car we had. "Alex texted saying we should head back, so let's go." I said. We all slowly walked to the car and got in. Once we were on the road, Rian turned around to look at Zjael. I glanced back at her a few times through the mirror as Rian asked his question.
"So, do you want to stay with us or should we start helping you look for a place?"
Notes
Should Zjael stay, or go? I would like to know before I start writing the next chapter. Hope you guys like this. I dunno if I'll go with my original plan or not, but I'd like to see what you have to say about whether Z should stay or go.
-Rose
@Jagk
I got to see some great fireworks going off from the Stratosphere on the Las Vegas Strip! The joys of a New Years Vegas trip haha
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