I'll Be Okay

9

Jonah smiled up at Eben. They were laughing about something and Daniel was happy they were having fun. He put an arm out as Corbyn walked over. "You good bud?" He asked.

Corbyn was about to reply when he heard a car pull into the driveway followed by sobbing. Jack looked up from his book. Realizing it was Ryan he got up and ran to the kitchen just as the boys entered the house. "Ryan? What happened? Are you two okay?"

Zach shook his head as he got Ryan a cold drink from the fridge. "He was there JJ. Dad tried to come after us. I don't know if he followed us or gave up. I would've been home sooner but he was following us so I wanted to be sure he wouldn't follow us here," he mumbled. "Ry, don't cry."

Ryan hid in Zach's arms as the others came in. Jonah kissed Eben's cheek before walking over. "What's going on?" he asked as Daniel walked in carrying Reese.

"Their dad was at the skatepark and started following them," Jack replied as Zach directed Ryan to sit down.

Reese's lower lip began trembling. "Daddy?" She whimpered.

"He's not here," Zach reassured her.

"And we won't ever let him come here," Daniel added.

Even though Eben has absolutely no idea what was going on he knew this was none of his business and he took his car keys. "I'll see you tomorrow Jon. It's the last day of classes right?"

Jonah nodded barely paying attention to his crush. "Yeah. Tomorrow," he mumbled.

That night when Ryan and Reese had left Jack and Zach found themselves on the couch watching a movie. Technically Zach wasn't really watching. His mind was still on his dad. How he gotten out of the hospital? Had he escaped the police? He got up and took his phone. He dialed the hospital number and put the phone to his ear. "Hi. I was wondering about a patient? His name is Josh Herron. I saw him earlier today and I was surprised because of the police  surrounding his room. Oh. Yes, I'll be careful. Thank you."

Zach went back to couch and curled up in Jack's arms. Jack frowned. "Where were you?"

"Bathroom," Zach lied.

Jack accepted the answer and kissed Zach gently on the lips. Zach kissed him back but Jack could tell he wasn't feeling it. He led Zach to the room and they laid down. "Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.

Zach shrugged as he bit his lip. He couldn't stop thinking. He go up and went into the bathroom and locked the door. He searched for his blade relieved when he found it.

Jack scrolled through Instagram before getting up to talk to Jonah. He came back to the room and saw that Zach still wasn't there. "Z? You okay in there?" He asked worriedly.

"No," Zach stammered his voice almost an octave higher.

Jack was more concerned from Zach's tone. "Let me in," he pleaded.

The door didn't open and Jack was getting antsy. "Z, open the damn door," he groaned trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

The door clicked and Jack walked in. Zach was standing in a pool of blood and Jack at first had no idea where it was coming from. He looked around and saw the cuts on Zach's wrist. "Oh baby. You're gonna need stitches."

Zach stared blankly at his arm. For once he didn't really care. He was about to answer when a car door slammed. He exchanged looks with Jack. They went downstairs to see Mitchell's car outside. "Did you invite him?" Jack asked.

"No," Zach muttered. "I'm seeing him tomorrow."

"Zachary Dean Herron!" Mitchell's screamed as Jack opened the door.

"What the hell Mitch?" Zach asked forgetting about his arm. "You can't just burst in here like that."

Mitchell narrowed his eyes and Zach knew there was no calming him down. "Really? You're going to stop me Herron?"

"What's wrong with you?" Zach asked as the others ran downstairs to see what the commotion was about.

"Your dad! He showed up at my house. Scared your siblings to death!" Mitchell snarled.

Zach was beginning to feel woozy from all the blood loss. "He must've followed us when we brought them to you."

"You're bleeding," Jonah gasped when he saw the small trail of blood that had showed where Zach had walked.

"Your dad knows where I live?" Mitchell yelled.

Zach wanted to reply but he was beginning to feel sick and lightheaded. "J-" he stuttered.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked nervously.

Zach's eyes rolled up into his head as he collapsed. "Hospital," Jack sighed. "That's where we were headed before Mitchell interrupted."

Jonah pushed past Mitchell as he grabbed his car keys. "Just leave Ryan and Reese here."

Daniel took Reese into his arms and put his free arm around Ryan. "Come on you two. You can live with us."

Jonah pulled into the Accident and Emergency area and two medics came out with a stretcher. They put Zach on it and took him into the ER. "Fifteen-year-old male. Lost too much blood. His blood type is A‐positive."

A nurse hurried to the boys. "Do either of you know your blood type?" He asked.

"I'm O-positive and he's B-negative," Jack replied.

The nurse was about to say something when a woman walked over. "What type do you need?"

"A-positive," the nurse replied.

"I'll do it," the woman said.

"Great," the nurse said turning to his colleague. "We got a blood donation to Herron."

"Ma'am you don't have to," Jonah said.

"I do. He's my son," the woman said before following the nurse.