Torn ~ JJ Maybank

Chapter 40

JJ and I never stopped sprinting the whole way to where the screaming was coming from. The voice hadn't stopped calling for help, and every time we heard it, we sped up, both of us not even wanting to imagine what it could be about.

JJ was a lot faster than me - I was struggling to keep up with him in heels and I was holding my dress up so it didn't get caught under my feet. I felt myself losing JJ at one point as he darted through the woods. I paused as I got round the tree where I saw him last, not sure which direction he sprinted off in.

"This way." a voice answered my questions as JJ had appeared in the distance, motioning for him to follow me. He must've noticed I got lost and came back for me. When I caught up with him, he muttered "Here." and extended his hand out for me to take. I accepted and locked our hands together, my body sparking up at the contact. His eyes met my own briefly and he shot me a smile, which caused my face to erupt into a huge smile. The sound of the scream tugged us back into reality, as JJ pulled on my hand and led us through the woods.

My throat began to dry and my heart felt as if it had been hauled onto the floor. My eyes blinked, too many times to keep count of, as it tried to rid itself of the image in front of me. But it never left. So the dreaded verdict was revealed, that what I was seeing now must be real.

"Sarah! What happened?" Pope's voice broke me from my trance, as him and Kie appeared from through the woods and stood beside JJ and I.

I looked at the scene in front of me. John B was laying on the floor, looking lifeless, as Sarah was sobbing and kneeling over him.

"I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him." Sarah told us through her sobs, as she continued to look down at my cousin beneath her.

"Where the hell is he?" JJ released his hand from my grip, and waved his hands about in anger, his emotions overwhelming him.

"Don't." I finally found my voice and spoke lowly to JJ, who thankfully seemed to acknowledge what I said. "John B." I whispered as I ran over to his side and leant over him. His eyes were closed and his body was still, which shot pains through my body in fear of his safety. I reached over and took his hand in my own, bringing it to my face to comfort me. "Please be okay. Please be okay." I whispered.

"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone." Sarah cried out from opposite me.

"Go. Go!" JJ ushered Pope to run back to the van. Pope nodded and began sprinting back in the direction he came from.

"Help, please." Sarah mumbled as the tears fell from her eyes. I looked up at the girl through my tear-stained vision, and made out her looking back at me. I sent her a smile, and reached out and took her hand in my own, giving it a reassuring squeeze, which she smiled back at gratefully. I had never really had anything to do with Sarah before previously, but I knew the way John B felt about her, and that was enough for me to accept her into our family.

"Pope, hurry!" Kie yelled, and I looked up at her position stood up behind us. She was looking at disbelief at my cousin, but the glares she was sending Sarah was what caught my attention the most.

"John B, stay with me. Please don't leave me." she whispered, as she rocked back and forwards, the tears not stopping. She leant forwards and placed a soft kiss on John B's lips, clearly trying anything to get some movement out of the boy. She pulled back and continued kissing him on the hand.

My heart swooned at the two of them. I knew John B liked Sarah, but I didn't realise how strongly the two clearly felt for one another, and it warmed my heart to know how much she cared for John B, who was the only real family I had.