See You Smile (Septiplier)

:17:

- Jack-

I didn't know what I was doing. This should've been a good thing. The one person I liked just told me they liked me, and I'm here running through town back to my shitty apartment, to my shitty parent. She's all I could think about. What she would do if she found out about Mark.

Once I got to my block I stopped running. I caught my breath and slid my beanie off my head. I walked the rest of the way home. I opened the door as quietly as I could in case my mom was asleep. I knew she wasn't though.

"Sean?" She called out from her room. I sighed and answered back.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you home? You said you weren't comming back!" She sounded angry. It was true, I ment it yesterday when I said I wasn't going to come home. Sometimes plans don't work out...

"I uh, I'm sorry ma. I have nowhere else to go." I wasn't sorry. I ment every word I yelled at her last night. I didn't want to stay here. But I had to. I have no one.

"Damn right you don't. Get to bed." She never left her room.

~

-Mark-

I left the dance pretty soon after Jack. I thought about texting him, seeing what was wrong, but whatever it was, it was probably my fault, so I just let it be. That didn't stop me from worrying.

It was Thursday next week when my worries spiked. Jack hadn't been to school all week, and there was no activity from him anywhere online. I tried texting him the day before, but there was no reply. My calls got rejected, so I knew he was there. I couldn't do anything about it.

I decided after school I would go over and check on him. I didn't care if he wanted me there or not. I was worried. When I got there I carefully opened the door to the building.

I knocked on the door cautiously. There was only rustling and silence.

"Jack?" I knocked again. No answer. "Jack I'm  not leaving until I know you're okay!" Finally there was shuffling and footsteps to the door.

Jack opened the door, suspiciously covering half his face.

"What do you want?" Jack sounded exhausted, like it took everything he had to come to the door.

"I haven't heard from you in over a week. What happened?" I tried to peak behind the door but he moved away. "Jack,"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Yeah, that's evident. C'mon show me." He tried to defend his ground but I just stood waiting, like a parent waiting for a child to give back  a cookie they stole.

He stayed behind the door, but opened it wider for me to enter. I walked in and immediately turned around to face him. Jack closed the door and slowly turned around.

The right side of his face was busted. A big bruise over his cheekbone and his lip split. He was even starting to get a black eye.

"Jack! What the hell!?"

"I'm fine!" He pushed past me and started walking to his room. I grabbed his arm before he got too far.

"Like hell you are! What happened!?"

"It's never happened before. It's not her fault."

"Your mom!? Jack, people go to jail for this shit!"

"Yeah, well I deserved it." He yanked his arm away from me and sat down on the couch.

"How could you possibly deserve abuse?" I spit the words out. How could he think this was okay!?

Jack didn't reply. He just stared at the wall and rubbed at his wrist.

"Jack, please don't sit and take it." I said more calmly. I moved to sit by him. "If you let it happen, it will just get worse."

"I don't have anywhere to go. They'll  send me with a family I don't know and I'll have to leave here, leave you-" he cut himself off and I picked up where he left off with my own insight.

"They'll put you in a safe place. If that's on the other side of the country, then I'm fine with that. But please. Don't do nothing." Jack stared at the floor fumbling with the fabric of his jeans.

"I can't go anywhere." He said again "I have no one else in this country."

"You have me." I kept looking at his face. He looked defeated. Like he'd  been battling for years and he's lost all hope of ever winning. "Stay with me. Until something is figured out. Please. Let me protect you." I didn't want him staying here. Not with the risk of those bruises getting bigger.

"She'll be home soon." Jack said after a few minutes. "You have to leave-"

"Or you come with me." I tried as hard as I could to get him to agree with me. It didn't seem like it was working. I could see him processing everything on his face.

Jack must have reached a decision because he stood up. "Wait here." he said when I tried to follow him up. I sat back down as he disappeared  down the hall.

I tried to wait as patiently as I could, but I still stood up as soon as I heard footsteps down the hall. He had a suitcase which I assume he used to bring his stuff to America. He nodded and I opened the door for him to walk out.

When we got to my house, before we went in, I asked Jack if it was okay to explain the situation to my dad. He said okay, and I continued to show him to the guest room. He put his stuff down in the room and came back out to the living room. My dad soon followed after him.

"Jack! You didn't tell me he was coming over tonight Mark." I looked over at Jack and excused My dad and I to tell him what happened.

~

"It's  great of you to offer Mark, but something has to be done with the authorities." My dad said back to me.

"I know dad, but he's too afraid and I cant betray him by calling it in. He still has four years before he's legally  an adult. One until he can move out. (Cause child protective services are in act until the age of 21. Jack is 17 [Yes, I looked this up just for this chapter]) I can't let him stay in that apartment that long." He sighed and tried to meet a compromise.

"He'll  have to go home at some point. Otherwise his mother might call the police to find him." I sighed and nodded. "Your intentions are good, Mark. It's just legally, we can't have custody of him." I nodded and started to walk back to the living room. I had a thought  and stopped. I turned around to my dad again.

"Dad, I. Jack's mom did that because he likes guys. And girls. Well, anybody for that matter. You... you wouldn't do that to me, would you?" I felt my hands start to shake. I clasped them together, trying to keep my composure.

"You like him. Don't you?" His face was soft and caring. I nodded quickly.

"I-I love him." He smiled softly and pulled me into a hug.

"Go be happy." He said after a few seconds. I grinned up at him, and walked confidently out into the living room.

A/N The end is near. 😢 I can't wait to have a finished book, but I really don't want to end It! It's been so much fun writing this story! It's pretty short, but it's WAY longer than I expected it to be! Thank you guys for sticking around! How would you guys feel about a SUPER long last chapter?😏

Thank you all again for reading, keep bein' a boss, and I'll  see you in the final chapter. Buhbuye! ❤