F R E E ✔ [completed]

Missing:83

Jay: 

Kids at school continued to make fun of me for 2 weeks straight. A few kids even came to my football game Friday night and held up Why Don't We posters.

Nothing at home changed. Zach and my mom were still together. Veronica still pissed me off 24/7 and Uncle Jack was still simping over Aunt Chloe.

It was about 11 pm. No one in the house was awake except for me and maybe Uncle Jack. I walked downstairs and found Uncle Jack eating cookies and milk.

"Your life is sad," I said grabbing a cookie.

"Shut up," he said continuing to stuff his face.

"You're a 35-year-old single man living in my mother's basement. That's sad."

"Look, if Chloe were to just push aside her pride and marry me, I wouldn't be here. Eating cookies." I laughed a shook my head.

"Fat ass."

"Hey, watch your language," he said.

"You act like you weren't the one who taught me all the bad words I know." He laughed.

"What's on your mind, Jay?" This is why I loved Uncle Jack. I didn't have to say anything for him to know that something was wrong.

"Zach."

"Zach?"

"Yeah, like why did he have to marry my mom?"

"Is this about what kids are doing to you at school?" I nodded. "Look, ignore them. They'll be kissing up to you in the future. You're an amazing kid and Zach is so very lucky to be living in the same house as a fighter like you."

I smiled. "I just don't know why it had to be him."

"Life is very mysterious."

"Like, c'mon Uncle Jack, why couldn't you just marry my mom?" I asked.

He spit out his milk and looked at me in disbelief. "Don't ever say Uncle Jack, marry, and mom in the same sentence ever again."

I laughed. "I'm gonna go to bed."

"Alright, goodnight."

I walked upstairs to my room. I stared at my dad's jersey which was hanging on the wall. I grabbed it and stuff it into a backpack. I took the picture of me, my dad, and my mom out of the frame and put it into the side pocket of the bag. I stuffed more clothes in my backpack. I packed my charger and my phone. I put on my favorite white Vans.

I fixed my bed to make it look like someone was there.

"Hashbrown?" I whispered. He moved a bit. "Hey, bud. I'm leaving. Don't tell my mom if I go. It's what's best for all of us. I love you."

I slid open my window as quietly as I could. I tossed my skateboard out and then my bag. And then, I jumped. I slung my backpack over my shoulders and hopped onto my skateboard.

Deja: 

"Jay?!" I called. It was 7 and Jay hadn't come by my room to say goodbye before he left for school.

I got out of bed and walked over to his room. The door was unlocked. I walked in and saw that he was still sleeping.

"Jay," I walked over to his bed and tugged on the blanket revealing just his pillows. "Jay?!" 

Hashbrown was barking at the open window.

"Jay..." I ran down the stairs. "Jack!?"

Jack came running up the stairs. "What? What happened? What's wrong?"