What If...

Chapter Thirteen

It was a brisk winter morning; the sun was already rising above the houses and was making the frost look stunning over the gardens and the little sun rays that danced into Cameron's room made him excited for the spring. He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his phone vibrating against his bed-side table.

"Hello?" Cameron answered when he saw the name 'Jacob' appear on his phone screen. He listened for a bit before finally someone spoke on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Cameron?" The voice asked. Cameron furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes, this is Cameron?" Cameron replied uncertainly. He heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. He suddenly started to hear a few splutters from the other end of the phone.

"Cameron, Jacob..." The man trailed off which is when Cameron realised it was Jacob's dad; Owen.

"Mr Tomlins?" Cameron questioned over the phone. He could tell that something had happened from the lack of communication from the man and the spluttering noises that were coming through the phone.

"Cameron... Jacob, Jacob is dead." Mr Tomlins sobbed over the phone to Cameron. Cameron couldn't believe it. He sat down in the middle of his bedroom floor with the phone still up to his ear but his head down, tears slowly escaping his eyes and trickling down his face, landing on the floor.

"H-how?" Cameron stuttered, trying to sound as audible as possible. He suddenly heard the man crying quite heavily on the other end.

"He... did you know he.... He self-harms." Mr Tomlins broke the news to Cameron, Cameron looked up at the bare cream wall in front of him. Shocked and confused Cameron spoke into the telephone again.

"Can... can I come around?" Cameron asked gently into the phone, he wanted to see his best friend, he didn't know whether it was too see the damage that Jacob had caused himself, or just to see his friend for one last time.

"Yes, please do." Mr Tomlins said almost desperately. Cameron did feel sorry for Mr Tomlins. He lost his wife about six months ago, and now he had just lost his son as well. He had no one.

"Okay, I'll be there in ten." Cameron replied before putting the phone next to him and sitting in silence for the next couple of minutes staring at the wall in front of him wondering how he never noticed that his best friend was struggling right in front of his eyes. Was he too wrapped up in Luna? Was Jacob really good at hiding it? Cameron's mind was racing with thoughts and was blaming himself for not noticing and trying to stop him. Slowly, tears of pain and sorrow began to fall again from his eyes.

Five minutes later, Cameron got the courage to go downstairs and speak to his mum. He took a deep breath as he entered the lounge, not quite sure of what to say when he finally reached his mum.

"Mum?" Cameron asked, turning the corner and seeing his mum sitting on the sofa in her regular position reading through a health magazine whilst drinking her morning cup of coffee out of her 'Greatest Mum in The World' mug. His mum looked up to see Cameron's eyes looking all bloodshot and his face streamed with tears.

"Cameron, what's happened honey?" His mum questioned putting her coffee and magazine down and sitting up properly to allow Cameron to sit down next to her.

"Mum, Jacob is dead." Cameron finally burst at this point, he hadn't said it himself yet and finally saying it made him realise that it was true, he wasn't dreaming. His mum moved closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Cameron hugged his mum back, wrapping both arms around her bony frame and crying into her shoulder.

"What do you mean dead?" His mum questioned, moving slightly so Cameron would lift his head and look at her in the eyes.

"His dad called me..." Cameron stopped to wipe his nose on the back of his hand and continue spluttering all the while. His mum rubbed his back gently up and down to try and calm him and encourage him to continue.