Breathe With Me » Zarry ✔

Part 17

When Monday rolled around, Zayn had a pounding headache. It was pretty obvious that it was from lack of sleep. Ever since Liam disappeared without telling him on Friday, he had spent most of his days and nights thinking about him and wondering if he was okay. He didn't think to get his number or anything, and Liam never did come see Zayn either. So naturally he feared the worst.

Over the weekend, he had looked at some of the symptoms of brain tumors and found that there were about eight listed. It stated that not all applied to the same person. One of the listed symptoms was vomiting. Zayn thought about the day Liam pulled him to the side of the school and ended up throwing up in the grass. He thought it was because he had gotten too riled up and hysterical, but it could have very well been due to the tumor.

The second symptom that Zayn saw was the most obvious one. Changes in mood, personality, or ability to concentrate. That would explain Liam's outburst in class and his sudden dissatisfaction with his best friend. It would also explain why he could never understand the math work even when Mr. Nigel constantly explained it over and over. And although Zayn could bet it was the same way in all his other classes too, if he ever showed up to them.

Even though he didn't want to, he began to understand why Liam thought suicide was the way to go. It was enough to struggle at school. But to deal with those unfamiliar symptoms and then go home everyday and have his parents suddenly treat him differently too... It must have been hard on him.

When Zayn's mother dropped him off for school, he found himself standing at the school doors, frantically looking for Liam to walk into the building.

But he never did see him.

When he got to homeroom, he was attentive to the door to watch everyone coming in.

Liam never showed.

He even made it his duty to go into the cafeteria, for the first time ever in almost three years, and even endured Niall asking so many questions about why he decided to.

He never came into the cafeteria either.

When it was time for math, Zayn was hoping Liam would be there. Even if it meant he'd have to listen to him mope about not understanding the work.

But Liam's feet never entered the doorway.

By the time the bell to signal the end of school had rang, Zayn was confused and had tears in his eyes. He wanted to wait outside the school building a few minutes later than normal just to see if Liam would come up to him like last time, but he couldn't do that. The buses always left at a certain time and he couldn't miss his.

The bus ride home was the longest ever. But he was so thankful when it dropped him off in front of his house. His mother had texted him when he got out of school and asked him to check the mailbox for her. She'd been looking for a credit card to come in the mail. So he did check the mailbox, took out what was in it and went up to the house to the front door.

Since he wasn't in the mood to do anything, he only had plans to go inside and cry into his pillow until he fell asleep. But as he walked up on the porch, he stumbled upon a small tan box sitting right at the front door. He picked it up and examined the writing on it.

From: Liam

To: Zayn

When he saw who it was from, a relief set over him. This was Liam's handwriting. So this was also proof he was still alive.

Excited about what could be inside. He ran inside, locked the door and went upstairs to his room. After throwing the mail on the bed and sitting in the middle of the floor, he took the box and nervously lifted the box top up. He was so shocked by what he saw inside that he dropped the box onto the floor, causing the contents fall out. His heart beat fast as he scanned over every item. There were two full bottles of pills and five little baggies of cocaine. There was a folded sheet of notebook paper that fell out too.