A FOREVER THING ❤︎ WHY DONT WE

twenty six

another short time after, the swat team came out the doors with a lifeless body on a stretcher. jack's heart dropped. he couldn't see who it was, but he was just praying it wasn't zach.

he kept his eyes glued to the body as he watched it be taken into the ambulance. he turned around to daniel and corbyn, tears running marathons on his face.

"i-is he really dead?" they both just shrugged, shocked by what was all happening. "he's not really dead right? it's all just a big prank right? he's not dead."

"i don't know jack, i don't want him to be dead, but i have no idea." "please just tell me i'm being fucked with so we can move on from this daniel!"

"jack i don't know. we have no ide–" "shut up! just tell me i'm being pranked! just tell me right now!"

"jack..." corbyn started, looking behind jack at the front doors. "what? corbyn, what?" he snapped before turning to see what the blonde had been looking at.

it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders when he saw. he saw zach being walked out by an officer, making his way toward them with kaelyn by his side.

as he had been inching closer, jack couldn't handle standing still anymore and he broke into a small sprint toward the boy.

just before colliding in a hug, zach whispered a small, broken "jack" as jack grabbed him into the biggest hug they have ever shared.

they both held on so tight as they stood there crying. daniel and corbyn joined the two, feeling the terrifying mood lift.

"i didn't think i was going to see you again." zach cried, "i had hope baby. i had hope the whole time."

"i told you, you'd be okay. you're alright, you're with me again. fuck i love you so much baby."

"wait... so who was on the stretcher?" daniel wondered, "ross birmingham. he uh... got into the writer's craft room." kaelyn started to explain, as zach was still crying in jack's arms.

"he had a gun and he had pointed it at zach, he started talking about why zach "deserved to die" but before he pulled the trigger someone from the swat team had shot him down. the placement of the hit shouldn't kill him but he'll definitely be wounded for the rest of his life." kaelyn explained.

kaelyn was studying to become a doctor, in her study she now knows exactly where on the body a bullet can kill, and where it'll just wound you.

silent tears left jack's eyes, hugging the sobbing boy tighter, terrified as to what would happen if he let go.

"c'mon baby, let's go home okay?" jack whispered to his boyfriend, keeping his arms wrapped around him as he walked to the car.

while they were getting in, griffin had called out daniel's name. making the four stop in their places, looking toward him.

"were you just going to leave without seeing me?" the boy asked, approaching him.

"i didn't know where you were." daniel mumbled in response. "so you weren't even going to look for me? what if i was in the school daniel? what if i almost fucking died?"

zach had noticeably flinched and stiffened from griffin's words. experiencing the fear of the previous events run through him all over again.

"look griff i'm sorry but we're leaving and taking zach home alright?" daniel said more confidently, griffin then looked behind him, seeing zach still in jack's arms, obviously extremely shaken up.

"the fuck happened to him?" "he's scared, griffin!" the boy pulled a face before speaking again, "we were all scared daniel."

"were you the one who had a gun pointed at him?" daniel rhetorically asked. griffin stayed silent. "exactly, so stop being a dick and let me go home and be with my friend."

he didn't let griffin get a reply in before getting inside the car. the rest following after him.

"i thought you would have broken up with him there." jack stated, "it didn't seem like a good idea. imagine getting out of a school shooting and then being broken up with."

"wait so you are going to break up with him?" jack inquired, "i– c-can we change the topic?"

"yes, please!" zach eagerly agreed, desperately wanting to move on from the situation.

just wanting to go home and cuddle with jack, be with his friends. not at all wanting to think about the fact of almost dying.

"who's house?" jack wondered, "i have yet to see zach's house, is it possible to go there?"

jack turned to look at zach to make sure it was okay, "my dad is working until six, we should be good." so they drove off, leaving griffin who had still been standing outside the car.

if he was being honest, corbyn really wanted daniel to break up with griffin just then. he wanted to have daniel. wanted to be the only one daniel was with.

corbyn was a little disappointed that daniel didn't end things with griffin. started making him feel like he was being lead on yet again.

the four stepped inside zach's house, corbyn's eyes widening as he looked around. the herron house was beautiful.

zach's house was by far the richest one of the three. by far the biggest and had the most beautiful interior.

"how the hell is this your actually house? my place back in minnesota could fit inside this room twice!"

daniel just chuckled at the blonde. he truly was a cute one.