Graveyard | D.J.S.

꧁𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟼꧂

For the next week and a half, Zach stayed at my house. Every time someone knocked on the door, he answered, if I got a text, he read it.

I was in complete lockdown.

Currently, we were sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. I had Mason on my lap and the laptop was in front of us.

"Ten fifty-nine. Any second now" Zach says excitedly. Our dads were given permission to call us and with the time difference, it'll be 7 in the morning on their side and 11 at night on ours. Mason is currently asleep but still, I had him in my arms so that dad could see him. The ringing of an incoming call filled my ears and only fueled my excitement more. Zach quickly clicked the green answer button and the laptops screen was replaced with our dad's faces.

"Hey, kids" Uncle Josh says happily. FaceTime calls are something we always look forward to. Every time they leave it gets harder and harder so whenever they get granted the permission to call us we always make sure our schedules are clear. And if they aren't, we cancel anything that we have to do.

About ten minutes into talking with the older men on FaceTime, there's a knock on the door.

Zach and I look at each other in confusion and he stands up to go answer it.

"Did someone just knock on the door?" My dad asks looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. I nod my head, copying his expression until I heard the voice I hate.

"Where is she?" He asks.

"Leave"

"Let me speak to her" his voice is slurred and a bit mumbled to where I couldn't make things out completely but I could make it out enough.

"Get off this property" Zach was suddenly shoved backward and almost completely fell to his butt.

"Sargent Major Scott and First Sargent Herron. You are needed for patrol" someone says in the background.

"Alright kids we love you both and we will try and call again soon," Uncle Josh says kissing his hand and putting it on the screen.

"We love y'all too," I said smiling softly. I pick up Mason's little hand and wave bye to the older men as they hang up. After the call disconnected I gently got up off the floor and laid Mason on the couch.

"She doesn't want to talk to you man so leave"

"What the hell?" I whisper shout walking over to the two.

"Austyn let me talk to you. Let me explain-" I cut him off. I'm not ready to listen to him say I'm not good enough or that I was played the entire time.

"No. I don't want to hear that it meant nothing or that you regret it. I want to know why you did it and why you didn't push her off of you. I mean you've said multiple times that it didn't mean anything so tell me why. Why did you do it?" I ask. Walking closer as I spoke. I'm now standing beside Zach with a drunk boy in front of me. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was messy. I want to feel bad but I can't. He just stood there saying nothing.

"Okay then. Goodbye Daniel" I took the door from Zach's hand and shut it in the blue-eyed boy's face.

I didn't realize tears were falling down my face until Zach wiped my face with the pad of his thumbs.

"I liked him.. so much" a sob escaped through my lips. I haven't cried this whole week and now I am. "Why did he do this?"

Zach took me in his arms without hesitation and rocked us back and forth. My arms wrapped around his waist and held him tightly while his arms were around my shoulders making me position my head in the crook of his neck.