Modern High - 24. Chapter 20 - Falling out

Modern High

Chapter 20

Falling out

Walking back home, the wind whipping around me was making my whole body shiver, it was bad enough that I just found my boyfriend half-naked standing in the doorway of Toby’s house. Now I have to worry about freezing to death. Maybe death isn’t such a bad idea. If only Jacob had told me what was going on, I would have understood; I would have...

“Hello?”

“Zach?”

“Yea, what’s up Nathan?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just nothing... It’s...”

“It’s what? Talk to me, Zach.”

“Jacob,” I huffed out.

“What about him? Did you finally get to talk to him?”

“Not exactly, Nathan. I... I found him at Tob... Toby’s house.”

“Oh, no. Zach, I’m so, so sorry,” Nathan paused. “Jacob didn’t tell you, did he?”

“No, Nathan... He didn’t.”

“Alright here’s what’s going on,” Nathan sighs and then he pauses. “It was at the party, that you were not invited too, sorry.” He pauses again. “Jacob got to drinking and he was having a ball, he and this girl Jessica were dancing, also having fun. Then one thing leads to another, and well, he had to sit down. After that, Zach, I saw him talking to Toby. Yes, I know... I hate him too, but they walked upstairs together.” I thought he was done so I was going to say something... However, he quickly spoke again. “Everyone saw them heading upstairs, Zach. But no-one said anything, which was something utterly weird.”

“So is that it? They walked upstairs together?”

“Well, yea. However, Zach... Where are you?”

“Walking home, trying to decide if killing myself is easier than this pain that's in my heart.”

“I know you’re hurting Zach, but there’s more.”

“MORE! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” I screamed.

“Zach, can you sit anywhere. This is going to be hard enough.”

“Sure.” After sitting down in the middle of the cold concrete, chattering my teeth away, I let Nathan continue. “Ok, I’m sitting. Start talking before my nuts freeze.”

“Hah! Alright...” Nathan giggled a little bit more before he continued. “The rumor going around is that Jacob and Toby have a thing going on... Meaning they’re seeing each other.”

“Why on earth would Jacob choose to be with someone like Toby if he knew what he was like? Just why would he still date me, then?” I silently cried, as the wind continued to whip around me, making my world feel even shittier than it already was.

“I’m sorry, Zach, but you wanted to know...”

“Yea, I know, but I didn’t know it was going to be all that and more.”

“I still can’t believe he didn’t tell you... Who told you where he was, anyway?”

“His mother.”

“Ah, ok.”

“Listen Nathan, I gotta go. Talk to you later, perhaps?”

“Yea, yea. Sure Zach.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Nathan sounded, I don’t know, like he didn’t wanna hang up on me. If it was because he thought that I was going to do something stupid, he might be right. I wouldn’t hold it against him, if he did.

♫ I was coming to the end of a long, long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge.
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along.
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed.
He said, "You know, I haven't always been this way..."♫

Walking past South Beach, in my own little world, my eye caught a glimpse of a person sitting on a bench facing the ocean. It intrigued me enough to make me stop and stare before I even considered walking over there. Once my legs started moving, I knew what was about to happen. Instead of resisting the temptation, I rolled with the idea of talking to a stranger this late at night. I walked past the bench, making the person think that I was going to the water, but instead I just stood there, waiting for this stranger to speak first.

A while has gone by since I've been standing near the bench; the stranger sitting there hasn’t once turned his head or noticed that I've been standing there. It started to creep me out that he hasn’t said anything. Soon I began to think he was just an imaginary person, one that I've created to fill the gap that I so desperately wanted or needed. So instead of standing there waiting for him to say something, I decided to sit with him, maybe that will make him notice that I've been waiting for him to talk.

When the man finally did speak, I jumped. “You know that broken heart of yours isn’t going to heal if you don’t forgive the person for what’s he’s done, don’t you?” he asked, making me slip off the bench and hit the sandy beach hard. How did he know about my broken heart, and the guy?

“How... How did... did you know about that?” I asked timidly.

“Young man, I have been around for a long, long time. There’s nothing in this world that I haven’t seen... or done, for that matter. So, what is it going to take for you to forgive this other young man?”

I still couldn’t get over the fact that he knew! Am I that readable?

“No, you’re not that readable, it’s the way you’re acting...”

“So, how come you knew then?”

“Very simple actually, it’s your body language.”

That’s all, like seriously? You have to be shitting me...

“No Zachary, I don’t shit anyone.”

“Ok, now that’s creepy...”

The man sitting next to me smirked, it was somewhat weird, but it felt right, I guess.

“Zach, in your lifetime things are going to happen, it’s up to you if you forgive what happens or not. Yes, it is that easy... if you have been around long enough like I have.”

“I have a question?”

“Yes, go ahead and ask.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking, or better yet how do you know, period?”

“I can’t really tell you that, but I can say this...” He paused, leaving the night once again in silence. Looking out at the ocean, it seemed surreal, eerie, like the steam rising off the waves that crashed, the rumble that followed instantly after. Like a meditation, of some sort. “... Zach,” Again he made me jump. Is it me or does he like doing that? I grabbed my chest because my heart rate was going wild, like a fire that couldn’t be extinguished. “Hah! Young man, you have a heart like a lion. Don’t ever give up on life. God knows. If only I could turn back time...”

“I don’t know if life is even worth living anymore or not. I guess I put so much into the relationship that I couldn’t see what Jacob was doing. I wanted him so much that I was willing to give my life for him. But that has all changed. Jacob doesn’t want me anymore... He... He wants Toby, the asshole.” I started to bawl right there, next this stranger. I didn’t care though. I wanted a release from this pain, a pain that was ripping a hole in my heart. It hurt so much that I couldn’t see the stranger wrap his arm around me.

He held me like that until my tears had dried up, leaving me sitting there feeling empty from the inside out. We didn’t say anything for what felt like ten minutes. It started to get creepy. I moved away from him.

“It’s alright, Zach. I know exactly how you feel; it’s alright to cry also. Believe me, I have done my fair share.” The man smiled at me, I smirked back him.

“Listen, mister, I don’t want you to think that I'm weak, because I’m not. What Jacob and I had, I wanted to last a very long time. I guess the long time became short.”

“I understand perfectly, Zach. Things will get better, you’ll see. Have faith; what you’re going through now will seem like a peace of cake later.” He pats me on my back and stands up. “Have a goodnight, don’t stay out too much longer, Zach. Things like to move in the darkness around here,” he chuckles.

“You too, mister.” When I turned around to see him walk away, he was nowhere to be seen. Tilting my head, while scratching it, I wondered how he walked away so fast... “Could he be...? Nah! He couldn’t be, could he?” I asked myself, as my mood tumbled back down to a depressed one, leaving me once more feeling despondent, as my emotions ran rampant.

Getting up from that bench took longer than I expected it to. Looking at my cell showed that it was nearing two a.m. Wondering what I should do now, I headed for my home. I think tonight has been one of the times that I wished things worked out as they were supposed to.

♫ I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
(He says)

"I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do...

Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through..."♫

TBC

Author’s note

Thanks to Pete, you guys/gals got to see what happened to Zach after he left Toby’s house. Originally, Jacob was supposed to be the main character in this chapter. However, I guess it worked out for the better. I know it is a gloomy/sad one... :-(

In addition, thanks to Ricky for helping me throughout this chapter, without him I wouldn’t have gotten very far.

I have a question for you guys/gals to answer... What supernatural creature was Zach talking to? I’ll give a hint, it bites! Muhahahaha...

Till next time, when Jacob and Toby have a very creative indecisive-fullness discussion.

Remijay <3 ((Hugz)) Take Care and Be Safe!