Page 57 of Everything That Kills Me
“What was the point of school then? Just for a few weeks?”
“You’ll be going to a new one.”
“Where?”
“America.”
Fucking hell.Jack said nothing and thought plenty. What could he say to Zeph that would make any sense?
“It’s better this way,” Thomas said. “End all contact.”
Of course he’d know what Jack was thinking. But anger was pointless. Jack stayed quiet. Maybe he didn’t want this life after all.
Sixteen
When Zeph got back home on Sunday, he was in such a good mood, he found it hard to stop smiling. Even being told to weed the borders didn’t dampen his high spirits.I have a boyfriend! Someone on my side. Someone to talk to.It had all been so…perfect. His heart thumped when he thought about it. Jack had been into it just as much as he had.
But when he went in for lunch, he could hear Alice crying upstairs and wondered what had happened now. He didn’t ask. He didn’t want to hear it had something to do with him. Not yet anyway. Not while he was thinking the world was a different place because Jack wanted him.
It was like diving into a warm pool.
Soaring higher and higher on a swing until all he could see was sky.
Basking in the heat of the sun.
Feeling safe.
That was huge. Jack made Zeph felt safe.
Right until he had the phone call that evening.
He’d been excited when he answered it but almost at once, he knew by the tone of Jack’s voice that something was wrong.
“I have to leave the school,” Jack said. “We’re moving away.”
For a moment, Zeph couldn’t speak. “Where?” They could still see each other. Maybe have to stay over a weekend but—
“America.”
“Oh.” And Zeph’s new world lost all its colour. He slumped onto his bed.
“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered.
“It’s not your fault. We can email. Call each other. Maybe I can save up and come and stay. We can—”
“I can’t.”
It took Zeph a few moments to understand what Jack was saying. That they wouldn’t see each other again, they couldn’t keep in contact. But he didn’t understand why. He mouthed the wordwhybut it didn’t come out of his mouth.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to go but I don’t have any choice. I’ll miss you.”
The call ended and Zeph felt as if part of him had ended too.
He stayed in his room the rest of the night. No one came to see if he was okay.
The next morning, it was hard not to see Jack waiting in the yard. Although Scott and Rufus had left him alone. Maybe they could tell that he wasn’t to be messed with at the moment.
The first lesson was maths. When the teacher made a comment about Zeph not having someone to challenge him now Jack had left, he thought he was going to throw up. He couldn’t concentrate and asked to go to the bathroom. Only there did the pain escape, a wounded sob that he couldn’t hold in. He tried Jack’s number and found it blocked.
