Rusty's Secret

30. Bad News

"Ugh.." Rusty groans as he turns off his alarm. "Rusty! C'mon! The bus is on its way!" His mum yells from the other room. Rusty rose out of bed and exited his room.

He slowly sits down next to Dusty at the kitchen table. Their mum placed a plate of buttered toast in front of them. Her phone started to ring as she walked over to the counter. She didn't imeaditly recognize the number, but after a few seconds, she eventually answered.

"Hello?"

"Yes, this is she"

"W-What?"

"O-Ok...Thank you..."

They notice their mum's eyes start to fill up with tears. She hangs up the phone with tears still in her eyes. "W-What's wrong, mum?" Dusty asked curiously. Their mum sniffles before answering. "T-They said your father....H-He got in a helicopter accident...H-He's in the hospital...T-They don't know if he's going to make it..." She sobbed.

"What? m-mum, don't joke around like this!" Rusty shouted, hoping she wasn't telling the truth. "I....I-I'm not j-joking..." she cried. "H-He's going to be okay, right...?" Dusty asked as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I-I don't think so..." Their mum responded. "

Jack waited for Rusty on the bus. Rusty never came. He sat alone as he stared out the window and counted each bird he saw fly by. He took out his phone and texted Rusty to make she he was okay.

Jack: Hey Rus. Where are you today?

Jack waited for the response, but the response never came. He sighed as the bus stopped at the school.

He walked with the rest of his friends as they all got off the bus. "Do any of you know why Rusty is absent?" He asked them all. "No, he's probably sick or something" Bluey shruged. "But he usually texts me if he's gonna be absent" Jack informed her. "It's fine, Jack. He probably just slept in or missed the bus" Mackenzie responded.

They all sat their at the kitchen, trying to hold in their tears as they waited for the bad news. Their mum's phone rang again and she quickly answered it.

"H-Hello?"

"Yes this is me again..."

"O-Oh..."

"T-T-Thank you..."

She hung up and broke down into tears. "W-What'd they say mum!" Dusty yelled, hoping for some good news. "H-H-He's gone!" She screams. Dusty took a few steps back as tears fell out of her eyes. Rusty just stared at them as he ran into his room and slammed the door.

Jack: Hey Rusty, where are you? Are you sick?

Jack: Hello?

Jack: Rusty are you ok?

Jack: Rusty....?

Rusty sobs into his pillow until it was soaked in tears. He doesn't hear the notifications over his crying. He opens up the drawer and takes out the dogtag his dad he gave him. He stares down at it for a while as his tears drip onto it.

"Are you still texting Rusty?" Indy asked Jack. "Yes! I'm worried! What if something happend!" Jack shouts, holding his phone. "Jack, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about" Bluey tries to calm him down. "Bluey, he's my boyfriend! I have a right to be worried! You would understand if you had one!" Jack yells as he looks back at his phone. "Yeah, about that..." Bluey responded shyly.

"I'm gonna call him" Jack announced. "Jack, I just think you're overreacted" Bluey said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Just leave me alone!" Jack shouted. Jack stared at Bluey as she removed her hand from his shoulder. "I....S-Sorry..." Jack apologized. He clicked on Rusty's contact picture and began to call him.

BRIIIINGGGG

"Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up"

BRIIIINGGGG

"Rusty, please! Please pick it up!"

BRIIIINGGGG

"H-Hello...?" Rusty answered sadly. "Rusty! A-Are you okay? Why are you absent?" Jack asked frantically. Rusty sighed. "....I-I don't really wanna talk about it right now...." Rusty responds. Jack could tell he was crying. "Wh-Why not? Is it bad...?" Jack asks worrily. "Y-Yeah, kind of....Listen...I'll tell you on Monday..." Rusty replied. "O-Ok...Bye..." Jack replied as he hung up the phone.