Panic! They're adopting you

Chapter 10 (TW)

Lizzie's Pov

"What the hell!" I heard, it was yelled from someone in the hallway, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to hide in my room today, I really don't want to talk to any of the boys.

I could hear them yelling all night, and then I heard someone whimpering in the bathroom. I hope it was just my imagination, Alex was really hard on the boys yesterday, from what I heard. He didn't scare me at first but now, I'm slightly frightened of him. I heard Jack and him talking about the fact that he hit Zack.

It was my fault that they were fighting, so they're probably planning my punishment right now, being kind until I trust them, just to snap. Like the girls at the orphanage, pretending we were friends until it would hurt most, and shoving me down the stairs head first.

I heard a knock on my door, and then it swung open, wow I could have been naked, what the fuck, that thought was quickly replaced by fear as I saw Rian walk in.

"Hey, Lizzie, is the blood on the floor from you?" He whispered in a gentle tone. Blood? I didn't. . . Not last night, I was to scared to leave my room.

The confusion must have been evident on my face.

" Goddamit, which one of the boys . . . Guys!" He yelled. "Meeting in the living room. Now!" I flinched back when he yelled, why'd you have to go and do something like that, now he has a reason to hit you!

" I'm sorry Lizzie I didn't mean to scare you." He said, looking a little guilty. Now look what you've done. Rian walked downstairs leaving me to my thoughts.

Zack's Pov

Whys Ri yelling? No one's been up long enough to piss him off. I walked out of my room, to see blood on the floor, shit! I must have bled on the floor when I left the bathroom. I checked my legs to see if i bled down my leg, or through my pants, apparently, I had done both, I'm completely fucked. I had to clean up before I went downstairs, I finished getting rid of the evidence and was sitting on my bed when Jack ran in.

" Zack, you need to come downstairs, Rians upset as all hell, and he won't explain until we all, with the exception of Lizzie, come down stairs." Jack said quickly. He yanked me up by arm and started dragging me down the stairs.

When we got to the bottom, I could tell Ri was extremely upset, his eyes were red like he had been crying.

"Okay Ri, Spill." I said, hoping that he hadn't seen the blood.

" I don't know Zachary Steven Merrick, I'm pretty sure you're the one who needs to spill, seeing as I found blood next to your door, and this in the cabinet with fresh blood on it." I looked at his hand, and saw the one thing I had hoped he wouldn't have, anything else i could have played off but a loose razor, with blood coating the corner, couldn't really be played off.

I heard Jack gasp, and Alex started crying, all of them were staring at me with varying levels of pity.

" Don't you dare." I said. " Don't look at me like that, I deserved it, Alex said himself yesterday that what happened to Lizzie was my fault."

" So, this is my fault? I pushed you to this?" Alex asked, his breathing was picking up, if we didn't calm him down he'd have a full blown panic attack. None of us know how to talk him down from one very quickly either.

" No! Alex you just told me the truth, what I did because of it wasn't your fault, okay?" I said. His breathing picked up even more.

" Zack you're making it worse. Go upstairs with Rian." Jack said. " And Rian, don't let him out of your sight. We'll all talk when Alex calms down, okay?" What am I five? I can take care of myself

"Well, if you call this taking care of yourself, you're doing a shitty job of it" Rian said. Okay well that thought wasn't internalized like I thought.

We passed Lizzie on the stairs, she gave me sad eyes, with the least amount of fear in them I've seen since she came here.

Jack's Pov

Alex wouldn't calm down, and now I was starting to freak out, if he didn't calm down he might pass out, and I wouldn't know what to do. I saw a movement from coming down the stairs, and then Lizzie was darting up to Alex, she wrapped his hand around her wrist.

" You can feel my heartbeat, I'm here, I'm not leaving, look up, Alex" Lizzie said demandingly, when he didn't comply, she put his other hand on her chest. " You can feel my breathing, yes?" He nodded, which was good, at least he was being responsive, he was still gasping for air.  "Now breathe with me okay? It's going to be okay, it's not your fault, Zacks going to be okay, we're going to be okay, alright?" She said. Alex had finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Thank you Lizzie. May I . . . Hug you?" Alex asked, hopefully, please don't say no, it'll crush him, he'd understand, but he'd be so hurt.

" Alex before I respond, you have to promise me something," She started.

"Sure, what is it?" He said.

"You can never punch anyone like that again, you scared me last night." She said, oh, kid, please don't upset him.

"O-okay." He said.

"Yes Alex, you can hug me, just not super tight please."

Alex's Pov

I can't believe she calmed me down, how did she know being touched would calm me down? Why is she letting me hug her after I hurt someone. How did she know about Zack, oh God, Zack. My breathing picked up again.

Lizzie grabbed my face and made me look her dead in the eye.

"Alex. It. Will. Be. Okay. Zack will heal. He'll get better, he's too strong not to." She said, in the sternest tone I have ever heard from her.

Lizzie's Pov

He'll be fine, he has to be.