What Are You Hiding? (Tofuudiger Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

After my other classes, it's finally the end of 9th period, which means that Joe is to meet a mysterious guy approximately 10 minutes from now. I quickly pack up my belongings and head to the back gym entrance, trying to get there before anyone else. I check the time on my phone. It read, "2:45." There is five more minutes until someone shows up. I begin to hear footsteps behind me. One of them is here. I leap into one of the bushes in the school garden nearby. I scrape my knee a little bit and it starts to bleed. I look through the bush and I see that it is Joe who's footsteps I heard before. I check the time again. It is 2:48.

Finally a sketchy-looking guy comes around the corner with a hood over his head and his hands in his pockets. He finally unveils his head and he revealed to be Liam Coppins (A/N: PBomb reference, anyone? :D), the most intimidating and sketchy guy in school. I am utterly confused on what he wants from Joe. They never talk to each other, at least I've never seen them talk, so what does Liam want from Joe?

"Uh, hey, Liam. So... What do you want today?" Joe asks nervously.

"You know exactly what I want," Liam says crossing his arms. "Where's my money? You promised you would pay your debt last week and you still haven't payed back yet. You don't think I would forget didn't you? Do you think I'm stupid, you punk?"

With that, Liam punches Joe in the stomach. He clenches and holds his stomach in pain but stands right back up. It looks as if Liam is preparing for another blow. I try my hardest to refrain from screaming or coming out to protect him.

"Liam, please, I promise I'll have your money soon. Please have mercy on me. I have to use money to help my family. I can't have it all so soon," Joe pleads.

"Unless you can somehow return all the drugs that you borrowed from me, I want my cash tomorrow."

Liam looks as if he is trying his hardest to not hit Joe again and I am trying my hardest not to come out of the bush and defend him. Liam finally rages and leaves, leaving Joe with his face in his hands. Finally, Joe decides to walk back to his car and drive home. Now I come out of the bush and walk to my own car. As I enter the car and start the engine, I can't help but to feel extremely apprehensive.

Drugs? I think. Joe has been doing drugs?

I run through the thoughts of my mind. Liam is threatening Joe, assumably for not paying him back for drugs that he borrowed. I can't believe what he's doing. I decide to drive to his house, just to cheer him up. I'm finally at his house and walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. There's no answer. Joe's car is parked on the driveway so he must be home but Joe's parents don't seem to be home. I wonder what he may be doing. Minutes pass and I begin to grow anxious. Something must be wrong. I walk around Joe's house and check the back door. Surprisingly and luckily, it is unlocked. I enter the house quietly, careful not to make any startling noises.

Taking the risk, I shout, "Joe, are you here?"

There is no answer. I am worried that he thinks that I am an intruder-- well technically, I am an intruder, but I don't want Joe to think I come to harm or scare him.

"Joe, it's me, Zack. I'm sorry that I barged in, but I just wanted to spend time with you, you know? Please come out, I promise I'm not a robber or a murderer."

Still there is no answer.

"Joe?"

I begin to walk around the downstairs. I check the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, the bathroom, and the office. No luck. I begin to walk upstairs and check his bedroom, but he is nowhere to be found. Finally, I check the bathroom. There I find a silhouette of a body behind the shower curtain lying in the shower tub.

"Joe? Joe? Uh, are you okay? Joe? Talk to me please," I nervously say, slowly approaching the shower.

I finally gather the guts to open the curtain. There lied Joe, unconscious with pills and bottles of alcohol blanketing all over his body. His breathing is uneven and there seems to be cuts all over his wrists. I panic as tears start forming in my eyes. I'm speechless. Instinctively, I pull out my cell phone and dial 911. The ringing seems as if it was going on for forever. My vision became blurry and the constant ringing sounds like it turned to butter and melted and drained away. I am sitting in silence and the image of Joe's aching body slowly fades away and soon I am sitting in darkness. My breathing intensifies and holds for a few seconds, then becomes intense again. It feels as if I am shrinking, shrinking away until I fade, myself.

Finally, "911, what's your emergency?" snaps me back to reality.