I'm Not Giving Up On You

CH: 5 Mark's Discovery

Mark didn't know what was wrong with Jack. He had never been around anyone going through what Jack was, and he wasn't even sure what was wrong with him! Then Mark came to a startling realization. What had happened to Jack just before Mark had left? Jack had been on the ground, practically hyperventilating. What was happening to him right now? Was he ok? Was he dead? His face visibly pales of his friend, lying dead in his living room- he stopped himself before he thought of anything else scary like that. So he headed back up the Jack's apartment, he couldn't give up on him yet. But then again he said he wanted to be alone...

Mark was at the elevator that would take him up to Jack's floor. Jack said he wanted him to leave, that he wanted to be alone. But had he really meant it? Had he really wanted to shut him out? Sure, Mark had been a douchbag by inviting himself over, but Jack always used to say he was lonely, Mark thought Jack would be ecstatic to have him over. He ignored the pit in his stomach that told him to turn around and run back to LA.

He was at Jack's door now. He had his hand raised to the door, he was about to knock, when he heard a faint cry, as if someone was drowning and was shouting for help. Mark was horrified by the sound, standing stock still in the doorway. He heard it again, then a curse word. Then the voice of his friend. "Stupid, he'll never come back, he doesn't care, just like everyone else." His face fell, Jack was talking about him. He heard shuffling, a door slam, and several minutes later, whimpering. Mark couldn't take it anymore. He knocked. The apartment's occupant let out the loudest whimper yet, and spoke in a high pitched, horas voice. "Who-Who's there?" "It's me, Mark, I came back because I realized that I shouldn't have done what I did." He said. Tears beginning to form in his eyes. "What did you do?" Jack's voice was muffled by doors and distance.

Mark could hear more shuffling, then a door open a close. "I forced my way here, I didn't let you really make the decision. I realize that somethings going on and I shouldn't have put myself in the middle of it, I thought you needed me. But now I know that I should have just let you be, it's your business." Mark finished his little speech with rows of tears cascading down his cheeks, as if they were little army men, setting out on their next mission. There was more shuffling from inside and then Jack opened the door, he was wearing different clothes and he had a very nervous stature. "You were right Merk, something is going on and it is my business, I already have too much outside forces trying to do me in, I don't need you too." He said, his voice low, though he looked more hurt than angry. Mark nodded vigorously. "I understand, I'll be on the next flight to LA, if you want?" Mark asked, he was subtly trying to beg Jack to let him stay, there was something telling him that Jack still needed him. "Yeah, I tink tat's a good idea, how about I go get somethin' to eat from ta shop deli down ta street and you look for ta ticket." Jack backed into the apartment and as Mark turned to shut the door behind him he heard the soft click of a lock. He turned around to find Jack stuffing his wallet in his hoodie pocket. He was about to say something about it but Jack brushed past him and grabbed his keys. He then sped out the door and down the hall without even shutting the door.

Mark shut the door for him, he was obviously trying to get away from Mark, but where had that locking sound come from? He decided to investigate. He walked over to Jack's room, it wasn't a long walk, the apartment was tiny. He turned to nob and pushed, the door coming open easily, clearly it wasn't that one. He walked to the bathroom, the only other room in the place with a door. He put his hand on the nob turned, simultaneously pushing, though the door didn't budge. Mark furrowed his brows, why would the bathroom door be locked if no one was inside? So he investigated further into the kitchen, he didn't want to invade Jack's privet room just yet. The kitchen contained the same things it had an hour earlier. Snacks Mark enjoyed, such as gummy candy, though he knew Jack hated those. They got it his teeth too much. But what foods Mark knew Jack liked, they weren't present in the cupboards. Seeing nothing new and suspicious Mark headed for Jack's bedroom, noticing that it had been around thirty minutes since Jack had left. He open's Jack's door, his room was the smallest Mark had seen, he had yet to see the bathroom. It only had enough room for his bed, a small twin size, a desk, and a small wardrobe that seemed to be over flowing with not only his clothes, but other things, like old filming stuff he didn't need anymore, and it seemed the bottom was filled with slightly organized games. Mark looked over at the pillow case Jack had brought to the couch earlier, it was sitting on his bed now. Halfheartedly stuffed under the only pillow Jack seemed to own. He really didn't want to look through it. He didn't need to, he could just leave and sit on the couch, on his phone, until Jack got back. He could eat supper and go home tomorrow morning, leave it as Jack's business. But he couldn't. Something was wrong and Mark was determined to know what it was. Jack needed help, he just wouldn't take. So he walked toward it, and picked it up. He opened it, but he could not see inside, so he turned it upside down, and what fell out was horrifying, and he wished he had never seen it.

Several detached razor blades were sprawled on the bed, along with several bottles of meds. He looked closer to the bottles, they were anxiety medication. "Jack had Anxiety?" Mark questioned, but then he heard the front door opening, along with the mumbling voice of Jack. Mark's heart began to race and he carefully picked up each razor and pill bottle and put them back in the pillow case. He would confront Jack about that later. He hurried in the next room, scrounging for an excuse to be in Jack's room, but turns out he didn't need one. Jack was rested with his knees tightly up against his chest, his back against the door. He was looking at a small piece of paper. "What's that?" He asked, hoping Jack had slightly forgiven him. Then he noticed that Jack didn't have any grocery bags with him. "And where's the groceries?" He asked. Jack didn't even attempt to answer his questions before someone knocked on the door. "Who Is that?" Mark asked. But Jack didn't answer, he just stood, a confused look on his face, and shyly opened the door.

Hey my Lovely Peeps! This chapter is a bit shorter than I would have like it to be but I promise the next one will be extra long (Now that I think about it I might split it up, but that depends on the word count) and I upload this story on Mondays now, if you hadn't noticed. I know people who self harm, it isn't a good thing. People do it to get rid of mental pain. It may seem like a good idea at first, it may feel good because it clouds your mind and takes away whatever pain your feeling. But it doesn't make anything better. It doesn't make anything fine. In fact it makes things worse. You have to hide it, and it's there forever. It doesn't just heal and go away like a scrape or cut you get when you fall, it will be there for the rest of your life. It just makes things worst in the long run. So please. Respect yourself. Respect your future that you DO have. Respect your beautiful body. It not only hurts you, but the people around you. When I saw the scares of a friend of mine it scared me, I had never seen anything like it before. It hurt me that she did this to herself. She did them before I met her and all I wished in that moment was that I could go back in time and stop her, and save her from that. But I can't, it's been done. So please, don't cause more trouble, look at things in the long run. It's bad now, but it will get better, it has to. Because if your on the bottom there is only one way to go. UP. Write you later my Lovely Peeps!

-That Weird Author