life & death | jack wilder ✓

VII

VII

"life is full of lots of ups and downs.
When you need a shoulder to cry on,
When you need a friend to rely on,
and if the whole world is gone, you won't be alone
'cause I'll be there."

-Tommy Page, Shoulder to Cry On.

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Listen to Tommy Page, Shoulder to Cry On
and Backstreet Boys, Shape Of My Heart.

THEO ASHBOURNE AND I MET back in high school. We bumped into each other at the football field. He was the star quarterback and I was just some girl who joined the track race. Frankly speaking, I loved running and I also loved running away from my problems. At the time, my life was messy, chaotic and alone. I was like a red m&m in a bowl filled with blue m&ms. It was when the cancer started. Marc was there with me, he's been with me through thick and thin but Theo was the one who brought me back to reality. The one who said 'Expecto Patronum' to the dementors who were giving me their famous 'kiss'.

And yes, I did lie to Henley during our first encounter. Mum and Dad loved each other deeply until she was diagnosed with cancer. Dad was devastated. He would occasionally not eat for a week nor sleep and look like shit. His hair was growing out, a beard was starting to show and dark bags under his eyes. He wasn't the only one who experienced this. I did too. On some school days, I would skip classes and lay down on the 'sick' bed in the nurse's office. I was slowly loosing my sanity. We helped her in every way until Dad decided to step down and left.

She left at midnight and I was sleeping on the empty space of her bed, holding her hand. She had been stroking her trembling fingers against my hair and cheek while telling her the events that happened on that day. I'd mentioned Theo a lot to her. I've never discussed my personal stuffs to my dad. She was happy for me and told me she'd like to meet him but sadly, she died the next day.

It was ironic because when I was thinking about the time Theo and I met on the tracks, I was actually running except this time not from my problems but from the FBI. It's not an everyday thing running away from the FBI especially when your dad's chasing after you with a gun.

I looked over my shoulder as I ran, my hair flying everywhere, blocking my view to see who was running after me. I caught a glimpse of blond hair. It was my dad's partner, Alma Dray. Thankfully, I wore a pair of converse unlike Henley, who wore high heels. I jumped over a brick wall, running towards the place we were supposed to meet to fly back to New York. Surprisingly, I've managed to not talk to the other Horsemen unless it is really necessary and they did not ask any questions. Jack looked dreadful the next morning. We were woken up hours after midnight by loud knocks on the door revealing a drunken Jack. I took a sharp turn to the left to see the building we were supposed to assemble. A private helicopter sat on the roof with its blinding lights shining down on the street. Obviously, the FBIs were going to find out but thankfully, Merritt had successfully hypnotised an agent into telling all other agents that it was a ride for Madonna.

I ran up the flight of cracked stairs and made it to the top roof floor. Leaping into the helicopter, I saw all the rest there and took a seat beside Henley. She gave me a small smile, which I usually return back, but instead I looked away. Everyone must've felt the tension and made a right decision to shut up.