Jungle Boy -Justin Bieber-

Chapter 39: The harsh truth

Bea Ashby:

Weeks have gone by since Justin's gone missing in the jungle.

It's been a week since he's been recently found, but he hasn't come home.

Unfortunately, I have no information on what is going on. Dad has been keeping things to himself, barely even telling Jennifer about the situation. When she talks to him over the phone, she always leaves the room.

It's 2 in the morning and I've snuck back into Justin's room once again. I haven't been sleeping in my own bed. I can't help it, I miss him too much.

Although I don't know everything, I was able to get little bits and pieces of what happened. They think Justin ran away to stay on the island instead of returning home with us. In a way, it made total sense. At the same time, I couldn't believe it. 

Justin didn't want to come home with us.

I tried not to think about it too much like that, but the idea kept nagging at me. Obviously I was a little upset about that because I thought Justin had grown to like us all, to feel that New York City was his home... that we were his home. 

I think the idea bothered my dad a lot too, considering he cared for Justin with everything within him. Justin was more than an experiment or test subject to him. He wanted to give Justin a shot at having a normal life off an island and to have a family and be around other people.

My fists were balled up and I felt my fingernails digging into the palm of my skin. Sighing, I force myself to unclench my fists and distract myself with my essay that  I needed to write for english class.

Jamie also tired to distract me by inviting me out and trying to get me to hang out, but I was just too worried about Justin. Even Grant tried to persuade me in coming to Brandon's birthday part last weekend, but I refused right away.

I'm still sitting at my desk at around 11 PM when Noah comes barging into my room with Jennifer right behind him. "Beatrice," Jennifer calls out, "Your dad is back." 

I practically jump out of my seat and follow the other two down the stairs of our house into the kitchen where my dad shrugged off his coat and rested his head into the palm of his hands.

We stood around him, unsure what to say. Jennifer slowly approaches him, only wearing her black silk pyjamas with a robe pulled over. Both Noah and I are also wearing our own set of pyjama pants. 

"Is everything... all right?" 

Dad shakes his head, rubbing his hands down his face. He looks exhausted and you can see it in his eyes and from the eye bags that show off the lack of sleep he's gotten and not to mention from the way he hutches over in his seat. 

"No..." Dad whispers and I feel my heart break from the simple word. 

I already know it. He doesn't have to say it and I don't want to hear him say the words I'm dreading to hear. I want to leave and Noah senses it because he grips onto my wrist so tightly that I fail to retract it from him.

"You need to hear him say it, Bea." He holds his ground, keeping his head straight. We both know I need to hear the truth because otherwise I'd be holding onto false hope. 

I know he's right, but I can't stay here and listen to what my dad has to say. I already know what he's going to say and I don't think I can handle it. The idea of it just scares me. 

Dad is still looking at anywhere besides us. "Justin will not be returning to stay with us..." He says lowly.

My heart practically shatters and I find myself clenching my fists again. Noah still has a grip on my wrist and it only seems to tighten. It hurts, but I can't bring myself to tell him to let go because I know that the second he does, I'll be out of the room.

Jennifer's lips part, but she can't seem to form the right words. None of us can. We've all grown to adore the boy from the island and now the idea of him not returning home to us was unbelievable. I guess we all hoped that somehow he would return.

Noah is staring ahead of himself, keeping his calm. Jennifer is the first to speak up. "Surely you can see him again... maybe we can visit him while he's with Doctor-"

"No," Dad is quick to stand up. There's a firm tone in his voice, letting us know that Jennifer's suggestion is not an option. "Not only have I lost custody of Justin, but I lost my privileges to even be in contact with him and that includes the rest of you." 

Tears form in my eyes and for once, my dad looks me right in the eyes. "Especially not you, Beatrice." 

And from those words I know he knows about how much I felt for Justin and now so does everyone else, including the board and Doctor Terrenlot who may have seen it from the start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

Yikes this chapter is super short and it sucks cause I'm the one who wrote it lol. Anyway Justin will no longer be with the Ashby + Mayhew family :( I have a few more chapters planned out, but I just have to figure out how to write them out. The story will soon be coming to an end!!

Thank you for all your endless support my lovelies :))

-Diana