Noodle Boy | Jachary | Book One

Twelve

Zach

The room was dark as if all the lights in the world went out. I moved a tad bit and felt my back fill up with pain.

My eyes shot open and I groaned and moved again, causing more pain.

"Zach!" I felt hands wrap around my arms and hold me down. I struggled against them until my eyes met Jack and I relaxed. I noticed his bandaged arm and my mind filled with memories of last night. I also noticed his lip was busted and had a faint black eye.

"Zach it's all right." He said. I shook my head.

"He hurt you didn't he?" I asked looking away from him. He slowly nods his head.

"But Zach, I'm fine-"

"No." I look him in the eyes. "You're not. You hurt yourself because of me, because of what I did. You're hurt Jack." I shook my head. "Because of me."

His phone goes off. He glances at it and sighs, pressing answer and letting go of me to leave the room. I shook my head and reached for my phone on the nightstand with a few shots of pain.

I had a few notifications from the boys telling me to be strong and that they know what happened. Jack or my mother must've filled them in.

As I texted all the boys I was okay, Jack came back in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"That was May. She is a friend." He said sighing and running a hand through his hair, pulling it lightly.

He leaned over and grabbed me lightly on the waist. Tingles ran through my body as he began to lift me into a sitting position. His touch eased the pain.

"Let's get you changed and bandaged up." He said helping me up and bringing me to the bathroom. My back burned as he helped take off my shirt.

"Oh my..." he says tracing the marks. I winced and he let go of me.

"Sorry." He shook his head and his curls shook with it. He went to the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom. I looked over my shoulder as he bends down to grab the gauze, medical tape, peroxide and a cloth. He sets it on the counter and pours the peroxide on the cloth.

"I'm not the best at this." He said. "And it's going to hurt." He slowly places it on the middle of my marks. I grunted and started falling but caught myself on the counter with my hand.

"Shit. I'm sorry." He said taking it off of mu back. I shook my head.

"Keep going. I need it cleaned." He looked at me through the mirror and I nodded. He slowly placed it on my back and I grunted again.

He did that for about thirty to forty minutes until it was raw but clean. He quickly started patching me up and when he was finished he smiled at me through the mirror.

"Done. It will still be sore so be careful." He said. He ran out of the room and back with a shirt, pants, and a pair of boxers. I blushed as he handed me the pair and walked out.

I sighed and quickly changed, and as I grabbed my shirt, I smiled when I noticed it was the faded pink one from the store I met Eli in. Now that I think of it, I haven't talked to him since.

I talked out of the bathroom with a bit of struggle. My back still hurt, but a bit less now that it was bandaged up.

"There goes one of my plain grey tee-shirts." I mumble grabbing the blood stained shirt and throwing it in the garbage.

I stumble out of my room and into the hallway. I slowly walk into the kitchen to see my mom making lunch. I guess I slept through breakfast.

She turns to me and smiles, happiness filling her eyes. "Zachary!"

"Hey Ma." I say. My eyes look to her faint black eye and bruises on her arms. I quickly walk up to her, with the best of my abilities, and lightly touch them.

"He did this, didn't he." I say. The happiness dies from her eyes as she slowly nods.

"God- Ugh!" I said. I didn't want to swear knowing my siblings were in the other room, but they probably heard it enough every other night.

"Zach, I am fine. Really-" I shook my head and lowered it, grabbing ahold of my mom's hands.

"I'm sorry." I said, tears brimming my eyes. "You shouldn't have to go through this on your own. You shouldn't even have to go through it at all.

"But it is all because of me. I screwed up your life, Momma. I'm sorry about that." I looked up at her, the floodgates opening and tears rolled down my face. "But please don't leave me because of it. You only get one Mama in a lifetime." I sniffled but continued with a small smile.

"I can't believe you didn't turn against me. For what I am. For who I love. And I'm happy for that cause I would be lost without you." I sobbed lightly as I placed my head on top of hers. "I-I love you mama. I don't know what I would do, what I would be, without you. You were my biggest fan from day one and I love you for that. I love you for going through this life, this pain, of raising me and making me who I am now. I am happy you chose me over him." I sighed and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around me lightly and smiled.

"Why would I leave my little Zachary? You're the reason I deal with this because I know, at the end of the day, you are my son. The one I look forward to seeing every time you come home. I love you so much." She said kissing my forehead. I smiled and turned my head so it was resting on top of hers.

"Momma! The grilled cheese!" I yelled laughing. She quickly moved from me to the stove and moved the sandwich off, setting it onto a plate. One side of it was burned while the other was not cooked. She glanced back at me with a playful glare.

"You are eating that one."

——
There you go! Did you all think that was sad paragraphs?

Word Count: 1083