So It Seemed // Why Don't We ✔

Chapter 7

"I don't know what you're going through
But there's so much life ahead of you"
-Hold On by Shawn Mendes

"It's okay to not be okay." -13 Reasons Why

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I turned around, coming face to face with Zach. My heart dropped knowing the young boy almost saw me jump.

"Zach."

"Milan. Why?" He asked, tears too close to falling.

"I'm sorry, Zach. I can't take it anymore." I told him sadly.

He broke down and I ran to him. I held him in my arms. He may be slightly older, but that didn't stop me. I hugged him so tight, and realized that I too had started crying.

He looked up at me from our spot on the ground, "Why, Milan?"

"Zach, I can explain... just not now. Why did you follow me?" I asked.

"I had to. I told the other boys to stay back. I-I sprinted after you, making sure to stay back a bit. I had to make sure you'd be okay. And if I hadn't, I wouldn't have my best friend." He confessed.

I hugged him tightly again, "Thank you. I don't know what I was thinking. You pretty much saved my life."

"You're good. You have so much to live for, Mikey. I can't imagine a world with you gone. You're a great, smart, skating, pretty, funny girl. I don't know why you would do this, and I hope I know soon.

But for now, I need you to know you are such an important person to the people around you. Your family, they love you as do we.

Me, you're like if I had a twin sister. Corbyn, he's called you an angel too many times to count. Jack, he says your his best-skating-friend. Daniel, he says no one knows how happy he is that you almost ran into him at Greenleaf Cafe. And Jonah, he says your his favorite. He says you mean the world to him and he would spend the rest of his life protecting you. Don't do this to him, to us. You just have to hold on, no matter what people say."

I looked at the young boy that caught me off guard, "Thank you, Zach. I didn't know that's how you all felt."

"Of course. You're like our sister."

"We should probably head back. You know, before they come looking for us." I told him.

"Yeah, we should. If they ask what happened, what do we say?" He asked me.

"Let's just say I came here to clear my head, you followed, and told me to tell you guys when I'm ready. Good?" I suggested.

"Good."

We headed back to the house after helping eachother up. We walked inside to see the boys sitting on the couch looking stressed. Jonah jumped up.

"Thank god, Milan. Are you okay?" He asked me.

I hesitated looking at Zach and lied, "Yeah, just fine."

We watched a couple movies before I headed home. I couldn't stop thinking about if I had jumped. What would Zach have told them? Told my family? He wouldn't be able to recover.