Ready or Not | Jurassic World

Chapter Eight: Unpack Your Heart

Zach sighs faintly as he flops down on the fluffy couch, shielding his dazed eyes from the illuminated lamp on the end table. Apparently four hours of sleep isn't enough to make up for five lost years; what a shocker. "Hey, Mom, when does Gray get out of school? I want to take a small nap before he comes home so I'm well-rested."

Karen places her car keys on a hook beside the front door, methodically adjusting them until they hang perfectly straight. She takes a quick glance at the ever-ticking clock above the flatscreen TV, instantly spinning on her heel to face Zach. "Well, you have about five, four, three, two, one-"

Gray all of the sudden bursts through the front door, both Boston and Tyler trailing close behind him. "Hey, Mom, Zach!"—taking a quick peek over his shoulder, he gauges his friends' subtle expressions—"I hope you don't mind. I brought Tyler and Boston back. Thought Zach might like to see them too, y'know, since it's been so long."

Karen's astonished eyes dart frantically between the two of her sons before eventually landing on Gray's friends. As much as the apprehensive mother would like to believe the deadpan expressions on the teens' faces, she can't help but feel that there's something more lurking behind them. That the looks they hold are masking a deeper cause—such as the secret of Zach's disappearance that Gray was strictly instructed to keep quiet.

He wouldn't spill his guts to two teenagers who most likely won't even talk to him in a few years, right? Right? Her son—her genius, one-of-a-kind son—wouldn't be naive enough to let these random people into their personal lives, right?

Karen finds herself inwardly scoffing. There's no way Gray would've broken her strait-laced commands after all they've endured the past few years. She simply can not wrap her head around him doing such a thing—which is why she tucks a strand of frizzy blond hair neatly behind her ear and welcomes the children in. "Of course I don't mind. In fact, why don't Tyler and Boston stay for pizza? There will be plenty to go around."

A smug grin tugs faintly at the corners of Gray's lips as he uses his toes to drag the heel of his sneaker off. After repeating the process, the 16-year-old leaves his scuffed-up shoes in a darkened boot tray and plops down on the couch beside his older brother. "Well, there might not be much food left after Zach's done."

Amused giggles are exchanged throughout the room as the 21-year-old playfully slugs Gray in the shoulder. Under normal circumstances, he would've clapped back with some absurd comment. However, judging by the constrained grimace etched into Karen's face—and the fact that she specifically mentioned earlier how no one else knows about his disappearance—he'd only assume that the two children in front of him are completely oblivious to his true whereabouts.

"Thank you for the offer, Ms. Mitchell, but I have my last softball tournament of the season tonight. So I should probably be getting back home." Tyler pauses hesitantly; the last thing she ever wants to do is tip Karen off that she knows about Zach. Gray would most likely be in deep trouble. Nevertheless, the 16-year-old continues with, "I just wanted to drop in and visit Zach. Lord knows I'm not the same annoying little kid I was when he left."

Zach chuckles softly as Tyler grins, picking quietly at a small tear in her worn, sky-blue skinny jeans. "You and Boston were never the annoying ones. It was always Gray." The 21-year-old shoots a menacing glower in his younger brother's direction, only to be rewarded with a beaming expression.

God, he's missed that smile; even if it has truly changed—matured, more like. He remembers the way Gray used to pad around the house, a 500 page encyclopedia latched tightly beneath his arm, before his friends would show up.

And, once they finally arrived, his little brother would practically drag them to the basement where all of their games and toys were kept. He can even remember shouting at the geek-brains to keep it down when he was attempting to talk on the phone to Kelly—his ex-girlfriend.