Bullied; A Jachary fanfic

Chapter 4

Jack Avery

"Don't worry about it," I say.

He goes to say something else, but the bell rings and I get out of there as fast as I can. I hurry to my next class and sit in the back, trying to avoid Zach. I couldn't tell him. What I forgot was that partners had to sit next to each other. Perfect. Zach comes in a few minutes later with Jonah and Corbyn. He sees me and comes to sit next to me.

"You know running was useless, right?" He asks.

"Seeing that now," I say, staring at the front of the room.

"Are you gonna tell me what the hell happened to you or am I gonna have to find out myself?" He asks.

"Just drop it. Please." I whisper as the bell rings. 

The teacher comes in and tells us we have the hour to work on our projects. She sits at her desk and continues doing... teacher things I guess.

Zach and I work in silence for almost half an hour until,

"Jack, seriously, where did you get those bruises?"

I grab my bag and walk out of the classroom, hoping he doesn't follow me.

Zach Herron

I ask Jack again where he got the bruises and he just leaves. I don't want him to shut me out. I have a feeling he needs a friend at least so I walk out after him, receiving weird looks from Jonah and Corbyn, which I wave off. I look in every abandoned classroom and bathroom until I find him. He's leaning against the wall, looking at the ground. He looks up and sees me. I can tell he wants to leave just by the look he gave me. He reaches down and grabs his bag, but when he goes to sling it over his shoulder, he groans and grabs his chest. He drops the bag and sinks to the floor, leaning his head against the wall. I rush over and drop down next to him. I touch the bottom of his shirt, looking up at him for approval. When he doesn't do anything, I pull it up. Dark purple bruises line his ribs, exactly like the ones on his arm.

"Jack, seriously. What the hell happened?" I ask.

"I fell." He says, keeping his eyes closed. "I fell in the woods. Tripped over a root, fell down a hill."

"No, you didn't. Jack come on, look at me."

He looks at me, the fear clear in his eyes.

"Is someone hurting you?" I ask.

 At first, he doesn't say anything. After a minute, he finally does.

"What I tell you now does not leave this bathroom. You cannot tell anyone, okay?" He says.

"Okay," I say nodding.

"Promise me." He says.

"Jack, I promise," I say.

He sighs and looks down. "My Dad does hit me, ok? He has his reasons and I can't stop him. That's whose car was in the driveway yesterday that freaked me out."

"Why don't you just leave?" I ask.

"I can't. If I leave, then he starts hurting my Mom and Isla, my little sister. Zach, she is 8 years old. I can't let her get hurt." He says.

"Jack, you're seventeen. You can't keep being his punching bag." I say, looking into his brown topaz eyes.

"I have too. I won't let him hurt them." He says firmly.

I sigh and look down, knowing I can't change his mind. "Fine. Give me your phone."

"What? Why?" He asks.