You Know I'll Be Your Life (1D)

Chatper 11: FInding Out About the Bullies

JAMIE’S POV

As I closed my eyes, I faintly heard the sound of people walking by and talking, not noticing me. I heard my mom yelling my name, so I tried to yell back, but it came out as a groan. I opened my eyes slightly to see a super bright light. I immediately closed my eyes again, only to be shaken violently.

“Jamie, Jamie, open your eyes! Jamie!” I cracked my eyes open to see my mother crouching over me, a panicked expression on her face. “Oh, thanks goodness you’re awake. What happened, darling?” I froze. Should I tell her? What would she do? Or say? 

“I don’t quite know.” Lie. I knew exactly what happened.

“Well, who did it?”

“I don’t know.” Lie. I knew who did it.

“Whatever, umm, can you get up?” I tried to sit up, only to be hit with a wave of pain. I shook my head ‘no’. “Ok, let me see, I’ll try to support you the best I can, ok? And we’ll make it over to the car and go see a doctor.” She helped me up, and I felt dizzy, almost falling back on the concrete. My mom put her arm around my shoulders and guided me to her car. I practically fell into the passenger’s seat, buckling up and my mom got in the driver’s side, driving off to the hospital. She helped me into the emergency room where I was ushered into a room, laying on the bed. I closed my eyes, letting the darkness take over.

ZAYN’S POV

I hung up the phone with Mrs. Peterson. She had called telling us that she found Jamie lying outside the school, nearly unconscious, looking very beat up, and she was currently being looked at by a doctor. I couldn’t believe what she told me. Jamie seemed like such a nice person, I didn’t see why anyone would want to hurt her. I called all the other boys and told them to come to my flat. Within ten minutes, everyone was gathered in my main room, all looking worried, probably because of how I was pacing back and forth across the carpet. “What’s wrong Z? You’re really freaking me out!” Harry exclaimed. I sighed.

“Jamie got beat up at school today. When Mrs. Peterson found her, she was nearly unconscious on the concrete. She’s now at the doctor.” I looked back up at the boys to see their reaction. Louis jumped up.

“Why would someone want to hurt her? She had cancer for god’s sake!” Then he mumbled something I couldn’t hear. Harry and Liam looked furious, and I was actually frightened by their glare. Niall’s face was hard and I could see him fighting tears. I knew this was a difficult subject for him, since his childhood best friend had committed suicide from physical and verbal abuse at school. I shook that thought out of my head.

“So yeah, Mrs. Peterson said when she was done at the doctor and awake she would Skype us. But I have no idea when that will be, so all we can do is wait.” They all groaned. It was true. We didn’t know when Jamie would wake up, and we had to wait until she did. Suddenly my phone buzzed with a call.

“Hello?”

“Zayn? It’s Amy, Jamie’s mom? Well, Jamie is doing okay right now, and she’s awake, so she can Skype you whenever is okay for you.”

“Could she Skype us now? I mean, unless they’re still checking her out?”

“No, I’m sure she would be okay with that.”

“Ok, Mrs. Peterson, thanks!”

“Zayn, call me Amy, but you're welcome, bye dear.”

“Bye!”  I hung up and looked at the boys. “Jamie woke up, and we can Skype her now!” Their faces brightened somewhat as I went to go get the laptop. I clicked on the Skype icon and signed in. A call from Jamie popped up and I clicked on it, Jamie’s smiling face soon showing on the screen. I took in her appearance. She had a black eye and a cut on her forehead, as well as a swollen lip and I’m sure many more injuries out of view of the camera.

“Hey Jamie!”

“Hey Zayn; boys.” Her voice came out soft, as though it hurt to talk.

“How are you love?” Louis asked.

“I’m… okay. It hurts to move, but it should go away. Um, so how are you guys?” she asks, obviously trying to change the subject.

“We’re good, but where exactly does it hurt when you move?” Liam asked gently guiding her back on subject.

“Um, well, my stomach, my legs, my arms, and they had to wire my jaw, but I’m honestly okay!” Wait, if they had to wire her jaw, why is she talking?

“My friend had his jaw wired and he couldn’t talk or eat solid food for a month or two.” Niall added. Thank you.

“I mean, it hurts, but I can take some pain. I just can’t bite down or open my mouth wide. See, I’m fine!” She smiled, but you could tell she was in a lot of pain.  I sighed. She doesn’t have to put up a front for us.

“Princess, do you know who did it?” Louis asked.

“Um, no…” You could tell she was lying.

“You are a liar,” I stated. She looked away, blinking rapidly. Was she crying? Why? She closed her eyes, attempting to stop the tears, but it didn’t work, tears were now pouring down her cheeks, and she didn’t even try to stop them. All the boys looked at me as if to say, “It’s your problem now.” I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks Zayn.” With that, she exits the call and all the boys look at me with mixed expressions. Liam was concerned, Harry and Louis’s were mad, and Niall looked disappointed.

“Well, what’d you say that for?!” Niall exclaimed.

“What?”

“You called her a liar. She obviously took offense to that. You know why? Because everyone at her school thinks she faked her cancer and remember when you asked her if she faked her cancer? Yeah? Well people at her school just assume that she faked her cancer and call her a liar. If anything, I’m guessing that’s why she got beat up. Smooth.” With that, he stood up, walked away, out of my flat, slamming the door behind him. Liam got up.

“I have to go. He’s my ride.” He left, but he didn’t slam the door. Louis turned to me.

“I hope you got something from Niall’s little speech, because all I want to do right now is fly right over to South Carolina and wrap Jamie up in a hug. She-“ his voice breaks, “she doesn’t want this. She doesn’t need this. Nobody needs what she’s getting, but I guess someone greater than us feels she’s strong enough to take it. I just hope to god she is.” With this, he starts crying and buries his face in Harry’s neck. Aww, Larry moment. Harry started to speak.

“Lou’s right. Right now, she’s sitting in a hospital room, probably just wanting someone to talk to, but the only people she has have gone and judged her. Every one of us probably wants to comfort her, but she won’t accept any of us until you’ve apologized. Bye, Zayn.” He helps Louis up, but he’s still sobbing, not strong enough to walk,so he crouches down, allowing the older boy to climb on his back. He walks out, loudly closing, but not slamming, the door.