Youngblood

Chapter 18

Jack's POV

The ambulance pulls up at the hospital and they rush AJ off. I'm told to wait in the waiting room until I'm called, but hopefully I should be able to see AJ soon. Not going to lie, I'm so worried about him. When I saw that he'd been attacked I practically attacked Conor and forced us to leave straight away. My heart was racing and I had never been so panicky.

I sit on the seat tapping my foot, just hoping that AJ will be ok. The doctors know what they're doing, so I'm sure that they will be, but you never know. There's always that worry.

It'll be just like Josh, I keep telling myself in my head. The doctors and nurses will do their job and he'll be out in no time. And then maybe I'll be confident enough to tell AJ – and everyone else – my feelings.

I've been thinking about it a lot recently, and I decided that I'm no longer confused. I like AJ. And not just in that friend or brother way. I don't care if I'll get bullied or made fun of. And I know, hopefully, that my friends will be accepting.

"Er, Jack Maynard?" a doctor says. I get up fast and follow him down the corridor. He pushes open a door and leads me down a row of bed, until I arrive at AJ. He's all attached up to machines, and his unconscious still. I just try to tell myself that he's sleeping.

"He's got concussion, and a fractured leg," the doctor says. I fall onto the chair and hold AJ's hand. "He will be ok though."

The doctor's tone of confidence gives me confidence. AJ will be ok. He's strong.

"I'll leave you to it," the doctor says, and heads out of the ward.

"You'll be ok," I whisper to AJ, even though he can't hear me. "You'll be ok. I know you will."

Dianne's POV

I sit around the table at Joe's house, next to him and opposite his mum and Zoë. Mum didn't even seem to care when I told her that one of my friends had been attacked. Let's face it, she probably didn't even read the message, and just sent back an ok as a default. I don't even realised that I sighed out loud.

"Everything ok Dianne?" Tracey checks.

"Yeah," I say, putting on a fake smile. Tracey seems confused, but Joe sees right through it.

"Somethings bothering you. And not just AJ and Katya," Joe says.

"Wow, you're good," I giggle. I've mentioned that my mum is obsessed with her work, but I've never really gone into detail about it.

"Di, what's up?" Joe asks, putting a hand on my thigh.

"It's just my mum," I admit. "She just never seems to really care. If it's not her work, she's not interested. She's not even interested in me, or my school or dance or anything."

I don't realise that the tears has started. I guess I just want a mum like Joe's, who's always interested in anything he has to say and wants to hear about him.

"Oh sweetie," Tracey says, and Joe edges his chair closer to me, and puts his arms around me and I lean back into him.

"I know I'm no mum, but I'm interested in what happens in your life," Zoe says. "Not in a creepy way," she adds hastily, laughing.

"And if you ever need to talk about, well, anything, you can come to me," Tracey adds. I'm so lucky that Joe has such a great family that all love me and appreciate me. It's more than I could ever ask for.

"Thank you all so much," I say, wiping away the tears with the edge of my sleeve. Joe leans over and grabs me a tissue. "Sorry to be so dramatic."

"Don't apologise. And you aren't being dramatic," Joe says. "I'm happy that you know that you can talk to us."

"I know," I say. "And it doesn't help about the whole Katya thing."

"How about tomorrow after school we go shopping?" Joe asks. "I can invite some of the girls too if you want?"

"That'd be great," I say. "But I'll need to pop home and get some money if I'm staying over tonight."

"I'll lend you some," Joe says.

"And me," Zoe says.

"And of course I will," Tracey says.

"I'm fine. I have money, you don't have to," I say. But they just keep on protesting. In the end I say that Joe can buy me one thing, but it has to be a surprise. I like surprises. Nice surprises though. Being told that I had to move halfway across the world with my workaholic mother to leave my two brothers (and my dad, but he always preferred the boys) behind was not a good surprise.

"Can we watch some Friends?" Zoe asks. "If you want to Dianne?"

"Sure," I say. Zoe's boyfriend Alfie comes over and Zoe and Alfie snuggle up on the sofa and I cuddle with Joe. It makes everything that's going on just a bit better.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since the last chapter. I hope you all liked this one