A Condemned Haven

Chapter 44

Jack had collected all of James' work for the day. James hadn't asked him to, but Jack figured it was the least he could do to repay him for standing up for him. He was like his brother and yesterday had only proved it. He knew that James parents left for a conference this morning, so James would be all alone. So, he grabbed some Chinese food on the way over so that they could hang out a little. With everything going on with Clarke they hadn't spent much time together lately and he knew it was completely his fault, so he wanted to make it up to him.

James' care was in the driveway, so at least he was home. James always hated being alone in that house, considering it was where his sister had taken her last breath. Jack never admitted it, but it made him really sad to be anywhere near the house, let alone in it. His fist contacted the door and it only took seconds to open. James' hair was a mess, like he had been running his hands through it constantly. He looked really stressed and his eyes were baggy.

"Jack what are you doing here?" Jack's phone started vibrating rapidly in his pocket. He pulled it out to see that it was only Clarke. Her photo was one he had taken of her last night while he had been sleeping. Her hair was pushed up against the pillow and her mouth a slightly open. Clarke could wait for a moment while he talked to James. He declined her call and put his phone on silent. He needed some quality guy time. Whatever Clarke needed to say could wait until he saw her later.

"Sorry it was just Clarke. I got your homework today and thought I could drop it off for you and I also brought Chinese food. I know you hate eating alone in your house so I figured we could hang out a bit."

"I'm a little busy right now man."

"Oh come on, we haven't hung out in forever." Jack pushed himself through the door and went to sit on the couch. Jack knew James hated how quiet his house way when he was alone. He was trying to do James a favor, so he didn't understand why he was being so weird. He began looking through the Chinese food and realized that they hadn't given him any forks or chopsticks. How was he supposed to eat it?

"Hey man they forgot forks, but no worries ill grab some from the kitchen."

"Jack wait no come back here." James gripped his shoulder before he could come around the corner into the kitchen. "I think you should leave man."

"What's going on? Why are you being so weird?" James didn't look him in the eye as he began pushing him towards the door again.

"Look man I got stuff to do. I need you to go home." James head whipped when a bang came from the kitchen. "Shit."

"What was that?" Jack pushed past James and into the kitchen only to see Ethan tied up to a chair and a piece of duct tape over his mouth. "Holy shit James." He went to turn only to be met with a James fist into his face.

When Jack finally woke up, he was tied to a chair next to Ethan. Oh my god. James couldn't be. He couldn't be the one doing all of these horrible things. He couldn't be the one who beat him in his own house. James was turned around facing the counter. There was a knife in his hand, and it looked like a notebook sitting on the counter that he was reading. Jack's head hurt like a bitch. That punch definitely didn't help the concussion he already had from two days ago. He groaned in pain and James turned around with a creepily calm face.

"I really wish you would've gone home Jack." He seemed almost sad as he said it. Killing his best friend probably wasn't on his agenda. Oh god. What was he going to do with him now that Jack knew? James couldn't kill him, right? James hadn't put any duct tape on his mouth so he could still speak. He just wasn't sure what to say.

"What are you doing James? Why the hell are you doing this?"

"I'm doing this for Amy man."

"For Amy?"

"Those assholes stood by and did nothing while she was raped right behind that damn door."

"What? What are you talking about?" Amy. She couldn't have been. She never said anything.

"That's right. She didn't tell anyone. Not even her brother. She went to that party her freshman year. She got way too wasted because she had never drank before and Francis took advantage of that. I wasn't even there she made me promise to stay home. I don't even remember who took her home that night. We were too wrapped up playing games in my room."

"If she didn't tell you how did you find out?" James held up the notebook he had been reading earlier. Jack recognized it now. It was Amy's diary. It's not like it would have been hard to find considering she always hid it in the same place. Jack had found it when they were eleven. Even though she knew that he knew where it was, she knew that Jack would respect her privacy. He always did.

"Yeah I found it about a year ago. I decided it was finally time to figure out why she killed herself," he couldn't continue as a sob wracked his body. He continued to cry as he gripped the book to his chest. Jack felt the tears well up in his eyes. Amy. She had been suffering this whole time and he had no clue. James let out a breath to steady his breathing and composed himself.

"They deserve this Jack."

"Why was Brandon first though? Francis was the one who did it all. If anyone deserved it more, it was him."

"I had just found out the night before. I had missed school that day and I was driving home from the store for my mom when I saw him walking. I just got so damn angry. He was supposed to be the golden boy, the one who looked out for other people, but where was he when my sister...." He paused again to compose himself. "He was outside that goddamn door doing nothing."

"Brandon was just a kid man. He didn't know what to do. He didn't deserve to die for it." Tears rimmed James' eyes, but that didn't let the anger in his eyes escape Jack. That was definitely not the right to say considering he was tied up to a chair with no way to defend himself if James decided to hurt him to. Jack almost didn't see the fist before it came into contact with his face. His head snapped back and blood began steadily flowing as his lip burst open.

"Are you fucking taking their side?" Jack groaned in pain as his vision went blurry. His head hung low as James punched him again. "How dare you."

Black dots blurred through his vision as he struggled to keep his eyes open. James was big guy, so his punches hurt like a bitch. Ethan was still passed out next to him in the chair. Jack didn't even know what would happen if he woke up right now. He could take a beating if it meant that Ethan could stay alive until help arrived. If it ever did. James picked up Jack's head by his hair and made him look into his eyes.

"James what are you doing? This isn't what Amy would want." Another punch. This time in the stomach. It knocked the wind out of Jack, and he could feel his stomach wound open back up.

"Well we can't exactly ask her, can we? I really thought you would see it my way. Can't you see that I'm doing this all for her?" James was delusional at best. He looked crazy with eyes opened wide as if he were asking an obvious question.

"James." Jack's brain couldn't even think anymore. Everything hurt too much to focus. Clarke. Please come.

"You just sit there for a moment. I have a couple of things to do."

Jack was having a hard time focusing and his head felt like it was vibrating. There was no way that was a good sign, he thought. James was standing against the counter, writing something down. Jack couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't even have to energy to process everything he had heard about Amy. Everything was so fucked up. James finally finished whatever he was doing and turned back to Jack.

"I don't want to kill you. You're like a brother to me, but I have to do this for her. I have to finally end this. I've already come too far to stop now." A punch came to Jack's face again, this time knocking him out cold.