I was shocked. Mad. Very mad. I grabbed his face. "I can assure you right now, no matter what they say, your not gonna be hurt again.. Monday and Thursday your coming with me. Your not to be alone. I don't care where you go. Ike, Tay Josh, Me, Amanda. Someone has to be with you. If you leave alone. I'll ground you..." I said. "No." He said. "Zac, I'm not gonna have you hurt. Stay with someone or I'll put you in a safe house. You won't be allowed out." I said. "Ok." He said. He didn't want it, but took it. Tay was just outside the door and heard everything. He had leaned over to cry. And I looked at the door. Seen the shadow casting down the hall. "Come in." I said Knowing he was caught, he came in. There were tears in his eyes too. He sat down beside Zac. He looked at him. Taylor reached over and ran his fingers down the side of his face. "How come you never told us?" He asked. "I did." He said. "No, I mean when it first happened." He said. "Because.. I didn't like it." He said. "All the more reason to tell." He said. "No." He said. "Zac, what threat did he make to keep you quiet?" I asked. "He said if I didn't do whatever he said, he would get a sibling. More then likely he would have gotten Jessie or Avie.. or even Zoe." He said. "So, you didn't tell to protect all other family members?" I asked. "Yes." He said. "Ok." I said. Taylor excepted that. I gestured Taylor take him from me and he did. I got up and walked downstairs and told Ike to go up stairs. He did. That left me to deal with Josh. The truth is gonna kill him. I sat down in the chair. He was watching a video, the goverment gave him. He was in deep thought. So was I. How was I gonna tell him I loved Zac so much as to give myself to them? He never wanted to talk. Like everyone else in my family. In a way he hasn't forgave me yet for leaving him there. I didn't actually leave til the day Amanda could come. And she was sworn to secret. Yeah he acts like the perfect brother in front of them, but alone he is totally different. He never asked to talk or to even explain. Or say a word. He just ignored me. I had questions I wanted to know and I wanted the answers. Ike came downstairs with the other two. "The three of us are going to mom's for a little while and explain....okay?" He asked. "Ok." I said. They all left. After 30 minutes of quiet except for the TV, I looked at him. "Why do you hate me so much?" I asked. He looked at me. "What did you ask?" He asked. "Why do you hate me so much? You heard what I said the first time. I know you do." I said. "I don't hate you." He said. "Oh no... you just ignore me. You never ask me how I am or what happened. You never want to talk. Come to think of it we talked more when your life was in danger." I said. "Yeah, I had no choice." He said. "So, you lied. You never really loved me for a sister?" I asked. "I didn't say that." He said. "I had no choice? What does that mean?" I asked. "It means if I had a choice to talk or not I wouldn't. God, dad made me talk to you." He said. "Why?" I asked. "Why what?" He asked. "Josh, think. I am your sister weather you like it or not." I said. "Yeah I know." He said, kind of harsh. "You don't want a sister. Do you?" I asked. "Of course." He said. "Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth for once in your life." I said. "No, I don't. Always asking me questions. Always around." He said. "If you didn't want a sister, why did you come tell me?" I asked. "I had to. Mom and dad bugged me til I did. Then once I got out here I couldn't just leave. Dad would think something." He said. "So, you stayed. Let me get to know you again, then just break my heart in half?" I asked. "Hum. Yeah." He said. "Ya know... I really wanted a brother. I guess the only way to get one, would be to marry Zac." I said. He shrugged. "Ya know, your little sister, ain't little anymore. You can go home anytime you like. And to let you know, me and Zac do have fun in that room. Or whenever you're not around. Second. Well, ya see, I sacrificed myself for him." I said. "You done what?" He asked. "Yep I did." I said. "God how stupid are you?" He asked. "I'm not." I said. "Yes you are." He said. "No, it's called love. I do it for you to, but now I can stop watching you and stop worrying." I said. I got up to leave. "Why did you leave?" He asked. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Why did you leave the first time?" He asked. "Because, mom and dad tried to run my life and I was tired of it." I said. "Oh." He said. I went up stairs and sat down. "How could he be so rude? How can he not care?" I asked myself. I got up and walked downstairs, grabbed my jacket and keys. "Where are you going?" He asked. I looked at him, then kept on walking. He came after me, grabbing my arm just off the porch. "Are you crazy? Hello..Andrew. You told us not to be alone." He said. I pulled away. "I don't care. You don't care about me. So, why should I?" I asked. Then kept on walking. "God your always running." He said. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You always run away. You have a problem you run. Is that all you can do?" He asked. "No, it's not." I said. "Yes it is. Your always running. Running away." I cut him off. "Shut up Josh. I didn't runaway." I said. "Yes you did. You left. All of a bye you said was the machine. How could you just leave?" He asked. "Josh, they don't run your life like they did mine. I tried my best to please them. I graduated collage, damn.... I've had more school then you ever had to do. I had a mom and dad to tell me. Your mom is more helpful. She didn't make you finish collage. Did she? She didn't make you choose a profession. When you did she didn't turn against you and not approve of it. I hate being controlled. You know that for a fact. And I am sick of it. NO ONE is going to control me. Under any circumstance. So, if you're so bent on not having a sister. Fine. You don't need me here." I said. He yanked the keys away from me. "You're not going anywhere. No one. I will not have you get killed, because you're running from me. Oh no." He said. "What? You can't take the guilt I went through for two years, Josh? Thinking you were dead. NO ONE told me you were alive. I talked to mom and dad. Not once did they mention you being alive!" I yelled. "So." He said. "So.. .so... I went through nightmares. I almost got killed because I remember how Andrew just shot you, like you were nothing. God I keep myself up a lot of nights, because I was so scared of the dreams. And not once did anyone tell me you were here....alive!" I yelled. Ike's car pulled up. "Well, if you constanly weren't running you would have known." He said. "I run because I can't handle it like you Josh...I'm younger than you." I said. Ike and them slowly got out. "So, you handled all those classes good." He said. "You don't get it." I screamed. "I don't? What don't I get?" He asked.calmly. "I love you. I watched you. I saw them hurt you and no one told me you were alive. All those night of crying and nightmares. I still have them.... thinking one day Andrew will find out and he will kill you. I can't take that pain if he does. If you don't want a sister then I don't want to get close to you again. I have went through it once. I don't want to go through it again." I said. I then ran off, like I always do. Zac didn't want to see me alone, so he ran after me. Taylor grabbed his shirt. "Zac, let her go." He said. "Taylor. No. Let me go." He said. "Zac, inside now." He said. "No." He said. Ike and Tay both got him inside. I went a few blocks of running then slowed down. I stopped and leaned against a post. My heart was slowly tearing apart. What was I to do He hurt me then tried to make up. I leaned back and looked at the stars, hearing footsteps on the yard behind me. I looked ahead. There was a white van parked across the street. I hadn't seen it before. I stood up straight and looked at the van. It looked familiar. Then it hit me. It was Adams. Mom's company van. They are painted white, with removable signs on the side. I started back to the house, walking quietly so I would be able to hear if anyone was behind me. And my luck there was. I walked faster. They walked faster. I then started jogging. So did they, but they started running before me. I looked back, but didn't see anyone. I stopped and looked around. "Hmmm." I thought to myself. I started walking yet again looking in all directions and looking frequently. I was a few blocks from the house, when a guy stepped out in front of me. He had on all black and looked mean. "Jennifer." He said. I backed up a bit. "Um. No Jennifer here." I said. He reached out and grabbed my arms, lifting me off the ground. "Ok maybe there is. Can I help you?" I asked. He sat me back down. "Ok, I won't hurt you. Um...explain to me why you're alone?" He asked. "Why are you following me?" I asked "I am watching you." He said. "Why?" I asked. "You don't look sick." He said. "Ahh FBI...I see." I said. I walked around him. "That is because I can hide things awfully well." I said. And kept on. I arrived back home at 11:00. No one was there. A note was taped to the door. Jennifer, Tay, Zac, and Ike are gone to get something for mom at a twenty four hour store. We will be back about twelve or one. The guys. Jen, I have gone to my girlfriend's house. Josh << Previous Page of Story>> << Back to Story Page>> << Back To Index Of Chapters Page>> Back To Main Page>> |