Emergency Medical Dad

V: January 9th, past

I pushed past him, slipping into my room. My backpack was packed, homework already done. It took me twenty seconds to throw my uniform into the top and another second and a half to dig my boots out of the closet to pull them on.

The one flaw to my plan was the creaking step at the bottom of the staircase.

"Jorgen?" Mom called from the kitchen, drawing me to a stop as I reached for my jacket.

"I'm staying over at a friend's," I responded. "They can get me to school tomorrow too."

"O-okay," she called, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop me. "Be careful."

I didn't respond, shutting the door quietly behind me and starting the half mile walk to the spot they normally picked me up.

J: someone come get me

ZUCHS: give me 20

I waited all 20 on the little bench at the end of the road, one dark kid in all of white suburbia. One little cloaked figure against the grey of winter. One of me.

Zuchs' real name is a mystery, I still don't know it, but he went by Zucchini, or Zuch/Zuchs for short. I'm not sure why, never was, but that's what we called him. Zuch, like Zucchini.

His window rolled down as he pulled up to me, dusk cutting the wind to a sharp sting instead of a dull bite.

"Get in, buddy. You staying over?"

I nodded, slipping into his passenger seat and ducking my head, wringing my fingers together.

"What happened?"

I pressed my hands into the sockets of my eyes, holding a moment before wiping under my nose.

His arm reached out, big palm resting on the center of my back, rubbing it gently. "Jorg, buddy, let yourself feel it, it's alright."

I curled forward, shoulders caving, hair flopping in front of my eyes. It took a half of another rub of his hand across my back for me to break down entirely, shoulders shaking, eyes burning. It hurt in every part of my body, pain egging it's way into my limbs, my joints, the hollow center of my chest.

"What did he do this time?"

My body was trembling like a leaf, exhausted and overworked. "I-it's not-not j-just h-him any-anymore."

Zuch's hand stops on the center of my back. I had already told him and the rest of the guys to keep their hands off Peter. I didn't want to cause harm. New people meant more chances for them to get at whoever it is.

"Who?" Zuch's voice flipped easily into a demand.

I coughed and cleared my throat just to find it knotted up again. "Everyone."

Zuch let out a long long long sigh, slipping his hand back up my spine. "You have to give me more than that, J."

I was fucking sobbing, I don't really even remember why. "I-I can't g-go to sch-school without someone m-making a r-race joke a-and I c-can't get aw-way fr-from Evan P-Peters n-no ma-atter how-how hard I f-ight and Pe-Peter st-still lives at-at h-home e-even though he h-has the m-money to l-live on c-campus and-and he said th-they don't-don't care ab-about m-me and I-I f-feel stupid telling-telling you guys-you guys a-about a-all thi-this b-because it's n-nothing. L-Luka's p-parents ov-overdosed and N-Nino n-never had any and-and you and Z-Zak-"

"Your pain is valid, J. It's just different from other peoples," he put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb.

"I'm tired," I choked out. "I'm tired of it."