A Different Path

Chapter 3 - Being Open

"When it's just us you're caring, and you're nice, but around everyone else you're just... Cold." He looked back at me now, still visibly thinking.

"I don't know," he repeated, a bit louder this time. We sat in silence for a bit as I gave him time to think, and he eventually sighed, looking down again. "I really don't know." I felt myself grow a little angry when he repeated himself the third time, getting frustrated.

"How do you not know?" I asked, still looking at him. All he did was shrug, still not looking at me. "Come on," I said gently, not showing any anger, and he finally looked up at me, his expression now filled with rage.

"Do you want me to treat you like I treat everyone else? Is that what you fucking want?" He yelled, standing up. I immediately grew tense, feeling terrified of his sudden anger. I couldn't bring myself to say anything back, so I just stared at him, feeling as though I couldn't breathe. "I can do that for you, Crutchie," he spat, beginning to walk away. "Fuck you," was the last thing he said before turning the corner, leaving me to sit alone.

I was shaking for a while after he had left, and once I was finally able to get up, I knew I couldn't go up and sleep where I had been. Instead, I turned in the opposite direction, starting to walk back to the alley I stayed in before I had come here, tears falling down my face as I thought about what I had just ruined. 

Jack's POV

As I sat in my penthouse I felt like screaming, upset at myself for how I had reacted. I knew that all he was doing was trying to understand me, but instead of letting myself be slightly vulnerable, I snapped and screamed at him, and it was real obvious that I had terrified him. I walked back and forth for a while before I had calmed down enough to go back to him, guilt weighing me down. 

"Crutchie," I said as I turned the corner, but I felt my heart drop as he wasn't there. "Crutchie?" I called out, beginning to panic a little. I knew he couldn't fend for himself well out there, and was worried something could've already happened to him.

"Jack?" I heard to my right, but when I turned it was Race, walking out of the lodging house and to me. "What's wrong?" He asked, and I tried to seem calm.

"I can't find Crutchie," I said, and my voice was far, far shakier than I would've liked. Luckily, however, Race was the closest to me out of anyone, so I wasn't too embarrassed.

"I'm sure he didn't go far, just go to bed. He'll be back in the morning to sell," Race reassured me, smiling and walking back inside. I decided to believe what he said and go up to the penthouse, calming myself down.

When the morning bell rang I shot up, looking to see if he had come back in the night. When he wasn't there, however, I felt sick to my stomach, and got ready as quickly as I could. I ran to the square and waited, praying for him to show up. 

As I waited and waited, though, he never did. Usually I'd stop to talk to some of the guys before sending them out, but today I wasted no time and sent them out quickly, taking off to the one place I knew to look.

Crutchie's POV

When I woke up the next morning back in my old spot, I was disappointed to learn the previous night hadn't been a bad dream. I began to think about Jack, and almost immediately began to cry as I did. He was the closest thing to a friend I had ever had, and I threw it all away. 

After a few more minutes of crying to myself, I got up, seeming weighed down by how upset I was. I started to walk to where I used to shine shoes, feeling miserable as I did so. I kept trying to put Jack out of my mind, but he would just creep back in, making me tear up.