Dreamers- A Merome, Pooflan, Wroetostar and Minizerk Story

⋖Chapter 17⋗

Mitch's P.O.V.

It took me a few days, maybe closer to a week, before I started to talk to Jerome again. I was just so pissed that Jerome had hidden something so big from me for so long especially because I had been so invested in it and believed what wasn't true so deeply. There was some underlying reason for why he didn't tell me but I didn't care, I was just.... so mad.

Everything I had thought to be true was a complete lie- and he had known that he was lying right to my face. I felt shattered.

Jerome left me be after I made it very clear that I was incredibly mad at him, even going as far as sleeping separately because I needed some time to cool off. Lachlan was my company for a few days and he didn't mention it, knowing all too well that I didn't want to speak about it, and I was glad for his distraction. He had always been a chatterbox and it was no different now, he talked my ear off while we did anything, gathering food or water, creating temporary shelters, that sort of thing.

"Lachy?" I called quietly and said boy looked up from where he was sitting, playing with a pile of rocks in front of him.

"Mm?" He mumbled, not noticing that Jerome had looked up too when I called his name. "What's up?"

"Nothin' much." I said, feeling Jerome's eyes boring into the back of my head. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He mumbled, knocking the rocks around with his fingers. He was bored, I could tell. Rob had taken Preston out into the forest to spend some time together and probably to gather some resources, and they hadn't taken the younger boy. I was glad, because then I would have been stuck alone with Jerome, but Lachlan got bored far too easily.

I leaned back against a large rock and closed my eyes for a moment, listening to Lachlan continue to play around with the stones. He was throwing them across the ground now, aiming them at another stone, and I watched through half lidded eyes until he got bored of that too.

I took longer than I thought, normally it took less than half an hour, but Lachlan finally fell asleep. It was in an uncomfortable position so I shuffled closer to him and pulled him onto my lap, gently running my hand through his hair and humming under my breath. He didn't stir but then again he never did.

And just as I expected, Jerome approached me. He sat down beside me.

"Mitch? Can we... can we talk?" He asked, looking away. I sighed.

"Fine." I mumbled, continuing to run a hand through Lachlan's hair to comfort myself. The conversation to come would be heavy and I wasn't looking forward to it.

"I need you to know what there was a reason I didn't tell you." He sighed, still looking away. "And I'm sorry. I know you might not trust me or even understand why, but... it's..." He paused. "You've always had this quality about you, you've always been so excited about the world and the future and I... I didn't want to destroy that. You had- have, have this hope that I've never had and I couldn't destroy it."

There was another pause as I processed everything.

"Your view on the old world I felt was the only thing that was keeping you going and after believing it for so long I didn't want to be the one that told you otherwise."

"That... that makes sense." I finally said, pausing as Lachlan stirred for a moment. "I think I... get it."

"I get that you want to get back to where we were before, but I don't think we'll ever get back there. Maybe we could start the journey to improve people's lives but even if we start back there, I don't think it would be good. They had hate and terrorism and war and... bombs. That isn't how I want us to be."

"Neither." I said. "I want us to be like I thought they were, working for everyone to have a quality life, where everyone is equal and doesn't have to struggle to get through a day. I want to have peace and know everyone has the same."

--------------------------------------------------

Jerome wrapped his arm around my waist and I leaned up against him, closing my eyes. Rob and Preston were hand in hand and Lachlan was curled up beside the older boy, and everyone was silent. It was a comfortable silence and no one felt the need to interrupt it- until someone did.

"Simon!" A voice called, and our heads shot up. Jerome and I shared a look. "Where are you?! Harry?! Vikk!??"

We were all looking towards the bush when a very worried looking and bewildered older boy emerged from it. He startled when he saw us and for a moment he looked like he recognised us but then he stopped, his eyes going wide. Jerome stood up.

"Who are you?" He called, making sure to stand in front of me, one hand resting on my shoulder. I peeked out from behind his leg.

"Josh." He called back, still looking around. "I'm looking for my friends, I've lost them somewhere."

Jerome was just about to say something more when we heard something off in the distance- a call of

"Josh!?" The relief on his face was immediate.

"Si! I'm over here!"

Less than a minute later a group of three boys emerged from the bushes and Josh rushed to them, hugging the tallest one tightly.

"Oh thank god Si." He said all in a rush. "I thought I lost you!" My gaze shifted to the other two.

"Vikk! Harry!" I crowed, lighting up.

Because standing in front of me, arms around each other, were the two boys.

"Good to see you!"