A Different Kind of Love, chapter 18
"Hello...yes, um, we were just passing by a house and we heard a lot of screaming and banging...we were going to go and knock on the door when we saw a drunken man exit the house...there was blood on his hands and the screaming sounded as if it were...as if it were from a child. 12 James St Berkely. Wait! Are you going to call an ambulance too? Yes...yes thank you. OK. Bye." Billie Joe hung up the phone and put it in his pocket.
"Billie that was a heap of shit you just lied...to the COPS! OK? They're gonna wanna know why Zach is all too well acquainted with us, you idiot!" Mike whispered, whacking Billie Joe's arm.
"What else was I fucking supposed to do Mike?! They'll be here in twenty minutes." Billie Joe got up and started to walk up Zach's large yet unkempt driveway. There were a lot of weeds, bottles and papers...but no toys. No signs that a six year old lived there. Billie Joe kicked one of the bottles angrily and walked to Zach's door.
"Billie Joe what in the fuck are you doing? You can't just stroll into the house, from the cop's point of view, you don't even know Zach...it#s going to look a bit screwed up don't you think?" Mike grabbed Billie's hand, which he was extending to the door knob.
"Look Mike, you're in or you're out. You can go home and act like you didn't know anything. But I can't leave him in there scared." Billie looked deeply at Mike. Mike saw in his best friend's eyes a mixture of determination, fear and bravery.
"Cowards and heros have one thing in common Mike..fear. Are you in or are you out? OK? I'm not fucking around." Billie Joe put his hand on the door handle.
"I'm in it for Zach..and for you Billie. I can tell it's important." Mike turned the door handle and Billie Joe entered. Tre walked in after Mike, peering quietly around.
Zach's school bag was on the floor, and there were empty bottles on the table. Billie Joe looked around. Blood stains on the carpet and the table...
Billie began to feel sick. He looked at the blood, remembering how his own had been spilled the same way in his old house not too long ago. Billie's leg began to feel weak. Mike saw Billie Joe's face and put his hand on Billie's shoulder.
"Its alright...I'm sure Zach is ok. Let's just find him." Billie Joe remembered why he had come..for Zach. He ventured into the kitchen and saw Zach's clothes lying on the floor. Tre and Mike swallowed. Billie's throat grew dry.
"ZACH?" yelled Billie, running around the kitchen. Mike darted into the living room, looking around. Tre ran into the rumpus room, peering behind couches and tables. Billie Joe began to feel the fear he used to feel.
"Z-Zach? Zach..." he yelled, but it turned to a whisper.
Zach was probably dead. Zach was probably dead. Billie Joe bolted upstairs.
"ZACH!" he yelled. Mike and Tre followed.
Mike burst into Zach's room. Zach's bed and four boxes of his toys were scattered along the otherwise empty room. Mike began to think of all the places Zach might hide, or his father might have put him. Mike's head began to spin. There was no way he was letting that kid slip from between his fingers. Mike continued to search, hoping to find Zach and hoping to tell him everything was going to be ok...and hoping he was right.
Tre entered the study, then Zach's dad's room. He looked around at bottles, cigarettes, and pornographic material. Fucking pig. Fucking pig. Tre couldn't imagine having this pig as your father. He wished Zach was in his bed, safe, sleeping...he wished Zach lived at their studio. He hoped for now Zach was okay...that was all he wanted...
Billie Joe opened the bathroom door and looked around. He felt water in the air and looked around. He looked behind the bathroom door and spied a shower, with water up the glass panels. He opened the door and saw Zach's body lying at the bottom, curled up and rapidly breathing. Billie Joe started to cry and shiver, as all memories came flooding back but at the same time the only person he loved...he loved like a son, like a brother, like family...was almost dead. It shattered Billie Joe. He grew quiet and slowly lowered himself down to Zach, staying on the outside of the shower.
"Zach...Zach...oh God...Zach..." Billie Joe shakily placed his hand on Zach's freezing neck and searched for a pulse...
"Billie that was a heap of shit you just lied...to the COPS! OK? They're gonna wanna know why Zach is all too well acquainted with us, you idiot!" Mike whispered, whacking Billie Joe's arm.
"What else was I fucking supposed to do Mike?! They'll be here in twenty minutes." Billie Joe got up and started to walk up Zach's large yet unkempt driveway. There were a lot of weeds, bottles and papers...but no toys. No signs that a six year old lived there. Billie Joe kicked one of the bottles angrily and walked to Zach's door.
"Billie Joe what in the fuck are you doing? You can't just stroll into the house, from the cop's point of view, you don't even know Zach...it#s going to look a bit screwed up don't you think?" Mike grabbed Billie's hand, which he was extending to the door knob.
"Look Mike, you're in or you're out. You can go home and act like you didn't know anything. But I can't leave him in there scared." Billie looked deeply at Mike. Mike saw in his best friend's eyes a mixture of determination, fear and bravery.
"Cowards and heros have one thing in common Mike..fear. Are you in or are you out? OK? I'm not fucking around." Billie Joe put his hand on the door handle.
"I'm in it for Zach..and for you Billie. I can tell it's important." Mike turned the door handle and Billie Joe entered. Tre walked in after Mike, peering quietly around.
Zach's school bag was on the floor, and there were empty bottles on the table. Billie Joe looked around. Blood stains on the carpet and the table...
Billie began to feel sick. He looked at the blood, remembering how his own had been spilled the same way in his old house not too long ago. Billie's leg began to feel weak. Mike saw Billie Joe's face and put his hand on Billie's shoulder.
"Its alright...I'm sure Zach is ok. Let's just find him." Billie Joe remembered why he had come..for Zach. He ventured into the kitchen and saw Zach's clothes lying on the floor. Tre and Mike swallowed. Billie's throat grew dry.
"ZACH?" yelled Billie, running around the kitchen. Mike darted into the living room, looking around. Tre ran into the rumpus room, peering behind couches and tables. Billie Joe began to feel the fear he used to feel.
"Z-Zach? Zach..." he yelled, but it turned to a whisper.
Zach was probably dead. Zach was probably dead. Billie Joe bolted upstairs.
"ZACH!" he yelled. Mike and Tre followed.
Mike burst into Zach's room. Zach's bed and four boxes of his toys were scattered along the otherwise empty room. Mike began to think of all the places Zach might hide, or his father might have put him. Mike's head began to spin. There was no way he was letting that kid slip from between his fingers. Mike continued to search, hoping to find Zach and hoping to tell him everything was going to be ok...and hoping he was right.
Tre entered the study, then Zach's dad's room. He looked around at bottles, cigarettes, and pornographic material. Fucking pig. Fucking pig. Tre couldn't imagine having this pig as your father. He wished Zach was in his bed, safe, sleeping...he wished Zach lived at their studio. He hoped for now Zach was okay...that was all he wanted...
Billie Joe opened the bathroom door and looked around. He felt water in the air and looked around. He looked behind the bathroom door and spied a shower, with water up the glass panels. He opened the door and saw Zach's body lying at the bottom, curled up and rapidly breathing. Billie Joe started to cry and shiver, as all memories came flooding back but at the same time the only person he loved...he loved like a son, like a brother, like family...was almost dead. It shattered Billie Joe. He grew quiet and slowly lowered himself down to Zach, staying on the outside of the shower.
"Zach...Zach...oh God...Zach..." Billie Joe shakily placed his hand on Zach's freezing neck and searched for a pulse...
