I'm Adopted: Vengeance Edition.

Jackie's POV

Lunch bailed. Zack said something came up and they couldn't all make it so we postponed. But... postponing never worked out either. And it wasn't any more paired visits. No more Zack and Brian, Brian and Jimmy, Jimmy and Zack, Jason and Zack... just.. Zack.. or Brian.. Or Jason.. No one would spill what was going on, but in the back of my mind I figured they were just busy with the band.

The Band.

Two words my counselors said were going to take time for me to spit out. Along with the two M words I could no longer speak without having a break down. I'd been sedated three times in the two short weeks I'd been here for breaking down. The first was five days after being in. I couldn't take it, I needed the guys. They wouldn't let me call them, and I flipped. The second was my ninth day, and I've been progressing ever since. I knew I had a lot of time left, I was in for six months, and was only halfway through my first month.

I liked it, it was quiet. Serene. The staff was really nice, a few nurses came by just to chat on breaks and days off. I never told anyone the true story of my life outside here. I had no ties to anything. I had just gone to crazy one night and my family freaked out and thought i had a problem. The only people who knew my entire story were the two counselors I saw twice a day every day, except Sundays. Sundays we got to have one group meeting in the morning, then a check-in before bed. But the rest of the day was courses, yoga, art, anything. You could go into the courtyard, which was huge and read, play tennis, basketball, walk, or just relax. Anything. Sundays were my day.

I sat outside under my favorite tree, with a blanket, and listened to my iPod. Just listening. Watching how people interacted. Awkwardly. It was like highschool, like no one knew how to socialize properly, at all. It was like the first time they spoke to another human. I watched these interactions while Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, Tom Petty, and Charlie Daniels filled my ears. Of course our music was moderated, and I fought to keep the contents of my playlists. Zack helped, he knew how music helped me, because it did the same for him. Thanks to him I had my piece of sanity to help me passby the next six months.

Zack's POV

"I should go visit Jackie... I haven't gone almost all week.." I looked up as Mom walked by.

"Your father went yesterday." She smiled, knowing that we all needed a break. Needed normalcy "I was thinking last night hun..." She paused and sat down next to me "What if, when she gets back... She goes and visits Anne and Kevin for a little? Y'know, gets out of the crazy?"

"Other than the fact she needs to own up to having Maddy, I'd say that's brilliant. But..." I stopped as my phone rang, an unknown number flashed across the screen and I ignored it. "I don't know."

"What if..." Mom stopped "What if she took Maddy?"

"Excuse me?" I asked "Did those words just leave your mouth?"

"Sweety, we all know it's killing you guys." She stood up "I mean... Matt's never around to see Maddy any more anyways, and I know how you feel about her being an involved mother. I talked to Anne and Kevin and... well and if she doesn't want to move out there, they're going to take Maddy."

"You can't do that-"

"She's legally in our custody, Zachary. We aren't raising another child." She placed her hand on her hip.

"That's right, you gave Jackie away too. Why not have a pre-ready family." I rolled my eyes "God, why can't this be easy?"

"It's either them or we find another family. Because... She needs stability more than Jackie needs to be her mother. And... frankly, Matt doesn't want this either. He's only twenyt-four."

"Oh God, mom, really. Another family? Because that's perfect. Can't you wait until she's out of rehab to make the decision to get rid of her child?!" I stood up "You're so fucking ridiculous!"

"Her child?! Sweet heart, she's been living with us since she was born. Jackie was never ready for this, and neither was Matthew. Jackie signed over legal custody to us before you boys got back, and moved up with Kara. And I know a family in Aberdeen-"

"WASHINGTON?" I screamed "Jesus, Ma! That's just great! You aren't getting rid of my neice! I can't believe..." I laughed and walked towards the door "I can't believe this conversation is happening right now. Over a human being. This is... this is gross." I looked around "You know what... do whatever you fucking want, you can break Jackie's heart. It's not my life."

"Zachary-"

"So many people have been walking out lately... maybe it's time for a change." I Shook my head and walked out.

This was it. This was the point I realized people talk about. Where drinking life away sounds like the only solution, like drugs sound like an easy route. This was where Jackie and Matt were. There was no route out for them, they had responsibilities an they were still kids themselves. This was where giving up seemed logical, but of course we have to carry on. We have to pull through. I just couldn't imagine how, and that's where I had trouble. Was finding the strength to move through this without being able to make music with my best friends.

And it hurt like fuck.