Running From Lions
018
They spent the rest of the day fussing over Jonah; I was sat outside when I heard Alex.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, they’re talking about stuff with him that I’m not supposed to hear. The girl that got him into all this has come back. Are you coming with us tonight?” I asked and he nodded.
“I might stay at home tonight.”
“Why? I thought you were staying at Jacks,” he asked and I shrugged.
“Yeah I know but Jonah asked me to do something with him tonight and I can’t so maybe I should come home afterwards and stay with him tonight,” I admitted.
“Don’t bother, stay at your boyfriends and we’ll do something tomorrow,” Jonah said from behind me.
“Mom wants you,” he said and I walked off.
“Gaskarth!” he snapped and I hid just inside the door so I could hear them.
“What’s with you two?” he asked.
“She’s my best friend, why?” Alex asked.
“Well you were never interested before and now your best friends, if I find out your messing her around you’ll regret it,” Jonah stated.
“I’m not messing her around, I just don’t like the idea of being associated with you. Not many people ever tell you because they’re too scared but I’m not. You’re a fucking jackass! You make peoples lives hell and think its okay and its not. She lives in your shadow Jonah, people know her as your sister and they’re terrified. All through school people were friends with her because of you not because they liked her, you broke her and her ex boyfriend up! I’m warning you stay away from her and Jack,” Alex snapped and my eyes widened.
Nobody spoke to Jonah like that and got away with it, I looked outside to see Jonah stare at the floor and then back up at Alex.
“Have you finished with the lecture?” he asked calmly and Alex nodded.
“Good,” he said before turning to walk indoors and I ran off so he wouldn’t catch me.
I got ready to go and walked out my room.
“Rory,” Jonah stated as I walked past his room and I stood at the door.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked and I nodded walking in.
“You look nice,” he stated and I smiled.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Do you ever think people are friends with you because of me?” he asked and I knew what Alex has said had made him think and I nodded slowly.
“Honestly?” he asked.
“Yeah, I know they are. In school people only spoke to me because they thought you’d leave them alone,” I admitted and he looked at the floor.
“Did people really do that even when I’d left?” I nodded.
“Everyone still knew you but at least I never got bullied by others,” I said and he nodded.
“Sorry, you know Marcus?” he asked.
“What about him?” I asked.
“He never deserved you anyway, where are you going with Jack?” he asked and I smiled.
“His aunts party,” I replied and he nodded.
“Is that why you wanted to be Alex’s friend?” I nodded.
“He was the one person that wasn’t nice just because I was ‘Jonahs sister’ but he never wanted to be friends,” I admitted.
“Why is he friends with you now?” he asked.
“We were both friends with Jack and Alex saw I wasn’t what he thought I was,” I explained.
“Mom said The Barakat’s came round,” I nodded.
“Bet that was awkward,” he said smiling and I laughed.
“They were shocked at how little mom and dad care,” I stated.
“They care you know that, I guess they just realize we’re not kids anymore. You grew up a long time ago,” he said and I nodded, I heard the door downstairs.
“Rory!” mom shouted and Jonah got up.
“I’ll come downstairs with you,” he said and I followed him.
“Jonah?” mom asked and he nodded.
“Are you okay Rory?” mom asked and I nodded as Jack and Alex smiled at me.
“I’ll see you later,” I said as I went to walk out the door but I felt a strong grip on my wrist which I knew to be my brothers and my mom took a deep breath.
She was always scared of him around me, he was unpredictable at best, he could be very gentle with people but as we all knew too well he could be very forceful. He pulled me to face him and I saw Jack and Alex step forward.
“Have fun and don’t come home, we’ll hang out tomorrow night okay?” he said as he hugged me.
“Okay,” I replied as I hugged him back.
“Sorry,” he whispered and I nodded, he let me go.
“Look after her,” he warned the Alex and Jack and they nodded.
“Bye Mrs Zanda and Jonah,” they both said as we walked off.
“What the…” Jack started.
“I think your little outburst sunk in,” I said looking at Alex and he smiled.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, they’re talking about stuff with him that I’m not supposed to hear. The girl that got him into all this has come back. Are you coming with us tonight?” I asked and he nodded.
“I might stay at home tonight.”
“Why? I thought you were staying at Jacks,” he asked and I shrugged.
“Yeah I know but Jonah asked me to do something with him tonight and I can’t so maybe I should come home afterwards and stay with him tonight,” I admitted.
“Don’t bother, stay at your boyfriends and we’ll do something tomorrow,” Jonah said from behind me.
“Mom wants you,” he said and I walked off.
“Gaskarth!” he snapped and I hid just inside the door so I could hear them.
“What’s with you two?” he asked.
“She’s my best friend, why?” Alex asked.
“Well you were never interested before and now your best friends, if I find out your messing her around you’ll regret it,” Jonah stated.
“I’m not messing her around, I just don’t like the idea of being associated with you. Not many people ever tell you because they’re too scared but I’m not. You’re a fucking jackass! You make peoples lives hell and think its okay and its not. She lives in your shadow Jonah, people know her as your sister and they’re terrified. All through school people were friends with her because of you not because they liked her, you broke her and her ex boyfriend up! I’m warning you stay away from her and Jack,” Alex snapped and my eyes widened.
Nobody spoke to Jonah like that and got away with it, I looked outside to see Jonah stare at the floor and then back up at Alex.
“Have you finished with the lecture?” he asked calmly and Alex nodded.
“Good,” he said before turning to walk indoors and I ran off so he wouldn’t catch me.
I got ready to go and walked out my room.
“Rory,” Jonah stated as I walked past his room and I stood at the door.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked and I nodded walking in.
“You look nice,” he stated and I smiled.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Do you ever think people are friends with you because of me?” he asked and I knew what Alex has said had made him think and I nodded slowly.
“Honestly?” he asked.
“Yeah, I know they are. In school people only spoke to me because they thought you’d leave them alone,” I admitted and he looked at the floor.
“Did people really do that even when I’d left?” I nodded.
“Everyone still knew you but at least I never got bullied by others,” I said and he nodded.
“Sorry, you know Marcus?” he asked.
“What about him?” I asked.
“He never deserved you anyway, where are you going with Jack?” he asked and I smiled.
“His aunts party,” I replied and he nodded.
“Is that why you wanted to be Alex’s friend?” I nodded.
“He was the one person that wasn’t nice just because I was ‘Jonahs sister’ but he never wanted to be friends,” I admitted.
“Why is he friends with you now?” he asked.
“We were both friends with Jack and Alex saw I wasn’t what he thought I was,” I explained.
“Mom said The Barakat’s came round,” I nodded.
“Bet that was awkward,” he said smiling and I laughed.
“They were shocked at how little mom and dad care,” I stated.
“They care you know that, I guess they just realize we’re not kids anymore. You grew up a long time ago,” he said and I nodded, I heard the door downstairs.
“Rory!” mom shouted and Jonah got up.
“I’ll come downstairs with you,” he said and I followed him.
“Jonah?” mom asked and he nodded.
“Are you okay Rory?” mom asked and I nodded as Jack and Alex smiled at me.
“I’ll see you later,” I said as I went to walk out the door but I felt a strong grip on my wrist which I knew to be my brothers and my mom took a deep breath.
She was always scared of him around me, he was unpredictable at best, he could be very gentle with people but as we all knew too well he could be very forceful. He pulled me to face him and I saw Jack and Alex step forward.
“Have fun and don’t come home, we’ll hang out tomorrow night okay?” he said as he hugged me.
“Okay,” I replied as I hugged him back.
“Sorry,” he whispered and I nodded, he let me go.
“Look after her,” he warned the Alex and Jack and they nodded.
“Bye Mrs Zanda and Jonah,” they both said as we walked off.
“What the…” Jack started.
“I think your little outburst sunk in,” I said looking at Alex and he smiled.