Everyday Combat

By 10 that night I had already injured myself once more by falling out of a tree because I had been attempting gymnastics. It wasn't terrible, just a little concussion that soon went and a tiny bruising cut above my right eyebrow, almost unnoticeable if it were another millimetre down.

Mom hadn't been happy, but she didn't make much of a deal of it because by that time she realised Zack had been gone since four and nobody had heard from him. Which took my thoughts away from it too once I had my Barbie bandaid stuck cross it.

If I wasn't already cool enough with a gashed upper arm, braces and glasses I now had a bandaid right across my forehead! Damn, it's gonna be on all the catwalks I tell you. London Fashion Week eat your heart out!

By eleven when we were all wrapped up in blankets from the closet, laid out on the front lawn watching the stars Zack was still missing and nothing could hold back my mind from the horrible thoughts that whirred through it. I shot up from my position hugging Jason, almost tripping on the blanket and dashed up the porch inside.

Mom was sitting on the sofa with the phone beside her and looked round at me as I came into the living room. "Has he called?" I asked. I think she would have told me if he had but I had to ask just in case. She shook her head, a sad look creeping onto her face.

"I think I'm gonna call your dad."

I barely heard that because I shot back out the door, not even thinking of a jacket and ignoring my friends because now I had to find my brother. No matter how dark, cold or late it was I was not coming home until he was with me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder but I kept on walking, eventually breaking out into a run when tears began to stream down my face. But the hand reappeared, yanking me to a stop and I saw through my blurry eyes the outline of Brian in the darkness. And then I was pressed against his chest, hidden beneath many more as I cried.

"What's up babe?" Brian asked me gently.

"Z- Zack ha-asn't call- called!" I sobbed somewhat hysterically as I tried to fight my way out from them.

"Faith stop, stop!" Jimmy now said catching me around my waist. I tried to struggle free, protest that the longer they all kept me, the longer Zack was missing but it was useless because by the time I was released and fell into a heap on the floor I was back at my house.

Back where it all started.

And dad was home, because his patrol car was parked somewhat recklessly at an angle across the end of the drive and on the lawn too. I scrambled up and hurried inside where dad was stood with another officer who was taking notes, obviously ready to file a missing persons report in case he didn't show up.

"Daddy," I whispered out in a choked voice; he turned from mom, then stepped away and pulled me into him. Tightly, as if afraid to let me out of his sight in case I too vanished. "What's going on?"

"We're gonna send some patrol cars out, and me and your mom are gonna go too," he answered, giving me a reassuring smile. Well it was supposed to be anyway.

If they were looking so was I, but I waited until I had been left in the care of the guys to sneak into the garage to get my bike before heading out. I was gonna go to The Spot in Central Park and work my way from there. I hoped that by the time I had reached The Spot, only then would they realise I wasn't there.

Unfortunately it was only five minutes before my cell was buzzing and making muffled sounds in my pocket, but I ignored it because I had reached the park now. Now, my trick was to alternate between singing and yelling his name so I wouldn't think about what was lurking in the shadows.

So he wasn't at the spot, and he wasn't hiding in the play things or nearby. My phone buzzed a few more times, and I ignored it a few more times before I headed along the bridge over the "river" that ran through the park. I stopped quick though hearing sniffling.

"Zack?" My heart raced.

No reply came, just more sniffles and I rode down to the edge. Looking either way, I saw the huddled form of someone leaning against the wall beneath the bridge, and the only reason I knew who it was, was because he kept flicking his lighter on. Ditching my bike, I almost tripped myself running to him, flying into his arms.

Both of us crying.

"God I was so scared!" I hissed, holding onto him for dear life. Last time he disappeared, we did it together. "Why didn't you call or something?!"

"I'm sorry," he cried into my hair. "I'm so sorry...I'm such an asshole."

"I shouldn't have upset you like that, though!" I whimpered, trying to take a breath.

"No, you should. I deserved it," he mumbled. "God Faith what have I done?!"

I opened my mouth to reply when a buzzing noise sounded. It certainly wasn't mine because it was squished against my leg in my jeans pocket. Sighing and wiping his eyes he let go of me, stepping back and pulled his own phone out. Suddenly he gasped and looked up at me. Frozen, almost.

"It's Sarah..." he whispered.

"What's she say?" God, my voice sounded so nasally now 'cause I'd been crying.

He looked back down at his phone. And a smile leapt onto his face, a tear dripping onto his phone. He turned it then for me to see a picture of her stood in the sea, but without my glasses I couldn't exactly see the words. I squinted, trying to focus them on the black-on-white lettering but they weren't having it.

I think Zack figured that out too because he laughed quietly. "She says, 'I did it Zacky, I really did it. I still love you, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I miss you, sad face, I want to come home. Please reply kiss'." I smiled up at him. "She still loves me. What did I do right?"

"Iunno, but you must have made the Big Guy happy somehow," I answered as he hugged me once more, all the while I could hear his fingers rapidly tapping at the buttons of his own phone.