24 Floors.

“Do I even want to know how you got kicked out of four public schools?” Was Alex’s “good morning” to me when I climbed out of Jack’s bunk and walked into the back lounge. I didn’t do much last night before passing out, but I felt it was necessary to get my bearings in such an unfamiliar, unwelcoming setting. “I mean, I did some pretty fucked up things in high school, but I couldn’t even get kicked out of one!”

I gave him a confused look. “How did you find that out? Aren’t school records usually sealed?”

Pink tinted his cheeks and he looked back to the laptop in his lap. “I know a guy.”

I groaned. “Um, public indecency, public indecency, I got caught selling weed while high...three times, and I kind of had an underground sex shop running during class breaks...don’t give me that look, it made good money!” Alex’s eyes were wide, his jaw hanging open. Personally, I was pretty proud of my last endeavor. Kids would pay a lot of money for some handcuffs and dildos, and when you’re the only person with the balls to sell stuff like that to minors, you could jack your prices up as high as you wanted.

I heard Rian before I saw him. His laugh was deeper than I expected it to be. Walking past me, he sat down next to Alex with two heaping bowls of cereal. “Dude, that’s insane.”

“Don’t encourage him!” Alex grumbled.

“I’m not, but you can’t admit you aren’t a little impressed.” He rolled his eyes, but Rian ignored it and continued on. “Do we really even need a paternity test, Alex? Seriously, public indecency, sex shops - he even looks like Jack!”

Speaking of the devil, Jack practically rolled out of bed, feet stumbling as they hit the floor. “Rian, shut the fuck up.” He moaned, holding a hand to his head. “Why did you let me drink that much?”

“We didn’t let you do anything, Jack. Remember threatening to kick anyone who disturbed you off tour last night? I mean, none of us believed you, but we didn’t need another feud on hand.” Rian explained.

“Another feud? What…” It was only then that Jack moved his hand away from his face, and he realized immediately what didn’t belong. “Oh my god, it wasn’t a dream. I’m going to be sick.” He turned towards the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. Alex glared at me as he threw his laptop to the side and gave his bowl of cereal back to Rian before covering his nose and going to check on his friend.

Rian tried not to look too concerned. “They’ll come around eventually. You’ll probably be with us for awhile. We aren’t any closer to finding your mom; actually, we’re pretty sure she cancelled her credit cards and possibly changed her name.”

The laugh that escaped my mouth was unexpected even to me. “Well, isn’t that fucking fantastic?”

“Look, I know this isn’t going quite as planned but I swear we’re trying.”

“I know, it would just be great if the people who made me didn’t hate me.” I wasn’t going to cry. Not again. Twice in twelve hours? That would be pathetic.

I took Alex’s seat and Rian turned on the TV. We watched whatever DVD the last person to use it had left in, but we only got about five minutes into it when Alex’s head popped up in the doorway. “Hey, Ri. We’re going on a burger run.”

I rolled my eyes at his childishness, while Rian opted for a pained sigh. Ignoring me and treating me like shit in general wasn’t going to do anything, and I hope he realized that soon. I didn’t want to have to take matters into my own hands. “Okay. I could eat.” No one tried to mention that he had just finished half a box of cereal.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me! I’ll just go fuck myself.” I yelled at Alex as he walked to the front of the bus.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back something. Zack will probably be up soon-”

“Already am. You assholes are loud.” Zack whined from his bunk, curtain still shut with no sign of movement behind it.

“Whatever. You want a burger or not?” Rian dismissed Zack’s complaint.

“No. What I want is some Frosted Flakes but I have a feeling you ate them all.”
“You’re psychic.”

“Ughhhh,” Zack moaned as he jumped out of bed only slightly more gracefully than Jack. “You better come back with some. I hate you.” They bickered like brothers. I’d never had a sibling, but I was always okay with that. Now, though, as selfish as it might have been, I wished for someone to be going through this with me; this unprecedented event that turned everything upside down for everyone involved.

“We’ll see.” Rian smirked before jumping out of the bus and catching up with Alex and Jack.

“You want some breakfast? Or a drink, maybe?” Zack asked as he opened the small refrigerator.

“Can I have beer?”

He raised his eyebrows and looked at his watch. “It’s not even noon yet.”

“Can I have beer?” I repeated, meeting his eyes.

“You’re a minor.” He said under his breath, handing me a brown bottle anyway.

Once Zack had procured a suitable breakfast of Poptarts for both of us - he insisted I eat if I was going to drink alcohol, and I hadn’t eaten since before the meet & greet yesterday - we found ourselves once again in the back lounge.

As much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t help but feel Zack’s eyes on me every few seconds, sending shivers down my spine. “What?” I snapped as I shoved the last bite of Poptart in my mouth.

“Sorry, I’m just worried.” He nearly whispered. “You’re obviously not okay, I know that, and even if you are related to him, I don’t want you to turn into Jack.”
I bristled at that. I already resented my blood relation to the near stranger. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, Jack doesn’t get down often, but when he does...it’s hell, to say the least. He’s drunk more often than usual - so pretty much 24/7 - and he doesn’t care. Not about anything or anyone. He self destructs, more or less. It’s ruined a lot of relationships for him and I don’t want to see you go down that path.”

I didn’t know if that was a genetic trait, but instantly the bottle in my hands made me uneasy and I sat it on the floor beside me. “I don’t think I want to, either.”

A small smile appeared on his face and he laid a hand on my knee. “Good. Maybe it would be better if you vent to me? Just talk me through what you’re thinking; Jack goes down that road because he’s worried about bothering other people and holds everything in.”

I hesitated - at the moment, my thoughts were pretty magnified due to my emotions being at such extremes. “I...I can’t.”

“Why? Are you worried about being judged? I promise I’m not like that.”

I knew he was sincere, and that just made it harder for me to reject. “You’re just going to worry about me, and I don’t need a babysitter.”

The smile disappeared. “That bad, huh?”

I bit my lip. “I’ll get over it eventually.”

“That doesn’t make what you’re feeling now any less valid.”

“I know.” It was still a comfort to hear the words from someone else’s brain. “I just - can you not tell anyone about this? Like literally anyone?”

“I promise I won’t. I trust you and it’s not like I won’t be around 90% of the time while you’re here.”

I looked at the ceiling so I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. Although I was relieved I had his word, it didn’t make actually telling him any easier. “It seems like everyone wants me to disappear, and there’s this little part of me that says I should. No one would have to worry about me being a burden or messing up their future and I wouldn’t be this upset in the first place.”
One of the few things I had learned about Zack in the short time I’d known him was that he was a hugger. I didn’t mind, but I couldn’t help feeling infantile in his large, strong arms. “I’m telling you, Jayden, Jack’s going to come around to you. He’s just shocked and scared and - like always - immature. I’ve known him for longer than you’ve been alive; this is just how he works.”

My hands clenched into fists. “So he’s always an asshole?”

He laughed, squeezing me once more before releasing me. “Something like that.”