Daniel

                                    

                                          


                          
            
                          
Seventeen
                          
I arrived at the hospital just as my grandmother was packing up to be discharged. 
                          
"Feeling Better?"
                          
She turns to me and smiles. "Better for sure. I'll be happy to get my own bed so I can actually have a good sleep."
                          
I walk over and hug her while grabbing her overnight bag for her. We walk together to the elevator as Cornelius walks out of one. 
                          
"The car is out front ready to get you out of her my lady" He takes her hand and puts his arm over my shoulder as we wait for the next elevator. This feels like a normal family moment. I watch them and I want that for Meg and I. I want to hold her hand and not care what anyone else thinks. 
                          
It's a quick elevator ride and walk out the doors as we approach Cornelius' car when my phone rings and I answer it. I get a hello out and am greeted with sobbing. 
                          
"Meg ... What's wrong?"
                          
In between the sobs I can hear the words Jack and Hate and ran away. I don't quite understand. "Calm Down. Where are you?"
                          
She continues to sob as I hear the word home. "I'm coming now" I turn to my grandmother. "I got to go." As I rush to my car and quickly make my way to Meg's house. She is still sitting in her car as I walk up and jump into the passenger side. She leans over and hugs me and we just sit there as she tries to calm down. 
                          
I sit silently as she gets out what happened at Jack's and how he blew up at her afterwards and just took off. I want to stay and comfort her but I also need to know that Jack is ok. I can picture where he ran off to and I know where I will find him. 
                          
"Let's go find him" 
                          
She nods as I exit the car and walk around to her side of the car to help her out and we head for my car. 
                          
"Do you know where he is?"
                          
"I have an idea. If I am thinking of the right place where he got out and ran then I think I know where he will go."
                          
We drive toward Jack's dads place but instead of heading up the road I turn onto a dirt road that doesn't look to get much traffic anymore. Some branches hit the car as we drive past and within ten minutes we drive up to a lake surrounded by a fence with a private property sign. I park and get out of the car as I see him sitting near the water.
                          
We had spent so much time here growing up. The old owners always let us swim here when we were younger and only when they passed and the land was sold to some developer was a fence put up. The company had hoped to make this a place people paid to swim and have parties but the area wasn't big enough to have people care and no tourists came to the city to visit an out of the way lake. With no selling options they throw up some Private Property signs and moved on to the next investment. 
                          
I leave Meg sitting in the car as I jump the fence and walk over to Jack. He hears me approaching but doesn't move to greet me. I simply sit beside him in silence giving him the chance to collect his thoughts. 
                          
"I'm sorry"
                          
After everything he has done for me those are the first words that he says. It hits me hard that he is still apologizing for the mess that I have caused him. 
                          
"You have nothing to be sorry about. This is my fault not yours. I should have been stronger for you and for Meg."
                          
His head drops into his hands "I shouldn't have yelled at her."