Cabin Nine [[Revised Edition] Under FURTHER Revision]

Twenty-Eight

I'm still on my way home from school when Jack calls. I just about crash my car digging into my bag for my phone.

"Tyler?" he says, not allowing me to even say a simple hello.

"Jack? You okay? It's the middle of the day."

He sniffles, which tells me that he is absolutely not okay. Jack doesn't often cry. That role is reserved for me, because I have a much harder time controlling myself. I debate pulling over to talk to him, but I don't want someone to think I'm broken down or something and try to help. I wouldn't know what to say in that situation.

"What's wrong?"

There's a significant pause before he answers. "I'm okay, first of all."

"Jack." It's all I can say. Because that means there was a fight. It doesn't necessarily mean he started one, but there was definitely a fight.

"I'm fine, okay? I'm at the hospital right now and they said I'm okay. I just broke my nose."

"Your nose!"

"It barely hurts, I've done worse."

"Jack, tell me what happened."

He tells me that he and his roommate haven't gotten along all year. It's only been two months but they're honest-to-God enemies. Jack invited some friends over to do homework and found that his roommate had gone through all of his stuff and destroyed anything that was either rainbow or about me. Even his journal was ripped apart. So naturally, Jack went to campus police to report it.

And they did nothing, as usual. So Jack went looking for his roommate and found him completely trashed, along with all of his friends. And basically they tried to beat Jack to death. At least, that's how I hear it. I'm not sure that's how he phrases it and I don't even think he thinks that way himself, but that's how I hear it.

When he says it, I actually run off the road. Luckily, I'm the only one there. A car comes up behind me, slows, and honks. I stick a thumbs up out the window and honk back and they keep going. Jack asks what happened, so I lie and tell him that I missed a light turning green.

I get home and start packing to go see him but he tells me to stop. Of course, I ignore him. I leave a note for our parents telling them where I went. I'm going to have to email my professors to tell them I'll be gone for the week because of a family crisis. Yeah. That sounds believable. And it's true anyway. Jack is family. And this is definitely a crisis.

Jack doesn't mention the fact that I'm driving every time he calls me in the next 20 hours. I don't stop at all. Not even to use the restroom or get something to eat. When I show up at his dorm room, he's not there. His roommate isn't either, but the door's unlocked so I just go in. Jack's stuff is in boxes on his side of the room. His roommate's stuff is untouched.

I want to destroy his side of the room but that would be sinking to his level. Plus, it might get Jack in more trouble. I don't have to stay here with that guy always right around the corner. I don't want to mess anything up for Jack.

When I turn to leave, I find a vaguely familiar person standing in the doorway. I know it's his roommate. I've seen him before. But we've never been one-on-one and he's never looked so scary.

"Get out of my way," I say, and I'm surprised by how strong I sound. I know I'm tall but I don't think I've ever been perceived as even vaguely frightening until now.

He moves without a word. His expression only changes for a fraction of a second, but I know I've gotten to him. He's not particularly tall. I tower over him. So when I pass him, I lean down to his ear and say, "If you touch him again, I will break every single bone in your body."

I hear the door slam shut after me.

Jack answers the phone immediately.

"Hey, where are you now?" I ask him.

"I'm at a gas station, why? Where are you?"

"Definitely not in the dorm hall."

"Tyler."

"It's fine. Are you moving out?"

"I am." He thanks the cashier and I hear the door ring as he leaves the gas station. A car door shuts and he says, "Stay where you are, I'll come get you. I can't show you the apartment I'm moving into and my new roommates are both in class right now, but maybe we can go get lunch?"

"Sounds good. Stay inside or go out so you can see me?"

Jack laughs. "I don't know, if that idiot's not there, maybe we can take advantage of the insideness of the afternoon."

"That sounds like an amazing idea, but he's there."

"He is? How do you know that?"

"I might've run into him on my way out."

"Tyler! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I assure him. "He didn't say a word."

"Seriously?"

"Well, it's pretty easy to shut your mouth when someone threatens to do it for you."

I can almost hear him smiling. "You did that?"

"Only for you, Jack. Only for you."

At this point, I find myself getting run into and bear-hugged by a very enthusiastic redhead. I don't hug him back because he's got my arms pinned to my sides but I nestle into him and just breathe, trying to remember the last time I felt this good.

But the goodness drains away when Jack stands up straight and I see his face.

He looks awful. The bruises have already turned a dark purple and his nose is giant and his forehead has a giant cut on it. But he's still Jack. So, of course, he says, "They should use me as a resource for stage makeup textbooks."

"Do they even have those?" I reply. Jack smiles and hugs me again. We're okay. We always are.

"Where do you want to eat?" Jack asks, taking my hand as we walk back to his car.

"I don't know. You're the expert, aren't you?"

Jack takes me to an Arby's, because he's still the same dumb idiot I've been in love with for so long.