| far cry away page two |
| Apparently Walker knew his son well... he did not return home at a descent hour... in fact he almost didn't come home that night. He would have stayed out all night and crashed at a friends house except he was in an odd mood and wanted to write. He snuck into the house as quiet as he could, creeping down the stairs to the makeshift studio he and his brothers worked in when they were at home.He took a seat at the ratty old piano that sounded a hell of a lot better then it looked and softly a melody weilded it's way from his fingers into the still air. The darkness of the room lulled him into a quiet mood, only the few candles he'd lit to let him see his way around the room and preventing himself from killing himself by tripping over some cords or some shit. He at least had the where with all to flip the tape recorder on before he'd sat. A habit Ike had drilled into him and though he would never admit it, it was one he was grateful for. A soft song slid from his mouth, he hadn't even realized he was singing until a tender voice spoke to him in the dark. "That's very nice little brother... new inspiration?" "Ike?" "Yeah... It's me." He said quietly as he came further into the room the soft circle of light falling on him clad in his flannel pj bottoms and bare feet. He scratched at a naked shoulder. "Well... whatever your new inspiration is... it's quite impressive. I haven't heard you write like that in a very long time Zac." "Yeah...? Well, I haven't had the inspiration to in a long time." "And you do now?" "Yeah... yeah, I guess I do... weird huh?" He asked cocking his head to one side. Ike shrugged. "You comming up to bed? It's almost dawn you know." Zac shrugged, his fingers lightly gliding over the keys to continue the tender song. "Well, whenever you're ready then... night Zac." Zac nodded, his fingers still playing over the keys as he hummed. Ike slipped out of the room and silently headed back up the stairs. He went to the kitchen for a glass of milk, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as he set his glass in the sink he thought he could hear Zac singing again. It was good to hear some of the old Zac back again. It had been far too long since he'd seen that side of his brother. Life had just disillusioned him so much lately that he was starting to act like he didn't care and was rebelling. He was pretty sure it had only been a phase... this was the first sign that his theory was right. He was grateful. He sighed and took the stairs back up to his room. He took a detour and slipped into his parents room. He gently shook his mother's shoulder as she slumbered. "Mom... Mom.... Zac's home." He whispered as her eyes fluttered. "Ok?" She asked. He nodded and she smiled. "Thanks son." Walker said in a quiet voice, his eyes still closed. "Sure." Ike whispered back and let his parents go back to sleep. Ike crawled back into his bed and Tay's voice came to him in the dark. "He home?" "Yup." "Working?" "Yeah..." "Really?" "Yup... it's like... well it's just good to have him back." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah." "Cool, can't wait to hear it..." "Night Tay." "Night Ike." And the early morning was swallowed up in silence once more save for the surly teenager nodding off at the piano keys in the studio far below them as he sang the love song he'd just composed.. The household stirred, the waking day greeting them in quiet. Breakfast was seen to and the day begun as the books were cracked. Diana didn't bother to go up and wake Zac for she knew the response she would get would only be a hassle. She'd given up on trying to get him to work on his schoolwork with the others. She never really saw him do it... but everyday there would be a stack of his work, completed and neat in his distinctive left handed script. He always turned in brilliant work too, it wasn't slip shod by any means, it baffled her how he could continute to keep up his life, and still be able to do his work seemingly in his spare time. She gave up questioning it and let him be. It was just a phase... right? Ike and Tay stretched and yawned as they took the steps to the studio, ideas floating around in their heads. Unlike their mother they knew what to expect, Zac had never come to bed the night before, they knew he was sleeping in the studio, again. He usually did that when he couldn't find a friends house to crash at and he'd come in too late and didn't want to wake anyone. But this morning they got a bit of a surprize, instead of finding his limp mass sprawled over the comfy couch... he was slumped over the keys of the piano, fingers still gracing the ivories as if he'd just stopped playing moments ago and keeled over. The two older brothers just looked at each other as if to say 'whoa!' It was an unusual sight to see Zac working... or at least the evidence of doing so. Over the past few months something had caused him to stray away from his normal self. He was rowdy, out carousing all night with friends that were a bit on the unsavory side. He would often come home obviously drunk and stinking of pot. In fact, they rarely saw him at all. He would show up only when he felt like it or when absolutely needed. He never missed anything important. The family felt that he did still care about them and his career... but for somereason he was caring less and less about himself. They were all sitting on pins and needles as they waited out this 'phase' he was going through. And none were more ready to see him back to his old self then Ike. Ike loved his brother with a fierce passion and it hurt him tremendously to see him slowly destroying himself like he was forced to watch. No matter how many times he'd tried, Ike just couldn't seem to talk some sense into him. It worried Ike to no end. But on the rare occasion, Zac still relied on his older brother to help him out ofa jam.For instance, he never called his parents when he'd gotten arrested. No, he'd called Ike's cell and begged him to come down to the station to get him out. Ike did try, but wasn't allowed and was then forced to call his parents. After a few times like that it didn't surprized Ike when his cell would ring in the middle of the night... he was always sort of expecting it if his brother wasn't in his bed on the other side of the room each night. And it was so very rare that he was. It had to be close to dawn when Ike was forced awake, the persistent shrill of his cell screaming at him from his bedside table. He sighed and sat up as he looked over at Zac's empty bed. He groaned when he turned on the light, so did Tay but he just turned over and grumbled as he snuggled down under his covers. Ike picked up his insistant phone. "Hello?.... Yes... Oh for the love of... Zac what now?.... ohhh fine... where are you?... No, I'll come and get you... yeah yeah... " And he pushed the end button at he tossed back the covers and threw his feet over the side. He tossed his phone onto the bed as he got up and scratched his belly, yawning as he stretched. He traipsed across the room in his boxers as he went into the bathroom. "Stranded, broke and drunk again is he?" Tay's gravelly voice was heard from under the lump of blankets when Ike came back out of the bathroom. "Yeah..." "Why don't you just let him find his own way home, you can't keep bailing him out of trouble you know... it's not going to teach him anything Ike." Tay said as he rolled over a bit and looked up at his older brother in the dim light. "I know, but he's my brother Tay... I gotta..." He tried to explain. Tay sighed. "I know..." He then rolled back over and was quiet. Ike frowned as he stepped into his jeans and threw on a sweatshirt. He grabbed up his keys as he stepped into his shoes, shut off the light, sitting a moment to tie his sneakers, then he left the room quietly, shutting the door gently on his way to save his little brother once more from what ever evils he'd bestowed upon himself that night. A few weeks went by and Zac's middle of the night calls seemed to lessen. There was even the odd occason that he would be found sound asleep in his own bed and neither brother had heard him come in. A couple of rare occasions he made an appearance at dinner or breakfast with the rest of the family, he even took an entire day to stay at home and finnish the song he had been writting when Ike had approached him that quiet night in the studio, a love song... it all seemed a bit odd... but nobody was going to question the sudden return of a few of Zac's old ways. Everyone was silently hoping that the old Zac would make a sudden appearance and then stay with them for good. Ike was in the studio one afternoon, laying down a few tracks for a demo when he got a surprize. Zac came strolling in, whistling happily, his hands stuffed into his cords. He eyed his little brother with caution, thinking maybe he wanted something from him. He'd grown to distrust his brother, and he hated that fact. "Sup Ike?" Zac nodded cordially as he straddled a chair and gazed at his brother. Ike was wary and his voice hesitant. "Nutt'n Zac... something you wanted?" He asked, not being able to stand the suspense any longer. Zac shrugged. "Nope, just hang'n out." He said casually. Ike nodded unsurely. It had been a very long time since Zac had done that.His curiosity had gotten the better of him and before he could stop himself, Ike was asking some questions that had been burning his brain for a while now. "So... uh... Zac..." Zac looked at him, waiting for him to finnish his thought."What ya been up to lately... I mean... you know, over the past few weeks. I mean." Ike tried to make it sound as if he weren't prying... though he knew very well he was indeed doing just that. Zac just shrugged again, noncommitally. Ike wanted to roll his eyes and shake the guy he was so frusterating. To distract himself he went back to fingering the frets of his worn guitar, a light strum as he worked out a few notes. He looked back up at his brother who just sat there not really staring, but not really dazed out either. It was odd to see him this way. He usually had so much energy, even if he was just sitting in a corner reading a book, he was always tapping a finger or shaking a foot, or just exuded this silent energetic power that radiated from him... Ike had always thought it odd that his little brother could hold such a force at his will. He was sort of jealous from time to time over it. But not now, it was as if he were a different person, and he just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. For some reason his brother was just full of surprizes that day, in the quiet of the room as Ike wrote down a few notes... Zac spoke, without prompting or provocation. "I think I'm in love." "Wha...?" "I think I'm in love. What part of that was difficult for you to understand?" Zac smirked at his brothers bewildered face. "You mean, like in love love? Like a house and kids and a wife love? "Yeah, is that so surprizing?" "Uh... " "Oh come on Ike. Admit it, you thought I would be the last person to fall in love... I'm not so sure if you're wrong yet... it's just... well I've never felt this way about someone before." "Have you talked to her about this yet?" "I... well no. Not exactly." "Well why not? If you love her like you say you do, then shouldn't she deserve to know too?" "What if she doen't love me? What if I'm the only one and she doesn't feel the same way? What if she doesn't want me?" "Will you talk to her? Even if your knees are knocking if I tell you that she loves you for certain?" "Yeah..." "What about if I said she said she did but I lied but you didn't know it?" "Well... yeah, probably..." "Then what are you telling me for? Go and talk to her. You just admitted that you would talk to her on my word. Why then not on your own trust in your feelings?" Zac looked at his brother with his head cocked, realizing that he'd just been bamboozled. He rolled his eyes at himself. He was such a sucker. "You know sometimes I hate you." He grumbled as he got up and walked out. Ike just smiled to himself and went back to work. A week later in the middle of the night Ikes phone rang yet again. It really didn't surprize him. He groaned and pressed it to his ear. "What now Zac?" "This isn't Zac." A female voice came into his ear. He pulled it away fom his ear and looked at the phone like it were posessed. Tenatively he pressed it back up to his ear. "Who is this, and how did you get this number?" Ike tried to sound intimadating, he just came off as sounding a bit shook up. As he was. "Don't flatter yourself, I'm no teenie dimwit waiting to flash you my tits. This is Chamile's cousin. Zac is drunk off his ass and you need to come and get him before my father comes home and finds him puking in the fishtank. He will have him arrested and he will press charges." "Whoa. Ok... Tell me how to get there and I'll come get him right away." "You'd better... can't you people keep better tabs on your own? He's over here almost every night pestering Chamile. He really just doesn't get it that she dumped him. I think it's starting to sink in though. Maybe that's why he broke into our house and drank half of my father's liquer cabinette." "He did that?! That does not sound like Zac, not at all!" Ike exclaimed. She gave him directions and Ike promised her that he would be there as soon as he could. This sounded serious. Zac had never gone as far as breaking into someone's house! What the hell was going on with him? Ike was determined to get to the bottom of it. He needed to for the sake of his brother and the fact that he loved him and didn't want to see him hurt or worse, ending up in jail. Not long after Ike was driving through the gates of a rather large and informabidable looking place. His stomach was tied in knkots as he drove up to the huge front door. As soon as he'd climbed out of his car the door was thrown open and a rather pissed looking blonde goddess stormed out. "You had better keep him away from her. He's starting to scare her! He's in there now talking crazy!" She growled, pointing behind herself toward the open doorway. Ike ran past her and his eyes flicked over the room. He then heard his brothers angry voice booming from a nearby room and he darted for the door where the sound was emanating from. He was scared at the scene he found. Zac was on his knees, a bottle in one fist at his side as he slumped there defeatedly. His eyes were red, glazed and wild. A terrifyed Chamile was huddled up in one corner of a windowseat, her face streaked with tears. "Zac...? Buddy, what's the problem here?" Ike asked gently, he knew if his brother wanted to he was capable of ripping him in two. He just hoped he wasn't that volitile. Zac's head twisted around and he eyed his brother. Ike didn't even recognize the broken man beforre him. Where was his loving brother? "You were wrong Ike... I should have kept my mouth shut... I would have been happy that way... we all would have been happier..." Zac was talking in circles and enigmas. Ike was worried. "What are you talking about little man? What was I wrong about?" He asked, edging closer to him slowly. "You told me I should tell her... well I did! And she dumped me! She dumped me Ike! She fucked me and dumped me! I was a fucking virgin too! Aint that funny? Your brother the rebel was a virgin and he got dumped after he got laid only once! Oh yeah, put me out to stud now man I'm sooo ready!" Zac yelled, his anger directed at a trembling Chamile. She shook her head, her sobs breaking her voice. "No... it wasn't like that..." She tried. "LIAR!" Zac screamed, his body lurching toward her intimadatingly. She cringed and cowered in the corner more, terrifyed that he would come after her. Ike reached for his brothers shoulder and grabbed him. It did no good, Zac easily threw Ike from him, knocking him backwards on his ass.. "YOU BITCH!" Zac's voice screached. In anger he tossed the liquer bottle at Chamile, missing her by a mile as it smashed through the window next to her. This time Ike was ready and he yanked Zac backward harshly. The look of pain in his eyes was enough to break his heart as he hushed to his younger brother. "Come on Zac. You need to get out of here. If you really loved her you wouldn't want to hurt her now would you?" Zac was close to tears as Ike helped him to stand. Zac leaned on him heavily, his arm draped over his brothers shoulders. Ike stuffed him into the car, his eyes appologetic as he looked over at the other witness to his brothers lowest poiint in life. "We'll pay for the damages and stuff. I'm really sorry... I just don't know what got into him, he's usually not like this." Ike tried to explain. Surprizingly, the blonde only shook her head. It was almost as if she understood a bit of what made his brother go off the deep end. "Don't worry about it. Just keep him away from her... I'll try to calm her down. I think a lot of this is her fault anyway... Zac's been hanging out here a lot when they were together, he was a pretty descent guy then... Chamile is just... well she isn't the sweet little innocent everyone thinks her to be." Ike nodded... not really understanding the whole situation. "I am sorry... call me if you need me again... like to pay for..." He started. She held up her hand and shook her head. "I really don't think that will be needed. I'll try to soothe things over with Daddy... I'm sure I can get Zac off the hook... I'll call you if there is any trouble. I have your number." She promised. He nodded and climbed into the car. Zac was sobbing silently, his big shoulders shaking under the stress of it. Ike wanted to cry too... He took his brother home and tucked him into bed where he belonged. It wasn't exactly how he'd pictured getting to know that mysterious blonde that intrigued him so at the country club... but it was a start. |