Chapter 7:

"How could you say that to him?" Carey's voice came out in a hiss of anger. "I can't believe you. You're not a brother, you're not a twin. What kind of monster are you?"

"I didn't mean it," Zack said, a tear running down his cheek. "He knows I didn't mean it."

"Cody doesn't understand anything right now, Zackary. You have to know that. You have to protect him."

"I will! I promise Mom," Zack's voice was raw with pain. "I'll do it, even if it costs everything. I'll do it."

xxx

"I hate myself," moaned Cody quietly, sitting on his bed. He didn't deserve this bed, he realized. He crawled off and sat on the floor. He didn't deserve this either. He deserved to die—he should get rid of himself so then he wouldn't hurt the ones he loved anymore.

He couldn't do this.

Zack knocked on the door. Cody heard him, and trembled. Was he going to come in here and hurt him more?

Stop being such a coward, he told himself. You deserve it. You make them hurt, you hurt them. You deserve to hurt too.

"Cody? Can I come in?"

Cody didn't answer. Why should he answer? His thoughts didn't mean anything, they didn't matter to anybody. His feelings didn't matter—that's what Rob and Tony had always said. Only Cody had never thought they were right, until now.

He heard the door open, and turned around instinctively. Was Zack going to hurt him?

Zack came up to him and put an arm around Cody's shoulders. Cody flinched, and he read the pain in Zack's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"No, Cody!" Zack let out a strangled cry. "You don't have to be sorry. You never did anything to them, you never did anything." His voice broke and his sobs came in raw gasps.

"I hurt you. I made life worse for you." Cody could feel the tears filling up in his eyes and spilling over the edges, matting his eyelashes together. "I should just go. Then you wouldn't hurt anymore."

"I would hurt even more," Zack breathed softly. "Because I had the chance to have the best person I ever could in my life and I blew it. I need you Cody. I'm sorry. I didn't mean those things I said."

"You're right though," said Cody, drawing his eyes to the ground. "You're right. I did make life harder for you."

"It's pretty hard right now," Zack admitted, pulling Cody close. "It's pretty hard, but it will be worth it in the long end. Why? Because I know you're here and you're safe. It would be so much harder not knowing where you were and not knowing if you were hurt or scared or broken. I have you here Cody, and I'm not going to let you go. I'm not going to."

There was silence. Zack promised. He could only hope that he'd be able to keep it.

xxx

It was school. The next day. Zack hadn't let Cody out of his site for the whole first three periods even though he had to pee more than anything right now.

Tapeworm was ok. He'd been banged up pretty badly, but he'd gone to the hospital for a checkup, and besides being severely bruised in some areas, he was ok. He looked apologetically at Zack, and Zack nodded in forgiveness.

The person Zack needed to talk to was Drew.

He cornered Drew outside the class after Chemistry, followed by a scared-looking Cody.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on my brother again," hissed Zack angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Drew asked.

Zack punched him hard in the gut, smiling to himself as Drew doubled over. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about Drew. I'm not here to play games with you."

"I never said I was here to play games with you," smirked Drew sarcastically, after he recovered from the pain.

"Shut it," Zack growled.

"Zackary Martin!" came a snappish voice. Zack looked up to see the vice principal of the school—Mr. Kent. "Go my office right now! I'll have to have a discussion about your poor behavior." Mr. Kent walked off, expecting Zack to follow him.

Zack pulled Cody along with him. "Come on, it will only take awhile. I'm sorry, Cody."

Cody smiled weakly. "You were just trying to protect me," he said, his eyes glued to the floor.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" Zack grinned.

They reached Mr. Kent's office and Zack walked in, Cody following him.

"Mr. Cody Martin, you may stay outside," Mr. Kent said.

"No!" Zack almost screamed. "No! He has to stay in my sight the whole time! He got hurt yesterday!" He was almost hysterical.

Mr. Kent smiled grimly. "Cody, wait outside."

Zack almost punched the teacher in the face but decided that he was already in enough trouble as it was. He kept an eye on Cody's small figure sitting outside the glass panel the whole time, not really focusing on the lessons of not bullying dictated by Mr. Kent.

He got out, luckily Cody was still there, and the beating of Zack's heart slowed down considerably. They walked out for break, when Zack met up with Tapeworm outside near the gym, with Cody of course.

Unfortunately they crashed into Drew. There was only three of them: Zack, Cody, and Tapeworm. Against Drew and his seven friends. Who were also holding metal baseball bats.

"Come on, this isn't funny," said Zack, backing up against the gym wall. He knew nobody could see them from here.

"I never said anything was funny," snapped Drew, as he swung his baseball bat, nearly hitting Zack's head. "I never said anything was funny at all…"

Not the best writing I've done, but review... please? See, I wanted to end it in this chapter, but Mr. Sketchy Ghost protested and said it needed to be longer.