Chapter 6- Abuse Of the McGwire Kind

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Carey asked as they entered the suite. She glanced from Jeremiah's angry face to Zack and Cody who were panting slightly. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing happen," Jeremiah stated as he pulled his backpack over his head and tossed it onto the floor. He gazed pleadingly at Zack and Cody as Carey walked over to them.

"Something must've happened if you just said 'Nothing happened'. So what happened?"

"NOTHING HAPPENED!"

Jeremiah stomped over to the bathroom and slammed the door shut/ Zack and Cody winced slightly as they sat down in the couch and sighed. Carey gazed at them intently as Zack and Cody shifted their eyes from her to the TV over and over again. She crossed her arms and tapped he foot impatiently.

"Ah, I can't stand it!" Cody cracked as Zack rolled his eyes. "Jeremiah and Maddie got into a fight, literally! He pulled out a switchblade and Zack and I tried to stop him!"

"I have to go talk to him!" Carey said firmly.

"Mom don't!" Zack shouted as he stood to face his mother. "He has a temper problem."

"Could it be possible that he's bipolar?" Cody jumped in.

"I don't know, it's possible," Carey responded. "I never bothered to ask his doctor. It would explain his mood swings."

In the bathroom Jeremiah was furiously shifting through his things and throwing it around trying to find something. He found all of the pictures he made in the past couple of days and ripped them to shreds and threw them around the room, He opened his dirty journal and scribbled furiously in it. He then opened his photo album and ripped out the pages and threw them around, screaming. He finally started to calm down and cry silently. He finally opened the bathroom door and the Martin's stared at him. Below his eyes where usual black bags are were red lines. He muttered in monotone, "I'll be back in a few minutes" and left the room. Zack saw the clutter in the bathroom and went to investigate. He sifted through ripped papers and pictures that were on the floor.

"Zack, you can't do that!" Cody snapped.

"And why not?" Zack questioned in genuine surprise.

"Because it's wrong to invade someone else's privacy!"

"No it's not…It's fun! Look at this. It's some kind of diary."

"Zack, you should be looking at his things. We don't go looking through yours and…"

Zack ignored Cody as he rambled and picked up a dirty black book that had a faded gold name plate. Dirt clung to it as he tried to rub it off. He opened the torn, stained, and wrinkled pages of the book and flipped through it. One long passage caught his eye and he started to read it. His eyes widened as he slowly sank to the floor. Cody's rambling suddenly seemed to get louder and annoyed Zack as he read.

"Cody! SSSH! I'm trying to read this!" Zack snapped. Cody rolled his eyes and sat next to his brother to read over his shoulder.

July 9th, 2006

Dear Diary,

Sarah and Butch took me to another Motel. Once again I was stuck sleeping in the car while they went inside and did god knows what. I don't want to know. All I know is what they're doing aint right. I hear them, every night. It haunts me; makes me think that they're hurting each other. They're the only ones I have and I don't want to lose them; or else I'd have to go to an orphanage. I don't want to go there. Not again. Not after they did to me before. It's just too painful to remember and I don't want t relive that pain.

I got into trouble again. I accidentally knocked over Sarah's booze and that was the last one she had. I could tell by the look in her eye that this punishment was going to be worse then the other ones. I was right; she grabbed her bag of crack and opened it up under my nose. I backed away from her which caused her to punch me in the stomach. And she can hit HARD for a woman. I had to bend over and at the same time I inhaled some of the crack. It burnt my nose and as I sneezed blood dripped out. She made me inhale more and I started to feel really funny. The next thing I knew I was at a truck stop at least five hours later.

Every time she abuses me she doesn't just slap, punch, kick, stab, shoot, spit, or yell at me. She makes me do drugs too. Most of them I know but some of them I don't know what they are. Or se would make me drink until I get really lightheaded or get drunk or have alcohol poisoning. She doesn't make me do enough to die though, that's what makes me confused. Why does she make me drink and do drugs and why does she hurt me if she doesn't want me to die? It doesn't seem like she cares for me at all. Sometimes I just wish I could die and leave this hell hole called life.

Jeremiah

"What're you doing?" Jeremiah snapped as he entered the bathroom and halted when he saw Zack and Cody reading his journal.

"We were just-" Zack started.

"Snooping! That's what you were doing! GIVE ME THAT!" Jeremiah snatched the journal out of Zack's hand which made him get a paper cut.

"Dude! Papercut!" Zack said as he shook his finger in the air.

"I DON'T CARE!" Jeremiah screamed as he stomped his foot. "YOU WERE GING THROUGH MY STUFF WITHOUT PERMISSION! I DON'T GO THROUGH YOURS!"

"Jer."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Jeremiah what's wrong?" Carey asked as she rushed into the bathroom.

"STOP IT! ALL OF YOU STOP IT! YOU'RE NOT MY MOM," Jeremiah screamed as he pointed a finger at Carey. "AND YOU'RE NOT MY BROTHERS!" He added as he pointed at Zack and Cody. "SO JUST STOP ACTING LIKE I'M ONE OF YOU! I'M NOT! I'M JEREMIAH MCGWIRE! NOT MARTIN! I'M NOT A PART OF YOUR FAMILY NOW OR EVER!"

Jeremiah ran out of the room and slammed the door shut before they could say anything. He shoved past guests and slammed them into walls. They shouted at he angrily walked past but he ignored them as he strutted down the hall. He crashed into Mr. Moseby and fell to the ground.

"Dude! What's your malfunction?" He spat as he stood.

"Excuse me young man?" Mr. Moseby demanded.

"What, you deaf too old man?"

"Jeremiah Martin-"

"Slow your roll! I aint Jeremiah Martin OR Jeremiah McGwire! I'm just Jeremiah."

"I don't care who you are you are NOT going to speak to me like that!"

"Or you'll what? Kick me out of the Tipton? I don't even live here."

"It says in the register-"

"It says M-A-R-T-I-N! I'm not a Martin. I aint livin here! Move!" Jeremiah shoved Mr. Moseby and strutted down the hall with a confident smirk on his face. Mr. Moseby called after him angrily and Jeremiah stopped. He turned, held up hi middle finger, and laughed. He jogged out of the Tipton laughing and purposely crashing into people and shoving them out of his way; not caring in how much trouble he'd be in.

-

"Mrs. Martin I need a word with you," Mr. Moseby said in a dangerously calm voice as she opened the door to their suite; Zack and Cody looked up from their homework in astonishment. The only time they heard him use that voice was when they destroyed something priceless.

"Is this about Jeremiah?" Cody questioned.

"Yes it is. He's been very disruptive. He's knocking people over, shoving guests into walls, and being very rude to employees! Including me! You need to do something about it, Carey," Mr. Moseby responded.

"But what can I do? He doesn't even listen to me," she responded.

"We'll figure this out," Zack said reassuringly.

"But right now. We need to figure out where he is and if he's safe," Cody agreed. Suddenly a loud boom of thunder erupted in the distance as lightning flashed. "And fast."

-

Rain pelted down on Jeremiah as he walked down the street. He had his hands wrapped on his arms to keep himself from shivering. His black bangs were mated against his forehead as he walked past bustling people. The rain seemed to soak through his skin and chill him to the bone. People shoving him and casting him odd looks didn't make it better either. Some people shoved him out of the way and he'd try to shoe them back but they hurried off before he could. One guy shoved him so hard he went sprawling into the street and landed hard on his back. He gazed up at the pouring rain as it hit him in the face. He slowly stood as he heard a screeching sound. He turned and was blinded by headlights as a car sped out of control towards him. He froze in fear and could only watch as the car came rushing at him; women on the sidewalk started to scream as the car got closer. Jeremiah was suddenly hit from the side and he went falling to the ground as the car sped away. He sat up dazed as he pushed away the wet hair from his face.

"You ok dude?" Crystal asked as she stood and checked herself for cuts or bruises. Jeremiah jumped up and brushed himself off.

"I'm fine!" he said hoarsely as he started to walk off.

"Whoa! Shouldn't you be going back to the Tipton?"

"I don't live there anymore."

"What're you talking about? You have to live somewhere. DO you want me to go back with you?"

"I'M NOT GOING BACK!" Jeremiah yelled as he quickly drew out his switchblade and tried to slash Crystal across the cheek. She quickly grabbed the wrist with the switchblade in it and twisted his arm behind his back; with the other arm she pushed him around so he was facing the opposite direction and twisted that arm behind his back so he couldn't move. He struggled against her grasp but she held him tight and ignored the disapproving stares of and of the passersby. His struggles slowly subsided until his body shuddered from his crying. Either rain was falling down his face or they were tears; Crystal couldn't tell the difference. "Don't make me go back. Please. I can't go back."

"Ok then. You can come with me for a while then we'll see how you feel."

Jeremiah didn't object as Crystal kneeled so he could get onto her back. She stood and started to walk off towards Max's place. She and the rest of her family let her stay there as much as she wanted. Her house is so noisy because of her siblings. She has a twenty-four year old brother who lives there with his wife; his name is Maxwell. Then she has twenty-one year old twin brother and sister named Matt and Mack. Then she has a sixteen-year-old brother named Mark. She has twin seven-year-old sisters named Melissa and Marissa and a four-year-old brother named Mick. But her whole family was on vacation except for Matt so he was watching Max.

Once she got there she pulled a copy of the key out of her pocket, put it in the lock, twisted it, and walked inside. Once she closed and locked the door again she dropped Jeremiah who landed on his feet and looked around the warm house in a dream like stare. He could smell chicken and he heard a man's voice and a girl's voice coming form the kitchen. Crystal walked into the kitchen and Jeremiah followed hesitantly.

"Hey Max. Hey Matt," she greeted them as she took off her hat and placed it on the table.

"Hey Jewel," Matt greeted her with a charming smile and a kiss on the cheek. "How're you doing?"

"Fine. Is it ok if Jeremiah stays for a while? He doesn't want to go back home."

"Of course. The more the merrier."

Jeremiah sat in a chair quietly and rested his head on his arms. He watched as Matt, Max, and Crystal cooked the rest of dinner chatting and laughing. If anyone looked at that moment they would've seen jealousy in his eyes. He turned his head away and thought about what his life would be like if he had siblings. 'But you do…' He shook his head like an etch-a-sketch and blocked the thought from his head as Matt placed a plate of food in front of him.

"Thank you," He muttered as he picked up a fork and jabbed his chicken. He listened politely as Max and Crystal talked to Matt about their dance team competition that was coming up. He sat quietly as they ate they ate dessert and was nice enough to help wash the dishes with Matt as Max and Crystal watched tv.

"So how'd you get here, kid?' Matt asked Jeremiah as he rinsed a plate.

"Mental institute," was all he responded.

"You were the crazy one?"

"My mom was. They planted me there because they figured it was hereditary. I was stuck there for half a year until Carey adopted me."

"So why aren't you with the Martin's?"

"Because I'm not a Martin," Jeremiah sighed, exasperatedly. "Not matter how many times I get adopted, which will be in a matter of time form what I did, I'll never be them; even if my name changes. I'm just Jeremiah."

Matt smiled to himself as he looked away. Jeremiah was about to ask why he was smiling but got water to his face instead. He shook his face as water dripped down it and saw a twinkle in Matt's eye as he laughed. Jeremiah reached into the water and threw a handful of soap at him, hitting Matt with a splat! He spat and wiped some out of his eyes as Jeremiah smiled. Matt quickly sprayed more water at him as Jeremiah grabbed a pot top and shielded himself. Jeremiah quickly ducked behind a counter and raised wearing a pot on his head and holding a pot top and a spoon in his hands. He was about to smack Matt with the spoon when he slipped on the water ad fell to the ground. Matt reached out his hand to help him up. Jeremiah grabbed a hold of it and yanked him down next to him. A small smile formed on his face as he gazed at a soaking wet Matt as he brushed his bangs form his eyes. As his smile got wider he covered his mouth with his hand as he shoulders started to shake. Matt stared at him as a chuckle escaped his lips until he was curled up on the floor laughing his lungs out. He looked through tear filled eyes at Matt as his laughter died down.

"What?" He asked.

"You just laughed." Matt pointed out.

"Yeah…I haven't laughed in a while."

"How'd it feel?"

"…It felt great!"

----

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. On Thursday I left for a two day trip to the Retreat then on Saturday it was my birthday and I had a cross country meet that lasted almost all day. It was so much fun! So, I made a longer chapter because you had to wait. Remember, critics are welcome in your reviews!

Next Chapter:

Chapter 7: The Search For Jeremiah