I heard the sound of snapping branches.  I flew open the car door.  I was immensely relieved when I saw the relaxed face of Jack. 

'Where were you last night' I asked, wanting to know where his dearest friend had went, in the pitch black, alone.

'Out in the woods, getting some air', Jack replied, a quizzical look plastered over his face.

'We looked everywhere for you, Jack'
'I thought you were dead', I told him. 

'Well I'm not am I', Jack said, bluntly.

'No, your not', I admitted, irritated at his unemotional response.

'You have no idea what it's like Nicolas, not being like you,- normal', Jack said his eyes locked with mine.

'With your nice house, nice room, nice clothes, nice phone, nice life', he continued.

'Nice life? My mum's Dead Jack!', I said, staggering backwards a few centimetres, shocked at his outburst.

'Ah boo hoo'. I never had one in the first place!'.  As he said that I swear I saw a glimmer of a smile, but then he turned stone-faced.

'Jack I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you', I begged, annoyed with myself with failing to remember his circumstances.

'Well that worked a treat didn't it!' 'I have no one to protect me!', he said, with a hint of anger in his voice.

'Neither do I', I said, my voice now escalating dangerously. 

'We are out here, alone, in a smashed up car.  No one is coming to look for us!'.  I glared at him, I felt the pulsing of my heart in its cage, its beat rampant.

'This was a stupid idea!', he concluded.

'We're never going to find him Nic.  No point us risking our lives for your bloody mum!'

I exploded into a fit of anger, my eyes widening at with I was witnessing.

'Shut up Jack!', Tom commanded.  'Nic's right, we gotta do this.' 

At least someone agreed with me, I thought.

'Yeah I'm staying too', Jemma chimed in.

'Right fine, when you all end up dead, it won't be my fault!', Jack screeched, the small muscles in his arms flexing, his hands bunched up in fists.

'Go ahead, go!'  'Bring your damn notebook with you!', I shouted as I produced the notebook from my pocket.  I had taken it from his room, back when he had first approached me about going after the gas mask man. 

'What... what are you talking about', Tom asked as he looked from Jack to me and back to Jack again. 

'And you thought....'. 'You thought I killed your mum!' Jack interrupted.  'That's why you brought me out here.... to kill me!', he shouts at the top of his lungs. 

'No of course I didn't, I wanted you here because you're my friend Jack.', I replied with tears in my eyes. 

'Liar!', he shouted. 

Jack turned on his heels and ran.  The black notebook lay on the ground, covered in dust.