The Problem Child

Goldie to the Rescue

"Come on, Charlie. It would be fun!" Jia whined pulling at Charlie's sleeve, trying to convince him to go to the party at Allen's place next week.

He just wouldn't agree to go with them no matter what they said. He said he was supposed to be taking a break from social events that weekend.

"Jia, I will give you twenty dollars if you manage to somehow convince him. I swear, baby" Joshua said and playfully winked at Jia.

"You don't swear, Josh. And don't call me baby. You are not my man" Jia said as she scrunged up her nose a bit as if in utter disgust.

Josh mock pouted.

"Just go without me" Charlie said, not at all interested in continuing that conversation anymore. "It wouldn't make much difference even if I go with you anyway, right? With or without me, the party will be held and it will be fun nonetheless"

Jia glared at him for some time. Then she gave his upper arm the best punch she could and stomped forward, leaving the boys behind. She was muttering something under her breath as she did so.

"Hey!" Charlie and Josh called out in unision, trying to stop her.

"Don't talk to me" she hissed.

Charlie and Joshua glanced at each other. Then sped forward to keep up with Jia.

•••

Soon, they parted ways. Charlie and Joshua went the same way as they lived just houses apart.

When they neared the less illuminated part of the streets, Charlie perked up his head like he heard something. "You hear that, Joe?" He asked, stopping Joshua from walking by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hear what?" Josh was busy ranting about the new book that he took an interest for lately and didn't even care to see what Charlie was talking about. He went on ranting.

He pushed past Charlie's hand and continued walking. But almost immediately, he was stopped when Charlie pulled him back by grabbing his collar.

"Josh! Listen" Charlie shushed him and gestured towards an alley way.

When Josh listened for Charlie's sake, he heard a familiar voice. "Sounds like that guy who is in love with his baseball cap" he told Charlie, squinting his eyes in confusion as he wondered what the guy was doing this late, that too, in an alley way.

It's almost five hours past school time...

"Yeah. His name is Conner. Now, Come on" Charlie ran into the alley way, pulling Joshua along with him.

The voices became more clear when they went further into the alley.

"Trev, man, you look so ugly"

"S-shut up, Kon"

"You gonna sit here all night? Can you walk?"

"Can't you j-just... Shut the fuck up?"

Charlie squinted his eyes and saw Trevor sitting on the dirty ground of the alley, leaning his back on the brick wall. Conner stood by him with his hands on his knees.

Trevor looks so beaten. Badly beaten. He could clearly see that his face was a mess of black and blue bruises, even from this far. Also, his shirt was no more white as it should be. It was an ugly shade of brown and black. And Charlie almost felt like puking when he saw traces of blood on it.

Conner's face had a few bruises on his forehead and down his cheek-bone. Or at least, that was what Charlie could make out through the poor light that illuminated the alley way. He too had a fair share of dirt on his clothes.

"Hey!" Joshua called out as he walked closer to the duo.

"Gah... What the hell are you guys doing here?!" Conner said in utter annoyance as Trevor watched them with a scowl.

Conner looked a little scared by the sudden voice.

"Wait, are we interrupting another one of your 'fun times' again?" Josh mused as he leaned down to get a better look at Trevor's face."Man, that must be hurting a lot" he mumbled, scrunging up his nose a bit.

"Tickles" Trevor muttered.

Lie... It hurt like hell that he feel like chopping off his head, just so he wouldn't have to feel anything anymore...

Charlie kneeled down and got a hold of Trevor's jaw. He turned it to the sides, examining it. Trevor's faint attempts to try and slap away his hand were all left in vain. He actually didn't hate it though.

"Who beat you up like this?" Charlie asked but was met with another slap on his hand from Trevor and he just let go off his jaw.

He couldn't help but worry.

That's when Conner remembered.

"Wait. I thought we were enemies? Enemies don't look out for each other. Trev, DO NOT ANSWER HIM. He is probably going to make fun of you later" he said and stuck his tongue out at Charlie, crossing his arms across his chest.

Charlie heaved a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

This guy...

He got up and held a hand out to Conner. "Friends?"

Conner squinted his eyes doubtfully and looked down at Trevor for 'confirmation'. Trevor just stared blankly at him. It hurt him to move. And he didn't want to get in pain, just by trying to give a thumbs up to his friend.

"Alright then, whatever" Conner said and shook Charlie's hand.

Charlie smiled and winked at Joshua who returned the smile.

"So...Can you walk?" Charlie asked Trevor as he leaned back down, putting his hands on his knees.

"Of Course, I can" Trevor mumbled and tried to get up, only to fall back on his butt.

There goes all his ego...

"Hm-hm. So much for 'Of Course, I can'.Here, Let me help" Charlie leaned down and put an arm around Trevor, supporting him with his own weight.

"Got somewhere to go?" He asked the duo as he helped Trevor get back on his feet.

Trevor opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Conner's deadpanning.

"Oh no! It is almost an hour past my curfew and it's a school night. My mama's gonna kill meee! I can't go home, I WON'T GO HOME! Can we go somewhere else? Please, please, please, pleaaseee, puh-leeaasee?" He whined with his arms inter-twined with each other as if he was praying.

"Alright, alright. Let's..." Charlie gave it a thought.

Well, he had enough room in his place.

"Let's go to my place" he chuckled and Conner's face lit up.

"Hey, do you always have this on?" Joshua asked Conner, grabbing the baseball cap off of his head, and looking at it eagerly. He liked the design on it. It looked kind of cool to him.

"Yeah!" Conner beamed as he hoped forward.

"Why?"

Trevor started to say "Oh no. Don't get him started on that". But no one heard him as his voice was drowned in the sound of Conner started going on about his favorite baseball cap and why he loved it as much as his life itself.