Alone

11

Austin, who had stood to address his superior, now backed against the wall as the three older boys approached him. He had been here before, and it had ended with him in bed for a week. He raised his arms as the first fist fell. He crumpled forward as the air was knocked out of him. The boys began to kick him as he was down, lying in his own blood. Vanessa was behind Sailor, sobbing and trying to pull him off of her boyfriend. He simply threw her to the ground and continued. He signaled for the other two to stop and bent down, grabbing Austin by the collar of his shirt and pushing him up against the wall. Austin tried to wiggle out of his grip but his resistance was only met by a punch to the gut and an uppercut to his jaw. Austin was dropped to the ground as Sailor felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around to receive a knee to the gut. He doubled over and the next thing he knew, was flat on his back on the cold cement floor, a girl crouching over him.

"Let's not do that again."

She said patting his cheek. She turned to find Vanessa standing over her.

"Who are you to care about Austin?"

Austin coughed from near the wall, trying to explain who this was to Vanessa. Parker had every right to blow up at her then and there.

"Nobody."

Vanessa huffed as she turned and ran over to Austin, holding his head in her hands.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. You'll be all right, I promise."

He coughed again, trying to sit up, and made eye contact with Parker, she was his priority at the moment. She returned his gaze.

"I'm going to wait outside."

She stood from where she had still been sitting and left the room. Austin turned back to the girl holding him up, painfully lifting his arms to hold hers. She sniffed, and moved her hands to his face, leaning forward and kissing him deeply.