The Cat on the Balcony

14- Chase Away the Butterflies and the Blurryface

UNEDITED

A/N- Here's the 1k reads celebratory chapter! I love you guys so so much, thank you to everyone who has been reading, and an even bigger thank you to those who have been consistently voting and/or leaving feedback, you have no idea how much it makes my day to read what you guys are saying, it just makes it more real to me that people are actually reading what I'm writing.

I'm feeling really tired; I guess that what happens when you go through physical trauma though. If I stayed still and didn't try to take any really deep breaths, I was fine. But as soon as I started moving around the pain came back. The nurse ran out of cold ice packs, so I was lying on the couch under a thin blanket trying to get a little sleep before school got out.

The principal had come in to talk to me, Brendon and Jack told him who had attacked me. He told me they would be taking "disciplinary actions" but I knew what that really meant. It meant Ronnie would be suspended for awhile or given some detentions and that would be that. They didn't care what happened to us, they're only goal is to move us through the school like cattle.

I heard the final bell ring, and I groaned at the thought of having to stand up and walk. Throwing off the blanket, I began to sit up when the nurse stopped me.

"No, no sweetie! Wait, your friends said they'd get your stuff for you, and then come get you and help you walk out to your car."

"Ok." I mumbled. However, I did sit up completely to wait for them, but not without some difficulty. My torso took the worst of the beating, so it took a lot of effort to sit upright. I had looked earlier, and bruises were already starting to pop up. I can't imagine how I'll look and feel in the morning.

After a little bit, I heard some soft knocks at the door. Slowly, the door eased open and my little bean's head popped through.

"Hey Josh." He said softly. Opening the door the rest of the way, I saw the others were behind him. Patrick was carrying my binder and Brendon had my bag. "You ready to go home?" Tyler asked.

"Heck yes, I'm starving. And I need to feed Jenna, she's probably hungry too."

Tyler chuckled a little bit before walking up next to me. "What?" I questioned.

"You just got beaten to the ground so bad you grimace anytime you move, and the only things you're worried about are food and your cat."

"Well, when you're hungry you're hungry, Ty. Now, help me up please."

Tyler stood on my left side and Jack came up on my right. Together, they helped me stand up. I got light-headed and wobbled a bit, but I regained my balance and the dizziness went away after a few seconds. I nodded at them, and with their help I hobbled out of the clinic.

No words were spoken as we went out to the parking lot; all four of them watched me carefully. By looking in their eyes, I could tell how much this had shaken them all up, especially Tyler and Jack. When we made it to Tyler's car, Jack helped me sit while Tyler took my stuff from Patrick and Brendon and put it in the backseat of the car.

"Are we meeting at Josh's house?" Patrick asked.

"Yup," Tyler responded.

"Ok, see you there. Come on Jack, Brendon." They walked off to Patrick's car, and Tyler climbed in his.

"We're meeting at my house?"

"Yeah, they want to make sure you're ok. Cheer you up a bit, you know?"

I smiled, "Yeah, that's nice of them." I like this whole having friends thing.

We pulled up to my house, Patrick right behind us. I instructed Jack to get my house keys out of my backpack so he could unlock the door. I got in the door, and I tried to go to the kitchen, but Tyler made me go sit down in the living room instead.