The Beat Of His Drums

Chapter 7

It's been a week since the fight with Jack. I've tried to talk to him. I've tried to apologize, but he walked right past me with his headphones in, completely ignoring my existance. I'm really wishing that I didn't bring it up. But I still need to know what the hell went on in middle school that I am unaware of.

I walked out of the school, heading for home. Ghaust and Oscar stayed after for what ever reason that I can't remember. My memory is horrible. Clearly. I heard foot steps behind me but I didn't think much of it. I figured it was just other students who lived close enough to the school to walk. What else could it have been. Eventually I got bored of walking by myself so I slipped my earbuds in and started blaring Abandon All Ships. Great band. Love them.

Just as I was rounding the last corner, down the street where my house was located, I felt a pair of hands grab me, one hand cupping my mouth so I couldn't scream. I was pulled into a dark alley. My attacker threw me into the brick wall of an abandoned apartment building. I slid down the wall, my back writhed in pain. I coughed up, not expecting the pain to be so unbareable. I craned my head to look at the unknown person. My jaw clenched as I realized who it was.
"Geremy..." I growled. "Hello Siren." He sneered, sending a forceful kick to my stomach. I hunched over, holding my hands over the spot where the pain errupted from, coughing up even more. "W-what the hell is y-your problem!?" I gasped out, my voice being strained as the discomfort left my entire body throbbing. "First you reject me," he grabbed my by the throat, slowly lifting me off the ground, "then you humiliate me and kick me in a place a man should never be kicked." I choked as he squeezed my neck tightly. I clawed at his arm, leaving long bloody scratches, but he didn't falter. He reeled one hand back, and just as quickly, punched me in the face causing me to cry out. He leaned in, pressing his lips to my ear, "now, should I kill you or just fuck you and leave you to rot?"

"Hard to believe a typical high school student would be willing enough to go to jail for rape or murder, no?" A voice called from above. We both looked up to see Jack crouching on a fire escape. He stood up. Leaning his hands on the railing, he swung his entire body over, landing in front of Geremy. He released me, turning to face Jack. I gagged and practically huffed in as much air as I could get to replace the lacking of it. I could practically hear the scowl he was making. "You really get on my nerves Jack." Geremy snapped. I watched Jack roll his eyes before grabbing Geremy by the throat and whipping him to the other side of the alley. My eyes widened. It's not too often you see a tiny, twig like Jack have the strength to throw a more muscular man like Geremy.

He leisurly walked over to Geremy, kicking him in the gut. He toppled over with a grunt. Jack lazily stuck his foot under Geremy, flopping him on his back. He leaned over and started punching him in the face repetitively. I just sat there watching. Unmoving. Just watching. I guess that's just a typical thing for me.

Right when I thought Jack had Geremy beat, Geremy grabbed Jack's head and slammed him face first into the pavement. It took me by shock, and I could tell by Jack's slow reaction time, he was unprepared for it as well. He grabbed Jack by the hair and started bashing his head into the ground over and over again. This caused my blood to boil in rage. I ran towards them, I fought to get Geremy off of him, but he threw me to the ground as if I was nothing but a helpless fish out of water. My head smacked against the cold hard ground. But luckily, my destraction, I guess you can call it, was enough for Jack to make a comeback. He flipped his leg around, kicking Geremy in the jaw, sending him to the ground next to me.

To my surprise, Jack grabbed my hand and sprinted out of the alley. We darted for my house, running through the living room, he slammed and locked my door behind us. I hunched over, with my hands on my knees, panting like a dog. He slid down the edge of the door, brushing the long blonde strands out of his face.

After catching my breath for a moment, I stood straight. He sat still, looking down at the floor. "Are you okay?" I asked. "I'm sorry Siren...." I gave him a confused puppy-dog look, "sorry for what?" He shook his head, grasping at his bangs, "everything." I knelt down in front of him. "What are you talking about." He tilted his head up, making eye contact with me, for the first in what felt like years. "I shouldn't have been so mad at you for wanting to get answers, I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have ignored you." I stood up, "It's understandable. But I do want to know, what were you doing in town today, and how'd you know I was in trouble?" He stood up as well, "I saw you leave the school, then I saw Geremy following you with an unsettling look on his face. I know he doesn't walk home. I had a bad feeling, and I didn't want you to get hurt. So I followed." I chuckled, "my hero." My statement made him laugh too, "always."

I touched his forehead, next to a long, bloody gash he received when Geremy bashed his head in the ground. He winced as I touched it. "Does it hurt?" I asked, concern becoming more evident in my voice. "Not as much as the back of my head." I turned him around, his hair was stained pink from the blood. Seeing this caused me to panic. "We need to get you to the hospital!" I shouted, grabbing his wrist, and headed for the door. He pulled me back. "No we don't, I'll be fine, nothing my mom can't stitch up on her own." He pulled out his phone. "I really think you need to get it checked by a doctor." He rolled his eyes, "I think you need to put a bag of peas under your eye, and clean up near your eyebrow." I looked at him with more confusion. I gently touched my cheek, causing me to wince and an aching feeling shot through my face. I ran to the bathroom, dragging him with me. I looked in my mirror to see a huge bruise under my eye and a small but equally as bloody as Jack's, gash over my eyebrow. There was another bruise on my jaw but much less noticable. Red finger prints marked my neck. I bent down, openning the vanity cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit. Just then a knock came about the front door. I looked at Jack with worry. "That's probably my mom." He smiled. I walked to the front door, openning it to reveal a woman with blonde hair. "You must be Jack's mother." I stated. "My dear, you look just as messed up as I expected my son to be. I didn't know if you had a first aid kit, so I brought my own." I stared at her in disbelief. "...thanks..." I said sarcastically, Jack walking out a second later. "Jesus you two look like you were attacked by a bear or something." She remarked looking him over, carefully. "Close enough..." I muttered, allowing her to enter. "So let's get you two fixed up before you bleed to death." This...is...Jack's...mother? Their personalities are completely different.

She sat us both on my couch, handing me an ice pack. For my bruises. She dabbed some alcohol on my cut, which stung like a bitch. She stuck a band-aid to my cut and moved onto Jack. She cleaned up his cut and bruises, then moved around the couch to examine the wound on the back of his head. She did not look happy when she took a look at it. She cleaned it up, and by the face Jack was making, I could tell it hurt like hell. She then grabbed some surgical thread and a needle and started sewing up his head. He hissed each time the needle pierced his skin, so I wrapped my hand in his, hoping it'll relax him a little. My parents walked into the house, just as she finished up. "What the hell!" My mom screamed, seeing how mangled we looked. This is going to be a fun explaination.