A Summer to Remember

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

            “Liam, please stop!” I almost scream, but my voice feels as if someone has ripped it from my throat.

            I look at Liam, who falls to the side on his butt, his head on his knees and his hands going white as he grips his hair. I predict he will rip it from his scalp but he just sits there, and I am frozen where I am; I want to move, to go see the unconscious Josh whose eyes have shut and an enormous bruise latches under his eyes and his forehead. I stand there looking aghast, with my feet planted to the ground as the two boys stay there in the same position as do I.

            Suddenly the gears in my brain begin to turn again, and I realize I should get them inside before neighbors begin to wonder or look out their window to see this. I take a step but my legs are unstable they wobble; no matter what condition my legs are in I need to move. I take a few more steps until I am in front of Liam and Josh. I kneel down until I am on my knees in front of Liam, why am I not checking if Josh is okay?! For all I know he could be dead and yet I am kneeling in front of the emotionally distraught Liam instead! Does that make any logic or common sense, Tay? I take Liam’s hands, and untwist them from his hair. What am I doing? Let go of his hands! Go to Josh! Liam raises his head; his caramel brown eyes are rimmed red and tears streak down his cheeks, his hair stuck to his forehead and his eyes saying words from a different language. TAYLOR, DO NOT DO THIS! The little voice that ruins everything screams from the bad of my head but part of me ignores it but the other part wants to run. Liam leans forward, WHAT! NO!

            “TAYLOR! What happened?” I hear a scream from behind me, I turn to see Alex and she stares from me to Liam, who sits behind me.

            “I don’t know.” I say brainlessly. I am looking at my best friend dumbfounded as she rushes toward Josh who is starting to come to; something I should have done instead of going straight to Liam.

            “What do you mean you ‘don’t know’… never-mind help me get him inside!” Alex says as she starts him sitting up. I turn around to be staring at an empty space of grass, my head shoots up to the street where the last of Liam’s PJ pants runs out and off my street.

                                                                        **

            I sit beside Josh on the couch as he holds an ice pack to his head and the bruise begins to turn purple. He occasionally looks at me and I just bluntly stare at him not even blinking. I replay the moments ago events where Liam and Josh brawled on the front lawn and in conclusion that is how Josh got his bruise. But something is out of place; something doesn’t feel right; why did I go to Liam? Why didn’t I say anything to him? Am I even mad at him? Is Josh okay? But I haven’t got the voice to ask him as I stare blankly at him and he slightly glances over, shying away so I can’t see the bruise on the right side of his face.

            I rip my eyes from him and stare at some paintings around the room, I’ve seen them a billion times but they are the only thing that isn’t hurting me right now. A flower, a ship, water, a stormy sea, a castle, and a forest, are the themes of the paintings. What to say? Is the question.

            “Taylor?” Josh says quietly and painfully. My head snaps to him and he pats the spot beside him on the couch he sits on. I stand slowly and every step feels heavier. I feel bad. For what? I feel bad for Liam beating him up.

            “Taylor, why are you just staring at me? I can’t hide the bruise, you know it’s there. Are we okay?” Josh asks as he holds the blue crackling ice pack to his hot bruise face. I nod slightly, even though I don’t feel okay but I try to smile but my mouth stays as straight as the horizon.