The Boy Who Just Wanted to Get it Right

Park It.

Joe and Harbor talked for a while. Neither revealed their purpose for being at a playground at such a late hour, but neither needed to. They were perfectly okay not knowing. They were happy and smiling now and that's all that mattered. Harbor sat on one side of the monkey bars and laughed as Joe tried to walk on them to her from the other side. Joe quickly reached her as the bars were not very far apart.
"I should put butter on the bars next time," she laughed. Joe suddenly received a text.
"Where are you?! Your father just got home from a business trip and we're both very upset" Joe's stomach sunk. He didn't want to leave, and he was terrified of his father.
"I-I have to go. See you at school."
"Bye!" Joe called Alex as he walked quickly.
"Hey Alex," he said in a quiet, urgent voice.
"Hi, Joe, are you okay?"
"I am, but I might not be. My dad is home and... well, he's not the greatest. I just want to give you a heads up. I'm on my way home now."
"Why aren't you home now?"
"Not important. But Alex, I care about you and I wanted to say that before I see him because he's probably going to try to make me- well I don't know. But I won't let him."
"Joe are you sure you're going to be okay? I can come get you, you can stay the night."
"No he'll be more mad. I l... I've gotta go. Bye." And with that, he hung up. Alex's voice was the last thing he wanted to hear before this went down. Joe walked in the door preparing for the worst. But nothing could have prepared him for what was about to unfold.

"Where the hell were you," Joe's dad said threateningly as soon as Joe entered the home. If you could even call it a home. It sure didn't feel that way. Home for Joe was when he was with Alex. When the whole world seemed to take a pause as they talked and laughed. That was home. This? Well, this was hell.
"Are you listening to me!" He yelled. Joe nodded even though he wasn't. Pinned against the door, Joe received a punch in his right eye. He wanted to cry, but knew he'd get it worse if he did.
"Listen to me!" he screamed.
"Just because I'm not here, doesn't mean you can act like an animal. You're disgusting! Sleeping with everyone who comes over here?! With boys! You're an animal! A disgusting fucking animal that needs the gay knocked out of him!" He was punching Joe in the stomach repeatedly. Joe almost coughed up blood.
"Frank, Frank, that's enough!" Joe's mom said running up behind him. In an instant he reached back, hand on her ear, and shoved her down, her head hitting the corner of their glass coffee table. Blood spilled on the expensive carpets. Taking quick, short breaths, Joe watched in horror as he slid out the door he'd been pinned against. Joe ran and ran. He didn't care how much it hurt him to do so. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. He just wanted to be away. He sat on damp grass, leaning against a tree for a minute before he called Alex.

"Alex?"
"Joe! Are you okay?"
"I- uh, no, not really. I'm alive if that's what you're asking."
"Where are you? At home?"
"No, I'm at some park."
"What park?"
"Uhhh, Ebony?"
"God, Joe, how far did you walk?"
"I ran actually."
"Okay, well I'm coming to get you."
"No, Alex it's okay, I can- I'm fine."
"No, I'm coming to get you. Don't move." Alex hung up. He quietly sneaked into his parents' room and grabbed the keys from their bedside table. He drove to Ebony Park to get to Joe. When Alex parked, he locked the car and ran to the poor boy crying against a tree in the dark.
"Joe!" Alex got on his knees and kissed Joe. Joe kissed back, craving the sensation that seemed to make him forget the blood on the carpet, the pain in his ribs, the cut on his foot, and the thoughts in his head. Alex hugged Joe only to receive a yelp of pain from him. Joe noticed that Alex wasn't wearing his binder, not even a bra. He must have been in a hurry to get here.
"I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?"
"It's okay, I'm fine."
"Can I see it?" Joe nodded. Alex gently lifted Joe's shirt. He put one hand to his mouth as he thought he might cry. He looked down and saw the glass in Joe's bare foot. Alex cried as he kissed Joe's forehead and rubbed the back of his head.
"Come on, you need to get to a hospital."
"No! They'll call my parents! I-I don't even know if my mom's alive!"
"If you tell them the truth, they'll have to take your dad away right? I mean, this isn't a spanking, this is abuse! And maybe they can help your mom, maybe she'll live." Joe started to tear up.
"I don't want her to," he said, his left upper lip lifting slightly as he said it.
"Joe..." Alex hugged his shoulders instead of his stomach this time.
"I-I don't know what to do, Joe, t-tell me what to do."
"I don't know what to do either, Alex."
"Well we have to do something, you can't stay like this."
"Alex I'll-"
"No, you won't be fine, Joe!" Alex's voice cracked. "You- take a look at yourself! You're probably going to need stitches for your foot and you probably have broken ribs."
"But- but they won't believe me, they-they-they they'll make me go back... It's happened before." Alex kissed next to his eye.
"We have to go right now then Joe. While there's still evidence, before he can get away."
"I-I..."
"Come on. You're safe, I promise. I won't let anything happen. If somehow, some way, he looks innocent.., we'll run away. I won't let you ever go back in that house with him."
"But what if he is proven guilty? And my mom is dead? Then what? I get shipped off somewhere far away to be in a foster home? I don't want to go anywhere, Alex." Joe had a tear threatening to escape.
"You don't have other family that would be willing to take you?"
"Alex."
"What?"
"Alex, Alex there's a cop car we need to get out of here, now."
"Joe, your foot!"
"Rip it out!"
"Joe I can't-"
"RIP IT OUT!"
"Okay, okay!" Alex wanted to close his eyes so he didn't have to watch. He hated anything relating to blood, wounds, or gore. He gripped the piece of glass.
"Hurry!"
"I-it's slippery! There's blood on it!" He tried harder and managed to pull it out.
"J-Joe I'm going to throw up," Alex barely managed.
"I'm so sorry-"
"It's fine. Just get in the car before I throw up on you right now." Alex helped Joe to the car.
"Sit in the back so you can sit on the floor where no one can see you from outside the car." Alex climbed into the driver's seat and drove.
"Do you see any bags I can throw up in back there?"
"Just an expensive looking purse."
"Damn it. I'll just have to choke it down."
"Uh, Joe?" he continued.
"What is it, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah... Where do I go? I mean you need to go to a hospital."
"I can't. My dad-"
"I know, I know... We could drive out of the city? See how far we could go? Go to a hospital some place else?"
"Run away? Alex your parents are going to notice the missing car. They're gonna find us. And hospital visits aren't free. My parents are rich, I'm not." Alex sighed.
"Well we should go to the police then. If we're running, they'll think we have something to hide. Tell them the truth. Tell them everything. And you know what, Joe. Id rather you be with a good foster family on the other side of the country than you be here, abused by your dad, or a high school dropout on the run. I... I love you, Joe."
"I love you, too," Joe said softly. Alex turned around and headed for the police station. Alex's face turned red. "I just realized I'm not even wearing a bra..," he said.
"Here, take my jacket." Joe set it in the passenger seat next to Alex. They reached the police station and Alex parked the car. He put on Joe's jacket and prepared for what could possibly be the worst night of his life.

"Joe, does the ground hurt your feet? Do you want my shoes?"
"Alex, you're three sizes smaller than me. I'll be okay. Just help me to the door." The pair managed to make it inside.
"Hi, can we-"
"Whoa, whoa, you're getting blood all over the floor!"
"You're still bleeding?"
"Nia, go get me some towels for this poor boy." Nia nodded and hurried off. Alex helped him to the chairs. The officer walked towards them.
"What happened?"
"M-my dad... He- he..." Joe started breathing quickly. Alex rubbed his back. "It's okay, Joe."
"I came in the door and he yelled at me and started hitting me and-"
"Where did he hit you?"
"Well, in my eye, and..." Joe life's up his shirt.
"Oh my god, you need to get to a hospital!"
"No, no, you don't understand!" Nia had returned with the towels, wrapping one around Joe's foot, and using the others to clean the floor.
"I understand that you could die if you don't get to a hospital right now!"
"I-if we don't do this now, he could get away!"
"The ambulance is on its way, tell me everything you know while we wait."
"While he was hitting me, my mom tried to stop him, and he... He pushed her. Into the coffee table. And she hit her head on the corner and there was blood e-everywhere and-"
"Calm down. What's your name?"
"Joe Kerrings."
"And you?"
"Alex."
"Last name, ma'm?" Alex frowned.
"Sir," Joe corrected.
"Diaz."
"And what is your address, Joe?"
"1574 Alecantra Boulevard."
"What are your parents' names?"
"K-Kyle Kerrings and Mary Kerrings."
"The ambulance is here." Alex started to help Joe up.
"No, stop. They'll get him in safely."