Off The GridIron

Chapter 12 - In A Time Of Need

Friday May 31st, 1991

7:10am

Leon got up early and got things situated, feeling helpless he don't know what to do about the situation with Chris, he don't know how else he can help him or make him feel like he's wanted. He goes to his house and check on him and Chris will come over sometimes but Chris has been acting a bit distant and he don't know what else to do or how to help him.
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Leon's POV

"Well have you talked to him much since then?" Danyelle asked me. "I mean it could be alot going on, you need to go check on him, if you want I'll go over there with you, i mean he live right down the street right?"

"Yeah he do but i don't know, he needs to get psychiatric help, shit man i hate this situation, i told him he could come crash here anytime and i wouldn't mind but he just, it's like he's afraid of his father, i don't know what that man did to him or is doing to him" i honestly told her.

"Yeah you're right, well don't you think the authorities should be alerted to what's going on?"

"Now you know Danyelle that the police don't give a fuck about us."

"Yeah i know but we need to find a way to help him"

"You're right i don't know what we can do though"

"Well how about this, we'll take your car, you go in there if he's alone and I'll go with you and keep watch." She said.

"Yeah but what if his pops is there then what?"

"Well how about we go over there and check it out and if he is then I'll park the car down the road and I'll wait for you to get him out of there."

"Alright yeah that sounds like a plan, lets do it like that and see what happens. Let's go ahead and go right now."

I hopped into my ride and Danyelle got into the passenger seat and went a few blocks down to the address that Chris told me. We got there and seen the house, it was a decent sized house, the outside of it looked good, there were bars on the windows which is common in some parts of Los Angeles and it was a fence around the yard.

"Alright let's just go around and see what we can find."

"How are we going to get across the fence?"

"What you never hopped fences?"

"Umm does it look like i hop anything?"

"Well i know you hop on..."

"Yeah you know not to finish that sentence." Danyelle said laughing.

"Whatever....fine just park down the street and wait for me Alright?"

"Alright cool cool, no problem."

She went and parked down the street and i hopped the fence and made sure i didn't make too much noise and i looked around the house through the windows i seen this dude smoking a blunt and he had a beer in his hands.

"Hey boy Shut up in there before you get it again." He said.

I looked at the door he was yelling at, i was wondering if it was a window back there. I went around and the back window and i seen Chris whiping tears from his eyes, he had the palm of his hands in his face just crying.

"Hey Chris...Chris It's me Leon." I told him tapping on the window and whispering. He Came over i think he was surprised.

"Leon what are you doing here, you have to go." He said whispering.

"I came to get you out of here."

"You got to go, if he catches you here He'll...."

"He'll what?"

"He will hurt you man!"

"Boy who are you talking to?" I heard his dad say from the other room.

"Nobody!" Chris said freezing up.

"Come in here you little fairy! You need to clean these clothes, they're dirty. You hear me you little queer, come in here and get to work!" I heard him yell.

"Dad I'm tired, please..."

Next thing i know i heard footsteps coming closer to the room.

"Help me!" Chris whispered.

"I got you man."

Chris got away from the window and a few seconds later his pops came into the room.

"Did you hear what i said you fucking queer! Get in there and clean the clothes!" I heard him smack Chris, i couldn't see him get hurt like that.

I got down to where Chris couldn't see me i went over to the front door and busted the door down.

"What the hell was that?" I heard him yell.

"Chris run!" I told him.

"Whoa he ain't going no fucking where." The dude said.

"You're not going to stop me from getting my friend away from you."

"You wanna bet?" He said.

He pulled out a knife, he smirked at me, i looked at him. I seen him try to charge at me, then out of nowhere i see this big vase come flying and hit the dude square in the face. I turned and looked at Chris and i seen him full of rage and anger, his father looked like he was knocked unconscious.

He walked over to him and looked down at him and went and felt his pulse, he told me he was still alive, then he began to kick him.

"This is for every punch...kick....and slap you've ever given me you poor excuse for a father!" He kept kicking him, i ran over to him and pulled him off of him.

"Hey Chris relax it's all over, come on let's get some of your clothes and go." As we was getting some of his stuff his father got back up, knife still in hand. He stood in front of the front door as we was getting ready to leave.

"I told y'all that y'all aren't going anywhere."

As he was about to charge at us we heard doors closing and people storming towards the house. He turned around and charged at some of the officers and we heard a gunshot go off. We seen his dad fall to the ground.

"What, how did they...Danyelle." I said.

"What, you brought somebody with you?"

Yeah...Danyelle the girl that helped you in the hall that day after you got beat, she's a good friend of mines, she's cool."

"Hey i came as soon as i heard the sirens, is he doing alright?"

"He's a little battered but i got some alcohol and peroxide and bandages at home." I said.

One of the police officers came in the house and i explained the whole situation, surprisingly he listened and really took time to write things down.

"And that's everything that happened?" He asked.

"Yes officer that's everything."

"Well do you mind if i talk to him?"

"I don't know, he seems a little shaken up. He's been through alot, he's a good friend of mines I'm going to take him to my place, give him a safe secure place to stay." I told the officer.

"Alright, well I'm glad to hear that. I'll write all this down, y'all are free to go." He said.

We went and me and Danyelle packed some of his clothes and he just sat there, the same police officer that was talking to me talked to him, he tried to cheer him up a bit, it worked because i seen Chris smile which was a good thing. After we got his stuff we went ahead and headed to my house and got him settled.

"Now it's only one room man so you can sleep right here on the couch alright, it's a comfortable couch, you'll like it." I told him

"Yeah...hey thanks i appreciate you doing this for me, you didn't have to."

"No problem man, that's what friends are for."

End Of chapter 12