Jersey Boy

(3)

{Jace Pov}

I glanced up at the clock. Just thirty more minutes, and I'll be home. I'll check on Alex and make sure he's okay. The rest of the afternoon, I couldn't keep my mind off him. His dad had to be at home with him, right? How else would he get in?

Thinking of Alex being touched and violated by his dad made me feel ill.

"Mr. Sawyer?" Someone asked, standing by my desk. I couldn't concentrate, so I gave everyone a small assignment to work on. Of course, nobody was actually bothering with it, but I didn't have to focus on teaching.

"Yes?" I tried making mine sounds normal and fine. Prying my eyes away from the clock, I saw it was Alex's friend, Nat.

"You don't have to worry about Alex. His dad isn't home. He's fine right now." Nat told me.

I shook my head. "That doesn't help at all." I tried not to make my voice sound angry, but I was worried, I couldn't help it much.

"Listen, I know you care about him, but there's nothing you can do. Just don't worry, and try to forget what you know. Treat him normally." Nat let out a heavy sigh. "His dad get's home around six, and doesn't do anything until eight or nine." He started walking away, but I quickly grabbed his arm, and pulled him closer to me.

"How long has this been happening?" I asked.

Nat himself now looked ill, and stuttered the answer. "He was four the first time. After that, it started to be a weekly thing at the age of seven. When AJ turned twelve, it became close to an every night thing." I let go of his arm, not wanting to hear anymore. I also knew Nat didn't want to say anymore.

After the bell rung, I struggled to keep myself sitting in my seat until everyone left.

Once they were all cleared out, and I gotten my work taken care of, I nearly ran, hoping to get to Alex as soon as I could.

Reaching the apartments, I stopped at Alex's first. I peaked inside the front window, and saw Alex curled in a ball on the couch. A small garbage can was right next to him, and his face seemed more pale than it was this morning. There wasn't any sign of his dad being home, so I knocked on the door. He didn't stir, but I didn't just want to leave him either. I knocked a couple more times, harder each time.

Alex finally woke up, and stumbled over to the door. He was quivering, I was ready to catch him, if he were to fall.

"What?" He mumbled, eyes halfway shut.

"Alex, are you okay?" I asked slowly. This seemed like just a bug or something. I don't think someone could sick from being...I wanted to cringe right there thinking of the word.

Slowly and almost barely, Alex nodded his head.

"It's going to storm." He mumbled, leaving the door open, but walking back over to the couch.

"Did it say that on the news?" I followed him inside. The ill boy shook his head.

"I get sick when it storms really hard. Storms scare me." I could hardly hear his soft voice."You have to go home." I also heard him say.

"Why?" I asked him, but I knew the answer.

"Dad will get really mad."

I nodded my head, then tucked him back in on the couch. Sighing to myself, I walked to my own apartment, hating myself that I can't help him.

But I talked to dozens of people. Alex is stuck living with his abusive father.

Back in my own apartment, I did everything I could think of to distract me from Alex.