Reform and Revise

III

      I was bored. I need something to do. I decided to head to the food court to kill time. I grabbed my bag and phone, and quickly left the dorm. I didn't make it far before being grabbed from the chain on my pants.

     I was spun around and my head cracked against the wall. "Ow! Bloody hell, mate! Watch what you're doing!" The guy who grabbed me snarled. "Watch your mouth, shrimp." That made me mad. I smirked through the pain in my head. "I would, but I ain't a mirror to do so."

     That earned me a slap across the face. Suddenly I'm back in my house, being beat for the smallest of things. I shivered and shrunk down. "Not so cocky now, eh?" the thug standing above me had friends with him, jeering at me. "What've I done?" I asked, my head swimming and speech slurring.

     "You little fag, acting tough in class?" Oh, that. "You scared?" I asked, earning a punch to the gut this time. I folded at the waist and fell, feeling bile rising in my throat. The side of the building kept flashing to my living room, and back again.

     I can't fight anymore. I let myself get kicked in healing wounds. "HEY!" a strong voice shouted, the thugs immediately ran like streetcats. "You alright?" No. "Yes."

"Don't lie."

Whoever it was hoisted me up.

"Mmnot."

"Sure- shit man, thats a lot of blood."

"Tssnothin"

"No it's not, Im gonna pick you up, brace yourself."

He hoisted me up, and I groaned in pain, immediately fainting like a damsel in distress.

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     "Oh bloody hell, I know I didn't drink." I groaned waking up. This bed was softer than my own though. "Are you awake?" A deep voice asked. Still disorientated, I spouted some dumb shat. "Shat, Simon, you finally hit puberty?"

     "I'm not Simon." At this I opened my eyes, and saw the "Latin sex god" above me. "Great god, not you." I groaned.

"I saved you."

"I was fine."

"Your head nearly got bashed like a watermelon."

"Did not."

     "Sure, well you look like you take a lot of beatings anyways." I froze. "What?" I asked coolly. "The night we spent together, you were covered in bruises." fuck "what's your GPA?" I asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"4.8, why"

"Shat."

"What?"

"I fucked a nerd."

"Correction, I fucked you, twink"

"That doesn't change the fact that I've been banged by a teacher's pet."

"Well that's quite rude, darling."

"I don't care if I'm rude!"

     "You better, I may punish you for breaking the rules." He smirked. "Good god if this were still in England I might just off myself." I groaned. "Don't say that." The guy said, glaring at me. Getting a closer, sober look at him, he had a beautifully symmetrical face, and a jawline that would probably cut me if I touch it.

     "Don't say that." he repeated. "I heard you the first time, mate." I said, edging off the bed. Now standing, albeit rather dizzily I could estimate the guy to be around 6 feet tall. "What's your name again?" I asked, I knew it started with a D, but could not remember for the life of me. "Derek, Derek Sorres." he replied with a sour look on his face.

     "Well thanks, Derek, but I gotta get going, lovely to meet you, bye." I said, heading toward the door, only to be nearly wiped out by it slamming open. A guy with an average build, looked like a junkie flew into the room with a start.

     "Mierda! Christian, what are you doing?!" Derek yelled, startled, while I had the far less graceful approach, and fell flat on my bruised, still slightly aching ass, and let out a terribly embarrassing yelp.

     "Watch your language Derek, Is he alright?" He asked, pointing to me. This guy had long, thick, dirty blond hair, braided over his shoulder haphazardly. His dark circles looked almost as dark as the bruise I could feel pulsing on my eye.

     "I'm fine." I tried standing up, only to be intercepted by this guy, Christian, hoisting me back onto what I assume is Derek's bed. "Don't move, You look like you got in a car accident, trust me." Seeing my confused look, Derek filled in. "Christian is a med student." he informed me. "He patched you up." I looked toward Christian, feeling a bit bad.

"I auta get going, thanks for patching me u-"

     "NO!" both Derek and Christian yelled. Simultaneously pushing me back to the bed and throwing a blanket over me.

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"Simon, I'm being held captive."

     "Shut up, Zay, you aren't" Simon said, looking at me as I lay pathetically under Derek's blanket. "It's been forever since I woke up here." I gave him a pathetic look. "It's been one night, drama queen." He said. Behind him, Derek snorted out a laugh. "Not a word from you." I scowled at him.

     "What? It was Chris who wanted to keep you here." He exclaimed in defense. "Sure it was," I began to get up, only to find Simon there pushing me back.

     "No, Simon! Stop! I'm fine." I was surprised by how sure I sounded in that moment. While Derek and Simon were both stunned into silence, I got up, grabbed my bag, and left briskly.

     The air was still warm, but with September coming to an end the breeze chilled. I was wearing someone's T-shirt and sweatpants. I wasn't sure who's it was because I'm smaller than both Chris and Derek, but I was mad either way.

     I stopped by a convenience store to pick up some ramen and head to a hotel for the night. I hurt like hell, and only wanted somewhere to sleep. I remember my nights in England crashing at a friend's house instead of a hotel.

     Speaking of my friends, I haven't talked to them in a while. I pulled my phone from my bag to check. I'd gotten a few thirsty messages from earlier hookups, but nothing from those I call my friends. Not that it would help anyways in my situation.

     I sighed, slipping my phone into the pocket of the rather large pair of sweatpants. There's no use in mourning now. I check into a rather dingy looking hotel, and enter the room. Amongst the noise of sinful pleasure behind one wall, and the sound of children running about through the other, I began to cry. I'm really not fine, am I?

I reached my word goal, so I'm pretty happy about that.