Better Than I Know Myself (2nd book)

Chapter 26- Knight in Shining Armor

Tommy's POV

"Yo! Tommy..." I felt someone shake me.

I opened up my eyes slowly, trying hard not to regain any headache again. But as soon as I fully opened my eyes, my head and stomach started to hurt again. The only good thing was, my vision wasn't that blurry anymore.

"Tommy... Are you ok?" I looked up at someone who was kneeling down next to me.

I winced in pain at the pain that was coming back to my body.

"Woah, you are definitely not okay." I looked up and saw that it was Dylan.

"C'mon. Let me take you to the hospital." He started to get up.

Hospitals... I hate hospitals. They charge for stuff that you can clearly cure yourself. I'm not saying this about everything but just generally. And I think I can handle a few beatings.

Besides, if I go to the hospital, people would ask me what happened. Then they'd ask me why it happened. And in time, it's gonna lead to Adam.

Adam may have beat me up and I'm mad as crazy at him, but he's still my friend. I'm not gonna put him to trouble.

I immediately grabbed his arm.

"No..." I tried my best to speak.

"What?" He looked at me in disbelief.

"Do you have a car?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said, not changing the look on his face.

"Good. Can you just take me home please." I said and coughed. Blood still came out but they were lesser.

"Home? Tommy, you're coughing up blood." Dylan said worriedly.

"It's okay. I'm okay. I just want to go home." I was so weak that I didn't even want to speak anymore.

"But-"

"Please." I looked at him.

I really do just want to go home. Not to some hospital or to some emergency room. The couch at my house will be cure enough.

He hesitated for a minute, musing to himself.

"Are you sure?" He inquired once again.

I just gave a nod.

"Okay... C'mon." He picked me up and half carried me on his shoulder, my arm around him. Like what you see in movies when the responsible friend is trying to take home his drunk friend.

He took me to his car and set me down the back seat.

Then we drove off.

"Tommy, I really think you should be in the hospital right now." Dylan said, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I laughed lightly. "No need for that."

I held my stomach tightly.

"Who were those guys?" Dylan asked, glancing at me.

"I don't know. They just suddenly came up to me." I spoke so quietly that I doubt he even heard me.

"Whoever they were, they were pretty deadly." He shrugged.

"Look at this." He pointed at his face.

I squinted my eyes and saw a fresh knife wound.

"What happened?" I asked, quite shocked.

"Oh, it's just a little souvenir I got from saving your sorry ass." He chuckled and so did I.

When we got home, Dylan just carried me back to my house. He insisted on helping me fix myself. But I just refused politely.

"Are you sure man?" Dylan said, walking back to his car.

"Yeah! Thanks by the way." I stood at the doorstep, clutching my throbbing stomach.

"Anytime, damsel in distress." He gave a small salute and gave a teasing smile, then got back to his car.

I laughed and watched him drove off.

After I closed the door, I got inside the bathroom and wrapped my beat up tummy with a spare cloth I had. My bruise was totally violet and had tiny bruises on it too. It was highly just... disgusting.

I finally got to my couch and lay down there, not even bothering to turn on the lights or eat dinner. I just wanted to rest.

All because of Adam...

No wait...

It's not Adam's fault.

It was all because of me.