His Lifeline

Chapter 1: Encounter! Tweedle Dee And Tweedle Dum

I looked right and left. Breathing hard, feeling a bruise forming on my cheek as I walked down the dark street. Pulling my hood over my head, I tried to cover what was developing. Taking a deep breath to gather myself, I walked faster down the street.

Taking a few turns down the winding blocks, I eventually got close enough to hear a faint sound. Internally sighing in relief, I picked up my pace, almost jogging towards the house. After hearing nothing but occasional passing cars, the party music was welcome.

All those annoying, stupid emotions without words could finally slip away into the music. I plastered a smile on my face and walked through the door of the house. Teenagers crowded the single-story house. Music I didn't know blasted from seemingly everywhere, the smell of alcohol and smoke hit me like a truck. I struggled not to step back outside and get fresh air.

I came here for this. To get away from all the silence and constant darkness that accompanied my every move.

I walked through the clusters of kids trying to find the punch stand. Even though I'm at a party doesn't mean I'll dance or talk to anyone. Seeing the punch bowl, I carefully took a small drink to be sure it wasn't spiked. Seeing that it was, I threw my cup away and walked around, searching for the kitchen.

Thankfully, most teenagers decided that being closer to the speakers in the living room was a better plan, so only a handful of people were in the kitchen. Grabbing a disposable cup, I tried ignoring the other kids in the room. Unfortunately, I noticed some of them were jocks.

Why couldn't they just go out and dance like all the other kids at the party?

Probably trying to find someone to beat up.

I inwardly sighed when I realized that the perfect person to beat up would be me: the loner, friendless kid in the back. I just wished they would allow me a few seconds to get a drink of water before they made me spit out blood.

I'm a pretty unlucky guy, so they chose the exact moment that they realized I wouldn't be missed or cared about to come up to me.

I groaned, internally of course, why me? I came to this party to get away from all the beatings, not go and get another one. But I resigned myself to the inevitable as they got in my personal space.

"Hey kid, come with anyone tonight?" Jock #1 asked. He was tall, muscly, and had brown hair that stood straight up like an upside-down broom. His clothes were all wrinkly, and his blue t-shirt had some punch stains.

"Nope," I nonchalantly responded. Trying not to show my exasperation to Leave. Me. Alone.

Jock #1 looked at his friend in the yellow t-shirt, grinning at each other. I sighed and decided to feed into whatever game they wanted to play so I could get this over with.

"Why? Did you need something?" I tried my best to sound like I cared, maybe a bit happy go lucky if these guys were stupid enough.

Jock #2 nodded, his amber hair flopping around his head in curls. " Yep, if you would follow us."

Gods, they must think I'm stupid.

," Actually no, I was taught not to go to random places with strangers. And I think Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum both classify as strangers," Shit, I didn't mean to say that so snarkily. Oh well, now this means I'll just be extra bloody and probably be roughhoused out to the back.

The two jocks' faces turned sour. Jock #1 grabbed my arm roughly. I almost yelped in pain as he pressed on the new cuts I received last night. He dragged me out of the kitchen and weaved us through the hallways. Jock #2 kept an eye on me, following close behind.