✘ Regretting ✘ Quackity x Karl

Numb

I came home with a bag of ice along with a note from the nurse. I plopped my shoes onto the rack then began removing my jacket and scarf, hanging them on a stand. My mother wasn't home she wrote a note that read she had to go grocery shopping and will be back later tonight.

Walking up the spiral stairs to the hallway then taking a right into my room. I began getting undressed from my school clothes into something more comfortable. I opened some fish food and began feeding my fish, they were homed in this cool tank I made with an old monitor. I watched them eat their food then get close to the glass for some attention and lovings. I smiled then began playing with them by moving my finger around on the glass. This continued for a while until they lost interest and began playing with each other.

I sat down at my desk and opened my backpack, grabbing my binder, and taking out my work along with a pencil. I organized my work from hardest to easiest then began working. I played some of my favorite music on my phone while doing so, it overall took until nighttime around when my mother came home. My mother called me downstairs for dinner, once going down I forgot about the marks Alex left.

"Oh my gosh! Karl! What happened to you!" She worriedly asked as she stopped what she was doing and ran to me. Cupping my face and her hands, looking at my bruises that another student left.

"O-oh this? I got into a fight with another kid," I told her, my gaze drifted away from her in sorrow.

"Karl! You should go back to being homeschooled, I can find you a tutor or maybe-"

"Don't worry, mama I'm fine really, it was just a bad place bad time moment that's all," I cut her short and looked back at her smiling.

"Karl..." She traced off, her hands began limp and she rushed back to the stove as it began beeping.

I helped her get the table sanitized and set up with the plates and silverware necessary. I got napkins and cups filled with our favorite drinks. I also helped with getting the food to the table and making it look nice. We were eating alone again without Dad. His business trip wasn't meant to last this long, Mom began to get worried about him and sometimes called him only to get no answer. We ate in silence before Mom brought about my fight again.

"Did you win at least?" She questioned before taking a bite of chicken.

"The fight?" I replied putting my fork down and looking up at her.

"Yeah," She replied after swallowing her food, then looked back at me.

"Hmm, I mean I didn't get to throw many punches as he was much taller and stronger than me but.." I trailed off my eyes drifting away from her.

"But?"

"I beat him with words," My eyes snapped back, and looked at her once more.

"I got a call that you missed gym, did the fight take place before gym?" She asked placing her fork down as well.

"Yeah, he's in my gym class and I was walking with him,"

"How come?"

"His best friend told me he wasn't always a bully that's all, I'm interested in what happened,"

"Maybe you can change him,"

"You think so?"

"Karl, you always have been able to change people," She said with a smile then continued eating.

"Mmm yeah," I agreed and did the same.

After dinner, I went outside for a late-night stroll around the neighborhood. The air bit my skin it was below freezing again but colder this time, it was soothing though. Roughly 10 minutes into the walk, I passed by a park and heard laughter from inside and unfortunately it caught my attention. I walked back there and went to check out what was happening, and huh?

Why is Schlatt here? And Alex? Who are the rest of these people- wait Alex lives in my neighborhood?

Seeing him snatched my breath and left me standing still. Schlatt noticed me first and called out to me thinking I was a stranger.

"Ay! White boy! What are you doing?" Alex and the rest of the people turned and looked at me.

Shit shit shit! I couldn't move or speak, at least the lamp posts here were out. My legs refused to move, fuck! I was in a state of shock and why now?

"White boy!" Schlatt called out again pointing at me. The look on his face had a grin and sly eyes.

I choked on my words and this brought laughter to them, were they doing this on purpose?

"C'mon Schlatt, if you want him to answer you have to be pushier," A guy wearing a helmet and hoodie spoke. He walked forward pushing Schlatt and another guy away, he was getting closer to me! My legs finally wanted to move and I nearly tripped, but I still ran from those guys. Hearing laughter erupted from behind me along with comments about me. I didn't care, I just wanted to go home- then I heard footsteps getting closer to me, they were running after me, I- who was it? I turned my head to see and met eyes with Alex, though he was unable to recognize me.

Alex's hand reached out and grabbed my hair forcing me to stop. This time I tripped, falling face-first into a snowbank the rest of his friends caught up still laughing. I attempted to get up only to get kicked down again. Fuck fuck, I shouldn't get too curious!

"Swagger! You can do that thing about being pushy now!" Alex called out, I couldn't move! His foot was holding my back down to keep me there.

"Yeah," Swagger said, I heard his footsteps getting closer and closer to me. He grabbed my hood and pulled me closer, Alex let go of me and stared at us. I swallowed my tongue and stayed quiet while this took place.

"Being a quiet bitch?" Swagger asked, my face meeting his.

"Do you need him to speak up?" Alex asked and looked at us.

"Yeah," Swagger hummed, grabbing my face and having Alex look me over. I heard him choke while looking at me.

"K-KARL?" Alex shouted at me, causing me to choke again.

"Karl? That kid from our gym class?" Schlatt said then walking up to us, he pulled out his phone and turned on his flashlight pointing it at my face.

"Who the fuck is Karl?" Swagger asked looking at us. I was frozen in place and choking on my words.

"Swagger, will you shut up!" Alex snapped while grabbing me by my hood. I choked this time not by my words either.

Swagger gave him a weird look then chuckled, "Ah, this is your boyfriend," Alex turned and looked at him wondering wtf?.

"Yeah, they love missing class to make out in the hallways," Schlatt joked and grinned at Alex who was flustered and angry.

"Damn, Alex you top or bottom?" Swagger smirked at him.

"SHUT UP!" Alex screamed at them then dropped me to the ground, stomping at Swagger and going to punch him. His fist being caught than being put in a headlock.

"I didn't expect you to enjoy being choked by another man," Swagger joked, holding Alex in his arms tightening his grip on him.

"Dude, don't trigger his choking kink," A guy with a hoodie shouted at Swagger.

"I won't!" He replied then threw Alex to the ground, landing next to me he shot me a glare.

"Yo, what if we left them?" The same guy jokingly asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Swagger said before smashing Alex's head into the ground with his boot. They walked off chuckling and making remarks about Alex.

My back ached from the abuse that it had but I have to get home! I began to shakily get up, Alex was laying on his side staring at me. Once I was up I looked over at him, I thought about helping him up but kicking him in the side before doing so. He got up and threw me to the slush and punching me.

"What the fuck, Karl?" He yelled at me, beating me into a bloody mess.

"Is that what you call helping people? You're such a fucking pussy!" He screamed louder at me. My ears rang, my vision getting blurry just like that one time. Everything went numb from both the cold and pain, I coughed up some blood before losing consciousness.

"KARL! KARL! KA-" Was all I heard before losing it all.

So numb...