Chapter 4

Once off the ramp I gently pump the foot rest into the back of Drake's legs. "Hey D," I say backing away from him as he turns. His grin is as wide as my own.

"Hey J, ready man?" I nod and Drake turns his attention to Jacob. "See you there in an hour looser," he says jokingly. Jacob and Drake have become friends the last couple of years since Drake and I are always together.

"Later looser," Jacob replies with a chuckle as he slaps Drake on the shoulder. Before he turns to get his bike to put in the back of dad's truck he stops and looks at me intently causing me to fidget.

"Where are your helmet and elbow pads at man?" he says looking for said items.

"Shit, left them in the mud room, I'll be right back." I head toward the back of the house to grab the items returning a few minutes later. Standing while holding onto the side of the bed of the truck, I place my chair in the back before opening the back door and tossing the bag in with my helmet and elbow pads before climbing in myself since the other three were heading my way.

We had been at the park for about a half an hour when Drake and Archer decided they were going to go to the nearest gas station to grab snacks and drinks for the four of us leaving Bianca and I there.

The two guys had been gone maybe ten minutes when my three least favorite people arrived while Bianca and I were sitting on a ledge talking while I was out of my chair.

"Fuck, this isn't going to go well," I mumble to myself as I see Kevin, Jarick and Matt climb out of Kevin's blue Ford Taurus, causing Bianca to turn her head to look where I was.

"I'm sure they won't mess with you here, Jace," she tries to reassure me in her sweet voice.

Cringing as Matt notices us and he hits Kevin on the chest to point at us when Kevin turned his attention to Matt. "Yes they will at least Matt will," I softly say hoping that either Drake and Archer or my dad and Jacob will arrive like now.

The three guys walk toward us with their boards in their hands with smirks gracing their lips. The closer they come the more my heart feels like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. Scrambling while trying not to fall off the ledge where I'm sitting, I try to climb into my chair before they reach us. I'm terrified that they'll try to break the chair or hurt Bianca.

"Well hello you faggot-freak," Kevin sneers once he and his friends are in front of Bianca and I. Bianca by now is on her feet next to me.

Neither of us answer him, Bianca just stares at them pissed off completely while I try and not let Kevin know that I'm scared. "Awe is the faggot converting a straight person into his sinful life with his presence?" Kevin snarls out as he looks between Bianca and I.

Kevin steps closer to me and I know I can't go backwards because I'm not prepared, also I don't want to leave Bianca up here alone with them. Kevin towers over me as he bends at the waist so his face is mere inches from me.

"You don't belong here, you damn cripple, this place is for people who are normal and not a damn fag," Kevin spits out just as I see from the corner of my eye, Matt grabbing Bianca around the waist pinning her arms at her side.

Kevin moves slightly back from me just as Jarick grabs me by the front of my shirt lifting me from my chair before throwing me on the ground and pinning me there. I see Bianca thrashing around in Matt's hold trying to free herself.

Kevin turns to Jarick and I with a frightening evil smile upon his lips. Kevin kneels down, his legs straddling my own as Jarick moves away to help Matt make sure Bianca doesn't break loose. Kevin grabs a fist full of my shirt as he leans his face closer to mine. He spits on my face as he sneers out, "Now, I'm going to beat the 'gay' out of you before anyone can help your pathetic ass."

That was the only warning I had before his fist connects with my face repeatedly. What felt like a life time later but only a few minutes, Kevin lifts himself off me allowing me to try and stand but I fall because my face is pounding causing the world to tilt. He takes that to his advantage to start kicking my sides and back as I curl myself into a ball to protect my body. I can hear Bianca screaming for him to stop but of course he ignores her.

Everything around me feels like its happening in slow motion until I no longer her Bianca screaming and Kevin is no longer kicking me. Picking my head slowly upwards I see Drake, Archer and Jacob. Drake has pulled Kevin off of me and has him against the ground with Drake's hand wrapped around his throat. Archer has pulled Matt off of Bianca and has him in a similar position as Drake as does Jacob with Jarick.

Dad is holding Bianca trying to calm her as he's on the his cell talking to someone but I can't make out what he's saying. I see through blurry eyes dad passing Bianca off to Abigale before he rushes to my side pushing me gently onto my back.

"Jace, can you hear me, talk to me son," I hear dad beg.

Gagging from the blood that's dripping down the back of my throat and face," I can hear you, you're just blurry, dad," I mumble out before turning on my side to spit out blood.

Within a few minutes of dad talking to me to try and keep me awake I hear in the distance sirens that come closer every second until they are close. There are paramedics and police officers now with us. I hear the police officers talking to Bianca and everyone else but dad and I as the three paramedics do their job with me.

"What's your name, sweetheart," the female paramedic asks me.

"Jace Martin," I mumble as this causes my face to throb more along with the headache I have.

The paramedics proceed to do their job as they ask me questions before I feel my body being lifted onto a gurney that's being placed in the back of the ambulance with dad following and sitting beside the right side of my head.

"Dad my chair it's still at the park," I mumble turning my head to him.

Dad gently brushes my hair to the side with a forced smile. "Jacob is getting it don't worry, son." Sighing I close my eyes tightly at the throbbing in my head intensifies.

A few hours later I wake to an annoying beeping sound. Peeling my eyes open slowly to ward off the bright overhead lights I take the room I'm in. Yup, I'm in the typical hospital room that I've been in so many other times in the last 17 years of my life. Over the last 17 years of my life I've had one surgery to close the small hole in my back two days after I was born. Then I had a surgery by the time I was six months old I had my first shunt placed. Over the years I've had my shunt checked, usually once a year to make sure that it is working properly and I've had to have it replaced four times in my lifetime. So, in total I've had six major surgeries and hopefully I never have to have any more.

For those who are not aware what a shunt is, it's a thin tube that was inserted within my brain to drain the extra fluid down into belly, so my body can absorb the extra fluid.

I notice dad, my sisters, Jacob, Drake, Bianca and Archer all in the room. My sisters, my brother and my friends and dad, except Drake were all over in the corner by the window sitting on the sofa or chairs by it talking quietly. Making another sweep with my eyes I find Drake sitting in a chair next to the right side of my bed.

Groaning quietly I lull my head to that side to face Drake, who heard me since his head snaps in my direction when I groaned. "Jace, buddy, you're going to be alright." Drake quickly stands grabbing my hand that is trying to take the thing that's in my nose. "Hey, hey, Jace, stop doing that you need to leave in the oxygen tube."

By now I can see a blurry Drake closer becoming a clearer Drake along with dad. "Son, stop fighting you're going to hurt yourself worse," dad says gently as he grips my hands in his huge warm ones.

"What happened?" I ask groggily. I can't remember and trying to makes my headache come back full force causing tears to roll down my face.

"Son, it's alright, you'll be fine after a while." Dad gently brushes my hair back from my forehead. "You were at the park with Drake, Bianca and Archer. Drake and Archer went to the gas station for food and Kevin and those other two boys showed and Kevin beat you badly," he whispers gently.

Instant memories flood into my head, everything coming back, whispering out softly, "I remember now." Turning my head toward Bianca, asking her softly because of my head pounding rhythm, "They didn't hurt you did they?"

Bianca comes closer before whispering, "No, I promise I wasn't hurt, I feel horrible that I couldn't help you." She gently picks my hand up in her slightly smaller one gently rubbing my knuckles with the pad of her thumb.

"It's alright, I promise, I'm glad you couldn't or you'd look as bad as I feel," I say in a soft chuckle. 

A nurse and doctor come in just then to check on me, having everyone but dad leave the room. Twenty long minutes later they're done and leaving the room but not before telling me that I have to stay a few more days for observation before I can be released. Before dad has everyone come back inside, he helps me use the restroom.

Washing my hands I glance up into the mirror studying my face. I have bruises plastering most of the left side of my face and some on my neck as well. My left eye is swollen almost completely shut which would explain why shit is blurry. I also have been told I have a few bruises on my ribs, which explains why they are so damn sore when I breathe.

After much insisting on my part, I finally convince dad to head home with my sisters and brother, that I'll be more than fine alone for the night. Unfortunately I was not as convincing to have my three friends leave when everyone else had gone home.

As Archer and Bianca pull over the wooden cushioned covered chairs I move over some for Drake to join me on the bed on my right side. He said he didn't want to be anywhere near my bruises. Laying on my right side, Drake gently pulls me to his side. I lay with my head on his chest, his chin resting gently on the top of it, an arm wrapped around my back. Sighing softly as my tense muscles relax in his hold I feel myself drifting off to sleep. 

I was released three weeks ago after two days there, early Monday morning and I went to school much to everyone's dismay and bitching.