Charlie’s POV
I woke up in the hospital an hour later.
My head was ringing.
“Charlie!” My mom shouted through tears from beside me.
The lights overhead were blinding.
“Hi.” I managed to say.
“Oh darling. What happened?” My mom cried.
“Easy, Harper. He just woke up.” Dad said over her shoulder.
“Quit telling me what to do? John.” My mother growled.
“What happened?” My mom asked again.
The unfortunate event of what happened came back to me. Joey beating me up, believing I had something to do with him being kicked off of the team.
“Kid from school. He, uh. He confronted me.” I barely said.
The sound of the metal baseball bat cracking against my leg still haunting my mind.
I looked down at my right leg, feeling a sharp pain.
“Ouch.” I moaned, shifting uncomfortably in my bed.
“Who did this?!” My mom interrogated.
“Joey.” Was all I managed to say as my eyelids fell closed.
~
The following morning was met with excruciating pain.
A nurse named Jaz was currently explaining my injuries to my parents.
“His right leg was fractured, and his nose appears to be broken. He also sustained serious bruises on his ribs and he has a concussion.”
“Will he be alright?” My mom asked concernedly.
“He will be fine Mrs Harrington. He might need to be confined to a wheel chair until the swelling goes down, at which point we can apply a cast to his injuries.”
My mom practically sobbed.
I croaked out a yawn.
“Charlie! You’re awake. Are you okay? How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, mom.” I lied. The truth was far from it.
My chest was sore, as was my leg and, well, just about my entire body.
“I can’t believe someone would do this to you.”
“Who did it son?” Dad asked. “Who is Joey?”
“Joey Turner. Some guy from school.”
“Why would he do this?” Mom asked.
“He thinks I told the principal that he was bullying me. He got suspended from the football team and decided to take it out on me.”
“We’ll see how that little bastard likes a criminal record!”
My eyes widened in shock. Never have I ever, in all my years of breathing, heard my mother cuss like that.
Surprisingly, I was cleared to go home later that day, as long as my parents agreed to keep an eye on me all night.
When we arrived at home, Ella and Clayton were waiting on the front porch.
My dad got the wheel chair out of the back of the vehicle whilst my mom quickly rushed to unlock the door. “Come on now, up you get.” My dad encouraged, helping me out of the car and into the wheel chair.
“Oh my god! Are you okay?” Ella rushed towards me.
“I am fine.” I lied.
“He’s not fine.” Dad corrected over my shoulder.
“Damn, Bro.” Clayton said.
I slightly wheezed. Breathing made my ribs hurt.
Dad wheeled me towards the porch, asking Clayton to get on the other side so that they could lift me up the stairs and onto the porch.
When they set me down on the porch, my entire body ached at the impact.
Dad proceeded to wheel me inside, setting me down in the living room.
“I can’t believe Joey did this to you! Like what the hell!” Ella said angrily.
“Yeah. Someone ought to put that son of a bitch in hospital.” Clayton seethed.
“Watch your language Mr Patel.” Mom warned as she entered the living room with a blanket.
She set the blanket over me, tucking it down the outer sides of my legs.
“Mom, it’s fine. I’m not cold.”
“Nonsense. Those hospital sheets must’ve had you freezing. And the food!” She gasped. “I’ll get you something to eat, how about I order your favourite? You want some pizza?”
“Yes please, Mrs Harrington.” Clayton beamed.
“Okay. Remember-“
“Yes, chicken and mushroom.” Mom said in disgust.
“Hey, don’t knock it til you try it.” I said.
“What did the doctors say?” Ella wondered when mom left the room to go and order some pizza.
“They said I have a concussion, a broken nose, a fractured leg and bruises on my ribs.”
“Jeez!” Clayton scratched at his forehead.
“And what about Joey? Surely he could get charged, or even some time in juvie. I mean, he almost killed you!” Ella said in fury.
“I hope he gets locked up. He deserves it.” Clayton added.
I kept silent. Honestly, all I wanted to do was rest. But seeing as my bedroom was on the second floor, that might take awhile.
My eyelids were threatening to close.
After eating pizza, Everyone helped me upstairs to my bedroom. Ella and Clayton both said goodbye, leaving me with my hovering parents.
“You sure you don’t want to sleep downstairs on the couch, Your father and I can sit on the recliners all night and keep an eye on you.”
“I’m fine, mom. I prefer my own bed.”
“Alrighty, take some pain relief and rest up. We’ll take turns checking on you all night.”
“Goodnight.” I said.
My parents exited my room, turning off the light and leaving my door open.
I stared at the ceiling, stuck in my own thoughts.
Before everyone found out that I was gay, I’d never been bothered by anyone, least of all, Joey Turner. I was just the shy nerd at the back of the classroom. I was the guy nobody seemed to have noticed.
I never planned on telling the entire school of my sexuality. Part of me always wondered if my friends had accidentally let it slip. But Clayton and Ella would never do that, right?
No. They wouldn’t do that to me.
We’ve been thick-as-thieves for as long as I can remember.
I would trust them with my life.
I lie awake in bed, a single thought replaying in my mind.
Why is my life like this?
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