Lullaby And Goodnight

"Awwww. Look at them Rachael. Young love." I heard Rachael giggle and sit back down beside my mom. Frankie stirred on my chest. I smiled and watched his eyes flickering open as he turned and smiled at me. Mom teased us for a while before we decided to turn our attention to something else, in other words, I kissed him. Mom immediatly shut up and chuckled, turning her attention back to the Jerry Springer show on T.V. We were getting to the point where everything else melted into a black abyss and it was just me and Frankie, when Rachael decided to jump on us. Both me and Frank broke apart laughing. As he rolled onto the floor, Rachael fell with him, both falling with a soft thud on the carpet, before the room errupted with giggles. I grinned at the heap on the floor who just cackled again. This is what high energy drinks do to 'little' kids. Frankie hekd back giggles and climbed back onto the couch with me, leaving Rachael in hysterics since Frankie was laughing too much to use his back legs.

"Gee, Gee let's go back to the park. I have to run or I'll just-" With that, he broke into giggles again. Just watching these two was enough to break me down and laugh like them. I think mom was about to call the physiatrist for us all when he staggered outside, the effects of my drink now kicking in. Once in the freshair, we became more serious but still full of energy, so we ran. As fast as we could go. The wind whipping our hair out of our faces and air under our feet. With so much energy, you feel invincible, like nothing could hurt you. Then...SMACK! I hit the lamp-post. I bounced back onto the ground and burst into hysterical laughter, tears rolling down my eyes from the pain. I stayed sprawled on my back, willing the pain to go away, but my laughter wasn't helping. Rachael tried to pull me up, but she gave in and fell ontop of me, all three of us back in our rages again.

"Gerard your he he he, your a ahahahahaha your an idiot. Watch were the ahahahaha fuck your he he he going!" Rachael gasped out. Frankie looked away before I pushed Rachael onto the floor and staggered to my feet. I wrapped my arms around Frankie's waist and hugged him. He was friged for a while but soon relaxed into my arms and hugged back.

"You okay baby?" I whispered softly into his ear. He nodded and kissed my cheek before his head rest on my shoulder and I fell in love all over again. We had stopped laughing and calmed down a little before we continued to the park for the second time that day. When we got there, it was deserted. Which was strange to say it was dinner time in the middle of summer and people came for picnics often. I looked around the eerie park and climbed a tree. I got about half way up when I saw why the park was so empty. My eye's scanned the 'police line: do not cross' tape and my instincts told us to check it out. I dropped back down to the ground, it wasn't to far and I let my body fall when I hit so it didn't hurt too much. I scrambled up and scurried through the bushes and past the tape to see police and an ambulance around the lake.

There were two boys stood with one of the police women, one looked like he had just been crying. I knew the other, he was called Pete Bradly from my last school and we were pretty loose friends. I emerged from the bushes and walked towards them.

"Hey Pete!" I called out as I crossed towards them. He looked up with tears in his eyes and met me across the grass.

"Gerard. It's Billy."

"What happened?" He told me to see for myself and led me to the ambulance. There was a body. One I reconised. Billy Casdeo who was in my year. He had blood around his chest and neck and he was bloated and blue. I felt my stomach turn over and my lunch come back up onto the grass. Pete didn't bat an eyelid. He just stared in shock at the blue body of our loose friend. His hair was matted and as dead looking as the boy actually was.

"What happened?"

"Murder. He was attacked by a gang of jocks from our school. That Lee Peterson guy was with them too. They stabbed him in his chest and then slit his throat. That was before they tied him to a broken branch and threw him in the lake, still alive." My eyes widened and that feeling in my stomach came back. If I threw up again today my stomach will cave in I swear. I gulped and looked back at Frankie and Rachael who were still stood in the trees.

"You better get outta here man. Lee's still after you. You better run." I nodded and turned away, giving the body a last glance before heading back. I felt the color drain from my face as it all kicked in. Lee and the boys would in fact murder me, if given the chance of course. I gripped Rachael's arm and led them out of the park. Once we were back on the streets I broke into a run, not giving any warning. The panic set in. The jocks were still around here somewhere. I could almost hear my head bouncing off the pavement once Lee got a hold of me. Holy shit...I could die...AGAIN!