I Am Invincible

Zach’s POV

I was working catatonically in the biology labs. This project was taking longer than I expected, but it didn’t worry me; I like biology and I would happily do this project a hundred times over if it meant I never had to take a history class again. I was just thinking this when I realised that I was alone. I looked at the clock, and it told me that my boyfriend should've been back from his bathroom expedition half an hour ago. Surely it didn’t take that long to pee. I started packing up my project. It looked like I'd have to finish it at home after all. When I finished throwing everything into my backpack, I picked up my phone from the desk and searched the phonebook for Cameron's name. As I was about to press the call button, I heard an almighty crash from the hall. Shocked, I ran to the door and peered out. I could hardly see anything because it was getting dark, but I thought I could see the silhouette of something about 50 metres in front of me. I crept forward, unsure of what could possibly be happening in front of me.

I heard a strange gurgling sound coming from the large lump on the floor as I drew closer. I still couldn’t see what it was so I reached into the closest classroom and turned on the lights. Bright yellow light flooded the dark hallway and landed on the silhouette.

My heart stopped as my eyes adjusted to the sudden light. With a strangled cry, I threw myself onto Patrick and tackled him to the ground. His arms thrashed around as he tried to hit me in several places. I held one hand above his head and forced his other underneath him before sitting on his stomach to stop him moving. Over and over again, I punched his face until his lip was a swollen bloody mess and bruises had already started forming on his skin. After a while, I decided I’d hurt him enough and got up off of him and rushed over to Cameron. I lifted his head from the ground slightly and was about to drag him into my lap when I heard a slight noise behind me. I turned just in time and grabbed Patrick’s leg and pulled. He landed on the ground with a thud and I stood over him. He put his hands up to his face; cowering. I had no compassion for him. He had hurt the one person I cared about most, and I didn’t care how much I hurt him in return. To stop him escaping, I dragged his leg out from underneath him and held it steady. Jumping as high as I could, I landed heavily on the extended limb and I smiled as I heard the sickening crack of the bone breaking. Patrick’s screams of pain meant nothing to me. I ignored him as I went over to my boyfriend’s still form. I picked his head up and pulled his torso into my lap. I grabbed my phone and called 911. I explained what had happened before hanging up and looking down at Cameron’s face. It was deathly pale. His naked and bleeding body was cold. If his chest had not been rising and falling, I would have thought I’d already lost him. But even as I was watching him with tears in my eyes, his breaths became slower and more uneven. I prayed that the ambulance would be arriving soon. I prayed that Cameron would make it through; he had to make it through. A salty tear strayed down my cheek, past my mouth and landed gently on Cameron’s chest as I leaned over in an attempt to keep my boyfriend’s tiny, violated body warm.

Strong but gentle hands gripped my shoulders and sat me up straight so that they could take Cameron out of my arms to place him onto a bed with wheels that they had brought in. Immediately after they covered his body with a blanket to keep him warm, they wheeled him out to an ambulance that was waiting outside. I could see the flashing red and blue lights and somehow, they managed to comfort me. The man who had sat me up before grabbed me under my arms and pulled me to my feet gently.

I looked up at him with watery eyes. “Tell me,” I said quietly.
“Tell you…?”
“TELL ME HE’LL SURVIVE!” I roared, and then broke down. I would’ve collapsed if the man’s arm wasn’t around me holding me up.

My eyes spilled over. I cried until I couldn’t see.

I don’t remember getting in the ambulance. I don’t remember being carried into the hospital. I don’t remember Alex and Blair arriving. I remember nothing but the way that Cameron looked the last time I saw him, before the ambulance officers took him away.