Saturate

*Back In Wilkes-Barre*

Ben had been home for a week since the vacation. He had been trying to get used to the normal time and school again. He was currently in the kitchen drinking water before he goes to Aaron's. His mother was away on a buisness trip to New York for a couple of days. She would be back the next day.

Ben set the glass down on the counter when he heard the door slam. His father was home, and obviously not very happy. He sighed and walked out of the kitchen quietly.

"There you are. I come home and there's nothing for dinner. What the hell is wrong with you? I let you live under my roof and I work hard all day. The least you could do is cook something." His father spat angrily as he came into the house.

Ben stayed quiet. He knew that the fact that dinner wasn't on the table wasn't the problem. "I've got it for you. It's in the kitchen." He muttered.

"Well then why don't you go and get it." He said trying to egg Ben on. His face twisted in anger as he sat down at the table.

Ben just turned around and grabbed the plate that he had for his father, he set it on the table.

"That's more like it." He said.

Ben started walking to the door.

"And where the hell do you think that you're going?" His father inquired sharply.

"I'm going over to a friends." Ben replied as he tried to escape the fight.

"Don't give me that bull shit. I'm not as dumb as you think I am. Don't you think that I don't know what you were doing with your girlfriend while we were on that trip? Had it not been for your mother, I would have beat the living shit out of you." Mr. Burnley said as he threw his plate across the kitchen.

"I didn't do anything." Said Ben a little too loudly.

His father stared at him, "Don't ever raise your voice to me. You need some lessons in respect. And you're gonna get it right now." He hissed as he stood and began to advance on his son.

Ben began walking backwards as his father began to advance on him. He knew that he couldn't hit his father, that would cause more harm than good.

"Think you're so tough, don't ya?" Asked Mr. Burnley as he socked Ben causing him to fall to the ground. He smiled as he watched Ben hold the side of his face and blood drip from his open mouth.

Ben spat out some blood as he tried to get up. His father straddled him and began punching him left and right. Ben struggled to free himself but it was no use. He felt one last blow as he passed out.

*Hours later*

AJ ran to her phone and answered it, "Hello?"

"Hey AJ, it's me Aaron."

"Oh, hey." AJ said as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Have you seen Ben?"

"No. He's supposed to be with you guys." She said as she pulled herself up onto the counter.

"I know. We've been waiting for him for almost three hours now. He never showed."

"Hold on. I think I know where he is." Said AJ as she seen Mr. Burnley's car drive by. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bu..."

AJ hung up the phone as she slipped on a hoodie and ran out of the house. It was raining really hard, but she didn't care. She ran over to Ben's house. She seen the door and windows were all shut. She knocked on the door. "Ben? Open up. Are you in there? Ben?"

She felt the door open, so she entered. The house was extremely quiet. She walked inside cautiously, then she heard a moan. She stopped when she seen the blood.

"Oh my god! Ben, talk to me! Ben, please?" She started as she sat next to him, she rested his head on her lap as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

He was bruised on his arms and face. One eye was swollen shut. She cried as she leaned over his face. She grabbed the cordless phone behind her and she dialed 911.

"911 what is your emergency?"

"My boyfriend has been beaten up. He's bleeding and his face and arms have been bruised. He's not responding. I need help quick." She stammered.

"Alright. We just need an address and someone will be there shortly."

"It's 10715 State Avenue."

"Alright, just hold on sweety someone's on the way."

"Thank you." She said as she hung up.

She held on to Ben. He was clearly breathing but the fact that he wasn't responding worried her. She pushed some hair aside, "Ben, please stay with me. Don't go anywhere. I love you. Please stay with me." She whispered.

The ambulance arrived and took Ben. They let her jump in the back because they knew her mother and father. She waited in the waiting room while the doctors tended to Ben. They had managed to make him responsive once again. AJ sat in the waiting room, her leg bouncing with nervousness as she watched the clock tick the time away.

Finally her mother came out, "Come on Angel."

She jumped up and followed her mother.

"He's awake and alert. We've gotten him cleaned up and it seems like he'll do just fine. It's a good thing that you found him. There's no telling what would've happened if he would've stayed there any longer."

"I know."

"Well there he is." Said Julie as she open a door for AJ.

"I'll leave you guys with some privacy." She said quietly as she left.

AJ entered the room and she seen Ben look towards her.

"Hey AJ."

She ran to his side and held onto his hand. "Jane, don't cry."

"I thought that you were dead. Ben you scared the shit out of me." She cried into his arm.

Ben turned over and embraced her, "I'm not dead. And I don't intend to be anytime soon." He whispered before he kissed her.

"Who did this to you?" She asked as she looked at him.

Ben sighed, "I told you before."

AJ nodded as Ben pushed some hair behind her ears.

"Look, it's nothing to worry about. I can make it through."

"Don't lie to me." Said AJ quietly. "You know that he'll do it again. Ben, please. I love you more than anything in the world. Please? My mom will let you stay with us. Atleast for a couple of days?"

Ben looked at her, "I can't. My mom's coming home tomorrow and I have to be there for her."

"And how are you going to explain this?" Asked AJ as she pointed to his eye.

He sighed, "It'll be gone by tomorrow. I know how to get rid of it." He said.

AJ sniffled back some tears as she still clutched his hand.

"AJ, please don't cry. Everything will be fine. This is my life and I'll have to deal with it." He said as he squeezed her hand gently.

"If you say so. But when something like this happens again, just come on over. I don't want you to go through something like this again." Said AJ as she kissed his hand.

Ben nodded, "I will."

AJ smiled, "Thank you."

Ben smiled back before he kissed her. After he got out the hospital he fixed himself up so that way the bruises wouldn't show, then he went back to school.