Concrete Angel

I expected a loud noise but there was nothing but a click. I opened my eyes to see Leon laughing. He was dying with laughter. I pulled again and there was nothing. Nothing at all. The gun was out of bullets. I stared at it with wide eyes and then stepped back from Leon who was picking up a knife and heading my way.

"Freeze." A all too familiar voice says and I turn to see Howard standing there. There were cops in all three tunnels and they all had guns pointed at Leon. Leon chuckles yet again stopping in his steps.

"Drop it Leon." Howard says and Leon throws the knife at the wall where it sticks.

"Howard." I say quietly finding hope yet again.

"June, drop the gun." Howard says cautiously and I knew they must think I've lost it. I dropped it to the ground and kicked it to him. Howard nodded picking it up and sticking it in the back of his pants.

"You are under arrest Leon. You have the right to remain silent." Howard starts walking towards them and cuffing him. He was rambling off his rights and I ran to Joey.

"Joey, oh Joey." I say quietly untying him from the wall.

"Izzy." Joey says wrapping his arms around me and hugging tightly both of us finally being able to think that we were going to live.

"We missed it all!" Jake's voice says walking in as Howard escorts Leon down the tunnel.

"E!" Scotty says running to me and Joey. I let myself slip out of Joey's arms and into his. Chris and Ron both run to us hugging me as well.

"Zach." Scotty says as Zach moans once more. I feel my eyes widen as I remember them.

"We got Zach. Go to Johnny." Joey says tapping my hand and I run over to Johnny sliding across the floor to his side.

"Johnny. Oh Johnny." I whisper attempting to flip him over. There was a puddle of blood around his head. I knew it was coming from where the bullet hit his shoulder but it didn't make me feel much better about it.

"I need a paramedic." a cop shouts and I jump seeing him standing over me. Soon there were stretchers carrying Zach, who was slowly awakening, and Johnny, who was still out cold out, of the tunnels.

"You two also need to be checked out." Howard says walking up to myself and Joey. Joey had came over to me once they got Zach on a stretcher. The other guys were standing around trying to stay out of the way.

"Thank you Howard." I say quietly and he nods patting my shoulder and ushering me out of the tunnel. I knew there was more to come. I knew we'd all get lectures. I knew we'd have to figure out what was going to happen. I knew we all had to give statements as to what happened but none of that bothered me for the time being.

"It's so bright outside." Jake says as he climbs up the latter.

"You're in the gym basement." Chris says making me chuckle even in the worst of times they made me smile. Joey smiled down at me motioning for me to climb up the latter behind Scotty. I followed trying to pull myself up. I was really weak. Weaker than I thought I was. My arm was wrapped up but it had still bled a lot.

"Elizabeth, do you want my shirt?" Scotty offers awkwardly and I realized that Leon had opened Joey's jacket up.

"No, sorry. I forgot it was unzipped." I say zipping it up quickly and squinting as my eyes tried to adjust to the lights.

"Let's head to the car. I'll drive over to the hospital." Scotty says and everyone nods heading there. They were all confused as to how to feel. I could tell that. I was too. I was alive and we were safe but Zach and Johnny were in the hospital and who knows if they'll be okay. I sigh and try not to feel light-headed.

"Izzy, you look like you're going to fall over. Come here." Joey says quietly holding out his arms. I stepped towards him only to have him sweep me off my feet and carry me to Scotty's car. I was scared to look at him, after all he has seen and all he saw me do, he probably didn't even want to be around me anymore.

"I should of made you go in the ambulance." Joey mumbles and I close my eyes biting my lip.

"I'm fine." I say quietly.

"You're gushing blood. You've been tortured and attacked and who knows what." Joey says and I can feel anger in his voice. I open my eyes glancing at his face as he sits me in the back seat before joining me. He turns to face me so I turn away. I didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes.

"Izzy, stop avoiding my eyes." Joey says touching my face slightly so I slowly turn and meet his eyes. There was nothing but love in them. Nothing but love and happiness that he was looking into mine.

"I'm so sorry." I say quietly letting tears fall and Joey wraps his arms around me letting me cry.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you thought had to be done. And I could never be mad about that. And Izzy, I love you. I love you so much and I always will." Joey says into my ear rocking me back and forth.

"I love you too." I say quietly through my sobs. We arrived at the hospital shortly after and I was torn away from my friends and put into a room. They hooked me up to an IV and I felt myself feel better. Doctors were surrounding me and yet no one bothered to answer any questions. Nurses came in and helped me change into a hospital gown. They bandaged my arm up and had multiple people come inspect me.

"I just want to see her." I hear someone shout from outside my room and I sit up looking through the window.

"I'm her mother. We're going in." I hear someone else scream and suddenly my door flies open and my parents are standing there with Ms. Smith. My mom's eyes were filled with tears and she rushed towards me hugging me tightly. I tried not to wince at the pain my own eyes filling with tears.

"June." Dad says wrapping his arms around me and placing a kiss on my forehead. I was always real close to my dad and it was really good to see him. I was crying full on now wondering when I was going to be done crying.

"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you when you came to me in the beginning. I never would of let you walk out of my office and to that game if I had only knew. I was being stupid and selfish. How could I do that to my own niece? I'm sorry." Ms. Smith gushes out and I reach my hand out squeezing it tightly.

"It's June. I'm June. And don't blame yourself. I wanted to go to that game more than I realized. I would've probably ended up there even if you told me not to." I say sighing recalling a game that seemed like years ago.

"June, I just don't understand. You know how to be careful. You knew that tons of people would be at that game." Mom says pulling up chairs by my bed.

"I love the game Mom. I didn't get to play my last state game. I wasn't going to miss this one. And I thought I might see Johnny. I wanted to see Johnny." I say trying to explain to my mother something I knew she probably wouldn't get. I let more tears fall at the thought of my brother on the tunnel floor.

"Dad, how is Johnny?" I ask sucking my breath in as they all three stare back at my tear stained face.