Don't Try to Save Me

The house was starting to resemble something slightly more modern and liveable after a few weeks. The dust was gone, the spiders had been cleared out and the layers of grime had been scrubbed from the windows. I'd repainted all of the rooms and the whole house still smelt of paint, much to Linda's annoyance. I think she didn't really like the colour scheme either, but she didn't say too much.  

 I was actually falling into a routine in my new home. Routines were bad. Routines meant you got used to where you where and that you didn't want to break that routine. 

I didn't want to be comfortable with living here, but I was beginning to feel it. 

I actually kind of liked the peace and quiet. The break from the noisy bright city I'd been living in was, as much as I hated to admit it, really fucking good. I was sleeping better - I'd even gotten used to the owl outside my window - and I felt better in myself and was doing alright at school. 

Bert would meet me every morning at the end of my road and we'd walk to school or catch a lift from Linda depending on how lazy I was feeling that day. We'd spend lunch together and walk home, hand in hand as soon as we were out of the town and hidden in the safety of the small dirt roads lined with golden corn fields. Bert would stay at mine until night rolled around and he'd go back to the house he lived in with his grandparents. 

It was a routine I liked, but not one I wanted to like. 

The town was still driving me fucking crazy and I was determined to make the year go as quickly as possible. 

*******************

"Hey faggot!" 

I didn't even bother to look up, gritting my teeth and carrying on stuffing my locker with books. 

"I'm talking to you Iero!" 

As I reached to put one more book back inside my locker, it was slammed shut by a stubby fingered hand, startling me and making me step back. I backed into a hard, broad chest, the muscles feeling like a brick wall. I turned to see a nameless guy and a bunch of his friends stood behind me, looking pissed. 

"Fancy a little talk Iero?" the one at the front said, sneering at me. 

"No, not particularly," I replied dryly. "Excuse me. I need to be somewhere." 

I stepped forwards but was shoved back violently against the harsh metal lockers, my bag spilling its contents on the floor in the process. 

One of them snatched it up and kicked my fallen possessions away, smirking. 

"Sorry, but I really have to be somewhere. Could you just move?" I snapped irritably. 

I was not in the fucking mood for this today. 

"No fucking way Iero. You're not going anywhere, not until I make sure your faggot face is fucked up," the guy snarled at me. 

"And why would that be? Jealous I'm better looking than you?" I spat. 

"Shut your fucking mouth. I'm sick of you even fucking breathing Iero. You need to get the fuck of this town," he sneered at me again. 

"You need to calm down, I'll be gone before you know it. You think I like being in this shitty little dead end town?" I snapped at him. 

"Too bad faggot. I don't believe you," he hissed. 

The first punch was pretty timid, but he just seemed to get more enthusiastic about beating the shit out of me after he'd thrown a couple of good swings. His friends joined in halfway through and there wasn't much I could do but try to keep staggering to my feet. His friends backed off after a while, but he kept going, throwing me back down against the lockers every time I tried to stand.

 I felt the air rush out of my lungs as he brought his knee up into my stomach as I doubled over, my head going dizzy. The floor was covered in blood and I could feel it dripping down my face from my nose, lip and a gash over my eyebrow. 

"Jesus Greg, leave it now, you're going to fucking kill him," I heard a voice protest. 

Greg didn't let up. He carried on delivering punch after punch and it was fucking painful. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" 

Bert. 

"Fuck off McCracken," Greg growled, stopping his assault to yell at Bert. 

"Frank!" Bert cried, dropping down to help me up. "Shit, you need help!" 

"Leave it McCracken!" Greg roared, shoving Bert aside. "You wanna get dragged into this too?" 

It was obvious that Bert was pretty strong just by looking at him, but I wasn't expecting him to have to ability to knock a huge meathead like Greg out with one punch. 

Greg's body landed at my feet, his eyes rolling back in his head. We all gawped in disbelief at Greg and Bert. 

"Come on, I'm getting you out of here," Bert muttered under his breath, slinging an arm round me to help me walk. 

"Bert?" I asked, my head still spinning.

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks." 

With that I passed out on Bert in the middle of the school corridor. 

********************

"I'd kiss you but my lips kind of hurt at the moment," I mumbled through my swollen, split lips at Bert. 

I'd woken up last night in my bed covered in bandages and a worried looking Linda peering over me hesitantly. Bert had gotten me to the nurse's office and had driven me home himself when the school called Linda and she couldn't come and get me. I'd been out for nearly a day and had woken up this morning to find a tray of breakfast that had gone cold next to my bed with a note from Linda. 

Hey Frank, I made you breakfast but it probably doesn't taste too good because you know I can't really cook. I'm really sorry I couldn't come and get you yesterday and I can't be there today, but Bert said he's coming round straight after school so you'll only be alone for a few hours.

 I'll see you tonight

Bert was here as promised and was sat at the bottom of my bed painting my toe nails black and occasionally scribbling down answers to his maths homework. 

"I know. I'd kiss you too but your lips would probably start bleeding or whatever and that would be pretty disgusting," Bert said lightly, grinning at me. "Greg's been expelled but his idiot friends are still there by the way." 

"Well, at least he's gone?" I say hopefully. "Or is he going to start sending me death threats now?" 

"Nah," Bert said, scrunching his nose up. "I doubt he's got the intelligence to do something like that. He's more of the 'I'm going to beat you to a pulp' kind of guy."

I laughed, wincing as my ribs screamed with pain. "Ow. That fucking hurt. But what about you anyway? You knocked him out with one punch!" 

Bert shrugged. "Fortunately he only suffered a mild concussion. I wish I'd put the piece of shit in a coma Frankie. I'm so mad he hurt you." 

"Hey," I said softly, reaching forwards to cup his face. "Just forget about it. He's not worth it, we both know it. 

Bert's sad eyes flickered over my face. "I know. But it still doesn't make up for how much you got fucked up Frank." 

Bert leant forwards until our faces were inches apart. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again." 

He pressed his lips against each bruise and gash on my face. Each kiss only made me want to stay here forever and completely forget about my old life. 

Maybe I could be happy here after all.