Gang Land

Chapter 10

I went the rest of the day thinking of Riley. He sat with us at lunch. But he was as far away from me and Marcus that he could be. Every once in a while, I would raise my head to look at him, and he would be staring at his tray, or lost in a conversation with Trenton. Other times, I would watch him from my periphery, and when he would look up, I would look up, trying to catch his gaze. But then he would look back down. I wanted to throw a spoon at him and tell him to stop staring into his applesauce, but I knew that would raise suspicion at the table. Instead I bit my lip, and continued to tune everyone out.

When P.E ended, I talked to Mrs. Johnson about using the gym to practice my serves, and running a few laps. I explained I didn't want any distractions, and she allowed my access to the net and some volleyballs. She told me to leave the net up, once I was finished, and with my promise that I would, she left.

I didn't know how long I had been practicing, when the gym door squeaked, as someone opened it. I looked over my shoulder to see Marcus stride through. I smiled. It soon faded though, when I the door slammed shut behind him, and I saw the angry look on his face, as he strode toward me.

"Marcus? What's wrong?" I asked, rolling the volleyball around in my hands.

"Are you serious? You really have the nerve to ask me that?!"

"Um... Yeah? What's going on?"

"You are a cheating bitch. That's whats wrong. Is this your way to get back at me? Cause at least I was at home, in the privacy in my bedroom!" I was absolutely confused, and I was kinda pissed at him calling me a cheating bitch.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I yelled.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! You and Pierce in the hallway. Things were getting kinda hot and heavy huh?!"

"Marcus, I'm serious. I don't know what you're talking about."

"YOU SCREWED HIM IN THE HALLWAY!"

"No I didn't! I was trying to get him to talk to me." I thought that would calm him down, but it didn't. His hands clenched into fists at his side, and before I knew it, he was pulling back. He struck me in the eye, and the pulled back once more to hit my mouth. It all happened so fast. I couldn't block him. "Marcus stop it!" I yelled. "You said you'd never hit me again."

"Yeah, well, shit happens. I said that before you opened your legs up to that sonuva bitch! You are nothing but a filthy whore." All my built up anger, boiled over, and before I realized what I was doing, I slapped him in the face so hard his head went sideways. Then, his hands were clenched tight around my arms, and he shoved me up against the wall. I tried to wiggle free, but id didn't work. He was pressed up against me, his fingers digging into my arms so hard that I was losing feeling from loss of blood flow.

"I've never cheated on you. I'm not like you, Marcus! I could be, but I'm not! I want to be nothing like you. Angry, Violent, confused. I'm not stupid! I love you, and if I wanted someone else, I wouldn't have taken your sorry abusive ass back!" My tears were hot, and they were rolling down my face, mixing with what I asumed was blood. I was confident in my words, and I didn'tgive a damn how he reacted. That is until, he tightened his grip on my arms, if that was even possible, and shoved me against the wall again. My head hit the concrete behind me, and he pulled me away from the wall once more. I assumed he was going to slam me against it again, but instead, he shoved me down. I fell into a corner next to the door, my head hitting first the wall, and then the floor.

"I was about done with you anyways." Marcus spat. He kicked my legs aside, and started to the door. He stopped, and turned his head towards me, an evil sneer on his lips. He walked slowly to me, and before I had time to cover myself, he drew back his leg and kicked me in the stomach. I screamed in pain, and he laughed with satisfaction. He threw the volleyball rack at me, and they bounced against me and the wall, before rolling out into the middle of the court. "Whore." I heard him mutter before he stormed out, the door slamming shut behind him once again.

I lay in the corner, sobbing. I could hardly breathe, and my eye was already starting to swell shut. Everything was already blurry from tears. Pain radiated through the back of my head, and my stomach as well. I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my shorts.

"Oh No!" I cried when I saw my phone. The screen was crushed, and it wouldn't come on when I pressed the power button. I couldn't call anyone to come get me. And I couldn't walk home in this condition. Hell, I couldn't even stand. I threw my phone down. Crying in pain, my good eye started to drift shut.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Riley's P.O.V

I walked out of the locker room, after my shower. Baseball practice, had ended, and I needed to freshen up. As I walked up the hallway, going the way that would lead me to the front parking lot where my truck was parked, Marcus stormed out of the gym, and stode angrily pased me, heading towards the back parking lot. I walked passed the gym, and stopped when looked through the glass, and saw all of the volleyballs strewn across the gym floor. I would have went on, but then I heard a cry. My heart skipped a beat. I knew who it was. It was Skylar.

I pulled the door open, and looked in. She lay in the corner, kind of curled up. Her face was bloody, and her right eye was swollen shut, already black and blue. There was blood behind her on the wall, and a small pool of it was starting to form behind her head.

"Oh my God! Skylar!" I yelled. I knelt down beside her. She didn't respond when I said her name. She was sleeping. I put my hand on her, and said her name louder. "Skylar. Wake up." This time she seemed to hear me, because her left eye opened, and she slowly raised her head to look at me.

"Riley?" She whimpered. My heart nearly broke in half.

"It's me. I'm here baby."

"I'm s-so sorry, R-Riley. I-I should h-have l-listend to y-you." She cried. I rubbed her back.

"Shh. Calm down, honey. It's okay." She couldn't lay here in the floor any longer. "i'm gonna move you, okay Sky?" She nodded. I wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other underneath her legs. I scooped her up into my arms, and slowly got to my feet. She yelped in pain, and I winced.

"I'm sorry, Sky." I whispered. I cradled her aginst my chest, and backed into the door, opening it. I tried to get to my truck quickly, and without causing her too much pain, but any tiny jar, she whimpered. I cringed, as anger boiled inside of me. I was gonna get that sadistic son of a bitch boyfriend of hers. Wether she liked it or not.

I got to my truck, and opened the door, still cradiling Sky in my arms. She didn't want to let go when I layed her in the seat.

"Riley!" She cried. "No! Don't le me go! Please! Don't-"

"It's okay, Sky. I'm gonna get you some help. You have to let go of me first." Reluctantly, she let go, and I shut the door softly so as not to jar her. Then I ran around the truck and climbed in. She pulled herself into my lap. Her face rested against my stomach. She cried, and my shirt was soaked with tears as I sped off towards the hospital.

As I exited the schoo parking lot, I noticed Marcus leaning against his truck. Some half dressed skank pressed against him, and he was shoving his tounge down her throat. I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I stopped at the stop sign, and looked down at Skylar in my lap. She shook with sobs, and her head was bleeding. The blood on my pants evidence of that.

"Riii-lll-ee-y!" She sobbed.

"Shh. I'm gonna take care of you Sky. I'm gonna take care of you. I promise." With that said, I sped off towards the hospital.