Virus

Street Friend

I walked down the cold cement path. My breath hung in the air as the cold air whipped around my frostbit nose.

Left. My brain told my feet as I turned the corner. I knew this street far too well. We were blood brothers, the street and I. When my enemies that live on this street would find me, they'd beat me until I bled or someone stopped them.

It was usually the blood.

I passed the first cement square were my blood stained it. 5th grade. Then the others. 6th, 8th, 9th, 9th and now I stood away from the most recent one. I stood on the clean cement.

Breath in. Breath out. Now I continued walking. Or at least until a dirty snowball hit me in the back of my head.

"What the-" I couldn't even finish. I was pinned to the ground by Josh Jordans.

"What's up, Zee?" He asked in a mocking tone as the rest of his group came behind him. Joey Doggs and Mike Parallel.

"A goon and his groupies." I said. Josh frowned and slapped me. The approving laughter from Joey and Mike encouraged him. Another slap, then a punch. All I could do was lay there and accept the pain. Then I saw it. The glorious color of my blood. The sign they would stop.

But he didn't.

I was still pinned.

I was still being struck.

I was still bleeding.

"Ha ha ha!" Mike laughed so hard he snorted.

Josh lifted up his fist yet again. "Take this, you dirty smart ass." Before his hand could come in motion, a yell came from ahead.

"What the hell?!" A small girl came running up. I recognized her in my grade, but didn't know her name. Her long strawberry-blonde hair went to her hips where her hands rested.

"What do you think you're doing, Joshua?" She glared at him. Mike and Joey paid no attention to me and started surrounding the girl.

"I'm about to finish this kid." He lifted his fist higher. He swung it at me. Expecting pain, I flinched. But it didn't come. His fist was held back by the girls hands, which had a surprisingly strong grip. She twisted it once before taking his arm and forcing it behind his back. Kicking him to the ground, the girl turned around to the other two.

"I suggest you both go. Before I kick your asses too." They looked frightened and ran away. "Take your goon with you!" She yelled at them. They sprinted back, grabbed Josh, and went to their houses.

The girl finally turned her gaze towards me. "You okay?" I wasn't.

"S-sure." I was too stunned by two things: the expression in her eyes and the way she took down Josh.

"Well, I'm Mallory Jones." She extended her hand. I grabbed it and she, literally, pulled me up.

"Zee..."

"Well, Zee. You might want to get home and clean those cuts and bruises."

"Yeah...." Wow. I really sounded like an idiot, didn't I?

"I have to go home now. See you around I guess." And she walked away with her hair swaying back and fourth.

Still standing there five minuets later, I felt my face get hot. "What...the..."

Ugh, teenage feelings.