Nerds

Questions

"Ummm," Jack seemed to be at a loss for words. Corey just grinned and laughed. Sarah smiled too, but didn't laugh along with Corey.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what, uh, happened?" Corey looks at Jack. Did he have terror in his eyes? You never could tell with Jack, it always seemed like there was nothing wrong with him.

"I do mind," Jack sort of said that quickly, but Sarah just rolls her eyes, and looks at Corey.

"A weight dropped,"

"What at the gym or something?"

"Gosh dang, you have a lot of questions!" Jack pointed out. Corey just shrugged and sat down next to Sarah.

"Sure at the gym," Sarah told him smiling.

"Sure?"

"Hey, Corey, could you grab me my phone? It's on the table behind you," Jack asks, changing the subject. Corey nods and turns around, it feels weird to help the kid who was just beating the crap out of you earlier. Oh well. He grabs Jack's phone and notices the message. It reads;
Dad
What did you tell them? If they find out Jack, you and Sarah are both in trouble......

What was that supposed to mean? Corey ignored it and gave Jack his phone. He watched his expression change as he read the message. Again, Corey was not used to seeing Jack acually show emotion. His face read, that he was...terrified? Weird. Jack pressed a button and put his phone close to his lips.

"No Dad, everything is good. You don't have to worry," Jack says. Corey knew that the words Jack had spoke appeared on the screen. Corey heard the notification go off seconds later and Jack looked at Sarah.

"Sarah, when do I get out?" Jack asks.

"Tommorow morning," She replies. Corey decides that they want to be left alone, and stands up.

"I should probaly get going, it's getting, you know, late," Corey said. He quickly left the room, hitting the door on the way out. Ok I've got to get my glasses fixed, he thinks as he climbs into a cab out front.

***********

"Hello dear, how did the hospital go?" Corey's mom asks, the minute he steps through the door.

"Kind of weird, actually. Especially since he's the guy beating me up all the time," Corey mutters the last part under his breath, but his mom hears.

"What? The guy who did this to you is in the hospital?" Corey's mom says running her thumb gently over his purple swollen eye. When did that get swollen and purple? Geez AJ and Jack really did a number on me. Corey thought.

"Well technically, it wasn't just him. His friend did too, but he's not in the hospital," Corey finishes quickly.

"Can you tell me their names?"

"No thanks mom."

"Corey," his mom motions for him to sit down next to her on the couch,"I can see that you put this wall up, and I am telling you to take it down right now. You need to let someone in, tell them what's wrong. So what are their names?"

"AJ and Jack's in the hospital, ok?" Corey didn't agree with this whole "opening up" thing. He didn't like it one bit. Corey's mom just smiles at him and nods, then leaves to finish dinner in the kitchen. Corey runs upstairs into his room, and locks the door.

He changes from jeans, an I'M NERDY:D t-shirt and jacket into sweats and a caramel colored shirt. It used to be Corey's dad's but when he died, Corey got to keep it. It was his favorite. On the front was a squirel holding a bat with a pile of acorns behind him. In big white letters, above the picture, read PROTECT YOUR NUTS! Corey smiled and walked over to his mirror.

Dang! Without his glasses, Corey looked a lot like his dad. Shiny red tinted hair, gently combed over his pale green eyes. Average height and thin, with absolutly zero signs of muscle. Then again, his father was very built. Then Corey plopped down onto his bed, tommorrow was Monday, which meant back to school. I wonder if Jack'll treat me differently? Maybe he will, just maybe......

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

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Corey's alarm blared into his ears, pulling him awake. Had he really fell asleep the rest of the night? Oh well... Corey turns off the alarm, and walks to his closet. He quickly changes, and decides to leave his hair a mess. As he leaves through the front door, he munches on some toast for breakfest.

When Corey gets to his locker, he sees Jack standing there looking angry. Dang it! Corey attempted to make it to his locker without Jack noticing him, but he does. The minute he does, he grabs Corey and pulls him outside to the back of the building. Then, he finally releases him.

"Last nigh, you read my father's text. What did it say?" Jack asks.

"I-I can't re-remember," Corey stutters. Jack punches him twice then asks again.

"What did it say?!"

"He asked what you told the people at the hospital," Corey says quickly. Another punch.

"Then what?"

"Something about if the docotors found out, then you in Sarah would be in trouble." Three more punches. Then He gets slammed against the wall.

"Do you know what he meant?" Jack asks. Corey doesn't respond, so he gets slammed again, harder.

"Do you know what it means?!" Jack screams.

"N-no, I-I don't."

"Good. Then if I were you I'd stay out of it. And if you don't," Jack finishes his sentence by throwing Corey from the wall and kicking his side three times. The same one that AJ kicked yesterday.

"Can I at least know what happened?" Corey asks.

"What?"

"To your arm, why you were really in the hospital last night," Corey clarifies himself, staring at Jack's blood red cast. He fights strong. Even if his arm's broken, he still fights well, Corey thought.

"I told you to stay out of it Corey!" Jack yells at him.

"Stay out of what?" Corey yells back.

"My buisness," And with that Jack turns around and storms off. He is biting down hard on his lip. He always does that, usually when he stares off, or when he and his sister lock their eyes. Corey still didn't know what it meant.

When he finally gets to science, Corey gets stopped by the teacher.

"Where have you been the past 10 minutes?" He asks.

"I, um, well," Corey stutters. That's when Jack came in and he says,"He was in the office, helping me."

The teacher glances down at Jack's cast, and gestures for the boys to sit down. Both do. Jack sits in between Sarah and AJ and Corey is forced to sit next to AJ. He glances over to see Jack and Sarah both staring at each other, doing one of their silent conversations.

"Hey loser, did Jack finally give you the beating you deserve?" AJ smirks.

"Leave alone," Corey whispers back.

"Ooooh, I'm soooo tempted, but no thanks," AJ taunts,"Are your glasses still broken from yesterday? So sorry about that, nerd."

"No you're not, now shut up."

"Make me." Corey slammed his science book close, then packed up his things and stormed out of the room. He had to think about what Jack had said without AJ bothering him. So Corey went to the library to think things over. He had to find out what was wrong with Jack and Sarah. They'd been acting to strange, way too strange, to ignore.