Safe Arms "ON HOLD"

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jonah

I got off the bus that I took to and from my job at the stop that was closest to the Boy's Club. I hoped Liam's first day back in two weeks went okay. After school got out it took the three of us a while to find and start our jobs, so the only time he went to the Boy's Club since then, was with one or more of us when we went to volunteer, otherwise Liam had been with one us, especially since during that time we were busy finding a new apartment and then packing up all of our stuff. Added to that, it was his first day alone, but I knew Benji, Joe or Derek...or really any of the staff, would look after him.

When I walked up the street I could see Liam sitting on the front steps with his bag over his shoulder and Benji sitting beside him, I guess they were waiting for me. Liam didn't look too happy and Benji was talking to him. Immediately my hackles went up, or would have if I had any. What happened to upset my boy. As I got closer I could see the redness in his eyes that told me he'd been crying.

"What's up Leelee," I said softly sitting down on the other side of him. He immediately turned into me and leaned his face into my side, but didn't say anything. I lifted my arm and wrapped it around his slender back. I knew when he got like this, there wouldn't be much success getting him to talk so I turned my eyes up to Benji with a questioning look.

"We had an incident today," he started.

"What type of incident?" I tried to keep my tone calm and friendly, but I'm sure my concern and blossoming anger leaked out a bit.

"We had a new boy start coming to the Club a few weeks ago when his parents moved nearby. Sixteen, big kid...I'm not sure exactly what went down, but I was outside monitoring the basketball game and hanging with Liam at the same time. I had to use the bathroom, so I left for like 5 minutes. When I came back out, this kid was pushing Liam around and yelling at him..."

"What the fuck, Benji?!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry."

"It wasn't his fault," a little voice squeaked out from under my arm.

"You'd be proud of Liam...and the other boys too. Liam wasn't taking any shit; the kid towered over him, but he was doing a good job fighting him off."

"Yeah, me and the guys have been teaching him some self-defense," I told Benji, I felt surprised and pretty impressed that he actually used it.

"And before I got there, the guys from the court, Rogers, Newt and Chubby were all over the guy, pulling him away from Li and making sure he was okay." Benji paused and I gave Liam a squeeze.

"I'm proud of you Liam," I said down to him.

"So the kid was brought to Derek's office. Some other of the smaller boys came to me and the other staff and told us that he had bothered them too. Apparently going up to them and asking them to be his boyfriend and getting angry when they rebuffed him. They were all afraid to say anything to anyone and he'd been careful not to do it in front of us, so we didn't know. He got a little more aggressive with Liam, and called him some nasty words before we could stop him."

"What did he call you Li?" I asked him softly, but he only shook his head no.

Benji squirmed uncomfortably, "Benji, what did he call him?" I insisted.

"He was saying stuff like little faggot, only good for one thing...just a bunch of bullsh...crap."

"So what's going to happen to this kid? He won't be back will he, because if so I'm pulling Liam out right now!"

"No, no, god no! We have a no tolerance policy here, you know that. Joe told me that Derek talked to him pretty seriously and he suspects some abuse, but that's no excuse, he won't be back. He did contact child services though and put in a report so they'll follow up to hopefully get him some help...with the possible abuse and his aggression."