Saving Grace

Chapter 1

Walking out of the cold hospital into the extreme heat of summer felt like going straight from a cooler to hell. I walked quickly down the few blocks to the nearest bar hands in pockets, head down, and a look that could kill... you know, if I was pro-violence. A wave of smoke hit me as I snuck through the door and to the last stool at the bar.
"Hey Drew? Dude is that you!?" I could have recognised Michael's voice any where, and of course his guys had to follow their leader. I turned around just as a hand clamped down on my shoulder. The smell of alcohol seemed to have stained his breath.
"Heard you got thrown in the big house for bustin' up that college kid last week." He almost yelled, trying to be heard over the usual sounds of the bar.
"Well you heard wrong. Just laying low in case he and his friends decided they hadn't got enough of a whoopin' last time"
I'm not really southern but the accent seems to get more people listening. And that college kid kicked my ass, but i needed a story. Saying that I was in the hospital because i tried to kill myself didn't seem like a good thing to tell these guys.
"Hey man we're all going to Lil Mikey's later, play some poker, drink some beer. Be there." One of the guys, Jonathan I think, yelled from the back.
"Wouldn't miss it." At least that was honest. I wouldn't miss a game of poker against these guys, they where fairly easy to beat sober, drunk I might as well have been playing against children.

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I showed up late, as usual. I opened the door loudly so I didn't surprise anyone like last time. As I walked in head down I hear three of the guys that weren't at the bar earlier get up to pull me inside, almost throwing me, I guess a week and a half in the hospital didn't help me gain any weight. I pass off all the yells coming my way and ask who's winning. I only did this because now no ones looking at me and they probably wouldn't care if I grew an extra head. They where already as drunk as they would probably get. I noticed a small movement to my right and looked up. A small girl stood there in a stained old t-shirt glancing around so quickly I'm sure she couldn't focus on anything. When she saw me looking she tensed up and put her head down, screwing her eyes shut in the process. I felt Mikey get up from beside me, Stompping toward the girl yelling something about staying in her room and how stupid she was.
"stop" i whispered through clenched teeth.
I got up and grabbed his arm as he pulled it back to hit her.
"Your goinna' loose the game Mikey, just focus on the game." I said as he looked back at me.
He glared at me for a second longer, then went back to his place on the couch. I looked back down and the girl had disappeared, I knew she had to be hiding somewhere crying but going to look now didn't seem like a good idea.