Oakleaf Academy For Boys

twenty

Mr Cooper was lying unconscious on the floor, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. Lucky grinned, looking up at his Mum, "I can barely throw a punch and you can knock out a grown man with one hit?"

Lucky loved both his Mums equally and unconditionally, but the one stood beside him was a lot tougher. She preferred studded leather and piercings over her wife's silky summer dresses and glowing smiles. Lucky liked to think he was a little bit of both. But they were besotted with each other nonetheless, despite their differences. Lucky had brought his Mama because he knew she would be the best one for the job; and he was right, she had knocked Benji's Father out the second they barged through the door.

"Go get your friend, Fe. I'll stay down here and make sure he doesn't get up."

Lucky nodded and bolted up the stairs in desperation. He pushed through every door he passed, until he reached the one at the very end of the hall. He took a deep, reluctant breath and turned the handle.

Benji was laying in bed, his eyes closed, his phone still clutched loosely in his hand. He would look almost peaceful if it weren't for the bruises and cuts that tainted his pale skin and stained every inch of his body. Lucky fell to the floor beside the bed, gently nudging his only real friend. "C'mon, Pup, it's me." He whispered. "Wake up, Benji. We need to get you outta here."

Nothing.

"Bollocks." Lucky hissed, starting to shove him harder, "Wake the fuck up, Benji." He said, his voice growing more and more alarmed. He placed two cold fingertips against Benji's warm neck and felt for a pulse. "Oh god, what has he done to you, Pup?" He groaned. "Why didn't you fucking listen to me?"

Benji was still breathing, his blood was still flowing, and the boy was still alive. But Lucky just couldn't wake him up, no matter what. So, down to his last hope, he grabbed Benji's backpack discarded on the floor and flung it onto his shoulders, before scooping the fragile boy up into his arms.

Benji wasn't heavy in the slightest, but Lucky didn't possess much strength, so struggled all the way down the stairs, his eyes fixed on his friend's tranquil face, searching for any sign of life whatsoever. "He's not waking up." He murmured to his Mother, "Let's get him in the car."

She glanced at the boy sleeping in her son's arms and bit her lip with concern. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah. I think he just passed out from the drugs. He might wake up on the way back." He said, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible, trying not to worry his Mother.

She was staring at Benji, tears clouding her dark brown eyes, her lip caught between her teeth. As tough as she was, she was still a Mother and the sight of the helpless boy made her heart clench painfully.

That could've been my Felix, she thought sadly. When they adopted him, his parents were neglecting and starving him. Thankfully, Lucky was too young to remember any of it, but the thoughts still scarred her to this day. And seeing her son's friend looking so broken and defeated made her want to adopt him into her own family and save the poor love from any more torture.

Lucky carefully placed Benji into the back seat, strapped him in and fetched the blanket from the boot to wrap around his shoulders. His Mother watched with a pulsating heart as she called her wife, pushing down the unquenchable urge for a cigarette - she promised she wouldn't do that anymore.