A/N Pleas share your thoughts, thank you. :D
The boys approached the storefront avoiding the shifty glances the other guys standing out there gave them. The night felt darker than usual. Although cars cruised the roads and lonely people walked the night streets, there seemed to be any empty spot somewhere.
"I don't know why I continue to do this! We should just leave him out here!" Javier complained as he and Agustin jumped out of the car into the dark night.
They didn't see Aman at first as they approached the run down store. It was one of those shifty holes in the wall kind of places. A few guys hung out in the front smoking cigarettes and there were no more than a few cars in the lot. It was obvious only the workers were there and they hardly got any customers other than people who wanted a quick smoke.
"Hey, I'm mad at him too Javi, but we have to help him." Said Agustin.
"For crying out loud where is the punk!" Javier said in a loud whisper. The boys stopped at the door seeing no sign of Aman.
"Where could he be?" Asked Agustin in a shaky voice.
"Maybe having a smoke around the building, follow me." Javier took the lead and Agustin followed him around the building.
It was even darker back there, a few trashcans sat against the old walls. Then the boys smelled beer in the air, at least Javier did.
"Back here." Whispered Javier pointing behind the trashcan. He pulled it aside so that it made a loud clunking sound beside the building, and sure enough, there lay Aman.
He was passed out and even in the night, the boys could make out his once dark skin have gone all pal. Agustin gasped and knelt down beside him.
"He's drunk!" Javier exclaimed smelling the alcohol coming off of Aman's body.
"Okay, we have to take him to the hospital!" Panicked Agustin.
"Yeah, I think your right, Agustin."
***
Dylan was watching Brooks pick at his food, he knew he had to get the boy to eat one way or another.
"Brooks, eat up it's really good."
"I'm just not hungry Dylan. How am I supposed to eat when the smell of food is sickening!" He said while placing his fork down beside his plate.
"Look at it this way, Agustin went out of his way to cook it for you. Does your stomach hurt?" Dylan asked, he couldn't imagine having a bad appetite, he's already had two plate fulls of food.
"No, I'm just not hungry! You guys lied to me anyways, you told me nothing was going on with Aman. Well, guess what? I knew all along."
Dylan was a bit surprised at Brooks attitude, but could he really blame him? He's very sick and who knows how long he'll even live!
"Brooks, we didn't want to stress you out, you have a lot going on. I'm going to play video games, it's your choice to either eat and get better or starve and get sicker." Dylan excused himself from the table and put his dirty empty dish in the sink.
"Get better right. It's easy for you to say but I'm not getting better!"
Dylan heard the sound of tears in Brooks' voice and suddenly felt very sorry for him.
"Brooks, don't say that."
"Yeah, and you don't tell me not to say that. Everyone says that and it doesn't help!" Shouted Brooks.
"Fine, I won't try to help you but I thought we were friends." Then Dylan left.
***
Agustin and Javier brought a very limp Aman over to the car. Once they got him inside he began waking up. At first, he was whimpering and looking around trying to figure out where he has ended up.
"Javier?" He questioned just before Javier shut the door of the back seats.
"Yeah and we're headed to the hospital so sit tight." Javier shut the door before Aman could say another word then jumped into the passenger seat. Agustin jumped into the driver's seat and sped off.
"Guys you can't do this to me! Do you want this whole thing....." Aman's words trailed off as he caught his breath. "This whole thing to be ruined? Listen, you have to trust me!"
Agustin looked back at him through the rearview mirror. "Aman, we have been trusting you! Why don't we make a deal, okay? You tell us what's going on and we won't take you to the hospital."
Javier snarled at Agustin through the corner of his eyes. "That's not smart."
"Guys I'll tell you everything, just get me home." Aman opened his window and stuck his head out. His chest began heaving as he threw up all over the street.
***
Brooks stare at his food after Dylan left the kitchen. His stomach turned at the smell, he just couldn't bring himself to do it! He could hear the obnoxious sounds of Dylan's video game and plugged his ears. Everyone was right as much as he hated to admit it. He needed to eat or else he'd get sicker and end up on a feeding tube. He hated feeding tubes, they were such a pain but at least he wouldn't need to taste anything, it would just go directly to his stomach. But Dylan was just trying to be a friend and Brooks felt sorry for being rude. So he took his fork and dish of food and went into the living room. Dylan just eyed him for a brief moment then returned to focusing on his game. Brooks sat beside him on the sofa and began forking up some rice. He stared at it for a moment then brought it to his mouth. He cringed at first but forced himself to swallow it down. Dylan just eyed him again.
"I'm sorry Dylan."
Dylan got a smile on his face. "That's okay Brooks, I'm glad you're eating buddy." He stopped his game and wrapped an arm around Brooks' shoulders. Brooks began laughing.
"This is so hard!" He lay his head down on Dylan's shoulder.
"Before you know it we'll force you to eat so much you'll blow up like a balloon!" Dylan teased.
"And you won't even recognize me!" Laughed Brooks. The boys were laughing so hard they didn't even hear anyone coming into the house. It was when Agustin shouted for Dylan.
"Dylan!"
Dylan stood up quickly making his way over to the entry hall. Brooks placed his dish down on the coffee table and followed him. He heard Dylan gasp and gently pushed him aside to get a look himself.
Aman was vomiting all over the through rug in front of the door. He looked pale and worn out. Blood was seeping through the gauze on his head.
"He needs a D.r!" Exclaimed Brooks.
"Don't you worry, go rest," Agustin said glancing over at Brooks.
"Get him out of here," Said Aman in between heaves
"Javi, take Brooks upstairs!" Ordered Agustin.
"Good, I don't feel much like helping Aman anyways. Come on Brooks." Javier took a grip on Brooks' arm and led him down the hall to the staircase.
"I'm not a baby guys!" Pleaded Brooks as he lagged behind Javier up the steps.
"Shut up Brooks, we don't need this right now." Javier went straight to his "room" and shut the door.
"Javier!" Brooks flung it back open to find Javier lying on his bed. "What are you doing in here?" He asked knowing nothing of the new sleeping arrangements since he's been gone.
"Brooks, just leave me be." Said Javier in a teary voice much to Brooks surprise.
"What's wrong?" Brooks asked coming to sit beside Javier.
"It's not important," Javier said shutting his eyes.
"Come on, you can tell me!" Brooks pleaded enjoying getting into other people's business at the same time as hearing them out and hoping to encourage them.
Javier sat up on his elbows and Brooks could see a tear slip out of his eye on accident. "My stomach hurts, but why should I tell you when you're the one that's sick."
Brooks put an arm around Javier and nestled into his chest feeling tired. "Because that's what brothers do."
***
Aman felt like death run over five million times! He sat back after all the contents of his stomach been emptied. He was so dizzy he couldn't see anything. He felt a cold cloth on his forehead and winced a bit mumbling something without meaning to.
"Valeria,"
"Let's get you upstairs." Said Agustin.
Aman felt like his head was splitting in half when the boys helped him stand. He let out a teary cry mumbling again.
"Please, don't do it!"
The boys forced him up the steps, it felt like a lifetime before his head hit the pillow.
"Wheres Valeria?" He asked looking up at Dylan through blurred vision.
"She's not here Aman, you just need to focus on getting rest." Said Dylan taking the rag from Agustin and bringing it to Aman's bruised chest from the beating Orson gave him.
"She's my baby, her mama left." Aman was acting very vulnerable in his present state, he felt scared and confused and the boys had no idea his baby's mama walked out on her.
Agustin and Dylan exchanged worried glances.
"Will she be okay?" Aman asked.
Agustin just nodded his head.
"Don't let them get her like they got my Mama," Aman muttered. "Don't," He stopped to cry out at the pain in his head.
"Shhh, rest Aman." Said Agustin.
"I'll go get some painkillers and more gauze." And Dylan left the room.
***
Brooks could hear Javier's heavy breathing as he bit back tears. Brooks felt warm in Javier's embrace leaning heavily into his chest.
"What's wrong Javi?" He asked him.
"It doesn't matter." Replied Javier in between sniffles.
"Sure it does, I don't need you guys to treat me any different because I'm sick. I'm still in this and I'm going to fulfill my contract." Brooks said. He felt Javier take a deep breath.
"I don't want to go back to school." He plainly said.
Brooks sat up and turned to Javier. "Why not? I wish I could go but I have to do it at home with a program on the computer."
Javier whipped his tears and smiled a bit. "I wish you could come with me I'd feel a lot better about it if I wasn't alone."
"But you've been to this school, you'll do fine." Said Brooks.
Javier shook his head. "This is our secret Brooks, but the whole thing makes me sick. I just don't fit in it's for real."
Brooks felt sorry for Javier, he found him to be funny and caring. Just then the door opened and Agustin popped his head in.
"Want some brownies guys?" He asked looking in Brooks direction.
Brooks hesitated and Javier just ignored him.
"Brooks, I know you didn't eat dinner, but for tonight you can skip if you have at least one brownie." Smiled Agustin as if this was a perfect idea.
"I'm not hungry Agustin." Said Brooks.
"None of that young man! I'll bring you one, they are really good and you need something in your stomach." Said Agustin.
"What's going on with Aman?" Asked Brooks.
"He fell asleep, don't worry." Told Agustin.
"He must be really sick, he looked horrible!" Said Brooks trying to make the boys understand that he wasn't any different than them because he was sick. He understood fully what was going on, he may have been 14 when they first started, but he was now 16 and growing up! He knew him being sickly only added to them treating him as a child.
"It's all his own good." Said Agustin, then he looked over at Javier who wasn't saying a thing. He was strangely staring off into the distance with his arms wrapped around his middle.
"Hey Javi, are you okay?" Agustin asked.
"I think I'm turning in early, Aman's asleep so he can't tell us what's going on." Javier sounded downtrodden.
"Well, if you want brownies I'll get you some." Said, Agustin, as he turned to leave.
"Brooks?" Asked Javier once Agustin was gone.
"What is it?" Asked Brooks.
"Can you sleep with me? I feel really homesick." Told Javier.
Brooks smiled. "Sure, but why don't you sleep with Aman anymore?"
Javier cast his eyes to the covers on the bed. "I'm angry with him right now. You don't mind if I share your bed, do you?"
Brooks shook his head. "Not at all, I'm feeling a bit worried myself. Javier, do you think I will die?" Brooks felt his chest tighten every time he thought about dying and how it was possible for him. Of course, it could happen to any of them or anyone at all for that matter! But Brooks felt as though he stood a better chance of dying sooner unless Aman kept up drinking and getting into fights. That way he may die young himself, but Brooks was very afraid, life was just beginning for him really!
Javier looked a bit surprised at what Brooks asked him as if he didn't know how to answer him without being frank.
"Only God alone knows that Brooks, I pray for you all the time and I know God's listening. You've had a long couple of days, let's get some sleep. Go change in the bathroom and I'll go after you." It was obvious Javier was smiling just so that Brooks wouldn't worry. They were the youngest ones in the group and grew rather close because of that.
"Thank you for praying Javi, I pray too but I'm still afraid. Can this be our secret?" Asked Brooks with a boyish expression. He had a rather mature look at times yet his boyishness appeared more frequent than he even noticed.
"Don't stop praying." Said Javier.
***
Agustin prepared a plate for Brooks with one brownie on it. He poured a glass of orange juice Brooks favorite then grabbed the entire pan of brownies, he thought perhaps Javier would like some himself. Before heading upstairs he cleaned the kitchen from dinner then headed up. To his surprise, he could know longer see the bedroom light peeking underneath the door. He quietly opened it to find the two younger boys asleep in Brooks bed. They were still very young to be away from home, Javier wasn't even 18 and Brooks newly 16. He smiled at the site and placed the things down on the dresser. Then he walked back over to the bed and pulled the covers to the boy's chests since it was cold that February night. That's when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He quickly left the room, shut the door then looked up to see Dylan staring him down with displeasure.
"Where on earth have you been? You left me with Aman, I don't want to be his babysitter!"
"Sorry, Brooks is more important than Aman's bad choices. The guy put himself in the spot he's in, Brooks can't change his circumstances." Said Agustin in a hushed tone so that the other boys wouldn't wake up.
"Whatever, you might as well not worry, I sleep in there and I'm tired. See you in the morning." Then Dylan turned to leave.
***
Aman was having a restless sleep, his fever was high and it caused his dreams to intensify. He was having a nightmare. There was that cold lonely parking garage, the same feeling of utter fright that filled his spirit as Orson approached him. He tossed around in his bed causing the sheets to tangle up beneath him.
"No, no please M.r Luz! Pleas!"
***
Dylan woke up from the dream that seemed to be raging inside Aman's head. Dylan couldn't feel the pain or fear, it meant nothing to him. Aman looked so alone as he fought at the dream hoping to shake it off. His cries didn't only sound fearful they sounded pained and it was when he began to mumble again that Dylan took the hint.
"No M.r Luz, no."
Dylan thought perhaps he said such unlikely things because he was running a fever, he wasn't sure what to make of it other than waking Aman in hopes of pulling him out of his dreams. Dylan stood up and turned on the light. He neared Aman's bed then gently shook him.
"Wake up Aman, wake up!"
Aman kept on shouting. "I'll bring you the money M.r Luz, I'll bring it to you just don't ruin this for me!"
"Wake up Aman Trevino!" Dylan's shouting woke the others including Aman.
Aman's eyes slowly opened with a pained expression on his face as he mentally came back into reality.
"Dylan?" He cried in literal tears.
By then the other boys came in, Brooks was leaning heavily into Agustin and Javier was trailing in behind them. Aman looked at all of them with wide eyes as if he wasn't sure what was going on.
"I think he has some explaining to do." Said Dylan. "Aman you told me in your dream and we all should have seen this sooner. Orson Luz, now what's with him?" Asked Dylan.
Aman sat up, his cheeks clearly turning a shade of red.
"Who's Orson Luz?" Asked Brooks looking in Agustin's direction.
"He stayed here last night. Dylan, what do you mean?" Asked Agustin.
"I don't know ask Aman, he was the one shouting pleas M.r Luz no!" Told Dylan.
"Aman, what's going on?" Asked Agustin.
"Yeah, is he the one that beat you up?" Javier asked.
"Guys stop!" Cried Aman, they rarely saw him like this, he was actually crying! "Orson Luz followed me here, he beat me up and know one's supposed to know this." Aman whipped his tears away.
"So that's why his car's been parked outside the house?" Dylan asked going back to his bed to take a seat feeling a bit shocked.
"Wait, was his car green?" Asked Brooks.
"Yeah." Replied Dylan.
"He was the one following us to the hospital the day you took me for my infusion!" Said Brooks looking proud of his conclusion.
"Yeah, I remember that but thought nothing of it." Said Dylan, Aman looked furthered concerned.
"He's onto you guys too and this is all my fault!" He was breathing heavily and it was clear he was about to keel over at any moment.
"Take it easy Aman, you should have explained this earlier we could've helped you." Said Agustin. He took the cold cloth they had left on the dresser and began dampening Aman's wet forehead.
"No guys, it's not like that! He came here to get the information I know how he works! I should have stopped him." Aman cried out in pain.
"Come on man, just tell us what he wanted." Javier rolled his eyes.
***
Aman took a deep breath, he didn't want to tell the boys but he was sick and they were all in trouble. He needed someone to know.
"I don't want to stress Brooks." He tried excusing it again feeling much like a coward.
"Aman, I'm fine, go on." Brooks took a seat next to Dylan on the bed and rested his head on Dylan's shoulder.
Aman let out another breath. "Valeria was about to be born and I was in a bind. I had no money and I was broke. My parents offered to help but I felt this was my duty as the baby's Papa. I met Orson Luz a few days before she was born, he was selling things and we got to talking. Somehow I decided I needed to work for him when he told me he had an even better way I could earn money and a lot quicker too. He told me to meet him that night so I did. Agustin," Aman complained at the sting of the cloth on his wounds across his bare chest.
"Sorry, keep going." Coaxed Agustin gently.
Aman shut his eyes then began again. "He told me he would give me money right then if I repaid him at the beginning of this year. I fell for it feeling desperate, I felt like I was doing my unborn child an injustice because she was to be born to unmarried parents and a Papa that had nothing. Well, here you guys have it, I didn't pay him back and now he's out to ruin us all." A few tears slipped down his cheeks.
"But what about not seeing a D.r?" Asked Javier taking a seat on the floor in front of the bed he used to call his own where Dylan now slept.
"I saw him again during Christmas break when I was back home. He said If I went to the hospital after the beating that he would tell the Police it was self-defence. He said if I don't have the money by January first he'd tell the law I stole from him. He told me he'd come find me and beat me if I didn't get it to him. As my careless self, I thought nothing of it, but he tracked me down somehow, I haven't even told him where I been. He was going to send me to jail!" Aman cried out again. "Just leave me alone Agustin! All of you leave!" Aman pushed Agustin's hand out of the way and pulled his covers aside.
"Aman!" The boys called after him. But Aman stumbled out into the hall and up into the attic where he hid his beer. And there he collapsed and drawn himself in the alcohol. Tears ran down his face as he felt himself grow more and more light headed. He drank down half a beer before the attic door in the floor flew open. To his surprise, it was Javier who was the last person he expected to be worried for him.
"Aman stop this!" Javier came in with the other boys following. "We can help you that's why Officer Heart put us together!"
"Drinking isn't going to help you, Aman, trust me!" Said Dylan
Aman looked up at the eight eyes staring at him, they really did seem to want to help, but could they? At least the beer would bring him to another world, a world that took him away from fear and worries, from the darkest parts of life. Little did he take the time to realize alcohol only brought him into further darkness when he thought it was a cure for his horrid life. Then he looked at Brooks, in particular, he had a soft spot for him although he's never admitted it. He didn't want to burden him or be any kind of a bad example. And Brooks just stare at him with his leering eyes, the thing about it was Brooks didn't even realize the story his own eyes gave. But they never ceased to stare deep into the hearts of all the boys and anyone else that ever crossed his path. And Aman, Aman felt like he had to stop what he was doing just for him. He slowly put the beer down as he was feeling sick to his stomach. He could feel the bile rising in his throat, he's made himself sicker than he should be and he was afraid of what might happen. He leaned forward and his chest began to heave and he started coughing
"Get sick in this." Agustin came over to Aman's side. He took the beers out of the bag and gave it to Aman.
Aman began dry heaving when sick spilled out of his mouth. He continued like that for about half a minute with Agustin rubbing his back. When he was finished he still looked a horrible shade of green, he felt twice as worse.
"All done now?" Agustin asked.
Aman nodded his head then coughed a bit more. "I'm going to need you guys to bear with me. Know one and I mean not even your family's can know about this." He looked around at all four faces, Agustin who just nodded sympathetically, Dylan who only stare at him with his brows raised yet a sincere glare in his brown eyes. Javier stood with his arms crossed yet he seemed willing to help although he wore a bit of a cocky expression. Brooks just lean into Dylan staring at Aman through those green eyes yet he didn't seem upset, just a bit confused.
"Yeah." Aman quickly replied. "Will you guys stay with me on this?" He asked.
"We will do the best we can." Smiled Agustin.
"Forgive me guys, I've tried running out on you and your still here for me. My baby will be coming here to live, Officer Heart said that was fine." Coughed Aman looking far away in his state.
"I forgive you, Aman." Brooks spoke up.
"Thanks, kid." Said Aman.
"We are in this together Aman, that's what Officer Heart wants." Added Javier.
"We got your back man." Said Dylan.
And there sat the stone in the center of the attic.