The next few days were spent in and out of consciousness from the pain meds as Chord avoided reality. The meds were quite good since he hardly recalled those three days. He dreamed off and on, though most came and went no more than a lingering thought.

But on the third day, his dreams were more coherent and lingering. He dreamt of when he was younger, climbing the trees with a blue-eyed girl. He remembered being happy and not having to worry about the bullshit around him.

Chord stacked the rocks on top of each other, humming a song. The sun was shining down and the sound of a screaming child harsh as they ran through the park.

He flinched when a foot knocked down his tower, kicking dirt in his eyes.

"Ow!" he hissed, rubbing his eyes.

"Oops, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." However, his laughter said otherwise. "Looks like your stupid little fort fell."

Chord felt tears in his eyes. "You're the jerk who kicked it, Kyle."

Kyle was a kid in his class, much bigger than Chord was, and one who always made fun of him. Chord didn't like Kyle.

Chord let out a noise of pain as Kyle grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him off the ground. "What are you gonna do about— Ow!"

Chord fell on his butt as Kyle held his head. "Who the hell threw—"

Chord saw a rock come flying, hitting Kyle in the side of the head. A few seconds later, one hit him smack in the middle of his forehead.

"Hey, jerkwad! Leave my friend alone!" Chord saw Aaliyah glaring at Kyle, her face red from either the running or the heat or both. In her hands were rocks, which she gripped like weapons of battle.

"Who are you?"

WHACK! Aaliyah threw another rock and this hit Kyle once more in the face. She grabbed rock after rock until Kyle, yelling in pain, ran off.

"That's what he gets," she huffed proudly, jutting out her chest. She brought her hands around her mouth, projecting her voice, "NEXT TIME DON'T BULLY PEOPLE SMALLER THAN YOU!"

Aaliyah knelt by Chord, the anger evaporating from her eyes, replaced with worry. "Are you okay?"

Chord felt the tears he had been fighting suddenly return, spilling from his eyes. Aaliyah quickly hugged him, holding him closely as she patted his back soothingly. "It's okay to cry, Chord. I don't like bullies either."

As he pulled away, she wiped the dirty wetness from his face with her sleeve. "Do you wanna go  climb the jungle gym?"

He sniffled, nodding his head. "S-Sure."

Aaliyah grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the jungle gym.

"Why do y-you keep hanging out with me?" he asked, watching her climb the contraption like a true monkey.

She looked behind her, smiling, showing off the two missing front teeth. "Because I like you! You're my best friend. Best friends always protect each other."

"I can take care of myself, you know!" he pouted.

She laughed. "Yeah, but I'm still gonna be there to throw rocks at them. If anyone ever is mean to me, then you can throw the rocks. Deal?"

Chord's eyes fluttered open, his body sore and stiff as hell; his good arm above his head and feet sprawled out across his bed.

I hadn't thought about her in a while. He stared up at the ceiling, going back over the dream-like rewinding a movie. I wonder where she is now?

Getting up, Chord shuffled to the kitchen to cook up something to eat. There was a note from his aunt telling him to make sure to eat and to lay out the chicken to thaw for dinner tonight.

After a little struggle, he got some bacon and eggs started. His mind wandered back to his dream.

Aaliyah had been the saving grace when he was still living with his parents. Up until he nearly moved away, she had been there for him when it was hard. When his parents got scary or he needed to just get away, she had been there.

After he got sick and nearly died, he went to the playground they'd play at but she wasn't there. He went there every chance he got afterward, day after day until he moved in with his aunt, but he never saw her again. It was like she had vanished into thin air.

I guess the drama with Scarlett is dredging all of it back up. He ran a hand down his face, setting his food onto a plate and sitting at the table.

Since the hospital, there hadn't been word from Scarlett. No texts or calls, nor had she come by. He was relieved, but he also couldn't help to feel hurt. Chord felt a bitter pain in his chest, though he knew he had no one to blame for her lack of communication but himself. If the roles were reversed, he would do the same thing.

"Leave me alone before you make things worse for me. He wouldn't have done this if you hadn't come along."

"God, I am such a dick. I had no right to say that." The eggs were well-flavored but they tasted like cardboard as far as his tastebuds and heart were concerned. "Why do I keep fucking everything up?"

He felt the urge to get his phone out and apologize, but he couldn't. If he did, he was afraid things would go back to where they were before. It wasn't just getting hurt that scared him. He was afraid of what Xander had told him.

"I am sick of repeating myself." Xander stood before him, trapping him against a wall. Xander grabbed his face, digging his fingertips into his skin. "I dislike it when people don't stay in their lane where they belong."

"Why do you even care who she hangs out with?" he hissed.

"Why do you insist on not listening to me, you fucking idiot? Did the drugs your parents give you as a kid make you retarded?" He reached with his other hand, searching in his pockets. "Oh, what do we have here?" He dangled the photo strip in front of him. "Aren't you two cute being freaks and mistakes together."

"No!"

To his horror, Xander tore up each photo, standing to smash them into the dirt.

Chord tried diving for the photos, but he was slammed back against the wall.

"Is she that good?" he whispered. "I've been dying to know how good of a lay she is. She looks like a bitch who'd be killer. With a background so similar to yours, it wouldn't surprise me. Though if she wanted to know what being with a real man was like, I'd gladly teach her."

What is he talking about?

"Oh, that look in your eyes tells me you don't know? Should I tell you what sort of ruined skank you've been hanging out with?"

"Let go of me," he growled, but no amount of fighting helped.

"Her mom was a druggie, too, just like yours. Her mom had continuous boyfriends coming in and out, but one in particular always came back. He would beat her and he sometimes had. . . interests most people don't."

Wait, is he saying that Scarlett was. . . .?

"Even I gotta admit that people like that should just be executed, but even her mom wasn't there to protect her. Her mother tried to kill her by setting their house on fire with her in it."

"Diego and I are in a similar sinking ship." Her words echoed in his head like a bitter reminder.

"Can you guess who Mommy Dearest got the goods from?" He arched a brow.

"Why are you living with your aunt and not your parents?"

Chord's face fell as that remark came to him and Xander laughed. "You get it, right? Your family is why she went through the system in the first place. Why she never had a home to belong to again and again because of the trauma you gave her."

It can't be true. . . Surely . . . Scarlett would've said something, right?

"You get why you don't need to be around her? You've fucked up her life enough. The scars you've branded her with should be enough for her to wanna run as far away from you as possible."

"Scars?"

"Yep. I was curious, to be honest. But ever since she moved here, she's always favored a side. You never noticed? I've seen enough football injuries to recognize someone's hurt."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I slept on my arm wrong, so it's a bit sore." She gave him a smile to assure him, but the pain remained in her eyes.

So there was something to that. . .

Xander grabbed him and turned him around, wrenching his arm behind him. "Since you don't know how to listen, you're gonna have to pay for the consequences."

Chord struggled as Xander's grip tightened, his arm pulling further behind him.

A scream escaped him as he heard — felt — his arm snap on a white-blinding pain involved his body. He collapsed to the floor, paralyzed by the pain throbbing in his now broken arm.

His face was smashed into the ground, forcing dirt into his mouth. "Hopefully this helps make the choice easier. You should've listened to me the first time."

Being around me . . . isn't good for her. I'd just bring bad memories to her. I don't even have the right to want to be selfish enough to be with her.

--------

"Welcome Scarlett or, wait, would you prefer Aaliyah?" The psychologist asked, sitting behind her desk. Scarlett sat in a seat on the other side, wringing her hands.

"Scarlett, please. I d-don't like my birth name and it is legally Scarlett now."

"Of course. Now, your mothers have informed me that you recently decided to start therapy. Is there a reason why this mindset?"

She sighed, leaning back in th3 seat. "A friend of mine was hurt because of me. Well, sort of, but not really."

"What happened?"

"He. . . He was assaulted. I talked with Miss Charlotte and Derrian and they agree I'm long overdue for this."

Scarlett had never liked the idea of a therapist. To her, divulging her past to strangers who could never understand what she went through had no right to micromanage it. She kept hopping around from home to home as well, so what was the point?

She had gone with Diego to his a few times but it had never involved her past.

"Why do you think you're to blame?"

Tension grew behind her eyes. "I'm not at fault, but. . this attack has made him not wanna be friends anymore. Not that I even blame him. He's here because of me in the first place. . ."

She blinked in surprise as the tears fell on the back of her palm. She caressed her left arm, squeezing it. "It's my fault. . ." Why can I never keep my promises?

Later that night, she sat on her side in bed when she heard the door open. Moments later. She felt Diego climb over her, nudging her.

She didn't open her eyes as his nudging got more insistent.

"Diego, can we. . . I'm afraid I can't play with you right now. Can you ask Astin?"

He obviously wouldn't answer, but she felt his body wedge itself between her arms as he tucked his head into the crook of her neck. He hugged her tightly and she didn't resist even when there was a slight discomfort in her left side.

"Love. . you."

Scarlett tensed, her eyes flying open to stare at the boy in her arms. "Did you just . . "

He gave her a small smile, playing with her curly hair.

"F-Family," he whispered, tapping her cheek.

The tears she had managed to stop came back as she hugged the boy. "I love you too, buddy. How long have you been talking, huh? Wait, do Miss Charlotte and Derrian know about this?"

"He started it today," Derrian said, leaning against the doorway still in her court attire. "He wanted to come straight to you to show you." Walking over to the bed. She ruffled his hair. "Go help Charlie with dinner?"

He nodded, giving both of them a hug before rolly-pollying off the bed.

"How'd the session go?" She ran her hand along Scarlett's hair.

"Hard. I still hate therapy."

"I do too." She chuckled. "Have you heard anything from Chord?"

"No." The heartbreak in her voice made Derrian wanna hug her, but she didn't want to overwhelm her. "He hates me now."

"Sweetie, from what I've heard that boy ain't got a mean bone in his body. He just. . . needs time. That Payne brat is to blame." The disdain as she said Xander's name made Scarlett laugh.

"I don't like it." Scarlett turned around, hugging Derrian's waist, letting her know she was okay with physical touch. There were some times Scarlett didn't want to be touched at all.

"Waiting never does." She watched Scarlett close her eyes as she raked her nails through her hair. She saw a wet spot on her cheek where she had cried, wiping it off with her thumb. "But remember, you can't help someone who doesn't want it."

"But what if I still want to help? I mean, the asshole broke Chord's arm. Can't you, like, sue him?"

"I wish, but Chord has to press charges first, and if he doesn't.  . ." She trailed off. "The boy just needs time and when he is ready to reach out, he will."

"I can still watch from afar, right?"

"Sure."

Scarlett let out a defeated sigh. "Okay."

Derrian sighed, taking off her suit jacket. "The boys wanted to go play paintball shooting this weekend. You wanna join us? You can use the anger to murder them in a kaleidoscope of colorful paints."

"Ew, no. We both know I'd win and they'd be pissed."

Derrian didn't speak for several moments. "Why don't you and I do something together? I've got some off days lined up I've been wanting to use. I haven't been around much because of work."

"Doing what?"

"What about hiking? There's a nice trail a couple of hours upstate. We can go take Friday off and make a whole weekend of it. Hiking and fishing. It'sa good way to clear your head and see things differently."

"You just wanna go camping, don't you?"

"Look, the last time I went was when I proposed to Charlie and it ended with a trip to the ER cause she broke her ankle. I miss it."

Scarlett smiled. "Sure, sounds good."