Over the next few days, I walked into with a clear mind, and left it hours later with it jumbled full of useless shit.

  I had tried watching Dean, I was extremely unsuccessful, considering he strayed away from me even when I tried to have a chat. He saw me coming, and quickly said goodbye to his friends, and left.

Was it something I did? He said himself that he wanted to be friends, he even looked like he was trying real hard to be friends. I even wore his favourite jacket!

I groaned to myself as I thought this through on my car ride home on Wednesday. For these three days, it was the same things. I didn't understand, and it was going to drive me mad.

"Blimey, I'm figuring this out!" I said aloud to myself, and made a sudden sharp turn, causing the tires to squeal. I was muttering the entire way there, "What had I done?"

Why did I want to suddenly be his friend? All I remembered telling myself was that I needed to check him out, get some background information. I didn't want to get too close to him, maybe friends in passing? But I didn't even get that! I hardly got the time of day anymore, just like before.

I was too concerned, and much too confused to continue driving, so I pulled over, and looked up and away from my steering wheel. I was at the park again. This was my destination from the beginning, although I wasn't paying attention to the road, too much thoughts, I still ended up here. Like I always do.

I sighed, and popped the keys into my pocket, and exited the car. The wind whipped around my body and face, making me give an involuntary shiver.

I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, and listened to the steady thump of my footfalls against the dewy grass, later turning to the crunching of the rocks.

I settled myself on the same swing I had before, the coldness of its bars rushing through me. Dean had always been here when I was, and I was hoping the same thing for right now. I really wanted some answers, and would go through shit to get them.

I don't know how long I sat there, staring into the bush a few yards away. I had lost all concentration, all train of thought. My mind was elsewhere, only I didn't know where.

I played around with the rocks at my feet, but suddenly my head snapped up, staring up at the bush I've just been glaring at. I had just heard a shrill cry, ringing out throughout the grounds.

Without thinking, without pausing, I stood up and dashed towards the trees across the way. I looked around, and seeing nobody else running to help, I rushed into the darkness of the trees, and squinted my eyes to see where the cry had come from.

My blood racing, my heart pumping, another cry echoed around the grounds, and I sprinted in the direction it came from. Who was it? Was someone hurt, unable to move? Only able to cry and scream out for help. Who would have came and helped them if I wasn't here?

Why did I feel a sudden need to help this person? Why was I running through the forest trying to find them before it was too late?

So many questions, too many answers to pinpoint.

This time, I heard a groan, I was closer. I jogged now, out of breath. Another groan, getting louder. I jogged a little faster.

Another lower groan, I was right above them. It was a boy, probably a little older than me by the sound of his voice, it was deep. It was too dark to see much of anything. I rounded another tree, and came across a dark figure upon the ground, shivering violently. He groaned again, clutching at his stomach.

I rushed over to him, mumbling whispers of what had happened, and how I could help. He didn't say anything, just let me throw his arm over my shoulder, and steer him away from the forest.

"What happened?" I repeated for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"They.. they hit me." He mumbled, "They took me away, I was waiting.. knew he would come.."

"Who would come? Who did this to you?" I hissed, looking around me as the forests clearing came into view. Not much longer and I would know who it was, but I didn't stop questioning him.

"The boys, they think they own this part of town, been after me.. after me.. for.. for too.. long." He breathed heavily, leaning largely on my shoulder.

"The neighborhood gang did this to you? Why? What did you do?" I asked, suddenly unaware of his weight on my shoulder.

"Think.. know I'm.. found.. me." He mumbled, his voice sounded so far away.

"What do they know..?" I whispered, and finally emerged from the darkness, only to enter a cold playground, shivering, I made my way over to my car.

"What do they.." I gasped as I looked down at the boy I was holding up.

"Dean?!" I shrieked.

***

I froze, and his arms slipped from my shoulders, and I struggled to keep him up.

"Dean, oh my goodness.. bloody hell, what did they do to you?!" I half whispered, half yelled. His right eye was completely blackened, his nose had scratches all across it, his cheeks were darkened with bruises. He was still clutching at his side.

"Okay, sit down here, Dean." I said, grunted as I pulled open the front door, and sat him down on it, he sniffed, and leaned against the arm rest. I leaned over him, and pulled aside his shirt. His hand reflexively went back down to cover it up.

"Dean, let me see it." I muttered, shoving his hand aside, this time, he didn't argue. I gasped aloud again. His side was darker than his eyes and cheeks put together. It looks like they kicked him over and over again, never ending. There was a faint hint of a shoe print on his skin.

He groaned as I rubbed my hands over his side. I wanted my hands to just heal his pain, I wanted him to smile. He was so much more beautiful when he smiled.

Right now, I didn't care about how beautiful he was, I didn't care about my feelings anymore. I knew for the past few days I've tried to push them away, never to see them again. But falling for Dean wasn't something I wanted...

"Alright, let's get you home." I said, shoving his feet into the car, and closing the door. I ruffled my hair as I walked to the drivers side.

The door clicked as I opened it, and shook the car as I slammed it. Those boys were messing with the wrong guy. They deserved a little bit of payback.

"Uh.. Dean? Where do you live?" I asked quietly as I turned on my car, messing with the radio and heaters.

"No.. don't take me there.. take me.. your..." He didn't speak after that, but coughed and sighed. These guys really did a toll on him..

"Well, do you want to go to the hospital?" I asked, turning out of the the park, and that seemed to bring him more to life.

"No, don't take me there, please!" He begged, his voice no longer sputtering and pausing. "Okay, okay, I won't. Where can I take you?"

"I just need to clean up. Can we go to yours?" He asked, looking out of the window, and wincing as he moved.

My house..? Emma would be there, my mum? I don't think she'd be there.. a guy can only hope.

"Uhm, I don't know." I answered, not looking at him, but now I could feel his eyes boring into me. I didn't know how to answer, but he didn't push me any farther. I knew he would let me make my own decisions.

"Alright, but you're gonna have to deal with my sister." My mouth twitched at the thought of her reaction of my bringing a boy home.

I hope she didn't tell him about me.. not that I was embarrassed, I just preferred if people didn't know, so they didn't have a reason to make fun of me. Being different wasn't wrong, people were just too scared to accept the fact that things aren't like the way they used to be. Things are different, and so are people.

***

I pulled into the large driveway, my cheeks burning with the sight of the mansion. Why was I embarrassed? Because I wasn't proud of it, never was. It was large and extremely unnecessary, in my eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dean gaping up at the mansion. He failed for words, just let himself out of the car, biting on his lip ring. His tattoos looked odd with all the bruising on him, but it didn't make him look bad.

He stumbled as he got out of the car, and accepted my arm to help him up to the house.

"Sorry.." He mumbled as we reached the door, and I paused, which meant he had to as well, as he was leaning on me.

"For what, exactly?" I smirked, and he eyed it before looking away again, a smile playing on his lips, "For everything I guess. It's true, I was waiting for you at the park. I knew you would come. I knew you would want answers. I was sitting on your swing," My swing? "but they showed up minutes after, and pulled me into the woods. They've only just left when you came rushing in. But you didn't know it was me until afterwards, but you still came?" He asked, looking back at me, making me look away.

He was right, I was always a little too nice sometimes, and then other times, anger got the best of me. I flinched at the little accident at the fair..

It seemed so long ago, now.

"Yeah, hearing someone yell like that, thinking they were in pain.. I couldn't just walk away." I shrugged, and pulled him into the house. He didn't say anything after that, just let me drag him into the kitchen.

"Jake, finally. What took you so..." She trailed off as she realized I wasn't alone, "Oh." She concluded, and I thrust Dean onto a bar stool.

"Em, this is Dean." I said, moving towards the counter to grab wet towels, as I passed her, I mumbled into her ear, "I'll explain later." She nodded, and waved at Dean, who seemed too shocked to say much, so he gave her a heartwarming smile.

She flushed, "I'm Emma, but he calls me Em." She explained my little nickname, and I rolled my eyes, turning my back on them to grab some cloths off of the counter and wet them in the sink.

"Dean." He stated, and she flitted out of the room, after of course, another smile towards Dean. I hoped she wasn't interested him.. something bubbled inside my stomach, but passing it off as hunger, I turned around to face Dean again, who still had a smile on his face, and was looking at the spot Emma disappeared from.

"Uh, Dean?" I asked, and he faced me again, his smile faltering. Instead of dabbing at the wounds on his face myself, as I was planning to, I only tossed the rags at him, and he started at it himself, clearly flushing and embarrassed.

"So, interested in my sister already?" I wondered, trying to put it in a joking manner, but almost clearly sounding hard.

"She's cute." He shrugged, and I turned away again, as to hide my face. "Oh." I said, and he didn't answer.

Already, I was debating whether to throw the boy out of here. But I struggled against it, and realized I wanted some answers.

"Okay, I want some answers." I stated, and he nodded, putting down his hands and playing with the rag, tossing it from hand to hand.

His wounds had cleared up a little bit, I noticed as I turned around to face him. The blood was gone from his nose, and from his mouth. But the bruises seemed more pronounced, and he winced as he dabbed at the cuts again.

He reached for his stomach, and struggled a little more with it. Flinching at the lightest of touches. I hesitated, but my control got the better of me, and I walked over to him, taking the wet rag from him, and kneeling down beside him.

I dabbed at his cuts as I spoke, not wanting to look at him, although I could feel him watching me, "You talk, I'll clean." I said, and he nodded, wincing slightly as I dabbed at a fresher cut.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything you want to know, Jake." He said, sighing, still not looking away.

"I'm ready."