A Different Kind of Love, chapter 2
Zach bit his split lip and winced. Billie put his hands in Mike's pockets and pulled out a tissue.
"Here...put this on it." Billie said, as Zach slowly took the tissue from him. Zach moved a little closer to Billie in doing so.
"So..why do these boys hurt you?" Billie asked, peering at Zachs bruises. He noticed a ring of bruising around his left wrist. Billie scanned his mind...and concluded that no kid could have done that.
"Why do you think? I'm small...for my age...and they know it. I can't fight them...and I don't have any friends to fight for me. I'm not really a...popular person I guess you could say." Zach gushed, dabbing his lip. He looked up at Billie and noticed him staring. Zach hid his injured wrist behind him.
"Well...how old are you?" Billie asked, deciding to read Zachs face.
"Six."
Billie frowned.
"Six? But...you'd be only up to about my knee!" Billie exclaimed, then remembered he was no giant either.
"Thanks...I know that. Doesn't really matter how old you are...but how many there are...I mean...I guess I could fight if it was only one...I'm six...but there are six of them...and they're twelve...not really fair I guess..." Billie gaped at Zach.
"Six twelve year olds? All on just you?" Billie really felt for this kid now. Six...he looked at Zach. He didn't stand a chance. Billie smiled. For six...this kid was pretty advanced in speech.
"Well, I mean, have you told anyone? Surely your parents would have noticed your face?" Billie asked. He wished he hadn't. Zach swallowed and his eyes lost the spark they had when Billie had been previously talking to him. Zach stared blankly at his feet and didn't say anything. Tears began to drizzle down his pink cheeks and his eyes became darker. Billie moved closer to him.
"Zach?"
"They have noticed. My mum's dead. And my dad...my dad's noticed ok just leave it alone." Zach swallowed and curled up into himself again.
"Does your dad think the bruises are left over from him?" Billie asked, putting his hand on Zach's shoulder. Zach started to shake. Billie pulled his hand away.
"Please don't...please..." Zach gasped, starting to cry.
"Don't what? I'm not going to hurt you..." Billie said, trying to move closer to Zach.
"Thats what they all say...and then they do anyway." Zach buried his head in his knees so he wouldn't have to look at Billie. He knew Billie wanted to know everything...and he had an urge to tell him.
"Here...put this on it." Billie said, as Zach slowly took the tissue from him. Zach moved a little closer to Billie in doing so.
"So..why do these boys hurt you?" Billie asked, peering at Zachs bruises. He noticed a ring of bruising around his left wrist. Billie scanned his mind...and concluded that no kid could have done that.
"Why do you think? I'm small...for my age...and they know it. I can't fight them...and I don't have any friends to fight for me. I'm not really a...popular person I guess you could say." Zach gushed, dabbing his lip. He looked up at Billie and noticed him staring. Zach hid his injured wrist behind him.
"Well...how old are you?" Billie asked, deciding to read Zachs face.
"Six."
Billie frowned.
"Six? But...you'd be only up to about my knee!" Billie exclaimed, then remembered he was no giant either.
"Thanks...I know that. Doesn't really matter how old you are...but how many there are...I mean...I guess I could fight if it was only one...I'm six...but there are six of them...and they're twelve...not really fair I guess..." Billie gaped at Zach.
"Six twelve year olds? All on just you?" Billie really felt for this kid now. Six...he looked at Zach. He didn't stand a chance. Billie smiled. For six...this kid was pretty advanced in speech.
"Well, I mean, have you told anyone? Surely your parents would have noticed your face?" Billie asked. He wished he hadn't. Zach swallowed and his eyes lost the spark they had when Billie had been previously talking to him. Zach stared blankly at his feet and didn't say anything. Tears began to drizzle down his pink cheeks and his eyes became darker. Billie moved closer to him.
"Zach?"
"They have noticed. My mum's dead. And my dad...my dad's noticed ok just leave it alone." Zach swallowed and curled up into himself again.
"Does your dad think the bruises are left over from him?" Billie asked, putting his hand on Zach's shoulder. Zach started to shake. Billie pulled his hand away.
"Please don't...please..." Zach gasped, starting to cry.
"Don't what? I'm not going to hurt you..." Billie said, trying to move closer to Zach.
"Thats what they all say...and then they do anyway." Zach buried his head in his knees so he wouldn't have to look at Billie. He knew Billie wanted to know everything...and he had an urge to tell him.
