It's Harder Breathing Next To You // KELLIC

6

It was about 9PM on Monday Night and I was sitting on a park bench, by myself, trying to get my breathing to go regular again. I came home from detention earlier to find my furious dad. He had cornered me in my room and told me to turn around and take my shirt off. I was confused but I did it anyway because I didn't want to make him madder than he already was. The next thing I felt was the sickening whip of his belt across my back, making me screaming out in pain. He only hit me 6 times, but it hurt a lot. It wasn't the first time he's done that. The first time was when my mother packed her bags and left. While he was hitting me I was confused at first. I didn't think getting a detention would warrant a beating like that, but the more I thought about I realized that it's February 4th, also known as my parent's anniversary. That's what made him so mad, and of course he took it out on me. So I ran, for a while, until I came upon this deserted park and I've been sitting here ever since.

I was so lost in my own thoughts I didn't see the car park across the road from me until I heard voices. Looking up I saw Craig and Josh getting out of a car and walking towards a park. I was sitting under a lamp post so they saw me.

"Well well well if it isn't my favorite faggot," Craig called out. I looked around quickly, hoping that there was someone else, anyone else, in the park, but there wasn't, so I did the second thing that came to mind. I shot up from the park bench and I ran in the opposite direction. At school there are boundaries, but out here in a deserted park, who knows what they could do to me.

"Oh come on Kellin, we just want to be friends!" Josh taunted. Right, like I'm going to believe that. I was running but my body still hurt from what my dad did, so it didn't take long before I slowed down to try and catch my breath. Craig and Josh caught up to me quickly. Both of them stood on either side of me, put their arms around my shoulders and turned me around. They pushed me back towards the street where their car was.

"No! Leave me alone!" I shouted. I ducked down and slipped out of their hold and went to run again, but Craig caught me before I could take another step. I went to yell for help but he put his hand over my mouth, silencing me. He and Josh worked together to drag me off towards their car. Anxiety was rising in me. I was panicking and struggling against them. I tried biting Craig's hand but he had a tough grip on me.

They were both laughing with each other as they brought me to their car and pushed me in the back seat. Josh got in the back with me to hold me still and Craig got in the front and started driving.

"Where the fuck are you taking me?!" I shouted, pushing Josh away.

"We're just going for a little drive. That's what buddies do," Craig said in an innocent voice. I glared at him in the rear view mirror.

"Do you have your phone?" Josh asked.

"No," I lied quickly, too quickly. Josh didn't believe me. He clutched a hand full of my hair and pulled my head back and glared at me.

"Give it to me," he growled. I didn't say anything. He just pulled my hair harder and searched through my pockets.

"Careful, Josh, he probably likes getting felt up like that," Craig said.