Dino walked briskly down the road to Jackie's, going over what he was going to say when he got there.
"If she want to be friends, then so do I," he said to himself. Then all these doubts started flying around. What if she says no? What if she doesn't believe me? What if I can't show her I've changed? He shook his head trying to rid himself of the thoughts. And then he was there.
Taking a deep breath he started up the steps. Then stopped. He stood in front of her door having a battle with himself. He ran his hands through his short brown hair and closed his eyes, psyching himself up and trying to slow his heartbeat. Suddenly a shout echoed through the damp Seattle night air. His eyes snapped open immediately. There was a crash from inside followed by another shout and a girls scream. The ice hockey player dived at the doorbell, pressing it over and over again. When no one answered he grabbed the spare key above him.
"Jackie!" he yelled as he ran into the lounge. There was another thump coming from upstairs. He hurtled up the stairs, two at a time and burst into his ex-girlfriends room. Jackie was cowering on the floor her hands over her head. Above her stood her father his arm drawing back for another punch. There was a shattered vase on the floor along with an empty beer bottle.
Without thinking Dino hurled himself at the taller, wider, drunken man knocking him down to the floor. His attempt to wrestle the man down failed and Jackie's dad easily delivered a punch to Dino's face. The teenager reeled backwards blood filling his mouth. In a split second Dino saw Jackie's face widen in shock, a slow trickle of blood running down her face. Her father was on him quickly punching him in the stomach then face. As his hand drew back again Jackie gripped it with all her strength. It wasn't enough.
"You'll get yours bitch!" he yelled in his drunken stupor as he shoved his daughter away.
"Run Jackie," Dino managed. Jackie did as she was told. Her father wasted no time in his pursuit leaving Dino on the floor. Wiping his blood away with his hand Dino forced himself to stand and stagger to the door. At the top of the stairs Jackie desperately tried to break loose of her fathers grip. Rage overtook Dino and before he knew it his fist had connected with the 40 something's head. He gave him no time to recover quickly following it up with another. The drunk let go of his daughter, who started at once down the stairs. She didn't get far as a thrown Dino smashed into her, knocking her over. With surprising quickness her father followed blocking their exit to the door. The two backed limping into the lounge.
"Stay behind me," Dino ordered positioning himself to protect her. He pressed something cold into her hand. Her father's cell phone. Slowly her father advanced, his nose bleeding and his shirt ripped. Dino seized some empty bottles from the coffee table and threw them at the approaching man as Jackie hastily called the police. The drunks eyes widened at the sight of the cell phone but for the third time Dino tackled his round the waste.
"Please help me," Jackie begged down the phone crying as the boy she thought she loved being slammed into the wall again and again.
Dino's body screamed in pain as he was thrown into the glass table. He felt the glass splinter and break and how it was driven like tiny needles into the skin of his back. Blood ran down his face but still he fought, seizing the man's foot. He felt the hard business shoes being driven into his body over and over again in the head, body and arms. But then it stopped.
Jackie watched her father run from the house as the police sirens were heard far off. She crawled to where Dino was lying. Tears sprang to her face as she saw the state he was in. His scalp had been split and crimson blood was flowing steadily down his face. Mixed in was the blood from his broken nose. His thin t-shirt was ripped showing already bruising skin. There was a pool of blood seeping from his back onto the carpet under him. His eyes were closed.
Her breath caught as she searched for a pulse. Finally she found it but it was weak, hardly there.
"No," she screamed. "You can't die. Please," she begged stroking his hair. "Don't leave me. I love you." She buried her face in his chest. "I forgive you, I forgive you."
As she cried Dino did not stir from where he lay. Outside the sound of sirens drifted through the night.