Abandoned

James POV

I knew these words would change my life.

"Mom, Dad, I'm gay."

But I never imagined how terrible of an impact they would have.

What next ensued, I'm not totally sure. I vaguely remembered a lot screaming, yelling, and hitting. The next thing I know, my right wrist is purple and swollen and my cheek is stinging from a hit from my father, and my mother was screaming at me to get out of her house and to only come back once I had some sense back in me.

I had nothing but a backpack with an extra change of clothes, my lucky comb, and textbooks. It was only Sunday, so I had nowhere to stay the night. I didn't want to go to my friends'. If my own family wouldn't accept me, why would they?

I stayed under the bleachers at my school's football stadium to stay out of the rain that had started. I didn't really want to admit it, but I spent the whole night crying under the bleachers feeling sorry for myself.

Monday was a blessing and a curse. I was able to sneak into the locker rooms to shower while the track team was out, but even with the new clothes I still looked like shit. My hair dried in its natural wave and I had to wear my glasses. Unfortunately, to put the cherry on the top of my horrible day, word about me had gotten out. I hadn't a friend in sight.

My friends ignored me in all of my classes. I guess I couldn't really blame Logan or Carlos – their families were really religious. Kendall, though, I expected more of. We had been best friends since we were practically born, and he throws it all away in a matter of seconds. I know he knows that I heard him talking about me in third period. I'm not deaf, and everyone in the class could hear him. Let me tell you, it hurts when your supposedly best friend stabs you in the back.

Nothing really eventful happened until after school.

I stepped out of the bathroom and was immediately slammed roughly into the concrete wall. I bit back the cry that was trying to escape when my wrist hit the wall at an odd angle.

"Hey, fag," someone whispered in my ear. I pushed him back with my good arm and noticed it was Jett. Great. Fuck my life. As my friend Katie would say, just fuck it sideways.

"I guess you're all alone now, right?" he sneered. I noticed Kendall watching, but he turned away from me as soon as our eyes met. I felt a stabbing pain shoot through my chest and I pushed back the tears. These ass holes will not see me cry. At least that's what I thought until one of Jett's goons, Dak, grabbed my wrist and twisted it until an audible pop was heard.

"Aww, poor baby. Did we break your wrist? Oops," Jett said, pushing me into the wall again.

I saw stars and slid down cradling my wrist close to my chest. I wiped away the tears that had escaped when my wrist snapped, and glared up at Jett, silently begging Kendall, a teacher, anybody to help me.

It soon became apparent that I was on completely on my own. They came at me with punches and kicks – everything they had. I tried my best to protect myself and fight back, but, if you ask me, seven to one was not a fair fight.

I was curled up on the floor in a fetal position with my eyes shut when suddenly it all stopped. I heard Jett and Dak yell and the rapid fading of footsteps before a surprisingly soft touch was on my shoulder. Glancing up through my eyelashes, I noticed it was Logan.

"What do you want?" I moaned. I so did not need their pity just for them to turn around and hate me again.

"Are you okay, dude?" Carlos asked, crouching next to Logan.

I had no answer to that. Well, I did, but I doubted they wanted to hear it. I was abandoned by my friends and family. Of course I was not okay!

"Why do you care?" I asked, rather harshly. A look of hurt crossed his features, and I almost felt bad. Almost.

"We're so sorry, James. We were idiotic jerks for abandoning you," Logan said, helping me into a sitting position. I hissed at the pain that flared in my sides and wrist and… everywhere, really. He started poking at my wrist and I snatched it back as pain laced up the offended appendage.

He sighed and tried to get my wrist back. "I'm just trying to make sure you actually have to go to the hospital, James. But it's definitely broken. We should wrap it before we go."

"How are we going to get there?" Carlos asked. I was wondering that too, but I didn't really want to move my split lips, so I stayed silent. "And where's Kendall?"

I looked up and noticed he was missing for the first time. That really stung; that he would finally step in to stop Jett and Dak, but still wouldn't come near me. Just as the thought crossed my mind, though, he showed back up with ace bandages in his hands.

He crouched down next to me and I eyed him with mistrust. I felt bad about it, but he did turn away from me at first. He gently grabbed my wrist and started to wrap it up the way the coach had during hockey games so many times. "I figured you might need these. That wrist looks pretty painful."

I just nodded, not trusting my voice. I was happy – no thrilled – that they were talking to me again, but I was also sad that they had ignored me all day when I really needed them. I was also still pissed off about that, and scared about not knowing where I was going to be living for the rest of my life. And then there was the shock/disbelief/hurt/anger/depression that came with my parents kicking me out of the house. Mix all that together and you get a James that is somewhere between needing to scream and punch something and crying his eyes out. I was currently leaning toward the latter.

They helped me up and we slowly made our way to Logan's house. Not only was he closest to the school, but he was also the only one with a permit. It took some convincing from Kendall and Carlos, but he finally agreed to drive the ten minute drive to the hospital without an adult in the front seat.

Kendall's POV

I was such an idiot. Logan told me what happened to James last night and instead of supporting him what do I do? I hurt him even more.

It hurts to think that he might hate me now, but it breaks my heart to see the look of hurt in his eyes and know I am the one that caused it.

We were just waiting on James to come back to the waiting room now. I had already called my mom and told her the whole story, and she was on her way to get us now. She agreed without hesitation to let James stay with us, so I guess my best friend – if he still let me be that – was now my brother.

James came walking slowly over to us, his right wrist in a cast, and sat down, still wearing that same dejected look on his face. Noticing our questioning stares he said "my wrist is broken and I bruised a few ribs. I'll be fine in a few days."

Something else was bothering him though. I shared a look with Logan and he got the message and took Carlos to go get some snacks or something, leaving the two of us alone. I turned to James.

"I'm so sorry, Jay," I said softly, wrapping one arm around his shoulders. "I should never have hurt you like that. We've been friends since forever. Could you please forgive me? I promise to never leave you alone again."

He leaned closer to me and wiped a few loose tears away. "Of course, Kenny. You're you. I can't stay mad at you," he said in a tense voice. "But now I have no idea where I'm going to stay and I don't have a job so I don't have money and I don't have my family anymore and Kenny… what am I going to do?" he rambled.

I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but it wasn't. His fucking parents just disowned him. I guessed he sensed this, because soon he was crying heart-breaking sobs onto my shoulder. We stayed that way, him crying and me holding him tight, until my mom came and found us. Katie wasn't with us, so I guess she went with Carlos and Logan. Mom got a sad look on her face and joined in the group hug, tightly squeezing both of us closer to her.

It took us a while, but we finally got James to calm down. I knew it was going to take a while, but somehow everything was going to be okay. I'd make sure of it.

Ugh. I'm sorry for this piece of crap, but it wouldn't get out of my head. Maybe I'll come back and edit it one day before I'm a famous author and all. ;P But yeah…

Btw, take chocolate chip cookie dough, put it on a paper plate, nuke it in the microwave for about thirty seconds, and enjoy. :) It sounds really good but it's actually delicious. My cousins figured it out.

So you know the drill. Reviews are my favoritist things in the world, but you can also favorite and alert. Or review. *hint hint*

'Kay thanks bye!

~Nikki