"Sir?"

My shoulder shook.

"Sir, wake up."

My eyes opened slowly. I looked up to see the teenager.

I forced myself into a sitting position, coughing. Then I pushed myself up and walked slowly toward the bench, where I leaned my head against the wall.

The teen followed me, taking a seat next to me. He watched me closely.

After a while I looked at him. "What?"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"I'm Dustin." He grabbed my hand, shaking it, but quickly stopped when I winced.

"Jackson," I said. I leaned forward, putting my head in my hands.

After a while of silence, I heard the muscular man's voice. "Look, everyone. It's Robbie's unwanted property."

Everyone laughed.

I clenched my teeth together.

I figured they'd seen my arms while I was beaten.

"So tell me. Are you Robbie's b****?"

A single tear escaped my eye, landing in front of me.

I stared at it.

"Aww. Look, guys," the man said in a baby voice. "He's crying. Or should I say 'she?'"

The room erupted with laughter.

The man walked toward me and Dustin. "Move over, kid."

The teen quickly obeyed, leaving my side.

The man sat down next to me, putting his arm around my back.

I winced.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I used to know a man named Robbie…" His voice trailed off. Quietly, as if to himself, he finished. "…who would always beat his son." He quickly grabbed my chin, pulling my head up to face him, and studied me. "Cody?!"

I was silent.

"It's me: Jeff. Remember?"

I did.

He was one of the monsters that lived in the closet.

"How ya been, Cody?"

"Why do you care?"

He slapped my face hard.

"That's not how your father raised you."

"Well, it doesn't matter how my father raised me anymore."

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"'Cause he's dead."

Jeff pushed me off the edge of the bench.

I hit the floor then looked up at him. "What the h*** did you do that for?!"

He was quiet for a moment. "He's really dead?"

I nodded.

"How?"

"He shot himself."

"What?!" He sat down on the bench.

I didn't say anything more, just sat there.

________________________________________________________________________

I rested my head against the wall, sitting in the corner of the cell.

Dustin's parents had gotten him out a couple of hours ago on bail.

I just hope Melissa would come get me. I knew it'd take a while to get a bondsman and sign papers, but I didn't think it'd take this long.

Maybe she wasn't coming.

The room was eerily silent after what I'd said about my father. No one wanted to speak, too scared they'd see another of Jeff's outbursts.

Jeff sat on the bench, his head in his hands.

________________________________________________________________________

"Cody Jackson, you're free to go."

I pushed myself to my feet, still sore. I headed toward the cell door as the officer opened it.

Before I could step out, Jeff spoke. "Cody, wait!"

I turned to him.

"I'm sorry about those things I did to you when you were little." When I didn't speak, he asked, "Do you forgive me?"

Before I followed the officer down the hall, I answered truthfully. "I don't know, Jeff."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Jackson!"

"Mel!" I pulled her into a tight embrace.

After we pulled apart, her happiness disappeared. "Jackson, what were you thinking?!"

"Mel, I'm sorry. I was trying to get to that guy's house in time."

"We'll talk about this later."

"Okay, Mel." I followed her to Nathan's car.

"Hey, Jackson." He looked at me. "Woah! What happened?!"

"Oh, uh, just a small problem with a guy picking on a kid. I fixed it through."

"Yeah," Nathan said. "Sure does look like it."

"Look. I handled it, alright?"

"Yeah. Whatever."