Alexander paced along the sidewalk while his friends watched on. His stomach churned with nervousness as he frantically texted John.

AHam: Where did you go?

AHam: John, where are you?

OhJohnnyBoy: I can't talk right now

AHam: Well, you're going to have to. Where are you?

OhJohnnyBoy: Alex seriously stop

AHam: No. Please just tell me where you are. You're scaring me.

AHam: John?

OhJohnnyBoy: I'm going to the dorm

AHam: We'll be there soon.

OhJohnnyBoy: don't. I'm fine. Just leave me alone

AHam: That makes me want to go even more. You didn't seem fine earlier and you don't seem fine now.

OhJohnnyBoy: please Alexan

AHam: John?

AHam: John?

Message not sent.

"Shit," Alex sighed and stared up at the sky for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Angelica asked.

"John isn't okay," Alexander said. "I have to get back to the dorm."

"Um, okay...yeah, let's go."

And then they were off. Hercules drove Laf and Alex through town as fast as he could, swearing at every red light or light bout of traffic. Alexander didn't even wait for the car to stop before he jumped out and ran into his dorm building. Herc, Lafayette, and the sisters followed close behind. Alex tried his best to remain calm as he walked down the hall towards his dorm room, but his pace quickened when he saw that the door was left ajar.

"John?" Alexander called out, pushing the door open farther. He got no response. The rest of the squad came inside and they all slowly walked around the dorm in little groups. "John?" Alex knocked on John's closed door. After a moment, he placed his hand on the doorknob.

"Don't come in," a faint, frail voice said from the other side. John. Alex ignored the demand and opened the door.

Alexander wanted to scream when he looked inside.

So, he did.

"Oh my God!" The squad came running as Alex hurried over to his boyfriend. They all gasped when they saw the state that John was in. John was laying on the floor against his pet's tank, his head resting on the wall. His eyes continuously fluttered open and closed, and his breathing was labored. John held his right arm tightly over the elbow, and his face was covered in bruises. Alexander crouched down to John as he began hyperventilating. "Jesus..." Alex mumbled, looking his boyfriend over in fear. "What happened to you?" John avoided Alexander's eyes as tears began to form in his own. "No...don't tell me..." But Alex understood. He pulled John into a hug, but released him when he winced in pain. "Eliza, can you help?" Alexander asked the girl behind him. The others had been staring on in shock, unmoving, not knowing what to do. Eliza didn't react when Alexander spoke to her. "Eliza, please." The girl snapped back into focus, and she quickly knelt down in front of John.

"Uhm...okay," Eliza whispered. "What hurts the most, John?"

John glanced up at her and smirked tiredly. "Probably my bleeding head."

Both Alex and Eliza blinked and muttered, "What?"

"You would be bad detectives," John grinned. He moved his gaze up the wall. "I'm pretty sure there's a dent in the wall somewhere."

"J-John, are you being serious?" Eliza asked hesitantly. Then John did something even more surprising.

He laughed.

He laughed and laughed and turned his head, revealing the matted, red-tinted hair on the left side of his head. Lafayette gagged. "You really don't get it, do you?" John stared at them like a maniac. "I am going to die. In the literal sense. That asshole is a monster. He couldn't care less who lives or dies. As long as he gets what he wants."

"I...uh..." Eliza stuttered while the others were quiet. "I'll get something to help with your head." She stood, still in a daze, and left the room. A minute later, Eliza returned and tended to John's wound.

"Thanks," John said when Eliza was finished. She nodded solemnly.

"I...excuse me." Eliza hastily left the room, covering her mouth to try to keep from crying too hard. Her sisters and Hercules followed her out. Lafayette hesitated in the doorway for a moment, with a look of sad understanding on his face. He closed the door behind him when he walked away.

"John, we're going to get your father to leave." Alexander took hold of John's hand. "We'll get through this together, okay?" John sighed and shook his head, pulling his hand away.

"You shouldn't have to be dealing with this with me. I should be going through this alone." John told Alex, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Just like I have for years."