Aaaand, the next installment…oh, and NO FLAMES! I forgot that before…
…
"Don't look!" Zack yelled in a weak voice, feebly attempting to roll to his side. "Just don't…it's nothing…"
"Zack…" Freddy was at loss for words, "What the hell is that?" He had meant to sound comforting, but the words fell out in a harsh voice, making even himself cringe. "I mean…" He tried again; making sure his voice was softer, "What…what happened?"
Brown eyes traveled down his exposed chest and stomach, yellowing bruises fading, and purple-ish brown wounds stood out against pale white skin. "It's n-nothing." Zack answered, his eyes refusing to look at it again.
Freddy just nodded his head 'Like hell it's nothing…', and stared at the bruises for a few more moments before grabbing the new shirt, and carefully lifting up Zack's arms to put it over his head. "Can you feel your arms yet?"
Zack carefully unfurled his fingers, "G-give me your h-hand," He commanded, and wrapped his slim freezing fingers around Freddy's warm hand. His long digits had started to have some feeling back in them, and were tingling and feeling a sense of numbness. But Freddy's hands were so warm…
Freddy shivered against the coldness of his friend's fingers, but grasped them tighter. Who knew how long Zack had been out there wondering in the rain, let alone passed out on the sidewalk. He might be dangerously sick! Hell, he had already almost died! He was about to break the silence between them by asking Zack the biggest question on his mind—but Zack was apparently thinking the same thing, and proposed his own question.
"How did I get here?"
A cross frown appeared along Freddy's lips, "That's what I wanted to know."
Zack frowned as well, but it didn't stick for he was soon shivering and chattering his teeth again. "No, I mean…I remember…the sidewalk…I fell…and then, well, I was here…"
Freddy sighed. "I saw you out my window. You were a few houses away from mine. I couldn't get to sleep, so I was sitting in my room watching the lightening. And then I saw you—passed out on the sidewalk. So I went down there and carried you in here."
"Oh." Zack paused, "Thanks."
"That's all you're going to say?" Freddy asked.
Zack looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"I'd like to know why you were walking around in your boxers during a rainstorm, dude!" Freddy yelled impatiently, throwing down Zack's hands in the process. A guilty look crossed over his features a few moments, after, but he refused to apologize until he had gotten the information he wanted.
"I…I-I…" Zack looked down to his hands, which were rubbing each other furiously in a feeble attempt to gain some body heat. Freddy, deciding to make an apologetic gesture—for once, grabbed his hands again. "Well…"
"Yeah?"
Zack sighed. "You have to promise you won't tell anyone."
'This must be something big…' Freddy realized, but gave Zack a reassuring smile. "I promise, dude. Secret's safe with me."
…
(Next Time—God, I feel like an announcer….anyway…)
"Zack," Freddy paused, but not being one to be shy, continued, "Is that where you got the bruises?"
"From where?"
"Your dad."
…