Chapter Six

Rocky walked out onto the streets with his head held down. He kicked a rock that came in the way of his path. It sailed across the busy street over the tops of the cars. He couldn't believe the cops wouldn't help him! He especially couldn't believe that they would accuse him of kidnapping some little girl he had never met. What a rotten week he was having, and it had started out so nice too. He made a new friend, was invited out- well, I guess you couldn't really label that as good luck because going out is what started it all.

Heading to the parking lot, Rocky slips into his car, starting it up. Music begins to play loudly in his ears and he turns it down. Great, now my car is gonna start giving me problems. I'm almost positive I didn't leave it on this station. Flipping back to classical, he pulls out of the lot with the intent of never seeing this worthless police station again. If they wouldn't help him, his father would.

Only problem with that is, what do I tell him? 'Oh hey Dad, this is your eldest son. I went to a party last night and probably got high, so high in fact I can't remember a thing that happened to me. Can you help me figure out who stuffed hair down my pants?' He rolled his eyes. Yeah, he'd be ready to ship me off to the nut house.

Turning the wheel, he sees the library and decides that's where he'd stop instead of going back to the dorms. He didn't wanna face the stares of questions of his room mate right now. Rocky was positive the boy thought he was crazy by now. That or he's some in the closet alcoholic who couldn't really handle his liquor.

When the car was stopped, he turns off the engine and climbs out. Wind brushed through the boys ashy blond strands of hair, making the autumn chill known. Rocky scanned the outside of the building, his eyes narrowed. RRRR! This place is so geeky! He turns around unlocking the car doors. I've got to stop coming here. Climbing back into the car, he starts it up then drives away.

When Rocky returned to his home away from home, he noticed that lights were all off. Not only that but the shades were drawn tight. He didn't really care. Maybe Robbie liked it dark when he slept. For Rocky, light or dark; when he's tired, he's tired. Tossing his keys to the computer desk, Rocky then slips out of his shirt and drops it to the floor. A sigh came from his mouth as he unzipped his jeans. He was a bit hesitant and doing this now, for fear of what may be there. But he had kept track of everything he did this evening so there were no problems.

Looking at a clock on his dresser, the big green numbers read: 10:28 pm.

Good, I need to sleep. Walking over to his bed, Rocky slips in under the covers and pulls them up to his chest. His eyes closed for only a moment before they opened again. His phone was ringing. This had better be important. Grabbing it, he flips it open pressing 'talk'. "Hello?"

"Hi... I figured out your phone number,"

Rocky's breath drew in sharp. It was the girl from the Teen Help line. "Aaahhh!" He held his hand to his now aching forehead.

The girl laughs in her usual low and husky tone. "I'm sorry did I catch you at a bad time? You are in a co-ed college dorm. You with a girl?"

"No! I just... have a headache," he rushed out. "How did you get my number, what do you want?"

She laughed again, a single laugh stretching as though she had just rolled over and her voice did the same. "Goooooddddd, I just... I don't know where to start," she sniffles. "He did it, he finally did it... he said that he would never hit me- or any girl for that matter, but he beat me..."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"No you're not, you wanted this to happen." She actually started to cry. "He split my lip-... he was just so... ANGRY!" Her sobs broke through her words. "I told him to stop, I told him not to hit me!" She was yelling now. "He wouldn't stop, he scared me... he scared me so much..."

Rocky sits up, pressing his back against the headboard of his bed. "I... I'm sorry Amari. But listen, you need to call the police."

"I can't, I love him."

"No you don't, you're afraid of him and you're just... confused."

"No no nooooo, how can I be confused? He's my everything, he loves me and our daughter..."

"Look, if you're not gonna get help from the police than maybe you-..."

"He split my lip... He split it, and knocked my head against the cold concrete floor..." It seems now that Amari had stopped crying. Her voice becoming more calm and story tellish. "He dragged me; our daughter did nothing but watch. I think he scared her... I think now she's warped for life and will see all men as beaters... What am I going to do?"

"I already told you what to do... You need to tell the police- I can go with you. I'll tell you where we can meet up and we can over there together- bring your daughter."

"No, she's not allowed outside."

"What?"

"She can't go outside. Her father won't let her, he won't let either of us..." There was a low rustling in the background.

"Amari, was it you who called me earlier and hung up?" Rocky had to know, this was all too convenient. It was one thing to have the number for the phone in the room- a lot of kids do, it's in the student directory. But his cell phone, that was a little suspicious.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I just got this number an hour ago."

"Oh... But then how did you get my cell number?" He tried again. "And tell me the truth. I want the truth."

"The truth is that I'll meet with you, tomorrow around 10:30... I'll call you on the Teen Help line."

Now they were getting somewhere. "Okay, we'll meet."

"He's crazy you know... He talks to his self, he beats on me now..." She was whispering. "I'm scared of him..."

"I know. I know and tomorrow all your troubles will be gone."

"I still love him."

"I know."

She laughs again, with the tone of a sly cat. "You don't know anything about it. You said he didn't love me."

"I'm hanging up now."

She continued on as though she hadn't heard him. "He's taking us skiing next week."

"I don't care. Bye."

"Bye Rocky." She whispers seductively.

"Good bye." He flips his phone closed, dropping it onto the dresser.

"Who was that? You sounded like you were in a heated conversation." Robbie was looking at him from across the room, though he didn't turn on any lights.

"No one." Laying down, he pulls up the blanket. "Night, Rob'."

"Night."

The next morning Rocky could hardly sit still, he was anxious to talk to the caller face to face, and finally put an end to her damned sick stories that could easily be lies. And finally when his second class was over, he hurried across the yard to study hall then into the Help line room.

He had gone through call after call but there was no word of the caller from before. In fact, by the time it had hit the end of the week Rocky was sure the caller didn't plan to call ever again. He even waited for about ten minutes, each day, before giving up and calling it an afternoon. He went to his other classes without a problem. No headaches, no weird buzzing feel. Just any normal week.

So much for face to face... Maybe he beat her to death... The daughter too. He shook his head. I told her to do something about it, if anything happened to them it would be her own fault, I guess. He opens the door to his room.

"Robbie? What are you doing here? I thought you had a class?"

"No. I was just taking a break from this one... I'm kinda tired."

Rocky thought that was weird. But, he didn't question it. Laying down on his bed, he closed his eyes. "I had a rough week." He mentions to no one in particular. Opening his eyes, he looks over at his room mate and smirks. "Robbie, what are you doing?"

Robbie blushed, turning his eyes away. "Wha- what're you talking about?"

Leaning up on his elbows, he sighs. "You know what I'm talking about, why are you looking at me?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

Rocky scoffs a laugh. "How do you 'not know' why you're staring at someone. It's very rude."

"I wasn't trying to be rude. Honest." Laying back on his bed, Robbie swings his right leg over his left, kicking it light up and down.

Sitting up now, Rocky mimics the boys position. "Than what were you doing?"

Robbie shrugs, sitting up completely as well. "It's just that- and don't take this the wrong way but-... You seem to be acting kind of strange. I mean, I know I haven't known you long but... you don't seem like the kind of person who's... Looking for trouble."

This confused Rocky, when was he ever 'looking for trouble', it made no sense. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I mean with this whoever that was on the phone last week. You were kind of rude to them."

"Rude how?"

"Rude like in... You practically chewed their head off when it sounded like they needed help." He plays with his fingers to avoid eye contact. He liked Rocky's eyes better when he didn't notice the green part much. It made him seem cold somehow.

"You don't understand though, this girl has been telling me these sick little stories about her and her boyfriend and how he sleeps with her the beats her, but when I tell her to get help she laughs and says she loves him."

"Maybe she's afraid of him?"

Rocky shook his head. "She said that, but she still won't leave him, and now there's a kid in the picture I'm really worried for her, but Amari says that she's fine." He sighed heavily, placing a hand to his forehead. Great, another headache. Rubbing it the best he could, Rocky's hands rub harder to ease the pain but it didn't seem to be working.

Robbie watched him a moment, before he slid off his bed and crossed the room. Climbing onto the bed behind the boy, he placed his hands on his shoulders. "Here, let me."

Rocky was skeptical at first, but eventually gave in and let the boy massage his shoulders. "Thank you Robbie. I really appreciate it."

"Heeey what are friends for."

Robbie actually had a pretty nice touch. He wasn't like those people who thought they could do it, then you end up suffering quietly while they make the pain worse. Robbie's hands moved over the ninja's shoulder blades, his thumbs between them brushing against the spine, flowing up the back of his neck. It was nice.

Rocky sighed, feeling more relaxed he leaned into his room mates touch. His headache was just a painful memory right now, the only thing missing was-... Rocky gasped. Robbie had placed his lips against Rocky's neck and he kissed him, once, then again so softly it was like a tickle.

Rocky froze, he wasn't sure if it were really happening or not, so casually he asks. "Robbie, what are you doing?"

Robbie's hands slid down his friends arms then back up them to his neck.

"Robbie stop it."

Realizing what he had done, Robbie quickly snapped to his sides, and he moved away returning to his own bed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't... I didn't mean to- I just..." He was plainly embarrassed, his face was blood red with humiliation.

The room was quieted for a long time. Neither boy knowing what to say to the other. Rocky scratched his head a moment then climbed off of his bed and went over to Robbies. Placing his knee down beside the boy, he sits on the bed. Looking into the boys eyes, his grassy green locked with Robbie's ice blue irises. Rocky leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, just as softly as he had kissed him on the neck. Backing away, briefly, Rocky looked his friend over then smiled.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. I don't care that you kissed me, I'm flattered." Moving from the bed, Rocky grabbed his car keys from the desk. "But you know, just because I'm not gay doesn't mean that I'm gonna beat you up or anything, I'm not like that... I gotta go."

"Wh-... Rocky, where're you going?"

"Out." He jingles his keys as an indication, walking over to the door.

"But where?" He stands going over to him. Now he was sure of it; Rocky's eyes were playing tricks on him. One minute they were green, then they were blue green, then they were just plain blue. It was freaking him out, he had never seen anything like it.

The ninja shrugs, shaking his head. "I don't know, but, I'm going somewhere... you can come if you want."

Blushing, Robbie quickly shook his head. "No, that's okay. I need to study anyhow."

Rocky nods. "I understand. See ya."

"Yeah. And Rocky?"

"I won't tell anyone."

Robbie seemed to relax after that, he even smiled. "Because, I'm not... you know, but I don't..."

"So you're Bi... I get that... Later." He waves a hand, walking out, closing the door after himself.

The road was pretty busy that night. Everyone must have had somewhere to go that was of importance, because the ninja felt as though he were waiting forever just to turn a corner at a light. He had to think. To clear his head. This week was tiresome and it would be nice to take a break from it. It was just too bad that Robbie didn't wanna come, but oh well.

Putting on his turn signal, Rocky glanced into his side view mirror seeing that the car behind him had done the same almost seconds after he had. Hmm? Fliiping the handle down, just to check, Rocky saw that the car behind him did the same. Hmph... I've got your game. Looking left, though his blinker was on right, Rocky turned the car left after the vehicle in front of him could finally move out of the way.

Receiving a few honks from other, confused drivers; Rocky wasn't surprised to see that the car had made the same turn as he had. and it wasn't the first time he had seen this car. The first time was shortly after his brush with the cops. He went out late one night to get dinner for he and Robbie to share, and the car had followed him the entire way there and back again, pretending to go on by when he turned in at the campus. The only time he didn't see it was when he drove with friends.

I can't believe that bloated fool thinks I took that little girl. I've never even seen her before then, how he could he just assume like that. Turning left, he frowned seeing that, again, the cop did the same. Fine. I'll just try to lose this guy. Pressing his foot down on the gas, the car speeds up by five, over the limit of 60 miles.

Rocky's car bobbed and weaved in and out of other cars, slowing only once or twice when a car refused to let him by. The cop stayed on his tail though, they were after all trained to tail people. But Rocky knew he could lose him. Jerking the wheel to the left, he smiled seeing that the cop caught a light, but shockingly the man didn't stop, he went right under. Cars honked and swerved out of the way, but not one was hurt or even slowed traffic.

What is with this guy? Can't I just go out for a little drink. His phone began to ring, he picked it up after about a moment. "Hello?"

"There's a cop here Rocky, he says he's looking for you," It was Robbie. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the road... I'm... by a store- Save-A-Lot... What does he want?"

"He said he needs to talk to you about the hair sample, should I tell him where you are? Hey!"

Robbie had the phone snatched away from him, the cop pressed it to his ear to speak directly to the run awat. "This officer Manning, Samuel you have ten minutes to return to campus or you will be arrested." The man sounded dead serious.

"I'm on my way-... Aaaahh!" His hand came up to his head.

"What's wrong son?"

Rocky looks up to keep his eyes on the road, he had to stop the car. This headache seemed like the mother load, he was in so much pain he couldn't see straight. Rocky was gonna have to be late for his little chat with the officer because he was in no condition to drive. The ninjas car pulled slowly into the dark parking lot, then the engine turns off. There aren't many cars parked there so he doubted anyone would care if he stayed there a moment to rest. Taking deep breaths, he tried to calm his self down.

The black car that had been following him pulled into the lot as well. He wondered if the cop was going to bring him in kicking and screaming, at this point he would kick and scream because being moved with this pain was unbearable.

But the black car just made slow circles around his car, it was as though the cop had gotten confused.

Rocky's brain began to buzz again. No, not now. I already have a headache.

The car stopped now, parking right beside his, but face the other direction so that the driver was next to the passenger side at the back of the car. The door opened and a leg came out. Slender and shapely, like a woman's leg.

Rocky tried to see who it was, but then his eyes closed and he blacked out from the pain. Falling over the wheel the horn honked, the sound generated through the silent parking lot for a while until the boys door opened and he was pulled off of it...