John OOC a little bit. please review or you get no more story ok. enjoy. ttfn.

Save my soul

The only place he could think of that would be a safe haven for him would be school. Vernon was an asshole but John knew that Dick would never hit him.

Ducking behind the bleachers he made his way to the darkest corner. He knew no one came over onto this side of the bleachers, people said it was haunted.

"Good I need some company that can't touch me"

Leaning his head back onto a support beam, John began to think about things.

"Do I tell them, what'll happen if I do, do I tell them at all, what would Claire think"

Thinking about Claire made his hand absently reach up to touch the diamond earring. He winced as he remembered his father ripping it out of his ear.

He sat there in the dark for an hour before he heard the slamming of car doors, signaling the arrival of the students.

"Fuck" John said under his breath.

His thoughts drifted back to Claire he wondered if she even cared that he hadn't showed for school the day before. A voice in the back of his head that sounded oddly like his father said that she didn't give a damn about him. But his heart told him otherwise.

Closing his eyes he saw her, she was smiling at him. He felt the familiar tingle on his lips as he remembered their kiss.

His eyes snapped open in shock "No" he said in disbelief. Groaning in confusion he realized something "I've fallen for her".

John's day in the dark consisted of telling himself he just liked Claire not...really, really liked her. But his argument was leaning in the really, really like her direction.

John was snapped out of his mental argument when he heard someone come behind the bleachers. It was Claire and Allison they looked from side to side obviously looking for him.

He stayed perfectly still, he didn't even dare breathe even though it hurt like shit not to.

"John" Claire said in uncertainty "John are you here"

"Oh shit what do I do, do I show myself or what, dammit John do something" his thoughts screamed in his head.

"Well, well if it isn't the princess and the basket case, to what do I own the pleasure" John said weaker than he wanted to.

"John, where are you" Claire said happily.

Struggling John got up and slowly stepped into the light.

"John" Claire yelled in happiness as she began to run towards him

"Gently" he said. Claire didn't hear him and ran into him with a huge hug. "Gently" he said as he gasped for air.

"Oh sorry" Claire said as she let go of him.

"Hey did you find him or not" Andy yelled to the two girls.

"Yeah we found him" Allison said as she came out from behind the bleachers. Claire came out next, then John who tried to not look really hurt.

"Bender what happened" Brian asked as he saw the burn marks on his neck from his father's cigars.

"Nothing me and my old man got into a fight, don't worry about it" John said.

Claire looked at him warily and noticed he wasn't standing as tall as he usually did. Taking a closer look she saw blood matted in his brown hair. "Liar" she whispered.

"What" John asked her.

"I said liar" Claire said.

"You callin me a liar, you think I did this to myself, me and my old man got into a fight no big I'll be okay" he said trying not to let on that she was right.

John's vision was getting blurry, he knew he was bleeding again he could feel the sticky liquid travel slowly down his chest.

"Shit" he mumbled before he passed out.

When he woke up he found himself on a bed, only it wasn't his bed because his was hard and lumpy, this bed was soft and comfortable.

"Where am I" he mumbled.

"You're at my house" he heard Claire say.

Opening his eyes he saw Claire smiling at him "Hey princess" he said weakly. "What am I doing at your place?"

"You passed out, Brian, Andy, and Allison brought you here, everybody left about an hour ago" she said.

John tried to sit up but Claire pushed him gently back onto the bed. "Don't you need to rest."

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"You helped me, thought I'd return the favor."

John sighed and said "how did you know I was lying when I said me and my dad got into a fight."

Claire hesitated for a moment then said "I don't know...I just did"

They stayed that way in awkward silence for a few moments before John whispered "Did you see what he did to me?"

Claire tried hard to hold back her tears as she nodded her head yes.

"You need to rest okay" Claire said as she got up and left the room.

John ran a hand over his scared chest, tracing the words his father had carved with his switchblade. "Bastard" John mumbled as he drifted off into sleep.

Claire came and checked on him a few hours later and found him tossing and turning in bed mumbling "I'm sorry, and don't hurt her" over and over again.

Quickly she crossed the room to where John lay and ran a soothing hand through his hair. "Shh, its okay, calm down John it's gonna be okay"

He calmed down and nuzzled Claire's hand as she stroked his cheek.

"He's so cute when he asleep" Claire thought.

John soon curled up into his defensive ball like he did at home. She continued to run her hand through his hair, when she heard the light pounding of rain on the roof.

Knowing that he wouldn't sleep peacefully unless she was near him Claire crawled under the covers and smiled when he wrapped his arms around her and mumbled her name.

Claire soon drifted to sleep as the rain pounded on the roof and John held her close to him.