Note: forgot my disclaimer... i don't own these characters

Blue stared after Petey. How could he be so heartless? He knew what Petey felt, but couldn't he find it in himself to forgive Sunshine?

Sunshine doubled over and threw up blood as Ray used the bat to smash him in the stomach. Ray had attacked him brutally with the bat, smashing his arms, legs, ribs, face. Sunshine knew that he already had one broken leg and a couple of broken ribs. He had heard the bones crack.

Sunshine gave away to the pain as Ray slammed it in his crotch. He howled, and stumbled, falling to the ground.

But Ray and his friends weren't done yet. They ripped off his clothes, stripping him down to his underwear.

Then Ray pulled out a dog chain. Placing it around Sunshine's neck, the pulled it hard, tying it to a fence. Sunshine couldn't breathe. He gasped for air, and then, Ray loosened it just a little, just enough, so he could breathe, but he had to stand up.

Then one of the other boys took out a roll of duct tape. He used it to wrap Sunshine's legs and hands together. Then, ripping off a large piece, he wrapped up Sunshine's face, covering over his mouth, his nose, everything. Just enough room for him to breathe. That was it.

The boys hooted with laughter. "Look at the hippie boy now! Not so hot anymore eh?"

The last thing Sunshine remembered was a searing pain through his back as one of the boys brought the baseball bat down and his face pushed against the metal fence. But his last memory was Petey. He wished he could apologize more than anything else in the world. Then, Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass blacked out.

Sunshine wasn't at practice the next day. Gerry was the first one to notice.

"Hey, where's Sunshine?" he called.

There was no answer.

"Hey Petey, have you seen him?"

"No." Petey assumed that Sunshine was too cowardly to face him after what had happened last night. And, besides, he didn't really care what happened to Sunshine now.

But the search started to become desperate when at the end of the day, Mr. Bass drove up, looking wild and desperate.

"Coach Boone!" he cried. "Have you seen my boy anywhere?"

"Sorry," Boone answered. "I haven't."

"Coach Yoast?"

"No."

"Please, please help me," Mr. Bass begged. "I haven't seen him. Last night he didn't come home, and I haven't seen him today at all."

"Yes sir," Yoast answered. "We'll tell you if we see him."

"Thank you," Mr. Bass replied. "Thank you."

Agony was hitting Sunshine as he came back to consciousness. His throat burned and he needed water.

He had been there for about two days now, he guessed. But he couldn't tell. Night and day seemed the same to him. He moaned in fever.

Please let somebody find me, he thought. Then he passed out again.

It had been a day and a half, and Sunshine was still missing. The team set out to look for him. All except for Petey.

Petey walked up and down the road. Sunshine was hiding, he thought. He doesn't want to see me.

He walked towards the bar that he hadn't been allowed in and yelled.

Maybe he could find a way to get in from the back. And get revenge.

Sunshine was delirious. That's why he thought he was hallucinating when he heard footsteps approach and a shout ring out.

He didn't believe it was happening as the dog chain was lifted off. But the impact to the ground jolted his head, and he thought the pain was real enough.

He felt the duct tape being pulled off, and he whimpered in pain, as it exposed his bruised and bloody face.

He thought he was dreaming when he saw Petey's face appear and say, "Omigosh Sunshine. What happened bro?"

He slipped back into delirium.

Petey looked down at Sunshine. Who would have done this? Why?

He studied the chain of deep cuts around Sunshine's neck from the dog chain, and his eyes drifted down Sunshine's body.

His hair was soaked in blood, blood everywhere. Trickling down from his forehead, covering his face, on his chest, his legs, his arms.

Petey reached out an arm and winced at the heat. Sunshine eyes were open, but he didn't seem to see Petey. Then he jolted up.

"Petey?" he whispered.

"Yeah man, it's me. What happened to yaw?"

"Petey," Sunshine gasped. "Water. Water please."

"Wait here man," Petey said. "I'll be back."

He charged through the bar.

"Give me some water now!" he yelled.

The white bartender stared back at him. "I have the right to refuse service to anyone."

"Not now you don't!" Petey roared. "Give it to me! There's a boy dying outside so you give it to me now!"

The bartender just stared at him.

Petey wildly ran behind the counter and fished out a whole cup of water, running out again.

The bartender just stared after him.

Outside, Petey slowed down. He bent down towards Sunshine, and helped him up. Sunshine moaned in pain. Petey held the cup to Sunshine's lips and he began to drink.

"Wait here, bro," Petey said, struggling to keep his voice calm.

"No!" Sunshine whimpered. If he could scream, it would have ripped through the air.

"What do you mean man?" Petey asked. "I need to call the hospital."

"Don't leave me," Sunshine gasped. "Don't leave me."

His eyes closed, and then opened again. "I'm sorry Petey!" he yelled. "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!" His body convulsed as he screamed.

His screams slowly weakened as he burst into tears. "I'm sorry man. I didn't know. I swear I didn't know. Don't hurt me! Please!"

"No man," Petey said, sobbing. "It's ok. I'm never going to hurt you. I'm sorry man. It's not your fault brother."

Sunshine's wild sobs turned into soft whimpers. He collapsed in Petey's arms.

"You have to trust me," Petey whispered. "I'm going to get help. Nobody's going to hurt you ok? If they do, they have to deal with me."

Sunshine nodded, pain flooding his face. "I trust you."