Thanks for reviewing! You guys are the greatest.

Also, to Brishty (if your still reading it): If you were "bored to death" with the first few chapters, why did you read all the way to chapter 32? Just a question, I'm not trying to sound mean or what not.

Calum laid down in the grass very carefully. His back hurt and it hurt to breath. He unbuttoned his shirt and looked at his chest and abdomen. His skin was heavily bruised, especially around his ribs. The fourteen-year-old took a deep breath and shut his eyes.

His father had been drinking, not that it was unusual these days. Ever since Calum had come out that he liked Mack, his father had turned to alcohol to calm himself. Then he would come after Calum.

Mrs. Boucher had gone grocery shopping and it had been just Calum and Daniel. His father only drank when his mother wasn't home, as if she didn't know about it. Calum had never gotten hurt this bad though. He tried to stand, but he fell back down in pain.

Usually he would go to Adam or Teagan's house and say he got in a fight with Cam. If they knew it was his father...he'd get killed before the police could get involved. Most likely, his father would try to kill Cam as well, but Cam would put up a fight. Calum wouldn't have the courage to fight back. He always sat there and let his father verbally and physically abuse him, and pray that there would be a tomorrow.

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Teagan rang the doorbell and one of Adam's little sisters answered. "He's in his room," said the 5-year-old.

Teagan nodded and walked the familiar walk to Adam's blue and gold bedroom door. He and Calum had helped Adam paint it in second grade and it needed a new paint job badly. He walked through the door and noticed Adam pacing the room, phone to his ear.

He slammed it down and looked at Teagan. "Apparently, Calum can't come to the phone right now." Adam sat on his bed. "That's bull, we just saw him, what... two and a half hours ago! Something is wrong, I can feel it."

"What do you think?" Teagan asked.

"I think it's his dad. I mean, if what he said was true, he kicked Cal out...right? Why would he pick him up from that meeting if he kicked him out."

"You don't think...his dad's abusive, do you?"

"Teagan! Put two and two together! How many times did he come over and have bruises that were 'from Cam?' Something is not right."

"What do we do Adam?"

"There's only one thing we can do." Adam leaped off his bed made his way out of his room and down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen, Teagan hot on his heels.

"Hey Hun," his mom said.

"Mom can we talk to you?"

"Of course," she said sitting down in a chair and putting down the rag she was cleaning the counter with. "Where's Calum?"

"We think Calum's dad is abusing him," Adam said sheepishly. "And we have evidence."

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Chad walked down the street. He was by himself and he liked it. It was just him and his basketball. He couldn't say he wasn't worried, Troy got hurt pretty bad in the fight, but the way Coach Bolton handled it, it couldn't have been serious.

He hadn't gone home yet, he didn't really want to see the look on his mother's face when she saw the bruises he had gotten from the West High center. He didn't want to start that essay for Coach Bolton either. He'd do it with Troy during free period, both of them weren't very good at writing, maybe Taylor would help him.

He stopped walking when he heard a noise, a moan of pain. He looked ahead and saw Calum laying on the grass, his shirt half buttoned, his eyes almost closed. He was a mess.

Chad ran forward and knelt beside him. "Calum, what happened?"

"Get away from me."

Chad had a feeling that was coming. The two of them were still on thin ice. "I want to help you, okay? Oh, look at you. Don't fall asleep."

"Why not?"

Chad shook his head. He didn't know what to do. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number. "Come on pick up...Hi Mrs. Bolton, is Troy there?...He is?...Oh, well I have a problem...Calum's hurt and...bye." Chad shut the phone off and looked up into the house. There was a man inside looking at him with distasteful eyes.

"Calum, is this your house?"

"Sort of."

"Huh," Chad said wanting more details about the man in the window.

"My dad kicked me out, but he picked me up today from the basketball meeting."

"Is the man in your house your dad?"

Calum nodded and his eyes shut. He took at deep breath and before Chad could tell him to, he opened his eyes again. "It's not that bad. Cam's gotten worse done to him."

Chad cocked his head to the side, "you mean he doesn't just do this because you like Mack..."

"No." Calum's voice was getting weak. "If Cam doesn't beat Troy hard enough, Dad makes him puke up anything in his stomach and then beats him. Once he made him play basketball for three hours straight, then puke, then he beat him."

Chad was now scared of the man in the window. If he did that to his own kids, imagine what he could do to a complete stranger.

"I shouldn't have told you that! Now he's going to kill me."

"Not if me and the guys can help it." Calum looked up at Chad and knew he was sincere about his words.

"I thought you...hated me."

"I hated your brother."

"Don't..." his breathing was labored. "He's...trying...to change."

Chad looked up and saw a familiar car driving down the road. "Come on Calum, stay awake. Coach Bolton's coming, I see him."

Jack got out of his car and ran toward the two boys. He looked at Calum for three seconds before asking, "where does it hurt."

Calum placed a hand over his ribs, then moved his hand to his lungs. Jack picked him up and carefully carried him to his car. Chad heard his name and walked toward two boys he had never met. They were breathing heavily.

"How did you know my name?" Chad asked as he approached the two boys.

"Who doesn't when you got to school with Mack? What happened to him," one of the boys, a blond kid, asked.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Adam, and this is Teagan," the blond kid said annoyed. "We're Calum's best friends. It's his dad right?"

Chad nodded and Adam settled down. "I knew something wasn't right," Adam said solemnly.

"Here, why don't I walk you guys home." Chad stopped talking when he noticed the basketball on Adam and Teagan's sweatshirts. "You any good?"

"I guess, not as good as Calum, but we start," Adam said.

"Your coming to East High right," Chad said. "Nod your heads yes."

The two boys laughed at Chad and decided that East High wouldn't be that bad.

Hope you like it. Review!