Hey everyone! I am back from the dead and good lord I am so sorry I have made everyone wait this long for the next chapter! DON'T HATE ME! Its been a stressful few months but I'm going to try and be more on top of my posts so people don't have to keep waiting forever for the next chapter, assuming I have any regulars still willing to hold out for me.

If I do have regulars, I love all of you and again, I AM SO SORRY! But I'm back. We can rejoice in that fact.

Anyway, here's chapter 14 (especially bad that this chapter came so late after 13 because of how I left 13... totally my bad.)

I have a small disclaimer for this one: Please be careful when reading it. I'm not going to apologize for it, but it might not be an easy chapter to read, it certainly wasn't an easy one to write. I'm not going to say my normal "Enjoy this chapter!" because that would make me sound like a sick freak. But, try to make it through it if you can, if not, hold out until I get chapter 15 written and posted and it'll be past this part, to a degree.

As always, Rate and review because while I may not have been posting like I should have been, reading all the reviews make everything worth it and make me want to keep writing. I love all of you, and again, I'm sorry for it taking me this long.

Chapter 14 – The Burn

"Well, what are you up to at this hour, kid?" I froze as I heard his voice. I did not turn to look at the person who was speaking. I did not need to in order to know who it was. "And look. Are you wearing Barr's jersey? How adorable. Have you two fags made it official then?" He laughed at his own comment, but what made me stop more was that I could hear others laughing with him. "Come on, kid. Turn around. Its rude to keep your back to people when you're talking."

I turned a little over my shoulder so I could see him and the friends he had with him. The same three football players, including Flynn, stood in front of me. Three teenage football players who were much larger than I. Slowly, I turned around and fully eyed Flynn. "What is it I can do for you, Flynn? Is there a reason you are here?" He grinned up to me from the base of the steps to my house where my door still stood open. I backed up, hoping to sprint into the open door with enough speed to lock the door shut behind me.

"Nah. No reason in particular. I only wanted to see the little fag that has Barr wrapped around his finger." He stepped closer in my direction, and I retreated in response. "What's the matter? We're just having a friendly conversation here, kid. No reason to be so tense. Come on, let's go have a talk…" With that he lunged at me and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the sanctuary of my own home. While I tried to struggle out of his grasp, he was stronger than I was.

He dragged me back behind my house under a large oak that has been growing strong since before I was born. Flynn's lackeys cackled behind us as they followed Flynn and I to my back yard. With one quick move of his arm, I was thrown up against the oak and he was looming over me. I remained seated on the ground with the comfort of my tree against my back, even if my back was now a little sore, and I rubbed my arm where Flynn had pulled me by.

"So let's talk about your jerk of a fag boy, kid." Flynn loomed over me, arms crossed with a wicked sneer across his features. I mustered up enough courage to glower back at him.

"Kevin has been nothing but a gentlemen throughout this entire experience. He has stood up to countless people to defend me and without wanting anything in return." I looked up at Flynn, defiantly, daring him to challenge my words, but unknowing as to how I would really be able to defend either of us.

Flynn rolled his eyes. "The guy is an arrogant ass. I'm sure he has other thoughts as to what wants in return from protecting your scrawny ass." His face grew darker and his grin more malicious. "But he isn't here to protect you, now, is he?" His friends cackled quietly behind him and there was a chill in the air that I could not shake. "Where is he, by the way? Still at his party with all his popular friends? Why did you leave early? Not fit in?" He knelt down to my level where I still sat against the tree. "You the little nerd they feel sorry for and keep around to be nice?"

I tried to not show any reaction to what he said but I could not help showing some pain at his words. My own fears being put into words by some unknown ape and his goons. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me closer to him. "Aw, did I strike a nerve? Come on kid, you're a nobody among those people. A scrawny little kid with no one to fall back on, and you know it. An outcast in a whole, the only person standing up against the wall when everyone else dances on the floor." I attempted to hold them back, but the tears still began to water in my eyes. Those defiant drops overflowed and started to cascade down my cheeks. "It'll be ok though, kid. We're here for you. We'll take good care of you." Flynn's grip on my shirt grew tighter and he threw me to the ground off to the left of him. His friends walked closer and smiled.

"Come on, Flynn, let's just get this started already. I'm sure he'll like it!"

"You're taking too long just talking to him! Let's give this little fag what he wants that Barr so clearly isn't giving him."

Flynn smiled and waved off his friends as he stalked toward me. I pushed myself up off of my stomach and tried to turn to face him but he kicked me back down. "Why don't you just stop moving and it'll be over soon." I started to panic and tried to crawl away but one of his lackeys ran in front of me and kicked me in the face, stopping me cold. I felt rough hands grab the back of my shirt and another punch my side, knocking the wind out of me.

While his friends beat me I could feel Flynn's cold gaze looking down on me. I tried to curl up to protect myself but every time I would pull my legs close, one of the others would yank my legs back away from me. "Alright boys, I think you softened him up enough." I could barely move and the pain in my chest and torso was excruciating. I could hear the tearing of Kevin's jersey in the back as Flynn ripped it down the back. He pushed me down to the ground and I did not fight back. I could hardly move as it was, fighting back was out of the question. I was in so much pain from the beating that I could barely tell what was happening. It was not until I could feel a sharp pain from my lower half that panic truly took over my body. I fought to pull myself away. All I could hear were the three of them laughing over me as repetitive sharp pains took over the rest of the pain and focus in my body. "That's a good boy."

He repeated that line. Over and over. I started going numb, unable to feel anything; nothing but the pain and the tears running down my cheeks and the blood from the beating on the ground below me. After what felt like a century, Flynn finally removed himself from me and backed away. "Perfect. Now we can move on. We have other things to do tonight, since we've finished with teaching Barr a lesson." His friends laughed and gave me a final kick to my head. My vision went black and I could barely hear what was going on around me as they left me in the darkness.

The October chill began to take over. The smell of decaying leaves on the ground mixed with the scent of my own blood and fluids. I shuddered in the breeze but I did not have the strength to move any further than from the spot where I lay.

The night was getting late and people were starting to drift out of Nat's house. Nazz and Eddy had already left twenty minutes ago and Nat and Rave were curled up on the grass in front of a fire pit. Rave was holding Nat against him. His face appeared to be annoyed that he had to hold him, but his grip around Nat looked strong. Kevin felt a pang of guilt in his chest. My dork should be here with me. He felt jealous that Nat and Rave could enjoy the time in front of the fire together but he couldn't be with his dork. Not that it was his fault. Edd had gotten tired and wanted to go home a little early. Nothing wrong with that, right? Still the pain of wanting to be curled up with the little guy wouldn't leave Kevin's mind.

Finally after a few more minutes had passed, he stood up and stretched. "Alright guys, its really late. I'm going to head home and get some shut eye."

Nat winked at me from behind Rave's arms. "Yeah… Sure you are. Going to go check in on our little cutie?"

Kevin rolled his eyes and glared at him. "Dude. Its like two in the morning. He left at like eleven. I'm sure he's out cold by now. I'm not like you, creeping around his place at all hours of the night just to crawl into bed with him."

Nat looked at him in feigned horror. "I would never do such a thing." Rave's grip around him tightened. "Oh alright! I've done it once to Rave before… But only that one time!"

Kevin nodded triumphantly and turned to walk away. "I'll see you guys at school on Monday." Nat and Rave called back to him and he waved back to them in response as he made his way toward the cul-de-sac. Having not driven himself, he had to walk back to his house, but the night wasn't bad for the walk. The air had a slight chill now that he was away from the fire, but he was still wearing his "nerd" sweater so he felt warm enough.

As he walked into his street leading down into the cul-de-sac, he pulled out his phone. "I thought that dork was going to text me when he got home." He hadn't thought about it because he was so busy at the party but now he realized he didn't receive anything.

The street was dark as he walked up to his house. He turned to look across the street to Edd's house and gave a small smile. I'm sure he just went right to bed. He went to turn back to his house and open his door but something caught his eye across the street. Is his front door open?

Kevin jogged across the street to find that Edd's door was indeed open. He knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "Edd? Are you here? You left your door open." He walked in slowly, fear starting to crawl into his heart. Edd would never leave his door open like that. He walked through the dark house searching for his Dork and made his way upstairs and checked each room. All the rooms were empty, stark of any décor or sign of attendance. The only room that displayed any signs that someone lived there was what he assumed to be Edd's room; each item of interest labeled and in its designated spot, except for a sleeping Edd in his bed. He was nowhere to be found and now Kevin was starting to panic.

Kevin ran back downstairs into the space between the living room and the kitchen and took his phone back out and started to dial Nat from his contacts list but stopped when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. He walked through the kitchen toward the sliding door that faced the back yard and lifted his hand to the handle. He slowly pulled it open, dreading what could be on the other side.

A bitter wind flew through the yard as he slid the door open, but he did not feel the chill of the wind. His eyes were glued onto a figure lying on the ground in a pile of dead leaves and something that shinned under the light of the autumn moon. It took Kevin a split second of thought to figure out that it was blood and in that moment he sprinted over to the figure on the ground and tears welled up in his eyes the instant he realized it was Edd.

"Edd! What the hell happened?! Oh my god, Edd!" Tears cascaded from Kevin's eyes as he looked down at Edd on the ground. He tried to wake him, called out to him, and put his hand on his cheek to make sure he was still alive. Kevin backed out of the call he almost made to Nat and quickly dialed 911.

"911. What's your emergency?"

"I just found my boyfriend unconscious in his backyard, there's a lot of blood and he isn't responding to me when I call out to him!" Kevin's voice was broken and strained, panic taking over as he tried to explain what was happening. He was able to give Edd's address to the operator and then hung up as soon as he heard that help was on its way. He sat down on the ground and pulled Edd into his arms and rested him in his lap, crying and praying. His breath stopped short when he noticed a large streak of blood coming from the top of Edd's head. He held Edd close and tried to be careful with how he moved him, not caring that Edd's blood was getting all over his clothes.

"Edd, please wake up. Please speak to me!" Edd gave no response. "Edd? Come on Edd! Wake up!" He remained motionless and his breathing became more shallow. "Eddward Michael Vincent wake up! You cannot leave me like this! I was just getting to know the real you! I was loving every minute…" His voice trailed off, hoping there would be some sort of response from the smaller man. "Please, whoever can hear me, don't take him from me. I finally found someone genuine. Someone that I can be myself around. Damn it! I love him! Don't take him from me!" His voice trailed off as the sound of sirens could be heard coming from the distance.

"Please don't wake me."

"I'm just so tired."

You don't fit in.

You don't belong.

You got too close,

And now you're burned.

"That's right."

"I got too close to the stars."

"To the Sun."

"To the beautiful Sun."

"And now I'm Burned."