Sal was running as fast as he could through the school halls. his mask was just above his mouth, the bottom strap broken. his clothes were a mess and he was missing a shoe. he insides were screaming for him to stop, but if he did he'd be caught. he turned and cast a glance behind him, then yelped slipping in his sock and face planting on the hard school floor.
"Sal!" Larry shouted immediately, running over to him. he knelt beside him, there was a puddle of blood and puke leaking from Sal's mouth.
"Sal! Larry what happened?!" Ashley shouted, kneeling beside them.
"I don't know he just came running down the hall." Larry replied, carefully scooping Sal up. the entire school seemed to be watching. Todd and Neil ran up to them.
"some shit went down in the bathroom by the lunchroom. we heard some screams and then he just came flying out of the bathroom, like he was running for his life." Neil said.
"he probably was." Larry muttered, heading for the nurse.
"what do you mean?" Ashley ask.
"look at that puddle of blood Ashley. the bottom strap on his mask is torn and his mask is cracked. he probably was running for his life." Larry muttered. Sal groaned softly, but made no effort to move from Larry's grasp, even as he coughed blood all over himself and Larry's shirt, not that Larry's shirt hadn't already been covered in blood. as they got to the nurses office, the other three were forced to go back to class. Sal and Larry were taken away in an ambulance.
Larry wasn't sure what was happening. they called his mom and Sal's dad. he was stripped of his clothes, so was Sal. Sal had went into surgery though, he'd had internal bleeding. cops had shown up and taken his statement and were waiting for Sal to wake up. Larry sat beside him, holding his hand tightly.
"someone beat the hell out of this kid. scratches, bruises, internal bleeding, broken rib, punctured lung, collapsed kidney, broken nose, cracked eye socket. they beat the hell out of him. unfortunately, because of the injuries, they had to be done at school or he would've died because of his lung." the doctor said. Larry listened to them talk outside Sal's room. then the cop walked in and started asking questions.
"I'm not entirely sure what happened. he just came running to me. someone said that he came running out of the bathroom after they heard screaming. he didn't even make it to me, he slipped and fell and busted his face. speaking of you have to give me his mask back. he'll have a panic attack." Larry said. the cop raised an eye brow at him. "I'm serious." Larry added.
"I'll get a doctor to wrap his face, but he needs those tubes so he can't wear his mask." the cop said. they came and wrapped Sal's face carefully. the cop took his statement and waited in the hall for Sal to wake. it took longer than Larry thought it would, but when Sal stirred, Larry jumped from his chair.
"Sal?" Larry ask. Sal opened his good eye and looked at Larry, with a sad puppy like look. Larry hugged him tightly, but was careful not to hurt him. "Sal what happened?" Larry ask.
"Travis and his friends. they attacked me." Sal muttered. "I fought back, but there was five of them and one of me. when I got the chance, I ran for it. knew they wouldn't dare attack me in front of you." Sal muttered, giving a shaky smile. Larry could see a sad look in his eye.
"well you made it to me." Larry murmured, smiling at him. he kissed Sal's hand gently and held it tightly. "there's some cops here. think you can tell them everything?" Larry ask. Sal stiffened and swallowed hard.
"yeah... can you go get me something to drink though?" Sal ask. "I'll get it over with while you do that. please? my throats dry." Sal said. Larry nodded and smiled getting up.
"sure Sal, I'll be back." Larry said, kissing his hand again. Sal smiled at him slightly as he walked out of the room and the cops walked in.
"I'm Officer McCarthy. he said you were ready to talk to us." the cop said.
"not really, but I will. I didn't want him to hear the whole story. Larry's my boyfriend and he gets protective." Sal muttered. "I don't want him to get in trouble for trying to protect me though." Sal added.
"so what happened that you don't want him to know?" Officer McCarthy ask. Sal sighed.
"the schools bully Travis and his friends, four of them, attacked me. Travis was being all weird. trying to kiss me. kept putting his hands up my shirt and trying to unzip my pants. think they beat the shit out of me because I refused his advances or some shit like that. he's attacked me like that a couple times, but it's usually just him and I get away and hide with Larry, but he brought friends. one of them was recording and when he got a phone call, it scared them, so I got free and ran for it." Sal muttered.
"got a last name for this Travis guy? names for his friends?" Officer McCarthy ask.
"Travis Phelps. I don't know the other four. I've never seen them before." Sal said. the officer nodded.
"thanks." Officer McCarthy said, leaving. Sal closed his eye and sighed.
"is that why you wanted me to leave the room?" Larry ask. Sal looked at him qiuckly.
"Larry? you heard that?" Sal ask nervously. Larry nods, sitting beside him with a cup of water.
"yeah. you should've told me Sal. I would've handled him." Larry said.
"I didn't want you to get in trouble, or hurt. I'm sorry." Sal sighed. Larry grabbed his hand again.
"no it's alright. you don't have anything to be sorry for, but that does explain somethings." Larry said. Sal looked confused.
"huh?" Sal ask.
"you've been flinching when I kiss you lately. so I've pretty much stopped." Larry explained.
"I have?" Sal ask. Larry nodded. "I'm sorry Larry." Sal muttered.
"it's alright Sal." Larry murmured.
"Larry, I wanna go home." Sal muttered.
"you have to wait a few days, but as soon as you can go home, we'll take you home." Larry said. Sal nods slightly.
"I hate hospitals." Sal muttered.
"I know. I'll be here the whole time." Larry murmured with a warm smile. Sal smiled slightly.
a few days turned into nearly two months, Larry stayed with him just as he'd promised. Larry's mom had fixed Sal's mask just in time for him to be released. Sal's dad was at work though, so Lisa drove them home. Larry carried Sal up to his apartment, letting his mom know he'd be with Sal for a while. he carried Sal into the apartment.
"I told you I can walk Larry." Sal muttered quietly. Larry smiled at him and hugged him tighter.
"I know you can, but I just wanted to carry you. I love you and you got hurt and I want to hold you okay?" Larry ask.
"fine." Sal muttered. he might have not minded if Larry hadn't insisted on carrying him bridel style, instead of piggy back. it show Sal just how much smaller he was than his boyfriend, but Sal did enjoy cuddled to him. "I'm not ready to go back to school tomorrow." Sal muttered as Larry laid him on the couch.
"it'll be fine Sally. I promise." Larry murmured, smiling slightly.
"yeah until Travis comes back." Sal sighed.
"the cops will get him." Larry assured him.
"yeah but what do I do until they catch him?" Sal ask. Larry grinned.
"well, my mom kinda over heard the cops and got you something." Larry said, pulling something from his pocket.
"a taser?" Sal ask as Larry put it in his hands.
"it had a built in can of pepper spray." Larry said. Sal stared at it confused slightly.
"uh, thanks. this is weird." Sal muttered, grabbing it.
"you know what I used to do when I was a kid?" Larry ask.
"no what?" Sal ask. Larry grinned.
"tase myself. my dad had a taser." Larry said. Sal laughed slightly.
"should've expected that." Sal muttered.
"just be careful okay, don't end up tasering yourself. shit hurts the first few times." Larry laughed. Sal laughed and put it aside.
"thanks." Sal smiled. "wanna lay with me and watch tv?" Sal ask. Larry nods and gets behind him on the couch.
"always. can't just leave you up here alone." Larry smiled. he unclipped Sal's mask and laid it on the floor in front of them.
"why?" Sal ask.
"because it looked uncomfortable to lay in." Larry replied. he pulled Sal back towards his chest.
"sorry I ruined your Sanity Falls t-shirt." Sal said.
"no worries Sally, I can get a new one." Larry smiled.
"yeah but that one was special to you." Sal said.
"yeah my dad gave it to me when he took me to my first concert. the hospital gave it back, it's fine. I can get a new one. I promise." Larry murmured.
"I'll get you a new one." Sal said, cuddling up to his chest. Larry smiled slightly, kissing his neck.
"what ever you say Sally face." Larry chuckled. Sal cuddled closer to him and smiled.
the school seemed to loom over them.
"can't I just go home and sit in pain all day?" Sal ask.
"you'll be fine Sal." Larry replied, pulling him inside.
"Sally!" Ashley shouted, running over. Larry was quick to get between her and Sal, nearly getting knocked over.
"easy Ash. he's still healing. his rib, eye socket, and nose are still broken." Larry warned.
"I'm sorry it's just been two months!" Ashley replied, pushing away to hug Sal. she yelped and pushed back. "what the fuck was that?" Ashley ask. Sal laughed slightly, pulling the taser from his pocket.
"you hit the button and tased yourself." Sal snickered.
"a taser? whats that for?" Ashley ask.
"my mom wouldn't let him leave without it." Larry replied.
"does your mom not think he's safe anymore?" Ashley ask.
"well I did end up in the hospital for two months." Sal said.
"Sally face!" Neil grinned walking over quickly with Todd holding his hand.
"don't hug him he's packing a taser." Ashley warned. Sal smiled slightly, though with his mask on no one saw it.
"sorry Ash." Sal said. Larry suddenly growl lowly, throwing his arm around Sal's shoulders and pulling him closer.
"Larry?" Sal ask confused. Larry didn't answer, holding him tightly, almost protectively. Sal reached up and rested his hand on Larry's arm, holding it gently. he looked up at Larry, concern in his eye's. "Larry?" Sal ask. Larry was sending a dangerously dirty look towards someone. Sal followed his gaze and flinched back slightly, finding Travis on the other end. he swallowed and held tighter to Larry's arm, fearing what his boyfriend was going to do. "don't do it Larry." Sal said. Larry continued to glare at Travis, until Sal elbowed Larry hard in the stomach.
"ow! hey." Larry glared at him.
"stop it. leave him alone he's not worth it." Sal muttered, holding his arm tightly.
"you deserve to fucking die you piece of shit! keep your hands off my boyfriend!" Larry shouted, glaring at Travis. Sal's face light up bright red, turning his ears and neck red as well.
"why are you so embarrassing?" Sal muttered to himself. "just leave him alone. he's not worth it." Sal whined. he looked at Larry, blue eye's begging the older boy to stay calm. "please?" Sal ask softly. Larry sighed and nodded at Sal, hugging him closer and glared at Travis.
"fine. lets get to class." Larry muttered. as they started walking away, they heard a commotion and stopped. turning back around they witness the police tackle and arrest Travis. Sal smirked at Larry, who couldn't see it, but could hear it.
"I told you to leave him alone." Sal smirked.
"yeah yeah, I get it." Larry muttered, smiling slightly as they headed for class.