Part 10
Alvaro Sanchez was confused. After seeing the tiny Warbler run into the foyer and falling on the wet floor he had reacted on instinct and had helped him up. It was a little kid after all. But he still didn't know what possessed him to go out and look for the kid, he had left the school area alone after all and he never did that. Alvaro hadn't expected to find him in the park getting beaten up by some punks from Westerville middle school. Alvaro had no idea of what came over him, maybe it was the fact that Montgomery was a Dalton student and Dalton student stuck together or maybe it was the fact that he was just a kid that had been attacked by bigger boys and that was just wrong, who would want to hurt a kid? That sent a jolt through him… he had hurt the kid now resting in his arms.
"Fuck", he grumbled. "I'm as bad as dad…" He hoisted the kid into a better position and continued towards Dalton but then…
"Wait a minute", he thought aloud. "I can't just walk into the Dragon with you like this? What should I do?"
He looked at the kid that already had bruises forming on his face, a busted eyebrow and a bleeding nose.
"I gotta get you to the nurse… but she's gonna demand to know what's happened… I also need to get you somewhere warm… And out of these wet clothes. But if I walk into the Dragon they will beat the crap out of me… thinking I did this."
Alvaro bit his lip and started to ponder what to do, maybe he could leave the kid somewhere where he knew the Warblers or the Dragon-boys would find him? No. It was too dangerous. Then Alvaro remembered that his mother had packed his kid brother's pajamas in his bags before he went to Dalton, they would be just a bit too big on this kid but it would be better than nothing.
Alvaro knew the way to his dorm, on paper named Dalton West but everyone called it the Black Tortoise or Tortie for short, that was nearly always empty. Since he was from West the boys at East might tease him a bit and question his motives. So Alvaro took the kid to his room and on the way there he didn't meet anyone and thanked his lucky stars for that.
When he put the kid down on his bed the kid woke up and looked at him through barely open eyes.
"Alvaro", he asked groggily but Alvaro could see the shock and confusion in them.
"Yeah, yeah it's me", Alvaro said. "I thought I'd save your hide since you saved mine in the cafeteria after that smoothie thing."
"Where am I?"
"In my room. Can you get out of those wet clothes?"
"Why", Wesley asked sitting up slowly.
"You'll get sick otherwise…" Alvaro got up and started to roam through his drawers and soon found his brother's pajamas. He turned back to the bed and saw Wesley with a bare torso and he paled a bit. There were already dark bruises forming on his chest and back and in his side.
"What", Wesley croaked and Alvaro shook his head and handed him the pajamas and turned the other way as the boy changed. When he turned back his heart made a small lurch but he burst out laughing at the site.
"Thanks", Wesley grumbled. The pajamas were three sizes too big for him so his hands were not visible, Alvaro realized it had been the middle brother's pajamas and not the youngest one. His mom had just said she'd put his brother's pajamas in his suitcase by mistake.
"Sorry", Alvaro said and ruffled the kid's hair. "I thought it was my other brother's… now in bed with you."
Wesley looked at him confused.
"Wesley you're too weak to go back to your own dorm", Alvaro said and pointed at the bed. "Get into bed." Wesley sighed but complied and he got into Alvaro's bed and lied down… with a wince.
"Yeah…" Alvaro said tucking him in even though the kid protested at first. "I'll get the nurse to come here, don't worry. Just sleep for a bit okay and I'll get one of the Warblers."
"No", Wesley said weakly when Alvaro was about to get up, the kid had grabbed his hand and Alvaro looked down at him in confusion.
"What", he asked.
"No Warblers… please."
Alvaro sat down again.
"What do you mean 'no Warblers'? Aren't they your friends?" He rubbed the kids hair gently.
"No", Wesley said and started sniffling. "They… they just pretended…"
"What?!"
Wesley choked out what he had heard beeing said today and what it obviously meant. The Warblers only wanted to use him for his voice and were nice to him to make him stay with them… when they in reality didn't think he was worth their attention and thought he was annoying. They were angry because he had become a bigger star than most others and they were jealous of that and was that his fault? Was any of this his fault? Everyone at the school seemed to hate him right now but the kid had no idea of what he'd done.
"And… and Jerry said that", Wesley sniffled. "He said that he had a lot of things going on and that I was the least important of it all. And… and none of them objected to what I asked them. No one… not even Jerry or Mark."
"Jerry said you weren't important to him", Alvaro asked in shock. "You're shitting me?"
"I wish… I wish I did but I'm not." He sobbed and Alvaro felt something within him, anger. He felt furious and that fury bubbled up bright and hot. How dare Jerry say those things? How dared the Warblers? How dared anyone? Nothing was Wes' fault for heaven's sake!
Alvaro didn't know when it happened but suddenly he had the boy in his arms. He'd put his arms around him as the small boy cried and was holding him close. The boy fought against the grip at first but then threw his arms around him as well. Alvaro rocked him until he fell asleep. After that he called his roommate and told him that they had a guest in the room and wondered if he could stay somewhere else, which he agreed to. Then Alvaro called the nurse and told her everything he knew and she promised to come and look after the boy, while Alvaro himself… stormed off to the cafeteria.
The Warblers were all sitting in the cafeteria trying to eat dinner but they felt too bad from earlier that day. Most of them looked miserable but most miserable was Jerry. He looked like a wreck and he was only picking at his food.
"Cheer up Jerry", Mark said patting him on the back. "Things will get back to normal. We just have to find Wes and explain to him that we didn't mean to agree to what he said about himself and that what you said just came out wrong."
"Do you really think he'll want to talk to me Mark", Jerry asked sighing. "I mean… he would rather talk to Alvaro than me at this moment."
"Are you kidding me", Otto said. "The two of them despise each other! The day Alvaro does something nice for Wes is the day that I'll stop eating carrots." He took a bite of a carrot, he was obsessed with them.
"Jerry!" a furious voice shouted and the Warblers looked up and saw Alvaro Sanchez stand nearby them, looking furious. Jerry got up.
"What", he asked and then everyone gasped as the senior crashed onto the table before falling off it. The reason? Alvaro Sanchez had punched him! Then he started to yell in Spanish:
"¿Qué te pasa? ¿Cómo puedes decir esas cosas a Wes? Eres un gilipollas Jerry! Yo soy de Lima Adjentes Heights y ¿sabe usted lo que hacemos a la gente que daña a los niños allí? ¿Sabe usted lo que pasa a ellos? Cosas malas! Te voy a matar por lo que hiciste! todos ustedes!" Mark and Austin grabbed hold of him. "¡Suéltame! Voy a matar a mierda a todos ustedes por lo que hiciste! Si alguna vez acercarse a él una vez más voy a tocar a su puta cabeza de Jerry! ¿Cómo te atreves?"
"Uh what is he saying", Nathan asked and turned to Austin who was Hispanic.
"He asks what's wrong with Jerry and threatened him and us to kill us if we ever come near Wes again", Austin said looking confused. "Alvaro! ¿De qué estás hablando?" (Alvaro! What are you talking about?)
"As if you care", Alvaro yelled clawing in the air to get to Jerry to hit him again. The senior was being helped up by Bastian and Brad, two other Warbler seniors. "Let me at him!"
"Mr. Sanchez", a sharp voice said and they all turned and saw Principal Carmichael. He was glaring at all the boys. Alvaro was halfway out of his blazer by now and Mark and Austin had a hard time keeping him in place.
"These fucking bastard are the reason Wes", Alvaro began.
"I know that Wesley has been hurt", Carmichael said and the Warblers stared at him in horror. "I am also aware of you taking care of him in a great way Mr. Sanchez. But we do not tolerate violence of any kind. So if you would like to come with me we have to discuss all this."
"Sir", Jerry began but Carmichael gave him a look.
"I am disappointed in all of you", he said looking at the Warblers. "And not only the Warblers." He looked around the room. "I am well aware of how you have all more or less started to badmouth Wesley Montgomery and what is wrong with all of you? The boy is twelve years old. You are all practically grownups and you talk bad about a boy who hasn't done anything to you and if he has it is not on purpose. Spare me all your excuses boys and you", he turned to Jerry. "You better find a way to clear this mess up Mr. Jonston or I will forever be disappointed in you. Good evening." With that he dragged Alvaro from the room and left everyone else looking horrified.
"Wes has been hurt", Otto asked weakly.
"Where is he then", Nathan asked. "His room?"
"Alvaro's", Mark said, Alvaro's roommate was standing beside him. "Let's go." He grabbed Jerry and Lucas' shoulders and dragged them with him towards Tortie. When they got there, they being Lucas, Nathan, Otto, Jerry and Mark, the school nurse was just leaving the room. She shut the door and looked at them.
"Boys", she said.
"How is he", Jerry asked worriedly. "Is he okay?"
"He is sleeping but he hurts", the nurse said with a small sigh. "He's got bruises everywhere, a busted eyebrow, a forming black eye and just bruises everywhere."
"Can we see him?" Otto asked.
"He is sleeping and I rather see him stay asleep… but if you must I guess it won't hurt." She walked off and the five boys entered the room.
The lamp above Alvaro's bed, where Wesley was sleeping, was turned off but the setting sun still cast its light through the windows and lit up Wesley's face. He looked so small they all agreed. His hair was wet but had started to dry up in the warmth of Dalton and Alvaro's room. They could see the bruises on his face, the busted eyebrow and the forming black-eye. But what was worst… was the fact that they could see the tear marks going down Wesley's face.
This was his entire fault. If he hadn't said those things the wrong way Wesley would never had run off from them. He and the other boys that had given him books had found them sitting on their beds after school. It had been a stab to Jerry's heart and it hurt more than the place where Alvaro had punched him a little while back. But what hurt the most was seeing Wesley like this, why oh why did he say those things the wrong way? Why oh why hadn't he ignored Mark and run after Wesley when the boy left the cafeteria? Why oh why did he just sit there like a clam, keeping quiet when Wesley yelled at them in the cafeteria? Why didn't he follow him from the library? Why didn't tell the little one how happy he was they had this brother-relationship-thingy. Why did he always mess up?
Why hadn't he let Jerry follow Wesley? There might have been a screaming match and some tears but this would never have happened! Mark had only wanted to give Wesley a chance to calm down and Jerry a chance to form his words the right way. Mark knew Jerry hadn't meant that Wesley was least important to him right now. What Jerry, and Mark, was thinking of was the fact that Wesley was so strong he didn't need them 24/7 so he wasn't constantly with them and they didn't constantly worry about him. But Jerry, who'd been under a lot of stress lately, had formed those thoughts the wrong way. Mark couldn't blame him, just by looking at Jerry he knew his friend was tired… and sick. Jerry was like a damn terrier. He never showed weakness until it got to a stage of him being in need of hospital or nearly dying.
When Mark looked at Wesley's face he had to bite his lip to keep from growling and his fury was aimed at himself and the other Warblers… especially one of them. He glared at said Warbler. Hadn't this Warbler said all those things chances were Wesley wouldn't have had reacted the way he did in the cafeteria. He'd probably ask Jerry what the hell he was meaning… not this.
Lucas felt Mark glare at him and he couldn't help but feel that if he could… he would glare at himself in the same way. He should never had called Wesley weak because it was mean and truth was… the boy wasn't weak. He was just self-conscious and suspicious about other people's motives, it wasn't that hard to understand. After all… no one before Dalton had showed him that they cared about him and here a big group of boys convinced him that they cared… only to crush the boy's beliefs by badmouthing him and blaming him for stuff he wasn't even to blame for. Lucas felt the need to throw up or to cry… whatever came first.
Nathan and Otto were both feeling guilty, this was the third time they'd let Wesley down. The first one was on the very day they met him, the second was the slushie incident and the third was keeping quiet in the cafeteria and not telling Wesley he was wrong in what he said.
"Why do we continue to fuck up", Otto mumbled and Nathan took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Jerry closed his eyes and walked over to the bed and sat down beside it, on the floor. He put a hand on Wesley's shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.
"Wes", he asked. "Can you hear me kiddo?"
Wesley's eyes fluttered open and he looked drowsily at the boy next to him before he let his gaze sweep through the room. Jerry smiled softly, but tears were escaping his eyes as well. Wesley looked at Jerry.
"Jerry", he asked.
"Yes kid", Jerry said running his fingers through Wesley's hair. "Yeah it's me. Oh God kid I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't mean what I said. It came out wrong kiddo trust me."
"Where were you when I needed you", the kid asked drowsily, obviously having a fever as well.
"At the wrong place", Jerry said and pulled the kid into his arms hugging him. "I'm so sorry kiddo, I should have been there. I should have been there."
He could feel the boy shake in his arms as the boy cried. Then he felt the bed lower a bit as Mark sat down and put his arms around Jerry and Wesley. Otto and Nathan followed suit and Lucas bit his lip and walked over slowly.
"Shorty", he asked carefully and Wesley looked up at him with red eyes. "I'm really sorry. You are not weak. I was wrong, so wrong. Please forgive me."
Wesley only looked away and cried so hard his body jolted at every sob. The boys looked at each other confused. Jerry tightened his grip on the boy slightly before letting go.
"Lucas", he said and the younger boy understood. He took Jerry's place and hugged Wesley close feeling tears escape his eyes as well.
"I'm sorry", he mumbled into Wesley's hair. "I'm so sorry Shorty."
"I… I… I thought I could trust you", Wesley whimpered. "But… but…"
"You can trust me Shorty. I swear, after today you will never have any reason to doubt that."
"Y-y-you promise", Wesley asked looking up at him.
"I swear it", Lucas said smiling.
"What's the capital of Albania?"
"Tirana."
The other boys looked at each other in confusion, none of them knew what they were talking about. But Wesley seemed satisfied with the answer because he buried his face in Lucas' shoulder and fell asleep, not crying anymore.
"Should we move him to his room", Nathan asked.
"Oh please do", a voice said from behind them and they saw Alvaro. "I need my bed back as does my roomy."
Mark grunted in response and got up, taking Wes in his arms and walked out the door. Otto, Nathan and Lucas followed but Jerry hesitated.
"What", Alvaro spat at him. Jerry walked up to him and patted his shoulder.
"Thanks Alvaro", he said and smiled. "You're a good kid inside."
"Whatever", Alvaro grumbled. "Wes and I are even now so…" He shrugged. Jerry smiled and walked out, but called over his shoulder:
"Today was the first time you called him Wes. Are we warming up to him hm?"
"Shut up Jonston you're wrong", Alvaro called after him and Jerry left. But when he was gone Alvaro looked at the now empty bed with a sigh. "I hate it when you're right."
"Oh I just remember", he heard Nathan say down the hall. "No more carrots for Otto!"
"What?!"
This is what Alvaro yelled at Jerry.
"What's wrong with you?! How could you say those things to Wes?! You're an asshole Jerry! I'm from Lima Heights Adjentes and do you know what we do to people who hurts kids there? Do you know what happens to them? Bad things! I'll kill you for what you did! All of you! Let go of me! I'll fucking kill all of you for what you did! If you ever come near him again I'll knock your fucking head off Jerry! How dare you?!"
TBC Sorry for shortness... who were the kids Wes helped I wonder ;)
Answer to non-members' (or not signed in members') reviews:
Paula - So was it the person you thought it was?
2005
Warblers Wes' first year (age 12):
Seniors – Mark Connors, Jerry Jonston(chairman), Scott Crawford, Bastian Nolan,
Brad Raymond, Fredric Fitzgerald & Richard Diamond
Juniors – Peter Philips, Michael Abrams, Philip Peters(lead singer), Charles
Owens, Lucas Bedford, Brad Sullivan(councilman) & Ethan Hughes
Sophomores – Joseph Hughes, William Holmes, Roger Smith, Matt Jonson, Austin
Diaz (councilmember secretary), Justin/Justine Gideon, Reed Morgan, Malcolm Nolan
& Tom Bedford
Freshmen – Nathan Newland, Otto Johnson, Julian Rose, Mitch Magnuson, Eric
Anderson, Carl & John Wilkins
Special – Wes
Totally: 30