*I feel really bad about this chapter. I mean, I'm not gunna tell you right here in the author's comments what happens or anything, but I feel REALLY bad. Poor Freddy.*

The rest of the day all the way to lunch passed quickly, almost in a blur. No one really bothered Freddy or Elliot much until after lunch ended. Then catastrophe struck, in the hall just before History.

Elliot was waiting in front of the classroom for Freddy, books loosely held at his side. He was staring off into space, thinking. That's when a loud, shrill scream bounced off the walls, ringing in his ears. He snapped his head up, sighting the disturbance and dropping his books.

Freddy was pushed up against the lockers a few down from the classroom, breathing heavily and grimacing in utmost pain. Andrew was keeping him held against the metal, twisting his now unbandaged bicep so hard it was beginning to bleed profusely again, spreading throughout his sweater's sleeve and soaking it. Andrew didn't care in the least, Lesley, Vicky, Kristian, and Caroline behind him. Each had a sickly smug grin on their lips.

"You bitch," Andrew hissed in Freddy's ear. He didn't dare move, his books cascaded on the floor, scattered about. "Think you'll get away wit makin' ME look like an idiot? Try it and I'll kick your scrawny, bastard ass so hard you won't be able to sit for the rest a your pathetic life- which'll probably end soon. Get it?"

Freddy gulped and clenched his eyes shut, nodding rapidly with his cheek pressed against the metal locker. Andrew pulled him away, spinning him around and punching him straight on the side of the face.

Freddy sputtered, spitting up blood and cringing. Andrew forcibly threw him to the marble floor, Freddy landing hard on his injured arm. He screamed again, rolling over and clutching it in a vain attempt for the pain to subside. If anything it increased, and soon afterward it went numb.

Andrew kicked him as hard as he could in the abdomen, causing Freddy to cough and gasp, trying to regain his dignity and his breath.

The girls exploded into a full blown laughing fit, Kristian smirking. With that Lesley and Kristian made their way over to Elliot, who's mouth was slightly agape, eyes wide, too shocked to move. Lesley scowled in utmost hatred, literally shoving him out of the way and swaggering inside, Kristian hot on her heels. Nearly falling down he easily regained his balance, quickly getting over his surprise and rushing over to Freddy, who was still on the ground, groaning in pain and for help.

He fell to his knees beside him, shaking his unscathed arm. Freddy looked to his friend, ever so slightly hyperventilating. He winced, a faint grin playing the corners of his lips as he weakly said in almost a whisper, "Payback's a bitch, ain't it, El?"

"You didn't even do anything; it was my fault," Elliot said shamefully.

"Don' worry about it," Freddy told him hoarsely. "Happens all the time."

Elliot looked to his bleeding arm in worry. "That needs immediate treatment, Freddy."

"Then drag this poor soul to the nurse," Freddy said dramatically.

"Drag? No. Nurse? Of course," Elliot said, putting an arm underneath his shoulders and slowly bringing themselves to their feet. Freddy was balancing about half his weight on Elliot, who either didn't notice or didn't care.

When they got to the nurse's office, said nurse was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit..." Freddy whined, Elliot leading him over to one of the beds and laying him down. As carefully and non- pain inducing as possible he rolled up the sleeve of his sweater to reveal the onslaught of blood smeared on his charred skin.

Freddy tightly shut his eyes, growling in pain and opening them again. He glared at the ceiling, reaching his right hand to touch his now bruised and bloody lip. He sighed. "I'm a frickin' fist magnet."

"Do you always comment on your physical health?" Elliot questioned, searching on the counter and in the drawers and cupboards for medical alcohol, cotton swabs, and fresh bandages.

"Eh." Freddy shrugged in the least painful way. "Ta tell you the truth, not really. I've never had anyone to talk to it about, or talk to in general. 'Sides, my life's a boring ditch of crap. What do I have to talk about?"

"You're talking NOW, are you not?" Elliot responded, having found the equipment and dabbing a ball of cotton with the alcohol.

"Yeah, but that's 'cause you asked me something," Freddy agreed flatly.

"Ah." Elliot smiled to himself. "Actually, it was YOU who encouraged me to do so."

Freddy was silenced for a moment as the pinned boy walked over to him, setting the roll of gauze beside the other. "You destroy my pride, you know," he said, trying to sound upsettened (- not a real word). It ended badly.

"That's my job," Elliot said, shooting him an amused smirk. "This is going to sting."

"Don't doctors usually say 'a little' after that?"

"Yes, but I'm honest, and would never lie to you."

"So doctors ARE lying?"

"Mmhmm."

A pause. "Oh, that make me feel SO trustworthy with the hospital now."

"Doesn't it, though?" As gently as possible Elliot cleaned the blood from the wound, Freddy squeezing his eyes shut with a sharp intake of breath.

"Aw, damn!" he exclaimed.

"Told you," Elliot said bluntly. He threw the cotton into the nearby trashcan and picked up the gauze, unraveling it to a suitable extent and ripping it off with the clip. He took Freddy's wrist, bringing his whole arm into the air and set the first end underneath Freddy's injury, bandaging his arm thickly. Freddy flinched a few times, but remained quiet.

Soon the deed was done, and as in the hospital it looked good as new. Freddy opened his eyes, glancing at the covered wound and then at Elliot, who was wrapping the gauze back up. "Where the Hell'd you learn how to do that?"

Elliot merely shrugged, moving back over to the counter whre the other supplies were. "My mom."

"Wha'does she work as?" Freddy asked, simply curious. "A doctor chick or sumthin'?"

Elliot shook his head, putting the things back where he had found them. "No, she's a lawyer."

"Sweet." Freddy grinned. "Don't lawyers make like, a ton a money?"

"If you're implying we're wealthy, you're horribly mistaken," Elliot said, keeping his back turned.

"I'm just sayin', if your mom's a hotshot, why the fuck would you move to Springwood? Its the biggest shit hole on the planet."

"Though that's true, we're not staying here forever."

"Huh?"

"We're not staying here forever. My mom has a few cases in Ohio throughout the year, and she couldn't keep traveling halfway across the country to get to them and leave me home alone for weeks on end. So we had to rent a house here."

"So... you're only staying a year?" Freddy questioned, a hint of sadness and rising anger in his tone.

Slowly, Elliot nodded. "We're leaving at the end of July," he said quietly.

"Dammit, El!" Freddy said, eyes narrowing. "Coulda told me earlier!"

"And what difference would it have made? I'd still be leaving, same time, same place. No one can change that."

"Buy the fucking house."

"That's my mom's decision, Freddy, not mine."

"Then tell your mom to buy the fucking house."

"No! What are you, crazy?"

The burned boy kept quiet to the other's outburst, and the conversation came to an abrupt end, both falling silent.

*Told you. I had a hard time writing the scene with Freddy gettin' the shit beat outta him. Poor guy. But here come Super Elliot to save the day! Again! Yay! And by their Nurse's Office Conversation, you can see where the story's goin'. Sorry, but yeah, its gunna be a sad ending... for the most part. I love teasing you guys. Review please!*