Cat's muffled scream rang in my ears.

"HELP! HELP!" I yelled, hoping a neighbor would hear me.

I parked my car in the middle of the road and ran to Cat's front door. I tried to open it. It was locked.

"Dammit! SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"What the hell are you screaming at, kid?" asked a small man emerging from the house next door.

"Call the police! Now! I need help! My friend needs help!" I yelled at him.

I rammed my shoulder into the door, sending sharp pain through my arm. Cat's screams were barely audible, but I could feel them chilling my bones.

The man fumbled around in his pockets for his cellphone and called 911.

I rammed my shoulder into the door again and it bust open.

"CAT!" I yelled.

Ethan had her pinned against the counter. He had ripped open her top and pulled off her skirt. Cat was trying to scream around the rag shoved in her mouth, thrashing and kicking and squirming under Ethan.

I made the decision to try and beat Ethan in a fight. The odds did not look good.

"ETHAN! GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!" I yelled, trying to get Ethan's attention.

Ethan stopped trying to get Cat's underwear off and turned his head slightly so he could see me with his peripheral vision.

"Get out of here, pussy." He said calmly.

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon." I said, hatred dripping from my voice like syrup.

Ethan whispered something into Cat's ear. It must have terrifying because Cat's eyes widened and her face paled. He grabbed her by her waist and shoved her to the floor. She crawled away from him.

Ethan slowly turned and smiled cruelly at me. I hoped I didn't look as scared as I felt.

"So...the pussy wants to be fucked?" He asked. The hell?

"I really hope that's not all you could come up with." I said, trying to distract him from Cat, who was trying to get to the phone on the table.

Ethan laughed darkly and began prowling towards me. I stood my ground and took up a defensive position. Ethan approached slowly, taking his time.

Good. Maybe the police will get here before he pulverizes me.

Ethan stopped, only about 5 feet away. He stood up straight and laughed lightly. I had a couple of inches on him in height, but he out bulked me by a lot.

I took my chance and charged. Ethan must have been waiting for this because he stepped aside and tripped me. I must have looked like a fool, because Ethan laughed even harder.

I flipped onto my butt and sat up. Ethan was gazing down on me like a demon. He backed up, giving me room to get to my feet.

"Why don't you try again?" He asked, mocking me.

I stood still, trying to remember the moves I learned in the bully defense class I took a month ago. Ethan got impatient. He walked towards me quickly and punched me in the gut. I doubled over in pain.

"Give up?" he asked.

I shook my head and wheezed. He kneed me in the face. I could hear my nose crunch, but all I felt was numb. Ethan turned around and looked at Cat on the floor.

"Where were we?" he asked as he walked towards her.

The small man from next door appeared in the doorway and shouted "The police will be here in 20 minutes!"

"Perfect. Just enough time for me to get off and leave." Ethan said.

The man gasped and ran back to the safety of his home.

I looked around from where I lay crumpled on the floor and spotted a baseball bat leaning against the wall by the front door. I got up slowly and picked up the bat.

Slowly and silently I stalked Ethan from behind. He was crouched over Cat's tense body, trying to pull off her underwear.

Cat saw me and her eyes widened. Ethan barely had enough time to turn and look at me before I hit him across the head with the bat as hard as I could. He fell to the ground like a ragdoll, out cold.

I dropped the bat and sank to my knees, exhausted and in pain.

Cat stared at Ethan in shock. Tears streamed down her face and bruises decorated her bare skin.

"Are...are you okay?" I asked. I didn't want to touch her, afraid she'd think I was trying to take advantage of her.

"I...R-robbie..." She gasped. She crawled over to me and threw her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her small waist as sobs wracked through her body.

"Shhhh, shhhh. It's okay." I whispered softly into her hair.

Cat cried into my shoulder until the police got there. They put a towel around her blanket around her half-naked body, and brought all three of us to the hospital.

O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)O(O)

I woke up in a white hospital room. Cat was sitting at the foot of my bed.

"Robbie!" Cat gasped. She jumped up and hugged me around my neck gingerly.

"How do you feel?" she asked after she pulled away.

"...broken." I answered.

She giggled slightly and sighed.

"You have a broken nose, 4 broken fingers, and 2 broken ribs." She informed me.

Wow. I didn't think it was that bad.

"What about Ethan? Where is he?" I asked.

"Robbie...you knocked him into a coma! I'm charging Ethan for sexual abuse. I'll have to go to court when he wakes up." Cat said in her normal, sweet voice. It felt so good hearing it.

I closed my eyes and smiled in satisfaction.

"Robbie?" Cat asked after a minute.

"Yes?" I opened my eyes and stared at her. She looked guilty and ashamed.

"I'm...I'm so sorry for every mean word I have said to you. I don't deserve a person like you in my life. Thank you so much." She said quietly.

I chuckled softly, but it still hurt my ribs. Cat smiled.

"Do you know how much I care about you Cat? How much everyone cares for you?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I would do anything for you. Anything at all." I told her.

"Would you kiss me?" She asked shyly.

"...what?"

Cat leaned down and pressed her lips softly to mine. It was better than any of the other kisses we had shared. This one was real and sweet.

Cat broke apart the kiss and stared into my eyes. She reached out hesitantly and ran her fingers through my curly black hair.

"I love you."