Losing your way

So this is a triple prompt which is very exciting! This chapter was prompted by Alice, anon and guest and their joint prompts is Jason finds himself involved with the wrong type of people, he didn't know how it happened, or how it got this far, but suddenly he's hiding a gun in his bag! But when he's kicked out of the house for that very reason, Jason realises it's all gone too far and tries to back out, but sometimes it's just not that easy

Jason doesn't remember when his life starting going drastically downhill, can't recall the exact moment, though maybe it was when he was watching Tre beat up a kid within an inch of his life, because the smaller kid had smirked at Tre, doing nothing but occasionally wincing as the kid's screams filled the night air.

Maybe it was when he was on lookout for any police whilst Marcus and Roy robbed a shop in the dead of night. Maybe it went back to the first day of college, when he sat next to Tre in biology in the back of the classroom, unaware of the darkness that lurked beneath the curly head, or maybe it went all the way back to the day he moved to Hollyoaks village.

Jason wasn't sure, though it wasn't like it mattered all that much either, because by the time Easter rolled around, he was 99% certain he was a member of a freaking gang, the knife wielding, shop robbing and fight starting sort of gang. God he was so screwed.

Jason had initially befriended Tre because he had been lonely, Robbie had told him in no uncertain terms that he didn't want his twin brother following him around like a little puppy dog, because he knew no-one at the school, whilst Robbie had started at Hollyoaks High a full three months before Jason had done.

His biology partner seemed nice enough at first, and Jason had instantly warmed up to him, appreciating Tre's dry sense of humour and sharing the same viewpoint on many things. Or so he had thought, but then he realised that his new friend was completely sociopathic, not caring for anyone who he hurt, in fact, going out of his way to cause the maximum amount of pain possible.

Jason wanted to leave, didn't want anything else to do with Tre and his new 'set of friends', but it was difficult, he couldn't just up and go, he knew too much about what they did, and no doubt would be seen as a liability (also Jason had seen the knives and even guns that the five or so lads liked to carry around, getting on the wrong side of that was not something he particularly wanted).

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and Jason really wasn't sure what path he was going to take on the situation, though the decision was made even harder when one night, whilst in the gang's usual haunt, he was passed a dirty rucksack and told to keep hold of it.

"You going to tell me what it is?" Jason asked, looking at the bag with curiosity, though unwilling to open it unless he was given direct permission to do so. Everyone in this place had their secrets, and if you stumbled upon one, well it was pretty much a given you wouldn't be leaving.

"Open it and see," Tre told him, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, it widening when Jason unzipped the bag, gasping sharply when he realised what he was now carrying.

"That... that's a fucking gun," Jason whispered, eyes wide as he looked up for confirmation, praying against all hopes that this was all just some massive wind up, or he had been given the wrong bag, because he couldn't carry a gun around, he couldn't bring it in to his home!

"No shit Sherlock," Roy chuckled, sharing an amused look with the others at the horror on Jason's face. "We need you to look after it for a while, but keep it hidden yeah, the police are going to be trying to find it in no time, they won't suspect you."

"For how long?" Jason asked, unable to believe just how lost and out of control his life was becoming, because this couldn't be happening, there couldn't be a gun in the bag he was carrying, he couldn't be asked to look after it, it just made no sense.

"Until we say so, you got that?"

Jason knew he should shake his head, drop the bag like it was on fire and leave without ever looking back. He knew he should report every single one of these scum to the police, they were all evil and twisted and they deserved nothing better than being locked up forever, but Jason knew he couldn't do that, not if he wanted to stay alive anyway.

So instead the teen found himself nodding, turning to get back home and hide the gun out of sight from his family's prying eyes, hoping that the hell he had found himself in would just disappear and never bother him again, but the numbness that hit the bottom of the stomach, told him in no uncertain terms that that was never going to happen.

You don't get out of this sort of life, it was impossible, and Jason knew in that moment that there was going to be no escape for him. Just how had this all even happened?

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"I'm home," Jason yelled over the din that filled his home when he walked through the front door, shooting one final glance over his shoulder to make sure no-one had followed him on his way back, before closing the front door firmly behind him.

"Ahh good, come here love, I need you to try this sauce," Sandy replied, entering Jason's vision briefly as she flitted around the kitchen.

"Uh yeah, in a minute," Jason said, already moving to the stairs so he could dump the rucksack. Once that was done he knew he'd be safe, the bag and more importantly the gun, would be out of sight and it would hopefully mean the end of his troubles.

"It won't take a second J! Come on, do it now, or the taste may be ruined."

"And we wouldn't want that," Jason muttered, already pulling a face at the thought of the awful concoction his mum would have made him, purposefully ignoring the snickering from his brothers as they were all splayed out in the living room, trying to decide whether it was worth the risk going up to his room first or not.

"Just go Jase, all you need to do is try the sauce," Freddie called when he realised that Jason still hadn't moved from his spot at the foot of the stairs. "Then you can go back to being the little antisocial teen we all know you are."

Sighing, Jason saw no other alternative but to move forward to the kitchen, placing the bag on the table when Sandy thrusted a spoon into his hand, ready for him to dip it in the sauce that was already burning Jason's nose after mere seconds of being in the same room as it, and he couldn't help but fear for his tongue.

"Hey Jase you got that tenner you owe me?" Robbie asked as he entered the kitchen, already unzipping the bag as he asked, no doubt in search for the money that he was owed. Jason watched on in horror as Robbie unzipped the bag, eyes widening as he caught sight of the gun that was laying there innocently.

"What the fuck?" he asked automatically, catching everyone's attentions with his disbelieving cry.

"Robbie language!" Sandy reprimanded him, not noticing the stare off that the twins were now part of, as Jason tried to silently communicate for Robbie to keep his silence, though the older twin was too enraged to take any notice of what Jason was begging.

"What the hell are you playing at Jase? I thought you weren't this stupid to get mixed up in something like this!"

"It's not what it looks like Rob," Jason said, hoping Robbie would at least back down for long enough to get rid of the others suspicions that was now directed at him.

"So you've got a gun because you're part of girl scouts now? Yeah I didn't think so." Robbie spat, ignoring the shocked gasps that filled the whole house.

"A gun? Please tell me you're playing a very unfunny joke here," Sandy said, turning to Robbie, who only unzipped the bag further so the weapon was on clear show for everyone.

"Jase hasn't told you about the new friends he's made either, has he? They're a delightful bunch, beating people up, dealing drugs, you sure know how to pick them don't you J?" Robbie drawled, any loyalty he had once felt for his twin disappearing as the rumours he'd heard about Jason that he'd chosen to ignore, were all confirmed in that one moment.

"It's not like that, I promise you!"

"Then what is it like?" Sandy asked, her eyes cold as she spoke. "Because I see no other reason for you having a gun in your possession. What's even happened to you in the last few months, you used to be so good, but now you're doing all of those terrible things, never mind the fact that you were in court a few weeks ago."

"Mum that's not fair-"

"Isn't it?" Sandy asked, successfully interrupting Jason's desperate attempts to get the family back on side. "Because to me it is. And I've never felt so disgusted, actually I can't even look at you at the moment."

"Mum please," Jason tried again, seeing where Sandy was directing this, and hoping it wouldn't be true.

"Stop it! I don't want you under my roof, not after this J. Just go Jason, I can't look at you, not after knowing what you've done."

Jason didn't try again, he knew there was no point, especially seeing the joint looks of disgust and anger that marred everyone's faces. He had really screwed up this time, and was paying the ultimate price for it.

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As Jason left the house, his home, for what was probably the last time if his family had anything to do with it, he had no clear cut destination in mind. There was no-one's house he could go to for the night, not that he particularly wanted to, lest Sandy made good on her threat and actually called the police.

It wasn't surprising when Robbie didn't answer his phone, no doubt the whole family would do the same thing, but Jason knew he needed to apologise once more, needed to promise Robbie that he was going to fix this, because he was going to do just that, and he needed for his twin to know that, just in-case he never saw his own family ever again.

He had to sort this mess out in any way he could, and there was only one place he could go to do that.

"Hey!" Jason screamed as he caught the gang's attention, too angry and wound up to properly think through the current situation he was in, because no matter how much he was pumped up by adrenalin and rage, him against four other guys, four bigger and older guys, was not going to end well.

"All right Jase, didn't think we'd be seeing you again so soon," Tre laughed, bringing a can of cider to his lips as he spoke, though before he could take a drink, Jason had launched onto the larger lad, punching him furiously and only stopping when he was physically restrained. "What the fuck?"
"I've been kicked out because of you and your stupid gun!" Jason snarled, still struggling, not caring for the shocked look that painted itself on Tre's face.

"Well I didn't tell you to show it to them did I?"

"Robbie went in my bag and saw it, weren't too long before everyone knew."

"And where's the gun now Jason?" Tre asked, taking a step forward as he spoke, realising himself that it could all be over right then and there. When Jason said nothing, Tre sighed and took another step forward, till he was nose to nose with his classmate. "So it's still back at your house then, well this just turned awfully messy, seems like you're going to be sent down for a very long time when your family squeal to the police."

"What are you talking about? I had nothing to do with that thing, it was all yous."

"Well, your prints are the only ones on that gun, you really shouldn't have touched it when we gave it to you. Amateur mistake really J, but hey, maybe you'll learn your lesson now."

"On what, how to hide a freaking gun?" Jason snarled, pulling against Roy and Mark, though both men were too strong to even feel his struggles. "You're all psychos, fucking warped in the head that's what you are. Beating up kids, robbing shops and shooting people, who even does that?"

"Oh now, don't talk like that Jase, you're going to hurt my feelings," Tre said softly, the quiet tone of his voice more threatening than if he was yelling and raging. Because that was what Tre usually did, it was predictable and Jason could normally work out what was going to happen next.

But this was new and Jason had no idea what was going to come of it, didn't know what Tre might try next, and he was terrified. "And don't go acting like you're so much better than us, because you've been hanging out with us for months, and whilst you may not have physically done any of those things, you've stood by each and every time and let it happen, and hell, I think that's worse, because you're too cowardly to try and do the right thing."

"Get away from me you bastard," Jason snarled, though Tre only laughed mockingly at the demand. Jason didn't know what happened next, he saw a flash of silver, felt Tre's fist slamming into his stomach, it erupting in pain as soon as Tre took a step back, causing way more pain than a simple winding should.

Jason only realised it hadn't been a simple punch when he saw the bloodied knife in Tre's hand, and he looked down to confirm what he knew must be true. He had been stabbed.

"Lets go guys. It'll teach him not to act out again," Tre told the others sharply, motioning for them to move out, and although Jason heard the other teen's words, they had no impact on him and he couldn't react. As Roy and Mark released their iron grips on his arms, Jason fell to the floor instantly, already too weak to hold himself up, and as he watched the four men leave with blurred vision, the pain the only thing he could actively concentrate on, Jason wondered whether he'd ever get out of this dank, dark alley alive.

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He wasn't sure how he'd managed it, but within twenty minutes Jason had found himself at the front to his house, the ripped remains of his hoodie tied tightly around the wound in his stomach, pressing tightly in, in desperate hopes of quelling the blood flow, though his increasing light headedness suggested that the method really wasn't working.

If he hadn't been so foggy-minded, hadn't been only able to focus on the pain that washed over him sharply, Jason would have never found himself outside his home, especially so soon after the massive argument, but he was half delirious, and all he knew he needed was help and desperately so.

The walk to up the garden path was a struggle in itself, and Jason felt like stopping right then and there, content to bleed out in the front garden as long as it meant the pain would go away, but he knew he had to keep going, couldn't stop when he was so close to getting proper help.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ziggy asked after answering the door to see his youngest brother leaning heavily on the door-frame, stark white and sweating heavily. "You know mum doesn't want to see you after that stunt you pulled, a gun seriously Jason, what the hell were you playing at, you could of-"

The mechanic was cut off as Jason finally gave into the pain and the looming darkness that had been threatening to take over since the alley way, and unpromptly collapsed on the hallway floor, his hand falling away from his wound to reveal the dark red patch that was now taking up a considerate portion of his shirt, as the blood only began to spread even more.

"Oh my God," Ziggy gasped, falling to his knees to try and wake Jason, cursing when he realised what must have happened and just how much blood Jason had lost already. "Mum!"

Sandy came racing to the bottom of the stairs from the kitchen, the others all close behind her, and all stopping short when they saw Jason's prone form lying on the floor, completely motionless and dead to the world.

"I think he's been stabbed," Ziggy managed to choke out, hands already covered in blood as he tried to keep the pressure on the wound, though it seemed to be having little effect woth Jason's current blood loss.

In seconds Lindsey was also by Jason's side, doing everything she could whilst Freddie quickly called the ambulance, all members of the Roscoe family praying that it would arrive and soon, because who knew how much time Jason had left.

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"Jason is currently resting now, but we believe he's gone through the worst of it," one of Jason's doctors told the worried Roscoe's, who hadn't moved from their seats that were just outside of Jason's ward since they'd arrived two and a half hours ago. "We've managed to stop the blood loss and stitch up the wound, which fortunately missed any vital organs. We're also currently replacing the blood that Jason lost and will probably to keep him in for a few days to observe him, but he should be fine."

"Oh thank God," Sandy breathed at the news, thanking everything under the sun that her youngest was going to be okay. She was still angry at what Jason had found himself mixed up in, was furious at the fact that he was, or had been in the possession of a gun, but the knowledge that he was going to be okay and being eternally grateful for that far outweighed her former worries.

The rest of the family were in similar headspaces, finally able to breath easy, knowing that Jason was going to be okay, and Robbie found himself automatically checking his phone, surprised to see a voicemail from Jason.

Dubiously he pressed play and placed the phone to his ear, wondering just what part of the evening he was going to hear play out.

"Rob? Just listen to this message when you can yeah, I get why you're not answering your phone, I sure wouldn't if I was in your position, and you don't have to reply, but please just listen to me. I'm so sorry about tonight, about all this shit I've got myself in, but you have to believe I didn't mean for it to happen.

"I just got talking to Tre Mall, you know him right? Well he's in our year at school and he's next to me in biology, anyway, that's not important, but I got chatting with him and he was the only person in the whole school who seemed okay with being a mate. I didn't know any part of him being in a freaking gang, but then little things started to happen, and now I'm just in the bloody thick of it.

"But that gun isn't mine, you have to believe me okay, it was one of the guy's and I was told to hide it. I've never used a gun or even thought about it before, and I would have said no, but I think I'm a bit too caught up in it at the moment. But I'm going to fix this whole mess okay, I'm going to go there and sort it all out.

"You don't have to talk to me afterwards, I know it doesn't fix anything Rob, but you just have to believe that I'm sorting it, and please, don't let your last memory of me be of a guy who runs with guns and hurts people, because that's not me, that's never been me. I have to go now though, I'm almost there, but yeah, bye Rob."

The message ended with a sharp beep, and as Robbie slid his phone back into his jeans pocket, he knew exactly what he had to do. Those bastards had hurt his brother, hell had almost killed him and he was going to make them pay.

"Uh, I'm going out for a bit, need to get something from home," he told Sandy as he stood, shooting her a comforting smile, though fortunately she didn't protest. "I'll be back in a bit yeah?"

"Of course love, don't be too long," Sandy replied, squeezing Fraser's hand tightly from where she was sat on the uncomfortable hospital chair.

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It hadn't taken long for Robbie to locate the gang, they were all chilling in a dank alleyway, laughing and drinking like they didn't have a care in the world, which made Robbie's blood boil even more, because only a few hours ago, those bastards had stabbed Jason, had him on deaths door, and they were acting as if it had never happened.

He wanted nothing more than to beat them within an inch of their pathetic lives, but Robbie knew there was no way he could attempt that. They'd no doubt overpower him, and he'd end up in a worse state than Jason was currently in, and Robbie doubted his family could deal with anymore heartbreak.

Instead, he pressed himself to the alley wall to make sure there was no chance of being spotted by the four guys, before getting his phone out of his pocket and dialling one very simple number.

"Police please," he muttered, making sure to keep his voice low enough for him not to be overheard. "Yeah I want to give some information on the stabbing of Jason Roscoe, that happened earlier tonight. He was stabbed by a gang, they're on the back-alley of Monks Road right now, come quick yeah?"

Once he had hung up, Robbie couldn't quite contain his victorious smirk as he walked back up the lane, away from the gang and ensuing chaos. As he continued, Robbie heard police sirens in the distance and his smile only grew, yes victory was sweet and those bastards were finally going to pay for the hell that they'd caused.

A bit of a longer one and so many short chapters, so I hope you all liked it!

Next chapter - Sandy believes in tough love to raise her sons, but when she grounds the twins on the day of a massive party, what lengths will they go to, to get out of the house? And when the building they're in collapses, what will the Roscoe's do to save their loved ones? - prompted by a guest

So I passed 500 reviews last chapter and wow, just wow! I never thought this story would get 100, never mind 500! Thank you all for your lovely words.

I recently finished my other story, Downwards Spiral, and am trying to update this every three/four days instead of every five/six, but at the moment that's just not possible. I have my AS exams coming up incredibly soon, so am spending more time revising than ever, which leaves me with very little writing time.

My Easter holidays are coming up next week though, so I'm going to try and write a lot in those two weeks, to be able to update a bit more, though I hope everyone will understand if that doesn't happen till June, when my exams are over and I am no longer stressing out about them.