youngblood // p. hockstetter // 0.1

//twenty-four

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It was Belch Huggins whom drove Victor and Rosemary home the night of the party after Rosemary returned to the party with neither Patrick or Mark. Louis had asked where he was the moment she returned and she calmly explained how, after Mark had told her the boys that left where going to do drugs in the woods they had parted, as she told Louis Jude didn't do drugs during school weeks.

She'd laid it on thick though, handing Louis his torch as well as their home phone number on the back of a cigarette sheet she'd found in Jude's shirt, much to his surprise. "I'm going to catch a ride home with Belch, but tell Mark to call me some time" She smiled, fiddling with her sleeve. "Your brother's really sweet" Already Louis was thinking of how he could hype his brother up when he arrived back as he watched Rosemary lead with Belch and a stumbling Victor. He was the only one to witness Rosemary look back and lock eyes with Patrick, whom was in the process of entering the house from the front porch, an unlit cigarette propped between his teeth.

He thought nothing of it.

Belch drove with both Victor and Rosemary in the back, Victor's head laid gently on her lap as she sifted her fingers through his hair. He'd fallen asleep within seconds of getting into the car and Belch found himself glancing back at the pair in a unnaturally paternal fashion with a slight smile on his face.

"Sorry about all this Rose, I'll drop Vic off and then take you home"

"It's no problem, thank you again for taking me back. I still can't believe Jude would leave without me" After finding her, Belch had quickly informed her that Jude had supposedly run off with the guy whom brought the drugs.

"It was a bit of a dick move...." Belch mumbled, pulling up to a red light. The pair where silent for a few moments before Belch turned and looked at Victor. "He really likes you, you know?" Rosemary smiled fittingly down at Victor. "But Henry really likes you alot too" Belch noticed her face fall and as they crossed the road, he quickly pulled to the side besides Victor's apartment complex. "You stay here while I take him up. You can hop into the front seat though" After several minutes of Victor's father collecting Victor from the lobby of the building and berating Belch for his son's drunkard state, Belch returned to the car but didn't move. Rosemary was silently looking at him in confusion as he took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. "What'd Henry do?"

"I don't know what-"

"Rosemary I'm not an idiot" He stared at her earnestly, "You where rattled when you came out of the house and you looked like you'd taken a punch to the gut when I said his name just before" She was silent, fiddling with her fingers. "Rose, you can tell me. Yes I'll always be friends with Henry, but that doesn't mean I tell him everything that goes on around him"

She nod her head, holding her eyes open in a desperate attempt to bring tears. "Well he..." She cleared her throat, staring at her hands. "Henry was just very-" Flattening her hands, she made a short movement forward as if to emphasis someone pushing something. "-aggressive. But I get it! He was drunk"

"Doesn't mean he can do anything and everything he wants. Henry is one of my best mates, but even I'll admit drinking does bring out the worst in him" Belch started the car. "You sure that he didn't do anything else?" Rosemary bit her lip, nodding slightly. "See now I know you're lying. You look like you're about to cry"

Stopping in the middle of the empty street, he turned to face her, staring at her expectantly. Rosemary felt her 'tears' pool in her eyes before she sniffled and rubbed her shoulders, pulling her knees closer. "Henry..." She tenderly wiped at her eyes in an attempt to avoid smudging her make-up. "He kissed me and... touched me alot, and I really didn't like it but he wouldn't stop..." With the perfect crack of her voice, Belch leant back against his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"For Christ's sake..." He looked at her as she allowed tears to slip carelessly down her cheeks. "I'm sorry that happened Rose. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No thank you. I'll talk to him when I see him at school" Arriving at her house, Belch stepped out with her to walk her to the door.

"The house looks good. Not so much a crackhouse anymore" Rosemary giggled, bumping his shoulder.

"Thanks for being so kind Belch"

"Anytime Ro-" The front door slammed open and Nathaniel rushed forward with Daniel slowly following behind him.

"Rosemary!" Nathaniel's hands squished her face, twisting her back and forth until he spun her around as he scoured her for injuries. "Do you know why time it is?! Its almost three in the morning! Jude what where-" Holding her to his bare chest, Nathaniel looked up to berate his youngest brother when he finally realised that Jude wasn't there.

"Rose" Daniel asked calmly beside Nathaniel, "Where is your brother?"

"I don't know" Nathaniel bent down, grasping her shoulders as he stared at her in confusion.

"Why don't you know?" Rosemary bit her trembling lip as she glanced back at Belch, glassy eyed. Nathaniel finally looked past her at Belch as he stepped forward.

"Jude left the party a while ago with..." Rosemary turned to Belch, her eyes practically begging him to not say 'drug dealer'. Belch cleared his throat "...."with a friend. "

"Nate, Daniel, this is one of my friends from school"

"Reginald Huggins" Belch held his hand out and Nathaniel gratefully shook it.

"Thank you for bringing Rosemary home"

"No problem" Belch smiled before bumping Rosemary's shoulder. "See you Monday?" His voice was gentle and sincere, but she still felt Nathaniel's grip on her tighten.

"Yeah"

Belch looked back up at her brothers and nod slightly, "Take care of 'er"

It would be another 36 hours before any of his siblings saw Jude again, as the high Jude was going through wouldn't end until 10:37pm on the Sunday evening. That gave Rosemary just enough time to lay down the foundations, crying into Daniel's shirt as she described Henry Bowers and his horrible party, where Jude had left her after a few hours and abandoned her amongst strangers.

Pacing in the lounge room where Rosemary's head lay on Daniel's lap, Nathaniel dragged his hands through his hair in frustration. "I could kill that boy" He grit whilst Daniel sighed in annoyance, his thumb gently circling Rosemary's shoulder beneath the blanket atop her. She smiled as she felt her eyes protest against her attempts at staying awake.

They all felt like killing Jude, but the real question was, which of them could actually do it.

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