Unsubtle Changes

Chapter 4

Collt tried to be as quiet as possible as he tiptoed into his house. The living rooms T.V. flickered and muffled sounds of a football game escaped the small room. Collt tried to make a beeline to the stairs leading up to his room but was stilled as soon as he heard glass shattering and some very colorful language escape the living room. His eyes widened as he heard a broken whimper. His younger sister, his mind supplied. Collt didn’t hesitate to shuffle into the living room and rushed to his sisters’ side. His father was yelling at him now, incoherent drunk rumbles that Collt didn’t pay much mind to.

                “Go to your room Illisa,” He muttered to the small weeping girl, surrounded by broken glass. Luckily the small girl was uncut and easily squirmed out of the living room. As soon as the small pitter patter of the girl shuffling up the stairs disappeared Collt felt something hard smack his face. The force had Collt’s knees buckling and suddenly he was on the floor. Little shards of glass caught in his hair and more of the thin pieces joined others on the floor. A bottle, Collt had been hit by a bottle. A beer bottle, if the scent of the nasty liquid had any say in the matter. Which really it didn’t the living room always stunk of the scent. Collt quickly stumbled out of the living room, no out of the house, immediately after his father plopped down in his recliner and soft snores were heard. The boy didn’t dare raise a hand to feel the shards of glass poking into his skin as he left the home. He could already feel the hot trickle of blood down his face. Then Collt ran, he ran towards of the one house he always knew would be welcoming. Bennett’s house, tears fresh in his eyes as he rounded a sharp corner, only to be met with headlights. Well shit, was all the boy could think as the car shrieked to a stop only slightly nudging him. Then a familiar face poked out of the passenger side door…Josh Davidson…Well shit .

                Tyler quickly got out of the car, “Oh my god, are you okay?” he asked the boy, quite literally in the head lights. The boy just gave a small nod, and Tyler would have just left it at that if it wasn’t for Josh speaking up.

               

“Hey, don’t I know you?” Josh asked as he got out of the car, looking at Collt, “You’re the track kid,” the boy walked closer, examining his bleeding face.

“I-I…yes,” Collt stuttered out, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. I mean who knows, maybe Josh liked weeping boys with red rimmed eyes and blood, sweat, and tear covered faces…since when did Collt care if Josh liked him or not?

                “We were on our way to the hospital, I think you should come with...” Josh stood there awkwardly but trying to act cool, “but we need to hurry.”

                Collt waited a bit before replying. Then finally gave his head a heavy shake yes…but he needed Bennett right now. “I-I’ll come…but only if we can pick up Bennett…he’s just a block down,” Collt muttered, nodding his head in the way of Bennett”s house.

                Josh sighed, “Fine, but we really need to hurry… Make sure he’s ready now,” Josh got back into the car. Tyler also clambered into the car, and shortly after Collt swung open the back seats door and shuffled in.

                The trio drove for only a few minutes until Collt, shamefully stuttered out a sorry excuse for the word stop.  The car lurched to a halt, and Collt stumbled out approaching the fancy house in a hurry. He gave the door a solid two knocks then waited. Surely enough the door was swung open by a drowsy Bennett, that immediately changed to fully awake upon seeing Collt’s bloody face. The small timid blonde was about to speak up, but before he could Collt was speaking.

                “Not now, we need to hurry…come with me…please,” Collt said his eyes suddenly rimmed with tears.

                Bennett frowned but just simply nodded his head and followed his friend, closing the front door behind him, shooting his mom a text that he was leaving. The two boys hurried into the car and they headed to the hospital.

                Bennett looked at Collt and squinted his eyes, “It was your dad again… Wasn’t it?”

                Collt’s breath hitched, and an eerie silence filled the car. The boy was sure the two in the front had heard what Bennet had said…I mean for how small the boy was he sure had a loud voice. “Bennet…not now,” Collt muttered in a stern voice.

                “It was wasn’t it!?! Imma tell the police!” Bennett yelled a tad louder than he should have, as he pops a piece of taffy into his mouth.

                “Bennett stop,” Collt whined. The nervous boy glanced up towards the front seat.

                “I’m sorry but what?” Tyler said from the driver’s seat, “you mean to tell me that your father is the one to blame for the glass poking out of your face,” Tyler tried not to sound so panicked. Here he was whining when his father gave him a slap when a boy was struck with a bottle and has only shed a few tears in the car.

                “I-I…It’s not like that,” Collt muttered, giving Bennett a death stare, almost challenging him to say more. Bennett frowned and looked out the window.

                Josh continued to look out the window. For one, Collt’s life isn’t any of his business and for two, he wouldn’t even know what to say.

                Bennett cleared his throat and looked in the rear-view mirror, seeing Tyler’s face, “Wait...Aren’t you that guy from Facebook??” Bennett tilted his head as he asked. Tyler almost slammed on his breaks, a guilty blush spreading across his chiseled face. Tyler brought his gaze up to the rearview mirror only to be met with sparkling brown eyes. Tyler hadn’t really gotten a good look at the surprisingly talkative boy, and now that he was he couldn’t quite take his eyes off him. That is until Josh muttered something about taking a left, which drove his eyes back to the road.

                “Yep,” was all Tyler could muster up, popping the P.

                “Ah, well I mean I wouldn’t blame you…The guy was a snack!” Bennett smiled to himself, popping another piece of the month-old candy into his mouth.

                “Wow…okay,” Tyler muttered, eyes wide in surprise. The male saw the hospital coming up and decided to enjoy what little time of the ride they had left in silence. After a minute or two the four were rushing into the medical building, all in a frenzy.