Taylor. My Name's James Taylor

I

'Run! Come on. It's just a little bit farther.' I told myself, looking back behind me to see my abusers gaining on me. I didn't do anything to them. I didn't tell their parents what they do after curfew. It wasn't my fault that they got caught almost killing a guy. It was them. It was all them. But no one believed me. Just because I might not have completely developed as a child doesn't mean I don't understand things. It doesn't mean I don't see things. I see more than anyone might think. I see everything. But that wouldn't save me now. I was running faster than I've ever run before, staring at the one thing mere feet in front of me that would save my life, literally. My front door. If I could make it inside I would be safe, but of course that didn't happen. Right as my hand reached the doorknob, I felt myself being jerked backwards, flying through the air before slamming into the ground. Hard. I looked up and saw the blurry outlines of the six football players that were chasing me.

"So, you thought that you could outrun the six best players on the field huh, Tattler?" Johann said, smirking.

"Taylor. My name's James Taylor." I said back.

"You're name's whatever I say it is," Johann said, really close to my face. "Pick 'em up and let's take him behind that building over there and teach Tattler over here a lesson."

I tried to break free as to of the guys grabbed me roughly by the arms and started dragging me towards a dilapidated hotel a couple of blocks away.

"Please," I said. "I didn't tell anybody anything. And even if they did you know that they wouldn't believe me."

"We really don't care what everyone else believes. We only care that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and we've gotta teach you your lesson now so that there won't be a repeat in the future." Johann said.

"Please don't. PLEASE!" I yelled as the two guys tightened their grip on me as we all stood behind the building.

Johann smiled and put on his brass knuckles. Then he pulled back his fist and swung.

I was lying on the ground feeling as if every bone in my body was broken. Blood was flowing from my nose, lips, and different places all over my body. I eventually managed to stand up with the assistance of the wall and different random objects lying on the ground. I pulled up my red skater shirt to find my torso covered in multiple cuts and many blue, black, and purple bruises. I spit out some blood and started limping the couple of blocks back to my house. It was dark outside now so I knew that my family would have been gotten back home and was really wondering where I was. As I got closer to my house, I saw that the lights were on in the front room. There was no way that I would be able to sneak into the house and act like there wasn't anything wrong. So I took a deep breath, which I stopped immediately when I felt the pain in my torso again, and opened the door. I reluctantly walked through the door and turned around and tried to close it as quietly as I could. I smiled at myself when I successfully closed and locked the door without making a sound and it was with this smile on my face that I turned around and found myself face to face with my father. The look on his face almost made me want to get beat up by the football gang again than to face his anger. I quickly glanced behind him to see my two older siblings, Jordan and Jonathon, peeking from around the corner and I saw my mother standing slightly behind my dad looking almost as mad as him.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?" my dad bellowed.

"Nothing." I said trying to push past him to avoid further questioning.

"James Taylor Rodgers, don't you-!"

"Taylor. It's just James Taylor." I said interrupting him.

"No, James. It's not." He said a bit confused.