We're Not Strangers Anymore

Chapter Seven - The Fight

'Jack, look,' pleaded Jamie, placing his hand on Jack Hodges' shoulder. Big mistake - big mistake. Within a millisecond Jack had grabbed Jamie Manley, spat in his face and threw him on the floor.
'That's where bad attitude gets you in life, on the floor, like a little fucking-'
Before Hodges could even finish his sentence, Charlie swung his fist through the air, planting a right hook centre on the bully's jawbone.
'Ow, fuck! What do you think you're doing, you fat little wanker?!'
He straightened his tie and re-adjusted himself, and then went to pull something out from inside his trouser pocket. Before he even had a chance to grab the concealed object (probably a fucking gun, Jamie thought) he was kicked to the ground by Jamie Manley, right in the calves of his legs. Jack fell to the ground with a thud, and a hunting knife fell from his pocket. He extended his arm to pick it up but a quick-thinking Jamie managed to snatch it away before he did, picking it up and clicking the button on the side of it.
'I'll fucking kill you! I will!' Jack Hodges shouted, struggling to get himself back up off the ground.
'Run!' yelled Jamie all of a sudden, and the two boys did just that, running as fast as their little legs would allow them. 
'We need to go faster!' Jamie panted, already out of breath after what must've been only thirty seconds of running. Eventually they turned a corner and found an alleyway, and they bolted down it like they had never bolted before. The sound of snarling, viscous dogs became apparent after a minute in the alleyway and both boys suddenly fell to the ground, tripping over an empty bottle of beer.
'Shit, he's gonna catch us! Get up Jamie, quick!'
As they both got up they noticed a hole in a nearby fence, and Charlie thought they had struck gold.
'Come on, we'll go in through here! Hurry!'
'Charlie, I don't think this is safe. I don't want to get mud on my uniform, either, my Dad'll kill me,' a panicking Jamie said, desperate to keep his voice low despite the already deafening panting.
The sound of heavy footsteps approaching was now clear, and it became louder and louder as they listened.
'Right, I'll go through first!' Charlie shouted behind him, 'and you follow straight away, okay?'
Charlie got onto his hands and knees and began to crawl through the gap in the fence, his once white palms now covered in mud and grass.
'For fuck's sake!' Jamie shouted as he followed behind, crying and still panting.
They stood up and looked around, trying to speedily work out where they were.
'Right, this is someone's garden.. I think we're safe, but this is still someone's garden.'
Jamie sighed and lit another cigarette, exhaling dramatically as he took his first drag.
'Charlie, I don't think we should be here.. we should go, like now. I'm scared, man.'
'It'll be okay, just breathe,' Charlie said calmly, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. 'It's over, we just need to wait a little while and then carry on with our normal route, alright? Everything's gonna be alright.'
'How do you stay so calm?'
Charlie thought for a second, and then answered.
'Practice. Come on, let's go.'
'What's that sound?'
'What sound?'
And then it all became clear.
Grrrrrrr. Rowwwwww.
'Oh fuck,' Jamie whispered, 'it's a dog. Man, I sure hate dogs.'
Grrrrrrrr.
Out of nowhere a tall Rottweiler came running straight at them, growling and foaming at the mouth. The dog had piercing brown eyes, Jamie noticed, and they scared the absolute daylights out of him.
Charlie spotted an unlikely tool two metres away from them, staring right at it and wondering how he'd missed it in the first place.
'That trampoline,' Charlie shouted, 'quick, let's hop it over.'
'Charlie, but..'
'Do you have a better solution? Come on, Jamie!'
Together they ran towards the rusty-looking trampoline, jumped on it, and flew into the air. As they came down they felt a harsh pain just above the trousers - both of their stomachs had hit a wooden fence on their way down to the ground. Hitting the stony pavement, they moaned and groaned.
Charlie scanned around, trying to find out if their tormentor was anyone near them; he wasn't.
'Right, I think we're safe.'
'Hang on, have we ended up on the other side of the houses..?'
'Yeah, yeah I think we have. Why?'
'Brilliant,' Jamie exclaimed, 'I think my house is just down this road here.'