"How are you feeling?" Sam asked, causing for me to throw my head back with a groan.

"Anxious as all hell." I frowned deeply, leaning into his side. The boys were going to be there any second, so we only had a short amount of time before our relationship had to be hidden away. We both needed all of the comfort we could get if we were going to get through the night.

"It'll be alright." Sam insisted, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. "They won't get you, I promise."

I shook my head. "But who's going to protect you? Don't you ever worry about yourself? I don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I'll be fine, Sugar." He assured me, but I couldn't ignore his teeth picking at his lip. Sometimes he did it when he wasn't nervous, but never too bad. At the rate he was going, it was going to start bleeding.

"But-"

Before I could voice my concerns, the sound of the front door being opened caused us both to jump away from one another. Who the hell was opening the door? By the time someone entered the room, Sam and I were on opposite sides of the couch.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Caden sung, skipping into the room. "Hello, Sam! Hello, Sawyer!"

I offered him a small wave. Only Caden was capable of being so happy during such a dire time. How the hell did he even get into the house? Sam locked it every time we got there.

Brian and Dennis trialed behind, both seemingly unfazed by what was about to happen, but I knew better. We were all worried.

"Who's ready?" Dennis mimicked excitement, jumping around like Caden had. "Haha, life's so great! Hello, world! Hello, planet! Let's make today a great day!"

Sam and I chucked at Dennis' imitation - which was on point, mind you - and I found myself joining in. I pressed my fingers to where dimples would be if I had any. "Yes dear, isn't life just swell?"

Dennis stared blankly back for a long moment. I suddenly felt very stupid. Why did I even try to get along with Sam's friends? None of them liked me, they just put up with me for the sake of keeping me alive. I could have kicked myself for referencing something that Millie would have.

"Hold on, don't tell me." He held up a finger, closing his eyes as if in deep thought. I raised a brow, wondering what he was trying to do. Suddenly, his eyes shot open again. "The Breakfast Club, right?"

I felt a smile capture my lips. Maybe they weren't as trash as I thought they were. If he could understand a John Hughes reference, then I would at least try to give him a proper chance. "Hell yeah."

"Nice." He commented.

"You guys are just jealous that I'm the only one here who's capable of optimism." Caden pouted, folding his arms over his chest. "All of you are like a bottomless pits of pessimism and it hurts to listen to you."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Most people find pessimism easier to cope with. Optimism just disappoints you."

"Only if you make it that way." Caden argued. "And that's exactly what you guys are doing right now!"

"Yeah, yeah, you have a point." Sam waved the comment away before standing up. Oh, no. That meant that it time. "Everyone ready?"

His gaze fell on mine when I didn't stand up. "Sawyer, get your ass up. Do we really need to have this conversation again?"

I sighed deeply, pulling myself off of couch with a groan. "Caden, you mind lending me some of that optimism you were just talking about?"

He jumped up giddily. "Everything will be just fine, Sawyer."

I didn't know why he was so enthusiastic that time, but it was better than last time. First he didn't want to leave, but then he was practically running out the door. I swore that boy made no sense.

"Come on." Sam breathed, and we all followed him to the exit. The air was crisp as what remained of the sunset made for the hills. It was going to be winter in a few more weeks.

Winter is coming.

Sorry, someone had to say it.

Just like last time, Dennis, Caden, and Brian all filed into Brian's car, and I joined Sam in his. It didn't take long for me to ask him something.

"How the hell did Caden get into your house if the door was locked?" I asked.

"Oh." Sam looked away as he pulled the car out of the driveway. "Um, Caden's family is kind of complicated. Him and his dad don't have a very good relationship, so I gave him a key to my house. If he ever needs to leave, he can escape to here."

I didn't know what to say to that. Was that why he was always so happy? Was it because his home-life was shit? That never came up as a possibility before, but Sam never did say how bad things really were, so I wasn't sure. Maybe it was the reason why he was always seeking attention.

"So he just uses it whenever he feels like it?" I pointed out. Caden had not needed to use it earlier, but he did so anyway.

Sam offered me a smile. He was still biting at his lip, though. "Um, yeah. He does use it quite a bit, even though he doesn't need to."

"That's going to end up biting you in the ass one day."

"Oh, trust me, it keeps me awake at night."

We laughed, but it didn't last long. The time for jokes had ended. The impending doom that we were driving towards sounded it's warning bells.

The neon sign came into view, shrouding us all in its eerie glow. The parking lot was as empty as always. Outside, the sky was nearly pitch black. I wondered how long it would be before Jack Of Clubs had to be shut down. Dee and Jack were never there anymore, and Ezra didn't do shit. It would be beyond sad to see it go, but we all knew that it was inevitable.

The car came to a stop and we all stepped outside. The air felt a lot less welcoming once we were there. My heart was pounding against my chest. I never had a worse feeling about something than I do right then.

We all stood in silence for what felt like an eternity. I was pretty sure that we were all feeling it. The chime of our DoomsDay clock.

I could have sworn that we stood there for at least a decade before two cars rolled in. They parked where they usually did on the opposite side of the lot.

When they made their way out, a chill shot down my spine. Something wasn't going to go well and I could feel it.

"If it isn't my favorite boy!" Drake called with vigor.

Caden and Brian stood on each side of me, just as they had the last time we were there. It made me feel half-protected. No offense to Caden, but he was so short that it was hard to feel fully protected.

I wondered if he was a good fighter. He was even on the football team, so I would assume that he had some moves up his sleeve. Why was I thinking about that at such a time?

Sam's expression was stoic as he stared back. His eyes were blank and his jaw was set. There was no way that they would get a rise out of him.

"I see that you're not in the mood for small talk." The tall man let out an exaggerated sigh. There was something about his eyes that made a chill run down my spine. "Fine, where's the money?"

Dennis handed another paper bag that was identical to the last one over to Sam. I could tell that it was more full than the other one though. How much did they mark it up? How much did they even have to begin with? Everything about it didn't seem right.

Drake took the bag from Sam, instantly peering inside at its contents. He briefly shuffled through it, glancing up at Sam after a few moments.

"That's it?" His voice lost all perkiness. His eyes turned dark.

I felt a chill shake my whole body.

"I gave you more than you asked for." Sam pointed out, and his voice had yet to waver.

"What do you do when-"

Sam's teeth grit as he spoke. "You mark it up. That's exactly what I did."

"Ah, ah." Drake waved a long finger at the blonde boy. "But you didn't. If I tell you to mark it up, then I expect you to go above that mark. It's simple economics."

I could see Sam's fist clench from where I stood. "I don't have that kind of my money just laying around."

"You're a rich boy, I'm sure you could have compensated." He began to pace.

"I did as you asked."

"No, you did as you wanted." Drake stopped his pacing, folding his arms over his chest. The paper bag crinkled.

Sam's posture went ridged, his whole body seeming to take a new stance. Something was about to happen, but I wasn't sure what.

Then I saw it. Caden and Brian instantly whipped around, putting themselves in front of me. I stumbled backwards at the suddenness, feeling my back run into something. My heart skipped a million beats in the time it took for me to turn my head. I didn't even well up with relief when I saw that I had run into Dennis.

There was nothing to be relieved about.

They tried to attack me.

Sam's wide hazel eyes found mine, and he was very clearly several steps closer than he had been before. My gaze lowered to the streak of blood that was traveling down his chin. He was biting his lip too hard.

As soon as he realized that I was alright, he turned his head back towards Drake and his men. "You tried to attack."

"You tried to pull something stupid." Drake stood as tall as ever. My stomach sank even further when I saw the amusement in his eyes. This was all a game to him. We were all just pawns on his chessboard. He made the rules.

"I didn't do a single thing wrong, and you damn well know it."

"Tsk." He shook his head. "You clearly don't understand."

There was no missing the twist of his hand.

Immediately, there was the sound of a groan coming from behind me, and the three of us quickly looked to see what happened. Caden was holding his jaw, and Brian was already beating the shit out of one of the men that had migrated behind us. The moment he got a good hit on Brian, Caden broke out of his own daze, elbowing him straight in the dick.

I supposed that being short had its perks.

Dennis wasted no time running over to help them out. I looked around wildly, hoping that no one was coming to get me next. Sam was now right in front of me, his body in a fighting stance. He wasn't going to back down. His lack of self-preservation never ceased to baffle me.

"This is bullshit and you know it!" He tried again. His back brushed against me as someone grew closer.

Drake didn't say so much as a word. He didn't house a single emotion as he watched his grown men fight kids.

When I glanced behind me, there were even more men back there, each taking a turn with the three of them. Brian didn't look too good, and I didn't blame him. His face was still tender from when they last jumped him. Caden was so fast and nimble, it made for a good match against all of the tall and stocky guys.

Dennis fought people like he fucked them. Getting whatever he could get.

"Call off your men!" Sam's arm had hooked around my side, continuously backing away from the men that were approaching him.

For the first time, I fully processed what was happening.

We were going to lose. There was too many strong men against too few teenagers. I could tell that Sam was dying to join the fight and help out his friends, but we both knew that I was too weak on my own. I was a liability, and we were both all too aware. I should never have come. But who was to say that I would have been any safer elsewhere?

"Stay the hell away." He looked directly at the closest man to us, his breathing uneven and his eyes narrowed.

The man only laughed, tilting his head at us like we were nothing more than playmates. I could hardly hear them over the pounding of my heart. I was going to get dizzy if it continued on like that.

"You didn't protect the back."

I had never felt a jolt like I did in that moment, shooting my head around fast enough to get whiplash. I knew who it was the moment I heard his voice. It was so raspy, it sounded painful. The man that Drake had called Frogface. The one with the Who You Looking At? tattoo.

His hands quickly snaked around my waist, ripping me away from Sam before either of us could even react. It happened so quickly, that I was completely enveloped by Frogface's arms before Sam could make a move.

Sam was in the midst of running after me, when Drake spoke up. "Not so fast. You clearly haven't learned your lesson."

I kicked my legs around, trying to get free of his arms. There was nothing close enough to even think about using. Even if there was, I didn't know if anything would have helped.

Before Drake's words were fully out, all sorts of men were flanking Sam on every side. His face went from determined to reach me, to pure desperation. They grabbed hold of his arms and shoulders, pushing him in the opposite direction.

"You're cute." Frogface whispered into my ear, causing me to shiver. I couldn't breath, the feeling of him so close to me made it impossible to even think. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find the breath to do so.

"I did what you asked!" Sam was yelling.

I cast a glance over at Jack Of Clubs, wondering why the hell no one had seen us yet. I didn't even notice before, but all of the inside lights were off. They were closed at that time. No one was there to witness us.

It was just us under the neon glow.

The feeling of his arms growing even tighter was what caused me to look forward again. Sam's eyes were glued to mine as he tried to pull away from the many people holding him still. There were several cars in the parking lot. Drake came prepared that time.

Caden, Brian, and Dennis were clearly starting to slow down, each of them sporting a set of red bruises against their skin.

"Oh, Sam, what will it take for you to learn?" Drake's voice had become like a snake's, drawling and slimy. His feet carried him until he stood directly in front of Sam.

"Let. Me. Go."

"No can do. I'm not finished just yet." Once again, I watched as he moved his fingers.

On cue, Frogface brought one hand around my throat, oddly reminiscent of what Drake had done not too long ago. He used the leverage to push me down, pressing my head harshly against the cold and rough concrete.

"Leave him alone!"

"Are you watching?" I couldn't really see Drake anymore, his figure was so tall that it was hard to see him from such a low angle.

However, I could very clearly see Sam.

His body thrashed against the men that held him at bay. I let out an involuntarily whimper when I watched one of them land a solid punch against his face.

"Quit moving around and watch!" Drake yelled straight into his face, roughly turning his head towards where I was being held down.

It was really starting to hurt. His hand binding my wrists had my arms pulled back in an unnatural way, and the other pressed my head to the ground. I could feel each little bump in the asphalt pressing into my skull. The pressure was too much.

Sam's eyes were now pleading and I knew that he was having a hard time watching that happen.

He made the mistake of looking at Drake.

"I said watch."

Another punch to his beautiful face. Another whimper from my mouth. Another paint stroke on the canvas.

We stared at each other. The pain was beginning to hit in sudden bursts. I thought that the uneven ground was starting to tear through my skin. It burned against my temple, and traveled down to my jaw.

It seemed to last forever, the pain becoming less and less tolerable by the second. My arms ached, and my heart was racing. It was only a matter of time before my body gave out.

"Okay."

All of the tension dissipated just as quickly as it came.

Everyone who stood around Caden, Brian, and Dennis, took several steps away. The men who were holding Sam back, dropped their hands. Frogface released my wrists, and removed his hand from my head.

"Now you'll remember."

That was the last thing Drake said before he gathered his men up to leave. They all flooded into their cars, some of them glancing back with mocking expressions.

Sam was at my side almost instantaneously, his tentative touch carefully helping me out of the laying position. My head felt dizzy, and the feeling was slowly rushing back into my arms.

"Fuck, Sawyer." His voice was coarse and quiet as he spoke my name.

When I sat up, I twisted my head around to check the damage they had done to him. Blood was dripping down his chin, and traveling the length of his neck. The reds were vibrant against his suntanned skin. I couldn't tell if the blood was all from his lips or his nose, since his hands had smudged it.

Remembering that we weren't alone, I forced my hands to stay idle. Even though I really wanted to reach up and touch him, I didn't. Dennis was heading towards us, his face didn't look to have almost any bruises, minus one dark one on his cheekbone, and I could see an abnormally red spot peeking out from under his shirt by his collarbone.

Caden and Brian were checking each other over, making sure that they weren't hurt too badly. My stomach dropped when I spotted the bruise on Caden's face. It looked like it came from one hit, but it managed to take up one half of his face. The colors were already starting to turn purple. Whoever it was that hit him must have had a fist the size of his head.

"Come on." Sam murmured, reaching an arm down to help me up. I took his hand and got to my feet.

I could feel something warm sliding down my skin, so I brought one hand to feel it. Just as I expected, the jagged ground tore through my temple, all the way down to to my jaw on the right side. The scrape ran deep in some places, and in others it was already fading. My hand were stained red with my blood. That gash on my forehead felt so stupid in that moment.

"Is everyone alright?" Dennis was the first to address us all. His eyes studied the each of us, lingering on Sam and I.

I instinctively took a subtle step away from him, not wanting to seem too suspicious.

"I'm alright." Caden announced when no one else said anything. I could tell that he wasn't alright at all, but he still tried to stay positive.

"Me too." I took the opportunity to say, hoping no one would notice that I was also lying.

Dennis tilted his head at Sam, who looked to be staring off into space. My brow furrowed. How hard did they hit him? Was he alright? I could feel my blood pumping.

"Are you okay?" Dennis directed his question at him.

Seemingly snapping out of the daze, Sam looked at Dennis. "Yeah."

Even though Dennis still looked skeptical, he didn't say anything more.

We were all battered and bruised. Each of us were marked.

None of us would ever forget that night.

But we also knew that there would be more to come.

•O•O•