Three

It's been two days without Liu. Jeff and Melanie have only stayed in Liu's room, refusing to eat or sleep or talk to their parents. They only left the room to use the bathroom. The pair were sleep deprived and hungry, but they were too proud to admit it.

It's now a Saturday. A hot summer Saturday. The pair didn't care. They didn't care when their mother barged into the room, forcing them to each take a shower and change their clothes. "We've got a party to go to." She said. "It'll make you happy." She said. They still didn't care, and they were definitely not happy.

The family did go to the party. It was a party in the back garden of their neighbouring house. Their little boy was turning ten. Margaret told Melanie and Jeff to talk to the other children. They slowly walked over, sitting in a part of the circle of children on the grass.

"Um… hello!" A young boy who sat beside Melanie grinned at her, waving energetically.

"Hi." Melanie replied dryly. "What's your name? I'm Melanie." She forced a small smile, waving back at the boy with less enthusiasm.

"I'm Jay!" He yelled, startling Melanie.

Jeff and Melanie talked with the other children for a while, temporarily forgetting about Liu.

But it all came back when the three boys who caused it all came back. They had hopped over the fence into the garden.

The three boys let out loud cackles, making their way over to where Jeff and Melanie sat. "Well well well, who do we have here?" The red head chuckled, bending down so that he could make eye contact with Jeff.

"What are you doing here, Randy? And oh, Troy, Keith. You followed him here too." Jeff frowned, standing up to make himself seem intimidating. Melanie stood up too, glaring at the trio from behind her brother's back.

"We're here to finish what we started." Randy growled, making Melanie furiously push past Jeff to glare up at him.

"I don't think so." Melanie frowned, her tone flat. "What you caused is enough damage."

The trio of boys laughed, hardly feeling threatened by the eight-year-old.

"What you gonna do?" Keith taunted, leaning down to Melanie's height, "Kick our shins?" The three boys howled with laughter.

"Oh, piss off." Melanie muttered, taking a step back. As soon as she did, she launched herself forward, giving Keith a swift punch in the nose.

Everyone gasped as Melanie grinned. "'s what you deserve." She mumbled, before being grabbed by Keith, squealing as he pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it at Melanie's neck. She squealed in fright, looking at Jeff in fear.

"Hey, hey, before anything happens. She's sorry she did that, Keith. Aren't you Mellie?" Jeff held his hands up in surrender, trying to talk their way out of this. All of the other children had run and got their parents, so all parents were holding onto their children tightly. All except for Margaret and Peter, who held tightly onto each other, Margaret's hand to her mouth in fright and shock.

Melanie nodded the best she could, the knife against her skin limiting her movements.

"I think we should just say we're equal and go." Jeff stated, looking between the bullies and his sister. "I did beat you guys up pretty bad, and you got Liu in Juvie. Equal."

Randy scoffed, shaking his head. "I don't go for even," He stepped back, a maniacal grin coating his lips, "I go for winning."

That line seemed to be a code. As soon as the words slipped from Randy's lips, he lunged at Jeff. Keith tightened his grip around Melanie, but the knife left her neck. A gun was now pointed at all the other children and their parents, both Keith and Troy pointing the guns with victorious grins on their lips.

"Hey! Stop! Leave my brother alone!" Melanie yelled, pained as she was being forced to watch her brother endure punch after punch and kick after kick by the red-haired bully. Keith tightened his grip even more, which slowly began to hurt Melanie's ribs. Randy didn't stop, he increased his torment.

Jeff was shouting in pain, Randy was laughing, parents were gasping, children were screaming. Melanie was silent. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't even tell if it was her fear or if she physically couldn't breathe. It just hurt. It really hurt.

"I…...help…. It hurts…." She whimpered quietly, trying to get Keith's attention so that he could loosen his grip. He definitely heard her, whispering a silent apology that only she heard as he significantly loosened his grip. Not only did he do that, but he quickly shoved his gun in his pocket and knelt down to face Melanie.

"Kid, you okay?" He talked in a low voice, making sure that he wasn't heard by anyone but her. Melanie gasped for air, a few stray tears falling down her face. She nodded slowly, letting Keith gently wipe her tears away. "I'm sorry." He muttered, as he stood back up, signalling her to go to her parents.

Melanie took a few slow steps toward them, before hastily turning back to Keith. She stood right in front of him, her small hands trembling. She pat his arm softly, whispering, "I'm really sorry that I hit you. I wouldn't have done it if it were anyone but Jeff…... or Liu. Name's Mel Woods. Don't forget that." She let a genuine smile slip onto her face, before she made her way back to her mother and father, who pulled her into a tight hug.

Mel turned back to Keith, giving him a nod. He gave her a nod back, before dropping his gun to the ground, stomping on it. The gun shattered.

Everyone was watching the fight. It was horrific, Randy wouldn't stop hurting Jeff.

"I got your brother sent away! When you're dead, I'll kill your little dear sister, and then I'll find Liu and off him too!" Randy cheered in glee, but all of the parents silently stared at him in shock. Margaret and Peter were furious. It was Randy's fault Liu was gone, it was his fault that Jeff and Melanie were so upset, and he had just threatened that he was going to kill their three children.

Jeff was enraged. He flung his leg out at Randy, managing to twist his leg which caused Randy to tumble to the floor. Jeff stood, and clumsily began to make his way to the house. While his back was turned, Troy helped Randy up and ran behind Jeff, grabbing him and throwing him through the back door and into the house.

Randy and Troy made their way into the house, fighting Jeff more. Melanie was still being held back by her parents, but she slipped through them, meeting Keith as they both made their way inside the house. Everyone else was still frozen in shock in the garden.

When they reached the inside of the house, Troy was stood to the side, grinning a sinister grin as he watched Randy-who was stood above a trembling Jeff- repeatedly hitting and kicking Jeff. Randy looked to his left, seeing a full, closed bottle of vodka. He grinned, pulling out his knife, before jamming it into the glass, making both a tsunami of vodka and a shower of glass tumble down onto Jeff, who had his hands protectively covering his head and face.

Melanie gasped, lurching forward as she reached out for Jeff, but she didn't reach him. She'd barely took any steps before Keith had plucked her from the ground, protectively holding her to his chest.

"Why aren't you getting up, Jeff?" Randy questioned, a sick twist in his voice, "Get up and fight."

Jeff wasn't getting up. He just lay there on the floor, a defeated look etched upon his face.

"Jeff," Melanie hissed, "Get up dimwit!"

Jeff's eyes flickered to hers, as he stared at Melanie in confusion, as of saying 'why are you in his arms?'

Somehow, both Troy and Randy hadn't noticed Melanie and Keith's presence in the room, even though they weren't trying to hide.

Randy tapped his chin, pretending to be in deep thought. "Your brother, Liu was it? He'll rot in prison, Jeff! All because of YOU!" He yelled, fury in his voice, trying to antagonise Jeff into fighting back.

Jeff stood in anger, throwing a punch at Randy, knocking him to the ground. Randy, on the floor, looked like he was struggling to breathe.

"K…. Keith? What's happening to him?" Melanie slowly questioned, making all heads turn to her. Troy glared at Keith, shaking his head as if he were disappointed. Jeff smiled over at his sister, Melanie giving him a proud grin back. Jeff made eye contact with Keith, who only nodded- meaning that he was on his side.

Keith exhaled a breath, staring at Randy's body in shock. "I think…. I think the punch caused arrhythmia to his heart." Keith muttered, but the other three heard him loud and clear.

"What's arr…. arrh…. arrhmia? That word you said?" Melanie questioned, tilting her head at the male holding her.

"It's when his heart is either beating too fast or too slow, to put it simply." Troy cut in, staring in shock at Randy's body. His body had stopped moving. He'd stopped doing anything.

"He's not…. dead, is he?" Jeff silently asked, but there was no reply.

When Jeff had said that, something had snapped inside of Troy.