•Chapter 5•

*Stay Positive*

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*Kevin.

You know how people say that when life gives you lemons that you should make lemonade??

Well the person that came up with that was just full of shit.

How can you create something positive out of all this negative shit that goes on in life?? Not everything can be solved by just looking at things optimistically. I know that you "should always remain positive in any situation" but how when everything you think, see and feel is negative??

Life is not all cupcakes and rainbows. We don't just join hands and all sing Kumbaya and rejoice for everything that has been handed down to us. Life isn't as easy as it seems for a majority of us.

Learn to walk in another person's shoes before you start giving off advice you think is suitable for them.

I pushed the door of the gym opened and entered. Walking past the reception I greeted Sasha the woman that always stood behind the desk just polishing her refurnished nails and popping a piece of gum in her mouth not giving it any justice at all.

She mumbled a small greeting and a small wave not even looking in my direction then went back to her precious nails.

I walked to the punching bag and placed my gloves on my hands and began to get to work.

"You're worthless."

"You are nothing."

"You are a pathetic excuse for a son."

"You and your worthless mother deserve nothing."

The more my fists connected with the punching bag the more anger I let out. Tears ran down my cheeks as all the memories and painful words replayed like a broken record through my mind.

Today was my breaking point.

Today I let all my frustrations, pain and hurt out on the bag that it started to swing dangerously around its hinges. With a few final heartfelt and forceful punches the bag ripped off the hinges and landed on the floor with a thud.

My deep staggered breaths were the only thing that could be heard in the room. My chest heaved up and down and sweat pricked my forehead. I didn't realize that I was still crying until I felt the tears continue to run down my face.

I wiped the tears from my face roughly. The sound of Mark's voice startled me as I jumped back a bit.

"Do you enjoy fucking up my gym??" He said sarcastically.

"Oh come on. Don't be like that. Let's call it a make over." I replied.

"So what was it??" He asked.

I gave him a confused look.

"I mean what was it that pissed you off today??" He continued.

I didn't give him an answer. Mark knew that whenever I came here and gave his equipment hell that something was definitely not right. He just never pushed to find out why.

"Kid...I know I'm probably pushing boundaries here but just know that you can always come to me when you just feel like having a break from life."

I smiled and nodded my head at him. He nodded back and walked out of the room.

Removing my gloves I placed them in my gym bag and walked towards the exit of the gym.

With my earphones in I walked my journey home. Drake's words blasted in my ear as I let his words register in my mind.

Drake always spoke volumes when he wanted to. Back in the day he spat fire. He spat words that would have you thinking and have you questioning, registering and evaluating whether what you're doing is right for you and everyone around you.

I walked into the alleyway near my home. It was my little shortcut but my mom doesn't like me using it because she feels that it's dangerous. I've walked through this path many times yet here I am still in one piece.

As I whistled the tune of the song I felt a presence behind like it had been following me since I walked down here. I turned around and came face to face with nothing.

Giving the darkness one last lingering look I turned back around to face a guy who was a few inches taller than me smiling at me with his yellow crooked teeth. Tattoo's and piercing covered the majority of his face as he was dressed in all black.

"Well hello there." I cringed as his faulty breath fanned my face. He wreaked of booze and weed. Without even realizing it he raised his fist and hit me straight in the nose. I groaned before the strange man placed another punch to my face but this time I missed and gave him a left hook.

He fell to the floor and spat out blood before standing right back up. It was like my senses were not working tonight because another man came up from behind me and cut me with a knife by my legs like he was playing tick-tac-toe with my flesh.

I screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The other man continued to lay cuts after cuts on my legs and arms as the other guy came back to finish what he had started. Adding punches and kicks to my already bruised and suffering body.

But oh no...that was sadly not enough. Grabbing my throbbing head dripping with blood from my mouth and nose he bags my head repeatedly until I had started seeing nothing but darkness.

••••••••

I woke up after what feels like hours later. I couldn't move a single inch of my body. Help. That's what I needed. I needed help. I tried yelling for help but all that came out was the groans and whimpers of pain.

I was going to die, I thought. My time is up. This is where I take my last breath.

I didn't even get to say goodbye to my mom.

I didn't fulfill the promise that I had made to Kaylee.

It was over.

I had lost.

Those were the only things that popped into my mind as I was just being left here to decompose into nothing but pure bone.

I'm done.

That was until I heard a gasp coming from somewhere near me. I still had hope. I'm going to make it out of here.

I opened my eyes and slightly lifted my head up ignoring the pain that shot through my scalp and laid my eyes on the most phenomenal woman with shoulder length brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. The stars have nothing on her eyes.

Standing there in her black leggings, a white crop top with a front zip and a grey long sleeved cardigan which the length ended by her knees.

God was I the happiest person in the world to see her. She stood there for the longest of time just drinking me in....almost like I didn't exist.

I groaned but she didn't move.

I groaned again this time making sure that it was loud enough for her to break her out of her trance and thank the heavens it worked.

She carefully hoisted me up and I couldn't help but breath in her intoxicating sent. Strawberries and Cherry blossoms.

"Who did this to you??" Her sweet angelic voice was music to my ears.

I wanted to reply back to her but the amount of excruciating pain that I was feeling made it highly impossible for me to.

"I can't...too much...pain." I hissed.

She nodded her head and assisted me in walking. "Listen I'm going to take you to my house. I'll be able to help you there. It's only a 30 minute walk...do you think that you'll be able to make it??" She asked cautiously.

I nodded my head but winced in pain shortly after. Somehow during this walk I started getting a boner. This girl was doing things to me already and she only said a few words that weren't even that sexy.

After a few long and strain full 30 minutes we finally made it to her house. She shakily fished out her house keys and opened the door, carefully guiding us to the door and shutting it with her foot. She placed me on the couch then raced up the stairs to retrieve the first aid kit as she had said.

I carefully looked around the house and I thought that I would have been met with the noise of parents asking who the fuck is dying on their couch or siblings busy making a noise but I was just met with silence.

Does she live alone??

She's looks to young to be living alone. And here I am already trying to snoop into her business like I've known her, her entire life.

She came back down the stairs and aides to my injuries and man did it hurt like a bitch. I know that I'm old okay but I'm allowed to flinch every now and then.

For some reason I had the urge to hold her hand. I thought that I might as well take my chances...she's going to reject it anyway.

But what had surprised me that she didn't let go of my hand.

She had let me hold her hand through the pain and I felt a little warmth course through me. My heart getting ready to leap out of my chest.

But sadly she had to pull back. I felt a little bit hurt and disappointed. I'm attached to this girl...there's no point in denying it now. Not even my dick can.

"There. I'm all done." She said breaking me out of my perverted thoughts.

"Thanks." I said. "Can I um...get some water??"

She nodded her head yes. She walked into the kitchen and came back 2 minutes later with a glass of water and two pain killers.

"Here. These should help with the pain." She handed the two little white pills in my rough palms.

I mumbled a thank you then threw the pills into my mouth and gulped down the water hungrily. Placing the glass in her hand I stood up and headed for the door. A small soft hand grabbed mine stopping me from moving further.

"Hey wait. Where are you going??" She asked.

"Home." I said sternly. Her eyes widened at my tone and I immediately started to regret saying that to her in that way.

"Look it's pretty late and I highly doubt that you are going to get home in such a state and by foot. Why don't you just stay here for the night and then you can leave in the morning??"

"I could be a murderer for all you know and you are allowing me to stay in your house." I said lifting my eyebrow.

"Had you been a murderer I would have just walked away the minute I set my eyes on you and no murderer would ask a simple civilian to help them...they would actually want to get away." She said.

We looked into each other's eyes for a while until she spoke up again.

"Besides.." She said. "There was just something about you that told me to not walk away. Even if you were a murderer." She whispered out the last part and stared directly into my eyes when she said that.

"Are you sure that I can stay?? I don't want to overstep any boundaries."

"I'm sure. It just wouldn't feel right to me if I just let you go without letting you stay and rest." She replied back reassuringly.

"You know...not many people would be doing what it is that you're doing now." I said.

"Yeah well I'm not many people." She replied. I nodded my head then went back and sat on the couch.

"I'm Kevin Parker by the way." I reached out my hand for her to take and she put her tiny one in mine and shook it.

"Elena Laine."

It's a pleasure to meet you Elena.

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