"I'm walking with her" Brian said, his tone as emotionless as he could make it. He returned Logan's look of disgust and anger "You know that action of moving your two feet? That's called walking, and that's what I was doing"

Lucretia looked pained, "Oh my goodness..." She was speechless and didn't know what to do, other than put her arm around the other girl. "I'm so sorry... Is there anything I can do to help? I don't have much to offer other than my sympathy..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doctor Thorton examined papers as he walked into Justin Thomas's room at the hospital. The boy lay limply on the bed as Doctor Thorton walked over to check the bandages on his head. The bleeding had pretty much stopped but he asked the nurse to change the bandages. As the nurse went to get more bandages Doctor Thorton carefully looked under the bandages on Justin's chest to see how things where coming along. He checked for surgery complications and thanked God that there where none- as he didn't think this poor boy could take anymore harm and live. His life was already hanging by a thin thread.

Logan snickered condescendingly at Brian's sarcastic remark. "Very funny, Brian. Hilarious. Why don't you just walk back the way you came then, hm?" He finally looked at his sister. "Why are you out here with him anyway?"

"I can do whatever I want," she snapped back, which was something she didn't normally do. She returned his glare for only a few moments, before her eyes deferred downward.

Logan didn't like what he was seeing. His shy, quiet sister had suddenly chosen the one boy in the world who Logan hated more than anyone else to be her friend. More than friend; he could see that she liked him. Logan returned his glare to Brian. "I don't think I want you hanging around my sister, Brian. Understand?" He let his words sink in like iron knives.

Justin felt air on his head, as the doctor checked the bandage on theere. "How bald am I? Will my hair ever grow back?" Then, when the doctor moved to his chest, he asked, "Will I die? I can't leave my wife and our baby girl."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley wiped her tears. "How about you?"

Brian felt his insides tighten with anger as Logan spoke to him. He was hardly going to let this boy, this arrogant kid, order him around. He clenched his jaw hard to stop a snarl from escaping his lips. "No." He answered coolly, trying to keep a blank expression, but was not fully succeeding since his eyes burned with rage. "I don't understand. I don't believe the language your speaking is English....possibly something else? Chinese?" He knew he was only further angering Logan, so his next sentence wasn't sarcastic, but dead serious. "No Logan. I won't stop being with your sister"

Emmy saw Logan's fists tighten with anger at Brian's comeback, and fear took over her. "Logan! Leave Brian alone already!" She was actually yelling at him. She hadn't openly stood up to her twin brother in years.

Logan was visibly shocked at Emmy's outburst; she never acted like this. For a moment, that distracted him from his anger, but then it only made it worse. His own sister was taking his rival's side! "Why are you hanging out with this loser?" He growled.

Logan focused on Brian's refusal to stay away from Emmy. "You won't?" He drilled the other boy with an icy glare, and then suddenly smiled, though it was a cruel smile. "I don't think you know who you're dealing with, Brian. I said stay away, and you better listen to me, or else." His eyes broad-casted a clear warning.

Logan turned away from Brian toward Emmy. "Let's go home, your date is over."

Emmy looked helplessly between her demanding brother and Brian, unsure of what to do. Her eyes were pleading for peace between the two, but she knew her brother; that would never happen.

Brian was grateful that Emmy had sided with him and stood up to her brother, but it didn't ease the anger that was coursing through him. His own hands made fists at his sides, but he resisted the action of doing anything physical. That was hardly the right move....yet, and it may only disappoint Emmy. He stared at Logan, shooting daggers with his flashing brown eyes. "Actually Logan, I know exactly who I'm dealing with. A coward who only blows hot air in his attempts at making threats"

******

You look fine, my dear Justin. You will always be handsome to me. It's whether you are alive that matters" Maralyn said

The word "coward" stabbed deep into Logan's ego like a double-edged sword, more so than anything Brian had said or done so far. His cruel grin faded, as he struggled with the decision of whether or not to deck Brian right then and there. "You think I'm a coward? Any day you want, smarty, I'll show you a whole lot more than 'hot air'. In fact, how 'bout right now?"

"Stop it, Logan, stop it!" Emmy cried, grabbing her brother's arm and pulling him aside. "You're acting like an idiot!" She turned to Brian, her eyes begging him not to take the taunt.

Everything inside of Brian told him to give Logan what he deserved...one solid punch. He was very tempted to do so, but Emmy's eyes, looking into his, pleaded him not to. He stared back at her, torn between the two desires. The one desire to hit the arrogant kid who was insulting him, and the other desire wanted to listen to Emmy's silent plea. He took a deep breath, and managed to keep his fists from flying by clenching and unclenching his hands. "Nah Logan, not now, I don't think you'd be brave enough to do it anyway"

Logan snorted. "Fine. You just keep thinking that. Cause one of these days, I'll prove you wrong." He let that sink in, and then turned his back on them both. "Come on, Emmy. Time to go home. Your precious boyfriend needs to leave."

Emmy sighed mournfully, and looked to Brian instead of following after Logan. "I'm... I'm sorry he's like that," she said, unable to manage anything else.

Brian let out a tense sigh as Logan seemed to back down. "It's alright Emmy. It's hardly your fault" he tried to smile at her "I think it maybe best if I do leave. I'll see you soon though, 'kay?"

Doctor Thorton tried to calm Justin, "Shshs, you just need to rest. You're gonna be fine." It was doubtfull that Justin really was going to be fine, but Doctor Thorton knew he had to keeep Justin's spirits up for him to even have a chance. He left the room to attend his other patients and told the nurse to keep Justin calm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucretia wasn't sure how to respond, but she decided to tell Miley her story. She thought that if she kept all her troubles and secrets to herself she might burst soon. "Well... to be honest... I don't have a home... You see, I ran away from this orphanage several years ago, but I don't really know what I'm doing anymore... I've been trying to school myself... And I've moved around from place to place but it's really hard..." She took a deep breath and searched Mileys eyes.

Emmy grinned when Brian consoled her, but her sorrow made the grin falter. "Okay, see you soon." She gave him half a wave and a parting smile, then quickly went to catch up with Logan. "You're being a jerk, you know," she muttered under her breath.

Logan heard her comment, but didn't reply. He just continued up to their house, opened the door, and stomped inside.

Emmy stopped at the door and turned back to look at Brian once more as he left, sadness filling her eyes.

Justin could feel the pain in his head and chest growing. He didn't want to do anything about it, until it got to extreme pain. He pressed the button for extreme pain. He then turned to Maralyn. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley suggested, "Want me to see if my parents could let you stay at my house for the rest of the school year, unless we can't find a place?"

Kahlynn took out her phone. Was that Micah's number on the caller ID?! She promptly hit the little green button.

"Hello?! Micah?! Is that you?"