Rock Fuel-Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

The gang walked in the middle of Sabrina’s road, which was very near to the park. There were no cars, as it wasn’t busy. The sun almost completely deserted the

horizon, replaced by a gibbous moon. The breeze was calming down; the air dropped slowly in temperature. The road was very quiet, and its peace was disturbed by the conversation the group were having about the previous event.

‘Whoa, Ange, never knew you had that in you!’ Gregory exclaimed, punching

Andrew’s arm.

‘Yeah, we all better stay away from you now, Mohammed Ali!’

‘Ahhh, it was nothing, Tony,’ Andrew sighed modestly. He didn’t want them to

think he did that just for the sake of a violent reputation: he wanted to let Sabrina

know that he meant what he had previously said before, about him protecting her. He

looked over to her at the end of the line they had all formed in the road; she

walked with them in silence, head down.

She didn’t know what to think, everything seemed so…confusing.

Danielle noticed her silence; she put her arm round hers, clearly knowing

what she was thinking. She knew Andrew had feelings for Sabrina since Year Nine, and now they were in Year Eleven. She had a strong feeling that, deep down, Sabrina was glad that Andrew stepped in.

They had never discussed Sabrina’s feelings for Andrew since Year Ten, because the last time they did, Sabrina had got terribly flustered and snapped at Danielle that they were ‘clearly great friends –not like me and you, obviously- but it was just friendship. Nothing else’.

Shortly after that, she had got together with Gary.

When everyone reached Sabrina’s door they grouped around her, giving their

goodbyes as she turned to walk up her pathway. All of them walked off towards the

main road, except for Andrew. He stumbled up to Sabrina’s door while she was fiddling around with her keys. She looked up at him rather shyly.

‘You alright?’

‘Mm’yeah…’ she looked down.

‘Are you mad at me?’ He asked nervously. Oh crap.

‘No, not at all.’

She gave him a hug around his torso; she was shorter than him. He was taken

aback, but then grew to this affection and wrapped his arms around her. They didn’t let go for some time, but he didn’t care. ‘Thank you Andrew.’

They broke apart, smiling at each other. Sabrina opened her front door, paused, and asked, ‘It’s getting a bit chilly. Do you want to come in for a bit?’

Very tempting. ‘I’m sorry, but I have to be getting home…unless you need me?’

‘Oh, um, no...I was just wondering whether you want to stay, but if you have to be

getting home, then um…bye.’

‘Bye, Sabrina.’

And she closed the door behind her.

Andrew saw that the others had walked off without him, but it didn’t matter, as he lived two roads down from Sabrina’s. It was getting colder and darker, so he put on the hood of his dark red jumper. He briskly walked down the road, head down, quickly turning every corner, keen to enter the warmth of his home. The road grew silent as he walked on. Not one stray cat around.

Completely isolated.

There were sounds coming from behind him. Footsteps, getting louder and to his

horror, closer. He was beginning to get a little bit nervous, even though he’d lived in

the area all of his life.

The footsteps grew faster.

His heart was beating quicker and louder. The beats became heavy pounds against

his chest. He quickened his pace. Then he looked up.

A hooded person stopped walking as soon as Andrew’s head rose.

He looked behind him and noticed another hooded person do the same.

Without thinking, Andrew tried to run for it, but the two people grabbed him by his

hoodie and pushed him against the wall, their fingers digging into his biceps.

One of them had their other hand tightly gripped around his neck. He looked

down, gasping for breath, as the first hooded person pulled out a knife, shining in the

lamppost’s light, and firmly placed at his jugular vein.

Andrew feared for his life.

The knife holder murmured aggressively, ‘I don’t think you made a wise move

earlier on… mate.’ Andrew eyed the shiny blade in terror. And with that, the man

slowly put the knife back in his pocket and looked over at the other hooded person.

They grinned at each other.

The hooded men loosened their grip on Andrew, but they didn’t let him go. Then,

suddenly, the first man viciously lashed out; punching Andrew’s face, kicking his

crotch and punching him in the torso. The second man joined in. Andrew desperately

screamed for help, but there was no one around to answer his call. He crouched

down and collapsed to the ground, groaning in immense pain. But the two men

continued their savage attack: punching and kicking and beating, quicker and harder

each time. Andrew became more sore and pain-struck with every hit.

He had given up all hope and had finally ceased fighting back. With that, the two

men halted the violent beating. They spat at his face, threw him across the stone-cold

rough pavement and made a runner down the alley-way, this time Andrew was truly

left alone.

He croaked in pain, shivering and gasping for air. He was petrified and grew

paranoid that they would be back for more. Their footsteps, however, said otherwise.

They were done with him.

Andrew’s top was now dark red for a different reason...