C5 Bloody Monday

Instead of taking the bus, I decided to take a walk back home that night. Luis made me go home at 7 P.M., telling me I need my energy for tomorrow morning. Part of my task in the mornings is to help prepare the supplies needed for the breakfast rush. He assigned me to prepare and bag the orders from walk-in clients until he fixes the schedule and re-distributed the workload.

I used the maps feature on my phone to try and look for shortcuts; I would like to walk my way to the café in the mornings as a form of exercise. Taking note of the area I’m in, I walked slowly, trying to memorize the path. The maps led me to a path which will take about 15 minutes on foot from our apartment to the café. Maybe I should ask Annie for a bike.

I was about to turn the corner when I heard a scuffle. I stopped, suddenly rooted on the spot.

“We might be in Neutral right now, but it won’t stop me from hitting, even killing you, Nino. A deep voice said, accompanied by sounds of something getting hit. I tried to take a peek and saw a guy towering over another guy half-laying on the ground, getting punched in the face. I stifled my gasp; the guy on the ground is bleeding a little on the head. “How’s your rib, Carter? Healed already?” the guy getting beat up, croaked. “Fuck you. I missed a game because of that. Stay away from Celine or else next time, it won’t be just your pretty face that will be hurting.”

“You tell Celine to stay away from me. I’m not the one doing the chase here, Carter. Your girl seems to love flirting with the dark side. I’m just gentleman enough to give her what she wants.” The guy on the ground said arrogantly, earning him another punch that made me flinch. Carter cussed and kicked the other guy; with one last punch, the guy left, taking the end of the alley opposite from me. The guy, whom he called Nino, laid on the ground, breathing heavily.

It was the first time I saw someone actually got beaten. Should I help? Or should I just pretend I didn’t see, didn’t hear anything? The guy groaned, sounding pained. I took a cautious step towards the guy. His button up shirt which sticks to his body like second skin is half white, half red, especially around the right side of his abdomen. The debate on whether or not I should help became forgotten as I rushed to help the guy as he struggled to sit.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I knelt beside him, helping him sit up. He turned his head sharply when he heard my voice, but he’s in too much pain to question me. “Should I call an ambulance?” I asked, panicked a little, the blood in his shirt is spreading wider. “No.” The guy croaked. “Can you take my phone out of my pocket? Put it in front of my face to unlock it and call Lucas. I think I pulled my stitches”

I did what he said even though I would have preferred to call an ambulance. Before the call to ‘Lucas’ connected, the guy had already passed out. I don’t know much about wounds but if his is a just a little it shouldn’t be bleeding to much. The other line is ringing; while waiting for an answer, I removed my sweater, bundled and pressed it to where I think the bleeding is coming from.

“You better be dying, Nino. I’m in the middle of getting a BJ from Maddie.” Lucas, I assumed. “I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure if he’s dying or not, but your friend is bleeding badly. He’s got beaten up too. He asked me to call you before he passed out. “Where the fuck are you?” Lucas barked. I gave him the directions and waited.

I was still pressing my now soaked sweater to Nino’s abdomen when a car screeched to a stop. Please let it be this guy’s friend. I said to myself. A guy with black hair immediately went out of the car and headed straight to us. He cursed as soon as he saw his unconscious friend and the blood soaking my sweater.

“What happened?” He asked as he tried to shake his friend awake. Nino floats in and out of consciousness, probably because of the blood loss. “He was in a fight with some guy called Carter. When the other guy left he just laid here; I saw that he was bleeding and tried to help…”

Another curse from Lucas. “That fucker actually dared, beat him so hard it opened his stitches. Help me get him to my car.” Half-dragging, half-carrying (the guy is seriously heavy), we managed to get Nino in the car. Lucas was about to get in himself when he threw a warning glare on me. “You heard and saw nothing. Got it? If this goes out you’d end up wishing you never got in that alley.” With that, he sped away.

Wow, I helped his friend yet I’m the one getting threatened? They even took my sweater! Amazing.

I shouldn't have helped. Maybe.