Chapter 22
PART TWENTY-TWO
"Lauren!" Lauren looked around as she heard the voice. She looked around the black darkened parking lot trying to figure out were it came from. Lauren recognized the voice immediately and knew it was Lance’s.
"LANCE!" she yelled back. The four guys around them moved to encircle the girls.
"SHUT UP!" Jake yelled as he hit her and covered her mouth with his free hand. Sam and Jeremy put their hands over Carla and Chrissy’s mouths before they could yell anything. Picking up the pace, the four guys began to drag the girls, who had started to drag their feet, with them. They quickly reached their car that was parked in the fourth row and Matthew went around to unlock the doors. Lauren’s jaw was swelling and turning purple slowly, she tired to keep the tears from forming and tried to breath normally through the immense pain, and the other two girls tried to just keep calm. They stood looking at the car and each other each trying to think of away to get the guys or hoping that they would have followed them.
"LET THE GIRLS GO!" they heard and everyone turned pulling the girls with them to see who it was. They saw Justin, Lance, JC, and Chris standing in a straight line if front of them.
"Who do you think you are?" Jake asked.
"I’m the guys that’s going to kick your ass if you don’t let my girlfriend go, and these are my friends." Lance said starring at Jake and Lauren. He noticed the blood near Lauren’s mouth, his eyes narrowed when he saw the swollen cheek, it dawned on him that she had been hit and immediately his blood began to boil. His hands formed fists at his side, as he stood trying to think of what the next move would be.
"Oh…little Lauren’s got a little boyfriend and he brought his friends out with him to play." Jeremy said, "I don’t think you know what you are getting into."
"I know that right now you have my girlfriend in your hands, and apparently you have smacked her or hit her, because you are not man enough to hit a man and not a lady. See only weak little men can hit women. But anyway…since you hit her now I have to hit you." Lance said still standing his ground.
"Oh does it make you mad if I hit her…." Jake said as he took his hand off of Lauren’s mouth. He made a fist quickly and before anyone could move to protect her Jake hit her in the upper stomach near the lower ribs. Lauren could feel a stabbing pain in her ribs as her breath slowly escaped from her lungs and was not able to return. Having the wind knocked out of her, Lauren’s knees buckled and she started to fall to the ground. Jake held tight to her arm as she fell, and tried to jerk her back up to her feet. As he jerked on her arm everyone could hear a pop and Lauren felt a crack in her arm. Lauren started to cry and scream in pain, Jake finally let go of her and she lay sobbing on the ground. He pulled a knife out of his pocket "Stop crying bitch!"
"DON’T SAY THAT TO HER. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU. DON’T YOU EVER CALL HER THAT AGAIN. YOU HAVE RESPECT FOR WOMEN. IF YOU WANT TO ADDRESS HER, WHICH I RECOMMEND YOU DON’T EVEN SPEAK TO HER, YOU WILL CALL HER BY HER NAME…LAUREN. CAN YOUR LITTLE PEA SIZE BRAIN UNDERSTAND THAT?” Lance yelled as he started to walk toward Jake and Lauren.
"Oh, I can only call her Lauren. What the fuck ever…Boy you better stop!" Jake said as she started to pick Lauren up again with his free hand. He had Lauren to her knees, pulling on her already hurt left arm, and with every pull or movement she would scream out in pain, causing the guys to jump and flinch in reaction to her obvious pain, when he felt someone punch him in the stomach. "WHAT!" Jake yelled when the fist made impact with his stomach. He had been so preoccupied hitting Lauren and taunting Lance that he had not noticed Chris walk up to his side. Jake let go of Lauren and she fell crashing into the ground, and he turned back to face Chris.
"You think you are big enough to take me on?" Jake asked as he lifted his hand and hit Chris across the face. Chris took the blow and looked to where Carla was to make sure she was okay. They had put Chrissy and her in the car and the guys had turned back to the group in time to see Jake hit Lauren and drop her to the ground, then looking to Lauren he made sure she was out of the way of a possible fight. He checked again to make sure that there were only four guys and that the girls were out of the way. He didn’t want them to get hurt or be in the way.
"Why don’t you and the three goons scram?" Chris said strongly as his hands formed fist ready to fight back.
"Sorry I think you started something you can’t finish…so I guess I will!" with that Jake dropped the knife at his feet and punched Chris in the stomach.
After being hit by Jake and dropped Lauren watched as Lance stood up to the man, and then caught Chris out of the corner of her eye approaching them. She saw him punch Jake and then heard a little of what was being said. But the pain in her arm and ribs seemed to be vibrating through her body. She sobbed in pain as she watched the eight men exchange punches. Lauren noticed Carla and Chrissy in the car and was glad they were out of the way. She had saw Jake drop his knife and breathed a sigh of relief as she kicked it out of the way so that it would hurt no one. Then laying down on her back, and a little on the right side Lauren screamed in pain, which no one could hear over the yells coming from the guys, Lauren watched as the men she cared most about fought against the men she cared least about. She watched as their fist flew through the air hitting each other in everyplace possible. Lauren sat there watching as her eyelids fluttered starting to shut, and the dark seemed to close around her as she blacked out from the pain surging through her body.
Chrissy and Carla sat in the car frozen in fear. They watched as Justin slugged Sam across the face knocking him to the ground, only for him to stand back up again. Justin had an only been hit a few times and was still throwing wild punches yelling about not touching his girls ever again. They continued to exchange punches and insults. JC had Matthew by the neck and was attempting to kick out Matthew’s right knee while yelling about respecting women. At the same time he punched him in the right eye and knocked him down to the ground. Lance and Jake were starring each other down until Lance swung his right fist into Jake’s eye. Grabbing his face Jake glared at Lance and then attacked him. Punching him with both fists, Lance returned every blow Jake gave him. He managed to finally push Jake off and trip him. Lance lightly kicked Jake a few times trying to scare him more then anything. Then with a final strong blow to Jakes side Lance told him to never touch Lauren again. As Lance turned to look at his friends he saw everyone doing fine but Chris. He had Jeremy, who was slightly bigger and strong. Everytime Chris tried to get a good punch in Jeremy would block it and return with his own punch. Lance ran over to Chris after kicking Jake again and helped him.
Still frozen in the car, Carla let her eyes glide from Chris over to Lauren. She had fallen a few feet from where the fight was, but was safely out of the way of all the guys. Carla saw the knife Jake had once held laying beside her. Carla drew a deep breath as she realized Lauren was not moving and had not moved in a while. She watched as her chest slowly and slightly rose and fell. ‘She’s breathing for now’ Carla thought. Thinking quickly Carla slowly opened the car door and slide out quietly closing it behind her. She glanced at the frozen Chrissy and hoped that she would be okay. Carla quickly and quietly walked over to Lauren. Checking her pulse and breathing she sighed slightly knowing she was alive, but unconscious. She knew Lauren had to get to the hospital soon if she wanted to avoid an infection from her injuries. Carla laid Lauren’s arm straight to her side and tried to get the dirt away from her cuts on her face.
As Carla continued to try care for Lauren, Chrissy sat in the car panicking. ‘Shit what do I do?’ she thought to herself. She looked around the group still fighting. Feeling tears of fear and anger in her eyes Chrissy looked at each guy. She saw Chris and Lance trying to fight Jeremy who kept hitting them with low blow and cheap shots. Chrissy saw Jake on the ground in pain holding his stomach. She saw JC on the back of Matthew trying to hit him with everything he had. Chrissy couldn’t see much of the guys’ injuries but from the punches she saw them take she knew there would be some injuries. She saw Justin and Sam still facing off and exchanging blows. Justin seemed to have the upper hand as Sam started to flutter backwards and lose his balance. Justin continued to punch him and be punched back, Chrissy saw his lip split and blood trickle out of his mouth. Chrissy looked over to Carla and Lauren and noticed the worried look on Carla’s face. Noticing this Chrissy said, "there has to be a way to stop this. Now think Chrissy!" she scolded herself. She looked around the car for a possible weapon or to think of an idea. In the far corner of the drivers seat something shiny caught her eye. She moved her hand over the seat and slowly felt the cold metal touch her hand. Chrissy grasped the metal and pulled it out into the light. She saw the moon reflect off the barrel and realized it was a gun. She shook slightly having never held a pistol before and tried to figure out what was going on. "How can this help us?" she thought out loud. Just as she asked an idea popped into her head. She looked at the group outside the car and thought of how this could just work. Lastly looking at Lauren who still laid unconscious on the pavement she decided that it had to work. Saying a small prayer… "Dear god, guide me. You have provided me with the weapon and the means. Now just let this work. In your name…AMEN!" Taking a deep breath Chrissy slowly opened the door and climbed out.
She slammed the door behind her trying to get everyone’s attention, but only succeed in getting Carla’s. She held the gun up to where the group was fighting and yelled, "STOP!" No one heard and continued to fight. Carla went back to attend to what injuries she could of Lauren’s mainly trying to keep her from moving or jerking in pain. Carla sighed hoping that Chrissy had a plan and looked at Lauren who was still barely breathing. Chrissy shook her head and held the gun up to the sky…"Dear God help me now be strong enough to do this!" she prayed as she cocked the gun and closed her eyes as she squeezed the trigger and a shot rung through the night air.
Everyone heard the shot and stopped fighting to figure out where it came from. They all saw Chrissy still holding the gun in the air and watched as she slowly lowered it. "Thank you god!" she said quietly. "I said stop damnit! Now listen to me…you guys freeze, and the rest of you figure out how to secure them until we can get the police here. JC you call House on your cell phone and tell him to get over here with the rest of the guards and call an ambulance. Chris you stay with these boys until they get here, Lance help Chris for right now, and someone take this damn fucking gun out of my hands." Chrissy said, as her hands started to shake and Justin walked over to her taking the gun.
"Okay, against the car!" he shouted at the men. They did as he said and Lance and Chris stood nearby to make sure they did not move. JC called House like he was told then went to get the gun from Justin. Justin took Chrissy in his arms and winced slightly as she laid her head on his sore chest sobbing. She was so scared but had stayed strong. They stood this way for a few minutes until House, Joey and the other guards arrived. JC walked over to House handed him the gun and said that he would explain everything later, but right now just make sure those guys did not get away. Joey looked around that scene in front of him. His friends were out of breath and pale from the fight. Justin was holding Chrissy who was sobbing. After the bodyguards secured the other men, Lance ran to where Lauren was laying. Joey watched as Lance picked her up in his arms and cradled her like a baby. Chris had gone to Carla’s side and was holding her in his arms kissing her forehead over and over. Joey shook his head in confusion then went to talk to JC. He explained everything in the best details he could.
A few minutes later the police pulled up. JC immediately met them at their car and told them a short version of what he knew and that the girls would know what happened before they got there. The police thanked him and then arrested the four men. JC watched as the police read them their rights and then as they passed by the police officer told JC the ambulance would be right there and that the group would most likely have to go make statements the next day. But they would hold the men for a couple days no matter what. JC shook his head in agreement and then turned to look for everyone.
They had all gathered around Lance and Lauren. Lance sat with her in his arms rocking her and gently talking to her. JC saw the tears run down his face and felt his heart go out to his friend. When the ambulance arrived he told them that they were all in good condition except for Lauren, and that she needed to go to the hospital now. He directed them towards her and motioned for House to come his way. He asked him to help get the guys heading to the car so that they could go get checked out. Doing as JC said House told Joey, Chris, and Carla that they needed to go to the Limo and escorted them there. JC walked over to where everyone had been standing. Lauren still had not regained consciousness since she blacked out and Lance would not let the EMTS touch her to help her. JC shook his head again and walked to where Chrissy and Justin were. They were holding each other but Justin’s gaze was fixated on Lauren’s face. He had tears in his eyes and he held a scared expression. JC walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Justin, take Chrissy to the Limo. I will be right there. And then we can all go to the hospital!" JC said calmly, in the tone he had used with everyone since the fight.
"But JC…." Justin started then stopped.
"No Justin go now! You need to take care of Chrissy, let Lance and the EMTS take care of Lauren." Justin nodded in agreement, and bent down to kiss Lauren’s forehead. Then placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder they exchanged understanding looks and Justin took Chrissy in his arms and led her back to the Limo. On the way there Justin thought about everything that had been taking place. JC had remained calm and was now being the father of the group just as Chrissy had been the mom to save everyone. Now all they could do was hope that everything was fine.
JC moaned slightly, his body was tired, and emotionally he was drained. But he had one more obstacle before he could rest. He sat beside Lance and looked at his friend. ‘He loves her so much he can’t see that by not letting them help her he could be hurting her.’ JC thought.
"Lance, let them take her to the hospital. That’s why they are here." JC said reassuringly.
Lance looked away from Lauren’s face for a second and at JC’s. He looked into his friends tired eyes and found all the knowledge he held was covered by fear. At that moment JC was not only being Lance’s bandmate/friend but also was being a father to him. Lance looked at JC and nodded his head as more tears flooded his eyes. The tears fell down his check and mixed with his and Lauren’s blood. Lance gently kissed Lauren’s unbruised cheek and then handed her to the EMT. Who then whisked her onto a gurney and began to check her blood pressure and pulse. Lance looked back to JC, who put an arm around his friend. He sat crying in JC’s arms as JC began to let a few tears of his own build up and spill out of his eyes. The EMT came back to them and told them she was stable and most likely had just passed out from the obvious pain she was in and that one of them could ride over to the hospital with her. JC told Lance to go with her and not leave her side. Lance shook his head and the two stood and quickly hugged then walked over to the ambulance. Lance climbed in and quickly thanked JC for his help. JC shut the doors and watched as the ambulance pulled away.
Sighing slightly JC turned and walked to the limo. He was half way there when he realized how exhausted he was. He was not only physically tired, but emotionally he had been on a roller coaster. Now he was going to the hospital to have himself and his friends fixed. "What a day!" he said out loud. When he reached the car JC’s strength had completely left him leaving only a crying man. He collapsed about five feet from the door.
Chapter 23
