Chapter 13 – Dimitri

After the bell had rung, signalling the end of school, Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief. He had been very impatient for the last half hour. He didn't know why but he felt an enormous craving for coffee. It wasn't as if he hadn't had any coffee today, he had had one this morning. He stepped out into the doorway of the classroom, watching the flow of boys, pushing past each other.

Dimitri stepped into the gushing tide and got pushed along to where his locker was. When he reached his locker area, he stepped lightly to the side and was free from the mob.

'Ay! Dimitri!' Lucas' voice rang out.

Dimitri turned around to see Lucas further up the corridor, coming out of his classroom. Dimitri waved at Lucas as Lucas waved to him at the same time. He watched Lucas being swept along with the flow, coming towards Dimitri. Finally, Lucas was able to push past a few what Dimitri assumed to be really puny year sevens, to where Dimitri was standing.

'Heya,' Dimitri said.

'Heey,' Lucas grinned, 'got anywhere to go this arvo?'

'Well no… but I want to get some coffee, I've had this massive craving for a while…'

'Yea okay, I'll come with you. I want to show you this really cool card trick that Ryan taught me in History.'

Dimitri laughed; Ryan was the master when it came to card tricks.

'Okay, we'll go Clydes. Let's go find Ryan and ask him if he wants to come with us.'

'Um…' Lucas mumbled, 'I don't think that's quite possible at the moment.'

'Why?'

Lucas pointed at a gang emerging from a classroom nearby.

Kingsley…

Dimitri had been lucky enough to avoid Kingsley for the past couple days. Dimitri was afraid of what Kingsley might do to him because of the commotion that they had caused at Clyde's. He hoped that Kingsley had forgotten about it, but obviously that was impossible. How could someone forget an event such as being banned from a coffee shop and being beaten up by a girl.

Dimitri stepped behind Lucas, trying to avoid being seen by Kingsley. He and Lucas watched as Kingsley spotted Ryan coming out of his classroom. Kingsley made his way through the crowd towards Ryan. Ryan spotted Kingsley coming, and to Dimitri's surprise, his face darkened slightly. Dimitri saw Kingsley give Ryan a friendly thump on the back, pulling Ryan with him back to where his gang stood.

'Okay then,' Dimitri sighed, deflated. 'Never mind then, let's go…'

Lucas saw Dimitri's gloomy face and felt sorry for the guy. His best friend just had to be a member of one of the most arrogant, self-absorbed gangs in their year group. It was quite depressing from where Lucas stood and so he gave Dimitri a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder. Dimitri smiled sadly back at Lucas, thankful that he had another friend to keep him company.

The two walked slowly down the gravelled driveway out towards the main road. They walked for five more minutes until they came to an alleyway, the shortcut to Clyde's.

They had walked in silence the whole way, becoming aware that Kingsley and his gang were coming up from behind them. Kingsley and his gang were close now. Dimitri hoped that Kingsley wouldn't hurt him. He heard Kingsley growl menacingly behind him and the gang slowed their pace.

'Mattich!' Kingsley snarled.

Dimitri clenched his jaw and stopped where he stood, his back to Kingsley. He felt Lucas' uncertainty and slight fear as Lucas turned around to face Kingsley.

'Turn around, like your freak friend, Mattich.'

Dimitri knew he couldn't run this time, he had no where to run to and so turned around to face him. Kingsley's face surprisingly wasn't red with anger, it was calm but his eyes were murderous.

'Yes?' Dimitri asked quietly, fear starting to bite at him.

Kingsley didn't say anything for a while. Dimitri sensed that Kingsley's rage for revenge was growing, fear gripped him. Still Kingsley didn't say anything. Dimitri's instinct was to run and so he started to turn around to walk away.

Suddenly he was bowled over by a massive force. He was knocked to the ground and was momentarily winded. He moaned and tried to breathe, but couldn't. There was someone sitting on his stomach and whoever it was, was heavy. He opened his eyes, trying to see who was on top of him. He wheezed and got some air into his lungs. He saw Kingsley's now enraged face and saw him raise his right fist.

Dimitri had learnt all of this before. He knew that if Kingsley was going to punch him with his right fist; that he had to move his head to the left in order to dodge it. That is exactly what he did. Kingsley's fist hit the concrete hard which resulted in a loud roar of pain from the blonde boy. Dimitri felt the concrete vibrate slightly. Dimitri tried to shove Kingsley off him but the blonde boy was too heavy.

The rugby star was murderous now, he ignored his bleeding raw fist and grabbed Dimitri by the collar. He punched Dimitri once, but very powerfully across the face. He then felt Kingsley get off him, he breathed in as much air as he could. He felt someone's shoe connect hard with his lower rib cage. He heard someone shout something and vaguely was aware that the gang scattered.

His face and body felt numb. He heard someone say his name rather desperately. He groaned and was barely able to look up to see a very anxious Lucas and to his surprise, Ryan. He moaned as he started to feel some pain in his face. Ryan and Lucas propped their battered friend up against the wall for support.

'How do you feel?' Lucas asked.

'Some pain…' Dimitri replied feebly.

'Some.' Ryan stated.

Dimitri groaned, 'Ryan…? What happened…?'

Lucas looked very worried, 'You got quite a bad beating by Kingsley…'

'Yea…' Dimitri coughed, 'but they suddenly just went…'

Ryan cleared his throat gently, 'I yelled that there were cops coming, and so they split…'

Dimitri groaned again in response.

'They believed you?' Dimitri asked doubtfully.

Ryan simply shrugged, 'obviously…'

'I'm really sorry Dimitri, I asked Kingsley why we were following you two, but he wouldn't tell me.' Ryan shifted where he crouched, 'but then I figured, and I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen…I really didn't know what to do…'

Ryan looked very sorry, Dimitri knew his friend had tried to help him. He wasn't angry at Ryan.

'It's okay, thanks for helping me…'

'You always get hurt because I'm in their group, how can you even stand it? Me, your friend, always the one that brings you trouble…' Ryan said, distressed.

Dimitri simply shrugged, 'you're my mate Ryan, I get by…'

They stayed there in silence until Lucas broke the silence.

'Can you stand up mate?'

'I think so…' Dimitri tried to lift himself up.

He couldn't the first time and collapsed on the ground. With the help of his friends he could stand up the second time. He leaned on Lucas for support and they made their way to the main road. Ryan raced up ahead of them to look for help. When they made their way down the main road, Ryan came back panting.

'Clyde's. I saw Clyde and told him, he wants you to go there straight away.'

'Okay.' Lucas replied when they didn't get a response from Dimitri.

Dimitri was in a lot of pain when he was dragged into the coffee shop. He wasn't aware of all the staring faces in the shop. He heard someone say his name but he didn't respond as he fell unconscious.

He felt pain in his face and his torso and groaned. He opened his eyes and to his surprise, saw the person he last expected to be there.

Jasmine.

'You…' he croaked out.

'Yes. Me.' She said slightly impatiently, not looking at him as she was going through the first aid kit she had taken off Clyde.

He looked around. He saw that he was propped up against the wall on the bathroom floor of the coffee shop. Jasmine was sitting next to him looking for something in the first aid box. The bottom half of his face was throbbing like hell. He reached up to touch it, it had swollen up. He brought his hand down and saw that there was blood as well.

I must look like a mess…

'I'm a mess…' he said.

'Ah huh…' she mumbled, still rummaging through the first aid box.

'Where is everyone…?' he said.

'Outside. If they were in here, we'd be squashed for room and I wouldn't be able to help you, so they're outside.' She replied without emotion, still not looking at him.

He touched his face again and felt pain run throughout his jaw and his mouth. His mouth felt twice its normal size.

'It hurts…' he mumbled out.

'I'm sure it does…here…' she said as she dabbed some stuff on his lips.

He flinched but didn't say anything. She was crouched on the floor and pressed a cotton bud to his lips, he assumed that it was to stop the bleeding. She sat down on the floor, next to Dimitri. She was a head shorter than him, Dimitri noticed.

'Why are you helping me…?' he asked curiously.

'Because Clyde asked me to and it'd stop the staring people outside. What happened…?' she said looking up at him for the first time.

'Just a small punch up…that's all…'

'Yea a small punch up can cause people to lose consciousness…' she muttered, raising her eyebrow.

He felt her put her hand on his stomach to reach up and take away the cotton bud. He gave a small yelp of pain. She recoiled, not sure what she had done to cause him pain.

'Sorry! I'm really sorry, are you okay?'

'Hurts…' he said lightly rubbing his lower rib cage area.

'Please tell me you didn't break anything…' Jasmine groaned.

'I ono…'

'Can you twist your body to the side?' she asked.

Dimitri could twist some way before pain got through. He grunted and steadied himself with his arms.

'Kinda…'

'then you must've just bruised it, I think… if you can twist.' Jasmine observed.

'O..'

'but I gotta check to make sure…I thought I sprained my ankle once, but I had actually broken it…not pleasant.' She said.

'Smart.' Dimitri snorted.

Jasmine put slight pressure on his stomach.

Dimitri yelped at the pain that was running across his torso, 'very funny…' he managed to get out.

'If you want to know whether it's broken or bruised, you're going to have to let me see…do you mind if I…?' she said unsure, touching his shirt lightly.

He felt his face heat up but she didn't seem like she noticed, when she looked expectantly at him.

'I guess not…' he replied, feeling very embarrassed.

He watched her unbutton his shirt from the bottom. He watched her long fingers slip the buttons out from the holes. Her brown hair fell in front of her face as she had to bend her head down. She irritably brushed it behind her ear. Her lips were in a tight line as she concentrated. He had been smiling the whole time he had watched her. He quickly realised what he was doing and stopped immediately.

He decided not to be useless and started unbuttoning from the top. He concentrated very hard on unbuttoning the buttons to stop him from staring at her. He felt his shirt give way as he unbuttoned the last button. At that moment, he was very grateful that he did Karate. All the hard work got him in shape. He was so glad that he didn't have a flabby stomach. It would've been even more embarrassing if he did.

He felt his cheeks go red as she started touching his lower ribcage very carefully and gently. The atmosphere around him was very still and silent. After a very long minute she broke the silence.

'There isn't anything broken,' she concluded.

He was distracted by her warm hands that were still on his toned stomach.

'O.' was his response.

'It's just bruised, so try not to move it too much, it'll heal by itself…' she said.

'Um okay…' he replied.

They found themselves once again, looking at each other. He couldn't help noticing that she looked nice, with her brown eyes and nice mouth. He saw her reach up to his mouth to take something off his lip. He grabbed her wrist to see what it was.

'Just a bit of cotton wool that didn't come off from before…' she trailed off.

Again they were looking at each other. His soft grey eyes locked in with her brown unsure ones. She leaned forward to ease her wrist out of his grip. Their faces were close now. He felt his neck heat up, again. She too didn't look too comfortable, she shifted where she sat.

He felt himself lean slowly forward, not really knowing what he was doing. He felt Jasmine tense slightly but ignored it. He leaned in and kissed her lingeringly on the lips once. The light contact between them sent shivers down his spine and he liked it. He paused. He didn't know what compelled him to do it.

He waited for Jasmine's reaction. He wasn't sure what to expect. Would she slap him? He hoped not, his cheek was painful enough already.

He looked into her brown eyes and saw her relax. Dimitri saw a smile tugging at her lips as she returned his kiss. A moment later he felt her arms wrap themselves around his neck causing Dimitri to lean down towards her further. His strong arms instinctively curled around her waist to bring her closer. He felt as if he weighed nothing at all, as if floating on a cloud. He'd never felt anything like this before.

'Jasmine!' someone bellowed on the other side of the door.

The two jumped apart from each other immediately, shocked by the sudden interruption. They looked at each other, panting softly.

'Yea?' Jasmine said timidly.

'Are you done in there yet??'

It was Ryan.

Jasmine looked at Dimitri. She was flushed, her neck and cheeks were pink. Dimitri just smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

'Yea, nearly done, he's taken quite a bashing…'

Ryan didn't respond, they heard him walk away. The two sat in silence, not knowing what to say. Dimitri was embarrassed; he had never been so bold towards anyone, let alone a girl he hardly knew. The few times that he had been around her, Dimitri felt more conscious of himself than compared to normal. He was lost in his thoughts, until Jasmine interrupted.

'Um…we should probably go outside now…'

'Yea... I guess…' he replied, standing up slowly.

'uh thanks for um…' he gestured to his lip and his stomach.

Jasmine shrugged and smiled, 'soh kay,'

Dimitri hopped off the spluttering bus and watched it drive, or screech rather, away. He stood on the pavement, aimlessly looking around. He felt weird, after he and Jasmine had come out of the bathroom. His bruises didn't feel too painful after what happened in the bathroom.

He felt squeamish that he had done what he did but also unsure of what it really meant. Did he like her or something? He didn't know why he had kissed her, but it felt right. He couldn't possibly like someone he hardly knew. It was confusing. He shook his head clear of the contradicting and confusing thoughts and walked slowly home.

He unlocked the backdoor and walked into chilly kitchen.

'D'mitree?'

It was his dad.

Dimitri walked into the living room where his father was located. His father was once again watching the footy, a beer can in hand. He was drunk again. He walked a bit closer until he was right next to his dad.

'Yes sir…?' he said softly.

'Where 'ave 'ou been?' Dimitri recoiled when he smelt alcohol in his father's breath.

'Um… I was at the coffee shop, with Ryan.' Dimitri replied.

His father seemed to have ignored his response, and turned his unfocused eyes to look at Dimitri.

'Where's my dinner…?' his father demanded.

'I haven't had time to get it yet sir. I just got back.'

'Haven't had time…? Haven't had time? That's NOT GOOD ENOUGH BOY!' his father suddenly roared, surging unsteadily to his feet.

'How many times have I told you about being late!?' his father continued yelling.

'Many times sir,' Dimitri mumbled.

His father hadn't changed at all. Dimitri mentally hit himself for being so foolish in believing his father would change, just like that.

'Well then GET ME MY DINNER!' his father bellowed, cuffing Dimitri across the head hard.

Dimitri felt the world spin and managed to stumble out of the living room. He staggered into the kitchen and leaned on the bench top. He put his hand to his head, it hurt. He had been an idiot, a complete git in believing or just hoping that his father had changed. Just hoping that his father had changed, just that little bit.

'Standing here isn't going to prevent you from getting hit again,' he muttered to himself.

He walked towards the freezer and started to look through for something that he could cook for his father.

A/N: tada!! I hope that was an alright chapter, hope you people liked it. Just thought I'd give people something to read on new years eve lol P aren't you proud of me! I've updated! Hahha, oh well…

Once again, reviews are always appreciated. Any comments, suggestions, criticism is always helpful. Thanx guys! Happy new year!!