I realized that it was Jake as soon as he turned around. He spotted me right away, and came over to talk to me. “So, did ya like the phone calls?” he asked me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked him confused.

“I got connections. I can know where you are every minute of everyday. I made some phone calls while you were at your little girlfriends house. Didja like them?”

“Whatever,” I said, and started to walk away.

“Wait a minute,” he said and grabbed hold of my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m walking away from you, where do you think I’m going?” I asked him.

“You don’t leave till I say you leave,” was the response.

“Whatever,” I muttered, and started to walk around him again.

“What are you, deaf?” he asked me. “What did I just say?” I looked over his shoulder, and Katie was standing there getting ready to hit him. He saw me looking at her, and grabbed her arm to bring her around next to me. “This time, your little cousin isn’t gonna be able to help you.”

Suddenly, he brought his leg up, and kicked me in the stomach. I grabbed by stomach, and leaned over in pain, gasping for breath. He took this opportunity to punch me in the jaw, and Katie started to fight back for me. Her attempts didn’t help, however, he knocked her over, and she hit her head on a handrail. She lay on the floor motionless.

I leaned over, and tried to revive her, but I felt Jake tap the back of my head. I looked up, and saw him pulling something out of his pocket. I stood up, and saw that the object was a gun.

Katie was coming back into consciousness, and I heard her gasp when she saw the gun. She stood up, and rubbed her head. I started to move toward Jake, but he held the gun out facing me.

“Stop right there. Take one more step, and I’ll shoot.” Katie came up and stood next to me, and he pointed the gun at her then.

“Who should I shoot, the loser who killed my girlfriends brother? Or his little cousin?” he asked himself. I think it should be HER!” he added. Show you what my girlfriend went through!!”

Suddenly in slow motion, I heard the gun go off, I jumped in front of Katie. I fell to the floor as the bullet entered my body. The subway stopped, and Jake got off. Katie leaned down next to me, and so did other people who were in the same car as us. Someone went over to the emergency stop button, and pushed it before the doors closed. The driver came over the intercom, and asked what had happened. The passenger told the driver what had happened, and the driver hit the automatic door open button, and said he would be back in a moment.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital. The left side of my body was numb, and I was having trouble focusing. I could see the blurred image of Ma sitting next to my bed.

“Ma?” I tried to say, but my mouth was too dry.

“Jack?” she asked.

“Water,” I said quietly. Ma poured some water, and brought it up to my lips. I took a couple slow sips, and swallowed painfully.

“How’s Katie?” I asked.

“She’s fine,” Ma answered. “She’s waiting outside in the waiting room with your friends.”

“My friends?” I asked.

“Lexy and some of your other friends from school are here.”

“Can I see them?”

“I’m sorry sweetie, they only allow immediate family in here.”

“Oh,” I said, and started to drift out again. I faintly heard a machine start to whine, and Ma screamed.

“No!!!!” she said as I saw the doctor come in from what seemed like far away. Then I saw someone coming towards me.

“Dad?” I said as I tried to make out the figure.