“Josh, could you get me some milk?” his dad called to the living room where Josh was watching TV. He heard his son sighing dramatically to show him he really didn’t feel like going out of the house.

“You can choose something as desert too” his dad added with a knowing smirk, Josh couldn’t see. Josh knew what he was doing, desert was the best part of diner and he could choose it himself, it would be enough to get him to go to the store. Josh knew his dad’s plan and it was working.

“Fine” he sighed pushing himself off of the couch, trying to sound not too cheerful as he pulled on his shoes.

“I do need money” Josh said poking his head around the kitchen doorframe, wiggling his eyebrow playfully.

“On the table” his dad replied pointing towards the kitchen table without turning around, keeping his eyes on the food boiling on the stove. Josh sullenly walked towards it and grabbed a twenty,

“Don’t forget my change” Roy said knowingly earning a chuckle from Josh.

“Be careful” he added serious again. Although there had been no incidents as the people in town called it, he still wanted his son to be careful. Although his classmates turned from harassing him to ignoring him over the past few weeks since the accusation first saw the light of day, he still didn’t trust Frank or some of he other people in the neighborhood one bit. He’d grown suspicious of them since the whole mess started and he hated it.

He wasn’t a suspicious man he didn’t want to be one but after his son came home with a split lip, a swollen eye or bruises covering his body, all because of Frank he couldn’t help but be protective of him and that automatically caused him to grow suspicious of them all.

“I will” Josh said taking Roy out of his thoughts. He pulled on his jacket before slipping out the door,

“I’ll be back in 15 minutes” he called before he pulled the door shut.

Josh walked inside the small market only a couple of minutes from his house. He grabbed a basket and went straight to the aisle which held the milk, after that he could scan the racks to search for the perfect desert. He strolled through the small store, seeing Mr. Hayden with his daughter in one of the aisles, he knew the girl but he made no attempt to say hi, knowing she didn’t want to know him.

Mr. Hayden confirmed his thoughts when he discretely pushed his daughter behind him in a way to protect her, thinking Josh would lunge at her in the middle of the store. Josh met the man’s eyes but soon looked the other way, seeing a concerned and protective gleam in his eyes.

He turned away concentrating on what he came here to do; picking out a desert that would somehow make him feel a little better. He ignored Mr. Hayden shooting daggers at his back while he picked out the whipped cream to go with the strawberry’s he got from the vegetable department. Then he went to the front of the store to pay for the things he was carrying. He walked outside when he bumped into someone,

“Ooh sorry” he said automatically, cradling the few products in his arms.

“Josh” a voice grumbled, Josh recognized the voice as Frank’s.

“Frank” Josh returned taking a step back. Frank smiled down at him,

“You shopping?”

“Leave me alone” he said hoping he sounded brave while trying to walk passed him but Frank stopped him.

“Going to use that on your next victim?” Frank asked pointing at the products in his arms; Josh looked down at the items in his hands. Josh kept his mouth shut; he didn’t want to piss him off anymore than he was doing by just breathing.

“Huh?” Frank asked stepping closer to the shorter and younger man who gripped the items as it would somehow protect him.

“Doesn’t feel good to be scared huh?” he asked pushing him up against a wall, grabbing his jacket. Josh faintly shook his head no.

“See what you put my sister through you son of a bitch” he wasn’t asking, he was telling him, pushing him against the wall with every word that came out of his mouth.

“Please let me go Frank” Josh pleaded softly when he finally found his voice, afraid of the strong grip Frank had on his jacket.

“Why should I? My sister begged you to let her go but did you?!” he raised his voice at him.

“So why should I?” he asked not even waiting for an answer to his previous question.

“You know why? Because I’m not a damn rapist like you!” he hissed into his ear, Josh shuddered; Frank’s breath on his skin and the closeness of his tormentor causing him to tremble in fear. Frank laughed amused at the scary figure he was pinning against the wall with just one hand.

“You’re pathetic” he said disgusted releasing his grip on him.

“See you at school, you pig” Frank hissed in his ear, patting him on the shoulder, feeling him flinch beneath his touch. He disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Josh took in a few shaky breaths before pushing himself away from the wall quickly heading back home, afraid Frank would come back to punch him senseless. On his way back he soon made the decision to not tell his father about this, he’d caused enough trouble and he had enough on his mind because of him, he didn’t need this as well.

This was his battle…. a battle he was planning on winning…..

He hoped,

No he prayed.