When Zac arrived, he noticed a group of boys yelling obscenities. He ignored them and looked around for Luke.
It wasn't until after he'd scanned for Luke without seeing him that Zac overheard and comprehended a few of the words the boys were shouting. A feeling of dread washed over him and he tentatively and nonchalantly wandered over.
"Oh no!" he whispered to himself.
The boys were taunting and beating up poor Luke, obviously over his sexual preference. Zac bit his lip and started to walk over. To stop them... but he stopped instead. There were so many of them, and only one of him. Well, two if you counted Luke.
"C'mon, Luke is your friend." Zac said, trying to coax himself.
But if he did, wouldn't they call him gay too?
And so Zac entered an internal debate, but he couldn't bring himself to walk over there.
Eventually the boys left and Zac walked over. When he saw the blood and dirt he immediately regretted not defending him.
"Oh man Luke, I'm so sorry. I should have tried to stop them when -"
"Zac, Zac, forget it." Luke gasped out.
"Are you ok? No, that's a stupid question - do you need to go to the hospital?"
"I... I think I'll be fine."
"You think? Luke you don't look good at all."
"I'm sure I don't. But it probably looks worse than what it is."
On that Luke attempted to get up, then collapsed back on the ground.
"Then again, maybe you're right."
"I'll call an ambulance." Zac said, pulling out his mobile phone.
"I thought you were only supposed to use that for emergencies."
"And this isn't?"
Luke managed a wry smile.
A little later, Luke's injuries had been cleaned up. Well, for the most part. But he was able to go home when his parents arrived.
"Thank you Zac, thank you so much for looking after my boy." Luke's mother said when she arrived.
Zac just shrugged. Naturally, she offered him a ride home, which he accepted.
"Hey Zac, you're back early." Isaac remarked.
"So are you."
Then Zac sighed and told Isaac everything that had happened.
"I just... what kind of friend am I Ike?" He burst out. "I should have done something, but instead I just stood there and watched. How can I ever face him again?"