Ryan had picked up his tattered shirt and his abandoned pants and hurriedly put them on. He limped his way to the stairs; each step was more painful than the last. He sobbed and took the first step, letting his legs buckle from under him. His body began to clumsily fall down the stairs. He honestly didn't care anymore, he just hoped he died on his way down. Oh no, he just hit another person. He heard them mumble something or other, but he just blacked out.

A cold wave washed over Ryan. He cracked his eyes, but the bright light of this room was too much so he quickly shut them again. He groaned, or at least he THOUGHT he groaned. God that water was cold. Wait, water? When did he get into somewhere with water? Oh god… He opened his eyes, but then they were forced shut again by the bright bathroom lighting reflecting off the spotless white tile.

"Ryan." That voice sounded so familiar. "Ryan!"

"I will NOT open my eyes." Ryan said bluntly, honestly he didn't care what impression he left on the person hovering over the bathtub in which he lay. "But it would be nice if I knew your name."

"Ryan, dude, it's me. Chad."

"Chad… Where am I?" Ryan asked, half worried, have confused.

"Oh…er…" Chad blushed, and he thanked whatever creature is up in the sky for Ryan's current light-o-phobia. "My, um, bathroom."

Ryan froze.

"Why?" he asked, still not opening his eyes. He felt as if he was in his boxers, which he was both thankful and angry about. Thank gods he wasn't naked, at least.

"Well, you were bruised and scratched, and I'm lazy. So I thought a shower would be way easier than me cleaning all of your cuts." He chuckled, "And quite a lot less painful."

That is where it hit him, a wave so much colder than water washed over him. He felt the cuts, and they burned. He had a freezing body with burning cuts all over him. He was foul; he had let that guy take advantage of him. His eyes began to tear up, and he could feel his throat twisting into a harsh knot.

Let it out. He told himself, or it will only get worse.

He pulled his knees to his chest and began to cry, no, weep. His wails echoed of the tiled walls, and the only thing that mattered to Ryan was to get this out. Chad, on the other hand, fell back with Ryan's sudden outburst. Chad's surprise was short-lived, and he scrambled to the side of the tub where he began trying to talk some sense into the other boy.

"Ryan!" Chad screamed, "Dude! What the hell!?"

Chad reached out to Ryan in an attempt to pull him closer, but Ryan fought him off and began to cry harder. This is when Chad, fully clothed, got into the bathtub. He didn't care if he flinched; Ryan honestly needed someone there for him, he didn't know what happened, but Ryan Evans never cries. Chad pulled Ryan close to him, and held him tightly when he fought. Ryan relaxed, Chad sighed.

"Ry, what in the frak was THAT?"

"Jeff…He…oh gawd. Chad, I'm so dirty. Chad…" he sniffed and buried his face in his friends chest, he hated himself. Why did he let Jeff do this? "I'm a disgusting excuse for a human."

"No! Ryan, no! You're a good person. What brought this on, Ry?"

"Jeff… He…I said no!" Ryan, at this point, began to cry once more.

"Jeff… Waters?" Chad asked, a fire burning from inside him "From the basketball team?"

Ryan remembered the ring he had on his finger; it was on the hand he had shoved into Ryan's mouth to shut him up. He nodded, a sniffle and a sob escaping him.

Chad sighed and held Ryan closer. He would deal with Jeff later. Ryan was hurt, and it killed him a bit inside to see such a confident person reduced to this.

"Ry I-" Chad began before being cut off by Ryan's broken voice.

"Why do you care, Chad." The smaller boy asked.

"I…. We're friends." Chad stated flatly.

"Why are you holding me?"

"Don't you like it?"

"I… I'm not sure." Ryan grunted and looked away. He was now drenched, and he seriously felt like slapping Chad for this wonderful plan. Let's put the emotionally wounded boy in the bathtub, and freeze him to death.

"Chad, m-my parents are gone for the weekend," Ryan said in a voice close to a plea "can I stay here tonight?"

Chad answered, a little too quickly, with an instinctive "Of Course!"

Ryan began to stand up, but lost his footing and fell back onto Chad. Ryan couldn't really walk, he just felt so weak. Without any words the two boys communicated. Chad got the hint, and picked Ryan up, he carefully exited the shower and carried Ryan to his room. He set Ryan down on his bed, and went to work finding something of his Ryan could change into.

"Chad, I'm getting your bed all wet." Ryan said awkwardly, isn't this where he'd be supposed to sleep?

Wait, no, CHAD will sleep here. I probably with get the floor, or the couch. He thought to himself, almost sadly.

Chad hadn't even heard.

"Here," Chad said as he threw Ryan a shirt and a pair of boxers "Try these on."