"I'll explain later," Jeremy whispered as he had a slight flash back of a friend from elementary school, "Just follow my lead, and we'll be cool."

Jeremy checked the time and it was ten minutes away before school lets out. He knew he could get out ten minutes early, but he was trying to think of a cover of why he was taking Matt with him. Then he had one. He told Matt to follow his lead as they walked past the side gate. Grandma the security guard was there. She asked what Jeremy was doing with Matt, he told her a believable lie. Grandma nodded and let them go past as she shook her head. "All for a girl..." She thought as she shook her head, "I hope they don't get in trouble out there."

He then realized he didn't bring his car with him today and knew Matt wouldn't be able to make the five to eight block walk. So he called up his cousin, Reese. Reese sighed as he came to the corner.

"This better not be for some games," Reese said as he ate a peanut butter cup.

"Look, my friend is sick, we need to take him to Godmama's clinic," Jeremy said as he was being serious.

Reese didn't even tried to question Jeremy this time, he let them in the car and dropped them off at the clinic.

"At least you're doing the right thing," Reese said before he dropped them off, "Hope your friend feels better, man..."

Jeremy nodded and walks inside, of course he made sure Matt was safely inside the clinic first before he went to the counter.

Matt does his best to stay conscious. He is very grateful to Jeremy for helping him. He gets out of the car and stumbles a bit groaning. "Shit." He mumbles. He is shaking like a leaf.

Jeremy went to the counter and told the person he needed Dr. Miller to see his friend if she was busy. The person at the desk nodded and noticed Matt. She freaked out and rushed to get Dr. Miller post hast. Meanwhile she got a nurse to check Matt out.

Jeremy went back over to Matt and reassured him he will be all right.

((can you be the nurse?))

(as long as you are Dr. Miller.)

The nurse comes and leads Matt to a room. He looks back at Jeremy not really wanting to be alone. But he would understand if Jeremy left.

((I have to be Dr. Miller, because that's Jeremy's godmother.))

Jeremy stayed near the room just in case Matt asked for him. Jeremy wasn't going to leave Matt, because his godmother would ask why did he bring him here and also it wouldn't be right if he just left him here all alone.

"I'm still here, Matt," Jeremy said as he waited for the Nurse to leave the room for a second or two, "I can't leave you here along anyways, since my godmother would wonder how you got here and such."

Dr. Miller waited for the chart as she was alerted that Jeremy was here with a friend. She wondered what could it be this time, the last time it was the Captain of the Football team with a mild stomach ache. That was an easy fix, but this time may not be an easy fix.

Matt is shaking more and he feels ill. "I don't feel so good." He mumbles. The nurse had been taking Matt's vitals but when he starts shaking more she rushes to get Dr. Miller. "Doctor we have a serious case."

Dr. Miller drops the chart she was reviewing and follows the nurse to see the patient. When she gets there, she is greeted by a shaking older teen. Dr. Miller examines him and realizes he is having a side effect from painkillers.

"Did you take a whole bottle of painkillers?" Dr. Miller asks as she tells the nurse to inject him with a stabilizing shot.

Jeremy stands there and then answered as he was concerned for Matt's health, "I just noticed the pill bottle, I didn't know he took the whole thing or if was half."

"Jeremy, this is what happens when you hang out with the wrong crowd and bully people." Dr. Miller said to her godson as she tries to stabilize Matt to make sure he will make it through, "Do you know if he has parents I can contact or any relatives?"

"No, he is completely on his own from what the teammates tell me," Jeremy said as he was afraid that Matt might not make it.

Dr. Miller sighs and tries what she can to stabilize Matt. She has him taken to a private recovery room/trauma room. Then she tells Jeremy to come with her to the room along with the nurse. Once the IV is in place and the medicine is ready.

Soon Matt is stabilized. Tears run down his cheeks. "I only took a quarter of the bottle." He says his voice rough. He's just so exhausted but fights to stay awake to get the information out. He still wants to know why Jeremy helped him at all.

"Still, that stuff can do major harm to your body," Dr. Miller said in a caring tone, "I'm glad you're ok. Now I'm going to ask for some personal history once you feel a bit better."

Dr. Miller told the nurse to check on Matt in fifteen minutes. She then told Jeremy to stay with him and she'll talk to him later.

"I'll talk to you later, Jeremy, right now you need to cheer your friend up," Dr. Miller said as she went to check on Matt's labwork.

Jeremy nodded and then was thinking about something. "I think he is wondering why I helped him, I did it because it was the right thing to do. Also I didn't want to be responsible for someone dying. Maybe it was that anti-bullying video that my cousin showed me. Maybe it finally kicked in," He thought to himself.

Matt just watches Jeremy for a bit. He then falls asleep.

The nurse comes in fifteen minutes later and sees he's sleeping. He check the vitals and is pleased with what he sees so he lets the boy sleep.

Jeremy steps out of the room to talk to his godmother for a little bit. Dr. Miller starts asking questions and then lectures him as well. Jeremy sighs and gives the old excuse, "I am on the football team". She then tells him, "You have to be better than that. You have to be the one that makes the difference."

Jeremy nods and goes back inside the room to make sure Matt is ok.

Matt has woken up. "You're still here." he says surprised. "Why pretending to care? You and I both know that tomorrow it's just going to go back to the way it has always been." He whispers.

"What if it doesn't?" Jeremy said as he was referring to the last thing Matt said and didn't want to answer his question, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow..."

That's when he walked out the room. He knew he had to answer the question eventually, but he didn't know how to answer it. He knew Matt wouldn't accept the answer he would give him anyway, so what difference does it make if he gave him a believable answer.

His godmother sighed and at least was glad Jeremy wasn't going to continue the cycle of bullying. She was also happy that he decided to stop before it was too late or what it already too late?

"Don't go..." He whispers as Jeremy walks out. He lets out a small sob. He's tired, so tired of being alone, of being different. He just wishes this pain would end.

Dr. Miller saw Jeremy walk out of the room and she stopped him before he could leave the clinic.

"Jeremy," Dr. Miller said, "Matt can't be alone right now, I talked with your parents and it is best that he stays in a family environment for a few days. That way he feels that he isn't alone. Although it is up to Matt that he wants that though. It's best that you give him the offer though."

Jeremy sighed at the idea at first but then realized it was for the best. He didn't want Matt die nor did he want him to be sent to 'that shack'. That made Jeremy shudder even more at the thought of that place.

Dr. Miller walked back into the Matt's room with Jeremy.

"Jeremy would like to ask you something, Matt," Dr. Miller said as she stepped out of the room for a minute.

"I know you wanted to know why I care, well I am not pretending," Jeremy said to him in a caring tone, "I want to break the cycle before it's too late to break the cycle. Also would you like to spend a few days with my fam? My folks won't mind and you won't have to be alone right now. It's up to you."

Jeremy then paused and waited for an answer, he thought that Matt might say no and get mad at him. So he was ready for that. Not with a mean reply but with a back story of his own. He knew the bullying had to stop before that nerdy girl goes off on him. Maybe she might jump off from the third floor like she kept on telling her friends, although she said it was just a scary dream that wasn't suppose to come true.

Matt is silent for a bit. He isn't sure what to make of all this. But it would be nice not to be alone. "O.K." he whispers.

"Okay," Jeremy said as he smiled.

Jeremy was going to tell Matt they had the guestroom ready, but he decided to wait till his mom comes to pick them up. Dr. Miller came back into the room and said, "Your mom is coming in five minutes, I'll need to talk to Matt alone for a minute, then you two will be ready to go."

Jeremy nodded and walked out the room. Dr. Miller asked some questions to Matt about his life and then gave him a referral to a psychologist and an appointment to see her in one week.

"I have to get somethings from my place." He says to Jeremy as he leaves the room. He wasn't planning on going to the psychologist. He had enough problems with out people finding out he was seeing a shrink. But he didn't tell Dr. Miller any of this because he knew she'd be upset if she found out.

Jeremy nods and makes a mental note of that. Dr. Miller gives him the referral papers and the card for the psychologist. Then she gives him an appointment card with an appointment to see her in a week. Then she walks out of the room. Jeremy walks back into the room to tell Matt that his mom is here.

"My mom is here, and she'll take ya' to your place to get your things," Jeremy said as he stepped out of the room to show Matt to where his mom's car is.

Matt follows Jeremy to the parking lot. He is silent, he wonders why anybody would want to take a sad case like him in. He lets out a sigh. He's going to have to go into work, though right now he'd rather not, but what choice does he have.

A red car is in the parking lot and inside is a dark skin black lady in her forties with curly corn-rolls.

Jeremy's mom unlocks the doors to the car and greets them.

"You should let your friend sit in the front, he'll have more leg room that way," Mrs. Braxton said as she smiled

Jeremy agreed and went to sit in the back seat driver's side.

"This is my mom," Jeremy said as he introduced his mom to Matt, "and mom, this is Matt."

"Nice to meet you Matt," Mrs. Braxton said and then asked Matt, "Do we need to stop off anywhere first or drop you off anywhere?"

"Hello ma'am. Can we go back to the school? My car is there. Then I'll go back to my place and get my stuff." He says.

"Okay we'll drop you off at the school," Mrs. Braxton said as she made sure everyone was in the car and then drove off to the high school, "So do you want our address that way you can drive back to our back to our place on your own?"

Jeremy was just thinking to himself and wondering what tomorrow was going to be like. He sighed and knew he had a lot of homework to do. He hoped it wasn't due tomorrow that way he could have an extra day to finish it.

"That or you can follow me then I'll follow you. Either way works for me." He says. The urge to run if he was left alone was huge. But he knew he could fight through it.

"We'll follow you then," Mrs. Braxton said as she pulled up to the student parking lot.

Jeremy was texting on the phone to one of his friends. He sighed and knew he wouldn't be able to hang out tonight anyway, since he had homework. Also he didn't want to tell him what almost happened to Matt, since it might spread to the captain. The nerdy girl was close by talking to one of her friends about a revenge plan, but he was trying to talk her out of it.