Surviving Elite High: The Next Generation, Senior Year

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Robbie lay spread out over his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he reexamined his life. His first week at Elite High had been a blur and he couldn’t remember much of it. Most of his time was spent with Tim, Abby, Nicky and Josh. Taylor had kept her distance from them since she preferred to spend her time with Dustin. Robbie couldn’t blame her. Dustin was her man. They were a couple and the entire school was buzzing about it. Robbie had no idea of how many girls had been lusting after Dustin, but by the way they glared at Taylor, he now had an idea. To an extent, he even agreed with them. Dustin was hot, but a little bit conceited and perverted for his taste. Robbie didn’t like the way Dustin looked at him whenever he was changing his clothes or the way he walked around the locker room in the nude. If that wasn’t enough, whenever Dustin took a shower, he would leave his shower door wide open for everyone to see him with a chubby or rubbing one off after gym class. He thanked the Lord that Josh was also in the same class and acted as a barrier between them.

Robbie didn’t like Dustin at all, but he had no other choice than to accept him as Taylor’s boyfriend. He simply hoped and prayed that Dustin would soon show his true colors and Taylor would finally dump him.

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the guy next to him.

Nicky looked spectacular in his navy blue shirt and black pants. “Do we have to go, Robbie?”

“Yeah. Why don’t you want to go anyway? You love parties and I honestly thought you’d be crazy for this one.”

Nicky scoffed loudly, looking slightly annoyed. “The only reason I like Dustin is because he can throw some really wild parties. Other than that, I can’t stand the guy. He thinks he’s the s**t and the hottest fucker on campus.”

“Like you?”

“Haha! Very funny. It’s called the Rivalry of Men. Something you wouldn’t understand even if I tried to explain it to you.”

“Tim likes him.”

“Tim likes anyone who gives him free alcohol, a room to f**k and loud music.”

Robbie laughed, grabbing his pillow and hitting Nicky with it.

“Ouch!” Nicky yelped, covering his face with his arms.

“Are you trying to say that man is an alcoholic s****l predator?”

“Your words, not mine. But to be honest, I don’t want to miss this part at all. It’s my last Back to School Party and it’s going to be the best one yet. I’m going all out.”

“I knew it! You’re simply jealous of Dustin.”

“Why would I be jealous of that b***h? Give me one good reason.”

“Well,” Robbie pushed on, trying to get something off him, “I mean, he’s dating your ex-girlfriend. Isn’t that a good reason enough?”

“And? I’ve got every right to be jealous if that’s the case. I loved Taylor and I want her to be happy, but I’m in love with Abby now. She’s my world.”

Robbie understood him. If he was in his shoes, he would probably be jealous of Dustin as well. “I guess you’ll always have feelings for someone that you once loved.”

“Exactly! That’s why some people always end up having s*x with their exes. You never stop loving them. You simply love them less and less.”

“I guess so. I would never stop loving Tim though or let him go. He’s my world and life.”

“If he tries to run away, I can shoot him in the leg. That way he doesn’t get too far and we can chain that fucker in our basement.”

Robbie laughed. “But we don’t have a basement.”

“Then our attic.”

“We don’t have one either,” Robbie countered.

“Then I’ll chain that b***h in my room! I’ll f**k him nice and slow.”

“Oh my God, Nicky! You did not just say that about my man.”

“He was my man before you came along.”

Robbie laughed, holding his stomach. “You’re so gay for him.”

“You wish. I wouldn’t want to f**k him. God knows how you do.”

“I haven’t even f****d him yet.”

“Oh!” Nicky nodded, grinning. “He’s the top and you’re the bottom.”

Robbie hit him with his pillow for a second time. “You’re in jerk mode, huh?”

Nicky chuckled. “No. So Tim’s the top and you’re the bottom. Right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“So you never penetrated Tim, right?” Nicky raised an eyebrow.

“God!” Robbie sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. “Do we really have to talk about this right now? Tim and Abby could be here at any moment.”

“Of course we do! We’re brothers.”

Robbie sighed, feeling defeated. “No, I haven’t. Happy?”

Nicky smirked. “I see. So basically, you’re a virgin. You never penetrated anyone? Right?”

Robbie took a second to analyze what he was saying. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Do you want to?”

His question took him by surprise. Did he want to penetrate Tim? All this time, Tim had been the one to take charge and be the dominant one. He had never taken charge and owned Tim. He simply couldn’t picture himself in that role. Tim was bigger than him so he felt the need to kneel down in front of him and worship him. Robbie wanted Tim to own him and not the other way around. He sometimes took charge, but in a different way. He would sometimes throw Tim on the bed, tie him down, ride him, and make him o****m on the spot. He loved doing that to Tim, but he never wanted to flip him over and f**k him from dusk to dawn. Robbie wanted Tim to be the top. He was happy being the bottom.

“Not really. I’m happy with my s*x life.”

“Okay. Do whatever makes you happy. You two remind me of my parents. Pops is definitely the top while Dad is an undeniable bottom.”

“Please, don’t talk about your parents that way, Nicky.”

Nicky laughed. “Why not? Everyone has s*x. Your teacher, your grandparents, the mailman, the milkman, Old Bat Betty—”

“Okay! I get it. Everyone has s*x, but they’re your parents.”

“I know.” Nicky smiled evilly. “I saw them once you know. Well, I sort of spied on them.”

“What? When and where?” Robbie’s asked.

“A few years ago.” Nicky rolled over and lay belly down on Robbie’s bed. “I think I was twelve or thirteen. Back then, I was curious to know about s*x and especially about gay s*x. I researched it online and nothing came up. I had no idea that Dad had blocked all explicit sites from our network so I came up with the perfect plan to catch them in the act. You see, every Saturday, I would go for soccer practice while Lily took stupid ballet classes. They were alone all morning so I knew very well that they used this time to have s*x. One day, I lied to them and told them I’d leave early and walk to practice. They let me go after bitching and fighting with them for a few hours.”

Robbie chuckled, listening to his story.

“So, I hid in the bushes. While they dropped Lily at ballet class, I sneaked in the house and hid in their closet. I waited for an hour until they finally reached home, kissing and groping each other. They stumbled into their bedroom and I saw the whole thing from beginning to end.”

“Oh my God!” Robbie’s mouth dropped open. “You p*****t!”

Nicky laughed. “I was curious. I really wanted to know what s*x was all about and they caught me by the way.”

“What? How?”

“Back then, I had no idea that my phone had a special GPS that Pops had installed in it in order to monitor us anywhere in the world. So they checked on me using their phones and bang! Caught me in their closet, spying on them.”

Robbie let go a loud laugh that vibrated throughout the room. “No way! What did they do? What did they say?”

“I got the scolding of a lifetime! Dad lectured me nonstop while Pops tried not to laugh.”

“Nick is always taking things lightly, huh?”

“Totally. Don’t tell Dad, but that night, Pops showed me my first piece of p**n ever. It was an educational video about s*x, but you could basically see everything. They had cameras inside the woman’s v****a, the man’s p***s and all over the place. So you could basically see the entire process from beginning to end while some British man explained to you what was happening. To me, it was f*****g awesome! I watched it like a million times. Now that I look back, it was the lamest piece of p**n in history.”

Robbie chuckled. “I think I saw that video in s*x Ed last year.”

“Yeah. Me too. Pops tricked me. He made me think that it was the coolest piece of p**n ever. He also sat me down and taught me about s*x in his own words, about protection, STDs and a whole bunch of boring crap.”

“Wasn’t it awkward? I never got ‘the talk’. Back at the orphanage I read about s*x in a few brochures.”

“Now that’s f*****g lame,” Nicky admitted with a chuckle. “And yes, it was. That may be the reason why I’m more comfortable talking about s*x with Pops than with Dad.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Robbie confessed, feeling slightly jealous of him. He would have loved to have learned and talked about s*x with his real parents. He’d missed out on that and many other things that most kids took for granted. As much as he wanted to deny it, he missed his real parents.

Robbie’s bedroom door swung open and Tim walked in. “Hey! Am I interrupting something?”

“I was about to eat Robbie’s ass and make him mine.” Nicky winked, standing up.

“You wish.” Tim rolled his eyes at him. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Robbie jumped to his feet. “Where’s Abby?”

“Waiting for us outside.”

“Let’s go then.” Nicky walked to the door.

Robbie ran to Tim’s arms and buried his face against his chest, taking in his masculine scent. It felt so good to have Tim in his arms, feeling his love and protection all around him like a powerful invisible force. “I missed you, Tim.”

“Me too.” Tim hugged him tight. “Ready to party?”

Robbie shrugged. He didn’t care where he went with Tim as long as they were together, loving each other and spending time alone. “I guess so. You know I’m not a party person.”

“I know. You’re my little Party Pooper.”

“Hurry up!” Nicky yelled from down the hallway.

“Coming!” Tim shouted, glancing at the door for a second. “Is he mad or something?”

Robbie’s mind went back to what they had just shared with each other. “He’s just very impatient. You know that by now.”

“Come.” Tim held his hand tight. “Let’s go before he comes back and rips our heads off.”

Tim led Robbie over the threshold and into the study room, directing him to the small hallway that led into the kitchen and beyond. Once they reached the living room, their attention fell on Nick and John who stood at the foot of the door, talking with Nicky.

“It’s just a party,” Nicky mumbled. “The entire school’s going to be there. Do they really have to go?”

“Yes,” John answered, incredulous. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because they’ve been following us everywhere we go. People think they’re babying us or something. We’re old enough to take care of ourselves.”

“They’re going and that’s final,” John stated, anger flashing behind his light brown eyes. “You’re lucky you’re even going.”

Robbie had never seen John angry before, but he was beginning to see why Nick feared him. His eyes became snakelike while his thin eyebrows merged into one. As he defiantly looked at Nicky, Robbie could swear that he saw fire coming out of his mouth, ears and nostrils.

“Okay!” Nicky threw his arms in the air, giving up. “They can come along. Just tell them to keep their distance and not to be on top of us all the time. It’s a party and everyone from school will be there. We’ll be safe, Dad. You know it.”

“I know so don’t worry. You won’t even know they’re there. They’ll simply make sure that everyone at that party is who they say they are and that no stranger steps into that house. They’ll give you your privacy just for tonight. I promise.”

“Thank God! Later.” Nicky opened the front door and stepped outside to a dark and chilly night. Like a thief in the middle of the night, Tim approached Nick and John, smiling and flinching at the same time. While John’s powerful gaze fell on them, his demeanor changed. His stare became gentle while his words became soft as snow. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yes, Uncle John.”

“Okay,” Nick added. “Take care of yourself and if anything happens, please call us. Is that clear?”

“Clear as water,” Robbie said. “You’ve got nothing worry about.”

Nick and John glanced at each other.

“We know.” Nick said. “Just take care of yourself and have fun.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them,” Tim promised. “Bye now.”

“Bye.” John waved them goodbye while Nick placed a gentle arm around his husband.

Tim took Robbie outside before they completely changed their minds. As they made their way to Tim’s car, Robbie experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Nick and John looked worried. In fact, they looked like they wanted them to stay home where it was safe and sound. Were they really in grave danger? As far as he knew, the man who wanted to hurt them was still at large. To Robbie, the party was starting to sound like a really bad idea. Maybe they should have stayed home instead of attending Dustin’s Back to School Party. What if Nick and John were in danger? What if that crazy psychopath tried to hurt them? Maybe they should stay with them and keep an eye on each other. “Tim?”

“Yeah?” Tim opened the car door for him.

“Maybe, we should stay home.”

“What? Why? What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s just that Nick and John looked a little worried. Don’t you think so?”

“Yeah.” Tim smiled. “They’re parents. It’s their job to worry. My mom stills gives me her blessing as soon I hit the front door.”

Robbie chuckled, but grew somber in a second. “I mean, there’s someone out there who wants to hurt them. Maybe, we should stay home and keep an eye on them.”

Tim nodded. “I guess you’re right. Maybe we should stay home.”

“What’s going on?” Nicky stepped out of the car, looking slightly annoyed.

“Robbie doesn’t want to go again. And maybe we should stay, man.”

“What? Why?” Nicky asked, bewildered. “You know I really want to attend this party so why back off now?”

“Your parents.” Robbie answered. “They looked worried and that guy is still out there, you know.”

Nicky shook his head. “My parents will be all right. This house has the best state of the art alarm system that money could buy. They’ll be fine. I promise. Besides, they’ve got five security guards patrolling the grounds. I doubt that crazy old fool would be dumb enough to come here, looking for trouble. The police are after him and he’s probably on the other side of the country. Chances of him getting here are very slim.”

Robbie took a deep breath. Maybe he was overreacting again and Nick and John were going to be fine. He simply needed to worry about Nicky’s safety since he was their only son. He was simply the adopted one so he highly doubted that Vince would target him.

“I guess you’re right.” Robbie admitted.

“I know I am.” Nicky jumped into Tim’s car again. “Now, let’s go or I’m going full asshole mode!”

Tim shrugged, giving up, and Robbie jumped into Tim’s car, also throwing in the towel. They had to go or Nicky would b***h about it all weekend. Tim closed the passenger door shut and ran to the driver’s side.

“What were you guys yapping about?” Abby wrapped her arms around Nicky.

“Nothing important,” Robbie said, trying to mask his concern about Nicky’s safety.

Tim got into the driver’s side and turned the key in the ignition.

“Finally!” Nicky yelled. “Who’s ready for the best night of their lives?”

“I know I am!” Abby kissed Nicky on the lips. “It’s party time!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They arrived at Dustin’s party a quarter to nine and by then, the entire school was already jam-packed inside his house, pouring out of its cracks and windows like pus from an enormous pimple. Every window and door was open and through each one Robbie saw people drinking, dancing and smoking whatever was popular that week. The front lawn was covered with students dancing and singing as they circled a tiny DJ booth in the middle of the yard. Several partygoers even stuck out of the windows, waving their arms from side as they fruitlessly tried to reach the DJ who was seamlessly mixing one song with the next. The earth shook slightly the moment they jumped into the air to one of Avicii’s greatest hits, Wake Me Up.

“Oh my Jesus!” Abby looked around, mouth wide open. “It’s like a concert out here.”

“Dustin exceeded my expectations.” Tim studied the massive crowd in front of him who were high on alcohol and other drugs. “This party is going to be awesome!”

Robbie noticed the black SUV that had followed them the moment they left home. Inside were the two security guards, which Nick and John had hired to keep an eye on things at the party.

“How do you even get inside?” Nicky looked around.

“I don’t think you can.” Abby’s eyes opened wide.

“Let’s go!” Tim held Robbie’s hand.

He directed them through the massive crowd in front of them, never stopping once. As the people around them jumped and danced from side to side, they navigated themselves through the bodies of students who were too high to even recognize them. It took them a few minutes to reach the front door and step inside to where it was safe and sound. Compared to the outside, the inside of Dustin’s fabulous mansion was completely deserted. Kids hung out, bobbing their heads to the loud music outside, as they talked and sipped a nice cold beer. The security guards that had followed them to the party, walked inside with them, looking around and inspecting everyone around them. They were to make sure that the place was safe for both him and Nicky. In no time, they blended into the crowd.

“Oh my God! It’s crazy f**k out there!” Abby complained.

“Yeah.” Robbie wiped his arms with his shirt, feeling sticky and gross. “I’m soaking wet in sweat and it’s not even mine.”

“Eww!” Abby looked away disgusted. “Sadly, me too.”

“Hey guys!” Taylor waved at them as she appeared from the living room. “I’m so glad you guys could make it. It’s crazy outside, huh?”

“Tell me about it!” Abby rolled her eyes. “The entire town is here.”

Taylor laughed. “Yeah, I refuse to bathe in someone else’s sweat.”

“I know! I need a drink after what I just went through.” Abby looked around, no doubt searching for the bar. “Where can I find one?”

“There are two bars.” Taylor pointed behind her. “One in the kitchen and the other in the living room. Upstairs is off limit to everyone except for the people in our group. Only we are allowed to go up. No one else is. The bouncer at the foot of the stairs already knows us so he will let you through without a problem.”

“Nice!” Tim nodded. “Where’s Dustin?”

“With Josh in the kitchen.”

“Cool.” Tim turned to Nicky. “Want to see what they’re up to?”

“Sure, man! I do need a drink.”

“Will you be okay?” Tim asked Robbie.

“Yes. Have fun okay? Don’t get too drunk.”

“I won’t get drunk today. Not anymore. I promise.”

In no time, Tim and Nicky disappeared from sight, leaving them behind.

“Some things never change, do they?” Abby sighed, focusing on Taylor.

“Tell me about it. They always leave us all alone.”

“I doubt those two will ever change. But I really need a drink. Be right back. Don’t have too much fun without me!” Abby smiled and disappeared into the crowd.

“Remember last year?” Taylor stood next to Robbie and poked his stomach.

Robbie’s mind went back to the previous year. He grinned like a child and nodded, happily, remembering it all. “Yeah, I had my first official date with Tim here and he even broke up with Bianca and Heath for me.”

“Oh! Those were the good old days.”

Robbie scoffed, not believing his ears. “Good old days? Bianca hated me to death and Heath wanted my head on a plate. That definitely doesn’t sound like the good old days to me. I was s**t scared of them. They hated me like you’ve got no idea.”

“I’d hate you too if you stole Tim away from me. My cousin is one sexy son of a bitch.”

“Amen to that!”

“Hi!” A familiar voice came from behind them.

They spun around and came face to face with Sophia who looked spectacular in a black mini dress that was elegantly decorated with a red bow. Her hair was loose and her red shoes matched her red lipstick and colorful bow.

“Whoa, Nelly!” Robbie breathed in, examining her from head to toe. “You look amazing, Sophia.” For a second, his eyes fell on one of the security guards as he talked with a follow student who was showing him his ID.

“Thank you, Robbie.” Sophia blushed. “I had to look my best.”

“Why’s that?” Was she trying to impress Josh?

“I’m here with Josh!” she squealed, happily, and covered her mouth with her hands.

“What?” Robbie and Taylor asked at the same time, mouths wide open. Was Sophia really on a date with Josh? Was Josh actually dating Sophia? What was going on? Why would Josh ask her out on date? As far as Robbie knew, Josh only liked to tease her mercilessly with his charming good looks and killer smile.

“Who are you and why are you with Josh?” Taylor asked her, looking slightly lost.

“Sorry!” Robbie interjected, focusing on Taylor. “Taylor, this is Sophia, a junior at our school. She also worked for Tim during the summer.”

“Oh!” Taylor extended her hand out to her. “Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine!” Sophia giggled, shaking Taylor’s hand. “You’re a legend in my eyes. You dated Nicky and you’re currently dating Dustin. You’re so lucky. But, don’t worry. I’m in love with Josh so I won’t steal Dustin away from you and I’m not sure if I could even compete with someone as beautiful as you.”

“Okay, this party is definitely going to be epic,” Taylor answered, nodding.

“Wait!” Robbie interjected. “Josh brought you to the party? Like you two came together, to the party, on a date?”

“Yeah! I was shocked when he asked me too, and even more when he kissed me.” Sophia covered her face that was redder than a tomato. “I even felt his hard p***s!”

Taylor’s gasped. “Definitely epic.”

“What?” Robbie couldn’t believe his ears.

Josh had brought Sophia to Dustin’s party and kissed her? Why would he? What was going on? His body broke out in goose bumps as he remembered something very important that happened on the first day of classes. He had heard an incomplete conversation between Josh and Dustin. Josh was going to bring a girl to Dustin’s party so that he could have s*x with her. Was Sophia this girl? Was Josh really going to have s*x with Sophia and then throw her to one side?

“Who is this?” Abby appeared from the living room with a beer in her hand.

“Hi! I’m Sophia, Josh’s date.”

Abby’s eyes went wide. “What? Josh’s date?”

“Yes! I’m Sophia, Josh’s date.”

Abby shook her head and focused on Taylor instead. “Who is this?”

“Apparently, Josh’s date.”

“What the hell? Josh date? More like Josh’s cheap date,” Abby scoffed, loudly, as she rolled her eyes at her. “Whatever! Run along little one.”

Robbie and Taylor glanced at each other, too shocked to move. Sophia simply flinched, turned around, and sprinted to the nearest exit.

“Okay, that was mean even by your standards.”

“Whatever, Tay! Clearly, she’s just one of Josh’s cheap hook ups.”

“Sophia is a nice girl, you know,” Robbie defended the girl that had been so nice to him. Why had Abby reacted that way? Why had she treated her that way?

Abby simply rolled her eyes again. “I’m going outside for a smoke.”

Abby turned around and made her way to the back of the house, disappearing from sight and leaving them behind.

“What the hell was that all about?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Tay.”

Robbie didn’t get Abby at all. Why had Abby reacted so furiously with Sophia? It looked like she wanted to rip her head off and chew it for lunch. Was she jealous of Sophia? Was that the main reason why she had reacted so angrily with her? Nicky had reacted the same way as well. However, Nicky had confided in him that he was still in love with Taylor to an extent. That was the main reason why he had reacted so heatedly to the news that Taylor was now dating Dustin. Was Abby in the same predicament? Maybe she was and she had voiced her anger instead of keeping it inside like Nicky.

“Okay. Want something to drink, Robbie?”

“Yeah. I need hard liquor.”

Taylor laughed, wrapping an arm around him, and led him to the living room where they bumped into a few friends from school. Taylor and Robbie sat in the living room, socializing while they waited for Abby’s safe return. However, Abby never came back. As the minutes ticked by, Robbie became concerned with her safety or, in reality, Sophia’s safety. What if they bumped into each other again and Abby decided to take out her anger on her? He leaned into Taylor’s ear. “Where do you think Abby went?”

“No idea. Maybe she’s with the guys or still fuming about Josh’s new date. Poor girl. She’s going to fear her from now on. I would.”

Robbie chuckled. “Do you wanna go look for her? What if she’s in a fight with Sophia or burying her corpse in the backyard?”

Taylor giggled. “Fine. I need to pee anyway.”

“Cool.”

They excused themselves and made their way into the rec room where they found a bunch of guys crowding around a ping pong table. Tim and Dustin were lingering nearby, watching the heated game between the two groups while one of the security guards looked around the room. The second Dustin’s gaze fell on Taylor, he walked up to her and held her hands, kissing them softly. “Is there anything you need?”

“We’re fine. Looking for Abby actually.”

“Nicky and Josh disappeared a few minutes ago, too. Maybe they’re outside dancing.”

It was then that Tim saw Robbie and walked up to him. “Hey! What’s up?”

“Looking for Abby. Have you seen her?”

“No. I thought she was with you guys.”

“We’ll look for her,” Taylor informed them. “I need to pee too.”

“Use any bathroom upstairs.” Dustin pointed to the ceiling.

“Thank you, baby.”

“See you guys later.” Robbie gently grabbed Taylor’s hand.

They made their way out of the rec room and into a large hallway that led to the main stairs. As they zigzagged their way through the crowded passageway, they searched endlessly for Abby, but she was nowhere to be found.

“I really got to pee!” Taylor tugged on Robbie’s hand and led him to the first step of the stairway where a bouncer smiled at Taylor and let them through. “Come! The upstairs bathrooms should be empty.”

Robbie followed her up the stairs and the second they hit the last step, they looked down on the large empty hallway that held several doors. Robbie looked behind him for a second and saw the bouncer and security guard talking at the foot of the stairs. What were they yapping about?

“Which one, Tay?” he asked Taylor.

“Anyone!” Taylor walked up to the first door and opened it.

Robbie’s breathing became forceful and heavy. Taylor mouth’s dropped open as she shook violently. A bed lay horizontally in front of them while a small lamp on top of a wooden nightstand illuminated everything in sight. But that wasn’t the part that shocked them and made their feet cold and knees weak. On top of the bed, lay Nicky with Abby completely naked from head toe, straddling him like a rodeo girl.

“Oh my God!” Abby threw herself to one side and disappeared from sight. “Not again!”

“What the hell?” Nicky covered himself with a pillow. “Robbie? Taylor? What are you guys doing here?”

Taylor grabbed the knob and slammed the door shut. Taylor then stood, next to Robbie, staring off into space like a mindless zombie. Her hand felt cold as ice while her entire body trembled. Was she okay? Of course not! Taylor was hurt.

“Taylor?”

Taylor let him go and ran down the hallway, not looking back.

“Taylor! Wait!” Robbie chased after her.

A door to his right swung open and someone crashed against Robbie, propelling him to the left side of the hallway. Robbie’s body ached while a sharp pain travelled through every inch of his body, rendering him sick and nauseous. The stranger then grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head against the floor, making him feel dizzy.

“Let him go!” Taylor smashed a vase on the stranger’s back.

The person stood, towering over Taylor and menacingly looking down on her. The man wore a dark coat and a black ski mask that obscured his face from sight. Who in the world was he? Robbie held his head, trying to focus on what was going on. Another door next to Robbie swung open and Josh stood silently scanning the scene in front of him.

Josh launched himself at the man above him and hit him in the face with a blow so powerful it resounded through the air. The man was hurled through another doorway next to them while Josh tripped on Robbie and landed on top of him. Josh stood again and dashed after the mysterious stranger that completely disappeared under the darkness of the room.

“Robbie!” Taylor ran next to him and knelt on the floor. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah?” Robbie clutched either side of his head which was pounding violently.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Sophia appeared next to them.

“Yeah.” Robbie nodded. “Who was that?”

“Are you okay?” Nicky ran to them with Abby chasing after him. “What’s going on?”

“He’s gone!” Josh reemerged from the room next to them while the two security guards and bouncer ran up the stairs. “Whoever that was, he jumped out of the window and disappeared from sight. Someone call Uncle Nick and John.”