What have I just done, Xiumin wonders to himself as he watches Tao run off the stage. Xiumin watches Tao head into the locker room as the still gossiping crowd slowly starts to focus on the announcer again. From the corner of his eye he spots the rest of the wushu guys leave the sidelines of the stage and head in the same direction as Tao had just disappeared in.

“Again we would like to thank you all for coming have a great remainder of your evening” the announcer stated before individuals in the crowd began to stand up. Xiumin walked down the stairs and headed towards the nearest exit while parents milled around waiting to congradulate their children.

“Hey you, wait” a deep voice yelled before a hand landed on his shoulder. How do they know it was me already, Xiumin wondered in panic as he turns around. He feels his eyes bulge slightly when he comes face to face with Kris looking slightly scared. “You, you’re Chen’s friend right” Kris asked “Did you, you didn’t happen to see which direction Tao went did you” Kris asks without giving Xiumin a chance to answer his first question as his eyes scanned the auditorium.

“I saw him running that way” Xiumin said pointing in the direction of both the locker room and an extra exit door.

“Thanks” Kris said before dashing to the exit and raising his phone up to his ear. Why did you do that, his inner voice scolds, Tao could be in danger, it thinks. Tao can handle himself, he thinks bitterly. However something inside of him just doesn’t believe his own words.

He takes a seat on a bottom bleacher and watches as parents and children start to slowly leave the gym. The blood slowly drains from his face as he spots the wushu team, minus Tao, leaving the locker room laughing and high fiving each other. No, Xiumin thinks as he shakily gets to his feet.

Once the guys exit the main building an eerie silence sets over the room. Xiumin paces in front of the boys locker room and after a deep breath pulls his phone from his pocket. He taps on Kris’s name and brings it up to his ear, however the call goes straight to voicemail. Okay you can do this, Xiumin thinks as he pushes the door open and walks through. He takes a few steps in the silent room, I was wrong, Tao must have left before they made their way in here, Xiumin thinks to himself.

“Help” a weak voice calls out and it cause Xiumin’s heart to drop. He races down a couple rows of lockers until he finds Tao; curled up on the floor, covered in colors of all sorts, and laying lifeless.

“Tao” Xiumin screams as he falls to his knees beside the boy and gently lays his hand on the other shoulder, giving him a slight nudge to see if he will get up, when Tao doesn’t even moan out in pain Xiumin panics. “No, No, Tao wake up, come on, it’s not funny” Xiumin yells at the unresponsive boy. Is he even breathing, an inner voice wonders in shock. Xiumin brings his head down close to Tao’s face and feels a very light exhale fan over his face. “Tao hold on, you’re going to be fine” Xiumin says as he pulls out his phone and dials 911.

“911 what is the nature of your emergency” the bored voice of an operator asks as the call is picked up.

“Help, I need help” Xiumin screams into the phone as his eyes wonder over the dark and ugly bruises littering Tao’s body.

“Alright, please remain calm sir, can you start by telling me what’s wrong” the lady says in a less uninterested tone.

“My..my…my friend” Xiumin stuttered into the phone, “He’s hurt, and he’s not waking up” He said into the phone as his eyes scanned over Tao’s face.

“Alright, was he having trouble breathing before he passed out, does he have any known allergies” the lady asked.

“I..I don’t know” Xiumin replied honestly,