Sneak Out (5)
Jodie Brown

 

“What? No don’t be silly!”
“Just admit it mum! You can’t get over Gene’s death.”
“I am over him honey” Her fake happiness was aggravating.
“Mum stop pretending. You are driving me insane! You don’t care about me at all do you? You have no idea what I have been going through! All you care about is yourself and that stupid book!” Tee shouted.
“No, that’s not it at all. I love you. You know that.”
“No mum I don’t.” Tee said quietly.
“I am doing all I can for you, you have a roof over your head and food on the table!”
“Is that the only thing that you can give me? Food and house. No love”
“Don’t be so ungrateful! I am in a state because I am caring for you!”
“Ha! Since when! Fine if I am the only one who is stopping you from getting better then I will leave! Then you can get well again and maybe become more than an empty shell!” Tee shouted getting up from the table and leaving his food unfinished. Tears began to build in his eyes but he brushed them angrily away. He didn’t care about friends. He wanted someone to love him. He wanted his mum and dad to love him. He wanted to feel accepted in his own home. He ran down the stairs and into his room.
Tee grabbed a bag from under his bed and threw some spare clothes, cigarettes and money into it. He walked towards the door and wrenched it open to find Gene standing there. “Get out of my way” Tee growled.
“Tee you are just making things worse.”
“I will be a weight off her back! She doesn’t care about me can’t you see that? I am the unwanted son. I was an accident, did you ever notice how mum and dad always said hi to you first, always let you stay up late, always let you go to parties with them, read stories to you at bed time, let you have whatever room you want. Gene you were the favourite son. They put up with me because they loved you and you loved me. Now you are gone.” Tee cried. Gene knew he was right. He stepped aside. Tee ran down the stairs and stopped at the door when he heard his mum’s voice.
“Tee please…Tee wait.” She reached him and took his arm.
“Get off me.”
“Where will you go?”
“A friends. My friends care about me more than you do.” Tee spat. She still clung to his arm. “Let me go. You are trying to stop me just so you can tell your self you were a good mum. Just give up Jennifer. Let. Me .Go.” He said this so fiercely that she let go and shrank back. He wrenched open the door and left his childhood home behind.

 
Chapter twelve

Tee walked down a deserted street in the pouring rain smiling broadly, he was free. He reached a semi-detached house and walked up the drive acknowledging the fact that a car was not parked there…he just hoped someone was in. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell. To his relief the lock on the door clicked open and the door was pulled inwards revealing a rather shaky Blake. He was wearing sunglasses his fringe was short and his cheeks were flushed, his face damp.
“Blake? What the hell happened?” Tee stepped across the threshold.
“Josh. He confronted me after school with his friends…” He closed the door and shuffled into his living room. There was a damp patch on the arm of the leather sofa where Blake had obviously laid his head and cried. “His friends held me while Josh…pulled aside my fringe and cut it…in front of everyone.” His voice was shaking and tears ran down his cheeks. Tee hugged him.
“It isn’t that bad.” He assured him setting his bag on the ground.
“Not that bad? Not that bad” For the first time ever Blake’s voice sounded angry. “I will show you how not bad it is.” He reached up and took the glasses from his face. Tee had never seen his left eye before and couldn’t help but gasp. The eye was slightly smaller than his normal one but completely black with a red line running underneath it. “I can’t wear sun glasses all the time it will take over a month to grow my fringe back! I can’t walk around with this exposed” He groaned jabbing a finger in the direction of his dodgy eye. He slumped onto the sofa and Tee sat next to him.
“I’m sure you can wear those glasses.”
“But no one will like me! It will be so easy for the glasses to get smashed and then people will see what a freak I am and…” Blake noticed the rucksack on the floor “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I walked out of my house and I need somewhere to stay for a few nights.” Tee explained.
“Why?”
“Because my parents don’t care about me.”
“We are both in a predicament aren’t we?” Blake sighed. He went to return the sunglasses to his face but Tee reached out and put his hand on Blake’s arm.
“You don’t need to hide from me. I told you, as long as you are the same person I don’t care”
“Thanks. But other people will.” Blake’s gaze dropped to Tee’s hand on his arm, he looked back up at Tee. Tee felt something bubble inside of him; he had a sudden urge to take Blake in his arms, to protect his frail friend. He reached out and placed a hand on Blake’s cheek. Blake looked into Tee’s eyes, confused, trying to read his expression. Blake moved closer and Tee edged forward Blake moved his arm around Tee’s back and their lips met.
Tee pulled away slowly and looked at the floor he got up and moved to pick up his bag. Blake sat shocked, and Tee stood in the middle of the room not knowing what to do. “I better go,” He said finally. Blake got to his feet shaking his head. He took Tee’s hand.
“Do that again I didn’t see!” Gene’s voice echoed across the room. Tee looked up to see his brother standing in the corner leaning on the wall his arms crossed.
“I will set a bed up for you in my room.” Blake said nervously He exited the room and Tee heard him thump up the stairs.
“My brother…gay, I can hardly believe it.”
“I don’t know …but it just felt so right.” Tee said quietly.
“Then go for it. If it feels right it has to be.” Gene smiled. At that moment Blake walked back into the room and Gene dematerialised.
Tee looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was 11:00pm. “Where are your parents?”
“Down the pub most likely, they wont be back till at least 3” Blake replied. They stood looking at each other awkwardly. Tee walked towards Blake and took his hand, “Lead the way to your room then. I’m shattered” Blake led Tee up the stairs and onto a blue landing then through a neon green door, Tee stood in a black room with various neon coloured spots. A camp bed was on the floor next to a single one with bright pink covers.
Blake let go of Tee’s hand and Tee stroked his arm we want each other. How can that be wrong? Tee went and sat on the bed and Blake joined him, tears still glistened in Blake’s eye. Tee wrapped his arms around Blake and Blake lent his head against Tee’s chest. Blake looked up and their lips met again.
Blake pulled away first this time but Tee just moved his lips along Blake’s jaw line and the down his throat, Blake leant forward pushing Tee back onto the bed. He lay beside Tee and they just looked at each other for a long moment, Tee took Blake’s hand and pressed it against his face. He then moved forward and kissed the bottom of Blake’s jaw he run his lips down his throat and across his collar bone.
“I…” Blake began.
“Don’t” Tee whispered into Blake’s neck. He moved his lips back up and crushed them against Blake’s again. Blake’s lips parted and he wound his fingers into Tee’s hair.




 
Chapter 13

Tee opened his eyes the next day as the sun shone on his face. His head was resting on Blake’s bare chest. They were both in their trousers from the night before. For once in his life Tee felt truly loved by someone who was not family or friend and was surprised that it was a guy, it also surprised him that he too was in love. He sat up slowly and looked back at the sleeping Blake. Tee stroked Blake’s hair and smiled as Gene appeared at the end of his bed. “I was disappointed with you two last night. No fun, no fun at all. All you did was kiss!” he said. Tee raised one eyebrow. Blake stirred. He opened his eyes and looked up at Tee smiling widely then it vanished. “Tonight…” He murmured.
“We fight” Tee finished the sentence. Blake got to his feet and crossed the room he opened his wardrobe and took out two towels he threw one to Tee.
“I know you are a guest but I’m going to shower first.” Blake grinned as he walked out of the room.
“I know I can’t stop you but I am begging you not to go tonight.” Gene said
“I’m sorry but I can’t do that. It is about time Josh and his friends got taught a lesson.” Tee replied. He heard the shower turn on.
“If you die…”
“You will feel responsible, well you shouldn’t it is nothing to do with you.”
“I am your older brother it is everything to do with me!”
“And I’m old enough to look after myself. I have been in enough fights to know what to expect.” Tee sighed and laid down on the bed. He heard the shower shut off and 3 minutes later Blake appeared fully dressed in green skin-tight trousers and a black shirt. Tee got up and went over to his bag taking out a pair of baggy black jeans and a baggy blue top. He picked up his towel and walked across the landing and into the bathroom. He placed his clothes and towel on the floor, took off his trousers and boxers and got into the shower. He turned it on and smiled as the warm water ran over his body.
5 minutes later he walked back into Blake’s room, Blake was sitting on the floor with various pots of neon coloured eye shadows and eyeliners and lip sticks spread around him. He was holding a small mirror in one hand and drawing a star on his cheek in green eyeliner.
“Ready to die tonight?” he asked.
“You make me feel so confident!” Tee sighed walking over and sitting next to Blake. “What is the time anyway?”
“11am, we have 12 hours until we meet at the skate park.” Blake replied grimly.
“I’m going for a walk. I will come back here later.” Tee announced getting up and walking out of the room.
Tee wondered around for a while and got lunch at a café he returned to Blake’s house 3 hours later. He knocked on the door and a tall lady with long legs answered. She had deep red hair and startling blue eyes, she was wearing skin tight black leather trousers and a black corset, which was a bit tight as her breasts seem to be trying to escape out the top, she looked in her late twenties. She smiled widely saying, “You must be Blake’s friend” She reached out and patted Tee’s hair “Aren’t you the pretty one.” Tee shuffled uncomfortably.
“Mum I think you are scaring him.” A female voice came from behind Blake’s mum and a girl appeared next to her. She had long brown hair with wide bronze eyes she was wearing a black Mini skirt and a neon pink corset. She looked 16 but Tee was sure she was about 14, He remembered Blake saying something about a younger sister. She beamed up at him. Blake’s mum and little sister moved aside to let Tee go in.
“Blake is in his room. I will take you up if you like” Blake’s sister said fluttering her long eyelashes.
“No it is fine I know where I am going.” Tee smiled. She looked a bit disappointed as she turned to walk away. Tee snuck up the stairs and knocked on the Neon green door. “What do you want” Came a shaky voice. Blake was obviously crying.
“It is just me” Tee called. He heard scraping as something, presumably a chair, was pulled away from the door. It swung inwards to reveal Blake a cowboy hat pulled down so his eyes were in shadow. His cheeks damp. Tee put his arms around him.
They walked into Blake’s room and sat on the bed Blake’s head buried in Tee’s chest. They sat like that for more than an hour until Tee spoke.
“What started all this?”
“I stepped on my sun glasses and couldn’t find anything to cover my eye with. Then dad saw it and started laughing. And…and I found this hat.. Then I remembered how dad had laughed. If my own father can not accept my disability then who will?” Blake choked out through the cascade of tears. Tee leaned forward and gave Blake a peck on the lips.
“I don’t care. I accept you for who you are because you are my boyfriend.” Tee sighed.
“You mean…you want to…. have a relationship?” Blake’s quiet deep voice had a hint of astonishment in it. Tee nodded slowly and Blake smiled. Blake kissed Tee and they sat kissing and talking for another hour until Blake suggested that they go on his game cube to pass time. He loaded up Mario Kart and handed a controller to Tee.
“I warn you I am brilliant a this game.” Blake smiled.
“I have won every game I ever played against Gene” Tee replied.
Night had begun to fall when Blake’s mum called up the stairs to let them know that dinner was ready. Blake and Tee had abandoned Mario Kart and moved onto a military game and they both sighed as they set down their controllers and made their way downstairs.
They sat around a mahogany table. Blake’s dad was not home so it was just Blake, Tee, Blake’s mum and Blake’s sister, whose name Tee had learned was Fern. Tee picked apart his pizza and ate slowly; Fern finished first and resumed her annoying habit of staring at him. Tee sat uncomfortably, every time he looked up Fern caught his eye. Blake came to the rescue when he said to Fern “Hay stop looking at him! He is mine I tell you. Mine!” and threw his pizza at her. Tee gave him a grateful smile.
After dinner Blake got up and took Tee’s hand he led him upstairs and into his room. It was now 10 pm they had an hour until they met up in the park.
“If you are going to die tonight I want you to go out in style!” Blake announced pulling open his cupboard and taking out a box. He opened the box and emptied the contents onto the floor.
Pots of eye shadow, tubes of mascara and a dozen different coloured eyeliners now littered the floor. Tee gave Blake a confused look before walking over to sit on the bed. “Do you mind if I plaster you in some of this?” Blake laughed holding up neon orange eyeliner. Without giving Tee any time to respond he got up and walked across the room a glimpse of fear could be seen momentarily entering and leaving Tee’s eyes.

 
Chapter 14

11pm and Tee was standing next to Blake clutching his hand. They were in the skate park and were about to leave for the forest clearing. Gene took a drag from his fag and wiped tears of laughter from his face. He had been in hysterics since Tee had emerged from Blake’s room. Tee had neon orange stars stencilled down the side of one cheek like tear drops. Green and pink eyeliner pencilled under each eye, green eye shadow and blue lipstick. He thought he looked pretty good but Gene had doubled over with laughter and because Tee was with Blake he couldn’t even shout at his older brother. Blake had green stars down his cheek he was wearing green skinny jeans and a white vest top with “Sex pistols” stencilled across the front he had a green cowboy hat pulled down so his eyes were in shadow.
There was a muffled bleeping noise and Rocket fished his nokia from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons and his eyes whizzed across the screen. He quickly punched in a few more buttons before slipping the phone back into his pocket. “Right that was Josh. We are meeting in the forest clearing now.” Tee gulped and watched as his brother shuddered. To get to the clearing they would have to go right past the spot where Gene had been murdered, Josh had picked that particular place on purpose and both Gene and Tee knew it.
There were seven of them all together. Tee, Blake, Chase, Rocket, Chase’s older brother –Named Barney he had been one of Gene’s best mates- Garry –another of Gene’s mates- and Sarah –who they had all tried to convince not to go but she protested saying that she wanted to beat some sense into Gina, who had left their group calling them all freaks- Tee and Blake walked side by side hands tightly clamped, the group had not been surprised that Blake was gay but they were amazed that Tee was, they walked along chatting and smoking until they where just mere metres from the forest’s edge. Tee took a deep breath, he could see the forest getting nearer and feel Blake’s sweaty hand on his but the chatter was muffled and a voice played out in his head It’s just a bag of rubbish he looked down and saw a pair of green converses attached to a bin liner. His head snapped up again he tried to focus on the forest. At the base of the tree’s he saw himself crouching, crying He is alive barely. Don’t die on me he saw himself holding Gene’s body How can you protect me if you’re dead?
Tee glanced sideways at his brother whose eye’s were glazed over. Tee guessed that he was also reliving the night of his death but with completely different memories.
Gene looked at the opening in the trees and remembered his shock as he had ran into Bryan…. the pain as the metal pole had struck his naked torso again and again and the surprise when Josh had revealed himself. Josh? Oh that’s low Bryan even for you. Bringing your little brother into it. This is our battle not his.
Shut up. For your information I caught Bryan sneaking out and followed Josh’s voice fills Gene’s head.
Josh I’ll hold him. Here. Bryan’s drooling voice as he handed Josh the pole. Gene looks over to the edge of the forest and watches the silhouette of Bryan stooping to pick up Gene’s already tortured and blood covered body. He take’s a breath and find’s himself looking down at Josh his arms being restrained by Bryan. Josh hits him with the pole again and again. Gene doesn’t let out one cry of pain just grunts of anguish…in fact most of the pain has gone. He is just numb and cold. He is full of guilt. He said he would always be there for Tee and now here he was being beaten and he was sure he would be beaten to death. He could feel himself shutting down his vision clouds over and he goes limp in Bryan’s arms unable to support himself or keep his eye’s open. He is vaguely aware of a black bin liner being pulled over his head and he feels himself hit the ground. There is no more pain and his breath catches in his throat he can feel warm blood running over his body and tears running down his face. He doesn’t want to leave, he is not ready to go. He thinks of Tee and then Alice. A year seems to pass before the liner is taken off of him. He cannot find the strength to open his eyes and he can feel himself slipping away. He hears a voice that sounds so familiar. He is alive…Barely it says. Tee. Gene tries to open his eyes he tries to reach out to his sobbing brother but his heart pumps less frequently, it is harder to breath. He must stay, he must be there. Tee has nobody else. Tee needs him. Tee will need him until he finds someone else, at least stay until Tee finds someone else. It is no good. Gene takes a final shaky breath then exhales just let me stay until Tee finds someone who care’s for him as much as I do was his last thought.

 
Chapter 15

The group reached the edge of the forest and walk through it coming out in the clearing. Josh was already there with five of his cronies…and Gina. Gina’s eyes flicked to Blake and Tee’s hands then to Tee’s face and back to Josh. She whispered into his ear and he two looked at Tee a smile spread across his face. Gene’s eyes filled with worry as he looked at the hate filled expression on Josh’s face.
“The Cyclops and the orphan…how romantic.” Josh spat.
“I don’t see how he is an orphan?” Chase pipes up.
“Well he has no family does he? His brother is dead and his parents…well lets just say they don’t have enough love for him.” Tee let this comment pass over him…he knew it was true and wasn’t bothered by it.
“I see the Cyclops has decided to go cowboy. Is that because you got a haircut and you are not man enough to show what you really are…a monster” Josh snarled. Now that bothered him.
“Oi watch your mouth!” Tee cried.
“Oo struck a nerve did I? Spock” Gene gave Tee a warning glance as Josh took a step closer. Tee saw Bryan step forward as well.
“You know who I love? Birdie. You know that person who always crops up in films. ‘A little birdie told me’ and all that. Well guess what a little birdie told me.” Tee said as he stepped forward loosening his hand from Blake’s grip. He could hear other people shouting insults but he blocked them out as he made his way towards Josh. “He told me” He heard Gene telling him to shut up. To stop. But Tee couldn’t he had to let Josh know that he knew. “That” He had to shock him; he had to give himself a reason to pound “you and Bryan” that measly little slug into the dust. Bryan looked over at Josh worry clear in his eyes “Killed my brother.” Tee was standing a foot from Josh. The whole clearing went silent and Josh’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out.
“Josh.” Bryan boomed. Josh looked round at his brother “Do me proud.” Josh turned back and got ready to hit Tee but Tee had already swung back his arm and his fist was hurtling towards Josh. Josh caught it, held it and punched Tee’s stomach. Tee off balanced momentarily but that was enough for Josh to swing him around and send him into a tree. Tee bounced back and right hooked him around the side of the head then swept his foot around and sent Josh spiralling to the ground. Tee stamped on his head. All his anger came rushing out as he kicked Josh in the side again and again. Strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him away. Tee looked up to see Bryans snarling face. “This is not your fight!” He shouted.
“Does it look like I care?” Bryan murmured throwing Tee to the ground, Bryan stamped on Tee’s stomach then went to do it again but Barney had already grabbed Bryan around the waist and bundled him to the ground. Tee jumped to his feet and Gene appeared at his side.
“Look what you have got yourself into! Spock please don’t get yourself killed. Keep alert. You may be beating the crap out of one of them but do not forget he has an older brother to protect him…where as you don’t” Gene cried.

 

 

Go to part: 1  2  3  4  5  6 

 

 

Copyright © 2007 Jodie Brown
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"