'Here we go again.' I thought as I heard the clatter of a plate hitting the ground, followed by my father's yelling.
This happens a lot. When Father isn't satisfied he starts yelling at the staff, not soon after he'll get physical if you're not careful. I try to avoid him at times like these.
I hear a smack followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground with a pained yelp.
"Enough Gregory!" My mother's voice sounded. She was probably the only one capable of stopping him, or at the least direct his rage towards something else. "They are our staff, not our personal punching bags! Stop making me repeat myself!"
I heard their arguing grow more distant, assuming they went to the limousine to take a long ride, so they could talk, as usual.
I walked around the corner from where I was standing to see a body curled up on the ground, shaking a little. I slowly and quietly made my way over. I noticed the mop of blonde hair on top of his head, Kendall. Kendall is usually the prime victim of my father's physical outbursts. No matter what he did, my father always found a flaw in what he was doing, if it wasn't for separating his vegetables wrong, he'd be mopping the floor the wrong way, which confuses me because we don't have that expensive, nor rare floor boards which would require a special cleaning pattern.
As I kneel next to him I softly whisper, "Hey, are you alright?"
When I didn't get a response I gently put my hand on his shoulder, repeating my question.
He roughly shakes my hand off and stands up, muttering a barely audible, "I'm fine, sir."
"Call me James, I told you all to stop calling me sir a million times already." I reply, as usual when called sir. Something my father made them do. I've told the staff to just call me James, just like they call my mother Brooke. Or at the very least Mrs. Diamond. "And you're not fine at all." I say noticing his cut lip and black eye.
"Yes I am." He tells me harshly.
"Yeah, the blood from that cut in your lip looks really natural, and I know for a fact that you're eye isn't supposed to swell like that. Come on." I say as I gently take his arm, guiding him to the kitchen for some ice.
Once there I grabbed a towel and some ice out of the freezer, I wrapped it in the towel and gently held it to his eye.
"Why are you helping me? Again?" He asked after a while. Yes, this is not the first time I've helped him after one of my father's outbursts. There was the time he hit his head when he fell because he pushed him and hit his head on something nearby, I believe the first time was the table in the dining room. Then there was the time he sprained his ankle and wrist while trying to catch his fall. But that's not the only times I've helped him. I've also helped him and other staff members doing the chores around house, mostly him though.
" Because, unlike popular beliefs, I'm not like him." I say, venom dripping when I mention my father. "And because I want to." I answer him.
"Still... why do you always help me? Well, mostly me. I just don't get it." he said, eying me warily, probably thinking I have an ulterior motive.
"Well for one, you're my age. And frankly, I don't think you should be ordered around like this. You should be in school, enjoying life. And... I don't really know.. I just really want to get to know you and become friends." I tell him, giving him one of my dazzling smiles.
But in reality, I kind of have a crush on him. I mean, just look at him! He has the sexiest smile ever, and whenever he shows it off you can see his cute dimples. His hair, even though he only ever touches it to run a hand through it when he's frustrated or thinking, it looks perfect, be it the middle of the night or early in the morning. He also has just enough muscles to be able to show it off without looking like he's the hulk, but still giving off that warning of 'don't mess with me'. Okay fine I admit it, I'm in love with him. I have since the day he started working here. Well back then it was just a crush, but then I got to know him a little bit better and it turned into love.
"You... want to be friends with me?" he asked, giving me a look that clearly said he didn't believe me.
"Yes. I'm not some stuck up rich kid that's just looking to torture everyone you know? I mean it when I tell you I want to be friends."
"Why not go play with one of the kids of your parents' acquaintances?" he asks me.
" Have you looked at them? They think they're god or something, there's just no way I can get along with them. Hell I can't stand being in the same room as them." I reply. "Hey can I ask you something?"
"Sure what is it?" he asks, straightening up and making to get up, thinking I want him to get me something. I put my hand to his shoulder and push him back into the kitchen chair.
"What's my father's deal with you?" I ask him curiously, looking him straight in the eye.
"His deal with me?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.
"Yes. He always seems rougher on you than anyone else."
"Oh... that..." he says, looking down slightly, not finishing his sentence.
"What?" I ask him gently. "You can tell me. I won't tell anyone." I say and gently put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"He... hates me." was all he said.
"Clearly, but why?" I press on.
"Because... because I like boys." he says, looking me in the eye.
That brought mixed feelings up, one was happiness, seems I do stand a chance with him. But the other far out weighed the first. My world just basically crumbled before me, and it was clear on my face as I saw Kendall quickly look away, tears in his eyes. He probably mistook the look on my face for him being gay, how wrong he was.
"I knew I heard rumors but..." I started as I slowly got up. A terrified look crossed Kendall's face, but it disappeared when I walked away, towards the nearby wall and leaned against it with my back.
"But I never imagined them being true..." I continued, Kendall looked about ready to bolt but he stopped as soon as I felt a wetness escape my eye, and I slid down the wall to the ground. "...he really... won't ever love me will he?" I say, referring to my dad.
Kendall stared at me for a while, I could feel his eyes bore into my head as I sat slumped against the wall, staring at the ground in front of me. I heard the soles of his shoes thump against the floor as he walked over and sat next to me. I instinctively laid my head on his shoulders as I let the flood gates open, crying silently. He put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder comfortingly.
"What do you mean?" He finally asks after a while, his voice clearly confused.
"It's not what you think. I don't hate you for liking boys. On the contrary, I'm ecstatic, but..." I try to explain, but the words got caught in my throat.
"You mean... you're gay too?" he asks me softly, a little understanding audible in his voice. To which I nod my head.
"It hurts... it really hurts, knowing your own father won't ever accept you." I say, my voice breaking a little.
"There have been rumors?" he asks next. I nod again.
"I've heard the staff gossip, saying that 'The master beat up another guy at the bar.' mostly followed by a 'Because he...'. They never finished the sentence... but the knowing looks, that followed the nod. It gave me suspicions. But to actually think they're true..." I tell him.
"Now I know what the Limo rides are for..." I think out loud.
"What do you mean?" Kendall asks me.
"I think my mom suspected. She would often remind me that she'd love me no matter what, that it was important that I loved and to make sure that I'd let nothing get in the way. She probably drags him off into the Limo to spare my feelings when dad rants on." I explain.
"I see." was all he said. He continued to hold me for a while.
After a few minutes he pulled back and stood up, stretching his limbs. "What do you say we go sit somewhere comfortable? My butt hurts." he suggests and extends his hand to me.
I nod and take his hand, he helps me up and we go to my room.
When we got there I settled on my bed, sitting cross legged, he took the couch that stood a few feet away.
"So... you want to be friends?" he questions out loud.
'More than.' I think to myself, "Yeah. I don't have any, and I'm not allowed outside the gates on my own. I've tried befriending other staff members but... they just treat me like a kid. Or like I can't take care of myself." I say
"So that's why you help me every chance you get?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.
"Mostly yes, but not the only reason. You seem like an interesting person." I tell him with a smile and Settle on my stomach, resting on my elbows and putting my chin in my hands, throwing my legs in the air. "Besides, now that I know that you're gay too it means we can talk about more than I imagined." I tell him with a friendly smile.
"Yeah, true." He says with a chuckle. "So, what do you wanna do?"
" Hmmm... how about some..." I started skimming down the stack of games next to my TV, "Ninja action in Naruto Ultimate Ninja storm 2?" I suggest, to which he nods his head and we both grab a controller and turn on the TV and PS3.
After a few hours of that we just sat on my bed in a comfortable silence.
"Hey? Can I ask something?" Kendall asked, breaking the silence.
"Sure, shoot." I say.
" What did you mean back there with being ecstatic about me being gay?" heasks me looking me straight in the eye.
I felt my cheeks flush bright red. "I.. I uhh.. I.." I stuttered. At which he smirked.
"You like me, don't you?" he said. I shook my head and his smirk fell.
"No," I begin, my cheeks still bright red, "I don't like you." At this point his eyes watered a little, "I love you." I finished.
Hearing that his eyes went wide and looked he looked at me, all the while the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face. He launched himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and pulling me in for a sloppy kiss.
When we pulled back for air he rested his forehead on mine and we stared in each others' eyes.
"You don't know how happy I am hearing that." he told me.
" You don't know how happy I am having finally kissed you." I told him an d we both smirked. He leaned in again, connecting our lips.
That's how we laid there for hours. Holding each other close, kissing here and there. At one point we settled back into the pillows and turned on the TV to channel surf a little, settling on some movie that was running. At one point we slowly drifted asleep.
So what do you guys think? Is it good? Bad? Review and tell me! :)
Also... should I make it a Two-Shot? Yes? Or No?